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Kayode BIODUN

News 3

THE NATION, SATURDAY, MAY 31, 2014

•Chairman, Presidential Fact-Finding committee on the abducted Chibok girls, Brigadier General Ibrahim Sabo (left) listening to a member of the community during the committee’s visit to Chibok on Thursday

•Members of the Chibok community protesting during the visit of the Presidential Fact-Finding committee on the abducted Chibok girls to the town

Boko Haram kills emir, two others survive attack •It’s declaration of war on monarchs, say northern governors T HE Emir of Gwoza,Borno State,Alhaji Idris Timta,was yesterday shot dead by suspected Boko Haram members in an ambush of three traditional rulers in the state.

The Emir of Askira, Alhaji Abdullahi Ibn Muhammadu Askirama and Emir of Uba, Alhaji Ali Ibn Ismaila Mamza who were in the same car with Alhaji Timta escaped unhurt in the attack at Tashan Alade on the Biu Road.

A policeman in the convoy was also shot by the insurgents but survived.

Time was about 9 am.

Northern governors were swift in condemning the development.

They called it a declaration of war against the traditional institution.

The traditional rulers were on their way to Biu to pick the Emir of the town so that they could all move in a convoy to Gombe State for the funeral of the Emir of Gombe, Alhaji Shehu Abubakar, who died on Tuesday evening at the Royal Marsden Hospital, London.

The Borno State Government confirmed the attack in a statement by the Secretary to the Sate Government,Ambassador Baba Ahmed Jidda.

The late Emir of Gwoza ,according to a security source,had been earmarked for elimination by Boko Haram since April 13 when he openly castigated the sect for turning his domain into their main base and crippling economic activities of the area.

He said: “It is sad to say that my people have been blocked from going to the market by the insurgents, who kill at will.

“Even the food crops cultivated by them in the last farming season have ended up with the Boko Haram as the harvest were seized by the insurgents making life unbearable.

“There is an urgent need for the security agents to intensify and change their tactics of operation to stop

Yusuf ALLI, Managing Editor, Northern Operation, Bodunrin KAYODE, Maiduguri & Jide ORINTUNSIN, Minna

the mass killings in this area.

“If care is not taken my people will completely flee the area to neighbouring states and countries for safety.”

A security source said :”In spite of the security ring around the late Emir, the insurgents had been on the trail of him with several threats against his person.”

“They did not like his audacity in spite of the fact that they were operating at his doorsteps. The statement of the Emir hurt the insurgents who waylaid his convoy on Friday while on his way for the burial of the Emir of Gombe.

“We are suspecting that they might have acted on intelligence on the movement of the Emirs. This development has fueled internal collaboration with the insurgents.

“You can see why the war against the insurgents is difficult in the North-East because you do not know who is working or not for Boko Haram.”

The Borno SSG,speaking on the incident yesterday said: “ The late Emir of Gwoza had visited his counterpart, the Emir of Uba on Thursday and

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Troops recover body, arrest 23 members of armed gang

OLDIERS yesterday recovered the corpse of the slain Emir of Gwoza, Alhaji Idris Timta.

They also saved the Emirs of Uba and Askira from being killed by Boko Haram members who attacked them on their way to Biu. The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) said troops responded on time to the terror attack.

The Director of Defence Information, Major -General Chris Olukolade said passed the night in Uba ahead of their planned trip on Friday. “ The two Emirs were this morning (yesterday), joined by the Emir of Askira. The trio drove in the same vehicle with the intention of going to Biu to be joined by their counterpart in Biu. “Unfortunately as they were driving in a convoy to Biu, they were ambushed by gun men around Tashan Alade, soon after passing Garkida.

“The gunmen came after the convoy,specifically targeted the vehicle conveying the three Emirs and opened fire. “ The Emir of Gwoza was unfortunately killed by the attackers while the Emirs of Askira and Uba escaped

Yusuf ALLI, Managing Editor, Northern Operation

that troops deployed in Garkida responded to the attack.

“Troops are currently on aggressive patrols along the entire route with a view to apprehending the perpetrators and keeping the area safe,” he said.

The DHQ also said the Special Task Force operating in the North-Central part of the country has ar-

rested 23 members of armed gangs terrorizing the region.

“The suspects including a hard drugs supplier were apprehended during raids on camps and criminal hideouts located in Bukuru, Jos South and Barkin Ladi areas.

He said:”All the suspects are currently undergoing preliminary interrogation before they will be handed over to appropriate prosecuting agency.”

unhurt. A policeman in the convoy was shot by the attackers but he survived the attack.”

The late Emir was in the first class status following his recent elevation by Governor Kashim Shettima.

