The Nation May 27 2011

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VOL. 6, NO. 1772 FRIDAY, MAY 27, 2011

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ACN asks lawmakers to lead battle for good Constitution

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CTION Congress of Nigeria (ACN) legislators-elect were told yesterday to legislate the generality of Nigerians out of poverty.

It was at a special induction for the opposition party lawmakers in Osogbo, the Osun State capital.

Senators–elect and would-be members of the House of Representatives attended the ceremony, where they were taken through the rudiments of legislation by party leaders, including the chairman, Chief Bisi Akande, national leader Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who was a senator between 1991 and 1992; National Secretary Usman Bugaje and National Publicity Secretary Lai Mohammed.

Governors Babatunde Fashola (Lagos) and Rauf Aregbesola (Osun) also attended the induction.

Among the senators-elect at the session were George Akume (Benue North), Dr. Chris Ngige (Anambra Central) and Mrs Oluremi Tinubu (Lagos Central).

Tinubu urged the legislators, who will be inaugurated on June 7, not be consumed by the “Abuja

•Chief Akande discussing with Fashola (right) at the session in Osogbo ... yesterday. With them are Ogbeni Aregbesola and Asiwaju Tinubu (left) From Soji Adeniyi, Osogbo

spirit”. They should carry out their responsibilities in the interest of the people.

The former Lagos governor faulted the 1999 Constitution, especially its preamble of “we the people”, saying neither the people nor their rep-

resentatives sat down to draw it.

“Nobody sat down anywhere to discuss before they gave us the constitution. All we try to do is panel beat the constitution to suit the situation now and that can’t work.

The military, which gave us the constitution, is known for

destruction and not building up,” Tinubu said.

Federalism also came on the front burner at the session.

Tinubu said for Nigeria to emerge a workable federation, it needs a constitutional overhaul, which the ACN should spearhead.

“We can legislate our way out of poverty, deception and problems. It is a big challenge for generations to remember us by,” he said.

“There is need for a booklet to be called ‘A Charter for Good Governance and Constitutional Democracy’,” Tinubu declared. “Although

that charter would be forged by ACN and should guide all its members in the National Assembly, it should also apply to every member of the parliament since it pushes for good governance.”

Continued on page 2

Minister: Selfish lobbyists besiege me, says Jonathan President says post-election litigations down by 80%

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•Dr Jonathan

HE President confirmed yesterday what has been widely known – there is a huge lobby for ministerial jobs.

But, 10 per cent of the lobbyists are doing it for national interest, he said at the Presidential Inauguration Lecture at the Foreign Affairs Headquarters, Abuja.

The 10 per cent are people whose primary concern is to push for competent people and not just for themselves or their relatives, he said.

He also spoke on post-election litigations, saying they declined by 80%.

He hopes that by 2015, they would have gone down by 95%.

The improvement, according to

‘

I know that there are two categories of lobbyists ... There are people lobbying for ministerial positions for what I term as personal reasons, either for themselves, their wives etc. Then, those who love the country.

From Vincent Ikuomola, Abuja

the President, was due to some drastic changes made before the election.

Prof. Ladipo Adamolekun, a development consultant to the World Bank for two decades, delivered the lecture.

The President said he had identified leadership as the only snag to

’

the country getting to the top and that was why he changed the electoral process.

He explained that there are two categories of leaders: those who are elected and those who force themselves on the people through all means, including violence.

Jonathan, who was responding to questions from reporters, said his dis-

cussions with the leadership of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on the need to ensure that votes counted worked the magic.

He said some of the factors that contributed to the success of the 2011 general elections was the stand that votes are counted at the polling units and results given to party agents.

Said the President: “For us to get to where we want to go, to transform our country in all aspects, the challenge we have is the leaders, because no matter the interests of Nigerians, if we don’t have the leaders that can do that we cannot go anywhere.

“And I believe that the first step to Continued on page 2

•BUSINESS P15 •SOCIETY P29 •MESSAGE P42 •FOREIGN P60 •SPORTS P61

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THE NATION FRIDAY, MAY 27, 2011

NEWS

Minister: Selfish lobbyists besiege me, says Jonathan Continued from page 1

transformation is to make sure that people select and elect their leaders. If you make mistake by electing a leader, you can tell that leader that ‘you are not doing well; so, we will see in the next four years’.

“When I travelled outside, even when I was acting President, I noticed there was just one thing we needed to do in our electoral process: get a credible umpire and make sure that at the end of the polls the results are declared at every unit and let all the agents have copies of that result.

“I think I’m one of the most fortunate Nigerians. For the past 12 years, I have been at the top, either as deputy governor, governor, vice president and later presidential candidate, so I know what the problem is at this point.

“If those results are not shared to agents and people move and at the end of the poll they just pack everything to either the ward or local government headquarters to count, a lot of things could happen. Where somebody gets 100 votes, it could turn to 10,000 votes. So, I said to the INEC chairman, ‘no matter what you do, make sure that the votes are counted and the results are shared to all the agents of the candidates and the two or three accredited security agencies too should get the results’.

We insisted on that and, luckily, our elections have been accepted as free and fair.

“The legal adviser of PDP told me a week ago when we discussed about the cases in court, that the number of liti-

•President Jonathan (second left), former Head of State Gen. Yakubu Gowon (left), Head of Service of the Federation, Prof. Oladapo PHOTO: AKIN OLADOKUN Afolabi and Prof Adamolekun (right) at the lecture ... yesterday.

gations has dropped compared to 2007; it has dropped by over 80%.

“That shows that even in terms of electoral processes, we are transforming; we are going somewhere,” the President said.

He went on: “In fact, I remember when I was acting president; the President of South Africa came to visit and I asked him the length of time they allowed after election in court because I was a bit worried that after election two years into tenure of four years matters are still in court.

“He was surprised that somebody should go to court after elections, but in South Africa you will be surprised that nobody is going to court after elections.

“My feeling is that if within this year alone because of the little changes we have made, we are able to reduce litigations by over 80%, I believe that in 2015, we will reduce

it by 95%.”

Dr Jonathan said on the lobby for ministerial positions: “If you open the newspapers today, you will read that there are people who are lobbying to be ministers and I’m at the centre of it and I know that more than 60% of the stories are not true.

“But, I know that there are two categories of lobbyists, I will just put it this way; there are people lobbying for ministerial positions for what I term as personal reasons, either for themselves, their wives etc. Then, those who love the country.

“Those who love the country, when they come to you for a particular person, if you analyse it, you will see that they have no relationship with that person; they are only lobbying because they feel that that person has the background to do the job; those are people who love this country. Unfortunately,

they are less than 10%.

“Another thing is the time these people will spend to do their work. If a government comes up with a good policy and another government comes, there is a tendency for it to change. One thing I believe helped us not to transform the way we want to is the duration for ministers.

“I will not talk about the president or the governors because the constitution has set four years. If you count from the time of Tafawa Balewa to Ajumogobia, we have had 24 ministers in the space of 51 years, that means an average of two years for one minister.

How will a country drive its foreign policy?

“It takes more than two years to really understand the policy of your country.

I am not saying any minister should serve like the defunct Soviet Union that had the longest serving minister of over 40 years, but at least you will expect that a minister, if they

must transform and if that person is performing above 60% average, if you must change and develop, we expect that minister to stay for a number of years,” Dr Jonathan said.

Delivering his lecture entitled “A Transformation Agenda for Accelerating National Development”, Adamolekun identified five fundamentals that are necessary to transform the country.

The fundamentals, according to him, are: electoral legitimacy, peace and security, government policy stability, rule of law and anti-corruption.

He noted that the significance of electoral legitimacy connotes that the leaders that emerge through credible elections will be accountable to their citizens while the citizens will also be free to demand accountability from the leaders, adding that such development “is generally considered conducive for achieving well-performing governments”.

The lecturer described peace and security as “an incontro-

vertible precondition for development”. He stressed the need to revisit the implementation of the amnesty programme for sustainable peace in the Niger Delta.

He said the Ministry of Niger Delta should be phased out while the NDDC should be strengthened and run by experts and professionals.

Adamolekun lamented instability in government policies, especially in critical sectors, stressing that “there have been varying degrees of inconsistencies and contradictions, including notable policy reversals”. He cited policy reversals in privatisation and education.

He noted that countries, such as Botswana, Brazil, China, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, South Korea, Thailand and a host of others, recorded sustained high growth (7 per cent and above) for 25 years because of policy stability during the second half of the 20th century.

Adamolekun raised a poser by 2015, would Jonathan’s score card have earned him the title of a transformational leader? Even though he declined to answer the question, the lecturer said the President would be assessed by the progress made in ensuring peace and stability, reducing corruption, rehabilitating education and infrastructure with emphasis on electricity supply.

“I would add that the extent to which the President is able to rapidly enhance implementation capacity through progress regarding the four implementation issues discussed in the lecture will impact on his achievements regarding the three Transformation Results Areas (TRAs) – education rehabilitation, fixing poor infrastructure and achieving the MDGs”.

ACN to lawmakers: lead battle for better Constitution Continued from page 1

To Tinubu, the federal question is the most critical problem facing good governance in Nigeria. He warned that the problem would not be solved, until the 1999 Constitution was overhauled and completely re-written along federal lines.

He said the 1999 Constitution suffered from a lethal dose of military barrack-andcommand mentality, so much so that its conceptual framework was more unitary than federal, citing the listing of local governments in the Constitution as product of such a command mindset.

“There are two federating units in a federation – federal government and states – and not three. The local governments are strictly development areas of the states, and they have nothing to do with the federal government,” Tinubu stressed. “They have no business being listed in the Constitution. But if they must, they are at best a directory, showing the situation as at when that Constitution was written. But to be interpreted as if there are three tiers of government is clearly a misnomer.”

He called on the new ACN lawmakers to fight tooth and nail to enshrine the federal

principle, even where they have some personal political issues with their governors, citing the case of former Governor George Akume, now ACN senator-elect and Governor Gabriel Suswan of Benue State.

“Irrespective of personal issues with your individual governors, you must all rally to ensure your states get their fiscal rights under a federal system,” he said, adding that people like Akume should, if need be, cooperate with the sitting governor to get Benue State its fiscal rights under the law, no matter the level of disagreement.”

He lamented that the term

“fiscal federalism” was not clear to many people, adding that he would rather tag it “fair [and equitable] federalism”.

Said Tinubu: “The Constitution says all revenues must be captured in the Federation Account. But, who does the checks and balances to ensure that all these are done?”

He therefore called for the separation of the offices of the Accountant-General of the Federation and the Accountant General of the Federal Government.

“The AGF must be the one making sure that all funds needed to be captured into the Federation Account are

EFCC arraigns Nnamani for corruption, embezzlement

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ORMER Enugu State Governor Chimaroke Nnamani was yesterday arraigned before an Enugu High Court for alleged corruption and embezzlement of money meant for road reconstruction.

Charged with him was an Enugu-based contractor, Chief Jacob Nwatu and four companies.

The companies are: Jac Nigeria Enterprises Ltd, Jetman Nigeria Limited, Rainbownet Nigeria Ltd and Hillgate Nigeria Ltd. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission

From Chris Oji, Enugu

(EFCC) said the accused committed the offences between August 3, 2002 and November 1, 2002.

According to the prosecution, the accused within the period, fraudulently obtained various sums which include:N69,120,000, N150,300,000,N156,157,708, N139,255776,N189,255,776, N514533,664, N609,600,00 and N150,300,000.

Also said to have been fraudulently obtained by the accused were N156,157,788, N139, 255, 776, N514,533,664

and N514, 533,664.

All the money was said to be meant for the construction of roads in the state but were not executed.

The accused pleaded not guilty.

EFCC’s counsel, K.C. Uzozie urged the court to give the trial an accelerated hearing.

Defence counsel Mr. Ricky Tarfa (SAN) urged the court to release the accused on bail.

He also pleaded with the court to order that the accused should not be remanded in prison custody but to remain in the custody of

•Nnamani

EFCC till the adjourned date.

Justice Benedict Agbata ordered that the accused be remanded in EFCC’s custody and adjourned the case to June 1.

captured; and also ensure fair and equitable distribution of such monies, among the federating units. The AG of the federal government, on the other hand, takes charge of the interest of its own principal. The situation in which the AGF doubles as the Accountant General of the federal government is conceptually wrong, if not outright fraudulent,” he said.

Still drawing on fiscal federalism, Tinubu maintained that the Sovereign Fund arising from the Excess Crude Account was unconstitutional, except if the states subscribed to such voluntarily, adding that the federal government could not lord its views over its federating partners, no matter how noble such views appear.

He dismissed the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, particularly its penchant to buy fertilisers for farmers, as a bastion of graft, particularly since the states and not the federal government, have farmers to service.

“Even in Abuja, the federal government is a tenant. That is why we have the Minister of Federal Capital Territory.

The federal government has no land. So, why is it buying fertilisers for farmers? It is a method of the greedy, for the greedy by the greedy,” he declared.

He challenged ACN National Assembly members to force the hand of the federal government to legislate away

from the present corrupt system of fertiliser racketeering to a policy of legislating to generate jobs in agriculture.

“If you legislate for special grants to states to ensure every pupil in states nationwide eats an egg per day, it would trigger hundreds of jobs in poultry. A loaf of bread a day for each pupil would create jobs in farming and baking, just as a policy of pine apple juice for every Nigerian child attending school would also create massive jobs in farming. The impact might be so much,” Tinubu said, adding “that even the lure of that could drive the almajiris out of the streets”.

Senator-elect Ayo Adeseun (Oyo Central) said the process had already begun for raising salient issues on the need for true federalism.

“Like Asiwaju Tinubu and Governor Fashola have said, it might take time to have a true federal structure, but with tenacity and persistence, we will get there. With the sizable number of our members in the National Assembly, we will continue to make an impact and lay a foundation for further structure to aid the nation’s rapid socio-economic and political growth,” he said.

Aregbesola said internal security should remain the sole responsibilty of the states, disagreeing that the state police might be abused.

Aregbesola said the position is only premised on possibility.

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THE NATION FRIDAY, MAY 27, 2011

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THE NATION FRIDAY, MAY 27, 2011

NEWS I’ll remain in politics, says Shekarau From Kolade Adeyemi, Kano

OUT-going Kano State Governor Ibrahim Shekarau yesterday said he would not quit politics.

He told reporters in Kano: “I will remain in the political arena. I will remain a teacher in politics. Politics is a process through which you serve the people regardless if you are in elective position or not.

There is nothing as good as being a source of making the lives of others better. “ I will continue to serve my people in whatever capacity that comes before me. We will continue to play our role because we are prepared.”

Seven Oyo monarchs reject Akala’s promotion From Oseheye Okwuofu, Ibadan

SEVEN traditional rulers yesterday rejected their promotion by out-going Oyo State Governor Adebayo Alao-Akala.

The elevation, which came as a surprise, was back dated to December 22, 2010.

The monarchs, who were known as Baales had insisted that they would want their elevation to beaded crownwearing monarchs conferred on them by the incoming administration of Senator Abiola Ajimobi.

The seven Baales were part of the thirteen traditional royal fathers affected by the elevation.

Of the thirteen elevated traditional rulers, three are from the Ogbomoso axis of the state.

The affected monarchs, who pledged their loyalty to the Alaafin of Oyo, spoke during a visit to Oba Lamidi Adeyemi yesterday.

They include: the Olokaka of Okaka, Oba Ayoola Olatunji, Akibio of Ilora, Onigbeti of Igbeti Oba Emmanuel Oyebisi, Olu of Igbojaye, Eleyipo of Ipapo, Asawo of Ayete and Obalufon of Sepeteri.

Amosun urged not to pay Daniel’s ‘illegal’ loans From Ernest Nwokolo, Abeokuta

SPEAKER of the Ogun State House of Assembly Mr. Tunji Egbetokun yesterday advised the in-coming administration of Senator Ibikunle Amosun not to pay any debt incurred after June 2009 by Governr Gbenga Daniel.

Egbetokun said the Ogun Assembly had in a resolution passed in June 2009 barred all financial institutions and allied organisations from advancing loan facilities to the state government.

He said: “I wish to advise the in–coming administration of Senator Ibikunle Amosun that it will be illegal to pay back any debt incurred after the passage in June, 2009 House Resolution 167 – barring all financial institutions from granting additional credit facility until the financial exposure of Ogun state is ascertained since the resolution is still in force.”

•Members of the NYSC Road Safety Club taking the Oath of Office at induction in Ibadan … yesterday

Senate seeks upward review of CBN’s proposed cash withdrawal limits

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HE Senate has suggested an upward review of the proposed daily cash withdrawal limits of N150, 000 for individuals and N1 million for corporate entities as outlined by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

A limit of N250 was suggested for individuals, but the lawmakers were silent on the N1 million in respect of corporate bodies.

The plea was made by the Senate Committee on Banking and other Financial Institutions during an interactive session with the CBN Governor, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi and his team at the National Assembly yesterday.

Sanusi, however, stuck to the proposed ceiling, arguing that it was too early in the day to talk about an upward review when the policy is yet to take off. He stated that the apex

From Gbade Ogunwale, Assistant Editor, Abuja

bank may consider the review should the need arise in the course of implementation. By the CBN directive, the policy is to start from June 2012.

The senators had hinged their position on the nature of the Nigerian economy with its heavy dependence on cash transactions, adding that the policy might engender distortions in existing business relationships, particularly with regards to heavy cash volume transactions in the informal sector.

The lawmakers similarly argued for time extension beyond the June 2012 deadline for sensitisation and awareness campaign, adding that the CBN should allow public opinion to shape the direction of the policy.

But Sanusi retorted that no

policy can work without a definite deadline and stresseding that leadership is all about changing the mindset of the people even if the policy executor becomes unpopular in the process.

He said: “We can’t be talking about vision 20-20-20 without reforming the system. In making policies, I have to risk being unpopular. It is the cross I have to bear for doing the job.

“Even in some African countries like Kenya, Uganda and Ghana, cards are being used in business transactions so I don’t see any reason why people should be carrying millions of cash around in Nigeria.”

The CBN boss maintained that existing record has shown that about 90 per cent of daily cash withdrawals are between N10 and N100, 000 whereas customers in the high income brackets who exceed

the N150, 000 mark form the remaining 10 per cent.

According to him, the low income customers are made to bear the burden of the few wealthy ones as the banks usually pass the cost to small time depositors in form of charges, thereby robbing the poor to pay the rich.

He also informed the senators that heavy cash withdrawals have been responsible for the high interest charges by the banks, saying that the banks are being weighed down by the prohibitive cost of moving the cash around to meet heavy withdrawals.

Sanusi, however, told the committee that the CBN would not be rigid in the implementation of the policy, assuring that necessary adjustments could be made along the line. But he foreclosed the jettisoning of the proposed policy.

Thisday publisher Obaigbena is NPAN president

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HE Newspaper Proprietors’ Association of Nigeria (NPAN) yesterday reconstituted its executive council and made the Publisher of Thisday newspapers, Mr. Nduka Obaigbena emerging as its new president.

Obaigbena, who was unanimously elected at the association’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) held in Lagos, is replacing the former Chairman of Punch newspapers, Chief Ajibola

•Body urges Jonathan to sign FOI Bill

By Eric Ikhilae

Ogunsola, whose tenure expired.

Other elected officials include: Malam Kabiru Yusuf (Deputy President), Ms Comfort Obi (General Secretary), Mr. Sam Nda- Isaiah (Assistant General Secretary), Mrs. Maiden Ibru (Treasurer) and Mr. Frank Aigbogun, (Publicity Secre-

tary).

Those elected as ex-officio members are: Mallam Ismaila Isa, Mr. Sam Amuka, Mr. Ray Ekpu and Mrs. Nwadiuto Iheakanwa.

In a communiqué issued at the end of the AGM, the association urged President Goodluck Jonathan to endorse the Freedom of Information (FOI) Bill recently passed by the National As-

sembly ahead of his innauguration.

It said such gesture would serve to demonstrate his government’s commitment to the fight against corruption and impunity in the country The association hailed the National Assembly for passing the FOI Bill. It described the development as “a robust support for free speech and the public’s right to know”.

PHOTO: NAN

Bankers shun out-going governors

By Eric Ikhilaye

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ANKERS to states whose governors lost elections are applying caution in honouring payment orders from out-going governors.

In some instances, such orders and cheques issued by such incumbent governors are being bluntly refused by bankers who are skeptical about the governors’ motives.

The development may have arisen as a result of the directives issued to some bankers by in-coming governors, warning banks against honouring payment orders and cheques from their successors.

The governor–elect in Imo, Rochas Okorocha was reported to have given similar directive to the state’s bankers and even asked them to freeze the government accounts.

It took the intervention of the court to reverse the directive.

Investigation showed that the practice has greatly hindered the affected states from paying contractors who completed on their projects.

In Oyo for instance, contractors have been denied payments, even after receivingpayment confirmation from the state government, especially after the respective contacts have been duly executed and inaugurated in some other instances.

Fed Govt, Labour Party challenge Electoral Act

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HE Federal Government and the Labour Party (LP) have asked a Federal High Court, Abuja to declare Sections 140(2) and 141 of the Electoral Act 2010 unconstitutional, null and void.

According to the government, the sections purportedly infringe on the powers of the election petitions tribunal to declare a candidate the winner of an election.

Sections 140(2) of the Electoral Act provides as follows:

From Kamarudeen Ogundele, Abuja

“Where an election tribunal or court nullifies an election on the ground that the person who obtained the highest votes at the election was not qualified to contest the election, the election tribunal or court shall not declare the person with the second highest votes as elected, but shall order a fresh election.”

Section 141 of the Act further provides that: “An elec-

tion tribunal or court shall not under any circumstance declare any person a winner at an election in which such a person has not fully participated in all the stages of the said elections.”

In an originating summons filed by Chief Chuwkuma Ekomaru (SAN), the LP urged the court to declare that the provisions of the Electoral Act stated above were inconsistent with the provisions of sections 6(6a), 134, 179, 285 of the

1999 Constitution.

This position is supported by the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) as contained in a brief of argument filed on his behalf by Ms. Olufunke Aboyade.

The LP therefore asked for an injunction restraining the Attorney-General of the Federation and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from refusing to accept any candidate for the party declared by a tribunal

as winner of election into any elective office.

In a 17-paragraph affidavit deposed to by the LP National Chairman, Mr. Dan Nwanyanwu, he averred: “I have read the Electoral Act, 2010 and discovered that section 140(2) and section 141 of the said Act smacks of legislative tyranny in that it removed the constitutionality guaranteed powers of the court to declare a candidate the winner of an election.”

THE NATION FRIDAY, MAY 27, 2011

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NEWS Afe Babalola disagrees with Jonathan on NYSC From Oseheye Okwuofu, Ibadan

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HIEF Afe Babalola (SAN) has disagreed with President Goodluck Jonathan’s decision to retain the National Youth Service Corp (NYSC) .

He said the scheme should either be abrogated or reviewed.

There have been calls by Nigerians for the discontinuation of the scheme, following the killing of 10 corps members in the post election violence in Bauchi State.

Babalola spoke on Wednesday at the maiden Professor Abiodun Ilesanmi Annual Guest Lecture held at the University Teaching Hospital (ÜCH), Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.

He said the national unity the President was trying to protect cannot be achieved in an insecure environment.

Babalola said: “The killing of corps members and the utterances of our leaders show that the nation has failed in its 50 years of existence to achieve the type of national unity that permits National Youth Service.

“Our youths cannot, under the guise of the NYSC, be used as tools or sacrificial lambs to achieve unity.

“In the absence of a conducive and secure atmosphere, the much-vaunted objective of the scheme of forging unity needs urgent reappraisal.

“If the programme is to be retained, then, corps members should be permitted to serve in their regions of origin.”

He said similar schemes exist in advanced countries, but unlike Nigeria, those countries have “high rate of literacy, political and economic stability, security of lives and property, constant electricity supply, potable water, infrastructural development and absence of tribalism.”

Babalola said no amount of money could adequately compensate the parents of the dead corps members.

Badagry killings: Injured ASP dies

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HE only survivor of the Army/Police clash in Badagry, Lagos, is dead.

Taofeek Afolabi (44), an Assistant Superintendent and the Operations Officer of the Police Station died yesterday, 48 hours after the clash, in which the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) , Mr. Salihu Samuel, and Divisional Crime Officer (DCO) Samson Okedusi and two others were killed.

The deceased was in the same vehicle with Samuel and Okedusi when they were allegedly attacked by soldiers in front of the 242 Battalion Barracks on Tuesday on their way to a meeting with the Commanding Officer.

Afolabi died at the Lagos State Teaching Hospital, Ikeja, bringing the death toll to five police officers.

Before his death, he nar-

•Group seeks probe of clash From Jude Isiguzo

rated how they were attacked to reporters and senior Army officers on Tuesday.

The late Afolabi said he managed to crawl into the bush after he was shot in the lungs.

He said he later crawled to a filling station, where some people recognised him and took him to the hospital.

Deputy Medical Director, Badagry General Hospital, Dr. Tunji Olabuntu confirmed that the deceased was treated in the hospital and later referred to the Teaching Hospital, Ikeja.

Until his death, the late Afolabi was the only witness to the attack and the police authorities were

hoping to present him to the panel investigating the matter.

Police spokesman Samuel Jinadu also confirmed Afolabi’s death.

Jinadu said: “Medical personnel had been battling to save Afolabi’s life after he was badly injured.”

A new DPO has been posted to Badagry. He is Mr. Dakolo Aliko, a Chief Superintendent of Police.

Calm is yet to return to the area; business places are still under lock and key.

Movement is also yet to pick up in the area, which is considered as one of Nigeria’s biggest international business routes.

Also yesterday, a group, the Progressive Leadership Organisation International (PLO), condemned the

Army chief, IGP to speak on Badagry killings

Lagos treats 300 for malaria free O fewer than 300 people were treated free for malaria in Kosofe Local Government, Lagos State, during a sensitisation rally to mark this year’s World Malaria Day. The rally was organised by the Roll Back Malaria partners in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and patients were treated with Artemisinin-based Combination Therapy (ACT).

Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, Dr. Femi Olugbile spoke with reporters , while reviewing the reports of the rally.

Olugbile said: “World Malaria Day is an opportunity for global development partners and health communities to intensify their ef-

N

forts in providing access to affordable, safe and effective preventive measures and anti-malaria combination treatments.”

He said the government adopted an Integrated Vector Management strategy, which includes indoor residual spraying and the distribution of long-lasting insecticide treated nets, as part of efforts to prevent malaria.

Olugbile said malaria could be prevented in expectant women through preventive treatment, prompt diagnosis and treatment, using Rapid Diagnostic Tests (RDTs) and ACT. He urged the people to always keep their surroundings clean, charging stakeholders to play their part to eradicate the disease.

From Dele Anofi, Abuja

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From Mercy Michael

The show will feature Sound Sultan, Olamide, Lepacious Bose, Explicit Crew, Saco, Papa Ajasco and company.

Side attractions include dance competitions, talent hunt and face painting.

INEC parades four for alleged impersonation From Kunle Johnson, Calabar

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HE Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Cross River State has paraded four persons for alleged impersonation and fraud during the payment to ad hoc staff, who participated in the last elections.

The suspects were arrested while allegedly trying to impersonate some of the workers, who were absent at the ongoing payment exercise.

Parading the suspects in Calabar, the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Mike Igini, said one of the suspects, Stephen Otu, who works with the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital (UCTH), allegedly claimed to be a graduate.

Igini said Otu was not a graduate and was allegedly recruited by Mr. Essien Eyibio, who is said to be a member of staff of the hospital.

The REC said Otu disrupted the commission’s office and threw a bottle at the Administrative Secretary, Chris Okereke.

He said the impersonators had printed fake identity cards and affixed them with pictures to collect other people’s money.

HIEF of Army Staff (COAS) Lt Gen. Onyeabo Ihejirika and Inspector General of

Police (IGP) Mr Hafiz Ringim, will jointly speak today on the controversies surrounding the death of two senior police officers in Badagry, Lagos.

Today’s briefing at the Police Headquarters, Louis Edet House, Abuja will shed light on the killings that have pitted the two security organisations against each other.

11 robbery suspects held in Ondo

•Pa Samuel...yesterday

From Damisi Ojo, Akure

Man, 80, graduates in Yoruba

Artistes converge for Nnenna and Friends’ Children’s Day Show HE children edutainment brand from Wale Adenuga Production, Nnenna and Friends, will hold a Children’s Day Show today at the main exhibition hall of the National Theatre, Iganmu, Lagos. It is slated for 12-3pm and 3-6pm.

incident.

It urged the Federal Government to investigate the incident and bring the culprits to book.

In a statement in Lagos by its National President, Comrade Emmanuel Ezeume, the organisation urged leaders of security agencies to meet and work out a lasting formula to prevent a recurrence.

It also urged President Goodluck Jonathan not to recycle tired hands into his cabinet under the guise of patronage, but to go for credible and competent people.

The group condemned the rule of the National Assembly that only those who had served at least one term should be considered for leadership positions, dismissing it as selfish and in the interest of a few greedy legislators.

•Mimiko battles illiteracy

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OR -80-YEAR old Pa Ojo Samuel from Akoko North West Local Government in Ondo State, his dream of becoming literate was fulfilled yesterday. He was among about 2,000 adults who passed out at the Adult Technical and Vocation Centre, Akure.

They can now read and write Yoruba language fluently.

Pa Samuel raised up his hands and people were hailing him during the graduation.

At the occassion, Ondo State Governor Olusegun Mimiko urged government at all levels to focus on reducing illiteracy.

Mimiko identified lack of learning materials as a major obstacle to achieving

From Olorunleke Akeredolu, Akure

mass literacy.

He said his administration was determined to achieve the United Nations (UN) recommendation of reducing literacy level by 50 per cent in 2015.

Mimiko said his administration created the Ministry of Adult, Technical and Vocational Education to achieve this aim, adding that about 609 Adult Literacy centres had been established across the state.

He said the monthly honorarium of the facilitators have been increased from N5, 000 to N10, 000 to further motivate them, adding that about 19,885 students enrolled this year.

E

LEVEN robbery suspects were yesterday arrested by the Police in Ondo

town.

Parading the suspects, Divisional Police Officer (DPO) Shehu Sambo said they had been terrorising the community for some time.

He said they were arrested by men of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) in connection with a robbery that happened on may 7, during which a 23year-old undergraduate was killed and several others were injured.

Sambo said the suspects had been transferred to the Police Headquarters in Akure, the state capital, for further investigation.

Ondo ACN decries ‘collapse’ of Mega School

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HE Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in Ondo State has decried the ‘collapse’ of the Mega School under construction in Okitipupa Local Government.

The party said it was sad that a building under construction was already falling apart.

In a statement by its Director of Publicity, Gbenga Akinmoyo, on Wednesday, ACN said: “The uncompleted structure in Okitipupa local government has just

•Govt: we were modifying the building From Damisi Ojo, Akure

been reported to have collapsed.

“We have been extremely critical of this lofty idea because it goes against the grain of proximity to the pupils, who fall into specific catchment areas and ought not to travel long distances to reach their primary school.

“Can you imagine the reasoning behind one Mega School in each local govern-

ment, which will ultimately displace and discard the existing school infrastructure and system?”

Commissioner for Information Ranti Akerele said the building did not collapse.

He said the contractor handling the project was only trying to make some modifications by redesigning part of the building.

Akerele accused the ACN of peddlling unconfirmed re-

port.

He said: “I wonder why ACN members are after negative reports and not the good things that Governor Olusegun Mimiko has done.

Their mission is to run down a performing government and they will fail.

“The Mega School is specially designed to bridge the gap between the rich and the poor. It is an idea that should be commended by every sane indigene of Ondo State.”

7

THE NATION FRIDAY, MAY 27, 2011

NEWS Pastor Bakare denies adultery allegation

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HE founder and serving overseer of The Latter Rain Assembly yesterday denied being implicated in adultery.

He spoke through his spokesperson Femi Akintunde-Johnson.

Bakare described the allegation as baseless and malignant designed to bring his reputation into ridicule.

He said: “It has come to our attention the spate of spurious stories blatantly concocted and recklessly assembled to bring the name, status and reputation of Pastor Tunde Bakare into disrepute.

“Last week, two magazines worked hard to sell a baseless story claiming that Pastor Bakare was implicated in an adultery scandal. That is balderdash.A figment of sick minds.

“Without prejudice to Bakare’s desire to institute litigation against those behind the scheme to tarnish his image,he wants to assure the public that not a single shred of truth can be found in the story to support their vexatious headlines.

“The promoters of this farce will be put to the strictest scrutiny while availing legal authorities with full details of the genuineness of their information and the identity of their sponsors.

“We want to say that everyone who comes to equity must come with clean hands; and since this is more or less a litmus test to ascertain if we live by what we preach, this matter shall be pursued to its logical conclusion, irrespective of the forces and personalities behind this outrage”, the statement said.

Jigawa dissolves exco Eunice Bosua Dutse

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HE Jigawa State Government has dissolved its executive council.

Head of Service, Alhaji Aminu Mustapha, made this known yesterday shortly after the exco meeting held at Government House.

He said the forum was used to review the administration’s achievements in the last four years.

Governor Sule Lamido thanked members for their contributions to the development ot the state.

Secretary to State Government (SSG), Dr Aminu Adulahi Tarua, said the council deliberated on the completion of office complex for the Ministry of Land.

He said N100 million had been approved for the complex.

PDP stalls attempts to inspect electoral materials, alleges Kwara ACN

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HE Kwara State chapter of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) has again alleged that the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is stalling efforts to inspect electoral materials used in last month’s polls.

The party raised the alarm over what it called serial attempts by the PDP to frustrate the petitions contesting its victory at the April 26 governorship poll.

ACN Chairman, Kayode Olawepo, said in a statement that counsel to the party’s governorship candidate Mohammed Dele Belgore (SAN) were at the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) office to inspect and make copies of the mater i a l s .

According to him, the PDP lawyers again gave excuses that the day was far spent and so the screening could not continue.

Olawepoo claimed that the

From Adekunle Jimoh, Ilorin

PDP lawyers also turned down suggestions by both INEC and ACN counsel that they (PDP lawyers) show up on Friday and Saturday to commence work as ordered by the tribunal.

“With the tribunal having just 180 days to give judgment on the petitions, the antics of the PDP to delay the process can only be interpreted to mean an attempt to frustrate the case as they have been doing for the past days,” the statement said.

“Again, AbdulFattah Ahmed has been denying the bailiff access to his home to serve the court process. All of these point to the fact that PDP has something to hide despite its laughable claim of clean victory.”

The statement said the PDP lawyers have continuously been foot-dragging on an ex-

‘With the tribunal having just 180 days to give judgment on the petitions, the antics of the PDP to delay the process can only be interpreted to mean an attempt to frustrate the case...’ ercise that they know is timebound.

The statement added: “We are again constrained to speak out on the effort of the PDP to frustrate the petitions challenging their controversial victory at the tribunal. Today our lawyers were at the INEC headquarters to screen and make copies of the materials used for the governorship elec-

tion, in line with court’s order.

As later ruled by the court, the PDP representatives are to be present at the inspection exercise for the sake of transparency. So, two PDP lawyers and INEC representative were there. That was around 11a.m.

“Suddenly, the PDP lawyers came up with laughable excuse that they can no longer wait for the exercise because time was far spent! All efforts to persuade them fell on deaf ears.”

Meanwhile, the Kwara State Chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has dismissed the allegation.

Publicity secretary to the party, Alhaji Isiaka Danmairomo said there is no quantum of truth in the allegation.

He said the INEC was in custody of all electoral materials, not the PDP. He warned ACN to desist from propaganda that have no locus standi in the face of the law.

Zamfara Elders send new names to Jonathan From Fanen Ihyongo, Jalingo

A FACTION of the Zamfara State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) loyal to Gen Aliyu Gusau yesterday sent a new list of ministerial nominees to President Goodluck Jonathan.

Minister of State for Health, Alhaji Suleiman Bello, is among the nominees.

Others on the list are former Sokoto State Governor, Yahaya Abdulkarim; former Minister of State for Communication,Ikra Aliyu Bilbis; Amb. M. Z Anka; Col. Bala Mande(rtd); Garba Buwai; Barr. Saidu Bukkuyum; Kabiru Moyi; Ahmed Leda; Ibrahim Kofa and Tijjani Yahaya Kaura.

In a letter to Jonathan and acting PDP National Chairman, Bello Halliru Muhammed, The Zamfara Elders Forum accused party leaders loyal to Gov. Mahmud Aliyu Shinkafi of insensitivity, ineptitude and lack of clear cut ideas.

They said the initial list sent to the party by the government was not reflective of those who contributed to the advancement of PDP.

Thunderstorm kills two in Taraba From Fanen Ihyongo, Jalingo

•The Secretary-General of United Nations, Mr. Ban Ki-Moon (middle), flanked by Govenor Peter Obi of Anambra State (left) and the United Nations Resident Coordinator and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Resident Representative to Nigeria, Daouda Toure in Abuja.....yesterday.

Kwara Governor-elect expresses fears over minimum wage K

WARA State Governor-elect Alhaji AbdulFatah Ahmed has expressed fears over the N18,000 minimum wage.

He spoke in Ilorin, the state capital, ahead of his inauguration as the 6th executive governor of the state.

He canvassed for a review of the revenue sharing formula in favour of states and local governments.

Ahmed urged the Federal Government to formulate policies that would assist local industries.

From Adekunle Jimoh, Ilorin

The Governor-elect said his administration would focus on human capital development, tourism and solid mineral.

He said the Federal Government needs a consistent policy that would discourage importation of goods in order to encourage local industries.

On the new minimum wage, Ahmed said he was ready to pay. He added that the incumbent administration has set up a committee to look into the matter.

But he said the process through which the minimum wage emerged was more in favour of the Federal Government than states and local councils and called for a review of the revenue formula.

He said: “For us in Kwara we will pay the minimum wage. But we need to pursue an agenda that will make it easier for states to pay.

“The ingredient for this is the revenue formula alteration which must be skewed to enable us pay. It will also affect the local governments too.

For the councils, it will be a tall order and yet you cannot pay one section and leave the other. I don’t think the Federal Government considered the local governments before making that law.”

TWO persons have been killed by thunder strike in Taraba following a heavy downpour.

About seven persons were reportedly injured and property worth millions of Naira destroyed by a supplementary wind storm.

17- year-old Sadiq Usman of Waru village was struck dead. Usman died along two cows, a witness said.

Another three- year-old girl, Salma Babangida of Old Magami, Jalingo, is also feared dead.

The thunderstorm struck 19 cows dead in Wuro Yolde, a suburb of ArdoKola local government.

“The 19 cows died instantly”, the herdsman, who said he escaped death narrowly, told The Nation.

Many other animals lost their lives to the disaster in the hinterland.

Many houses and shops located on Hammaruwa Way were affected.

Lagos IPP to reduce cost of governance, says Fashola

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HE Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola (SAN) has said the Island Power Project (IPP) would reduce the cost of g o v e r n a n c e .

Fashola said the IPP would enable his administration to save about 46 per cent of its expenditure.

The governor spoke while launching the IPP project on Tuesday in Marina.

He said the mini power plant was financed by Fidelity Bank Plc and is expected to

By Miriam Ndikanwu

provide an uninterrupted power supply to government i n s t i t u t i o n s .

According to him, the institutions to benefit from the project include the High Court and its annex, General Hospital, Island Maternity Hospital, State House Marina and Lagos Island.

He said: “This project was completed in less than 18 months. This makes it the fastest ever executed Independent Power Project in

Nigeria.”

Governor Fashola added that the development was a demonstration of his administration’s commitmen to the provision of infrastructure, using the public Private Partnership model.

He said the provision of potable water, functional telecommunication services, healthcare, education traffic management and others depend on stable supply of electricity.

“It is in keeping to this promise and the necessity to provide a platform for the promotion of the socioeconomic well-being of the people that we commissioned the construction and development of this power plant.”

Fashola said his administration has completed the power audit for Alausa, adding that the power audit programme will “in the first phase cover Matori, Ilupeju, Ikorodo, Shomolu and Ikeja.

He challenged the Power Reform Committee set up by the Federal Government to see wisdom in freeing the electricity sector to allow for private sector to generate and transmit electricity in the country.

“This project has demonstrated that the provision of electricity is not sky rocket science. With the right political will, resource application and dedication, we can eradicate darkness from our land.”

THE NATION FRIDAY, MAY 27, 2011

8

NEWS Akala deproscribes NURTW

Clark: PDP lacks internal democracy

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N elder of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Edwin Clark, has condemned the “lack of internal democracy” in the party.

Clark, in a protest letter to President Goodluck Jonathan and the Acting National Chairman of the party, Haliru Mohammed Bello, over moves to pacify the Norteast to produce the party’s next National Chairman, said: “The ideals , the aims and the objectives of the party when it was formed are being jettisoned by dishonest, corrupt and ethnic oriented party leaders.”

He said the party could only ensure equity by retaining the Office of the National Chairman in the Southeast.

He said: “Most party leaders including myself would like to know the reason why the National Chairman’s

•Igbo must retain PDP chairmanship From Yusuf Alli and Kamarudeen Ogundele, Abuja

position should now be zoned to the Northeast when the term of the Southeast has not expired?

“It is our belief that the Southeast should be allowed to complete its term of office which is March, 2012. It is therefore, unfair and unjust if they are not allowed to do so. It does not prevent or preclude them from whatever office that President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan may wish to accede to them such as the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation in his new dispensation of office, and here, I wish to advise my Igbo friends to be patient and not to feel betrayed or abandoned hav-

ing regard to their performance in the last presidential election.

“We are indeed very grateful to all Nigerians including the Igbo in particular, who voluntarily and massively voted for President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan not because he was a PDP candidate but because of the confidence reposed in him

by Nigerians irrespective of religious, ethnic and political divide.

“I am, therefore, appealing to the leadership of PDP to return the party to the path of honour and respect, now that we have completed all the elections.

It is, therefore, expected now that our Acting National Chairman, Dr. Haliru Bello has successfully completed the job, he

should hand over immediately to a Southeasterner who has been appointed by the party as it were in the case of Dr. Okwesileze Nwodo.

“At this juncture, I wish to appeal to Mr. President who is the National Leader as well as the Acting National Chairman to shelve or to reconsider the zoning of the chairmanship of the party to the Northeast and allow the Southeast to complete its term of four years in March, 2012.”

Clark asked the President and the PDP to be consistent and fair in zoning offices.

He said since the Northcentral occupied the seat of National Chairman from 1999 to 2008, equity demands that the Southeast be allowed to complete its tenure in 2012.

Ogun community stops govt officials from ‘looting’ generator

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ESIDENTS of Aiyetoro community, a suburb of Abeokuta, foiled an alleged attempt by some officials of the Ogun State Water Corporation to cart away a 1,100KVA generator installed at the Alamala Booster Station.

The generator was installed to boost the power needed to pump water from the World Bank assisted water project.

The villagers, who spoke with reporters, said the suspect-

From Ernest Nwokolo, Abeokuta

ed officials arrived at the Booster station with a truck and Toyota car marked Lagos XL 31 SLD and had already pulled the giant generator out of its house before they were accosted.

The Assistant Superintendent of Alamala Booster Station, Mr. Sunday Ogunsanya, said the suspects were led to the site by one Makinde. He

said they presented a letter signed by the General Manager, Water Corporation, Mrs. Cecilia Olajide, authorising them to carry the generator for use in Apoje Booster Station, Abeokuta.

Ogunsanya said since the directive was coming from his boss, he did not object to their request.

Addressing reporters in Abeokuta, Mrs. Olajide, admitted instructing the removal of the generator, but said the motive was not to

carry it to an authorised location.

Mrs Olajide said the standard generator needed for Alamala is 240KVA but 1100KVA was installed in error.

She said: “We are not taking the generator to another person’s house. We have never done that and we will not do that. The generator is underutilised. The booster station in Alamala does not need more than 240KVA there.”

From Oseheye Okwuofu, Ibadan

•Akala

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UT-going Oyo State Governor Adebayo Alao-Akala yesterday deprosribed the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW).

In a four paragraph statement by his Chief Press Secretary,Abraham Ojo, the governor said he took the decision to ensure “ the return of peace and tranquility to every

part of the state”.

The statement reads:” The de-proscription order was given by Governor Alao-Akala following recent peace and tranquility being enjoyed in every part of the state.”

The statement said members of the union were law abiding.

The NURTW was proscribed by the government in August last year following a leadership crisis .

Reacting, NURTW Chairman, Alhaji Lateef Akinsola a.k.a. Tokyo said: “ Modupe lowo Akala.(I thank governor Akala).”

Police deploy 10,000 men for Jonathan’s inauguration

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HE Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Command of the Police yesterday said 10,000 of its men have been deployed to provide security during the inauguration of President Goodluck Jonathan on Sunday.

In addition, the police said more police stop and search points have been created in identified flash points in the city and satellite towns.

The FCT Commissioner of Police Haruna John, in a statement by his spokesman, Superintendent of Police (SP), Jimoh Moshood, urged motorists to find alternatives routes as traf-

From Sanni Ologun, Abuja

fic would be diverted from the Shehu Shagari and Ahmadu Bello Ways leading to and from the Eagle Square.

He warned uninvited persons to stay away from the events or risk arrest and prosecution.

John said: “The police in collaboration with other security and public safety agencies will provide security for the inauguration ceremony of the President and CommanderIn-Chief of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in Abuja on Sunday.”

THE NATION FRIDAY,MAY 27, 2011

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THE NATION FRIDAY, MAY 27, 2011

10

NEWS Jonathan cancels France trip

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RESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan has cancelled his scheduled trip to France.

He was billed to leave the country yesterday for the Summit of Eight Industrialised Nations (G8 summit).

Presidential spokesman Ima Niboro confirmed the cancellation.

He attributed it to the current ash cloud in Europe.

The President, he said, was advised against going for fear of eruptions which could make it impossible for him to return to Abuja in time for his inauguration on Sunday.

“President Goodluck Ebe-

From Vincent Ikuomola, Abuja

le Jonathan has cancelled his scheduled trip to France today for the Summit of Eight Industrialised Nations (G-8).

“The cancellation follows concerns over air travel in Europe caused by the presence of ash clouds in the aftermath of the recent volcanic eruption in Iceland. Aviation authorities had indicated that there was a possibility that a resumption of the eruptions would make it impossible for President Jonathan to return to Abuja in time for his inauguration on Sunday,” the statement reads.

Robbers raid church in Edo

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OBBERS have invaded the Immaculate Conception Cathedral in Auchi, Estako West Local Government of Edo State.

Valuables and cash were carted away; guards and church workers were tied up and beaten.

The robbers then headed to the home of the reverend father, demanding for money.

Reliving his ordeal, Rev. Father Valentine Anaweokhai said several mobile phones, laptops and cash to-

From Osagie Otabor, Benin

talling about N250, 000 were taken away.

Father Anaweokhai said the hoodlums ordered him to take them to the office, which was ransacked but nothing was found.

He said one church worker was injured, adding that the matter had been reported to the police.

Police sources at the Divisional Office, Auchi, confirmed the incident but said no arrest had been made.

How naval rating tortured man to death For allegedly failing to meet a work deadline, a carpenter met his end in the hands of a naval rating, writes UJA EMMANUEL.

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OR Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Udo of Shangev-Tiev, Koshisha Local Government of Benue State, life will not be the same again.

Their only son was allegedly tortured to death in Makurdi, the capital.

Narrating the incident, a relative, Lucy Mwuese Tyo, said the late Philip Terhemen was on his way to work on Monday when a friend called him that a naval rating, Charles Amough Gboodi, wanted to see him.

Tyo said: “He made a detour and went to the house of the rating, which is opposite Nobis Supermarket in Wurukum, Makurdi.

“The rating, on seeing

him, went inside his house, wore his uniform and asked Terhemen to lie on the ground.

“He obeyed; the rating started beating and kicking him. He beat him into a coma. The sad part was that he went into his house, got a bucket of water and poured it on him.

“He continued beating him and pushed him into a gutter, ordering him to drink the water.

“At this point, passers-by intervened and tried to stop him; he refused. When confronted, Gboodi said he gave the late Terhemen N5,000 to construct a kiosk in his apartment.

“He said he did not deliver and vowed to teach

A

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From Kazeem Ibrahym, Uyo

The Commissioner for Information, Aniekan Umanah, said the decision to dissolve the council was announced by Akpabio at the last Exco meeting on Wednesday.

The governor thanked the outgoing council members for their services to the state.

Man remanded for ‘duping’ judge

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43-year-old man, identified as Segun Orisanmi, has been remanded in prison custody for allegedly duping a Benin High Court Judge, Justice Roland Amaize, of N.9million.

An Oredo Chief Magistrate’s Court, presided over

by Peter Edo-Asemota, ordered the remand after prosecution told the court that the accused had previously jumped bail.

Orisanmi was alleged to have on February 18 collect-

From Osagie Otabor, Benin

ed the said amount to sink a borehole for the judge.

The prosecutor, Mrs. O.O. Gaja, said when the police was called into the matter, the accused promised to do the job but jumped bail after his release.

Mrs. Gaja said Orisanmi was later arrested through his surety and was charged to court.

Chief Magistrate Peter Edo-Asemota adjourned hearing till June 6.

Alison-Madueke on ‘ministerial list’

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HE Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, was among the 10 ministerial nominees submitted by the Bayelsa State Chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the national secretariat yesterday.

Alison-Madueke’s name was missing from the list earlier submitted but which the state chairman, Chief Darius Obiene, yesterday described as “fake.”

Obiene said: “The new list is the authentic one because it was the one agreed on by the State Working Committee (SWC).”

Also on the list is a former Secretary to the State Government; a former member of the House of Representatives and ex-National President of the National Council of Women Society (NCWS), Dr. Bolore Ketebu.

From Sanni Ologun, Abuja

Other nominees include: Rev. Obegha Oworido; Amb. Josef Sookere Egbuson; Dr Torpedo Amananaghan; Dr Ambily Etekpe; Robert Enogha; Ms. Thelma Animiebi Ekiyor; Chief Lionel E. Jonathan-Omo and Mrs. Mercy Zigha.

•The late Oyubu with his wife at their wedding reception...last Saturday

28-year-old-lawyer, Igho Oyubu, was on Wednesday night killed by suspected assassins, four days after his wedding in Warri, Delta State.

It was learnt that the Igbinedion University, Okada, Edo State, law graduate was killed by armed men, who invaded his home at 12, Ojo Street, off Jakpa Road, Effurun, at about 9:35pm.

Sources said the hoodlums did not take anything away from the apartment, except Oyubu’s wedding band.

His wife was said to be away at the State University, Abraka, where she is a student, when the incident occurred.

It was gathered that Oyubu could have survived if he had received prompt

From Shola O’Neil, Warri

medical attention at the Ekpan General Hospital.

A doctor allegedly refused to treat him.

Sources said an officer from Ekpan Police Station led efforts to save the life of the young lawyer.

The policeman said: “A doctor we met on duty bluntly refused to treat him.

“He was rushed to the Warri General Hospital but it was too late; he died shortly after.”

It was gathered that the Divisional Police Officer in charge of Ekpan Police Station, Mr. Muazu Mohammed, who was monitoring the development on telephone, broke down in tears, when he heard the news.

Muazu confirmed the report, describing the death as tragic.

JTF opts for DNA test to identify Togo’s ‘remains’

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HE controversy over the identity of the body exhumed from the camp of the Niger Delta Liberation Force (NDLF) may soon be over.

The Joint Task Force (JTF) has opted for DNA test to unravel the mystery.

The Task Force is combing the creek for arms and ammunition of the group, which military sources said could be as much as 200 AK47 rifles.

It was gathered that the

Woman found dead in Benin From Osagie Otabor, Benin

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for the removal of the naval commandant and the prosecution of the suspect.

The Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), Makurdi branch, demanded an investigation into the activities of naval ratings in the state.

The lawyers said recently a rating stormed a bar in Makurdi and tortured a businessman. The matter, they said, is in court.

Tension is mounting in Wurukum, where the rating lives, as youths are reportedly planning a reprisal attack.

The commandant of the Makurdi Naval Base was said to have travelled.

But his assistant said: “Oga will be back soon; we shall call you to tell you our side of the story.”

Man killed in Warri four days after wedding

Akpabio dissolves exco KWA Ibom State Governor Godswill Akpabio yesterday announced the dissolution of the State Executive Council (Exco).

He said their tenure would elapse tomorrow and urged them to join him at the inauguration and thanksgiving service on Sunday.

him a lesson, which he has done. He has killed my relative.”

The naval rating, it was gathered, ran to the naval office on Makurdi-Enugu road and hid there.

The late Terhemen was taken to Bishop Murray Medical Centre, where he died.

Police spokesman Alaribe Ejike confirmed the incident. He said the command has written to the Navy, requesting for the release of the suspect for interrogation.

Pressure groups in the state have called on the government to ensure the prosecution of the suspect.

The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) has called

WOMAN, identified as Rose Eden (40), was yesterday found dead on the street where she lives in Benin, the Edo State capital.

White foamy substance was coming out of her mouth and blood from her genitals.

A motorcycle helmet and a cell phone were found beside the body.

The deceased, a single mother, was said to hail from Cross River State.

She operates a restaurant on Edo textile Mill Road in the city.

A source said she might be a victim of rape.

Police spokesman Peter Ogboi confirmed the incident, saying investigation has begun.

From Shola O’Neil, Warri

Defence Headquarters asked the JTF to find the weapons so it might not fall into wrong hands.

The Task Force has embarked on a search for the arms left behind by Togo and his boys at the Israel Camp of the group.

Sources said it was during the search that soldiers discovered the grave, where a corpse believed to be Togo’s was exhumed on Wednesday.

The dead militant, who is secretly referred to as the “Unknown Militant”, was ferried into Warri on Wednesday night.

The body was deposited at the Warri General Hospital morgue, which was immediately cordoned off by soldiers of the Task Force.

Only the top echelon of JTF, State Security Service (SSS) officials and the police were allowed near the morgue.

An eight-man team has been dispatched to safe guard the remains of the

“Unknown Militant”, until the DNA is conducted.

It was gathered that the duty of the security team is to ensure that the body is not stolen by Togo’s foot soldiers.

Sources said yesterday that the JTF is shopping for DNA experts to match parts of the remains with those of Togo’s family members and medical records, if any could be found, before commenting on the find.

JTF’s spokesman Lt. Colonel Timothy Antigha said the Task Force will only accept the verdict of DNA experts, stressing that until that was done, it would consider Togo as “still at large”.

He said: “For now, the feeling of the JTF is that Togo is still at large and is being sought to account for his deeds.

“Until we get the report of a DNA expert, we will continue to assume that he is out there and that the report of his death remains a ploy by some persons to hoodwink the JTF.” Lt-Col Antigha cautioned

the media not to be carried away by the report of Togo’s death. He said the matter could turn out to be an embarrassment for the military and even the media, if journalists allowed themselves to get involved in the controversy.

Earlier, the Commander Sector I, Colonel Enang Ewang, addressed reporters at the Effurun Barracks.

Ewang confirmed that his soldiers exhumed the militant’s remains, saying he could not confirm if the body was Togo’s.

“I have never met him in person,” he said.

Col Ewang said troops have taken over the Israel Camp. He said soldiers discovered the secret grave, when the arms mop up was carried out at the camp.

He denied reports that troops were planning reprisal attacks on Ijaw communities in the area, stressing that the recent clashes in the creeks was sparked off by an attack on his men by armed youths suspected to be members of the NDLF.

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THE NATION FRIDAY, MAY 27, 2011

NEWS AG urges IG to arrest Anosike brothers over Daily Times’ assets

By Eric Ikhilae

A

TTORNEY- General of the Federation and Minister for Justice Mohammed Adoke (SAN) has asked the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) to arrest two busnessmen – Fidelis Anosike and Noel Anosike – over their alleged complicity in the looting of assets of the Dailiy Times of Nigeria (DTN) PLC. Also to be arrested is one of their associates, Nicholas Okoye, who allegedly collaborated with the Anosikes in the sale of DTN’s properties.

Adoke, in a letter signed on his behalf by a Deputy Director in the Ministry of Justice, Akin Akintewe, reminded the IGP that the case was initially investigated by Police personnel attached to the Special Fraud Unit, Ikoyi Lagos, following which a 21-count charge was filed against them before the Federal High Court, Lagos.

The letter was tendered yesterday before Justice Pat Ajoku at the resumed hearing of the case earlier instituted against them by the office of the AGF. The AG, July last year, filed a 21-count charge against them and their company, Folio Communications Limited over similar offence.

They refused to attend court to answer to the charge, but instead challenged the mode of service of the charge on them.

When the court later ordered a fresh service of the charge on them, they headed for the Court of Appeal to challenge the court’s decision.

Yesterday, the court refused attempt by the prosecution, represented by Akintewe to withdraw through an oral application, the 21-count charge pending against them.

Instead, Justice Ajoku adjourned the case sine die (indefinitely) pending the outcome of the appeal.

The AG has, however, filed two new charges against the accused, one at the Federal High Court, Lagos and the other at the Ikeja division of the Lagos High Court.

Those named as defendants in the10-count charge at the Federal High Court, include Folio Communications, Fidelis Anosike, Noel Anosike, Donald Chibuzo Iwu, Nicholas Okoye, Musa Elakama and Faosat Idowu.

NADECO: We need sovereign conference

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HE country may be heading for revolution, if a Sovereign National Conference (SNC) was not convened to address rising waves of discontent, the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO) said yesterday .

Speaking on behalf of the group, one of the leaders, Rear Admiral Ndubuisi Kanu (rtd) said the incoming administrations of President Goodluck Jonathan can not deliver the dividends of democracy without restructuring of the polity into true federalism.

NADECO was formed during the regime of the late Gen. Sani Abacha to fight for the restoration of democracy.

NADECO said: "There are inundating calls by a multitude of ethnic, cultural and other Nigerian organisa-

By Tajudeen Adebanjo

tions that NADECO should re-enact its anointing by pointing the way forward to the polity. It is our duty therefore to draw the attention of the authorities and the world at large to the seething discontent with the present structure of Nigeria as imposed by the 1999 Constitution and to also caution upon the consequences of continuously ignoring such discontent, especially in the light of the goings-on in North Africa and the Middle East.

“We also insist that it is essential to quickly infuse some order into what otherwise appears like the road to 'Kigali' so as to avoid the reality and imminence of irreversible self-redemption/ self-determination actions

by the ethnic nationalities.

“In the circumstances, there is an immediate need to deliberate upon the relevant question: 'which way Nigeria; Abuja, Aburi or Araba?'

"By that, what we contemplate is to keep Nigeria's seriously haemorrhaged heart still beating whilst the owners of the land at a sovereign national conference constitute afresh, atruly federal country that can win the hearts of its citizenry, restore a sense of belonging and thus restore patriotism to the country."

The group added: "By some uncanny coincidence, it is not only May again, it is also the 17th anniversary of NADECO, as it is also an election year, largely hailed as free and fair, has again delivered a candidate of Nigerians' choosing: Goodluck Ebele Azikiwe Jonathan. May-

hem from a section of the country has consumed lives under a democratic dispensation, with the perpetrators proclaiming that they neither believe in democracy as a form of Government nor is it possible to get justice under the 1999 Constitution."

"In between, citiznery dissatisfaction has given rise to Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB); Odua Peoples Congress (OPC), Action Committee for the Restoration of Odua Sovereignty (ACROS); Itsekiri Peoples Congress (IPC); Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND); Boko Haram (BK); Southern Kaduna Peoples Union (SOKAPU); Ijaw National Congress (INC); and a myriad of other ethnic and cultural organisations.”

Governor-elect's wife pleads for children

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IFE of the Governor-elect of Nasarawa State, Hajia Mairo Tanko-Almakura has called on mothers and government at all levels to reflect on how to put an end to child trafficking and labour.

Mrs. Alamakura, in a statement to mark the Children’s Day , said children have been neglected in Nigeria.

She said, instead of the fanfare that greets the celebration of Children's Day every year, Nigerians should use the occasion to remind those in position of authority and parents that childhood is the time when a person needs nurturing, schooling, time to play and explore the opportunity to grow both emotionally and physically.

"When a child is forced to work or beg, it hampers his growth, stunts his intellectual and psychological development and prevents him from realizing his full potential. Child labor is an unmitigated evil and any society which suffers from it should be grossly ashamed of it," she said.

Mrs. al-Makura enjoined Nigerians to ensure that children around them are not exploited. " Little measures like getting a child educated, teaching children around you, being more active to the happenings around you can make a big difference in the current situation and condition of our children in Nasarawa State and Nigeria at large," she said.

•ALL FOR CHILDREN: Wife of Ekiti State Governor, Erelu Bisi Fayemi, with members of the Children's Parliament, during a visit to her office, as part of activities marking the Children's Day, in Ado -Ekiti...yesterday

Igbo in Diaspora advise Jonathan on SGF

T

HE Southeast Professionals in Diaspora (SEPID) yesterday advised President Goodluck Jonathan to choose a tested administrator from the zone as the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF).

The SEPID endorsed the former National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr Okwesilieze Nwodo for the post.

The Chairman of the association in United Kingdom , Donald Igwegbu and the Secretary General, Dr Paul Eke, in a statement, said: “The SGF is a key position that could improve the lots of our people and address the general marginalisation of Ndigbo, if we make the most of it now.

“President Jonathan has indeed demonstrated his love for Ndigbo by keying into the agenda of zoning the next SGF to the South East, more especially when we have nev-

From Sanni Ologun, Abuja

er held that position in the past.

“Regardless of our place of abode, Ndigbo need to speak with one voice in the choice of our first candidate as SGF. After our professional appraisal of this emerging development at the roundtable, we zeroed in on Dr Okwesilieze Nwodo based on his undisputable credentials as a seasoned administrator, a reformer and his outstanding leadership capabilities.

“The manner Dr Okwy Nwodo recently resigned his position as the immediate past National Chairman of PDP is indeed commendable by all and sundry.

“Dr Nwodo when it mattered most demonstrated his firm commitment to positive change based on his progressive ideology and sincerity of purpose.”

•Ondo State Governor, Dr Olusegun Mimiko (middle) inaugurating some equipment for teachers of Adult, Technical and Vocational Centres during the graduation ceremony of adult learners, awards of literacy honours and distribution of learning materials and equipment to adult literacy centres under the Ondo State Ministry of Adult, Technical and Vocational Education in Akure…yesterday

‘Boko Haram has infiltrated Niger and FCT’

N

IGER State Commissioner of Police Mr. Mike Zuokumor yesterday said members of the dreaded Boko Haram sect have infiltrated the state.

Zuokumor promised that his men would flush them out.

He said: “We have learnt from intelligence report that Boko Haram has infiltrated Suleja and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). The insurgence of Boko Haram, like

From Jide Orintunsin, Minna

any other past similar organisation will soon pass away.

We are atop of the infiltration of some members of the group into Suleja and we will soon rout them out.

“We have done it before. We have been able to dislodge similar groups around Kontagora area. We are set for them. Any member of Boko Haram that infiltrates the state will be dealt

with. Niger State is not a safe haven for members of the group. Let them be warned.”

No fewer than 10,000 policemen have been deployed in Sunday’s inauguration of Dr. Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu as governor.

The commissioner said aside from the regular policemen, his command has concluded in-house training and re-training for four units of Mobile Policemen, consisting of 252 men and four officers

on the act of quelling riot, adding that these mobile police officers and men will be used to beef up security for the inauguration.

“We are ready for the inauguration. My senior officers and I are on top of the security arrangement, in concert with other security agencies for the ceremony. We are only appealing to the people to cooperate with the Police for a successful and hitch-free inauguration,” Zuokumor said.

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THE NATION FRIDAY,MAY 27, 2011

THE NATION FRIDAY,MAY 27, 2011

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THE NATION FRIDAY,MAY 27, 2011

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THE NATION FRIDAY, MAY 27, 2011

BUSINESS THE NATION

E-mail:- bussiness@thenationonlineng.net

Strauss-Kahn, Madoff guarded by same firm

F

ORMER International Monetary Fund chief Dominique StraussKahn, charged with sexual assault, has something in common with Bernard Madoff besides a rap sheet: both hired Stroz Friedberg LLC to manage their house arrest.

Not that the French economist or his lawyers had much choice. Strauss-Kahn’s legal team chose Stroz Friedberg for the job at the recommendation of the Manhattan District Attorney’s office, which said at last week’s bail hearing that Strauss-Kahn was a flight risk.

The job, which will pay Stroz Friedberg about $200,000 a month according to estimates provided to the court, is the latest high-profile assignment for the firm, which managed the house arrest of Madoff two years ago.

“We’re former law enforcement guys,” said Edward Stroz, 54, who headed the FBI’s computer crimes squad in New York before stepping down in 2000. “We have brains, some muscle. We’re not afraid of adversarial situations, and we’re not afraid to come before the court.”

While “muscle” is important, Stroz said he isn’t just in the business of renting “bodyguards.” For Madoff, there were legitimate concerns he might commit suicide, as well as whether defrauded investors might try to kill him.

Stroz’s people were so concerned about the possibility of an attempt on Madoff’s life that they smuggled their client out of his apartment building on the few occasions when he had to leave.

“You want to make sure people aren’t displayed where they don’t need to be,” said Stroz.

In business as in life, sometimes bad things happen to good people, and sometimes good things happen to bad people. But over time, if you play long enough, everybody gets what he deserves.. good and bad.

- Jeffrey Immelt

Divestment process transparent, says Shell MD T

HE Managing Director of Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited (SPDC) and Country Chairman of Shell companies in Nigeria, Mr. Mutiu Sunmonu, has carpeted allegations that ongoing sale of some of its onshore assets in Nigeria were not conducted transparently.

Sunmonu said those who are spreading such allegations were people who lost out in the bid.

The Shell boss also lamented the increasing disruption of its operation by unknown persons who tamper with its facilities. The company said between January and end of April this year, it had recorded over 35 incidents.

“Sabotage in the operation of Shell is not abating. Statistics show that as at the end of April over 35 sabotage incidents have occurred in the operation,” he said.

On transparency in sale of oil blocks, Sunmonu said: “All I can tell you is that this whole

From Emeka Ugwuanyi Asst. Editor

transaction was rigorously managed in strict accordance and compliance with our business principles. This is a process that was managed by a central group and for which they have a decision of review both in Nigeria and overseas. The whole activities were subject to very clear guidelines.

“I am aware of some of the complaints by some people but frankly speaking what I found out is that we as a country always find it difficult to accept defeat. You can see the same thing in elections. This is from people who lost the fight believing they have been treated unfairly but I can I assure that the process we went through is auditable, and strictly in accordance with our procedure.

“Some people might interpret

our procedure differently but we are very clear in our mind how we are going to do the selection for our preferred bidders.”

Sunmonu also explained that the reason for the divestment of the onshore oil blocks were not as a result of security issues in the Niger Delta because even at the height of militancy, some of the fields were operational and producing, but the decision is line with the Shell Group’s business vision and portfolio management. He also said the divestment was to empower indigenous players in the exploration and production (E&P).

He added that divestments were not being done to make much money as the company didn’t set a revenue target for the blocks.

He said: “The assets we are divesting will provide a very good platform for capable in-

digenous companies to start to become good players in the oil and gas industry. So we are not doing this because of environmental issues. Even in the period of 2005-09 in the height of militancy, a good number of the fields that we are divesting today were the ones that we were producing but a lot of people don’t know that. At the height of militancy these assets were not terribly affected.

“The bids we got from the various buyers are sensible because our whole idea was not to be Shylock. We think people that are buying the assets have had the opportunity of assessing the value of the assets and they on their own have voluntarily placed a value on it. We didn’t place a value on it ourselves for them to compete again. We gave them the resource base they looked at and they came up with the values they thought were good enough. I think for those we are selling it to, we felt that the values they have put on it were reasonable.”

MARKET CAPITALISATIONS NSE JSE NYSE LSE

-N8.1 trillion -Z5.112trillion -$10.84 trillion -£61.67 trillion RATES

Inflation -11.3% Treasury Bills -2.64% Normal lending -24% Prime lending -18% Savings rate -3% 91-day NTB -6.99% Time Deposit - 6% MPR -7.50% Foreign Reserve -$33.86bn FOREX CFA 0.281 • 216.9 £ 248.4 $ 153.05 ¥ 1.5652 SDR 245.85 RIYAL 39.3

O

IL retreated yesterday, as investors focused on disappointing economic data, but dollar weakness and increasing violence in the Middle East helped limit losses.

Crude oil gained sharply Wednesday as traders initially focused on an unexpected drop in U.S. distillate stocks.

However, the figures from the Energy Information Administration showed domestic crude stocks rising, countering expectations of a fall and underlining the gloomy outlook for demand.

“When you look at yesterday’s data, it looks pretty bearish, crude oil stocks are at record high levels, demand appears very weak and other economic data like durable goods was also weak,” said oil analyst at Credit Agricole Corporate and Investment, Christophe Barret.

New orders for U.S. manufactured goods posted their largest drop in six months in April after a steep fall in demand for transportation equipment, data showed Tuesday.

Poor policies liable for low agric performance From Franca Ochigbo, Abuja

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DATA STREAM COMMODITY PRICES Oil -$115.9/barrel Cocoa - $2,856/metric ton Coffee - ¢132.70/pound Cotton - ¢78.07.pound Gold -$1,161/troy ounce Rubber - ¢146.37/pound

Oil slips as focus returns to economic frailty

•From left: Executive Governor, Lagos State, Babatunde Raji Fashola and Managing Director, Chief Executive Officer, Fidelity Bank Plc, Mr. Reginald Ihejiahi, at the formal inuaguration of the Lagos Island Independent Power Plant in Lagos

NNPC, ICRC constitute Calabar-Kano gas delivery team

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HE Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation and the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission have constituted a delivery committee to actualise Federal Government’s gas revolution plan through a Public Private Partnership (PPP) initiative.

At a meeting of the two government agencies Wednesday in Abuja, the Group Managing Director of NNPC, Mr. Austen Oniwon, and the ICRC Director General, Mr. Mansur Ahmed, both agreed to lead the delivery team for the

Calabar-Ajaokuta-Kano gas pipeline.

“In order to harness the economic linkages of the gas revolution, it has become important to kick-start the process that would provide the infrastructure necessary for effective gas distribution,” Oniwon said.

He observed that the huge cost of the trans-Nigeria gas pipeline has made it imperative to explore the PPP option in such a way as to attract long-term investors.

He noted that while gas generation might not be a problem, the lack of distribution

infrastructure has hampered the growth of businesses that are dependent on gas.

He said the fertilizer and petrochemical plants would do better, and this would translate into better agricultural yields should there be gas availability to power the plants and blending firms particularly in agricultural zones.

He commended the initiatives by the ICRC to awaken public institutions to the PPP opportunities for infrastructure service delivery.

Ahmed welcomed the partnership with NNPC and

described the gas infrastructure as the key to unlocking Nigeria’s economic potential.

“We will be taking a step towards sustainable growth if we use what we have in abundance to propel growth and development in other areas of our economy,” the ICRC boss said.

He disclosed that the commission has identified 60 critical infrastructure projects to be executed over the next four years so as to make Nigeria set to achieve it’s Vision 20:2020 goal of becoming one of the world’s largest 20 economies in 2020.

HE Executive Director African Institute for Applied Economics (AIAE) and President Nigerian Agricultural Policy Research Network (NAPRNeT), Prof. Eric Eboh, disclosed that the agricultural sector of the economy has been held down by policy inadequacies, institutional weaknesses and structural distortions.

Eboh disclosed this at a symposium, on Making Agricultural Research Work for the Users in Abuja. He said this is a critical step in pushing forward the nation’s ambition to rank as one of the topmost 20 economies by the year 20:2020.

He said: “Within the context of pondering for the emergence of a new agricultural sector landscape for Nigeria under the new democratic government, this symposium is designed to rally experts and practitioners on the important question of optimising the interface of agricultural research, policy, enterprise for sustainable growth and food security.

“It creates an opportunity to share research information and to synthesise informed and experiential perspective on innovative and best practices for linking research, policy making and private’s enterprise.”

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THE NATION FRIDAY, MAY 27, 2011

BUSINESS NEWS Flight Schedule MONDAY - FRIDAY LAGOS – ABUJA Departure Arrival 1. Aero 06.50 08.10 2. Associated 07.00 09.30 3. Air Nigeria 07.00 08.20 4. IRS 07.00 08.20 5. Dana 07.02 08.22 6. Arik 07.15 08.15 7. Chanchangi 07.15 8. Air Nigeria 08.15 09.35 9. Dana 08.10 09.20 10. Aero 08.45 10.05 11. Arik 09.15 10.15 12. Chanchangi 10.00 11.00 13. IRS 11.15 12.35 14. Dana 12.06 12.26 15. Aero 12.20 13.30 16. Air Nigeria 13.25 14.45 17. Chanchangi 13.30 14.30 18. Arik 13.45 14.45 19. IRS 14.00 15.20 20. Aero 14.10 15.30 21. Air Nigeria 14.50 16.10 22. Dana 15.30 16.50 23. Chanchangi 15.30 16.30 24. Arik 15.50 16.50 25. Aero 16.00 17.20 26. IRS 16.30 17.50 27. Arik 16.50 17.50 28. Dana 17.10 18.30 29. Chanchangi 17.30 18.30 30. Air Nigeria 17.35 18.55 31. Air Nigeria (T/TH) 18.30 19.50 32. Arik 18.45 19.45 33. Aero 19.20 20.40 1.

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LAGOS – BENIN Arik 07.30 Associated 08.30 Aero 10.50 Arik 11.45 Associated 13.00 Aero 14.25 Arik 15.30 Associated 16.00

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LAGOS – CALABAR 07.30 11.20 12.50 16.00 LAGOS – JOS 10.55 11.15

LAGOS – KADUNA Aero 08.00 Chanchangi 10.00 Arik 10.00 Arik 15.10

is recapitalisation of the ailing banks through Merger & Acquisition. This exercise has begun and no one sees the need to involve a strategic stakeholder like ASSBIFI in the process. And when something goes wrong with these arrangements, the regulators will encourage Managements to sack employees, our members in droves.

Yet, the same over-indulged management that were responsible for the crisis in the first place would continue to enjoy their perks and privileges of office.”

The CBN 2009 reform exercise was meant to arrest the insolvency in the

banking sector and it resulted in the sacking of some directors and management of some banks who were blamed for the high level of NonPerforming loans.

ASSBIFI, said it is wrong to exclude the body from the process since its members would bear the brunt of the exercise through layoffs.

Salako said: “Let it be known that we will no longer pay for any of these lapses.

“We have resolved never to subsidise the recklessness of a system that will use and dump our members.

“The reform has resulted in manoeuvres by some interests keen on becoming leading partners in the mergers and acquisition process.”

12.15 12.45 09.10 11.00 11.10 16.20

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LAGOS – WARRI 08.15 11.50 11.55 14.55

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LAGOS – KANO Air Nigeria 07.10 IRS 08.00 Dana 08.10 Arik 12.20 IRS 14.00 IRS 18.15

08.50 09.45 09.40 14.00 15.45 19.55

LAGOS – OWERRI 07.20 14.00 16.30

08.30 15.10 17.40

LAGOS – UYO 10.35

11.35

LAGOS – MAIDUGURI 1. IRS 11.15 13.15 2. Arik 15.50 18.00 LAGOS – ILORIN 1. Overland 07.15 2. Arik (M/T/TH/F) 17.30

By Dupe Olaoye-Osinkolu

08.50 12.40 14.10 17.20

LAGOS – OWERRI Aero 07.30 Arik 07.30 Air Nigeria 13.40 Arik 14.00 Arik 16.30

1. Dana

HE Association of Senior Staff of Banks, Insurance and Financial Institutions (ASSBIFI), has decried its non-inclusion in the ongoing merger and acquisition process of some banks.

The senior bank workers warned that they would not tolerate the disagreement of their members under the guise of the ongoing reforms, ordered by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

In a statement signed by the union’s President, Comrade Sunday Olusoji Salako, ASSBIFI said: “The impact of the reforms on the labour market has been very traumatic based on the rate at which most banks have been downsizing in the last two years.