The Borno State Government described him as “a great man who worked very hard to promote peace and progress in Gwoza.”

It added: “ He was a pillar and one of the rallying points in Borno State. He visibly worked very hard in the search for peace in Gwoza since the insurgency began.

“Borno State Government is terribly shocked by this incident. The Government prays that Allah admits the late Emir into Aljanna Firadaus and give family,

members of the Gwoza Emirate Council, the people of Gwoza, the State Council of Chiefs and the entire people of Borno State the fortitude to bear this very traumatic loss especially at a time the state is still dealing with equally disturbing issues related with security challenges in the state.”

The Northern States Governors Forum (NSGF) yesterday described the killing of Emir of Gwoza Alhaji Idrisa Timta as irresponsible, callous, an affront and a declaration of war on the traditional institution.

Chairman of the forum,Governor Babangida Aliyu of Niger State, in a statement through his Chief Press Secretary,Mr. Israel Ebije,

Profile of the late emir

LHAJI Shehu Mustapha Idrisa Timta was born in 1942 to the family of the late Chief of Gwoza, Alhaji Idrisa Timta.

The late Emir was enrolled at the Muslim Elementary School, Gwoza in 1948 and later at Senior Primary School, Bama between 1952 and 1960.

For his post-primary education,he was a student of the then Provincial Secondary School now Government College, Maiduguri between 1960 to 1964.

He worked briefly as a teacher in Gwoza, before he got admission for a diploma programme in Sharia Law at Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) ,Zaria .

He got a Higher Diploma in the same course in 1972.

Alhaji Mustapha Idrisa Timta worked in the then North – East judiciary in various capacities including Inspector of Area Courts and Principal Inspector of Area Courts

before his appointment as the 3rd chief of Gwoza in October, 1981.

He was elevated to a second class Emir in 1987 and due to his hard work and loyalty to Government, he was elevated as a 1st class Emir in January, 2014.

The late Emir is survived by four wives, 28 children including Muhammad S. Timta, District Head of Hambagda; Isa S. Timta, Secretary of the Emirate Council; Lieutenant Abdulrazaq S. Timta of the Nigeria Army and Dr. Abubakar S. Timta.

He is also survived by brothers including Alhaji Haruna Idrisa Timta, a former Head of Service, Borno state; Alhaji Adamu Idrisa Timta, a Permanent Secretary in the state; Alhaji Yusuf Timta, Secretary, Gwoza Local Government; and Alhaji Umar Timta of the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), Maiduguri

expressed shock that the attack came at a time the federal government had concluded plans to grant the Boko Haram sect amnesty.

“This is indeed a sad development for us as a region and the nation at large. This is happening at a time we are all doing our very best to rescue our over 200 secondary school girls abducted by the Islamist terror group Boko Haram, from their school in Chibok, Borno state last month,” he said.

“We are particularly sad and worried about these ugly developments. We are indeed sad over the killing of the Emir of Gwoza in the recent attack”.

The Northern governors asked the leadership and entire members of the Boko Haram sect to embrace the amnesty offer promised by President Goodluck Jonathan,stressing that “dialogue remains the best option for resolving issues”.

They urged Nigerians not to lose faith in the country’s capability to overcome its security challenges.

Boko Haram had previously targetted some prominent traditional rulers in the North including the Shehu of Borno,Alhaji Umar Garbai el-Kanemi .

The Shehu and the Deputy Governor of the State ,Alhaji Zannah Mustapha had , in July 2012, survived an assassination attempt by a suicide bomber outside the palace mosque in Maiduguri.

The suicide bomber and four worshippers died in the attack soon after the Jumat prayers on July 13.

About three weeks later, the Emir of Fika in nearby Yobe State,Alhaji Muhammed Abali Ibn Mohammed Idrisa was the target of a similar bomb attack at the Potiskum Central Mosque.

Like the Shehu of Borno,the Emir escaped.His police orderly was however unlucky.He and the suicide bomber died in the blast.

4News

THE NATION, SATURDAY, MAY 31, 2014

Chibok girls: School children in Amaechi’s community threaten to boycott class •Want immediate release of abducted girls P RIMARY and secondary school children in Ubima, the home town of Governor Rotimi Amaechi in Ikwerre Local Government Area, Rivers State, yesterday joined the rest of the world to demand the rescue of close to 300 secondary school girls abducted by the Boko Haram sect from Chibok, Borno State.

In a peaceful rally and prayer session, which took place at the Universal Basic Education Model Primary School, Ubima was organised

by Ikwerre Citizen for Democratic Movement (ICDM), a foremost socio-political and economic organisation.

The children, supported by other sympathisers from the community, threatened to boycott learning if the fate of abducted schoolgirls remained uncertain.