“A major aspect of these reforms

08.30 09.10 11.50 12.45 13.40 15.20 16.30 16.40

LAGOS – PORT HARCOURT (CIVIL) 1. Aero 07.15 08.35 2. Arik 07.15 08.35 3. Arik 09.00 10.20 4. Dana 09.27 10.40 5. Aero 10.50 12.30 6. Arik 11.40 13.00 7. Air Nigeria 12.00 13.10 8. IRS 13.30 15.00 9. Arik 14.00 15.20 10. Dana 15.03 16.20 11. Air Nigeria 16.00 17.10 12. Arik 16.10 17.30 13. Aero 16.15 17.30 14. Arik 17.10 18.30

1. Arik 2. Arik 3. Arik

ASSBIFI seeks inclusion in banks merger talks T

08.00 18.00

LAGOS – ABUJA SAT/SUN Arik 7.15; 10.20; 2.20; 5.20pm – 7.30; 9.15; 10.20; 2.20; 4.50; 6.45 Aero 07.30; 09.35; 13.10; 14.50; 20.20 – 07.30; 09.35; 13.10; 14.50; 20.20 Air Nigeria 08.15; 14.30; 17.15; 18.30 – 08.15; 13.30; 14.30; 17.15; 18.30

•From left: The Director-General, National Agency for Foods, Drug and Administration Control (NAFDAC), Paul Orhii and Managing Director, Unilever Nigeria Plc, Thabo Mebe, at a news briefing and facility visit to Unilever PHOTO: ADEJO DAVID Head Office, Lagos.

NNPC raises production by 20,000 bpd, says MD G ROUP Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Engineer Austen Oniwon, yesterday claimed that in the last one year, the corporation’s exploration and production arm, the NPDC beefed up its production to 70,000 barrels per day, up from about 50, 000 barrels per day.

A statement of the Group General Manager, NNPC Group Public Affairs, Dr. Levi Ajuonuma, said the production could reach 250, 000 barrels per day in the next three years with the transfer of five oil blocks to the company from some of the International Oil Companies (IOCs) operating in country.

Oniwon, who was taking stock of

From John Ofikhenua, Abuja

his one year in office at Abuja, said the support and cooperation of staff has re-energised and reinvigorated his desire to give his best to the service of NNPC and the nation.

He said:“Your prayers and suggestions since my appointment gave me the courage to transcend the initial fright of the heavy burden of the office of the GMD.’’ He noted that the support of staff has translated into the modest gains attained in the last one year in the areas of eliminating fuel queues

through regular supply and distribution of petroleum products as well as growing the number of NNPC Mega stations across the country.

The NNPC boss also assessed his achievements in office in the last one year to include improved gas supply for power generation and the signing of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Xenel of Saudi Arabia and Nagarjuna of India to monetise the nation’s huge gas reserves and generate 60, 000 jobs for Nigerians.

“The contribution of the refineries to national fuel supply in spite of the challenges also form part of my achievements in office in the last one year,’’ the GMD noted.

Mobil posts N3.3b profit

M

OBIL Nigeria Plc has recorded a profit after tax of N3.9 billion for the 2010 financial year.

The figure represents a growth of 37 per cent over N2.6 billion recorded in 2009.

Also, the company is paying a dividend of 960 kobo per 50 kobo share, indicating an increase of 37 per cent over the dividend payout for 2009.

The company’s turnover fell from N62billion in 2009 to N58billion in 2010.

Shareholders have consented to the result, describing it as a success given the downturn in the nation’s economy. However, they chided the management for not providing bonus for the shareholders.

A shareholders’ activist, Mr Nona Awo, said the growth in the

By Akinola Ajibade

balance sheet amounted to nothing, if the shareholders are not given scrip issue. He said shareholders cherish shares bonus since its helps in them in building strong portfolios.

Speaking on the company’s performance, Chairman/ Managing Director, Mr Adetunji Oyebanji, said efforts are being put in place to surpass 2010 achievements.

Oyebanji said the organisation would improve on its financials in the years, as evident by various capitaldriven programmes initiated recently.

He said a project is underway to align and update Mobil Oil Nigeria’s passengers vehicle lubricant offering

with that of ExxonMobil subsidiaries in other countries.

He said Mobil has embarked on the refurbishment of storage tanks, and has subsequently upgraded its tank farm operations in Apapa for the storage and handling of gasoline/ aviation fuel.

Other plans initiated to stimulate growth include expanding the storage capacity for gasoline, improve the competitiveness in the diesel and kerosene segments, and operational safety.

He said the safety of the environment is crucial to the growth of the organisation.

“We would continue to provide safety because without it there is no way we can talk about posting profit, and giving dividend to the shareholders”.

NUBAN: Intercontinental migrates 4m customers

By Akinola Ajibade

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NTERCONTINENTAL Bank has successfully completed the migration of its over four million customers’ accounts to the new Central Bank of Nigerian (CBN)’s approved 10digit Nigerian Uniform Bank Account Number (NUBAN) account system.

The bank, which made this known in a statement said it has completed the integration of over four million customers’ accounts to the new 10-digits Nigerian Uniform Bank Account Number (NUBAN) format, with the generation of new 10-digits account numbers its customers.

It stated that in compliance with the CBN directive to all banks to migrate to the NUBAN, the bank had last week sent out notices to all its customers via, emails, text messages, letters and advertorials at branches advising on the change to a new 10-digits account number.

The CBN had in a circular to all the banks said that the implementation of NUBAN is expected to reduce cost of operations and increase efficiency of Automated Direct Credits (ACH) processing and resolve e-payment related challenges in terms of wrong numbers and padded numbers. It gave a deadline of end of June for all banks to comply.

Elumelu Foundation launches internship programme

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HE Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF) has announced the launch of a MBA internship programme designed to improve the competitiveness of innovative small and growing African businesses.

The African Markets Internship Programme (AMIP) according to a statement, places students from Africa’s top business schools and students from top-tier business schools in Europe and the United States in highly structured programmes at African companies. During their assignments, the interns build actionable knowledge and help facilitate high-level decision-making to contribute to the host firms’ success.

AMIP according to the statement, matches the unique skills of each intern with the particular needs of each participating host business, to tackle the most pressing business issues identified by the management teams. This includes forging business strategies, marketing new products, or developing African growth strategies.

Founder Tony O. Elumelu said:”Our 10-week internship program is a win-win opportunity for both interns and African firms. It will build the institutional capacity of African-owned and operated companies, and leverages global talent to increase the firms’ competitiveness, while providing on-the-job training for interns.”

“The interns will be completely immersed in the complexities of business in Africa , which has some of the world’s most challenging and rewarding emerging markets. By bringing top talent to companies that have a need for it, this internship program brings brain gain to markets that have traditionally suffered from brain drain in the past,” he added.

THE NATION FRIDAY, MAY 27, 2011

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NEWS NIGERIA AFTER MAY 29 Deputy Political Editor EMMANUEL OLADESU examines the challenges before Jonathan Administration and issues that would shape the direction of national politics in the next four years.

Can Jonathan resolve the national questions?

B

Y sunday, Nigeria, the most populous African country, will record another milestone.

President Goodluck Jonathan, who was elected last month on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in a poll generally described by domestic monitors and foreign observers as free fair and creidle, will be sworn in for a fresh four-year tenure.

The significance of the historic moment is that Nigeria has successfully put behind it long years of political instability and invested confidence in the democratic process as the baseline for choice, change, rejection and retention of legitimate leadership. It is also noteworthy that the recent elections affirmed the basis for federalism, for in a highly heterogeneous country like Nigeria, no single party will be strong enough to win power and form the government at the federal and state levels.

Also, the enhanced transparency and credibility of the electoral process have implications for the polity.

Reflecting on this wide departure from the 2007 electoral debacle, former Lagos State Governor Bola Tinubu said that reality has dawned on the political parties and candidates that they can only retain political power by fulfilling their social contract to the satisfaction of the electorate.

Understanding the challenges of development: When Dr Jonathan assumed office following the death of his former boss, the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, he inherited the burden of steering the ship of state at a turbulent period. All the sectors of the economy laid prostrate and the diverse people of the ethnically and religiously divided country were thirsty for transformational leadership.

Despite his inability to reposition the country in the last one year, Nigerians still endorsed him at the poll in anticipation of a brighter future.

Observers felt that the President had to move in a snail-like speed for expediency.

What manner of cabinet?

Eyes are on Dr Jonathan as he takes the first step after his inauguration on Sunday. Will the President set up a cabinet of talents or foist on the country ‘the same of the same’?

Will he attract into his cabinet seasoned experts and men of integrity?

Will the cabinet slots be given to controversial partymen as reward for partisan politics? Under the presidential system, the President is at liberty to appoint into his cabinet non-politicians and experts who can help him realise his vision.

Revamping the socio-political economy: Other challenges that would stare the administration include security, crisis in the power sector, wobbling social services (education, health, and roads), rising graduate unemployment, anti-corruption war and stalled reforms in the down stream sector of the oil economy. Calls for the diversification of the economy, with more emphasis on agriculture, and revival of the the dying manufacturing sector, would continue to dominate the air wave.

It is expected that the emerging National Assembly will avoid the lapses associated with the passage of the Appropriation to stem repeated budgetary failure, owing to poor implementation strategies.

The civil society organisations

Ondo, Osun and Ekiti States, the new governors are looking at 2013 and 2014 for elections.

Local government elections:

The grassroots are emotionally attached to local elections than the governorship and presidential contests. Following the conclussion of the 2011 general elections, many states have put in motion the machinery for the conduct of elections into the councils. The State Electoral Commissions (SIECs) have been reconstituted and competing parties are back on the campaign turf.

In some states, governors are dragging their feet. They prefer the caretaker committees, despite the constitutional provisions which guarantee democratically elected local governments. Fears are rife that the elections into the councils may not be free and fair because electoral reforms have not been extended to the local election processes. The result is that governors would use their powers of incumbency to maximum advantage to install their cronies at the grassroots.

Usually, members of the SIECs are men of proven integrity. But, it is incontestable that in some states, they are lackeys of the governors.

•Dr Jonathan

‘Dr Jonathan is not yet a tested leader. Eyes are on him as he takes the first step after his inauguration in two day’s time. Will the President set up a cabinet of talents or foist on the country ‘the same of the same?’ Will he attract into his cabinet seasoned experts and men of integrity? Will the cabinet slots be allotted to controversial party men as reward for partisan politics?’ would beam a searchlight on government spending, in the light of the controversy triggered by the lopsided, wide gap between the recurrent and capital expenditures, the depleting foreign reserves and increasing national debt.

Jonathan and national questions:

Nigerians also want answers to national questions and issues that are germane to good governance.

The fundamental questions begging for solution are on the front burner again, championed by ethnic nationality groups, which insist that the anthem of this millennium is selfdetermination.

Thus, agitations for a Sovereign National Conference (SNC), being fuelled by old freedom fighters regrouping under the resuscitated National Democratic Coalition (NADECO), would, in part divert attention, just as it also underscores the cleavages in the incompatible social formation called Nigeria.

Many stakeholders would buy into the vision of the advocates of true federalism, fiscal federalism, state police/community policing, more succour for the Niger Delta, progressive constitution amendment and continuation of electoral reforms.

Mandatory post-election assessment of political parties: Under the Constitution and the Electoral Act, it is the responsibility of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to “arrange for the annual examination and auditing of the funds and accounts of political parties and publish a report on such exercise for public information’.

There are 62 political parties on the INEC register, but less than 20 participated in the recent general elec-

tions. Many of them could not stand on their own. Ahead of the presidential elections, for example, no fewer than 40 of them applied to Aso Villa, Abuja to support the President’s ambition. Many of the mushroom parties lack visibility; their offices and leaders are not known. Yet, they rely on periodic subventions from the umpire during the electioneering. They are only of utility value when aggrieved chieftains of major parties seek temporary refuge under them, especially when they are edged out by the cankerworm called lack of internal democracy.

INEC Chairman Prof. Attahiru Jega, who frowned at their questionable existence, had threatened to starve them of funds and deregister them, if they perform abysmally during the last elections.

Opinion is, however, divided on the statutory responsibility of erasing the failed parties by the electoral umpire. The late Chief Gani Fawehinmi, the lawyer-activist, had dragged the commission to court over the controversy. The court ruled that, in as much as freedom association and assembly is enshrined in the constitution, it is forbidden by any agency to uproot any political party.

Another issue is the continuous registration of political parties. Constitutionally, there is no limit to how far Nigeria could go. Will INEC register more parties, if intending political associations meet the criteria?

Preparation for governorship elections: The rigging of 2007 elections has altered the uniform election time table. Following the confirmation of the mandates in Cross Rivers, Sokoto, Adamawa, Bayelsa and Kogi states, as well as the restoration of the stolen mandates in Rivers, Edo,

State and local government creation: The clamour for the creation of new states and Local Government Areas will be on the increase. It finds expression in the framework of the elite struggle for more access to power and state resources, although there may be compelling ethnic reasons to create few states in response to agitations for self-determination and protection of diverse identities.

However, there is the less popular counter-agitation for the collapse of the states and return to regionalism of the pre-and immediate independence era. The proponents have argued that maintaining the present state structure, with all the bureaucracies, is expensive. But the state creation agitators have maintained that, despite the general dark sides of the exercise, the breaking of the country into units have fostered development and conferred a sense of belonging to the component units.

It will be an acid test for the National Assembly. Significantly, no civilian government has succeeded in creating states in the post-civil war period. The current state structure within the context of the lopsided federal Nigeria was the creation of the dictatorial military regimes which brooked no opposition.

There is no geo-political zone that wants to be left behind in the agitation. However, the pendulum seem to swing towards the Southeast, which has five states, unlike the Southwest, Southsouth, Northcentral and Northeast, which have six, and Northwest, which has seven.

Local Government creation is a more contentious issue. But many states would not shy away from the exercise following legitimate demands by the people backed by referendum, although there is also the tendency to abuse the process by unscrupulous politicians.

Many states are gearing up for council creation. But clog is the constitutional constraint imposed on the states. While the Houses of Assembly are strengthened by the constitution to create councils, the National Assembly reserves the right to list them in the 1999 Constitution.

That duality of control over the local government system by federal and state governments is one of the flaws that have made constitution

review a matter of urgent concern.

Instructively, when Lagos State created additional 37 councils, the Federal Government kicked against the move by withholding allocations due to the pre-existing 20 Local Government Areas. A crisis of inter-governmental relations broke out between federal and Lagos state governments and governance at the grassroots was hampered.

The response of the President to the challenge will also shape his relationship with the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) and pro-council creation agitators across the country.

Constitution amendment:

The focus of constitution review in the new dispensation is the delisting of the Local Government Areas from the constitution. In mature democracies, councils fall within the jurisdiction of the state, and the House of Assembly is constitutionally empowered to create and whip them into line whenever they go astray. As the Lagos experience has shown, there is no way the newly created councils can draw funds from the Federation Account as they remain incohate, unless they are constitutionally listed or the federal authorities hand off completely from council supervision.

To strengthen federalism, there is the need for the constitution be reviewed in a way and manner that ensures more devolution of powers to the state and local authorities.

Politics of zoning:

The zoning controversy will continue to rage and ravage the country. This is premised on the perception of the Presidency as a national cake for the zone producing the President, instead of viewing the number one citizen as the symbol of unity.

The desire of competing zones to occupy the highest position has been elevated over and above the quality of candidates, or the pursuit of merit, standard and excellence. Thus, the Southwest, which produced former President Olusegun Obasanjo, was dazed by its tragic experience when the ‘son of the soil’ was in the saddle.

Indeed, development eluded the region, despite its potentials and old glories.

Since zoning or rotational principle is not endorsed by the constitution, it ultimately becomes a weapon of manipulation by political barons locked in a bitter scheming for real and elusive power.

With zoning also comes the re-enactment of the North-South dichotomy, or Christian/Muslim divide, which takes tolls on the health of the country. However, the concept cannot be avoided.

The utterly disunited Southeast, which has not had the opportunity of producing a democratically elected president, will be at loggerheads with the Southsouth and North in 2015. A former military head of state and prominent Northern leader, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida (rtd), has maintained that power should shift to the North in 2015 because it is its turn. However, there is another obstacle on the path of both zones.

President Jonathan, who took over following the passing on of Alhaji Yar’Adua, has the constitutional right to seek a fresh mandate in 2015.

While the North may have to make necessary adjustment to life outside power for another eight years, the Southeast, which is likey to produce the Secretary to the Federal Government, may request for more concessions from the Federal Government in terms of appointments.

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THE NATION FRIDAY, MAY 27, 2011

NEWS NIGERIA AFTER MAY 29

Saraki: I’m leaving Kwara better than I met it Barely a few days to his exit as a two-term governor of Kwara State, Governor Bukola Saraki spoke with some reporters on his tenure, the challenges confronting governors, his leadership of the Nigeria Governors Forum and attitude to the just-concluded presidential election.

YUSUF ALLI and SANNI OLOGUN were at the session.

B

EING the longest serving chairman of the Governors Forum so far, what did you meet on ground and what legacy have you handed over to the new chairman?

The Governors Forum has over the years transformed to a very focus-driven platform with a focus on national integration and unity.

We are trying to bring all the states together across party lines, irrespective of our parties.

We have always put Nigeria first at all times and try to ensure that we intervene in areas that would make life better for Nigerians. And we have been able to do that in many sectors, when you talk about power, security issues, religious crises, and issues of dispute, we’ve been able to sit down as a group to fashion out solutions.

The most important thing I think, is the State Peer Review Mechanism that was launched a couple of days ago. I will say this is one of the legacies we will be leaving behind. We now have a mechanism where we can refer to best practices among the states. It will bring about good governance in the states. It will make the level of governance at the state level much more better. We have partnership with development agencies and at a post-retreat dinner for governors and governors-elect, we all heard a lot of commendations for the states.

Definitely what they have seen in the last four years shows a more focus-driven, performancedriven group of governors in the Forum. So, one is grateful that one is leaving the Forum better than one met it. One is leaving the Forum where there is more collaboration among the governors and I think the country is better of for it. Again, the level of attendance of the governors at meetings has been high. On the average, we have recorded about 80 per cent attendance. So, if one has been able to lead that Forum to that stage, I think I will give thanks to the almighty God for making that possible.

The Governors Forum before your emergence as its chairman was more of a weakling.

What challenge did this pose to you when you took the mantle?

We didn’t see it like that. I think what I remembered was that at the initial stage, people didn’t use to turn up for the meetings. People didn’t use to take it seriously. And I think what one has been able to do is let it be issue-oriented. Let there be value for the governors for

•Dr Saraki

attending the meetings and the values have been added. We said; let us look at any issue confronting the country, come together and resolve the problems together.

I forgot to list the Electoral Law. If you remember at a time when the National Assembly was going in one direction, we felt that the law was not democratic enough and we quickly met and that kind of, mounted pressure on the federal lawmakers to allow for some reviews of the issues affecting our people.

Look at the polio cases for instance. The developmental agencies will tell you, Bill Gates will tell you he has been coming to Nigeria for years pumping money to have the child-killer disease eradicate. But it was the time he now collaborated with the governors for the first time in Nigeria that you see country moving towards the eradication of polio. And so, what I did was to try and ensure these meetings were issue-driven.

We used to have opportunities to invite heads of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) on how we can meet our targets. How can we improve on issue of primary education?

And again, you will recall that there were times when a lot of states could not access their funds in UBEC. We went into the challenge and ask:

What was the reason for it? Was it administrative? What can we do to improve on that? So, we were just taking issues and intervening by coming together to find solution.

But as we were doing that, the credit must go to the leadership of the country at that particular time. Yes, we’ve done so much as a Forum, but I think we must give credit to the former President and also the incumbent- the late Alhaji Umaru Musa Yar’Adua and Dr. Jonathan and the Vice Presidents at both times as well. Don’t forget when President Jonathan was vice president, he was the chairman of the National Economic Council and now we have Vice President Namadi Sambo. They have all played a key role in ensuring collaboration.

Today, the Federal and State Governments do not see themselves as people who should be fighting for space. It is not about that. It is about how we work together. For instance, you will all remember when the states decided to contribute $5 billion to the power sector reform programme at the federal level. That again came from this kind of collaboration.

So, the answer is because place the interest of Nigeria above all things and in the process of doing that, our voice has become louder and more relevant. And also, there is respect amongst us whether you are o the ACN (Ac-

tion Congress of Nigeria) or, the ANPP (All Nigeria Peoples Party). Once you are in our Forum, we all have equal rights and most of the decision we take are decisions that cut across the party lines. It is not that the PDP will say ‘oh, this is our position, ACN if you like it or not…’ no we don’t do that. So because of that, even those in opposition parties will come to the meetings because they know they have a voice that would be heard. And it is that level of being able to put people together that has been one of our major achievements.

What will you point out as the achievement of the recent governors’ retreat and what are your projections for the new crop of leaders in the next four years?

As I was sitting back and listening to some of the discussions going on there, I said to myself maybe if I had had those discussions too, I would have also been better off because we had people who were talking about their experiences both as former governors. We had former governors Ahmed Makarfi and Bola Tinubu. Few of them who contributed their experiences -and some of the existing governors and former governors from the United States. People, who had been Chiefs of Staff also contributed. We had representatives of the Code of Conduct, the EFCC (Economic and Financial Crimes Commission) and we had somebody who talked about the civil service.

All we did was to prepare the minds of the governors-elect for the task ahead. We made them to realize what they are going to expect; how they should pick their team. How they should interact with the civil service and the issues to focus on. For the two days the retreat lasted, we were laying a solid foundation for the incoming governors as we shared our experiences with them. They had briefings from the National Security Adviser (NSA); from the Special Adviser to the President on MDGs; from the Capital Market. Let me use myself as as an example. I didn’t look at long-term funding sourced through bond to develop critical projects until 2006.

So... what do we expect from your trainees?

The beauty of the credible elections we’ve done now is that there is no governor in 2011 that is not going to perform. At least most of them will perform because it is clear to everybody now that it is one man, one vote. So, if you like, don’t perform, you will pay for that. I think governance will improve and I think it will even further help people to be more responsible. But I think by and large, from the kind of things we have put in place, I believe your fears are baseless.

By May 29 the curtain will drop on your second term tenure in the Governt House and you moving to the Upper Chambers of the National Assembly as a senator. What major legacies are leaving behind and what areas would you want your successor to look at?

I don’t know where to start from. ut I wil just summarise by saying that I believe I am •Continued on page 19

Yakowa sets up commision over post-election crisis

T

HE Kaduna State government yester day inaugurated a Judicial Commis sion of Inquiry to probe last month’s post election violence in the state. He also renewed pledge of his government’s commitment to the protection of lives and property of its citizens.

Inaugurating the Commission, Governor Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa asked the committee members to bring to bear their wealth of experience to fish out those responsible for the violence which he said, caused havoc on human lives and property including places of worship.

Governor Yakowa said that the state government is deeply concerned with the level of destruction that occurred during the crises and is therefore determined to unravel the immediate and remote causes of the crisis with a view to bringing lasting solution that will prevent future occurrences in the state.

The governor noted that the government decided to set up the Commission of Inquiry as a great sense of responsibility and concern for the continuous peace,

From Tony Akowe, Kaduna

unity and progress of the state to find out the perpetrators and those behind the crises, the level of destruction of lives, property, places of worship and to proffer lasting solutions that will prevent a re-occurrence of similar crises in the state in future.

According to him, “the unfortunate crises that took place in this State as well as some other States of the federation following the Presidential Elections in April are well known to all of us. These crises caused untold havoc on human lives, properties and places of worship.

“The Government is deeply concerned with the level of destruction that occurred during these crises and is determined to unravel the immediate and remote causes of these crises and to find a lasting solution that will prevent a future occurrence of such crises in the State.

“It is therefore with a grave sense of responsibility and concern for continuous peace, unity and progress of this State that

Government has decided to set up this Judicial Commission of Inquiry to inter alia, find out the perpetrators and those behind the crises, the level of destruction of lives, property, places of worship and to proffer lasting solutions that will prevent a re-occurrence of similar crises in the state in future”.

The governor said that members of the Commission were carefully selected based on their track record, wealth of experience and keen interest in the development of the state, adding that the state has put on their “shoulders a very heavy responsibility and we are optimistic that God will see you through”.

He told them that they were to work within a term of reference which included “to inquire into or investigate, ascertain and identify the immediate and remote causes of the riot; identify individuals, organizations and other associations that might have contributed to the build-up to the riot by way of publication in the print and electronic media, organizing seminars, workshops, conferences etc; and to assess

• Yakowa

and determine the extent of loss of lives and property and other forms of damage caused during the riots and disturbances as well as identify the perpetrators of the dastardly acts”.

THE NATION FRIDAY, MAY 27, 2011

19

NEWS NIGERIA AFTER MAY 29

Nasarawa: Storm over last-minute appointment

The leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has officially zoned the position of the Speaker of the House of Representatives to the Southwest. But, a group of lawmakers known as House Project is bent on supporting a candidate from outside the region, reports Assistant Editor (News) OLUKOREDE YISHAU.

Much ado about Speaker

B

Y June 6, Dimeji Bankole’s tenure as Speaker of the House of Representatives will lapse. That day, the new National Assembly will be inaugurated. Already, the race for his successor has begun. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has zoned the seat to the Southwest.

The leadership of the party in the region seems to have settled for Muraina Ajibola as the man for the job. But, another member-elect from the region, Mulikat Adeola has not hidden her desire for the number four job in the country.

However, there is a group of lawmakers, made up of re-elected and fresh members, who do not believe in either Ajibola or Adeola.

Known as the House Project, the group, in a statement yesterday, said its members believe in the independence of the legislature and sustenance of internal democracy in the lower Legislative Chamber.

The group has kicked against the move by some external forces to impose a speaker on the House.

The group, which said it boasts of about 80 returning members and no fewer than 200 new members-elect, described the alleged move as “not only undemocratic but also dictatorial.” They said, if allowed to stand, the imposition has the potentials of compromising the independence of the legislature as enshrined in the principles of separation of power.

The Co-ordinator of the group, Hon. John Owan-Enoh, in a statement, said: “Hand-picking a Speaker for the House by forces outside the House, diminishes the essence and the spirit of the three separate arms of government, which should be independent of one another.

“The integrity of the process of electing the leadership of the Legislature goes a long way in defining and determining the integrity of such a leadership and the quality of Leadership it would offer, especially in a developing democracy such as ours.

“We have, therefore, resolved to continue to nurture our democracy by not encouraging anything undemocratic.”

The statement added that the first step in ensuring that the seventh House of Representatives begins in the right direction is by, “democratically electing its leadership by elected House members devoid of any external influences.”

The group reasoned that the insta-

•Tambuwal

bility witnessed in the House in 1999 and 2007 that saw the removal of Hon. Salisu Buhari and Patricia Etteh had its roots in the imposition of the two ex-speakers by the Presidency.

The group said Hon. Ghali Umar Na’Abba and Hon. Aminu Bello Masari, who were elected by the lawmakers, had almost rancor-free tenures.

So, who will the House Project support as Speaker? The Nation learnt that it is rooting for a returning member, Aminu Tambuwal, a development which will upstage the PDP’s zoning formula. Tambuwal, member, Body of Benchers, was Deputy Chief Whip, House of Representatives. He was Leader of the Nigerian Delegation to African, Caribbean, Pacific & European Union Parliamentary Assembly (ACP-EU). He served as Vice-Chairman, Economic Committee ACP-EU and was former Minority Leader, House of Representatives.

The 45-year-old lawmaker, sources within the House Project, said is the type of leader the House needs.

“He has what it takes to lead the House. He is educated. He is experienced. He has contributed to the present House in no small way and will surely make a good leader,” he said.

The source added that many of those supporting Tambuwal do not owe any allegiance to the PDP, as they are feom the position parties.

But, the poser remains: will the PDP watch the lawmakers destabilise its zoning arrangement?

In a few days from now, it will be clear who holds the ace.

P

ROTESTERS, mainly youths, yesterday besieged Nasarawa State House of Assembly, barring members including the Speaker, Musa Ahmed Muhammed, from entering the complex situated along Shendam Road.

The youths who arrived in truck loads were angered by the lastminute plan by the outgoing Governor Aliyu Akwe Doma through the state Assembly to confirm five appointments into various high offices before leaving on Sunday. He was also accused of reinstating Council Chairman which he (Doma) had earlier denied, despite a court order to return them to office for a year.

The last-minute appointment of five persons - Ishaq Muazu and Musa Othman Aloko as members of the Nasarawa State Civil Service Commission (NSCSC); Abubakar Audu Laminga, as member of the Nasarawa State Independent Electoral Commission (NASIEC), as well as Rayyanu Alhassan Lanus as State Auditor General, and Abubakar Idris Gani as Auditor General for Local Governments - through the Assembly according to the protesters, was meant to cover up the governor’s alleged financial misdeeds.

A letter dated May 17 was earlier sent to the Assembly by Doma, urging them to approve of the appointment when the matter would be raised by the PDP members in the House yesterday.

•Doma From Johnny Danjuma, Lafia

It was learnt that prior to this, there had been a meeting between the governor and some caucus members of his party including the Speaker of the House to ensure that the council chairmen who were earlier sacked by the outgoing governor were returned to office.

Before the House members got into their offices to commence deliberations by 10 am yesterday, the protesters had already taken over the Assembly complex, chanting anti Doma slogans with placards bearing different inscriptions as they outnumbered policemen sent to dispatched them.

Armed military personnel, however, arrived at the scene later to confront the protesters. They succeeded in pushing them out of the Assembly complex to the main road.

The leader of the protesters, Adamu Ibrahim, who spoke with newsmen, explained that “the state radio has announced that the governor was seeking to return the local government chairmen and that he has already sought the assembly to approve of this plan.

“We also heard from the radio that the governor was seeking the Assembly to approve last-minute appointment of some of his cronies whose job will be to conceal serious audit flaws that might lead to the probe of Doma. We are here to stop the assembly from sitting on these issues.”

Though the Police PRO, ASP Richard Akoji told The Nation that he was unaware of the protest, the Press Secretary to the Speaker, Ibrahim Tanko, said members of the assembly had finished deliberating on the matter before them and had actually confirmed the appointment as sought by the governor.

On whether the councils’ chairmen were returned as sought by the letter sent to them, he said that their matter was not discussed at the floor of the House.

Both the protesters and the police according to him, had also left the House of Assembly Complex as normalcy had returned.

Saraki: I’m leaving Kwara better than I met it •Continued from page 17

leaving Kwara better than I met it in 2003. I believe that an average Kwaran today, whether in opposition or as a supporter, will definitely tell you that these last eight years the Bukola Saraki administration has worked for the people of the state. The state itself has witnessed great infrastructural development duringt my tenure.

Whether you go to the educational sector or road networks, we have our footprints everywhere. You look at indices like enrolment at the primary school level and the level of pass mark records at the WAEC examinations. Malpractices indices have dropped. We have been able establish the Kwara State University. It is not only a university but a university that is collaborating with international institutions like the MIT.

•From left: Minister of Aviation, fedilia Njeze, Minister of State, Comerce, Josephine Tapgun and Minister of Information, Labaran Maku a the briefing after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting at the State House PHOTO: AKIN OLADOKUN Abuja.

The Aviation College that Mr. President commissioned last week is probably the best today in the West African sub-region. You talk about the employment sector and agriculture. Today the commercial agriculture policy of the Federal Government is based on what we are doing in the state. A month ago, the Federal Government again signed what we call a Dairy Developmental Plan policy based on what we are doing. We’ve been able to show that commercial agriculture is working. If you look at the level of production of cassava and rice, we are playing a key role in thatl sector. If you consider road infrastructure, we have been able to open up many roads in different parts of the state. We have had great impact on employment and commercial activities in the state. Looking at the state btween 2003 and 2011, the environment has become cleaner and greener. I think by and large there are things you can point at. You know if you are a little child and you are going round the state, you can point to different structures that were done by our administration. When you look at the fact that Kwara is number 33 out of the 36 states on the revenue sharing scale, you will appreciate what we have been able to put in place. We are the first state to get the Fitch Rating. And many of our projects have been private sector-driven. We created an enabling environment for the private sector to thrive and developed an agro-allied base. That is what we’ve been able to do. The in-coming government is advised to build on the foundations we have been able to lay in the area of agriculture, employment opportunity through the agro-allied industry.

We’ve reformed the civil service for efficiency and excellent performance. People used to lobby to become permanent secretaries when I came

in, but in the last five years, we brought in a consulting agency. So, once you apply, you go through the examinations. And after the examinations and the interviews, the civil service can now boost of efficient performance. That is something we will like the in-coming administartion to continue because it would ensure productivity. Then no state have been able to attempt what we are doing in the power sector, attaining 18 to 20 hours of power supply. This is something we are enjoying in the state. I don’t think there is anywhere in the country that enjoys the kind of power and electricity supply that we are enjoying in the state. Within the Ilorin metropolis in the last 20 years, nobody has opened his taps, it has always been boreholes. But we have expanded Asa Dam which the President inaugurated recently.

How did you survive an attempt to remove you as the Chairman of the Governors Forum?

At that time, I was contesting as a presidential aspirant on the platform on the PDP and so, you expect politics sometimes to come into this type of issue. But I think at the end of the day the kind of Forum we had set up preferred pushing for democracy, the rule of law and due process. I think it just shows the maturity of the Forum. It just shows that truly, the Forum had arrived because in the past, those kind of things would have been successful. But the members of the Forum said ‘no, we as members of Forum are the ones advocating good governance, democracy, due process, how can we forget that he is our chairman and abandon him. They said removing the chairman will be a dent every member. If we can have a meeting withou following due process, then how do we have the credibility?’ That shows you the calibre of the Forum and that is the way I see it.

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THE NATION FRIDAY,MAY 27, 2011

THE NATION FRIDAY, MAY 27, 2011

21

EDITORIAL/OPINION Comments

EDITORIAL FROM OTHER LAND

An unfinished business •Uwais panel has shown the way; things can only continue to improve

E

LECTORAL reform is one pressing issue on which virtually most Nigerians have achieved a consensus.

Although elections have always been contentious in the country, some of the grave deficits and weaknesses of our electoral processes were most conspicuous during the 2007 general elections.

Even former President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua himself admitted the imperfections of that year’s elections during his inauguration in 2007, and he promised to address the problem.

He consequently set up a 22-man Electoral Reform Committee (ERC) led by Justice Muhammed Uwais. The committee which was inaugurated on August 28, 2007 turned in its report on schedule on December 11, 2008, with various laudable recommendations to improve our electoral system.

Its recommendations included establishing commissions to deal with electoral offences, constituency delimitation and political parties’ registration and regulation. Some of the powers vested in

‘The 2011 elections were not perfect, but they were by far better than the previous ones conducted since the return to civil rule in 1999. This is due partly to some of the gains already made in the electoral process, for instance the use of open secret ballot system and the counting of votes and announcement of results right at the polling units ... It can only get better with time’

the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the State Independent Electoral Commissions (SIECs) were to be transferred to the new commissions.

The committee also recommended proportional representation in elections to the federal and state legislatures and to the local government councils. Furthermore, it recommended that the head of the Independent National Electoral Commission should be appointed by the judiciary rather than the President, among others.

However, in a press conference which President Yar’Adua gave after a meeting held in April, 2009 by the Council of State to consider the Government Draft White Paper, he stated that of the 83 recommendations in the (ERC) report, only 10 had been rejected. Unfortunately, the recommendations rejected were key ones to the report, around which the other electoral reforms had been hinged.

These included the removal of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from the list of federal executive bodies and the screening of its nominees by the National Judicial Council (NJC). Others included those on special consideration for gender, handicapped persons and professional groups in INEC’s composition; conclusion of election cases before the swearing-in of candidates; putting the burden of proof about the fairness of elections on INEC instead of petitioners, and simplification of procedural rules that are applicable to election petitions.

With regard to the removal of INEC from the list of federal executive bodies, one would have thought this was going to be accepted without questions because, as we all know, he who pays the piper dic-

tates the tune. It was imperative that the electoral commission be freed from the apron strings of the executive to enhance its independence and credibility. In like manner, there was absolutely nothing wrong in ensuring that election cases are concluded before the swearing-in of those elected or purported to have been elected. As a mater of fact, there is nothing strange in this, as this was the practice even in the 1983 elections.

Obviously, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) which controls a comfortable majority in the National Assembly was behind the rejection of the progressive recommendations of the Uwais panel and for obvious reasons too; the party was a major beneficiary of flawed elections and was therefore not in a hurry to support progressive moves to stop that honeymoon.

The good thing though is that electoral reform is not an event, but a process.

Every nation, including the old and advanced democracies faced and still faces its peculiar electoral challenges.

What is important is that as these challenges surface, they are frontally tackled by the stakeholders. The crux of electoral reforms is to ensure that people’s vote count. The 2011 elections were not perfect, but they were by far better than the previous ones conducted since the return to civil rule in 1999. This is due partly to some of the gains already made in the electoral process, for instance the use of open secret ballot system and the counting of votes and announcement of results right at the polling units. This is also a product of the Uwais panel’s recommendations. It can only get better with time.

Not yet •Rule on ranking in the Senate now does not make sense

T

HE recent amendment by the Senate of its rule on ranking has generated a lot of controversies. While many Nigerians, including lawyers, have condemned the new rule as being unconstitutional, others have shown a marked indifference, regarding that as a problem of the Senate. There is no doubt that ranking is one of the beauties of most entrenched democracies, being a reward system for experience and consistency.

In such democracies, members are known for their stand on national and international issues, and they win or lose elections based on their performance.

While we do not think that the amendment has impinged on the constitution, our worry is that many of the so-called ranking senators have neither depth nor experience. Most were never really elected, having been products of the undue influence of a corrupt electoral system. Many also passed through the Senate without any major contribution to the previous Senate, since they are more interested in what they can get, instead of doing the job for which they are paid. So, in the face of these disabilities, can we honestly promote a reward system when knowledge and performance are lacking?

The better thing would have been for the Senate to allow a level-playing ground, and allow the newly elected senators to defer to genuine experience when they see one, and go for competence when it is glaring. Probably to protect the inter-

est of the current leadership, the amendment was pushed, considering that about two-thirds of the old Senate has been rejected at the polls. Considering also that for the first time, since the advent of the current democracy, the elections reflected the closest wishes of the people; such a reward system should have waited for a more auspicious time.

While the old guards at the Senate may have opportunistically grabbed reward for themselves; we hope they will also swear to use it for the much needed improvement in the law-making process. Not until the twilight of the outgoing Senate, and as the election drew near, did they begin to show the needed urgency for a nation that has been mismanaged over the years.

Consistently over the past years our National Assembly members were more interested in taking as much as they could from the system. Mired in a cycle of financial controversies, the lawmakers were always making laws to benefit their well- being.

Our hope, like many Nigerians, is that the in-coming Senate will be different, regardless of who heads it. Thankfully, the dominance of one party has substantially been whittled down, and the differences in party ideologies, we hope, will allow for a more robust approach to issues.

Where there is genuine debate, there is the great chance that the end-product would be better. The incoming senators, whether old or new, must be proactive,

and seek to make only laws that will ameliorate the entrenched poverty in our country.

We believe that law-making no doubt represents the best way to make the needed changes in our economy. It is our hope that the National Assembly members would understand the urgent need to make laws to free our economy from the stronghold of our lopsided federation. They must also remember that they have the constitutional oversight over the executive, which when combined with law making; they have the power to make our country better. When we have the right type of Senate, we can begin to talk of giving preference to long-term senators because their experience will have meaning. That is when longevity in the Senate too will be meaningful.

‘When we have the right type of Senate, we can begin to talk of giving preference to long-term senators because their experience will have meaning. That is when longevity in the Senate too will be meaningful’

Crisis in Sudan

T

HE PEACEFUL birth of a new state in southern Sudan — which has been a diplomatic success story for the Obama administration and the United Nations — is suddenly in danger. On Sunday, forces of the northern Sudanese regime of Omar Hassan al-Bashir invaded the disputed district of Abyei, which is claimed by both the north and the soon-to-be-born state of South Sudan. The town was sacked and burned, and most of its population of more than 15,000 was reported by the U.N. to have fled southward.

Just such a conflict over the fertile and oilproducing territory has long been regarded as the most likely way for Sudan’s partition to turn violent. The question now is whether the Obama administration, which has led international diplomacy on South Sudan, can bring enough pressure to bear on Mr. Bashir to end the conflict before it worsens.

The Sudanese dictator, who is under indictment for crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court, did not act without provocation. Last week a convoy of U.N. and northern Sudanese forces leaving Abyei was ambushed by southern forces; the Bashir regime claims 70 of its soldiers were killed. But Mr. Bashir seized on that incident to carry out a far more provocative action, the seizure of a piece of ground that has been one of the most contentious issues between North and South. Though most of Abyei’s population is, like most of South Sudan, ethnically African, nomadic Arab tribesmen loyal to the North regularly pass through the area. A referendum on the future of the territory was scheduled for January, on the same day the south voted for independence, but it could not be held because of disputes over who would vote.

To its credit, the Obama administration has responded swiftly to the crisis, helping to forge a Security Council statement Sunday that demanded “the immediate withdrawal of all military elements from Abyei,” while blaming both sides for the violence. On Monday the administration’s special envoy to Sudan, Princeton Lyman, told reporters at a State Department briefing that steps Washington has promised Mr. Bashir in exchange for cooperation with South Sudan, including help with debt relief and the naming of an ambassador to Khartoum, won’t go forward “if we don’t have Abyei being negotiated rather than occupied.”

That is the right message. But the administration must also move to restrain the southern Sudanese government from responding militarily, and urge Arab states and China — north Sudan’s prime economic partner — to use their leverage on Mr. Bashir.

No one, with the possible exception of Sudan’s strongman, has an interest in the disruption of South Sudan’s move toward independence, much less another war in Africa.

– Washington Post

TRUTH IN DEFENCE OF FREEDOM Managing Director/Editor-in-Chief Victor Ifijeh • Editor Gbenga Omotoso •Chairman, Editorial Board Sam Omatseye •General Editor Kunle Fagbemi

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THE NATION FRIDAY, MAY 27, 2011

22

EDITORIAL/OPINION

S

IR: The Lagos State chapter of the Action Congress of Nigeria condemns in strong terms, the arrest and detention of the Benue State candidate of the ACN in the last governorship election, Prof. Steve Ugbah. The arrest is the height of what is turning out a bloody and desperate attempt to put Ugbah, who most Benue citizens believe, won the last gubernatorial election in Benue out or circulation.

What is happening in Benue is an annoying use of state power to persecute the victims of the rigging scheme of the PDP in Benue and target his supporters and close allies for elimination. We demand immediate and unconditional release of Prof. Ugbah.

We have noted the increasing persecution of ACN members and supporters in Benue State, which is following a general trend, especially in Akwa Ibom State shortly before the last general election.

We note that several PDP state governments went berserk with the legitimate challenge of opposition parties to their hold on power and went extra miles to persecute and victimize members and supporters of opposition parties en route the last election. Akwa Ibom and Benue States stood out in this resort to bloody and desperate means to cage the opposition and rein in all specters of opposition to sitting governors.

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Lagos ACN condemn’s Ugbahs arrest We note with anger and displeasure, the complicit role the police has been playing in PDP’s desperate effort to thwart the democratic rights of Nigerians to aspire for elective positions. We note with great awe that the police has turned into the enforcement arm of the PDP and its state governments in their bids to retain power by all means, despite the wishes of the people. Nigerians saw this excessive pandering to the devilish desires of the PDP in Akwa

Ibom where a desperate governor employed the police to witch-hunt, detain and cook up charges against his main opponent. We are seeing it being carried to ridiculous heights in Benue where the PDP state government has, once again, used the police to hunt and persecute the ACN candidate and his supporters even after the election.

What is making the Benue case more worrisome is that the ACN candidate survived a deadly assas-

sination attempt just a week ago while some of his associates were either killed or gravely injured in the devilish attempt. We are even surprised that the police is not hunting the perpetrators of this dastardly act but are now involved in an effort to take out Prof. Ugbah by all means. We are surprised that the police have teamed up with the alleged people that procured the assassination attempt on Ugbah to further detain him, assault and harass his freedom using spurious

David Mark not President the Senate needs

S

IR: It has been interesting reading in the newspapers about the plan of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to zone political offices in the National Assembly for the next four years.

It is even more amazing to hear the arguments about the zoning of these positions by the PDP and the confusion surrounding the plan by Senator David Mark, the

incumbent Senate President, to retain his position.

What qualifies Senator Mark to insist on continuing as Senate President? This man has been featuring in the Nigerian political scene since the seventies. His tenure as Minister of Communications was as lack lustre as it was matchless in profligacy. He is used to extravagance even in those early days; remem-

ber that it was during his tenure as communications minister that NITEL money was used to acquire an aircraft and a helicopter instead of vital equipment to give lines to the Nigerian people. No wonder he capped his tenure as minister with the statement that ‘telephone is not for the poor’.

If Nigeria want to play its matches with its ‘first eleven’,

Challenges the president must confront

S

IR: I want to join Nigerians to congratulate you and your amicable vice, Namadi Sambo for a well deserved victory!

As a true scion of Izon stock, I dare you to be perfect, honorable and true to yourself, your people and promises to Nigerians.

At this time, the expectations of Nigerians are that you will rise up to confront some of our national challenges. Among these are, the need to move away quickly from the present pseudo federalism to a true federal system of governance wherein the states and local government become development centers with greater share of our national revenue. That will leave the centre with national defense and foreign relations and oversight func-

allegations.

We condemn these increasing acts of state sponsored terrorism against Ugbah who is presently involved in a legal effort to retrieve his stolen mandate from the PDP. We condemn the visitation of state terrorism and the targeting of his supporters and allies for elimination, attack and various forms of persecution. We condemn the police indifference to these spates of violence on Ugbah and members of the ACN in Benue. We call for the immediate lifting of the state of siege being imposed on ACN members in Benue State and warn that this predilection to using the police to prosecute the selfish and inordinate interest of the PDP will lead to anarchy.

• Joe Igbokwe Publicity Secretary, Lagos ACN.

tion over state activities to ensure compliance with our national agenda.

The Presidency under your watch must ensure the security of life and property of Nigerians where ever they choose to live, whichever religion they choose to practice. This can be easily done by ensuring that all Nigerians who are willing to work are assisted to be employed.

Your Presidency must pursue the ideals of egalitarianism wherein every Nigerian could truly aspire to any position in public and private sector on equal terms and not our toga place of special birth.

You must also seek to nurture our institutions as basis for an enduring national and cultural development as opposed to our current em-

phasis on persons. National developments that are driven by institutions reduce corrupt tendencies by virtue of its working. People who actually give life and meaning institution/systems are adequately protected. How? The police and judiciary will deal with the issue not names of persons involved. Mr. President can further achieve his promise of dealing with corruption by consistently up holding his exemplary stance and policy of independence of institutions. True independence of institutions like the judiciary, police, immigrations, customs, prisons, etc will further ensure a relatively corrupt free nationhood called Nigeria.

You must seek for persons with competence, honour and loyalty as

ministers, special and personal advisers to drive on your promise in the areas of transportation, agriculture, housing healthcare, and education. must be brought back to our national political and economic high agenda to ensure Nigeria not only feds itself and industries but exports to African nations in famine and in most cases self-inflated wars famines.

You must henceforth hold all your appointees accountable for their actions both directly and vicariously.

I want to truly wish you and Nigerians well.

• Williams Aderemo Yinkore Railway compound, Ebute-Metta, Lagos.

David Mark will definitely not feature in the premier league. Just as he has been terrible with his appointments in government and in handling resources of the nation entrusted to his care.

President Jonathan should know that Senator Mark is not fit to lead in the new Nigeria that he is trying to build. We have had free, fair and credible elections in most parts of the country and Nigerians are looking forward to a strong and credible government to take us to the next level. He does not fit into this. While workers were crying for minimum wage, the Senate President presided over the inflation of the remunerations of the National Assembly to tens of millions of naira per legislator. We do not need another legislative period under him. He has had enough of living off government. It is time for someone else to make things right!

One more thing! This is the time for the President to stand strong as fair and resolute leader. Senator Mark should not feature in the equation on the zone to produce the next Senate President. All the President needs to do is be guided by fairness and equity.

• Benson Oche Gboko, Benue State

THE NATION FRIDAY, MAY 27, 2011 16

23

EDITORIAL/OPINION

Expensive folly (1)

Reality Bites T

• (Ignorant youth, motivational speakers, youth leaders…con-artists)

Olatunji Ololade

OMORROW never comes; better tomorrow that is. It is always a day away. No thanks to you and me and every other youth cum con-artist we have learnt to misconstrue as our potential “leaders of tomorrow.”

This is not to make light of our promise as future leaders of a greater Nigeria rather it is to highlight why we are yet to answer as the future leaders we many never become. Our misfortune is to have inherited ignorance, cowardice and factitious cares our motherland suffers to be rid off.

We mature into a mistake. By a seemingly inescapable fate, the better and perhaps most promising part of us is sooner battered and expunged by daily vicissitudes, our laziness and lack of awareness, and desperation to circumvent the universe’s order of realities and rewards.

How many a poor, directionless youth currently seek direction and succor in the words and deeds of our self-styled role-models, heroes and motivational speakers I cannot tell.

But what is most glaring, of all, are what sneaky, corrupt and ignorant lives we live.

Every day, we bemoan the pervasive poverty, strife, substandard

healthcare, education and innumerable inhumanities visited upon us by leadership we loathe – what is it that we do to improve the status quo?

Nothing. We have such low opinions of ourselves that we have come to believe that honest labour invites no reward and slow and steady wins no race. In our world, beneficial truisms are hardly put to work. That is why we desperately seek the shortest cuts to our dreams of bliss and usually wanton aspirations – however perverted they are – everyday.

If hearts were transparent, you could peep into the heart of the average Nigerian youth and see what dreams he dies to be made of. Easy money, consequence-free fraudulence, duplicity, violence, sex, drugs, among other things constitutes what we uphold as values and means to attaining self-actualisation.

We are what dreams we hold dear.

What aspirations we nurture, what heroes and role models we appreciate and what manner of values we seek to be inspired by ultimately determines and fashions our fate.

A great many of us find timeless inspiration in the words and deeds of leadership to loathe, fraudulent technocrats and religious leaders.

Add to the mix, our highly proficient and dandy motivational speakers, and you have a perfect blend of

‘Were we as informed as we claim to be, we would understand that no tiresome cliché or hackneyed saw bandied by some foetal adult could spur us to become the successes we are yet to be’

M

Y father’s profile may not read like that of our political heroes, national and world leaders like George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Nelson Mandela, or even local warlords like Are Onakakanfo, Basorun Gaa or Alaafin Aole, but his non-complex exploits are of subtle historical significance to the rediscovery and rebuilding of our inflecting national values. Though it is true, that it is only a relevant man, an accomplished man, a man whose life is full of eventful and epochal episodes, that becomes the hero of history; by providence or divine manipulation, my father had forced himself into historical reckoning with the way he chose to come to this world and the way he left it.

Emmanuel Abiodun Thomas, son of Akinwande and Kayinola Thomas was born in Lagos on December 26, 1929 which was a Boxing Day. He died on May 1, 2011 which was a Worker’s Day and he would be buried today, May 27, which is Children’s Day. What further evidence does one need before concluding that a man who started his life without comets has ended it with a historical statement?

Pa Thomas, started his life in a suburb at Olowogbowo area in Lagos Island having attended St. Paul’s Breadfruit Primary School, Lagos between 1935 and 1941. Later, he moved to his father’s house at 8/10 Richards Lane also in Lagos Island before it was demolished along with other houses in Oluwole, Breadfruit, Ita Akanni, Balogun, Idita, some parts of Ofin and “Ita Martin”. This was when the then Lagos Executive Development Board (LEDB) now Lagos State Development Property Corporation (LSDPC) reclaimed the whole area.

The affected house owners were relocated and re-settled in Surulere dubbed ‘New Lagos’. These new settlements sprawled over such areas like Hogan Bassey, Ile Gogoro, Barracks, Bank Olemo, Akerele, Shitta, Benson, Paddington, Milo, Love Garden, Iletunmi, Iyun, Ilelogo, Ibukun, Onitana, Onitolo, Ifelodun, Olumegbon, Suenu and many others. This was in November 1957.

Before moving to New Lagos, Thomas who trained as an electrician after the first primary school leaving certificate, was very popular in the neighbourhood. Because of the nature of his job, he had the convenience of going into many homes to carry out electrical repairs. He capitalised on this leverage in the neighbourhood to “base” (their language then for toasting) some of the beautiful girls while pretending to be doing electrical repairs. It was during one of such forays that he met an Ita Akanni girl called Faosat Aroyewun my mother. But it was while he kept badgering this guileless girl that the LEDB came with the bulldozers. My mother’s house in Ita Akanni was also affected. Thus, fate took the two of them to Surulere where they continued their “chasing game”. In 1957, when the “chasing game” commenced, my father was 28 years old while my mother

factors germane to the constitution of today’s youth.

Forget our loathsome politicians, clerics and light-fingered technocrats, they are but familiar predators we have learnt to endure. It is our motivational speakers and selfstyled youth leaders that amuses, still. More worrisome is the fact that they seem to be getting younger by each passing second.

The malaise is emblematic by the current crop of youth “heroes,” “role models cum motivational speakers” profiting by clueless, dim youths ever deferential to their mastery of cunningness and gift of the garb.

What manners of motivation can they who are but foetal adults offer fellow youngsters? What manner of experience and truism could they possibly offer? Bet this is the moment in which you protest and passionately aver that age has got nothing to do with it, that even a 15-yearold could undergo such wholesome and didactic experiences that could imbue him or her with wisdom yet unattainable by even the aged.

True. But last time I checked Nigeria’s haut monde of motivational speakers offer the least inspiring and experience-induced anecdotes. Their modus operandi involves regurgitating hackneyed saws and impracticalities of foreign motivational speakers and authors of “motivational literature” to hordes of desperate, ignorant youths – who are basically required to pay fees ranging from N500 to N50, 000 to sit in during such sessions.

Then to add colour to such sessions, they invite public officers and shady technocrats of note to offer “priceless” anecdotes that could least serve them. Tell me; what manner of inspiration could a shady, veteran board chairman, politician and entrepreneur, who leave in the wake of their “spectacular stewardship” monumental backlogs of scams and

bankruptcies, offer to desperate, ignorant youths?

The fault is hardly with such ignoble folk, neither does it lie with the die-hard “youth leaders,” motivational speakers cum con-artists.

The fault lies with our teeming ignorant youth who squander quality time hustling for money – that could be put to better use – to pay for a seat at fraudulent “motivational,” “life-changing” sessions.

Were we as informed as we claim to be, we would understand that no tiresome cliché or hackneyed saw bandied by some foetal adult could spur us to become the successes we are yet to be.

We would understand that the platitudes many pay to hear are wholly repetitive and sedentary compared to what is obtainable in Ise logun ise by late D.O Fagunwa, the complete works of Shakespeare, If by Jonathan Swift, Spinoza’s Ethic, Epic by Jude Abaga a.k.a M.I. and the proverbial hard knocks of life to mention a few.

Were we as astute as we think we are, we would know that we currently suffer a deluge of over-priced and unduly celebrated “youth leaders” and “motivational speakers” lacking in depth; charging contemptibly for an hour or more of their much hackneyed formula of acronyms, rhymes, and clichés to a good many of us with limited understanding, vision and means.

True, people need to be motivated hence the need for able motivators, but of the youth that predominantly attend such sessions there is hardly a lack in ambition but a deficiency in vision, support and resources to develop their ideas.

Thus the need to question the rationale for a preponderance of foetal-adult motivational speakers organising motivational sessions and workshops that completely negates the significance of critical

Tribute to my father

By Dapo Thomas was just 15 years.

My father later married two other wives namely Ladun Martins (a.k.a. Salome of the I.K. Dairo fame) and Adenike Adeleye, the one who lived with him till his death.

Having fully settled in Surulere, he joined Zappas Transport Limited, a Greek Company in 1958. He was a conductor with the company until 1960/1961 when the Lagos Municipal Council took over the company. It was known then as Lagos Municipal Transport Service (LMTS). With the creation of Lagos State in 1967, the Mobolaji Johnson administration took it over and later changed the name to Lagos State Transport Corporation (LSTC) to reflect this take-over.

Though some of the workers then were laid off, he was retained because of his hard work and the good recommendations made about him in the handing over notes by the council officials. The state government even went further to promote him to the position of a “checker” – responsible for the inspection of tickets issued to passengers by the conductors. This was a challenging responsibility for someone who had limited education but with the formal training given to him and other freshers by the corporation he was able to cope with this new challenge.

In the 1960s and 1970s, there was stiff competition even among the few existing transport companies in Lagos State namely Benson, Oshinowo (Iya Layi), Charity (a popular Molue outfit). But the Lagos State Transport Corporation (LSTC) was still well patronised because of the discipline of its staff and the organization and efficiency of the corporation. This reflected largely in the orderliness of the boarding process. Despite being run by the government, the workers were dedicated, hard-working, committed and honest.

These indeed were some of the qualities required from the staff at the point of entry and I make bold to say that my father had them all. He was a conscientious worker reporting for work as early as 3:30am since it was his responsibility to allocate buses to drivers at his depot in Yaba, before he was moved to Olowu in Lagos Island. In those days, passengers who forgot or lost valuable items in the bus could use their tickets to trace such items and in most cases, such items were recovered. This enhanced the reputation and integrity of both the staff and the corporation.

thought and access to resources and progressive networks.

Critical thought and support for the development of young people’s ideas and visions are requisites that could hardly be provided in an hour of cliché-mongering, acronym-bandying by the often middling and desperate opportunistic speakers who not only lack a real conviction for progress but ideas and resources.

Listening to the so-called youth leaders and motivational speakers speak presents a great degree of parallels in their over-hyped, overly charged and over-celebrated motivational sessions. Unlike the ancient Chinese, Greek and Persian philosophers, they neither exude nor embody no inward riches. It’s only the outward riches and wanton lust for wealth that is at once fleeting and non-dignifying that they obsess about and incite their poor, desperate audiences to lust after.

They rarely engage in any philosophizing thus we have motivators and vendors of philosophy that could hardly be acknowledged for the least elementary and original viewpoint. That is why all of their sessions are basically deficient of the daily practical and mental gymnastics in which most intelligent folks engage to make the world as it is appear to be somewhat congruent with the world as we wish it to be.

Many youths today, take even their lives at face value. That is why they find it difficult to negotiate their survival against familiar odds and vicissitudes daily without scurrying to their self-styled youth leaders and motivational speakers’ sessions during the day and retiring to bed with their favourite pastor or motivational speaker’s literature – as if those aren’t some retrogressive crutches to lean on.

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Though the corporation overcame the Scania Scandal which gave it the name “Oku Eko”, from that moment the corporation’s decline had gradually begun. One thing that excited my father before his death was the introduction of the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT). Coincidentally, the BRT corridor passes through the frontage of his house in Western Avenue (now Funsho Williams Avenue).

As it was his habit for many years, he would sit in front of his house watching the buses drive to and fro and reminiscing on his days with the LSTC. Though my father wanted his children to live a disciplined life and to be hard-working, his approach to discipline was showy. It was so awfully dramatic that our neighbours turned my father to community headmaster by inviting him to help flagellate their wilful children. The number of horsewhips (koboko) my father had exceeded the number of children in the house. Despite all this, my father was very caring, loving and friendly. He took care of all our needs including our education despite his meagre salary. He was there for us all.

His spirituality lacked the profundity of pentecostalism but definitely no where near atheism and pharisaism. He was an informal Christian not given to long prayer sessions and vigils. He was of the conviction that if a man refrained from wickedness and all forms of iniquity, his prayers would always be answered. He was a committed church member and a regular church goer, in fact, the Otun Baba Ijo of the African Bethel Church and also a Past President of the Men Improvement society of the Church and an honourable member of YMCA. When I started playing organ for the church in 1974, my father was very proud of me. He became more elated when I became the Church Organist in 1977. You could see the joy of fatherhood on his face every Sunday when I mounted the organ. On his sick bed, he had a new attitude towards prayers and Bible reading and this acted as a kind of complementary medicine to his orthodox treatment.

My father’s social life was inspiring. He was an average man who had friends among the movers and shakers of the society. Some of them include Chief Ernest Shonekan, (former Head of Interim National Government), Oba Bayo Adejumo, a Patron of the Island Club, the Late Chief Debo Akande, Victor Odofin Bello, Idowu Ladipo, owner of the popular Motel Bonanza, the Benjamin brothers, the Derby brothers, and Adeboye Brown. They had a forum called Monday Club which they started way back in Lagos Island circa 1955. They continued in Surulere using our house as their meeting venue every Monday.

May his gentle soul rest in perfect peace.

•Thomas was an aide to former governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

24

THE NATION FRIDAY, MAY 27, 2011

EDITORIAL/OPINION ‘Due to popular demand, this piece earlier published on this page is being reproduced here today. The message is inherently clear: That those newly-elected people across the federation to be sworn in on Sunday should realise that today is not forever. The outgoing people will perform their last official duties today being the last working day of the week but constitutionally, their 4-year tenure ends on Sunday (May 29th). By now, the futility of being power-drunk would have dawned on them and from Monday, they will have to face the harsh consequences of their actions while in power. Is somebody saying a big lesson for those about to assume power on Sunday? Enjoy yourself please’

Today is not forever

“It is not what we profess but what we practise that gives us integrity” – Francis Bacon Sr. OP-

O

PORTUNITY and providence are two most vital forces that determine the future of a human person. Providence drives a person to his spot of breakthrough.

Once he grabs the opportunity, his magic moment begins. From thence, providence steps aside and allows human instinct to rule.

Some, imbued with positive wisdom, survive the temptations of providence. Two of these are overt ambition and greed. Some in default of hindsight fall for the alluring deceit of these two; they fail to learn from the wastebin of history, most times ending up in the ash tray of history. Providence that brings forth the tide of opportunistic change in the lives of men, in most cases, turns around to be their nemesis.

The above aptly illustrates the way and manner the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) cleared the poll in the southwest during the just-concluded elections. To be precise, the party convincingly won Ogun and Oyo states which means the entire southwest but Ondo state is now under its firm grip. Ibikunle Amosun and Abiola Ajimobi won the governorship polls in both states. The political conservatives that got to power in 2003 and forcefully consolidated such, using state might in 2007 have been flushed out by the electoral cyclone that happened during the April general elections. It was the 2003 and 2007 elections that produced the likes of Segun Agagu, Segun Oni, Olagunsoye Oyinlola, Alao Akala

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ODAY is a day of joy, excitement and jubilation, not just for Nigerian children but for children all over the world, who are turning out enmasse, as the case may be, to celebrate today’s event.

Not many Nigerians have noticed with great concern, the alacrity with which young children and youths are derailing from spiritual, moral and ethical values. What should be of great concern to all and sundry should be what to contribute towards equiping the children with the right spirit, the proper mind-set that would build them up mentally, morally, academically, spiritual and socially.

We are responsible for the eternal destinies of our children and teens in this nation, hence we should no longer toy with the future of our children by not paying the proper attention to their physiological needs.

It is the responsibility of parents and other stakeholders to raise Godly children and youths who would be capable of taking up the challenge as the new energy for global and national transformation, reformation and repositioning in future.

As serious parents, government and stakeholders, we are to focus on helping them discover their potentials for speedy development of our nation in the nearest future.

Since raising Godly children remains a strong foundation and the surest way to achieve this, parents, government, churches and NGOs would need to give more focus on children development and upbringing.

Despising the child through neglect, abuse, turning them away from the fear of God, and inadvertently building in them the boldness to disobey laws of the state may not only attract the punishment of the state but also the judgement of God. We need to provide platforms for these children to exhibit their God-given talents, innate abilities and potentials for the upliftment of this nation. There is also need for a paradigm shift from the old idea in which children and teens have to wait till they grow old before they could serve their nation in their little ways.

We need to seriously change the way we view children and teens and how we respond to their needs, and give them their rightful place in the society.

•Ibikunle Amosun, governor-elect and Gbenga Daniel who forever would be remembered in the region as perhaps the worst governors that ever got to rule the western people. While the first three usurpers were removed from power through the court before the real winners of the elections were installed, one of the last two served out his twoterm of four years each while the other was voted out.

It is now pellucid that the people of the southwest are tired of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and from the voting pattern exhibited during the last elections, they have shown their unalloyed preference for ACN as a political party. So, the governors-elect of the party must learn from the mistakes of those they are taking over from. History, a philosopher once said, repeats itself because people, especially leaders, fail to learn from other people’s mistakes. For those sent out of power, whether in

Ogun, Oyo, Ondo, Ekiti or Osun states et’ al, it is obvious that they left the hot seat or will be leaving the seat unceremoniously. Segun Agagu, Segun Oni, Olagunsoye Oyinlola left in shame while it is cock-sure that by May 29, Alao Akala and Gbenga Daniel will leave office in public odium. The state is an institution that is permanent. Individual comes under the guise of leadership to rule for a terminable tenure and leave. These ACN newly elected governors would not be the last leaders to rule their states since they are not even the first to do so. They have been preceded by several leaders who have become history.

In the psephology of south-western politics, the Yoruba, the inhabitants of the geographical area have very little patience for political indolence since they are highly sophisticated and educated. They, from time immemorial, have been the truly effective opposition voice in the country. But for Lagos state under the effective control of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the southwest between 2003 and now would have been left with no iota of national significance since the PDP tried everything to ‘’capture’’ Lagos and by extension, other states therein but failed. The judicial victories achieved through the sagacity of this same man led to the emergence of Governors Rauf Aregbesola, Kayode Fayemi and even Olusegun Mimiko (Labour Party) of Osun, Ekiti and Ondo states respectively.

Sitting governors are usually surrounded by deceit and until their tenures expire, they may not know people’s correct thoughts on him. If any governor is in doubt, what happened to Obasanjo, Babangida and Abacha while in office remains instructive. Jonathan Swift, an English writer centuries back declared: “Its an old maxim in the schools that flattery is the food of fools, yet now and then, men of wit

Godly children, assets of the nation

By Samuel A. Ogungbemi Children should be brought up in a peaceful environment. Government at all levels needs to re-assess her good policies on children welfare. The government and all other stake-holders need to come to terms with the great challenges of how to ignite and harness the potentials of the Nigerian children for national transformation. We cannot have an enduring transformation in the society without first leading and transforming our children in the right direction and proper orientation, because they are our future generation.

Any investment on raising Godly-children is a proper investment on securing glorious future for our society. Liberal investment on our children and teens will lead to discovering the amazing potentials deposited in them.

Other strong reasons that should warm up our heart to the urgency of our focus towards these children is the rate of the moral decadence around the globe which is alarming. “Current statistics states that over 2.2 billion children live on planet earth today, but about 2/3 of these are sick, living in crisis situations of one kind or the other. Children all over the world, and in our country in particular, face such issues as malnutrition, poverty, illiteracy, kidnapping, trafficking, child labour, religious neglect, disease, abandonment, child begging, discrimination, exposure to pornographic materials, political and ethnic conflicts with millions of children internally displaced in their mother land.

The level of moral decadence seriously calls for urgent attention. These young girls and boys are not created for these unfortunate situations.

The State of the World’s Children Report, published in November 2009 by UNICEF stated that not less than one billion children in the world are deprived of basic essentials to of life.

We can not be talking about raising Godly children when many children are exposed to

malaria. Whether it is insecticide-treated nets, proper diagnosis, or effective treatment, the challenge is to provide protection and care to every single child who is at risk.

Meanwhile, thanks to United Nations for advocating a vision of a world in which children could survive, develop and be protected. It is our responsibility as stake-holders to show love and concern to deprived children and many others that are daily aborted, dying of hunger, without proper medical care, or having their lives terminated through political violence whereas they have the inalienable right to live their own lives..

In raising Godly children, adequate provision for a great number of children who are out of schools should be made. No responsible or responsive government can afford to compromise efforts to focus on the welfare of the children. God desires that we extend care and compassion to the hurting and meet the needs of our children.

High rate of maternal and infant mortality must be addressed by finding lasting solution to the problem so as to promote life expectancy.

The need for unity and collaboration of religious organisations, parents, NGOs and leaders to share the same vision of good children upbringing as solution to raising a new generation for transformation of the nation will go a long way to hasten our national development.

Should the government pursue the implementation of the Millenium Development Goals promulgated in year 2000, directly or indirectly the lives of our children would be affected positively.

The pursuit and attainment of the MDG will have no small impact on the well-being and proper development of our children for tomor-

will condescend to take a bite” I hope the ACN governors-elect when eventually sworn-in on May29 and those already in office will not bite more flatteries than they can chew. As politicians themselves, they should realise early that fellow politicians can serve even a devil in government in so far as doing that would provide their daily needs. They move on to the next person once an occupant of a powerful position is removed or his term expires. Those hailing them today for doing nothing would forsake them once another person gets to the position they presently occupy. Jean De La Fortain, a French poet once counselled: “Be advised that all flatterers live at the expense of those who listen to them”. These governors-elect and their seniors can at their own peril and future, listen to the already waiting flatterers that devoured past occupants of leadership positions.

I call on all ACN governors to be tolerant while the game lasts and to most times pander to popular wishes for today is not forever.

They shall be judged not by what they profess but what they practise. That inspirational disposition is what gives governor Babatunde Raji Fashola (BRF) the high integrity in public affairs score chart in the country. He has become a model and reference point in good governance and this has been a big plus for ACN. Governor Rauf Aregbesola too has made giant strides within the first few months of being in office and he is quite showing signs of promise while charting the path of sustained purposeful governance in the state. Kayode Fayemi has not been found wanting either.

The examples worth emulating have been laid already, the new ACN entrants can only justify the confidence reposed in them by esteemed leaders including Chief Bisi Akande, Akinrogun Olusegun Osoba, Asiwaju Tinubu and the voters if they emulate in good time the good foundation already laid by BRF and others. Our leaders must not regret their decision for picking them as candidates of the ACN in Ogun and Oyo states.

These ACN governors-elect must not behave like Daniel, Obasanjo, Akala, Olagunsoye, Oni and Agagu that behaved as if there was no tomorrow; as if they would die in power. If this is their thought, who will they be emulating? Mobutu? Bokasa? Idi Amin, Hosni Mubarak or…? They should, while in power, be respectful to elders and be good students of history. Otherwise, the past will be repeating itself in four years time and posterity will never forgive them. row challenges.

The spirit of laziness, unseriousness and lack of commitment to positive ideas and principles among children must be discouraged.

The greatest pride of any nation is a generation of children well brought up in the fear of God, while the greatest sorrow of a nation is wayward and hopeless children. The home is important in shaping the behaviour of children and youth. Parents must have godly qualities and attributes and be disciplined adults. One cannot give what one does not have. One of the problems of the present generation is that parents are no longer good role models to their children. They have become too soft and compromise easily at the expense of sound teaching, discipline and training of their children.

If parents and leaders are inconsistent in their standard of good discipline, mental and attitudinal conflicts and confusion can be created in the minds of the children. Therefore, parents need to be forthright and godly in their mode of living. Failure to nurture and train our children in godly way will result in breeding children who could later turn out to social misfits, miscreants and social nuisance to the entire society.

The government has a prime role to play in reducing ungodly behaviours among our children by reducing poverty, lifting the ban on religious activities in public schools, improving children standard of living and creating more jobs to absorb the unemployed thereby creating the opportunity for children to exhibit their ingenuity.

For us to raise Godly children in this nation, our leaders need to come out from their comfort zones to challenge the status quo and develop clear and inspiring vision for childrens capacity building and positive parenting.

Finally, the word of the great Nelson Mandela “A person who does what others can do is an Ordinary person; a person who also does what no other person can do is exceptional, but a person who does what has not ever been done by any person is a National asset, a genius and an institution”. Let the desire to raise Godly children possess all of us.

• Ogungbemi writes from Scripture Union Nigeria, Ibadan.

TUSSLE

ADVICE

Pipeline explosion kills 20

Lawmaker, community, at war

Industrialists counsel government on taxation

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TRAGEDY

Delta 28

Lagos

38

Anambra

40

Email: news_extra@yahoo.com

FRIDAY MAY 27, 2011

Page 25

Niger Delta youths seek safety of Corps members

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Coprs members

HE Joint Association of Niger Delta Ethnic Youth Committee Forum (JANDEYCF) has challenged the Federal Government to ensure the safety of Niger Delta youths and those from other regions who are deployed to the northern parts of the country under the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme.

The forum said government should be bold enough to scrap the scheme if youths are ceaselessly slaughtered where they are posted for their primary

From Shola O’Neil, Warri

assignments. They cited the example of the recent postelection violence in the North during which scores of corps members were killed.

President of the group, Mr. Mark Ikpuri, who made the remarks in a press release in Warri also flayed the Presidential candidate of the Congress for Progressive Change, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (rtd) for his utterances before and after the

elections. He said his utterances could be responsible for the attacks on southerners in the north.

He said: “Gen. Buhari had earlier made some statements to the effect that all CPC members, particularly the Hausa, should defend their votes. This could probably be what fueled the political violence in the north.”

Ikpuri lamented the ‘brutal and savage’ killing of hundreds of southerners in Kano, Kaduna, Katsina, Bauchi, Yobe, among other northern states, as well as

the torching of Christian places of worship across the states. He urged the Federal Government to step up action towards bringing those responsible for the killings to justice or risk a similar action in other parts of the country.

In the wake of the riot that rocked the northern part of the country, the CPC and its leadership were blamed for inciting the rampaging youth.

But the party denied this saying that it never incited anybody that took part in the mayhem.

Reward for kid parliamentarians Scholarships for executive Governor’s wife challenges new Speaker

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HE Cross River State governor, Senator Liyel Imoke has awarded scholarships to the outgoing executive of the Children’s Parliament in the state.

Coming a few days to the May 27 annual Children’s Day celebration, the scholarship was announced by the wife of the governor, Mrs Obioma Imoke at the swearing-in ceremony of the new executive of the Children’s Parliament.

Governor Imoke’s gesture was appreciated by the children who thanked him profusely for preparing them for future responsibilities.

Thrilled by the governor’s benevolence, the outgoing Speaker of the Children’s Parliament, Endurance Agbor said: “Only God Himself will reward the governor for the good work he’s doing for us. We thank Governor Imoke and his wife for we now know that Cross River State is fit for a child.”

Speaking at the event, Mrs Imoke expressed her delight over what she described as institutionalisation of democracy right from the cradle. She also had a word of advice for the young parliamentarians. In her address she said: “As you are leaving, do not relent in promoting the rights of the Nigerian child. I am excited

Miss Mose and Mrs Imoke From Kunle Johnson, Calabar

to be here before this distinguished House. You children have shown that there is true democracy in Cross River State in particular and Nigeria in general. I am in awe because this is the third parliament

and we have indeed gone very far.

Your parents must be very proud of you.”

She congratulated the children and their parents on a job well done. She also had some pieces of advice for the incoming Speaker She said: “You have a huge gap to

fill but I know you can do it. You have the support of my initiative-a State fit for a child (ASFAC).” She emphasised the need for the children to study the Child Rights Act which was passed into law in 2009, even as she said it would serve as a guide that will help in

dealing effectively with actions that clearly contravene the laws.

Continuing, she said: “A little boy was found dead in a carton a few days ago. That is a violation of the Child Rights Acts. Study the child rights act and take it seriously,” she Continued on Page 26 said.

THE NATION FRIDAY, MAY 27, 2011

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Youths clamour for ISOPADEC board

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OUTHS from the oil-producing area of Ohaji/Egbema Local Government Area in Imo State, have embarked on a peaceful demonstration to the Government House and State House of Assembly, Owerri.

The demonstrators had earlier carried out

From Emma Mgbeahurike, Owerri

their protest on various streets in Owerri chanting solidarity songs for Governor Ikedi Ohakim and the Speaker of Imo State House of Assembly Chief Goodluck Opiah.