Favour Anthony, who spoke on behalf of other school children, said the rally became necessary because the girls were yet to reunite with their families since they were abducted on April 15.

Precious DIKEWOHA, Port Harcourt

He said they were glad that ICDM had given them a voice in the issue, making them the first set of students from a rural community to join other children in the bring-backour-girls campaign.

“We are very happy that ICDM mobilised this rally. We are calling for the immediate release of our sisters in the northern part of the country.

We are going to boycott class for weeks if nothing is done to release them,” he said.

Another student, Victor Felix of State School II, Ubima said he was not happy that close to 300 teenagers would be helplessly taken away in their own country and would not return.

He said: “I am unhappy that we are not safe in our own country. Nobody can secure us. That means someday, criminals could take us away

Embrace amnesty window, Northern govs urge Boko Haram

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ORTHERN States Governors’ Forum (NSGF) yesterday applauded the initiative of President Goodluck Jonathan to grant amnesty to members of the radical Islamic sect, Boko Haram.

The Chairman of the forum and Governor of Niger State, Dr. Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu, also called on insurgents to embrace peace.

This was contained in a statement signed by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr. Israel A. Ebije.

The statement said the amnesty offer was a welcome idea.

Aliyu, in a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Israel A. Ebije, assured that governors from the region were ready to cooperate with Federal Government to address the grievances of the insurgents, adding that steps would be taken to ensure that they are usefully re-integrated into the society.

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Jide ORINTUNSIN, Minna Describing Jonathan’s gesture as laudable, Aliyu noted that the amnesty would help restore peace and harmony in troubled areas of the country.

He insisted that until members of the sect lay down their arms, development and growth of the region would remain a mirage.

The NSGF Chair lamented that insecurity had increased fear, encouraged suspicion and put national development in the reverse gear, adding that the essence of nationhood can only be revived when lasting peace, reconciliation and political harmony is propagated and sustained.

The forum then urged the Federal Government to remain focused in finding non–violent means in handling insurgency and ensuring that every window of opportunity needed to curb the surging violence is exploited.

and we would be protesting, pleading with them to release us.

“And where is the authority and power vested in government, which we were taught

in school?”

Comrade Paul Amadi, the National Publicity Secretary of ICDM, said the body decided to mobilise the students for the rally because they wanted the

students in the rural communities to be part of the sincere voices in the campaign.

Amadi said: “We want them to share the feelings of others by joining the great bring-back-our-girls capaign.

We must look beyond ethnic-

•Some of the pupils who marched in Ubima, Rivers State yesterday, demanding the rescue of abducted Chibok girls.

Christians, Muslims unite in Jos to demand release of Chibok girls

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CONCERNED group of Christians and Muslims in Jos, Plateau State have called for caution in seeking external help in the search for the secondary school students abducted by the Boko Haram sect from Chibok, Borno State.

While the group believes that support from other countries may not be a problem in itself, cautioned that it should “never be at the expense of territorial integrity and national interest.”

The group made the remarks while unveiling billboards containing names of the over 200 abducted girls in Jos yesterday.

According to a communique read by a member of the Christian/Muslim group, Uztaz Umar Farouk, “this concerned group also identifies with the pains and grief of the parents and relations of the Chibok girls. We affirm that these innocent girls have

Yusufu Aminu IDEGU, Jos the right to freedom of association, religion and education.”

The group suggested that “the security agencies should foster a harmonious working relationship and continue to build trust and confidence within their ranks and files.

“The Federal and Borno State governments should work in tandem for the safe return of the girls.

“The Federal Government should as a matter of urgency ensure that all sympathisers, sponsors and supporters of insurgency and terrorism within the security agencies are fished out and prosecuted publicly to increase the confidence and security of our men and officers, as well as the general citizenry.

“That the safe schools initiative be implemented with-

out delay and mediated through agencies with a track record of transparency and high performance.

The group, which went

Barnabas MANYAM, Yola

Boko Haram in an off campus hostel near the university in 2012.

Mubi has remained a hotbed of violence since 2012 despite the presence of military personnel everywhere.

Our correspondent gathered that the Boko Haram sect allegedly sent three letters to the institution, threatening to attack it.

The Vice Chancellor, Prof.

Alkasum Abba confirmed the development in an interview, saying that the

matter was reported to the military and police authorities.

In spite of assurances of safety at the university, however, the fleeing students were not willing to take chances.

The Vice Chancellor said: “Some faceless people wrote three letters saying they are Boko Haram and they intend to cause violence by harming the people in our university.

But from our own investigation, we learnt that it was not Boko Haram that wrote the letters.’’

He said that military personnel were on a daily basis patrolling the campus

with the university’s security personnel also assisting the military to search the nooks crannies of the campus as well as suspicious vehicles.