We came not just to show comradeship to the Governor at this moment but to plead with him to ensure immediate set up of the Imo State Oil Producing Development Commission (ISOPADEC) Board. We don’t understand why the caretaker management of ISOPADEC should continue to exist a year after its set up and when the amended ISOPADEC law has been given assent to by the governor •Governor Ohakim

Rewards for kid parliamentarians •Continued from Page 25 She also counseled the children on good behaviour.

“The way you dress, speak and carry yourself in public is very important. Ensure that you are neatly dressed and are of good conduct and composure at all times,” she stated.

The new Parliament had its inaugural session immediately after the ceremony having conducted what guests described as credible election. The new Speaker, Theresa Mose, promised to work very hard to ensure that the Parliament is taken to greater heights.

Guests at the ceremony had the opportunity of witnessing the inner workings of the

Parliament; which is the manner in which they arrived at the appointment of the new officers through a very transparent open ballot system. Every child had the right to vote and be voted for. Elections were free, fair and credible.

However, most of the guests expressed surprise with regard to why the female gender secured most of the top positions. For instance, the Speaker, Deputy Speaker, House Leader and the Chief Whip were all females. Impressively, there were no electoral tribunals as it obtains when their fathers and mothers go to the polls. Again, there was no need to contest the or write any petitions against the results. The chil-

dren exhibited maturity in their approach to their elections to the Parliament.

The Children’s Parliament was set up three years ago with a view to effectively dealing with critical issues such as child survival, development, protection, participation, information, water and sanitation, ethics, rules and business and child trafficking.

The wife of the governor further urged continuity on the part of the new executive.

She said: “This government came in and picked up from their predecessors. Study and pick up from your predecessors while you develop new ideas.” Mrs Imoke also encouraged them to be part of today’s Children’s Day celebrations.

They carried placards with inscriptions like “No Opiah, No Oil,” “Opiah is our role model” “Opiah and Ohakim, we are with you”, among others.

At the Government House, the leader of the demonstrating youths, Mr. Okonji Temple said: “We came not just to show comradeship to the governor at this moment but to plead with him to ensure immediate set-up of the Imo State Oil Producing Development Commission (ISOPADEC) Board. We don’t understand why the caretaker management of ISOPADEC should continue to exist a year after its set-up and when the amended ISOPADEC law has been given assent to by the governor.”

He condemned what he described as THE conspiracy against the Speaker during the just-concluded general elections, even as he assured the governor and the Speaker of their support even after May 29.

Responding, the Principal Secretary to the Governor, Mr. Okey Anyanwu thanked the youth for their peaceful conduct. He assured them that the reconstitution of the ISOPADEC Board would get immediate attention of the state government.

Receiving the demonstrators at the Imo State House of Assembly, the Deputy Speaker, Sir Jonas Okeke who stood in for the Speaker, commended their maturity and peaceful disposition in the course of expressing their grievances.

Sir Jonas commended them for their support for the Speaker, even as he assured them that their request would immediately be forwarded to the governor who will definitely reconstitute the board before the expiration of his tenure on May 29.

From trader to church leader

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LDER Lazarus A. Onyeleonu was a prominent trader at the Onitsha Main Market. At a point, he began to encounter some problems in his business, one of which being his sleeping sickness which gravely affected his business.

The problem necessitated his going to Aba in the defunct Eastern Region in 1949 to seek solution at The Eternal Sacred Order of Cherubim and Seraphim Church.

A prophecy he received from the owner of the church whom he said died in February this year came to reality 62 years after as he was elected the Baba Aladura of the church. The position is said to be the highest in that Order. It was gathered that the position is at par with that of the Pope. This came 62 years after his membership of the Order and he is the first person from the Southeast to occupy the exalted position.

Onyeleonu, who is now addressed as His Most Eminence, Baba Aladura spoke with Newsextra during his Pastoral Visit to Onitsha Province of the Church.

He said when he visited the church in 1949, a prophet in the Order told the congregation that “the owner of the Order which I have been telling you all along, is here.” He said he was surprised as the prophet was referring to him because he only visited the church for a solution to his problem and not as an intending member.

He said: “I went to Aba in November 18, 1949 with one of my friends who told me that there was a solution to my problem. Then, any time I opened my shop, I will mysteriously dose off and that was disturbing me. So, when I got to the Cherubim and Seraphim

From Adimike George, Onitsha

Church in Aba on one Saturday, the elders said that they were not seeing any non-member that morning. They advised me to wait until the following day.”

He said that the following day, there was a vigil service in the church that night, even as he added that being a non-member, he was the only person that appeared odd as every other person wore white-flowing gowns while he wore suit.

He had to, he said, move outside the church building and stayed directly behind the entrance door while the vigil lasted.

He disclosed that when the prayer and dancing got frenzied, he became afraid, especially because of how the prophet was dangling and gyrating during the prophetic session, adding that he was watching them from where he hid behind the door.

He said: “But to my surprise, I saw the Prophet who just died in February coming to the back. I noticed he was coming to the back of the door where I hid. I was afraid the more. So, when he came closer to me, he held me on the neck. As his grip tightened as if he was about to strangulate me, I pushed him out but people inside the church rushed and told me that no one holds the Prophet or pushes him. They advised me to be calm that he wanted to give me a prophecy. By that time, the prophet was still holding me by the neck. I began to feel as if the hand was iron but I couldn’t resist it; so he took me to the front of the altar where he placed his hand on my shoulder. I became weak.”

When he was forced to kneel down at the altar by members of the church, the Prelate said, the prophecy began.

•Baba Aladura flanked by the Secretary of the Order, Elder Dabaye Bob-Manuel and Onitsha Provincial Secretary, Senior Apostle Tim Okpala

Any time I opened my shop, I will mysteriously dose off and that was disturbing me. So, when I got to the Cherubim and Seraphim Church in Aba on one Saturday, the elders said that they were not seeing any non-member that morning...They advised me to wait until the following days The “I told you that one day, the leader and owner of this church will come here and today, he is here. The owner of the church is among us.”

He said there was a thunderous cheer from the congregation when the prophecy was made, even though he was not

interested because that was not why he was there. He needed solution to his problem that was all.

He disclosed that the prophet became exhausted after the prophecy and the congregation started praying for him after which he rose and went and sat

at the altar.

“After the vigil, which we started by 12 midnight and ended around 4:00 a.m., I was still afraid but the people inside the church started looking for me.

They started giving me money probably as homage. At the end of everything, I went home with not less than five pounds as that was the currency in use then.”

That was how the journey began for a former member of the Anglican Communion.

Deciding to pitch his tent with the Order after some years, Baba Aladura who hails from Nkpologwu in Aguata Council Area of Anambra State said he never relented in his work of evangelism which was what could have made the prophecy possible.

He said the journey so far has not been easy, even as he debunked people’s perception that the Order is occultic.

THE NATION

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FRIDAY, MAY 27, 2011

Tricyclist raises alarm over threat to life From Adimike George, Onitsha

•Uzokwe

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COMMERCIAL tricycle operator, Comrade Chibuike Uzokwe has raised the alarm over an alleged threat to his life by agents of the Anambra State government and some policemen attached to the Onitsha Area Police Command.

He is therefore seeking assistance from human rights organisations in the state

to be able to carry on with his life and business.

According to him, trouble started after he bought his tricycle and started plying Iyiowa Odekpe Road in Ogbaru Local Government Area.

He said: “While I was on one of the trips, I was attacked by policemen and a group of thugs who said they were revenue collectors for the state government.

They said that I must belong to the tricycle union and had to pay about N20,000 with some cartons of beer before I could be allowed to operate.”

He said he was troubled by this and that necessitated his contacting the Special Adviser to the Governor on Parks and Markets through the Fundamental Rights League International, a human rights body. He said he discovered that membership of any association was free and voluntary.

He said that the discovery made him to decide to be on his own and pay relevant levies as directed by the state government; a move he said the union like.

Uzokwe further disclosed that since then, his life has been under threat by the group.

In a letter to the human rights body, which was made available to Newsextra, Uzokwe narrated how he was confronted by the group in the company of

some policemen. He told Newsextra that he was beaten to a state of unconsciousness.

According to him, around 6:00 a.m., he was accosted by the group which said he must buy the union’s daily ticket.

He alleged that one of the policemen tried to force him to buy the ticket and as he tried to explain to the policeman that it was still too early in the morning for such ticket, the policeman ordered the group to beat him, which they did until he lost consciousness.

When he regained consciousness around 9:00 p.m., he found himself at Lumen Christi Hospital located at No.

30, Atani Road, Iyiowa and was told that he was brought there by the union.

He said he lost about N8,500 and his mobile phone during the attack.

The policeman who allegedly ordered the beating, it was gathered, took to his heels when he noticed that the tricyclist had fainted.

It was also gathered that several efforts to report the matter to the police had been unsuccessful as it was always swept under the carpet.

He wants the police to investigate its men who operated at Obodoukwu Road on March 17, 2011 and call them to order to prevent future occurrence.

While I was on one of the trips, I was attacked by policemen and a group of thugs who said they were revenue collectors for the state government. They said I must belong to the tricycle union and had to pay about N20,000 with some cartons of beer before I could be allowed to operate

‘Usurping of public land painful’ I

N August 2010, the United Nations Habitat designated Onitsha among the five fastest growing intermediate cities in the world. Because of this, the city was showcased during the last World Expo in Shanghai, China by the UN Habitat.

Perhaps, pained by the continued disorder and the indiscriminate conversion of every available government land into private use, a civil society group; International Society for Civil Liberties and The Rule of Law has petitioned Governor Peter Obi and the Commissioner for Lands and Urban Planning on the need to reverse the trend.

In a petition signed by the chairman board of trustees of the group, Mr Emeka Umeagbalasi, the group said that indiscriminate sale and conversion of public lands in Anambra State especially Onitsha zone is environmentally disastrous.

The petition reads in part: “Today, it may be correct to say that the feat recorded

by Mr Obi’s administration in the area of land management and town planning is lost. The indiscriminate sale and conversion of government lands in the state especially in Onitsha zone appears to be on the increase.

“One of such criminal sales is the Awada Cemetery which used to have over 30 plots of land. It is situated on Oraifite Street.

Currently, there are over 25 residential buildings in addition to Catholic, Anglican, and Pentecostal churches as well as other structures meant for commercial purposes in the cemetery.

There are less than two plots of land now left as public cemetery and some land speculators are still fighting tooth and nail to “buy” same. There is no public or government cemetery in Onitsha zone currently.

“It is also rumoured that the old cemetery at Odoakpu Onitsha has been sold to the Catholic and Anglican churches which are reportedly in dispute over the sharing formula. Part of the Anambra Broadcasting Service (ABS) Radio and television was also sold to individuals some years back.

“Another is a large land space designated as a permanent site for Iyiowa Community Secondary School situated at the Iyiowa Layout, Ogbaru Local Government Area. The space now houses many residential buildings,’’ Intersociety alleged.

The group also said their recent findings showed that between 2008 and 2010, over 60 plots of land belonging to government and hitherto occupied bythose they describe as tenant artisans had been dubiously sold to some wealthy individuals and churches; leading to the current absence of any government designated refuse dumping site at the heart of Onitsha.

“There used to be a public entertainment outlet called “Guamount Cinema” which was located behind Top Rank Hotel by Zik’s Avenue Fegge Onitsha. But today, this important place has been sold to a clearing agent who had converted same to a warehouse. The same applies to the government-owned Broadway Cinema located on Old Market Road Onitsha. This important public facility now belongs to individuals.”

The group, in their petition, questioned whether the illegal sales and conversions can take place without the knowledge of the Ministry of Lands, Survey and Urban Planning.

They also questioned where the new owners got their Certificates of Occupancy and other relevant documents, even as it regretted that these uncomplimentary developments may frustrate the new Master Plan for Onitsha, Nnewi and Awka zones which the UN Habitat prepared last year for the state government.

They also demanded that all public lands illegally sold or converted should be recovered while a befitting public burial site or cemetery should be designated for Onitsha zone.

“The encroachment on the outer part of Nwangene River should be looked into and the said plots of land recovered, properly fenced and put to a good public use. The monies collected from the buyers of those public properties should be refunded to them in accordance with present market values and reasonable interests.

“Those government officials, whether or not they are working for the government of Anambra State, who were responsible for such criminal conducts should be exposed, investigated and prosecuted.

They should also be mandated to refund the monies collected with reasonable interests,” the group concluded.

Newsextra visited the places which the civil society group alleged were public properties but which had been taken over by private individuals.

At Guamount Cinema near Zik’s Avenue Fegge, scores of ladies were seen trooping out of the edifice in the evening at the close of work. Our correspondent accosted one of them who identified herself as Amaka said that they are casual workers who work in the warehouse.

When asked whether she knew that the place is a government property, she said she was told when she resumed duty that the place used to be a cinema but for now, “our master is in charge” she said.

At Nwangene riverside, building projects are going on at present near the river bank while Broadway Cinema at Old Market Road Onitsha has been partitioned into a restaurant and a residential building.

The proprietor of the restaurant declined

One of such criminal sales is the Awada Cemetery which used to have over 30 plots of land. It is situated on Oraifite Street.

Currently, there are over 25 residential buildings in addition to Catholic, Anglican, and Pentecostal churches as well as other structures meant for commercial purposes in the cemetery

•Governor Obi

comments when asked how he got the tenancy right.

When our correspondent called at the Ministry of Lands Survey and Urban Development Awka, the Commissioner in charge, Barrister Peter Afuba was on an official assignment outside the state and Newsextra was directed to the office of Director of lands, Mr Chris Arukwe who pointed out that most of the references made in the petition by Intersociety were on issues that happened many years ago and that some of those places were not government lands.

“They are not government lands and we are not involved in what is happening there.

Although government is constitutionally empowered to hold land in trust for the people, it does not sell it but merely allocates same to people. There are two categories of lands, state and nonstate lands.

“In state lands, government has direct control but our role is merely supervisory role over the development that takes place in non-state lands. If there is any record of trespasses on government lands, we must surely revoke the deeds since we are not privy to them,” he said.

THE NATION FRIDAY, MAY 27, 2011

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Border communities get infrastructure A

Cross River to benefit from water grant C ROSS River and Benue states are to benefit from the European Union programme for reforming water governance, with a grant of 500 million Euro.

Director General, Cross River State’s Rural Development Agency (RUDA) Mr. Eko Atu, who disclosed this to newsmen in Calabar, said the fund which is to boost water and sanitation in the two states, will help strengthen as well as expand infrastructure in the sector to enhance effective and efficient hygienic practice across these states.

According to him, in order to fast track the implementation of the programme, Federal Government has declared Yakurr Local

•Imoke

Road agency takes off with new equipment NAMBRA State Governor Peter Obi has inaugurated the multi-million Naira set of equipment for the state’s Roads Maintenance Agency.The governor,who performed the ceremony at the Ministry of Works premises, Awka, also commissioned the state office building of the agency and laid the foundation for the state materials testing laboratory.

The equipment include: tractors, graders, rollers, compactors, pay loaders, bitumen trucks, asphalt mixer and laying machines, heavy duty trucks, among others.

Obi said the equipment would empower the agency to do all-seasons maintenance of roads across the state, while the materials testing laboratory, which he noted, was the first of its kind in the South East zone and

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Anambra was financially supported by Development Partners, would enhance research and uphold quality and standard in materials used, in building and road construction.

He assured that his administration will reposition the state for sustainable development and leave a legacy of using state resources for the welfare of all. The governor, who noted that his administration has done more in the past one year than any other year in his tenure, said that the state was not owing any contractor.

Governor Obi disclosed that the EU, UNICEF and the Governor’s Forum have written to embark on study tour of the development model of the state.

Cross River

From Kunle Johnson, Calabar

Government Area as open defecation free (OPF).

Atu said while government would ensure that all public buildings are provided with modern sanitation facilities, private property owners are expected to follow suit or be compelled by the National Task Team on Sanitation to enforce compliance.

He pointed out that the niche being carved by the state as a tourism destination in the country will be complemented with another feat in the area of water and sanitation, adding that “our effort in water has put us on high pedestal that attracts support from donor agencies”.

On the massive rural road network programme embarked upon by the government, the Director-General said that the 29 roads of 506 kilometers, with at least 20 kilometers in each local government area and 19 bridges stretching 700 metres, is 80 percent complete, adding that financial obligations by government have been settled to ensure timely completion of the projects He further disclosed that N130m is voted for the rehabilitation and maintenance of boreholes and 96 water pumps across the state, maintaining that the agency is currently running a training programme for local artisan to enable them maintain the equipment themselves.

Pipeline explosion kills 20

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VER 20 persons have been confirmed dead in Jesse, Ethiope West Local Government Area of Delta State following an NNPC pipeline fire explosion around the River Ethiope leaving both fisher men and farmers dead.

This was the second explosion in the area since the October 17, 1998 incident that left thousands of persons dead in a neighboring Okpe community of Eko,Ovwore-Amukpe community near Jesse.

An eye witness said what led to the fire explosion was yet to be confirmed going by the heavy flame. The explosion was however reported to have killed fishermen, sand dredgers, sand divers while trying to get fuel from the burst pipes.

Evangelist Flourish Agoda, the Secretary General Idjerhe Development Union (ICDU) who

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• From left: Rivers State Comptroller of Immigration, Mr Steve Fimibamam; FRSC Rivers State Sector Commander, Osas Osadeabmwen, and Rivers State Director, National Orientation Agency, Chief Andy Nweye at the Rivers State FRSC workshop in Port Harcourt PHOTO: NAN

Rivers inaugurates resource centre

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HE Rivers State Ministry of Information and Communications has officially launched its resource centre with electronic library (e-library) facilities.

The state Commissioner for Information and Communications, Mrs Ibim Semenitari, said the goal of the project is to provide the residents, especially workers, a centre for knowledge-enrichment and research.

Delta From Polycarp Orosevwotu, Ughelli

spoke to journalists in Jesse over the unfortunate incident, said that the fire was not from Jesse Kingdom but from the other side of the River Ethiope that is opposite Atigwo village, warning that no one from the kingdom should be linked to it. He said specifically that the explosion came from Ovwore community.

He maintained that since the fire incident of 1998, the community has put in place effective mechanism to checkmate the excesses of youths in the area from visiting pipelines and other anti-social activities.

He appealed to government at all levels to send relief materials to Ovwore as residents no longer have drinking water and and their farm lands have been devastated by the spilled oil.

BCIE to hold fair

HREE Nigerian cities of Lagos, Abuja and Kano are to host the fifth edition of this year’s education fair tagged: “Edufair”.

A brain child of the British Canadian International Education (BCIE), the fair is scheduled for next month.

The fair which will serve as a platform for some representatives of 22 varsities from the United Kingdom (UK), Australia, United States and Canadian universities will recruit students.

The Regional Manager for the Southern region of the country, Funmi Ogunleye, who made the disclosure during at a press conference, said the outfit has been in operation in the country since 2007 and has over the years, provided quality advice to students who wish to study abroad on where to go, as well as process visa applications

By Nneka Nwaneri

for them.

The Lagos fair will hold on May 31 and June 1 at Eko Hotel and Suites Victoria Island and the second leg on June 3 and 4 at Sheraton Hotel, Abuja and the Tahir Hotel Kano on June 6.

Funmi gave advantages students stand to gain from the fair, as world class quality education, ability to acquire necessary skills for the modern environment, flexible study schedules and having an edge over others.

Over 30 selected secondary schools have free admission into the fair, while a scholarship opportunity, as well as free laptops and USB drives were offered to the first five students who join the universities.

•From left: Ikeja Office Manager BCIE, Modupe Owoye, Regional Manager for South, Funmi Ogunleye and Key Client Manager, Kayode Adeyeye…at the briefing PHOTO: Nneka Nwaneri

•Minister of Culture, Tourism and National Orientation, Alhaji Abubakar Mohammed (left), receiving a National Association of Political Science Students’ Merit award from Dr Yakubu Abdullahi, in Abuja

The blind praise Fashola

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HE Nigeria Society for the Blind (NSB), has applauded the Lagos State Governor, Mr Babatunde Fashola for his giant strides in the state. The commendation was made at a press conference at its training school, Oshodi Lagos to start its annual public enlightenment programme.

Chief Olu Falomo, who gave the pass mark, urged the governor to extend the good work to the visually impaired in the state by providing them with training materials.

“We will be happy for whatever this administration under our amiable governor can do for us. The progress he made in Lagos State is commendable, if little of this can be extended to the visually impaired, we will be grateful,” he said.

He also urged the Federal Government to live up to its responsibility by being helpful to the physically challenged.

“The government support for the visually impaired is a right and not privilege,” he said.

“The government should please do it very generously and constantly anything that will help the visually impaired in the country,” he added.

The society’s Acting Chairman, General Kehinde Danmole (rtd) said the task before the group is enormous and cannot be sholdered alone,saying the one week programme was meant to enlighten the society about its activities.

“Our public enlightenment week holds every

37

By Amidu Arije

year, it is organised principally to publicise the society for its programme of training and rehabilitating the visually impaired in our society,” he said.

Community protests nonpayment of compensation From Kazeem Ibrahym, Uyo

Social-Cultural Organisation, Ekid Peoples Union, has staged a peaceful protest to press for payment of compensation to property owners affected by the East-West road project.

The protesters marched from Eket Local Government Secretariat to the project site, chanting war songs with a call on the Gitto Construction Company to pay the remaining part of the compensation to the property owners.

Some of the placards by the protesters read: “Gitto must go’, ‘FG must terminate Gitto contract’, Gitto, pay us our compensation money.”

According to the union’s National President, Ekpu Johnson,N2.3bn out of the N4bn voted for compensation for Eket-Oron section is due to Eket people.

Johnson said that the community had embarked on the protest to draw attention of the Federal Government to the outstanding amount.

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Rivers While expressing delight with the launch, , she noted that at the inception of her tenure as commissioner, that state of the library was a source of concern to her.

“This ministry should be able to provide the capacity the people need for research”, she stressed, while also praising the directors in the ministry who are behind the idea for the establishment of the centre.

Speaking, the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Mr John Nalley, said the ministry is happy with the launch as it would assist in the discharge of the ministry’s duties of information, education and mobilisation of the citizens on government activities, and in turn achieve good governance.

“The establishment of the resource centre is a further attempt to take information to a higher level”, Mr Nalley said especially in the 21st century global world.

In his speech, former Commissioner for Information and Communications, Mr Bernard Graham-Douglas and the Director of the State Government Printing Press, Mr Augustine Nwikinaka lauded the contributions of the ministry under Mrs Semenitari, saying the launch of the centre is a revolution in the reading culture.

They enjoined the people to maximise the benefit of the project to enrich their knowledge.

The launch was witnessed by heads of media establishments in the state, members of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), the Radio Television and Theatre Workers Union (RATTAWU) among other key players in the industry.

Briefly

‘Amaechi will promote gender equity’ WIFE of Rivers State Governor, Dame Judith Amaechi said the emergence of her husband as Chairman of Governors Forum will fast track economic re-integration and unity among states as well as promote gender equity.

Mrs Amaechi, in a statement signed by her Media Assistant, Dike Bekwele to congratulate Governor Amaechi on his new assignment, said such assignment is a national call to duty.

The governor’s wife said her husband believes in the unity of Nigeria and will support every cause and effort that will put food on table of all Nigerians and tackle poverty frontally in families.

She added that the new chairman will provide purposeful leadership that will encourage the forum to appreciate the privileges of being entrusted with the mandate of Nigerians who expect to get the best treatment from their leaders.

She assured women that Governor Amaechi will also encourage his colleagues to give more women opportunities to serve in their respective states as well as the protection of the rights of the child to access basic education.

She said her husband will not let them down and called on them to intercede for him in prayers on his new assignment.

BOUT 22,000 communities along the country’s international boundaries would be provided with social and economic infrastructure, the Federal Government has said.

The distribution that would be in batches would benefit five border communities in each of the North-East, North West, South-South, South West and North Central.

According to the Border Communities Development Agency (BCDA), Southeast was excluded because no community in the region falls within the required range to the nation’s international boundary.

Executive Secretary of the agency, Engr.

Numoipre Willis who made the disclosure in Abuja at a training workshop for the agency’s staff said: “These are the neglected people.

The local governments do not cater for them; the state governments don’t bother about them so they live a pathetic life.

“Our mandate is to provide health facilities, schools, water, electricity, roads and other social infrastructure to these 22,000 border

Abuja

From Dele Anofi and Olugbenga Adanikin, Abuja

communities in the country. Zones in the North East, North West, South South, South West and North Central would be benefiting from our mandate but because the South East does not have external international borders, they are not reflected in the programme”.

On the modalities for the consideration of communities, Willis noted that the agency’s responsibility was to cater for the need of communities within 15 kilometers drive behind international border line of the country, adding that no community in the south-east area falls within the range.

“Our mandate says that any community that falls behind 15 kilometers border line is

• Emeka Wogu under our mandate. So if any community does not fall in that range, we cannot jump in because it is presumed as turning against our mandate. If South East state does not fall in the margin, it’s not our making”.

Code of Conduct investigators visit Lagos

By Miriam Ndikanwu

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Seven-man team of the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) investigators visited the Lagos State seat of power in Alausa on Wednessday and quizzed the State Deputy Governor, Princess Adebisi Sarah Sosan, Secretary to the State Government, Princess Aderenle Adeniran-Ogunsanya and few other members of the State Executive Council.

The Bureau South West Commissioner, Dr. Ademola Adebo, who led the team of investigators and verifiers arrived the office of the deputy governor at about 10.30 am.

Adebo told journalists shortly after their interrogation of the deputy governor that their mission in the state was “ to investigate the activities of Governor Fashola, his deputy, Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Commissioners and the Special Advisers” as specified by the constitution”.

The chief investigator said the team grilled the deputy governor and obtained vital documents, which would assist them to carry out the second stage of the investigation and verification exercise.

He charged the incoming members of the National and State Assemblies in South West to avoid being charged for breaching the constitution, stressing that all the lawmakers will do well to emulate members of the executive branch by complying with the constitutional requirement before assuming their legislative activities.

Adebo also urged the media and civil society groups to partner with the team, saying the bureau “is the only one that has the structure to fight corruption. It is difficult to catch any civil servant for economic crime. There are 14 codes. If I sit down with any public officer, there is no way you can escape that. I will not catch you on one of the 14 codes. You cannot be in government and be so smart that you cannot be caught.”

He lamented the devastating impact of large scale corruption by the public office holders on the economic, political, and social institutions in Nigeria, citing death-trap roads, poor health facilities, epileptic and dysfunctional power supply, collapse of both educational manpower and infrastructure, as well as failed political institutions.

•From left: Prof.David Oluleye,Registrar/CEO, Institute of Public Analysts of Nigeria(IPAN); Prof Onyebuchi Chukwu,Minister of Health; Pharm. Ahmed Mora, Registrar/CEO, Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN) at the one-day workshop organised by the Committee of Registrars of the Health Profession (CRHP) in Abuja

NGO trains cooks for ‘feed a child project’

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Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), the Empowerment Support Initiative (ESI) has organised training on nutrition and catering for 35 cooks who will midwife its “Feed a Child” project.

The 35 participants were drawn from seven local government areas of Rivers State to pioneer the project which will be flagged off across the 23 local government areas of the state.

The administrator of the NGO, Mr Nowa Omorogbe, said the idea was to provide basic and quality balanced diet that will cater for the nutritional needs and add value to the growth of the child.

Mr Omorogbe said the rights of the child include the rights to access basic education and to be given balanced meal that will promote quality learning and his or her wellbeing.

According to him, “The essence is to ensure that the children are given quality and basic

meal to motivate them to go to school, concentrate on their studies as well as maintain healthy academic life”.

The administrator added that the 35 trainees are the first batch of the programme and hinted that the training will be a continuous process that will cater for over 4000 pupils currently in the nursery schools.

The training facilitator, Mrs Ajayi Wum of Food Basket International, said the trainees will be exposed to various means of providing basic meals that will promote academic growth and build the immune system of the child.

The participants were drawn from communities hosting the nursery schools and food items will be sourced from local farmers to help boost their local economy.

ESI is a non-governmental organisation founded by the wife of the Governor of Rivers State, Dame Judith Amaechi and has initiated 319 early childhood education and learning centres in Rivers State.

Jonathan urged to set up peace commitee From Bisi Olaniyi, Port Harcourt

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RESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan has been urged by the Foundation for Peace and Non-Violence in Nigeria (FPNVN), to set up a committee on peace in the Niger Delta, in order to move the region forward.

The President of the FPNVN, Mr. Onengiya Erekosima, made the admonition in Port Harcourt, in an interactive session with reporters.

The group lauded the Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta Affairs, Mr. Kingsley Kuku, who is also the Coordinator of the Federal Government’s amnesty programme, for his approach in ensuring effective management of the post-amnesty initiative.

• From left: Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta, Mr. Kingsley Kuku; GOC 82 Division, Nigerian Army,. Maj-Gen. Sarkin-Yaki Bello, and Chairman, Niger Delta Annesty Committee, Maj.Gen. Godwin Abbey (rtd) during a working visit to 82 Division in Enugu

THE NATION FRIDAY, MAY 27, 2011

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PEOPLE THE NATION

A SIX-PAGE SECTION ON SOCIETY

When Governor Rauf Olusoji Aregbesola turned 54 last Wednesday, he planned a low-key, sober ceremony, but his large army of admirers would not allow that. The events of the day drew a colourful crowd of guests to Osogbo, the state capital. TAJUDEEN ADEBANJO was there.

•From left: The Owa Obokun of Ijeshaland, Oba Adekunle Aromolaran congratulating Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola. With them is Otunba Laoye-Tomori

Aregbesola’s birthday shakes Osogbo O

SOGBO, the capital of Osun State, was alive on Wednesday, as a crowd of dignitaries besieged the ancient town to celebrate Governor Rauf Aregbesola’s 54th birthday– his first as governor.

An air of conviviality suffused the township. Everywhere was bustling, as the man who has become the giant of Osun politics and his wife, Sherifat, hosted the guests.

Their presence was an answered prayer.

Exactly four years ago, some people, fresh from the beating they got at some polling units in the State of the Living Spring in their bid to ensure that Aregbesola, whom they tagged a man of destiny, was elected governor, gathered in Egbeda, Lagos State, to mark his 50th birthday.

During the prayer, they relived their experience in the hands of the then ruling Peoples Democractic Party (PDP) government in Osun State and prayed Allah to return the ‘stolen’ mandate of the people to the rightful win-

ner.

These people led thousands of others to Osogbo on Wednesday to thank Allah. Several special greeting cards with moving words were placed besides the birthday cakes.

Many of the guests donned T-shirts, with Aregbesola’s portrait on them. Itinerant drummers ensured there was no dull moment, right from the gate to the main arena where the prayer was held. They complemented the two bands on ground.

Despite the insistence of the celebrator that the ceremony should be low-key, his political associates defied him. They came in large numbers. There were also captains of industry, distinguished academics and respected religious leaders.

Among the guests were: Speaker, Osun State House of Assembly, Bello Adejare; Secretary to the State Government Alhaji Moshood Adeoti; Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) National Publicity Secretary Alhaji

‘Talking couples make better union’

Pg 31

Lai Mohammed; ACN leaders – Alhaji Ganiyu Badmus; Cardinal Omolaja Odunmbaku; Alhaji Hassan Ajeigbe; Osun West Senator-elect Mudasiru Hussain; House of Representative-elect, Lasun Yusuf; Oguntola Toogun and Kehinde Lamola.

Others are: Lagos State Deputy Governorelect Mrs Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire; Senator Ganiyu Solomon; Commissioner for the Environment Dr Muiz Banire; Special Adviser on Health Matters Toyin Hamzat; Mrs Jumoke Okoya-Thomas and James Faleke.

Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC) Commissioner Alhaji Musbau Oyefeso; Conference 57 members Abiodun Mafe; Benjamin Olabinjo; Jubreel AbdulKareem; Hakeem Bamgbola; Muideen Daramola; Jide Jimoh; Yinka Durosinmi; Chief Imam of Lagos State University (LASU), Prof Amidu Sanni; Prof Raheemson; former Lagos State Commissioner for Education Prof Kunle Lawal and Alhaji Mustafa Mubaraq.

The event, anchored by former Executive Secretary, Nasrulahi-li-Fathi (NASFAT), Mallam Dhikrullahi Hassan; Mallam Shuaib Salith and Oyefeso, featured recitation of the whole Quran; general prayers; Modiu; admonition; goodwill messages and fund raising for some humanitarian institutions.

Prof Sanni wished Aregbesola long life and more fruitful years ahead. The LASU don urged him to address poverty in the state.

He advised him to be security conscious, adding that the governor should beware of evil-minded people who will always pose as his admirers. He prayed Allah to guide him and make his tenure a success.

Banire thanked God for the lives of the governor and his wife, Sherifat. The ACN National Legal Adviser urged the celebrator to be closer to Allah.

“It is not easy” he said, “for people holding political positions to observe the five daily •Continued on page 30

Obey steals show as Coca-Cola turns 125

Pg 35

THE NATION FRIDAY, MAY 27, 2011

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SOCIETY

Aregbesola’s birthday shakes Osogbo •Continued from page 29

prayers regularly.”

He prayed God to grant the celebrator wisdom and courage to transform the state.

Lai Mohammed described Aregbesola as a man of integrity, who has touched the lives of many.

“He is very honest, cerebral and God-fearing,” he said.

The people of Osun, he said, are lucky to have him at the helms of affair.

“I have no doubt in his capability to transform the state and take it to greater heights,” he said.

He wished him long useful years in good health.

•From left: Mrs Aregbesola; Mrs Banire and Mrs Orelope-Adefulire

•Mr Oguntola (left) and Alhaji Mohammed •From left: Alhaji Oyefeso; Mafe and Alhaji Sonaike

•Mr Hamzat

•Dr Banire • Senator Solomon and Mrs Okoya-Thomas

•From left: Mr Bamgbola; Mr Daramola; Mr Opeifa and Mr Adejare

•From left: Hon Toogun; Lamolu; Mudasiru; Hussein and Yusuf

•Alhaji Moshood Adeoti (left) and Mr AbdulKareem

•Mr Olugbenga Oyebode

•Mr Olabinjo

PHOTOS: TAJUDEEN ADEBANJO

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THE NATION FRIDAY, MAY 27, 2011

SOCIETY

The Temple School, Ilupeju, Lagos, on Saturday hosted notable captains of industry, who graced the launch of Nkechi AliBalogun’s book: The Talking Couple, in commemoration of her 55th birthday. NNEKA NWANERI reports.

‘Talking couples make better union’

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HE arena of the school was packed full.

Various flashy cars dotted it. They were brought by friends, relatives and colleagues who came to support one of their own, Nkechi Ali-Balogun, on her 55th birthday which coincided with the launch of her first book: The Talking Couple.

The guests’ presence underscored the love they have for Nkechi. They left other engagements for her because they knew they would be blessed by her book.

The event began with the Chairman of the event, Sir Steve Omajafor, who is also the chairman of STB McCann and Zenith Bank, giving his remark.

He said communication was key, and vital in a relationship. He cited himself as an example, saying in his 35 years of marriage, he has never left the house without talking to his wife.

“No talk can be better than a man and his wife talking to God.” He acknowledged Nkechi, whom he described as a literary person. “I am grateful to God she has started publishing her works.

Congratulations on a job well done,” he said.

Nkechi’s citation was read by Dr. Ken Egbas, who noted that her 20 years experience in marriage, which she had put into the book as communication experience, will enrich “our lives and make us better people.”

Nkechi said: “Everyday, God shows me that He has not forgotten me.” She thanked the Pro-Chancellor of the University of Lagos, Deacon Gamaliel Onosode, whom she described as a dignifying and unassuming man, who would ever remain her mentor. She equally acknowledged her husband, and winner of award winning movie Tango With Me, Mahmood, whom she said ‘tangoes’ with her all the time.

The inspiration to write the book, she said, came from her heart, having watched and counselled marriages for years.

“From my own experience, communication is a big issue. We couples have challenges because we don’t know how to express ourselves. A man is fuelled by submission while a woman is fuelled by affection. Though Sarah called Isaac ‘my lord,’ it just goes to mean that marriages can be this

fun. Not that the man did not love her, but he just did not know how to show it,” she said.

She said the book could have taken her three days to write, but she got scared and withheld it for two years.

The book was reviewed by the Chief Executive Officer of Prima Garnet Ogilvy, Lolu Akinwunmi, who said the 180-page book, according to the author, is dedicated to her late mother, Mrs Mary Eze, the late Pastor Bimbo Odukoya and her little daughter, Ikeolowa.

He summarised the preface, saying communication is the life wire of every relationship and has the potential to bring out the best in one another.

“The book is a credible attempt at executing her subject matter. It is a must read for the restoration of marriage relationships,” he said, ending with the phrase “grab your copy now.”

The General Overseer, Trinity House, Pastor Ituah Ighodalo, gave an inspiring talk on “The Sustaining Power of an Enduring Marriage”.

He described marriage as the foundation of life and a symbol of our relationship with God. He also said in knowing oneself, one should know the reasons for marriage.

“When it seems like the marriage is crumbling during the phases of life, what endures is the friendship and love. If you know you are in the right place, it will endure and sustain your marriage,” he assured.

Ighodalo advised husbands to be patient and tolerant with their wives by putting themselves in their positions. “Learn to compliment your wives. You love them and love their dogs. Love isn’t something that just happens, it’s a deliberate act. You love because God loved you first,” he said.

Onosode also said: “Marriage is a living organism, which is all about sharing, where you give and receive.”

Referring to page 72 of the book, Onosode prayed that those who read the book would be challenged and redirected by it.

Chairman, Neimeth Pharmaceuticals,, Mazi Sam Ohuabunwa, and the song-star, Onyeka Onwenu, who did the national service with the author, unveiled the book.

•The author and her husband, Mahmood Ali-Balogun

•Onwenu and Mazi Ohuabunwa displaying the book

•Sir Omajafor (left) and Deacon Onosode

‘The book is a credible attempt at executing her subject matter. It is a must read for the restoration of marriage relationship,’...’grab your copy now.’

•Akinwunmi (left) and Pastor Ighodalo

•Mrs Shola Olomu and Mr Jide Ologun

•Ambassador and Mrs Joe Keshi

PHOTOS: ABIODUN WILLIAM

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THE NATION FRIDAY, MAY 27, 2011

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THE NATION FRIDAY, MAY 27, 2011

34

SOCIETY

•Ambassador Olusola (middle) and Chief Benson presenting the award to Mr Ifeanyi Azubwire

•Rev Dangiwa (left) and Imam Isah

•Rev Imo Nkanta (left) and Mr Alao

•Rev and Mrs Ben Eragbai

PHOTOS: ABIODUN WILLIAMS

The need to promote peace globally was emphasised when dignitaries joined members of the Lagos State Chapter of Universal Peace Federation, a non-governmental organisation (NGO), for a peace education conference with the theme: Promoting religious harmony for nation building and the conferment of Ambassador for Peace Awards on distinguished members at the Lagos Airport Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos. VIVIAN EBBAH writes

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HEIR busy schedule notwithstanding, an array of guests converged on the expansive hall of the Airport Hotel Ikeja, Lagos, for a Peace Education Conference tagged: Promoting Religious Harmony for Nation Building and the conferment of Ambassador for Peace Awards on distinguished members of Universal Peace Federation (UPF), an interreligious and international federation for world peace.

Their attendance, of course, was necessary as issues for discussion were germane to global peace, especially at this time when world peace is continually threatened. Whatever is discussed at the forum, they agreed, will go a long way in solving problems threatening world peace.

Hence, they trooped into the ornately decorated expansive hall of the hotel, dressed in various native and English attires.

The event kicked off with a review of UPF’s new agenda for peace and the purpose for establishing it by its Secretary-General, Mr Olaleye Alao. It was followed by opening

In search of peace prayers in both the Muslim and Christian faith.

Going into the business of the day was the first speaker, Rev Bitrus Dangiwa, from Interfaith Mediation Centre, based in Kaduna State, who stated that Nigeria is a multi-ethnic nation with diverse cultural groups of about 300.

He noted that the diversity rather than harnessing viable national development had regrettably made Nigerians slaves to ethnic origin. The allegiance according to him has largely been detrimental to nation building.

To him, fanatically ethnic consciousness has resulted into ethnic prejudice and mistrust, religious and political problems and sociocultural conflicts, disturbing peace in Nigeria.

He observed that where there are differ-

ences in the attributes of a nation and it’s the people problems are bound to arise.

He submitted that problems usually arise as a result of differences in culture, tradition, religion and language.

To promote religious harmony, according to him, one should be obedient, loyal and be committed to traditional rulers and government. He also proffered willingness to live together as a people, irrespective of ethnic/ religious affiliations and environmental setting, as the sine qua non for peace Rev Bitrus concluded his lecture by laying emphasis on multi-ethnic education and interfaith relationship as a way of addressing multi-ethnic/religious vices inhibiting the process of nation-building.

The last speaker, Imam Muhammad Sani Isah, a Director with UPF noted religious tol-

erance as one of the vital tools in promoting religious harmony.

Guests were moved by his submission as was a thunderous applause to underscore their agreement.

The presentation of Ambassador for Peace Awards to distinguished members was done by the Chairman, Board of Trustees, UPF Ambassador Segun Olusola, assisted by the Yeye Oge of Lagos, Chief (Mrs) Oprah Benson.

They admonished the new ‘ambassadors’ not to relent in their fight for promoting peace.

Guests were later hosted to an elaborate reception.

One of the awardees, Mr Jide Taiwo, who runs an NGO that cares for the aged said: “Today is one of the happiest days in my life for receiving the award.

“Today marks the beginning of a new thing in my life, the award shows that there is still more work to be done. I am so happy and I give God all the glory,” an elated Taiwo said.

Songs of joy filled everywhere at the Sir Olubi Centre, Okota Way, Lagos, venue of the engagement ceremony, where Pastor Olufemi Adebiyi, Zonal Pastor, Holiness Area Zone, Ikotun, gave out his daughter, Adeola, in holy wedlock to Sanjo.

DADA ALADELOKUN was there.

Their day of joy T was a day of joy for the families of Adebiyi of Osun State and Ayangbayi of Ogbomoso in Oyo State when they celebrated the holy union of their children, Adeola and Sanjo.

As early as 8 am, invited guests, predominantly church members, and well wishers thronged Sir Olubi Centre located on Okota Way, Lagos, venue of the engagement. It was payback time for an accomplished, easy-going and unassuming man of God, Pastor Olufemi Adebiyi, Zonal Pastor, Holiness Area Zone, Ikotun, Lagos State. People turned out in large number to honour one of their own.

I

With the engagement over, guests moved to the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Province 14 Headquarters, for the holy matrimony.

Decked in flowing wedding gown, the elated bride looked charming in her wedding apparel, while the tall and handsome looking groom, Sanjo, in grey suit, kept heads turning with his captivating smiles.

At the service, the presiding pastor advised the couple to love, honour and respect each other.

And above all, they should allow God to be the pillar of their home. Guests were later entertained at Sir Olubi Centre.

•Bride’s mother, Mrs Olufemi Adebiyi, the couple, Mr and Mrs Sanjo Ayangbayi and bride’s father, Pastor Olufemi Adebiyi

THE NATION FRIDAY, MAY 27, 2011

35

SOCIETY

Coca-Cola Nigeria Ltd last Monday marked its 125th anniversary. It rolled out the drums at the exotic Ballroom of Oriental Hotel, Lekki, Lagos, in an exclusive event to commemorate the occasion. NNEKA NWANERI was there.

Obey steals show as Coca-Cola turns 125 C

OMMANDER Ebenezer Obey, as he then was, stole the show at the cocktail party in Lagos to mark the 125th anniversary of Coca-Cola. In the 70s, Obey, now an evangelist, sang a song in which he noted that coke drinkers were treated with scorn. According to the song, those people are not regarded as sociable and it is believed that they are taking a drink that will give them pile.

Last Monday at the Oriental Hotel, Lekki, Lagos, where Coca-Cola Nigeria Ltd rolled out the drums to celebrate the 125th year of Coke, Obey changed tune. Recalling his old song, he changed the stanza about not being sociable and contracting pile to “sociable” and “a drink coke good for the body.” The audience, reeled in laughter at Obey’s twisting of part of the song. Obey’s performance climaxed the event.

The party was for advert executives and friends of Coca-Cola.

Though, the party pulled a crowd, it was an exclusive, private affair.

From the entrance of the hotel to the hall, banners with photographs of the drink adorned the walls. Red, the dominant colour of the drink, dominated the arena. Beautiful ushers in red Aso Oke and white blouses warmly welcomed guests stepping out of their cars.

The usual bright lights in the hall were replaced with disco lights which guided guests into the main hall.

Guests were not out of place with their dressing as they seemed to have adhered strictly to a formal dress code with a touch of red on their attires.

It was, indeed, a cocktail party; no chairs or tables, just an open arena with guests moving

around with their wine glasses, interacting with one another.

There was also an exhibition of some vintage photographs illustrating the epochal stages of interactions the company has had with Nigerians since 1953 when it began business in Nigeria. It was, indeed, nostalgic as several documentaries showed the evolution and notable advertisements the brand had run over the years.

Its Managing Director, Mr Kelvin Balogun, said the occasion was an opportunity to say thank you to their numerous stakeholders, adding that the 125th anniversary was a testament of their youthfulness and evergreen household name.

“It is more than a beverage drink or business, Coca-Cola is part of what makes people’s everyday lives. So, we will continue to expand to improve our company,” he said.

The toast was given by the Chairman, Nigerian Breweries Plc, Ambassador Segun Abata, who said it was the most important aspect of the day’s ceremony.

“The first toast goes to the founding father of Coca-Cola, the pharmacist who created Coke.

The second is to all those who, in the last 125 years, have been refreshed by Coca-Cola, all who tasted Coke, and the third to the journey of the refreshing drink through A.G. Leventis from Atlanta to Africa, which led to the establishment of the Nigerian Bottling Company (NBC), and finally to those in the Coca-Cola system across the world,” Abata said.

The final part of the event, which again was the height of it, was the performance of Miliki exponent and Juju maestro-turned evangelist, Ebenezer (Obey) Fabiyi, who gave a special number to commemorate the evening.

•Mr Balogun (left) and Ambassador Abata

•From left: GMD Prima Garnet, Lolu Akinwunmi; MD CEO, STB MacCann Rufus Ladipo and CEO Proximity Communications, Rotimi Olaniyan

•Nick Short (middle) Mike Parnell (right) and Porter Novelli’s Head of Client Services, Tim Beighton

•From left: MD/CEO Pahek Security Services, Keku Patrick; Asset Protection Manager, CocaCola, Amali Amah and Investigation Manager, Guinness Nig, Emmanuel Ogwuche

•From left: NBC Marketing Director Austin Ufomba; Quality Environmental and Safety Manager, •Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Mr Wale Raji Uadiale Edeoghon and Doyin Ashiru

•Jumade Adejola

PHOTOS: NNEKA NWANERI

36

THE NATION FRIDAY, MAY 27, 2011

SOCIETY

The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) has inducted 1,494 new members at its Amuwo-Odofin Lagos centre. AMIDU ARIJE was there.

PHOTOS: AMIDU ARIJE

•The inductees

Rank of accountants grows

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T was obvious they were happy and could not hide their joy. Their happiness stemmed from qualifying as chartered accountants. They were inducted associate members of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) at the 47th edition of the event.

Numbering 1,494, they revelled in the glitz and glamour of the moment as family, friends and well-wishers felicitated with them at ICAN centre at Amuwo-Odofin, Lagos State Many of them have different reasons to be happy; some began the journey about two decades ago; writing various stages of examinations set by the body. While others finished theirs in record time; passing the stages at one sitting each, yet some others took their time until they finally came out in flying colours.

Nonetheless, they were euphoric about the status they have attained as chartered accountants.

They proudly walked into the hall in their well-tailored suits and matching ties, sat on their allotted seats, according to the numbers indicating the diets they qualified from. Diets in ICAN parlance means the periods when the examinations were conducted or written and there are usually two diets in a year.

The institute executives were not left behind in celebrating with the inductees. They also looked trendy in their suits and other corporate dresses as they sat patiently for the ceremony to begin.

With Bukola Akinmoladun as the anchor, the programme kicked off with the recitation of the National Anthem.

Introduction of guests followed and was done by Mrs Josephine Williams, with the

institute president, Maj-Gen Sebastian Owuama (rtd) presiding at the occasion.

The special guest of honour, Mohammed Faworaja, an architect; who doubled as the guest speaker called for ethical professionalism.

“There is need for integrity as we perform our daily tasks as professionals, what we do today simply becomes the way for others tomorrow. If we do good today that will be the norms, if we practice badly today that will be the norms, often times, we are under the watchful eyes of the less informed public who hold us in high esteem, so what we do, we need to watch to achieve a better height; we must seek to abide and work tirelessly at that very height,” he said.

He tasked government to give responsibilities to professionals.

“We have gone a long way in training professionals in all development fields, but we are yet to challenge the professionals. Nigeria professionals should be challenged by government and other stakeholders by giving them responsibilities. There is no need to bring foreign professionals to play the roles of Nigerian professionals,” he said.

He urged that discipline should be the watchword of any professional body in the country.

Gen Owuama in his speech said lack of transparency and credibility erode the progress of any nation and profession.

“Corruption erodes confidence in international community, it gives lack of credibility not only in our financial conduct but in the conduct of business,” he said.

He noted that the prevalentce of corruption in the nation’s system has accounted for its slow

•Femi Deru (left) and Chidi Ajaegbu

progress.

“As you are aware, it is the prevalence of corruption and sharp practices in low and high places in the nation, that has accounted for the slow pace of development of this richly endowed nation and this was exacerbated by the absence of transparency and accountability,” he said.

He also urged the newly inducted accountants to be above board in the discharge of their professional duties.

“Further to the credibility crisis facing the profession as a result of corporate failures in various jurisdictions, it is imperative that I enjoin you to live above aboard,” he urged.

Immediately after his speech the new accountants were inducted into the fold of ICAN as Associate Chartered Accountants, as the President ordered them to stand and take their oath of allegiance.

The 1,494 chartered accountants stood up with their hands raised to repeat after the president their oath of allegiance.

They later filed out one after the other, to collect their certificates from the president who was assisted by other guests, who also shook hands with them .

Awards were also presented to the best performing student in the examination.

The best student, Emmanuel Ajulo, won five prizes in different categories. He won the merit prize for Professional Examination stage two (PE II); the Akintola Williams Deloitte prize, for the best qualifying candidate for his diet; he also won Akintola Williams Deloitte prize for the best qualifying candidate for the year, among others.

Others who won special prizes included Riskat Salaudeen and Falade Karen, among others.

UNION OF SOUL MATES

Philanthropist clocks 49

A

LHAJA Fehintola Adiat Adio , the Managing Director of Tbaaz Creations, a topmost Lagos-based fashion designing outfit clocked 49 on May 19.

The wife of Prince Abdulazeez Adio , a businessman and founder of Alhaji Rabiu Adio Islamic Foundation, she is instrumental to the establishment of the foundation in memory of her late father-in-law.

•Alhaja Feyintola

The foundation contributes to the social and economic development of Iwo in Osun State and assists children of the less privileged.

The foundation has sunk boreholes in Iwo; awarded scholarships to indigent students; distributed wheelchairs to the physically-challenged, built a mosque and secretariat. It is planning to build a college of education.

•The couple, Temitope Moradeyo and Mr Stephen Adebayo signing the dotted lines at the Christ Life Church, Adekile, Ibadan, Oyo State.

THE NATION

38

FRIDAY, MAY 27, 2011

CRIME WATCH

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HIRTY people have been sentenced to six months in jail for contravening environmental laws in Owan East Local Council in Edo State.

They were given an option of N5, 000 fines as stipulated by the local laws.

The 30 were part of the 61 people that were tried at a mobile court sitting in Afuze, headquarters of Owan East Local

30 jailed for environmental offences From Osagie Otabor, Benin

Council.

Head of Environmental Department of the council, Alhaji Braimah Abdulsalami

disclosed this while inspecting newly created refuse dump sites at the locality.

The dump sites, according to Alhaji Abdulsalami, would serve three communities namely; Ihievbe, Ivbiaro and

Warrake.

Alhaji Abdulsalami warned those who dump refuse indiscriminately in unapproved places to desist from such act or be ready to face the law.

Community, lawmaker at war over structure

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ESIDENTS and landlords of Benson Ojukwu Street, Canal Estate, OkotaIsolo, Lagos, are at loggerheads with a lawmaker who represents them. It is over the construction of a fence.

They have sued the lawmaker, a member of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. Omowunmi Olatunji Edet, for N50m. They are asking the Lagos State High Court, Ikeja, to stop her from further obstruction of their movement with the construction.

They said the structure the woman is erecting on their street has made living in the area a nightmare.

But the woman has asked the court to order the residents and landlords to pay her N2.5m, being the cost of building materials she said the claimants allegedly damaged at the construction site.

She sought a perpetual injunction restraining the claimants, their privies or agents from disturbing her from peaceful possession of the land.

Chairman of Benson Ojukwu Street, Canal Estate Residents’ Association, High Chief Peter Elue, and eight others filed the action over what they called “construction of illegal structure” on a major street road.

The other claimants are Mr Paul Okeke, Engr.

Uzomba Iche, Mr Mafimisebi Adejuwon, Mr Okwudili Chinwuba, Mr Chuks Okeke, Mr Uche Nwobodo, Mr Chidi Okafor and Alhaji Ismaila Awari. They sued for themselves and on behalf of the residents/landlords of the estate.

Joined in the suit as second defendant, is the Registered Trustees of Abba Town Union Lagos State branch.

The claimants, through their lawyer, Mr Ikechukwu Chiaha, informed the court that they reside at Benson Ojukwu Street, Canal Estate, Okota Isolo Lagos State. Sometime in October 2009, at about 7:00 a.m., they observed that the defendants were digging a foundation at the centre of the road at Benson Ojukwu Street, leading to Jemtok Street, Canal Estate.

When they inquired what was going on, they were told that the defendants claimed to be the owners of the road, and were mobilising men and materials to construct a fence and a building on the road.

The claimants said they were neither consulted nor their opinion sought before the defendants started digging. When they visited the site later in the day, they said they were surprised to find a load of working materials including sand, iron rods, and cement all arranged to be used for the construction.

According to them, they voiced their protest as to why a fence should be erected along the road and on a drainage, blocking the adjacent road and drainage to the nearest drainage of Jemtok Street.

“The defendants divided the said road into two and commenced construction of fence for that purpose. The second defendant took half of the road, while the first defendant took half of the road for purposes of constructing the fence preparatory for the building of a house therein,” the claimants alleged.

Upon inquiry, the claimants said the defendants replied “rather rudely” that they were the owners of the road, and that they would do whatever they wanted with it.

“The defendants, in spite of our protest, encouraged their workers to continue digging, but after serious altercations, they stopped and promised to resume again.”

Because the fence the defendants were constructing allegedly blocked all the adjacent roads and drainage, they wrote a petition to the Commissioner for the Environment. They added that the fence caused heavy flooding and erosion on the street, preventing vehicles

•Benson Ojukwu Street

The lives of the claimants, their children and tenants as well as their properties will be exposed to serious danger of deterioration and collapse as a result of the heavy flooding/ erosion caused by the blockage by the defendants… The drainage on both sides of Benson Ojukwu Close were never at any time ever connected to the drainage on Jemtok Street. Benson Ojukwu is by the layout of the area, a close and not a street

By Joseph Jibueze

from gaining access to and from other streets to the street. It also obstructed their right of way on foot, they added.

The claimants said they also petitioned the Lagos State Physical Planning and Development Authority. They insisted that Benson Ojukwu Street is not a close, but a street, and had been used as an access road “before the defendants started the erection of the fence.”

The authorities who were petitioned, the claimants said, pasted an Order/Notice to stop work on the road “where the defendants were erecting an illegal fence and warned the defendants to desist from the unlawful act.”

The residents said: “The defendants rejected notices/warning to stop the illegal construction.” They alleged that “the defendants have continued to take steps to continue the erection of the fence to block the road and canal.”

They said apart from obstructing free movement, the flooding arising from the blocked drainage owing to the alleged construction poses a serious environmental and health hazards to the claimants and their children. Their properties are also not safe with the flooding, they said.

“The lives of the claimants, their children and tenants as well as their properties will be exposed to serious danger of deterioration and collapse as a result of the heavy flooding/erosion caused by the blockage by the defend-

ants.

“The market value of the claimants’ properties will collapse as no good tenant will want to rent a house/premises where there is flooding,” they said.

According to them, if the construction is allowed to go on, their buildings risk the danger of collapsing.

The claimants said the defendants are not entitled to block a public road by erecting a fence on it. Due to the alleged act of the defendants, the claimants said they have been greatly injured and depressed, and deprived of enjoyment of their right of way, even as their premises have suffered losses and damage.

In a motion on notice, the claimants sought “an order of interlocutory injunction restraining the defendants, their agents, servants or privies howsoever, whosoever called, from constructing or building a house or structure inside the fence (dwarf fence) which the defendants are constructing on the public road and drainage at Benson Ojukwu Street, Canal Estate, Okota Isolo, Lagos, adjacent to Jemtok Street (on the portion of land which forms the public road or way, the subject matter of this suit), pending the determination of this suit.”

In their statement of claim, the claimants sought a declaration that they are entitled to a right of way on foot and by vehicle on the street for the purpose of gaining access to and from their premises at Benson Ojukwu Street.

They urged the court to give a perpetual in-

junction restraining the defendants, their agents from constructing fence on the public road or on any other site which will violate their right of way or peaceful enjoyment of their properties and environment, where they had lived for over 20 years.

The asked the court to order the defendants to pay them N50m as general/exemplary damages, as well as the cost of the action.

But the first defendant, Hon. Edet, urged the court to dismiss the claimants’ suit with substantial cost to them.

She said the suit was misconceived, vexatious; gold-digging and intended to embarrass and harass her person and status for selfish and mischievous ends.

The defendant “vehemently” denied constructing illegal structure or building on the street, contending that she neither required the opinion nor needed to consult with the claimants to exercise right of ownership on a parcel of land she is a bona fide owner.She said what the claimants said was a serious altercation was the violent chasing of her workmen and staff by some of the claimants and some toughlooking youths, believed to be thugs hired by the claimants. The workmen fled for dear lives, she said.

“The claimants and their thugs maliciously and violently pulled down the fence already raised, scattered all the building materials.

Several iron rods and many bags of cement were discovered on the second day to have been confiscated and carted away by the claimants and their thugs/agents,” the first defendant said.

According to her, the drainage on both sides of Benson Ojukwu Close were never at any time ever connected to the drainage on Jemtok Street. Benson Ojukwu is by the layout of the area, a close and not a street, also wrongly christened Benson Ojukwu Street by the claimants.”

She added that there was no time in the history of the community that the land in question was an access road linking Benson Ojukwu with Jemtok Street in the estate.

The suit is yet to be fixed for definite hearing.

THE NATION

39

FRIDAY, MAY 27, 2011

•Ojakovo

T

HE April 26, 2011 governorship and House of Assembly elections may have come and gone with winners celebrating and losers leaking their wounds, but the last may not have been heard about the outcome of the exercise in Ethiope East Local Government Area of Delta State.

A former Commissioner for Finance in Chief James Ibori administration, Mr. Love Ojakovo, has accused the Delta State government of vendetta and victimisation over the outcome of the election in the area.

His complaint was the alleged marking of the property housing his business outfit for demolition. He claimed that marking two of his stores for demolition was because of his refusal to support the ruling People’s Democratic Party’s candidate for the House of Assembly election.

Ojakovo, who spoke through a Warribased lawyer, Mr. Omamiroro Ogedegbe, said the defeat of the PDP candidate for the state assembly, Chief Mrs. Faith Majemite, was the underlying cause of the demolition order on the properties located on the busy Airport Road, Effurun, and Robert Road, Warri which were built about four years ago.

Ogedegbe claimed that shortly before the election, a top member of the PDP in the state visited Ojakovo to solicit his sup-

•Tivo stores

Man cries out over victimisation From Shola O’Neil, Warri

port for the party in the elections, adding that the former commissioner now turned businessman, reportedly refused the gesture, citing his disengagement from partisan politics since 2007 as the reason.

Speaking further, he disclosed that shortly after the conduct of the election, the businessman got a notice for the demolition of the buildings housing his Tivo Supermarket, because of alleged failure to meet certain building and town planning requirements.

Ogedegbe, who kicked against the or-

der, said it was patently untenable, adding that it bordered on political intimidation by the ruling PDP in the state, particularly against the backdrop of the fact that the then commissioner in charge of the Ministry of Land, Survey and Urban Planning, Chief Fred Majemite, a lawyer, is the husband of the defeated candidate for the House of Assembly race in Ethiope East from where Ojakovo hails.

He gave the state government a 30-day ultimatum to rescind its decision or face legal action.

Contacted, the Commissioner for Lands, who spoke to our correspondent on tel-

•Lagos State Governor’s wife, Mrs Abimbola Fashola flanked by MD/CEO, Dufil Prima Foods, Mr Deepak Singhal, (left) and public relations manager, Mr. Tope Ashiwaju, with school children at Amusement Park, Lagos celebrate 2011 Indomie Children’s Day. PHOTO: BOLA OMILABU

ephone, accused Ojakovo of crying wolf, stressing that nobody earmarked the building located on Airport Road, Effurun, for demolition.

Explaining the issues surrounding the two-storey building, Majemite said the property was located in a space designated as library for the Delta Development and Property Authority, popularly called Bendel (or Delta) State.

Majemite, who denied issuing an order for the demolition of the buildings or having any sinister motive in the matter, remarked that the DDPA, owners of the land where TIVO Supermarket is sitting on Airport Road, discovered the situation and asked for the permits and other relevant documents issued for the construction of the building since it was sited in a place that should be housing a public library.

“I am surprised that he (Ojakovo) is making this allegation; you are not the first who has approached me. I would say it is mischievous because he is somebody I know very well and he didn’t call to tell me about this. What happened was that his manager was asked to present documents to verify if the property was properly allotted to him. This was a general directive, not restricted to the property alone. That is why I wonder why all this fuss. What would it profit me to demolish his building when his younger brother is working with me as the head of my legal firm in Lagos?” Majemite added.

Although claims by both parties could not be independently confirmed, our investigation revealed that the exclusive residential area, which was set up during the defunct Bendel State to provide medium-scale housing for people of the area, has become hot location for the nouveaux riches and prominent politicians, because of the better infrastructure therein.

A source at the DDPA, who spoke to our correspondent on condition of anonymity said: “We have found out that, over the years, the plan of the area has been abandoned by the very powerful and rich, who compromised some of our staff to get land marked out for public use and play ground.

For instance, a very prominent man recently acquired a part of the estate earmarked for shopping mall. He did it because he is connected today. Tomorrow when a Pharaoh that does not know Joseph comes and takes action, they will say they are being victimised.”

FRIDAY, MAY 27, 2011

40

The issue of taxation is the greatest problem we experience here especially where the companies are closing down. For instance, I had nine companies but only two are functional today

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LEADING industrialist, Chief Paul Okonkwo has urged Anambra government to relax its taxation rate on industries in order for them to survive the harsh economic environment they operate on currently.

Okonkwo, who is the chairman of PokoBros Group of Companies, stated this at the 4th edition of “The Perspective,” an annual lecture series of the Onitsha Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (ONICCIMA).

“Community-Driven Development in Nigeria through Effective Local Government Administration: A Solution to Rural Poverty and National Under-development,” was the theme of this year’s lecture which was held at the Sharon House Onitsha Anambra State.

According to Okonkwo, the issue of taxation is the greatest problem we experience here especially where the companies are closing down. For instance, I had nine companies but only two are functional today.

He added that the situation has led to investors moving to neighbouring states like Delta and others. “Go to Asaba, Okpanam and Umunede and see the progress our people are making because of ease of land ownership and relaxed tax system which have enabled new and upand-coming industries to thrive.

“A situation where you buy a land for N300, 000 in Anambra State and you spend N2m to do the Certificate of Occupancy (C of O), is ridiculous,” he lamented.

Chief Okonkwo, however, called on the state government to carry stakeholders along in its economic development agenda in order to get the best practical advice. He further aid: “Government should consider the possibility of generating its own power; which other states are venturing into since power holds the key to industrial development.

Contributing, Chief Godwin Okeke, Chairman of G.U.O. Group of Companies urged the state government to create avenues to meet with industrialists in the state.

Okeke, however, called on leaders in every field of life in the Southeast to be mentors to the youth that would carry on the baton of leadership from them.

Industrialists counsel government on taxation From Adimike George, Onitsha

“The person must not necessarily be your child or related to you. This is why the South-West is succeeding by having successive generational replacement,” he noted.

The President of ONICCIMA, Chief Okechukwu Akaneme, in an address, said that the theme of the lecture was apt as it addressed poverty from the bottom (rural areas) and considered the need to strengthen our local government authorities to leave up to their developmental challenges.

He said the essence of the perspective

•Okorocha

Among the lectures for the day were: local government in Nigeria: relevance and effectiveness in poverty reduction and economic development and Nigeria: background to underdevelopment and poverty in the local government areas.

They were delivered by Prof. Eric Eboh of African Institute for Applied Economics, Enugu and Prof. Obasi Igwe Head of Political Science the University of Nigeria Nsukka respectively.

Highpoint of the programme was the launch of a 309-page book entitled “Strategies for Sustainable Development in Nigeria” which was edited by Akaneme.

•A cross section of audience at the 4th edition of ‘The Perspective’

Okorocha advised to learn from Ohakim’s fall G

OOD Leadership and Agricultural Development (IOGLAD) a nongovernmental organisation (NGO) has advised the Imo State governor-elect, Owelle Rochas Okorocha to learn from the “disgraceful” experience of the outgoing governor, Chief Ikedi Ohakim who the people rejected at the polls during the justconcluded general elections. This, it said, it could do by embarking on realistic pro-

was to create a platform where the organised private sector continuously focus on and address the numerous developmental problems of the state in particular and the nation in general.

He called on the National Assembly to urgently amend relevant sections of the 1999 Constitution with a view to strengthening the local government system. He added that: “Of particular interest is the urgent need to give our local governments a measure of financial autonomy by abrogating a joint account system between the state and the local governments as it currently exists.”

From Emma Mgbeahurike, Owerri

grammes and policies that would impact positively on the lives of Imo people.

In a statement entitled “Putting the Records Straight on Governance in Imo State Between 2007 and 2011” and signed by its president, Chief Martin Ihesie and made available to Newsextra in Owerri, the Imo State capital, the organisation urged Okorocha to shun pride, arrogance, hatred and sycophancy for him to succeed in his rescue mission.

Ihesie stressed that Governor Ohakim lost his re-election bid due to some lapses created by one of his aides, Chief Willie Amadi who was in charge of the Environmental Transformation Committee (ENTRACO) which displaced many people from their businesses during its operations in Owerri.

He added that the destruction of churches without remorse by Ohakim’s ENTRACO also attracted a curse on his administration while the manhandling of a Catholic Priest by his security aides made the Catholic faithful not to support his reelection.

The NGO boss however commended Chief Ohakim for recording some strides through his Clean and Green programme which he revealed resulted in the beautification of the state capital as well as the employment of some youths under the 10,000 Jobs Initiative and the N250,000 loan given to all Presidents-General in the state.

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ESIDENTS of Egba Community located in Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Area of Edo State have demanded compensation from the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for continued burning of seized cannabis in their community.

The residents, who stormed the venue where 79,700kg of cannabis was being burnt last week told newsmen that they usually experienced various health hazards when the NDLEA burnt seized drugs in their locality.

Chairman of the Egba Community Development Association, Solomon Ighiwiyisi who had led a delegation of

Residents in the area can no longer stand the grave health implications of inhaling the smoke from the burning of the weeds…This would be the last time they would allow NDLEA to burn illicit drugs in their locality without adequate compensation to assist them in taking care of health-related problems arising from the burning

Community demands compensation from NDLEA From Osagie Otabor, Benin

youths in the community to disrupt the burning exercise, was placated by officials of the agency.

The community chairman told journalists that residents in the area can no longer stand the grave health implications of inhaling the smoke from the burning of the weeds.

He said this would be the last time they would allow NDLEA to burn illicit drugs in their locality without adequate compensation to assist them in taking care of health-related problems arising from the burning.

Enogie (Duke) of the community, Enogie Palmer Omoregie said his hands were tied as he cannot stop the government from carrying out the destruction of the illicit drugs since it was geared towards the elimination of trafficking in hard drugs from the society.

Enogie Omoregie however appealed to the government to provide medical assistance to residents of the community who are at the receiving end each time NDLEA carries out the destruction of illicit drugs.

He called on the Edo State government to extend its scope of development to Egba community through the provision of good roads and construction of schools.

THE NATION FRIDAY,MAY 27, 2011

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COMMENTARY

“H

OW, indeed, may we judge a king as a citizen? Judging him means applying the law.

But law implies a common foundation of justice. And is there any common foundation of justice between subjects and kings?”

Louis de Saint-Just (1767 - 1794) In an article published in this column sometime last year, I cited an all time axiomatic inscription placed at the main entrance of the world’s first University in Cordoba, Spain, established by the Umayyad Muslims in about 776 CE. It read thus: “The world is sustained by four formidable pillars: the wisdom of the learned, the justice of the great, the prayers of the righteous and the valour of the brave”.

That was the intellectual cliché that ushered University system of education into the world. Looking closely at that inscription, one will discover that the word ‘JUSTICE’ is the only common denominator coordinating all other factors. It can be called a ‘ONE POINT AGENDER’ with which the Almighty Allah has consistently sustained the world.

With justice, the orbit is in total harmony as big and small stars swim around in the Milky Way through the various planets, each carrying out its assigned duty unhindered. With justice, elephants and rats co-habit in the same forests without any fear of oppression or molestation. Even where predators like lion and hyena have to feed on lesser animals, they do so only in accordance with their need. They don’t kill to store for the rainy day. With justice whales and fingerlings coexist in oceans and seas without one disturbing the other. Ditto the birds, the reptiles, insects and even the plants.

From whichever angle it is viewed, natural justice will be found to be the basis of the serenity of the world in which all creatures except man co-exist.

But justice itself is not an island. It is rather a corollary of the rule of law. And there can never be anything called ‘rule of law’ in the absence of truth which itself is moderated by conscience. That is why Nigeria’s foremost scholar and patriarch of Sokoto Caliphate, Usman Dan Fodio defined conscience as an open wound which only the truth can heal. Conscience lives in a divine pearl.

And that pearl is the place in the body where fear of God resides. Anybody who doesn’t fear God cannot claim to have conscience.

Unfortunately, of all the planets in the universe, it is only the earth, captained by man that experiences injustice as perpetrated by the sons and daughters of Adam. If there is any temporal or spiritual pollution in any part of the earth, man should be held responsible.

The case of Nigeria is a good example.

Vice-President Muhammad Namadi Sambo was probably carried away by patriotic chauvinism at the expense of reality sometime year last when he reacted sharply to a foreign observation which described Nigeria as a 419 country. The VP’s position on that observation was quite understandable but the reality on ground did not seem to agree with that chauvinistic position.

There is hardly any negative conduct in the world today that is not attributable to Nigerian individuals or governments.

Most often, Nigerians perceive corruption from the angle of stealing public funds. It is hardly remembered that corruption is not about money alone. Three major institutions in Nigeria today exemplify corruption in its entirety. These are the Political Class, the Civil Service and the Police. These three institutions have institutionalised, entrenched and perfected corruption in the land to the detriment of what Nigeria would have ordinarily become. If these three fundamental institutions are so notorious for corruption internally and externally that the public cannot trust them on any good thing what else is called Nigeria as a country?

THE NATION FRIDAY,MAY 27, 2011

FEMI ABBAS ON Femabbas@yahoo.com 08051101861

Ruling by law ‘To attain any distinctive position in the comity of nations by 2020 as now being aspired by the government, one of the necessary surgical operations is to sanitise the system.

And such sanitisation is impossible while the three legs of government mentioned above continue to operate in the same manner’ •Dr. Jonathan

Truth is a bitter pill often found difficult to swallow. If those foreign observers had described Nigeria as the most transparent country in Africa perhaps our VP would have probably taken such comment as a political sugar suitable for election campaign. But it is only in Nigeria that an obvious black colour is shamelessly called white just for personal benefit.

Our politicians are the legislators and executors of our laws. They are also the formulators of the policies which back up those laws through the Civil Servants. And our Police are the enforcers of those laws. In truth and sincerity, which of these three legs is not corrupt? The only thing that seems to be wrong in corruption in Nigeria as far as the three legs are concerned is to say they are corrupt. To them it is a crime to call a spade a spade. That is why the Governor of the Central Bank, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, had to be summoned by the Senate and the House of Representatives last late last year for clarification over his statement that 25% of Nigeria’s overhead was consumed by the Parliamentarians. Before summoning the Central Bank Governor, the Senate had told the public that the share of the legislators in terms of salaries and allowances was only about 3% of the national annual budget for the entire overhead in Nigeria. The disparity between 25% announced by Sanusi and the 3% claimed by the Senate thus became the subject of fierce debate when Sanusi along with the Minister of Finance, Olushegun Aganga and a Special Adviser to the President on Finance faced the plenary session of the Senate.

Like the former Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngosi Okonjo Iweala, who in honour, resigned from her ministerial position as a protest against manipulation and hand twisting, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi firmly stood his ground and refused to retract his statement which he described as factual. He therefore objected to apologising to the Senate as demanded by the Senate Chairman of Budget

Committee and rejected being cowed for telling the truth.

In the final analysis, the Senate could not substantiate its 3% claim but rather concentrated on drilling and intimidating the Central Bank Governor as a psychological warning to other public officers who might want to expose the Senators in future. The language of address alone by the Chairman of that Committee was suggestive of a prejudicial arrogance.

By summoning Sanusi for clarification on his statement, the Senate had confirmed the perennial position of Nigeria Police that ‘MIGHT IS RIGHT’.

When a Nigerian Policeman commits a crime the leadership of the Force quickly sets up an all Police investigation committee not genuinely to discover the truth but to cover up the crime and protect the non-existing image of the Police. And based on whatever the committee claims to have found, punishment is recommended which often becomes the judgment.

In a nutshell, the Police are the judge in their own case. We can still vividly remember the case of Oko Oba (Agege) ‘seven’ of the late 1980s/ early 1990s as well as the Apo (Abuja) ‘six’ of 2005. In both cases, it was the Police that committed extra-judicial murder gunning down innocent citizens for no just cause. There were many other cases of the like which were secretly handled without recourse to justice. But for the steadfastness and tenacity of the Press in exposing those celebrated cases, the families of Oko Oba seven and those of Apo six would not have been compensated even after it became clear that the victims were extra judiciously killed in cold blood. If sitting in judgment in your own case is not corruption what is it?

That is what the Senate did by summoning Sanusi last year. In a sane society, if the Senate feels aggrieved by Sanusi’s statement what it should do is either to go to court or drag Sanusi to an independent arbitration panel.

Summoning him as the Senate did was nothing but exhibition of corruption

with arrogance of power. Could Sanusi or any other public officer of his status have summoned a Senator for clarification and retraction of a disparaging statement about his person? Sanusi’s case in the Senate was not the first. Many other public officers had been summoned in similar circumstances where the Senate acted as the plaintive, the defendant, the prosecutor and the judge.

As Nigerians, we feel insulted by this unbridled, illegitimate action of the Senate not because it concerned public officers but because such action is not and should not be part of the Senate’s statutory assignment. That obnoxious action was enough to tag Nigeria a corrupt country. Whoever calls for equity must come with clean hands.

To attain any distinctive position in the comity of nations by 2020 as now being aspired by the government, one of the necessary surgical operations is to sanitise the system. And such sanitisation is impossible while the three legs of government mentioned above continue to operate in the same manner.

Another clear evidence of corruption in Nigeria is the institutionalisation of the office of the ‘FIRST LADY’ both at the federal and State levels. We all know that this office is illegal because there is no reference to it in our constitution. And that is why there was nothing like First Lady in Nigeria’s first and second republics.