He said some fifth columnists within the university might be responsible for the scare in order to dent the credibility of the institution.

The Military Commandant in Mubi was said to have banned the holding of any kind of meeting on the university campus due largely to the security situation.

The Army Public Relation Officer, Captain Jaafaru Nuhu, denied knowledge of

round strategic locations in the city to mount the billboards, offered special prayers for the safe release of the abducted girls.

4000 immigrants arrested in Delta

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HE Delta State Command of the Nigeria Immigration Service has arrested more than 4,000 people suspected to be illegal immigrants.

The exercise was carried out in Asaba, Delta State capital, by a combined team of immigration officers and policemen, following the security situation across the country.

Several 60-seater Marco Polo buses owned by the Delta State government were engaged in the exercise which officials of the Immigration Command said would be continuous.

A source who preferred anonymity told The Nation that the command would take the battle to other cities in the state, including Warri, Agbor and Sapele.

His words: “The number ar-

Boko Haram scare rocks Adamawa varsity

OME students of the Adamawa State University, Mubi, have vacated the campus after three letters were sent to the authority of the university by Boko Haram threatening to attack the institution.

Many of the students were said to have gone home to their parents because of the apparent insecurity in the university.

The Military Commandant in charge of Mubi was said to have beefed up security on the campus, but this has not deterred the fleeing students.

Some of the students interviewed said they remembered that about 46 students were shot dead by

ity in times of trouble in this country. Those children are our children and whatever we could do, we will, to ensure their freedom.

“The choice of Ubima for this campaign is clear. It is politically the head of communities in Rivers State, and in support of Governor Amaechi’s voice in the bring-back-our-girls campaign all over the world, it becomes paramount to show empathy to the families of the abducted girls.”

any Boko Haram scare in the Adamawa State University Mubi.

Nuhu said he would investigate the matter and would get back to the reporter, but he did not.

Several calls made to his phone went unaswered.

But the Police Public Relations officer, ASP Othman, said yesterday that that the DPO in charge of Mubi had denied knowledge of any letter from the Boko Haram sect to the university, but the Police had made a special arrangement to ensure 24hour surveillance of the campus.

Okungbowa AIWERIE, Asaba rested was enormous. It might be that some of them were not documented. We had to screen them before repatriating over 267.

“The raid is a continuous one.

It will be carried out intermittently. When we have this feeling that security is being threatened, we make such raids, especially at the request of the governor.”

Delta State Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, raised the alarm last week while addressing the media on the state’s preparation for Democracy Day celebrations.

The Immigration source noted that there was a sudden influx by foreigners, stressing that with the security situation in the country, such a scenario could not be condoned.

His words: “We noticed the influx of people we regard as other nationals. This group just invaded Delta State, some coming in trucks and others coming as cattle rearers.

“The immigration office swung into action, working with other security agencies.

“A lot of these foreign nationals who are here illegally have been handled by the Immigration Service.

“They are so many that any available uncompleted buildings was taken over by them.

They have taken over our streets and our public buildings.

“With what is happening now in our country, we cannot allow it. I must emphasise that the exercise is not to remove fellow Nigerians from Delta State.”

News 5

THE NATION, SATURDAY, MAY 31, 2014

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X-PRESIDENT Olusegun Obasanjo yesterday got the Presidency’s green light to proceed with peace talks with Boko Haram on the release of the abducted 223 girls.

But the go ahead is on the condition that there will be no swapping of the girls with detained terrorists.

Chief Obasanjo was scheduled to meet President Goodluck Jonathan last night either in Lagos or Accra. Government, The Nation gathered, believes that swapping the girls for the terrorists will not only

Abducted girls: Presidency accepts Obasanjo’s mediation

•Jonathan to meet Obasanjo in Lagos •Contacts persuade Boko Haram to nominate three for talks with ex-president Yusuf ALLI, Managing Editor, Northern Operation violate the spirit and letters of the Terrorism Prevention Act but also hurt its allies - US, UK, France and others- which have

joined in the search for the girls.

It was also gathered that the offer of amnesty to the insurgents by the President on Thursday has allayed the fears of Boko Haram.

A reliable source,familiar with the talks said: “The government does not see anything wrong in Obasanjo’s talks with Boko Haram. He is going to get clearance to do so.

“The talks with the sect

One of the posters on the streets of Jos bearing the list of abducted Chibok girls and demanding their release

Group pushes for State Police to check terrorism

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GROUP known as Civil Society Task Team on Security and Electoral Reform yesterday pushed for the introduction of state police to check terrorism and other crimes in Nigeria.