The privileges which the so-called First Ladies have illegally turned into their rights are nothing but abuse of the country’s constitution. Such illegal imposition is nothing but audacious corruption.

For eight years, between 1999 and 2007, Nigerians have had to cope with so much rot by bearing the mess of one man’s crude and parochial politics if only for the sake of seeing the back of military government forever in Nigeria. The fact that the same man attempted an illegal third term in office alone was enough evidence of the mess of the recent past. Now, it will be most unfortunate to replace pseudo-military government with a civilian audacious brigandage in the name of democracy. The Senate and the House of Representatives should try and know the limit of their functions. To show our seriousness about the pursuit of greatness for this country, adoption of ONE POINT AGENDA: JUSTICE is a sine qua non.

By reducing the 2011 national budget by over half a trillion after several months of tussle between the legislature and the Executive, President Jonathan has started off well. That was a sign of seriousness which he should keep up with sincerity. That is, however, not to say that N850 million is not too much an amount to spend on inauguration.

The world is in disharmony today because of deliberate deviation from the rule of law. Stronger nations want to dominate weaker nations as in the case of America in Iraq. Governments want to enslave the governed as in the case of Nigeria between 1999 and 2007. Groups want to exploit individuals as in the case the business elite and the consumers. It is all an evidence of dogs eating dogs in the stable of greed. Why won’t disharmony prevail?

But Allah so much loves mankind that He does not leave them permanently in the hands of devilish pirates. From time to time, Allah sends conscientious individuals either as rulers or counsellors to rescue the oppressed people. That is why the late President Yar’Ádua’s insistence on rule of law was a pace which President Jonathan must keep. Rule of law is the first sign of sanity in a society. It is an evidence of decency in a people.

What the Qur’an teaches which the Prophet emphasised is for everybody to follow the rule of the law by which he or she is governed. To do this is to follow the guidance of the Qur’an.

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NEWS

Probe: Bankole writes EFCC for more time

Monarch kidnapped in Anambra

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• Commission gives Speaker one week grace

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PEAKER Dimeji Bankole is pleading for more time to face anti-graft investigators.

He has written to the Economic and Finanacial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which is examining the accounts of the House of Representatives, for a new date. He was expected at the EFCC yesterday.

Bankole’s letter, written on his behalf by the clerk of the House of Representatives, pleaded for “more time” because of his involvement in some of the events associated with Sunday’s inauguration of President Goodluck Jonathan.

From Yusuf Alli, Managing Editor, Northern Operation

The EFCC granted a short time. Bankole is to report on Tuesday.

Bankole’s letter caught members of the interrogation panel and anxious reporters who stormed the EFCC headquarters unawares.

“With this development, the Chairman of the EFCC, Mrs. Farida Waziri, would have returned from her trip abroad to oversee the interaction with the Speaker,” a source said yesterday. The Head of Media and Publicity at the EFCC, Mr. Femi Babafe-

•Bankole

mi, confirmed the new date.

He said: “We received a letter that the Speaker would not be able to appear before our team and we have given him a new date, accordingly.”

A group, Youth Anti-Corruption League last week staged a protest to the EFCC, demanding Bankole’s probe.

The League submitted a one-page petition to the EFCC through its President, Jumoke Iliyasu.

HERE was tension yesterday in Anambra State following the kidnap of the septuagenarian monarch of Ihembosi in Ekwusigo Local Government by unknown gunmen.

Igwe J.C.U. Okolie was snatched on Wednesday night as he was returning to his palace.

The monarch was said to be returning from a meeting about 8.30pm when he met a six-member gang of suspected kidnappers, blocked his car and whisked him to an unknown destination.

The hoodlums, according to sources, operated in a Toyota Camry and a sport utility vehicle (SUV).

No contact, according to family sources has been made.

From Adimike George, Onitsha

The victims wife, Lolo E. Okolie, said her husband was returning home to take his supper, when he was abducted.

Mrs Okolie said: “My husband was coming home after his engagement, when a group of about six boys blocked his car and seized him. We have not heard from them since and they have not demanded anything. If they keep silent, how are we going to know what they want”? she queried.

She, however, denied that the Igwe might have been kidnapped on political grounds.

“He is not into partisan politics; so, I don’t know why they kidnapped him”.

Mrs. Okolie appealed to the governor to use all available resources to locate her husband.

Police Public Relations Officer Mr. Emeka Chukwuemeka confirmed the incident. He said the hoodlums were yet to be located, pointing out that the command was combing all parts of the town and nearby villages for the monarch.

Fayemi hails passage of FoI bill

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KITI State Governor Dr. Kayode Fayemi has praised the National Assembly on the passage of the Freedom of Information Bill (FoI).

In a statement yesterday by his Special Adviser (Media), Mojeed Jamiu, Fayemi noted that the law would make elected and appointed public officials to be more accountable to the electorate.

The governor, who is currently on a two-week business tour of the United Kingdom, Bermuda, Europe and the United States (US), said the Law would enhance probity, accountability, transparency and entrench the much-needed good governance in all tiers of government in the country.

The governor recalled that the bill had passed through three legislative sessions as it was introduced in the Fourth Session, re-presented in the Fifth Session before it was passed by the Sixth Session of the National Assembly.

Fayemi pointed out that one of the first bills he forwarded to House of Assembly for consideration and passage was the Ekiti State Freedom of Information Bill as a proof of his administration’s readiness to promote transparency and accountability.

He said: “I am delighted by the eventual passage of the bill by the two chambers of the National Assembly after so many hiccups that delayed its passage.

“I believe that it will make public officials more accountable to the electorate and help reduce corruption in governance.

“The passage of the bill will help strengthen and further deepen our democracy, restore the confidence of the international community and portray Nigeria as a country that is serious in tackling the hydra-headed cancer of corruption.

“The passage of the bill is a clear signal that it will no more be business as usual and make those holding public offices accountable to the electorate.”

Decorators greet Ajimobi

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HE Oyo State chapter of the Association of Curtains and Interior Decorators, has urged the governor-elect Senator Isiaka Ajimobi to rise above primordial challenges and give the people good leadership.

The President of the association, Dele Oladele, who made the call in a statement expressed satisfaction over Ajimobi’s election.

He said: “The association

By Musa Odoshimokhe

believe you are there to listen when no one else will and encourage us when no one else could. We pray that the lord should grant you divine wisdom in managing the state resources.”

Oladele noted that Oyo State being a pacesetter state should be in a position to lay example for others to follow.

Forum praises ACN’s, Tinubu’s stance on GNU

By Nneka Nwaneri

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GROUP, the Forum for Purposeful Governance & Democratic Ethos, yesterday praised the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) for turning down membership of the Government of National Unity (GNU) as proposed by the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

It pointed out that for a truly balanced democracy, such as we had between 1979 and 1983, the opposition must maintain a cohesive and coherent voice to serve as the purveyor of alternative considerations and solutions on matters of national interest.

The group, in a statement by its National Convener, Femi Akomolede, said the most significant by-product of the elections was the swelling of the ranks of the opposition given their better performance in the legislative and governorship elections compared to any elections since 1999.

“Since 1999, Nigeria has run more like a one-party nation.

That is set to change as the opposition parties now have more seats in the national legislature and will control more states than before. This is extremely good for our burgeoning democracy as that affords us more checks and balances in governance.”

The forum said: “In our view, from North to South, East to West, no one else deserves the credit for rekindling the spirit of viable, credible, forthright, people-centric opposition more than former Lagos State Governor and national leader of ACN Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu”. The group promised to decorate this “indefatigable icon of opposition in modern democracy”.

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NEWS

‘How to run an efficient e-tax system’

Court orders el-Rufai to produce two sureties

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FEDERAL Capital Territory (FCT) High Court yesterday ordered the former minister of the FCT, Nasir el-Rufai to produce two sureties, who must depose to an affidavit to produce him in court throughout the period of his trial.

The former minister, who is standing trial for alleged corruption and abuse of office, failed to appear before the court at the last hearing of the case on May 24.

The court had on April 17 granted him bail on self-recognition, being a former minister.

Justice Abubakar Umar at the last hearing threatened to revoke the bail granted el-Rufai’s if he failed to appear before the court at yesterday’s

hearing.

Umar also threatened to revoke the bail granted to Altine Jibrin, a former director-general of the Abuja Geographic Information System (AGIS) for not appearing in court for trial.

She was, however, in court yesterday when Umar gave the order after counsel to elRufai, Chief Akin Olujimi (SAN), apologised for the absence of his client.

He said: “I must admit that the absence of the accused from court on May 24 and today (yesterday) is entirely due to my fault.’’

Olujimi said he had assumed that when he applied for adjournment and suggested alternative dates, the matter could be sorted out be-

tween the court registrar and counsel to the accused and prosecution.

He said it was based on that assumption that his client travelled out of the country and prayed the court not to revoke his bail, taking responsibility for the fault.

Olujimi said his client had tremendous respect for the court, saying; “you should not punish a litigant for the fault of his counsel.’’

The prosecution counsel, Mr. A.O. Adelodun opposed the prayer and urged the court to revoke the bail granted to the former minister for his refusal to appear in court.

Adelodun said the consequence of an accused refusing to appear in court in criminal matter was the revocation of

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•el-Rufai

the accused bail, arguing that that was the position of the law.

In the alternative, he prayed for an order to compel el-Rufai to submit his travelling document to the court to make him get the court’s permission before travelling out of the country.

The matter has been adjourned to June 23 for further hearing.

HE Federal Government and the private sector need to create and maintain a massive infrastructure to run an efficient electronic taxation system that will develop the economy.

Speaking in Lagos yesterday, the President, Chartered Institute of Taxation, Prince Rasaq Quadri, said not much has been put in place towards exploring the benefits of etaxation, in terms of investment in hardware, software, manpower needed to run the system successfully in the country.

Consequently, he said the industry is yet to take advantage of the opportunities provided by e-taxation.

To him, the overall aim of e-taxation is to replace cumbersome manual, bureaucratic service systems with collaborative, efficient, process-driven and secure online delivery.

He asked the Federal Government to revamp the tax system to eliminate illegal collections at the local government level, which he identi-

By Daniel Essiet

fied as inmical to many businesses.

To achieve this, Quadri urged the government to initiate the process of rationalisation of the current structure of multiple levies to make the fiscal environment more conducive for the growth of the economy.

Quadri emphasised that it is necessary to maintain uniformity in states’ taxation of businesses in order to give a positive signal of administrative orderliness to foreign investors.

He called for the establishment of a committee on Taxation and Revenue in the Lagos State House of Assembly to work with the state government to determine the most appropriate response to recommendations in relation to tax matters.

On ICAN-CITN face off,the president said the two institutes are working together towards building a harmonious professional relationship that will assist their practitioners.

Aguiyi Ironsi traders protest harassment by council officials

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CORES of traders of Aguiyi Ironsi Spare Parts Market at Ladipo, Mushin, Lagos, yesterday protested the alleged intimidation and harassment of their leaders by the local government.

After the market sanitation yesterday, the traders, under the Traders Association, Aguiyi Ironsi Complex delayed opening of their shops as they met over plans to shut the market by the council.

The traders called for the Confirmation of Name EKWUOGO I, formerly Mrs. Chioma Francisca Ekwuogo is now to be known and address as Miss Chioma Francisca Anowai. All former documents remain valid.

International passport office and general public take note.

LABODE

I formerly known and addressed as Miss Labode Modupeola Musleeat Morolahun, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Oyedeji Modupeola Musleeat Morolahun. All former documents remain valid.

General public should take note.

OLAJUWON

I formerly known and addressed as Miss Funmilayo Enitan Olajuwon, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Funmilayo Enitan OlajuwonAjayi. All former documents remain valid. NYSC, MOPOLY and general public should take note.

By Miriam Ndikanwu

government’s intervention, explaining that they are lawabiding citizens who would not do anything to contravene the law.

President of the Aguiyi Ironsi Traders Assocition, Mr. Jonathan Okolie, said the association paid the local government over N9 million as dues between 2008 and 2009.

He said: “We have been worried by the recent events in the market organised by the Mushin Local Government, with the motive to close down our market.

“Although, we know that Mushin Local Government is the regulator of all market, within its territory, the council is bound not to interfere

Ekiti community honours politician

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HE Ipole-Iloro Ekiti Youth Forum has honoured the Supevisor for Health, Ekiti West Local Government, Prince Babtunde Asaro for his contributions to the town.

At a ceremony in the ancient town, where Asaro received a plaque and portrait, the leader of the forum, Kehinde Ojo urged other indigenes to emulate his qualities and virtues as a progressive politician.

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EQUITIES NIGERIAN STOCK EXCHANGE DAILY SUMMARY AS AT 26-05-11 2ND-TIER SECURITIES Company Name CAPITAL OIL PLC SMART PRODUCTS NIGERIA PLC. Sector Totals

No of Deals Quotation(N) Quantity Traded 1 0.50 3,500 1 1.43 600 2 4,100 AGRICULTURE/AGRO-ALLIED Company Name No of Deals Quotation(N) Quantity Traded LIVESTOCK FEEDS PLC 1 0.50 100,000 PRESCO PLC 17 7.61 592,200 Sector Totals 18 692,200 AIR SERVICES Company Name No of Deals Quotation(N) Quantity Traded NIGERIAN AVIATION HANDLING COMP PLC 151 8.40 988,040 Sector Totals 151 988,040 AUTOMOBILE & TYRE Company Name No of Deals Quotation(N) Quantity Traded R. T. BRISCOE (NIGERIA) PLC 16 2.55 247,762 Sector Totals 16 247,762 BANKING Company Name No of Deals Quotation(N) Quantity Traded ACCESS BANK PLC 165 8.05 9,727,943 AFRIBANK NIGERIA PLC 57 1.69 2,853,136 DIAMOND BANK PLC 122 6.19 6,309,266 ECOBANK NIGERIA PLC 50 4.10 1,505,915 FIRST CITY MONUMENT BANK PLC 59 7.78 8,112,679 FIDELITY BANK PLC 97 2.60 3,373,147 FIRST BANK OF NIGERIA PLC 526 13.50 14,047,844 FINBANK PLC 57 0.68 3,912,380 GTBANK PLC 436 16.20 7,300,996 STANBIC IBTC BANK PLC 37 10.00 796,563 INTERCONTINENTAL BANK PLC. 65 1.40 2,316,413 OCEANIC BANK INTERNATIONAL PLC 122 1.84 15,399,851 BANK PHB PLC 22 1.28 1,865,725 SKYE BANK PLC. 100 8.38 2,680,418 SPRING BANK PLC 2 1.09 20,830 STERLING BANK PLC 39 2.12 1,112,081 UNITED BANK FOR AFRICA PLC. 304 6.00 9,894,869 UNION BANK OF NIGERIA PLC 141 2.67 7,484,774 UNITYBANK PLC 33 1.02 3,548,310 WEMA BANK PLC 28 1.11 1,099,063 ZENITH BANK PLC 256 15.15 5,793,552 Sector Totals 2,718 109,155,755 BREWERIES Company Name No of Deals Quotation(N) Quantity Traded CHAMPION BREWERIES PLC 3 4.18 51,500 GUINNESS NIGERIA PLC 95 239.62 920,264 INTERNATIONAL BREWERIES PLC 19 5.88 262,010 NIGERIAN BREWERIES PLC 157 85.81 1,111,199 PREMIER BREWERIES PLC 2 0.93 48,366 Sector Totals 276 2,393,339 BUILDING MATERIALS Company Name No of Deals Quotation(N) Quantity Traded ASHAKA CEMENT PLC 62 24.00 761,709 CEMENT CO. OF NORTHERN NIGERIA PLC 29 11.17 646,850 DANGOTE CEMENT PLC 22 131.10 194,643 LAFARGE WAPCO PLC 58 44.20 990,384 Sector Totals 171 2,593,586 CHEMICAL & PAINTS Company Name No of Deals Quotation(N) Quantity Traded BERGER PAINTS NIGERIA PLC 14 11.73 107,642 CHEMICAL AND ALLIED PRODUCTS PLC 5 24.28 4,724 DN MEYER PLC 1 1.60 92,000 Sector Totals 20 204,366 COMMERCIAL/SERVICES Company Name No of Deals Quotation(N) Quantity Traded COURTVILLE INVESTMENTS PLC 1 0.50 12,000 RED STAR EXPRESS PLC 7 2.97 502,500 TRANS NATIONWIDE EXPRESS PLC 1 5.78 10,000 Sector Totals 9 524,500 COMPUTER & OFFICE EQUIPMENT Company Name No of Deals Quotation(N) Quantity Traded OMATEK VENTURES PLC 1 0.50 29,000 Sector Totals 1 29,000 CONGLOMERATES Company Name No of Deals Quotation(N) Quantity Traded A. G. LEVENTIS (NIGERIA) PLC 17 2.10 293,813 JOHN HOLT PLC 2 7.21 27,000 PZ CUSSONS NIGERIA PLC 44 35.00 995,253 TRANSNATIONAL CORPORATION OF NIGERIA PLC 57 0.97 122,814,236 UAC OF NIGERIA PLC 30 38.11 181,489 UNILEVER NIGERIA PLC 61 27.35 651,403 Sector Totals 211 124,963,194 CONSTRUCTION Company Name No of Deals Quotation(N) Quantity Traded COSTAIN (WA) PLC 4 4.96 58,000 JULIUS BERGER NIGERIA PLC 18 58.49 66,003 MULTIVERSE PLC 1 0.50 100 ROADS NIGERIA PLC 1 3.16 1,466 Sector Totals 24 125,569 ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY Company Name No of Deals Quotation(N) Quantity Traded CUTIX PLC 2 2.00 60,551 NIGERIAN WIRE AND CABLE PLC. 2 0.56 15,280 Sector Totals 4 75,831 FOOD/BEVERAGES & TOBACCO Company Name No of Deals Quotation(N) Quantity Traded 7-UP BOTTLING CO. PLC 19 46.00 36,476 CADBURY NIGERIA PLC 41 20.75 695,810 DANGOTE FLOUR MILLS PLC 86 18.52 742,954 DANGOTE SUGAR REFINERY PLC 52 13.40 901,843 FLOUR MILLS NIGERIA PLC 58 90.00 195,355 HONEYWELL FLOUR MILL PLC 17 4.56 600,863 NATIONAL SALT COMPANY NIGERIA PLC 19 6.03 849,300 NIGERIAN BOTTLING COMPANY PLC 17 36.00 216,441 NESTLE NIGERIA PLC 45 400.00 227,210 NORTHERN NIGERIA FLOUR MILLS PLC 8 29.20 119,140 TANTALIZERS PLC 10 0.50 145,349 UTC NIGERIA PLC 19 0.66 184,159 Sector Totals 391 4,914,900 HEALTHCARE Company Name No of Deals Quotation(N) Quantity Traded EVANS MEDICALPLC. 2 1.26 1,644 FIDSON HEALTHCARE PLC 10 2.05 83,638 GLAXOSMITHKLINE CONSUMER NIG. PLC 14 27.00 146,622 MAY & BAKER NIGERIA PLC. 4 4.27 1,690 Sector Totals 30 233,594 HOTEL & TOURISM Company Name No of Deals Quotation(N) Quantity Traded CAPITAL HOTEL PLC 3 3.12 34,000 IKEJA HOTEL PLC 4 1.38 55,000 TOURIST COMPANY OF NIGERIA PLC 1 4.53 168,000,000 168,089,000 Sector Totals 8 INDUSTRIAL/DOMESTIC PRODUCTS Company Name No of Deals Quotation(N) Quantity Traded B. O. C. GASES NIGERIA PLC 2 8.20 10,650 VITAFOAM NIGERIA PLC 14 5.88 164,950 VONO PRODUCTS PLC 1 3.18 10,000 Sector Totals 17 185,600 INFORMATION & COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY Company Name No of Deals Quotation(N) Quantity Traded CHAMS PLC 2 0.50 100,100 IHS NIGERIA PLC 1 2.81 5,000 MASS TELECOM INNOVATION NIGERIA PLC 1 0.50 3,000 STARCOMMS PLC 27 0.59 1,174,870 Sector Totals 31 1,282,970 INSURANCE Company Name No of Deals Quotation(N) Quantity Traded

Value of Shares (N) 1,750.00 900.00 2,650.00 Value of Shares (N) 50,000.00 4,468,910.00 4,518,910.00 Value of Shares (N) 8,301,282.57 8,301,282.57 Value of Shares (N) 622,789.38 622,789.38 Value of Shares (N) 76,882,927.25 4,729,690.77 37,557,878.76 6,076,330.86 62,468,053.60 8,735,906.82 189,855,402.25 2,595,560.21 117,522,532.66 7,963,570.40 3,188,914.93 29,249,162.11 2,389,365.10 21,887,926.07 21,663.20 2,217,895.60 60,185,303.69 20,018,339.41 3,639,457.50 1,223,318.60 87,321,733.32 745,730,933.11 Value of Shares (N) 206,000.00 220,584,525.60 1,541,560.90 95,370,382.63 43,045.74 317,745,514.87 Value of Shares (N) 17,990,905.25 7,142,584.08 25,510,898.42 43,881,787.23 94,526,174.98 Value of Shares (N) 1,200,762.90 120,414.76 147,200.00 1,468,377.66

International Breweries share capital now N1.8b

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HE shareholders of International breweries at the company’s 34th annual general meeting held yesterday in Osun State approved the proposed rights issue of 1.479 billion units of shares, by the board.

The proposed rights issue represents the shareholders’ approval to increase the company’s paid up capital from N1.056 billion to N1.796 billion.

The rights will be in the proportion of seven new shares for every 10 already held by the shareholders at N5.08 per share.

The Managing Director of GTI Securities Limited, Mr Tunde Oyekunle, said shareholders were very delighted as this is the first rights issue the company is giving since it was listed on the exchange since 1995.

He said they also passed a resolution to increase their authorised share capital from N1.5 billion to N2 billion by creating additional one billion shares of 50 kobo each.

He added that, “International Breweries is a company to watch out for in the brewery industry in Nigeria considering its current price and growth potentials.”

The chairman of the com-

By Tonia Osundolire and Eshiet Uyoatta

pany Mr Gil Martignac in a statement said that “the investment in the new equipment and facilities that has taken place over the past two years or more, has positioned the company well to allow it increase volume, consolidate its range of brands and products and achieve ever better market penetration.”

On the floor of the exchange, the shares of the company yesterday closed at N5.88 per share. The share price of the company, excluding those of Guinness and Nigerian Breweries, led the five other players in its sector. As at yesterday, the stock had a high of N7.10 and a low of N5.23 since the year began.

Meanwhile, transactions on the floor of the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) yesterday bounced back after reaching a resistance level. The key market indicators both appreciated by 0.45 and 0.38 per cent respectively.

Market capitalisation added N37 billion to close at N8.223 trillion while the All-Share Index improved by 98.31 points to close at 25,716.84 points.

However, the mood of the market changed from the

NIGERIAN STOCK EXCHANGE DAILY SUMMARY AS AT 26-05-11

Value of Shares (N) 50,050.00 14,050.00 1,500.00 699,006.60 764,606.60

AIICO INSURANCE PLC. 174 0.83 CONTINENTAL REINSURANCE PLC 4 1.07 CORNERSTONE INSURANCE CO. PLC. 1 0.50 CUSTODIAN AND ALLIED INSURANCE PLC 15 2.99 EQUITY ASSURANCE PLC 1 0.50 GREAT NIGERIA INSURANCE COMPANY PLC 4 0.50 GUARANTY TRUST ASSURANCE PLC 11 1.70 CONSOLIDATED HALLMARK INSURANCE PLC 2 0.50 INTERNATIONAL ENERGY INSURANCE COMP PLC 1 0.50 LASACO ASSURANCE PLC. 2 0.50 LAW UNION AND ROCK INSURANCE PLC. 7 0.57 MUTUAL BENEFITS ASSURANCE PLC 1 0.50 N.E.M. INSURANCE CO. (NIG.) PLC. 16 0.54 NIGER INSURANCE CO. PLC. 4 0.71 SOVEREIGN TRUST INSURANCE PLC 1 0.50 UNIVERSAL INSURANCE COMPANY PLC 1 0.50 INTERCONTINENTAL WAPIC INSURANCE PLC 11 0.53 Sector Totals 256 LEASING Company Name No of Deals Quotation(N) C&I LEASING PLC 13 1.30 Sector Totals 13 MARITIME Company Name No of Deals Quotation(N) JAPAUL OIL & MARITIME SERVICES PLC 71 1.34 Sector Totals 71 MEDIA Company Name No of Deals Quotation(N) AFROMEDIA PLC 2 0.51 Sector Totals 2 MORTGAGE COMPANIES Company Name No of Deals Quotation(N) ASO SAVINGS AND LOAND PLC 3 0.50 UNION HOMES SAVINGS AND LOANS PLC 20 0.60 Sector Totals 23 PACKAGING Company Name No of Deals Quotation(N) NIGERIAN BAG MANUFACTURING COMP PLC 41 2.50 Sector Totals 41 PETROLEUM(MARKETING) Company Name No of Deals Quotation(N) AFRICAN PETROLEUM PLC. 40 20.50 BECO PETROLEUM PRODUCT PLC 5 0.50 MRS OIL NIGERIA PLC 12 72.00 CONOIL PLC 100 41.89 ETERNA OIL & GAS PLC. 4 5.59 MOBIL OIL NIGERIA PLC. 11 163.50 OANDO PLC 121 52.00 TOTAL NIGERIA PLC 25 195.50 Sector Totals 318 PRINTING & PUBLISHING Company Name No of Deals Quotation(N) UNIVERSITY PRESS PLC 3 4.99 Sector Totals 3 REAL ESTATE Company Name No of Deals Quotation(N) UACN PROPERTY DEVELOPMENT CO. PLC 9 17.96 9 Sector Totals ROAD TRANSPORTATION Company Name No of Deals Quotation(N) ASSOCIATED BUS COMPANY PLC 11 0.70 Sector Totals 11 TEXTILES Company Name No of Deals Quotation(N) UNITED NIGERIA TEXTILES PLC 2 0.65 Sector Totals 2 THE FOREIGN LISTINGS Company Name No of Deals Quotation(N) ECOBANK TRANSNATIONAL INCORPORATED 19 15.30 Sector Totals 19

Value of Shares (N)

Overall Totals

Value of Shares (N) 6,000.00 1,491,245.00 55,000.00 1,552,245.00 Value of Shares (N) 14,500.00 14,500.00 Value of Shares (N) 579,074.70 184,950.00 35,119,743.86 122,813,126.90 6,930,355.02 17,827,354.24 183,454,604.72 Value of Shares (N) 287,680.00 3,829,685.43 50.00 4,852.46 4,122,267.89 Value of Shares (N) 121,872.00 8,862.40 130,734.40 Value of Shares (N) 1,694,948.85 14,092,277.23 13,752,238.84 12,084,164.66 17,585,071.49 2,742,029.00 5,121,279.00 7,790,893.77 90,775,182.67 3,304,943.60 72,674.50 117,982.41 169,133,686.02 Value of Shares (N) 1,972.80 171,293.57 3,869,970.10 6,861.40 4,050,097.87 Value of Shares (N) 101,500.00 78,800.00 761,040,000.00 761,220,300.00 Value of Shares (N) 83,496.00 924,021.00 30,300.00 1,037,817.00

regular transaction where the banking sector takes the lead in terms of activities. The Hotel and Tourism sector took the lead position with 168.089 million units of shares traded.

Tourist Company of Nigeria was the major contributor with 168 million shares done in a crossed deal. This stock is the most priced in its sector with N4.53.

Other actively traded sectors were the conglomerates and banks with 124.963 million shares and 109.156 million shares. In all, investors traded 437.014 million shares worth N2.413 billion across 4,866 deals.

On the price movement table, a total of 57 stocks recorded price change with 31 appreciating while the remaining 26 reduced in price value. Topping the list of gainers were Julius Berger and Conoil with price increase of 4.99 per cent each.

Others were Lafarge WAPCO, Cadbury, Nigerian Breweries, FCMB, NASCON, Diamond Bank, GTBank and Zenith Bank.

On the losers table, Honeywell flourmills led with a drop of five per cent followed by Costain, Tourist, Unhomes, DNMeyer, Unity Bank, Bank PHB, ABCTrans and Niger Insurance.

4,866

1,458,913 353,260 30,000 1,114,998 40,000 1,000,000 931,700 600 30,000 13,300 709,803 500,000 2,554,264 188,973 60,000 31,697 120,557 9,138,065

1,216,127.59 368,890.40 15,000.00 3,342,739.37 20,000.00 500,000.00 1,549,190.00 300.00 15,000.00 6,650.00 403,341.65 250,000.00 1,364,449.96 134,170.83 30,000.00 15,848.50 63,021.57 9,294,729.87

Quantity Traded 620,860 620,860

Value of Shares (N) 789,223.00 789,223.00

Quantity Traded 3,315,691 3,315,691

Value of Shares (N) 4,329,743.78 4,329,743.78

Quantity Traded 50,000 50,000

Value of Shares (N) 25,500.00 25,500.00

Quantity Traded 200,100 1,273,368 1,473,468

Value of Shares (N) 100,050.00 764,810.80 864,860.80

Quantity Traded 1,383,086 1,383,086

Value of Shares (N) 3,408,791.96 3,408,791.96

Quantity Traded 96,974 110,440 9,286 602,695 14,600 16,011 471,249 70,274 1,391,529

Value of Shares (N) 1,919,094.56 55,220.00 659,536.00 25,089,961.59 77,672.00 2,495,859.39 24,525,661.86 13,743,091.68 68,566,097.08

Quantity Traded 50,030 50,030

Value of Shares (N) 245,489.00 245,489.00

Quantity Traded 25,690 25,690

Value of Shares (N) 445,258.70 445,258.70

Quantity Traded 1,077,870 1,077,870

Value of Shares (N) 780,959.00 780,959.00

Quantity Traded 30,625 30,625

Value of Shares (N) 19,906.25 19,906.25

Quantity Traded 1,754,212 1,754,212

Value of Shares (N) 26,078,303.60 26,078,303.60

437,014,432

2,413,246,355.11

58

THE NATION FRIDAY, MAY 27, 2011

AGRO-BUSINESS

Manpower shortage bane of agric sector T

HE lack of adequately trained manpower is a constraint to the growth of the agricultural sector, the Acting Executive Director of Agricultural and Rural Management Institute (ARMTI), Dr. Oladele Windapo, has said.

Speaking at a forum in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, he said the availability of such personnel is an essential pre-requisite for industrial development.

Windapo said the agric sector is beset with low levels of labour productivity which affects its competitiveness.

He said rejuvenation of the sector will be accomplished if there is a comprehensive and inclusive process based on analysis of manpower needs within the sector.

Windapo said the long-term strategic vision of achieving food security can only be achieved through an agric-driven economy capable of delivering sustainable growth and development.

He said the government must address challenges faced by the commercial farmers that affect production capacity, and quality, adding that for the nation to become competitive, farmers must be empowered to take advantage of opportunities.

According to him, the sector is characterised by low level of entrepreneurial and managerial skills. This has tended to slow the

Stories by Daniel Essiet, Agriculture Correspondent

pace of development of the sector.

He called on the government to strengthen existing training institutions to deliver training programmes that meet the current and future needs of the sector.

According to him, ARMTI has the resources to provide sector-specific training and skills development in agro business management.

He reiterated the commitment of the institute to ensure the availability of the requisite technical manpower for specialised areas on a sustainable basis.

Windapo said the institute has developed programmes to support the training of technical manpower in specialised areas.

Report said there has been a sharp decline in the agricultural sector over the years, as manpower continues to reduce in food production.

A study in the American Journal of Social and Management Sciences on the World Bank’s Agricultural Development Programme (ADP) in Nigeria, said recruitment of extension staff were not based on expertise and professionalism, but on political considerations. The three financiers – World Bank, federal and state governments do not make their contributions as and when due.

Frequent change in leadership has

• Windapo addressing a cross section of participants.

also affected the operation of World Bank sponsored ADP. Based on its findings, the major recommendations are: That ADP should open a dialogue with the government explaining the need to maintain a recruitment policy based on merit as well as less gov-

ernment intervention in the recruitment policy of the programme.

The Federal Government should as a matter of necessity, redesign the ADP to give each state ADP a corporate status that will enable it have access to the financial market

to procure development loans on its own capacity. There is the need to involve the project beneficiaries in the design, planning and execution of the project.

The study was conducted by Emma Chukwuemeka, Ph.D and Dr Hope N. Nzewi.

How to make money raising grasscutter, by farmer

L

IKE a phoenix from the ashes, Prince Arinze Onebunne, the Managing Consultant/Chief Executive Officer of Jovana Farms, indeed has a story to tell.

The self-made-millionaire is making a fortune from raising grass cutter.

Through experience, he knows the challenges and prospects of grass cutter farming.

With N50,000, one can start the business. This enables the beginner to purchase a family comprising one male and four females referred to as a colony. A colony is sold for between N30,000 and N40,000 depending on the age and specie. They are reared in cages which cost N7,000. So, with between N40,000 and N50,000, one can start grass cutter farming.

He advised beginners to buy four months old, which is the breeding stock stage.

For him,grasscutter farming is probably the easiest way for young people to become involved in agriculture. Unlike other types of livestock production, grasscutter farming doesn’t require large amount of land and equipment, capital and modern facilities to earn a living. For those willing to

work hard with a good business plan, Jovana Farms is proof it can be done.

Grasscutters are very cheap to rear. They can be reared at home. The cages can kept in the house, compound, or within a kitchen space if there is no money to rent or buy a land for the business.

Grasscutter feed on grass.

The good thing, according to him, is that one female grass cutter can give five to

Bioscience Centre draws scientific solutions closer to Africa

T

HE recent investments in upgrading the facilities of the Bioscience Centre at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Ibadan, are to consolidate the institute’s efforts as a leader in biotech research services in Africa.

“The Centre is a gateway to science,” says Head of IITA’s,Bioscience Centre, Melaku Gedil, during its formal launch.

“We are endeavouring to expand our services in the areas of genotyping, bioinformatics, cytogenetics (ploidyanalysis), genetic engineering, in vitropropagation/tissue culture, pathogen diagnostics, and training,” he added.

Many other aspects of biotech are carried out in Nigeria, while the genetic engineering/transformation is being done in IITA-Kenya, Melaku explained.

In recent times, biotechnologies have been recognised as essential tools for the effective development of new research products.

The staple foods of Africa such as cassava, yam, cooking banana, plantain and cowpea feed hundreds of millions of poor people, yet they receive little attention from biotechnology in the re-

search community since they are not considered as major cash commodities.

IITA, through its Bioscience Centre, bridges this gap by linking developing countries with advanced research institutions around the world to apply the benefits of biotechnologies to these under-researched crops.

“The objective is to get the needed facility that will be a platform to attract scientists to Africa and encourage the creativity needed to address the challenges of food insecurity,” said Paula Bramel, IITA Deputy Director-General (Research).

Lakshmi Menon, Deputy Director General (Support) commended the work at the centre.

She reiterated the commitment of the R4D support in giving the necessary assistance for the smooth running and operation of research.

The launching of the upgraded Bioscience Center at IITA is bringing science closer to Africa as scientists from the continent don’t need to look elsewhere for solutions. Established in the early 90s and expanded and renovated recently, the center is among the few centers of excellence for genomics and biotechnology in sub-Saharan Africa.

• Onebunne displaying a grasscutter.

eight litters (babies) at a go.

He witnessed 12 at once in his farm. Four females mean five litters each. This gives 20 litters at the end of the day.

One can buy them and rear for four months. They start having babies when they are eight months old.

According to him, if one does not have a place to expand, the best option is to sell the babies.

He said there are demands always coming from hotels, eateries, beer palours and restaurants.

As a result of high demand for grasscutter, he said his company is launching a nationwide seminar to get more Nigerians involved in the business.

Through this project both young and old Nigerians have acquired skills, enabling them to increase their incomes, earn the respect of their neighbours and take up positions of responsibility in their communities. His services include training mentoring, capacity building, consultancy and settingup of small-scale and commercial grasscutter farms.

“We have for sale fast growing species of grasscutter breeding families, snail breeders, fish fingerlings and juveniles.”

He started the business 15 years ago. When he started, he got his first stock from Gabon. Today, he is a big time supplier. Through his business activities, Onebunne has lifted families out of poverty. Families nutrition have improved significantly, with grasscutter meat now part of family’s diet.

His message to Nigerians is that, in order to shake off the “dust of poverty,” they need to invest in this simple business, and become economically self-sufficient. The primary objective is to bring this golden opportunity to the door step of every Nigerian as a very sure and potent means of conquering poverty and solving the rising unemployment problem in Nigeria.

One of his project’s greatest successes so far has been able to teach young Nigerians how to make money.

THE NATION FRIDAY, MAY 27, 2011

59

AGRO-BUSINESS

STATE FOCUS

Anambra has agric potentials

By Daniel Essiet, Agriculture Correspondent

E

• From left: Catalytic Intervention Manager of PrOpCom, Mr Tunde Oderinde; General Manager, Springfield Agro Limited, Pradeep Sarkar and Head of Development, Finance Department, Oceanic Bank Plc, Felix Oyakamoh, at the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on tractor financing in Lagos.

Agric research key to food security, says expert R

ISING food and energy prices, possible water shortages and changing climate may lead to global food crisis by 2050, scientists have warned.

But University of Nebraska-Lincoln agronomist Ken Cassman is optimistic that renewed interest in agricultural research will help small farmers in developing countries and larger producers in developed countries to grow more food.

The research will be effective only if scientists address the most critical issues and find practical solutions, especially in places with the greatest need for more food – parts of Asia, sub-Saharan Africa and South America, Cassman said.

Cassman is thinking a lot about global food security these days. He was named to head the council responsible for advising a major network of international ag research centers.

As the first chair of the new Independent Science and Partnership Council, Cassman will provide critical advice and expertise about the scientific merit and feasibility of global agricultural research projects to the

Stories by Daniel Essiet, Agriculture Correspondent

Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research, known as CGIAR. CGIAR is a consortium of 15 international research centers funded by governments, foundations, and international and regional organisations. The CGIAR research centers work to improve agricultural productivity, conserve natural resources and promote policies that stimulate agricultural growth in developing nations.

The research centers include organisations such as the International Rice Research Institute, the International Water Management Institute and the International Crop Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics.

The CGIAR Fund appointed Cassman in January to lead the seven-member council, which includes leading researchers in agriculture, environmental sciences, rural affairs and economics. Cassman is an internationally recognised expert in local and global food security, crop yield potential

and biofuels.

The council’s job is to help CGIAR funders identify agriculture development projects with the highest scientific quality and the greatest potential to increase farmers’ incomes in poor, rural areas.

“To increase investment in agricultural research, we have to know our research priorities are correct and the science is being done well,” Cassman said. Despite the billions of dollars invested in agriculture worldwide, he said Sub-Saharan Africa faces food shortages because crop yields haven’t kept pace with rapidly growing populations. Getting new technologies from the laboratory to the field, and educating farmers about how to use them, is another challenge.

A similar scenario existed in the 50s and 60s, he said.

International agricultural research centers responded by developing new “miracle crop” varieties and expanded irrigation infrastructure and use of fertilisers.

Together they sustained a green revolution that rapidly improved agriculture production across the world.

By the late 20th century,

food was plentiful and inexpensive partly because of scientific advancements made decades earlier, Cassman said.

“Now we have a new set of challenges, and business as usual won’t result in enough food supply to feed an incredibly dynamic world population,” said Cassman, UNL’s Heuermann Professor of Agronomy and Horticulture.

During his three-year term as chair, Cassman is helping the CGIAR centers establish a portfolio of proven research projects that leverage various organisations’ capabilities. For example, he said, a CGIAR research center may have expertise in improving rice varieties in Southeast Asia, but that expertise is also needed in Africa and even Latin America.

The issue is how to establish global research partnerships with institutions across the world to get the job done.

Even with increased international concern for food security, he said, “this momentum will be a flash in the pan if we can’t show that these projects address hunger and protect the world’s environmental resources.”

Farmers predict price hike

T

HE All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), Asaba chapter, has predicted a rise in the price of agricultural produce by the end of this year’s farming season.

The AFAN Chairman, Chief Jerry Ossai, linked his prediction to the high cost of agricultural inputs.

Ossai said farmers now paid more to hire labour, while interest on loans has risen to over 22 per cent.

According to him, it will be wishful thinking if people do not expect increase in prices of agricultural pro-

duce given the rising cost of production.

“Farmers face one major challenge which is still intractable; banks still give loans to farmers at a commercial rate of 22 per cent and above.

“So we are asking for single digit interest rate of eight per cent to nine per cent and then marketing of the produce.

“If I have to pay over 20 per cent on money I use in farming, if the cost of diesel is high and the transporter charges me more, the costs go to the prices of the products.

“The cost of labour is going up because the labourers want a share of the N18,000 minimum wage, exchange rate is rising and the cost of diesel is also going up, so the cost of goods must rise,’’ he said.

He said the only way the government could boost food production was to make polices that would help more farmers move from small to medium scale and then to large scale farming.

Ossai, a former Delta Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources in the

state, stressed the need for the stabilisation of power supply.

He also called for the provision of infrastructure and the mechanisation of farming to make agriculture attractive to the youths.

He added that investing in large-scale agriculture would not only provide food and job opportunities for the people but also check rural urban migration and reduce health bills, among others.

“If people feed well, they will hardly fall sick and there will be no need to go to the hospital,” Ossai said.

NDOWED with arable land, rich vegetation, inland waterways and extensive coastal stretch, the area is germane to the production of a vast range of food and cash crops, livestock and marine life.

The land is fertile for commercial cultivation of yams, cassava, rice, melon, palm produce, mangoes, beans, vegetables and a host of other tropical crops.

Several raw industrial materials and agro-products are located in various parts of the state and they include oil palm, maize, rice, yam, cassava and fish. The wide network of rivers and streams render the state amenable for profitable fish farming. Investment options also abound in the areas of manufacture, fabrication, maintenance and repairs of agricultural machinery and equipment. Opportunities also exist for production of agro inputs and construction of food storage facilities and modern abattoirs.

To attain increase in total food and animal production in a sustainable manner, the state government has entered into partnership with USAID markets and OLAM Nigeria Limited for the development of rice value chain in the state.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development is negotiating with the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) for packaging of agricultural produce in the state for export at in- • Governor Obi ternational market. An understanding has been reached between the Ministry and NEPC to commence training of farmers for exportation of the produce, encourage farmers by providing extension services and to assist the rural farmers in processing of agricultural produce to meet international standard.

The bottom-line would be the provision of food for the teeming population, job creation, especially for the youths, boosts to farmers’ incomes and living standards, availability of raw materials for agro-industries and a range of export items to earn foreign exchange.

The government has rehabilitated the Ufuma fish farm under Public Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement. The state government fish farm had been moribund until the present administration came on board.

To provide raw materials to feed the Neem fertilizer plant, the Ministry has procured 250,000 Neem seedlings for distribution to local government areas. The Neem plant will also serve in erosion control and provide raw materials for cosmetics production. The distribution of the Neem seedlings, procured from NARRICT, Zaira has already commenced. It is expected that when the fertilizer plant is completed, the problem of fertiliser would be solved permanently in the state.

On strategy, the government is adopting massive mobilisation of the farming populace, land development, public-private partnerships (PPPs), provision of subsidies and support services and effective monitoring to check abuses.

In line with its integrated approach to development, the Obi administration has made significant strides to give agriculture a pride of place in the scheme of things. The attainments to date are very impressive. With a premium on capacity building, the government has increasingly supported the training of professionals in the relevant areas.

Its investments include the establishment of a College of Agriculture at Mbaukwu, setting up a Faculty of Agriculture at the state university and empowerment of agricultural extension workers and various other categories of support personnel.

The government also acknowledges the importance of infrastructure to the growth of the sector. Rural and feeder roads have been [and are being] constructed and rehabilitated to enhance access among farming communities and farmlands, and between them and urban areas and major marketing outlets for agricultural inputs and products alike.

Under the present dispensation, highly-subsidised inputs are available to practising farmers in all parts of the state. This year alone, the government distributed over N30 million worth of equipment for the processing of garri, rice and palm oil to indigent women in the State.

Similarly, it purchased herbicides, insecticides, highyielding seeds and seedlings for distribution to end-users at subsidised rates.

This farming season, it also procured some 4,350 metric tonnes of fertiliser valued at N340 million for farmers at 25 per cent discount. In order to ease dependence on imports, the government is constructing an ultra-modern fertiliser plant which, on completion, would produce that critical input not only for the state, but for sale elsewhere.

In partnership with AMBA Investicorp, the government is resuscitating the state-owned Integrated Livestock Company located in Nkwelle-Ezunaka.

THE NATION FRIDAY, MAY27, 2011

60

FOREIGN NEWS

Libya lists proposals for ceasefire

S

PAIN’s government said yesterday that it has received a message from Libyan Prime Minister Al-Baghdadi alMahmoudi proposing an immediate cease-fire in his country’s conflict with rebels.

But Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero’s office answered by saying that Spain stands by the European Union’s position — that a cease-fire would have to be credible and verifiable, and include all Libyan troops returning to their barracks and humanitarian aid being allowed throughout Libya, a government spokesman said.

In the past, the Libyan rebels’ leadership council has insisted that a cease-fire would only be acceptable if Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi stepped down.

The Spanish spokesman said on condition of anonymity, in keeping with government regulations,

US says offer not credible

T

HE White House has dismissed as not credible a Libyan proposal for an immediate cease-fire in its fight with the rebels.

Deputy national security adviser Ben Rhodes says such offers must be backed up by action. He says the Libyan government isn’t complying with a United Nations resolution that authorized a military operation to protect the Libyan people from forces loyal to Moammar Gaddafi.

Rhodes spoke in France, where President Barack Obama is attending an international summit. He said the effort to drive Gadhafi from power will continue. that the cease-fire proposal also had been sent to other EU countries.

But NATO and EU nations such as France and Germany said they had not received it.

French Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Christine Fages said, “We have no knowledge of this letter.” She added: “We are hearing from all parts that officials, and of very high rank, are looking to defect, which confirms that the regime is weakening.”

The British newspaper The Independent reported yester-

day that it had obtained a copy of a letter al-Mahmoudi had sent to foreign governments proposing an immediate cease-fire to be monitored by the United Nations and the African Union, unconditional talks with the opposition, amnesty for both sides in the conflict, and the drafting of a new constitution.

Spain is one of the NATO allies trying to aid pro-democracy rebels fighting Gadhafi’s government forces in Libya.

G-8 leaders eye Arab world with hope and worry

L

EADERS of the world’s rich democracies will urge Libya and Syria to halt violence that is threatening to extinguish the socalled Arab Spring, but remain divided about how to respond if the nations don’t heed the call, officials said yesterday.

A draft declaration circulating at the Group of Eight summit in France contains no specific sanctions against Libya and Syria, according to two officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the document is still under discussion.

It illustrates fears among President Barack Obama and other G-8 leaders that upris-

ings around the Arab world could end up entrenching autocrats instead of defeating them. The summit has brought together host French President Nicolas Sarkozy with the leaders of the United States, Britain, Germany, Japan, Russia, Canada and Italy in this cordoned-off beach town.

The leaders are also tussling over the future of nuclear energy — which some members are rethinking after Japan’s nuclear disaster — and how to regulate the Internet, as well as who should be named the next chief of the International Monetary Fund.

The arrest of Serbian war crimes fugitive Ratko Mladic

shook up the summit in Deauville, prompting European optimism that it may pave the way for EU membership for Serbia.

The summit’s main focus is the Arab uprisings that overthrew authoritarian regimes in Egypt and Tunisia but have turned into protracted bloodshed in Libya, Yemen, Syria and Bahrain. The G-8 leaders plan to marshal their combined economic might behind the grass-roots democracy movements.

The draft declaration will warn Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi to declare a cease-fire and agree to a political solution, the officials said.

Bosnian war crimes suspect Ratko Mladic arrested

•Ratko Mladic

F

UGITIVE Bosnian Serb war crimes suspect Ratko Mladic has been arrested in Serbia after 16 years on the run.

Gen Mladic, 69, was found in a village in northern Serbia where had been living under an assumed name.

He faces charges over the massacre of at least 7,500 Bosnian Muslim men and boys at Srebrenica in 1995.

Serbian President Boris Tadic said the process to extradite the former Bosnian Serb army chief to the war crimes tribunal in The Hague was under way.

Following the arrest of Radovan Karadzic in 2008, Gen Mladic became the most prominent Bosnian war crimes suspect at large.

Serbia had been under intense international

pressure to arrest him.

The detention, President Tadic said, brought the country and the region closer to reconciliation, and opened the doors to European Union membership.

It is hard to overstate the importance of this arrest here in Serbia. Many people feel the destiny of their country was held hostage by Ratko Mladic. Their hopes of joining the EU were ruled out

by Brussels while Mladic was at large.

I asked President Tadic if it was a coincidence that he was arrested while the EU was considering Serbia’s bid to join the bloc. He said the country had never calculated its search for Mladic - it was always determined to catch him.

There is still an ultranationalist fringe here who see Mladic as a hero - they say he only ever defended Serb interests. But the new, emerging generation in Serbia seem to be tired of the past and its wars - they want to leave that behind and move forward to the future.

Mr Tadic also rejected criticism that Serbia had been reluctant to seize Gen Mladic.

“We have been cooperating with the Hague tribunal fully from the beginning of the mandate of this government,” he said.

Serbian media initially

reported that Gen Mladic was already on his way to the UN tribunal for the former Yugoslavia in The Hague.

But Serbian prosecutors later said the procedure to extradite him might take a week.

A spokeswoman for families of Srebrenica victims, Hajra Catic, told AFP news agency: “After 16 years of waiting, for us, the victims’ families, this is a relief.”

Gen Mladic is due to appear before a Serbian judge later on Thursday.

He was seized in the province of Vojvodina in the early hours of Thursday, Serbian Justice Minister Slobodan Homan told the BBC. Serbian security sources told AFP news agency that three special units had descended on a house in the village of Lazarevo, about 80km (50 miles) north of Belgrade.

The house was owned by a relative of Gen Mladic and had been under surveillance for the past two weeks, one of the sources added.

Serbian President Boris Tadic: “Today we closed one chapter of our recent history” Gen Mladic was reportedly using the assumed name Milorad Komodic.

THE NATION FRIDAY, MAY 27, 2011

61

NATION SPORT

Babangida backs axe on Osaze

•Implores Baggies star to apologise to Siasia

F

ORMER Super Eagles’ winger, Tijani Babangida has backed the omission of West Bromwich Albion highest goal scorer, Osaze Odemwingie from the matches against Argentina and Ethiopia.

Babangida who now resides in Holland and now a football agent told NationSport exclusively that the latest action of the coach of the Eagles, Samson Siasia to axe Osaze showed he had a full grasp of the senior national team under his palm and could call the bluff of any of the players that thinks he was too invaluable to the team and then must thrown discipline to the trash can. “ Siasia has consistently proven to be a no nonsense somebody. If you can remember vividly, he omitted Mikel Obi from the Olympics in 2008

From Tunde Liadi, Owerri and nothing happened to the team.

The team went ahead to win an Olympic silver medal. His latest action on Osaze showed that Siasia is the boss and players must respect that as a fact. I am sure Osaze will never do that again considering the furore this has generated.”

The former VVV Venlo, Roda JC, and Ajax Amsterdam of Holland player however, beckons on Osaze to take the path of wisdom and apologise formally to Siasia and his team-mates in the national team for his action before the last match against The Harambee Stars of Kenya if he still wants the national team selectors to have him in their plans for future enagagements.

“No player is bigger than his country and I know Siasia to be a disciplinarian judging by his actions in the past. I will implore Osaze to apologize to the Coach and the national team for his misdeeds and hence turn a new leaf if he still reckons with playing for the national team otherwise Nigeria will do without him.” The man fondly called TJ counsels Osaze.

The Uzbekistan born Nigerian was omitted from the upcoming games against Argentina on June 1st at Abuja and the June 5th African Cup of Nations Qualifier against Walyas of Ethiopia in Addis Ababa by Siasia for his indiscipline act when he left for his base in England shortly after the game against Ethiopia when he had already assured the Eagles’ helmsman of his availability for the Kenya tie.

Ogonna, Rita to join Falcons in Austria on June 10

T

WO foreign based members of the Super Falcons, Rita Chikwelu and Ogonna Chukwudi who both play for Umea Ik of Sweden have hinted NationSport exclusively that they would team up with the rest of their colleagues on June 10th after the expiration of the Swedish Female League three days earlier.

Ogonna debuted for Nigeria at the African Women Championship (AWC) in 2006 in Warri, Delta State which the Falcons won at the expense of The Black Queens of Ghana 1-0 to book a ticket to the 2007 Women World Cup which held in China and in an interview from Sweden told NationSport that she could not wait for the end of the League season in Sweden to reunite with her Falcons mates.

“I knew they would be travelling today (Wednesday) to Austria. I and Rita Chikwelu will join them on June 10th after the end of the league season.

The league will end on June 7th and we have already made plans to join three days later. We have put the loss against Ghana behind us and are hopeful for the best at the World Cup finals in Germany. We will not let Nigerians down.” Ogonna, who also represented Nigeria at the FIFA Women World Cup in China in 2007

From Tunde Liadi, Owerri and FIFA Under 20 Women World Cup in Chile in 2008, said.

A team of 16 players and the full technical and administrative crew flew out of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja on Wednesday night aboard a Lufthansa Airline flight, with intensive drills and quality friendly matches to look ahead to.

•Rita

Dream Team names 18 for Costa Rica O N Wednesday, Nigeria’s Under-23 team, Dream Team V, named 18 players for the May 29 international friendly match against Costa Rica in San Jose.

Those listed for the game include Chima Uchechi, Fidelis Tochukwu, Ibot Edet, Emma Anyanwu (goalkeeper), Sone Aluko, Obiora Nwankwo and Kingsley Udoh.

Others are Ayo Saka, Terna Suswan, Harmony Ikande, Osas Okoro, Olufemi Thomas (goalkeeper) and Solomon Okpako. The duo of Fatai Kehinde and Nurudeen Orelesi will join the team in Spain, while Nnamdi Oduamadi is also expected.

Players left out of the Costa Rica game include Azuka Izu, Usman Amuda, Theophilus Adelokhai (goalkeeper), Wisdom Wisdom and Felix Udo. The team’s head coach Austin Eguavoen was conspicuously absent from Wednesday’s training while the assistants Stanley Eguma and Ben Iroha took charge of proceedings.

“The friendly will help us put the

•Osaze

Zidane to be Real's sports director REAL MADRID will appoint French great Zinedine Zidane, who currently works as an advisor to the club's president on first-team affairs, as its new sports director, a newspaper reported on Thursday.

Real president Florentino Perez announced on Wednesday that the club's management would be restructured following the dismissal of director general Jorge Valdano, who had clashed repeatedly with coach Jose Mourinho.

"There were two people with a strong sports character and the harmony that needs to exist was lacking. You were all witnesses of this over the past season. There was a clear

dysfunction that needed to be resolved," he said.

Perez said the restructuring would give the club a more "English" style that would grant Mourinho more autonomy over decision-making as the Portuguese coach has long demanded.

Zidane, who played for Real for five years between 2001 and 2006, has been a special advisor to Perez since November 2010.

The three-time FIFA World Player of the Year will now inherit the post of sports director, sports daily Marca, which is close to Real, reported.

Former Real forward Miguel Pardeza occupied the post at Real last season.

Hungarian referee Pac’s trainer 'worried' by Marquez deal for Champions League final saw Marquez floored three times in the MANNY PACQUIAO's trainer Freddie Other Sports...Other Sports...Other Sports...Other Sports

Roach is desperate to "shut up" the Juan Manuel Marquez camp when the fighters meet for a third time on November 12 in Las Vegas.

The previous two bouts have both been mired in controversy - the first, which

Hiddink reacts to Chelsea talk GUUS HIDDINK has played down talk of him becoming the next Chelsea boss insisting he is fully focussed on his job with the Turkey national team.

The Dutchman has been heavily linked with the Stamford Bridge vacancy following the recent sacking of Carlo Ancelotti, following a successful stint as caretaker during the 2009/10 season.

But although Hiddink has been working as an advisor for the Blues since his departure, he has been cool on talk of a return to west London.

With Turkey facing an important

Euro 2012 qualifier with Belgium next week, the 64-year-old has been keen to point out that he is concentrating on the game in hand.

Speaking to TV programme %100 Futbol, Hiddink said: “I am not going into the speculation as I have to prepare the team and to make sure that noone can blame me afterwards saying I was concentrating on other things.”

Meanwhile, the agent of Malaga coach Manuel Pellegrini claims there has been interest from Chelsea in the Chilean.

players in good shape for the qualifier against Tanzania. I want to say we are ready. We have the best crop of players at our disposal. We will not let Nigerians down,” Eguma told SuperSport.com.

“They will give their best because if they do well there it is going to be a morale booster for the Tanzanian game and so I am sure they will want to give their best.”

“We concentrated on ball possession, shooting and scoring. The South Americans have a high mobility level, they possess the ball a lot, so we have to possess the ball equally.

“We must find an antidote, we are not going to play defensive game since we need to score. We must put pressure on them. That is our strategy and we hope it will work while we do the scoring,” he said.

The team will leave Nigeria for Spain on Thursday en route to Costa Rica.

•Pacquiao

first round, was declared a draw even though most felt Pacquiao was outboxed for the majority.

The second time they met, four years later in 2008, Pacquiao won a split decision that outraged Marquez, who had thrown and landed more punches in the fight.

Now Marquez (52-5-1, 38 KOs) has one final chance to gain revenge - and that is a thought that strikes fear into Roach.

"What makes me nervous about that fight though, is that sometimes people have people's numbers, and he might have Manny's number, you know?"

Roach told livefight.com.

"He knows how to fight Manny Pacquiao. I know Manny Pacquiao has come a long way since then, he's a much more complete fighter now than he was back then ... it's not an easy fight. I've got my work cut out for me, I know. And I'm a little nervous about the fight, you've got to understand.

"But it's the fight I want. It's the one that I've been asking for because I wanna shut them up and prove to them that they never got robbed."

While Marquez has agreed to the fight, Pacquiao is yet to sign off on the bout although he is expected to give the green light imminently.

HUNGARIAN Viktor Kassai will referee this weekend's Champions League final between Barcelona and Manchester United in Wembley, UEFA announced on Thursday.

Kassai, 35, refereed five Champions League games this season, including the last 16 game between Inter Milan and Bayern Munich, as well as the group stage match between Manchester United and Valencia.

He will be assisted by countrymen Gabor Eros and Gyorgy Ring with the fourth official Istvan Vad and the two additional assistant referees Mihaly Fabian and Tamas Bognar.

Reserve assistant referee Robert Kispal completes the all-Hungarian refereeing team for Saturday's game.

•Kassai

THE NATION FRIDAY, MAY 27, 2011

62

NATION SPORT

I enjoy tackling Messi –Yobo D

ESPITE the absence of Lionnel Messi in the Argentine squad billed to engage the Super Eagles on June 1, Super Eagles captain, Joseph Yobo has stated his wish to file out against the reigning World Footballer of the Year.

“I know some may not

believe what I’m about to say but the fact is that I enjoy playing against Messi. I know he is a defender’s nightmare but any defender that wants to be at the top of his game must not shy away from marking Messi. I have had a good season and I feel very fit but I would have loved to

test my form against Messi”, he said.

Yobo, however, believes Messi’s absence will not take the shine off the game.

“The fact is that the Argentine team will always be a formidable one with or without Messi. Don’t forget that they are also preparing for the Copa America.

We will put in our best to ensure we do Nigeria proud on the day”, he added.

He does not see the Argentina friendly affecting their performance in the

Nations Cup qualifier away to Ethiopia four days later.

His words; “We are professionals and in our various clubs we are used to playing matches within four days. I know the Ethiopia match is as important if not more important than the Argentina match but we will approach both matches with the desired seriousness to get desired results. I have full confidence in the technical crew and their ability to manage the large pool of players for both matches.”

Emenike signs for Fenerbahce I G E R I A N international striker, Emmanuel Emenike has signed a fouryear contract with with newly crowned Turkish champions Fenerbahce from Karabukspor.

Emenike, 24, signed the contract reportedly worth around 7 million euros, on Wednesday, to end speculation about his future.

The fee will rise to 9 million euros if Emenike

N

Respect Siasia's decision over Osaze, says organisers

O

RGANISERS of the Guinness The Match friendly between the senior national team, the Super Eagles and the Argentina National Team has advised the Nigerian soccer fans to respect the decision of coach Samson Siasia to drop Osazee Odewingie from the team that will face the former World champions in Abuja on June 1st.

Speaking at the veiling ceremony of the magnificent trophy for the eventful match, Adenike Adebola, the Marketing Manager of Guinness said they are fully in support of coach Samson Siasia, believing that the Super Eagles will give the Argentines a real game. She said Guinness is not disappointed in

From Patrick Ngwaogu and Andrew Abah, Abuja the non-inclusion of the likes of Messi, Macherano, Tevez among others in the match. “Guinness is not disappointment in their none inclusion, Messi or no Messi its still Argentina” she said.

The conquest, the magnificent and specially commissioned trophy for Guinness The Match, was unveiled by Christian Chukwu and Segun Odegbami, two of the oldest and most respected former captains of the Super Eagles. Revealing the trophy, Christian Chukwu said “the conquest is a sight to behold and will inspire both teams to demonstrate the very best of their

Tension grips sports fraternity A

S the sports fraternity await the announcement of the new sports minister which is yet to be announced by President Goodluck Jonathan , sports pundit, Martins Osaile has drummed support for Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) President, Solomon Ogba for the position of the sports minister.

In a chat with the NationSport on Wednesday, the boxing promoter expressed a desire to see the Goodluck administration appoint a credible leader in the sporting sector while tipping Ogba.

Osaile who is also known as ‘Don King’ of Nigerian sports, was of the opinion that it was high time the sports sector got rid off square pegs in round hole.

He said:" Delta State have submitted five names to the Federal Government to choose two for the ministerial appointment. Among them is Solomon Ogba, whose life is sports development. As the Delta State Commissioner for sports, Ogba Under his leadership built the Asaba Indoor Sports Hall, Warri City Stadium and six Community based Sports Stadia were embarked upon, completed and put to use, While

•As Jonathan set to announce new sports minister •Osaile drums support for Ogba

By Stella Bamawo

four are still under construction.

He also built the first all covered Shooting Range inside the Asaba Township Stadium. Under his leadership he undertook the construction of three Olympic size Swimming Pool in Asaba, Warri and Oghara respectively.

He has also embarked on the construction of six Youth Development and Skill Acquisition Centres in Asaba, Warri, Sapele, Oghara, Aviara and Bulu-Angiama and brought many achievements to the development of sports. " Meanwhile, the present sports minister, Taoheed Adedoja has also been tipped to continue as the new sports minister owing to the fact that he has spent only a few months as the sports minister after the erstwhile minister, Ibrahim Bio resigned before the end of his tenure.

passion and skills and walk away with the honour of being the first ever team to be victors in Guinness The Match. Naturally though, my hopes are that the Super Eagles will next Wednesday rewrite history and on the fourth time of competing against Argentina at Senior national team level. Odegbami on his part said the match will be a demanding test of skills and team work of both teams.

Austria training tour excites Eucharia From Tunde Liadi, Owerri HE chief coach of the Super Falcons, Uche Eucharia has stated that the women national team would leave a legacy in Germany despite being pooled against the world’s finest in Group A. Uche in an exclusive interview with NationSport shortly before the team departed the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja stressed that the training tour in Austria was one of the ways to keep the team in shape and re-solidify the squad ahead of the battle in Germany later next month.

“Training tour is a normal way of acclimatizing the team for the task ahead. It is not the first time.

Moreover we are excited about it since it will afford us the opportunity to concentrate well and then train together because the other girls will be joining us because we hardly had time to train together. This time I am happy about it because we will use it to prepare and finalize our acts and strategies together.”

She informed our correspondent that the ladies have been made to forget about the minor setbacks in Ghana and have been urged on to concentrate on the bigger task ahead of them and were now united to bring smiles back on the faces of Nigerians at the World Cup.

T

moves from Fenerbahce.

The Nigerian joined Karabukspor from FC Cape Town in 2009. His 16 goals were a key factor as the club not only secured promotion to the Turkish Super Lig, but also claimed the first division title.

He also picked up the award for the best foreign player.

Fourteen goals in his first season in the Turkish Super Lig was enough to see his stock rise, with admiring glances coming from as far afield as Germany and Italy.

Despite a serious offer by French club Olympique Marseille, according to NTV Spor.

But the Nigerian has opted to remain, in Turkey, where he will join international skipper Joseph Yobo at the Istanbul giants.

Lagos Sports Council trains personnel •Chairman hails initiative •Tijani, Noah, Adegbite, others as speakers

D

ETERMINED to ungrade the standard of its personnel, the Lagos State Sports Council (LSSC) has put in place a two -day workshop for Coaches and administrators alike to further develop their knowledge on how to build a better relationship among themselves.

The workshop titled, 'Building better relationship for sport officers and coaches' was held at the LCCI Conference and ExhibitionCentre, Ikeja, Lagos.

Six sub-topics has been lined up for the workshop, with the Chairman of the Table Tennis Association, Adewale Noah, an Associate Professor, Faculty of Education, University of Lagos, foremost Journalist, Kayode Tijani, Dr. Jide Johnson, Head of department of Journalism, Nigeria Institute of Journalism, as facilitators.

Others are Dr.Tony Dansu, of

By Innocent Amomoh the Department of Physical Education, Faculty of Education, Lagos State University, A. Adegbite, a Phychologist, and Whenu. A.O, Director, Service Matters, Public Service Office, The Secretariate, Alausa.

Declaring the workshop open, the Chairman of the sports council, Agboola Dabiri said that for a long time in the history of the council, they have not been such an opportunity to get knowledge, adding that the personnel should not see it as an opportunity to make merry, but for capacity building for them.

"You need to develop and build yourselves and move with time.

Make use of whatever you learn for job effeciency," he said.

He commended coaches and officers for their dedication and support, as he promised better days ahead for all and sundry.

AFROBASKET TOURNEY

Nigeria invites 16 to camp

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HE Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) has mapped out a 3-day preparatory exercise for its men's national team, which is made up of home and foreign-based players.

The camp serves as the first meeting of the Nigeria team in the lead up to this summer's Afrobasket in Madagascar, scheduled for 17-28 August 2011.

The camp will be lead by Sani Ahmed and Adeka Daudu and

will see the participation of 16 players.

These include four players from Savannah Conference Champions Kano Pillars, including Nigeria Premier League MVP Abubakar Usman, three players from Royal Hoopers and three foreign-based players.

The camp will see players put through two daily sessions from 24 June at the sports hall of the Abuja national stadium.

THE NATION FRIDAY, MAY 27, 2011

63

FRIDAY, MAY 27, 2011

TRUTH IN DEFENCE OF FREEDOM VOL. 6,

T is the burning question; the snake on the rooftop; the five hundred pound gorilla in the room. It is the zillion naira question that we choose to ignore at the nation’s peril. It is the fundamental question of “what structure?”

President Goodluck Jonathan intends to send some bills to the National Assembly as soon as he is inaugurated to his full term as President and Commander-In-Chief. Presumably then, Mr. President agrees that there are at least some flaws in the constitution that need to be remedied. We may even go further and assume that the President takes these flaws so seriously that he can’t countenance ignoring them.

The question that flows from these assumptions is whether or not the fundamental question of “what structure?” is fixable by way of amendments. To my mind, the answer is “no.”

Of course, fixing anything by a patchwork of amendments is not utterly inconceivable.

The challenge however is that if such amendments are extensive enough to cover all flaws, we may end up having the semblance of a completely new constitution. Isn’t it better then to discard an ill-fitting outfit than go through a process of alterations that destroy its beauty?

But there are two more important considerations than the aesthetics of constitutional amendment. In the first place, no matter how we dress it up with the fanciful language of legitimacy, it is obvious that the 1999 Constitution was an imposition by a military clique bent on having its will after a selfinflicted indictment in the court of the people. The fact that the nation has been contemptuously made to put up with it for the last 12 years simply shows the pretentiousness of its “democratic” awakening.

It should have been a triumph of the people’s will over the dictatorship of the gun if in 1999, elected representatives opted for a new beginning that prioritises a genuine constitution of the people by the people and for the people. It didn’t happen because those who found themselves beneficiaries of the people’s revolution from 1993 to 1998 were not representatives of the people but sympathisers of the military cabal and its civilian clique. The long and short of the matter then is that a military-imposed democratic constitution is an absurdity that has to be excised.

Secondly, we deceive ourselves if we fail to read the mood of the nation since the inception of the Fourth Republic. We call them militants, irredentists, ethnic warlords; or we use the “t” word to characterise those segments of the society that choose the unconventional route to press their demands for the change that they prefer. Their actions are legally unjustifiable and morally condem-

NO. 1,772

C OMMENT & D EB ATE EBA

I

SEGUN GBADEGESIN gbadegesin@thenationonlineng.net

A question of structure

•Dr. Jonathan

nable. The question we have not asked, however, is how much excuse we afford them on account of the nation’s inherent inability to provide effective governance? And conversely, to what extent can we effectively control or silence them with a governance model that truly reflects the wishes and aspirations of the people or takes seriously their need for security?

I do not suggest for a minute that governance should be reactive to unjustifiable violent demands of citizens. But those who choose the path of violence are a tiny minority of the multitude of citizens that groan under the same yoke of bad and ineffective governance. However, the lot of the latter is doubly tragic because they also have to absorb the full impact of the fury of the former without the protection of the government or its agencies. What would happen were the majority to join in the path of violent revolution? Just a thought!

What has made governance in Nigeria ineffective and thoroughly detestable in the last

RIPPLES

twelve years? I don’t know of any reasonable analysis that focuses on just one causal factor. There is a multiplicity of factors, including bad leadership, docile followership, poor accountability regime, and an inadequate constitutional arrangement. However, since it is the foundation of all other factors, the constitution has a pride of place in the constellation of factors for the explanation of bad governance.

For instance, the immunity clause in the constitution explains why bad leaders are difficult to get rid of. The revenue allocation formula ensures that the states are beggars at the table of the federal government, meaning effectively that a greedy governor with no moral qualm only has to be a mainstreamer and all is well for him. But that doesn’t translate to a buoyant welfare scheme for his people. Witnessing the opulence that is displayed in Abuja, and the developmental eye-sore that confronts them in the creeks, militancy has an unusual if deadly appeal to the hopeless youth.

But there are reasonable people who think that the constitution is alright and the revenue formula is sacred.

In 2005, former President Obasanjo organised the National Political Reform Conference in Abuja. It turned out, as we now know, that it was a ruse; and there was a hidden agenda in spite of his declaration of “no hidden agenda.” But the conference brought to light the sharp divisions among its component parts that this country has yet to overcome after fifty years of coexistence.

By putting it this way, however, we do a lot of injustice to ourselves. For it appears we blame ourselves for what others before us have not been able to achieve due to no fault of theirs. Scotland and England have been together for far longer and they cannot boast of eliminating divisions. The last elections showed that the Scottish National party won more votes in Scottish Parliament than Labour Party and may now opt for independence from the United Kingdom at the next opportunity. So divisions in a multi-national state are not abnormal and indeed, they

HARDBALL

CORRUPTION HAS CRIPPLED NIGERIA, says Cleric

should be the foundation of our constitutional arrangements. This is the merit of a genuine federal system which we do not now have.

I seek indulgence to refer to six fundamental proposals made by the Northern States at the 2005 conference. First, the Northern states recommended “that the Conference should endeavour to strengthen and re-affirm the corporate existence of Nigeria as indivisible, indissoluble and plural national state under a Federal System, comprising three tiers of government Federal, 36 States and 774 Local Governments.”

Second, the Northern states opted to “reject in its entirety any attempt to convert the (geo-political) zones into regions and any reference to them as such should be expunged in any official documents…”

Third, the North insisted that the “concept of rotational presidency among the socalled zones should be discarded as it is subject to manipulation and abuse by unpatriotic Nigerians. It is neither in our constitution nor in our electoral laws.” But, fourth, the North went on to recommend that the “Presidency should rotate between the North and the South and this time around (2005) it is the turn of the North.”

Fifth, the North suggested “that constitutional provision needs to be made for rotation within the States to provide opportunity to the various minority groups have (sic) access to the position of governorship within the States and to give them a sense of belonging.”

Sixth, on resource control, the North chose to “stand by the constitutional provision that the Federal Government should hold in trust, control and facilitate the exploration and exploitation of all mineral resources in the country as enshrined in Section 44 (1.3) of the 1999 Constitution.”

Clearly, these proposals go to the route of the challenges facing the nation. The Northern states are aware of competing positions which call into question the legitimacy of those constitutional provisions they revere; and, starting from next week, I intend to interrogate them with alternative visions. Meanwhile, I submit that the issues cannot be resolved by the National Assembly whose members have sworn to protect the very constitution that is being challenged. Furthermore, it is unrealistic to expect that constitutional amendments which only deal with the facade can correct the foundational problem of national existence.

And this underscores the wisdom of the proposal for a Sovereign National Conference to deal with the fundamental question of structure.

•For comments, send SMS to 08057634061

•Hardball is not the opinion of the columnist featured above

Badagry Killings: Outlaws in uniform

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Yes...with HEADQUARTERS in ABUJA!

TOMORROW IN THE NATION ‘The presidential seat is not a reclining chair reserved for the head of the house; it is a not a stool for the lily-livered or a pedestal for the fickle-minded; it is not a seat for a man who can go to any length to satisfy the salacious and prurient tastes of the lackeys that would, expectedly, surround him!’

YOMI ODUNUGA

VEN in a country as inured to violence as Nigeria, the murder in Badagry on Tuesday of a Divisional Police Officer

(DPO) and three others, by soldiers from the Ibereko Barracks, ranks as one of the most despicable cases of extra-judicial killing in recent times.

The slayings were the direct consequence of an earlier incident in which a policeman attached to the Lagos State Rapid Response Squad (RRS), shot and killed a man later identified as a soldier following an altercation between the two.

Both the initial killing and the retaliation are low acts of murder which paint a picture of our security forces as crude, indisciplined and out-of-control.

It was not too long ago, when a young lady, Uzoma Okere, won a major court room victory and received a substantial monetary award, following an incident in which the orderlies of a senior naval officer, assaulted and stripped her naked on a major Lagos street.

As far as the excesses of our security forces

go that was a mild incident. The police are regularly accused of extra-judicial killings.

The military, too, have not escaped such charges. During the Boko Haram uprising of 2009, the police and military were caught up in an embarrassing public spat following the summary execution in police custody of the leader of the sect, Mohammed Yusuf.

Following public outcry, the late President Umaru Yar’Adua set up an investigation panel – the findings of which never saw the light of day. Although leaks suggested that the security forces were culpable for the extra-judicial slaying of Yusuf, there is no record that anyone was ever prosecuted for the killing.

This quiet tolerance of official executioners by successive governments has encouraged the military and police to take matters into their hands each time there is a dispute between them, or between them and civilians. The absence of the will to confront the problem has caused it to recur.

The Badagry killings are a bad advertise-

ment not just for the forces; it is a public relations disaster for the country at a time when we are supposed to be celebrating another democratic transition.

It goes to confirm that beyond the rituals, pomp and circumstance, many individuals and institutions are still caught up in a time warp, and are yet to adjust to Nigeria’s new democratic reality.

The country is no longer a military dictatorship where soldiers are overlords and can do as they please. In traffic and in many other disputes where lives are not lost, military and police officers behave as though the rules don’t apply to them. Let the government drive home the fact that we are nation under the rule of law by apprehending and prosecuting the killer cop, and the soldiers who carried out the revenge attack.

Until these characters begin to pay a steep price for their senseless actions, they would remain deluded into thinking that wearing some uniform means you can get away with murder.

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