Briefing journalists in Abuja, the convener, Ezenwa Nwagwu, also urged the ongoing National Conference not to adopt the report of its committee rejecting state policing.

According to him, the Nigeria Police, as currently structured, has been unable to stem the tide of insecurity and increasing crime wave in the country.

He said: “The security situation in Nigeria has deterio-

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•Opposes National Conference panel report

rated over time. There are increased cases of armed robbery, kidnapping, assassination and terrorism.”

He pointed out that protagonists of state police hold the view that it is a feature of most federal systems while those opposed to it argue that state governments will misuse it for political and other interests.

He said:“Most countries especially those that operate federal system of government establish both federal and state police. In the United States of America, there are Federal, State, County and local Police.

“In Canada, policing is done by the three levels of government. In Australia, policing is done at two levels. In India, there is federal and state police. In Brazil, there are five law enforcement institutions.”

Recalling that Nigeria had federal, regional and native (local) administration police in Nigeria during the First Republic (1960 to 1966), he said that what is needed now is to put proper mechanism in place to check its abuses.

Reeling out the recommendations of the team yesterday, he said: “The 1999 Constitution should be

amended to provide for state police. The Police Force should be removed from the exclusive legislative list. Policing should be placed on the concurrent legislative list to enable the establishment of State Police.

“The Federal Police Service Commission should set up standard and policies for the operation of state police in the country.

“To prevent the abuse of State Police, a proper framework for operation of State Police should be adopted and implemented. The framework will insulate State Police from political control and manipulation.”

would have to be within the template already put in place by the government. “One of the conditions unacceptable to the presidency is swapping of the girls with Boko Haram members.

“We will not adopt swapping because the struggle to rescue the girls is now global, it is beyond Nigeria. All of us have agreed that there is no point swapping but we can accommodate many things especially ceasefire and reintegration of the insurgents.”

He siad the insurgents should ceasefire within the framework of the amnesty window being provided by the Federal Government as unfolded by the President on Thursday.

He also spoke of an existing dialogue committee through which the Presidency had reached out to Boko Haram contacts.

“There are many issues vital to the rescue of the girls and the end of insurgency than swapping,” he said.

The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, who spoke with our correspondent from Ghana, said: “The Presi-

Group holds special prayer session against insurgency Yusufu AMINU Idegu, Jos

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USLIMS and Christians in Plateau state have reiterated their commitment to peaceful coexistence and the principle of non-retaliation or revenge mission, because it is counter-productive and serves the interest of conflict industrialists and political opportunists.

The group took the position in Jos yesterday while mounting posters of non-

Nigeria will survive Boko Haram, says Bishop

RESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan must remove corrupt officials and saboteurs in his administration if the fight against insurgency is to be won, the Bishop of Badagry, Anglican Communion, the Rt. Rev Babatunde Adeyemi said yesterday.

Delivering the Bishop’s Charge at the church’s First Session of the Fourth Synod, he said Nigeria will survive Boko Haram.

“I believe we will survive Boko Haram. We only need to be strong in prayer and action. We encourage our president to be focused and courageous, trust in God, equip the security forces with the appropriate equipment, motivate them and remove the corrupt officials and saboteurs in government circles no matter how highly

Joseph JIBUEZE

placed,” Adeyemi said.

Speaking on the theme: “Restore us O God”, the Bishop said corrupt souls in government are the “boar destroying the vine,” adding that unless they repent and turn to God, restoration of peace and prosperity will be impossible On the abducted Chibok school girls, Bishop Adeyemi said every effort must be made to rescue them alive while Boko Haram leaders must be brought to book.

“The God who rescued Shedrack, Meshack, Abednego and Daniel will help us rescue the children.

They will be restored,” he said.

Condemning Boko Haram’s sponsors who he said “prefer the reign of ter-

ror to peace”, the Bishop said government should not negotiate with the sect because “they are the devil’s agents”, adding that all Nigerians must reject terrorism.

On next year’s general elections, Bishop Adeyemi urged politicians to play by the rules, warning against imposition of candidates.

The Bishop blamed leaders for the challenges Nigeria is facing, saying: “All our leaders past, present – be it Hausa-Fulani, Igbo or Yoruba or Ijaw – have all contributed to the stunted growth of this country. Only a few can be exonerated.”

On how to preserve Nigeria’s unity, Adeyemi said: “We may return to regional parliamentary system of government which is a form of restoration of what has been in the past. Let us not think of a breakup but a united Ni-

geria.”

The Bishop urged Gov. Babatunde Fashola (SAN) to review downward the Lagos State University (LASU) fees which he said were increased “beyond the reach of the common man.”

“I am also appealing to the governor to complete all ongoing projects especially the 10-lane Lagos-Badagry expressway. Badagry has been neglected for too long but through this government we have witnessed some developments,” he said.

Speaking to newsmen at the event, the Diocesan Bishop of Egba West, the Rt. Rev. Samuel Ogundeji urged Nigerians to continue praying for the abducted school girls.

“Let is return to the Lord and not blame others. If those who are behind the abduction know their God and fear Him, they will not do what

dent welcomes any initiative on how to address this insurgency. He has always said that tackling insurgency is a collective effort. “ I am not aware of any objection to ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo’s initiative; we do not mind anyone assisting the government. As an elder statesman , the government welcomes his intervention.”

President Jonathan and Chief Obasanjo were expected to meet last night either in lagos or Accra,Ghana.

A source privy to the talks said: “At least the President has agreed to meet with Obasanjo on his proposal. The two leaders will use the session to rub minds on the fate of the girls.

“Obasanjo is also expected to present his idea to the President on how things should work out.”

Investigation by our correspondent showed that the Boko Haram contacts, who visited Obasanjo last Saturday in Abeokuta, has given feedback to the sect’s leadership.

Another source said: “The contacts are trying to persuade the sect to send a three-man delegation to Obasanjo for preliminary talks.

“If the initial stage of the talks is successful, then the two parties may swing into action for renunciation, rehabilitation and reconstruction.”

they have done. So let us pray for these girls, that God will release them, and pray for those that kidnapped them, for God to touch their hearts,” Ogundeji said.

The Bishop of Awori Anglican Communion, Rt. Rev. Johnson Akin Atere said: “There are so many ways we have died in this country and that is why we have these problems. We’re asking God to restore us back to the position where there was transparency in government, where people enjoyed living in Nigeria.

“But what must happen before restoration is for us to repent of our sins, to ask God to forgive us, then surely, God will restore us back like he restored the people of Israel,” Bishop Atere said.

The synod, which began on Thursday, will end today.

violence in various parts of the city.

The group said the public enlightenment campaign became necessary in view of the May 20th and 24th 2014 bomb blasts.

The group also held an inter-faith prayer for peace in the state and Nigeria.

The Rev Gideon ParaMallam who led the prayer group said: “This our declaration that the two religions are one on the plateau and no amount of attack from outside the state will tear us apart as citizens of Plateau state.”

The group asked parents,teachers and religious leaders to teach the younger ones about the sanctity of life and recommend educational regulators to include same in school curricula.

It condoled those who lost their loved ones in the Jos bomb blasts and prayed for the quick recovery of those who are still hospitalized and are recuperating.

It advised government to adopt some strategies to curb the current security challenges by installing close circuit and other security devices to detect criminal activities and enhance the security of the citizenry.

THE NATION

6 NEWS

SATURDAY, MAY 31, 2014

Gunmen kidnap Bayelsa Speaker’s 90-yr-old mother-in-law

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NKNOWN gunmen yesterday kidnapped the 90-year old mother-in-law of the Speaker of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly, Mr. Kombowei Benson.

The victim, identified simply as Obololo, was seized from her Korokorosei home at about 2am by the hoodlums who reportedly rode on a speedboat.

They then fled the town in the Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of the state.

The incident has thrown residents into panic.

A source in the community said of the incident: "The gunmen came at about 2am. They shot sporadically before making their way to the woman's home. We

Mike ODIEGWU,Yenagoa were all afraid because of the sounds of gunshots.

"They seized her and took her away to an unknown place. They showed no pity at the age of the woman".

The Commissioner of Police, Mr. Hilary Opara, confirmed the development and said his men had swung into action.

Opara, who vowed to make the state uncomfortable for criminals, said the relevant squad of the police had been ordered to rescue the woman.

"The Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in charge of the area alerted me early in the morning about the development. It is wicked and we will ensure we rescue the woman", he said.

•A trailer in an accident on the Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway...yesterday

PHOTO: RAHMAN SAUNUSI

CONFAB: Ethnic minorities seek legal shield, abolition of Sharia

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HE Nigerian Ethnic Mi norities Movement, comprising minority groups in the six geo-political zones, has called for constitutional protection for ethnic and religious minorities similar to those contained in the United Nations declaration on the right of minorities.

The demand was one of over 20 contained in a presentation by minorities comprising about 400 ethnic minorities of Ibibio, Edo, Efik, Itsekiri, Isoko and others in Plateau, Yobe, Kaduna, Kogi, Nassarawa, Gombe, Borno, Niger and so on, to the ongoing national conference.

A copy of the document signed by 39 ethnic leaders, including the conveners - Mr Edward Ekpoko (Itsekiri, Delta State) and Z.K.A. Bonat, Coordinator of Kaduna Ethnic Nationalities Forum – was obtained by our reporter.

It stated: “After several meetings andconsultations, we the Nigeria’s ethnic minorities have resolved to work together to ensure our collective survival in Nigeria.

For 100 years,the majority ethnic groups in the country have bestridden the nation with little or no regard for the minority ethnic nationalities.”

They lamented that the political, strategic and economic objectives of the three major ethnic groups have been used as the basis for policies formulation to the detriment of over 400 minority ethnic nationalities, whose population they claimed is more than that of the three ethnic majors put together.

“There is no doubt that the injustice, deprivation, marginalization and neglect of the minority ethnic nationalities over the years is primarily responsible for the incessant expression of discontent over the structural defect of the country which has resisted and will continue to defy systemic reforms and political engineering until the right things are done to all the nationalities to ensure justice, fairness, equity and respect, devoid of

Shola O’NEIL, South-south Regional Editor

threats, fear, alienation and uncertainty.

“There appears to be an erosion of trust in government generally: a crisis of democracy. The sort of transformation we articulate here will change Nigeria from a poor unprogressive country that it is today to a rich and progressive one,” it added.

To this end, the ethnic minorities demanded, among others, that the Nigerian constitution should define, defend and criminalise acts of marginalisation and discrimination against minorities.

They also called for the creation and enshrinement of a Nigerian Commission on the Rights of Minorities and Indigenous People to empower, protect, promote and enforce the rights of minorities.

The NEMM also wants a declaration that “Nigeria is a traditional society made up of indigenous people with homelands. An indigene is a person who originates from a particular place – homeland. It is tied to ethnicity.

“There is a difference between a person who is an indigene and the one who is resident in a place. The person who has residency in a place other than his homeland can enjoy the right of citizenship. Since the Nigerian is psychologically and culturally tied to his homeland, he cannot have dual indigeneship.

“In the Nigerian context, therefore, there is need to distinguish between citizenship and indigeneship in order to offer some minority ethnic nationalities protection in their homelands or they risk extinction in the face of rapid urban migration by the majority ethnic nationalities from their homelands.

“Today, the indigenes of Onitsha, the Itsekiri of Warri, the Efik of Calabar and Yoruba of Lagos are facing the threat of losing their homelands.”

...kick against creation of grazing zones

Furthermore, the group sought the abolition of the Islamic code (Sharia) in the northern parts of the country, saying religious, family and personal laws are some of the most invasive areas of law that are used by those in authority to intimidate and oppress minorities.

“Restriction on building of churches in some part of the North should be criminalized because it violates the freedom of the Christians to worship in the North. Freedom of worship and freedom from discrimination on the basis of religion must be guaranteed, protected and practically enforced.

“The federal, states and local governments should maintain the secularity of the

country. They should not be involved in religious affairs, including building of religious schools, mosques and churches as well as sponsoring individuals for hajj and pilgrimage to the Holy Lands. CAN should keep a distance from government leaders and frown on preferential import duties.

In the same vein, it kicked against proposed grazing reserves in all the 36 states, remarking that the Northern states should be encouraged to re-establish the 417 grazing reserves designated by the then Northern Region in 1965.

It described the proposal as akin to condoning “systematic genocidal attacks on minority ethnic nationalities

in order to compel the National Assembly to legislate setting aside of land taken from farming communities in states for a major ethnic group to bring their kith and kin from all over West Africa to use as grazing corridor.

Other demands contained in the document included abrogation of the Land Use Act, full implementation of federal character provisions and practice of true federalism with ethnic groups as federating units.

“Big ethnic nationalities can form a federating unit, while minority land-owning ethnic nationalities can form a federating unit or a state/ region with other ethnic nationalities with which they have geographical contigu-

ity.

“Each state/region or federating unit should control its resources and pay agreed tax to the federation/union.”

Nevertheless, it suggested that the Union (Federal Government) should be saddled with legislating only on arms, ammunition and explosives; banks, bill of exchange and promissory notes; citizenship, naturalisation and aliens; customs and excise duties and currency, coinage and legal tender.

Other tasks for the federation include defence, deportation of persons who are not citizens of the union; election into the offices of President and Vice President; external affairs; maritime, shipping and navigation; passports and visas and prisons.

Suspension: Jonathan, AGF, Sanusi object to NIC’s hearing of ex-CBN gov’s suit

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RESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan, the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and suspended Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Lamido Sanusi, have asked the National Industrial Court (NIC) not to hear Sanusi’s suit transferred to it by Justice Gabriel Kolawole of the Federal High Court, Abuja.

Their position is contained in separate applications for stay of proceedings they filed before the NIC. They urged the court not to commence hearing in the suit, but to stay proceedings and allow the Court of Appeal, Abuja decide the appeals they filed.

The President, AGF and Sanusi are appealing the May 20 judgment by Justice Kolawole, in which he declined jurisdiction over the suit by Sanusi. Sanusi is, by the suit, challenging his suspension by President Jonathan as Governor of the CBN. While Sanusi is insisting that it was the Federal High Court alone that could hear his case, the President and AGF are of the view that Jus-

Eric IKHILAE, Abuja tice Kolawole, having declined jurisdiction to hear the case, was without jurisdiction to transfer it to another court. They said the judge should have either struck it out or dismiss the suit.

Yesterday, their lawyers, Mike Ozekhome SAN) (for the AGF), Mathew Echo (for the President) and Chima Okereke (for Sanusi) were unanimous in urging Justice Babatunde Adejumo not to proceed with the case.

Ozekhome told the court that parties have appealed the decision by the Federal High Court to transfer the case, and that they have also filed applications for stay of proceedings pending appeal.

“All the parties have filed notices of appeal and have also applied for stay of proceedings before this court.

We are of the view that this court should stay proceedings. That this court should not proceed with the case until the Court of Appeal

decides it,” Ozekhome said.

Okereke also told the court that his client, having been dissatisfied with Justice Kolawole’s ruling, has appealed and “wants this court to stay proceedings.”

He said it was his client’s contention that the Federal High Court possessed the jurisdiction to hear his case because it is not about employment or labour dispute.

Echo confirmed that the President has equally appealed the ruling on the grounds that the judge of the Federal High Court erred when he transferred the case having held that he lacked the jurisdiction to hear the case.

Justice Adejumo refused Ozekhome’s oral application for stay, and insisted that parties should argue their pending applications for stay to enable the court decide it one way or the other. The judge said the mere filing of appeal by parties was not sufficient for the court to stay proceedings.

“Section 47 of the Act establishing this court says ap-

peal shall not serve a stay of proceedings before this court.

Since this matter has been transferred to this court by a court of coordinate jurisdiction, I cannot sit on appeal over its order.

“It is until the Court of Appeal comes up with an order directing a stay before we can stay proceedings. Come and argue your applications for stay of proceedings now pending before this court.

You will also address me on the provision of Section 47 of the NIC Act because this court cannot stay proceedings until the Court of Appeal orders a stay,” the judge said.

He told parties about his desire to accord the case an expeditious hearing in view of the fact that time was of the essence in the case. He said that because Sanusi’ tenure will soon expire, it was necessary for the court to approach the case with dispatch.

Upon the agreement by parties, Justice Adejumo adjourned to June 13 for the hearing of their application for stay of proceedings.

THE NATION, SATURDAY, MAY 31, 2014

COMMENTARY 7

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Although Nigeria’s President Goodluck Jonathan has drawn a line in the sand for Boko Haram for threatening the gains of democracy it is to another African nation that we must look for an example of a head on solution to contain terrorism, insurgency and the sort of cultural brutality and religious bigotry in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Nigeria mentioned before

n Nigeria’s Democracy Day May 29 President Goodluck Jonathan called on Nigeria‘s security forces to wage a ‘total war ‘ against the terrorist group Boko Haram and put an end to the impunity of terrorism and insurgency. The call was long overdue but even then, it is still appreciated that it has at last been made, if only for the records. More so as it is apparent that the military, amongst the security forces especially, is running out of excuses as well as ideas and stratagems to prosecute a war in a territory in which those who give it intelligence lure its forces into bloody ambushes by Boko Haram, making it look as if the famed Nigerian Army was an hostle army of occupation in its own territory in the North East, which is still a part of the territorial borders of our great nation.

Globally amongst world leaders this week, President Goodluck Jonathan was not alone in giving the marching orders to a security apparatus that seemed to be fiddling like the famed Emperor Nero of the Ancient Roman Empire, who famously fiddled while his capital Rome, was burning. In Pakistan a woman was beaten to death, indeed she was stoned to death by her relatives because she married against the family wishes and Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif ordered immediate investigation and urgent submission of the report this week as the Police were said to be standing by as the mob killing was going by. Which meant that the Police simply looked the other way as the crime was being committed because marriages are usually arranged by families in Pakistan and the Policemen who were in attendance outside the court house knew what they were doing and their excuse that they arrived after the crime had been committed did not jell with the Pakistani PM who has asked that those policemen around at the time be brought to book.

Unfortunately what happened in Pakistan happened before when a government Minister was gunned down for criticising the Taliban by a policeman in his security escort while his colleagues just looked on. Similarly an Afghan Minister was beaten to death at the Airport in Kabul where pilgrims were waiting to be airlifted to Saudi Arabia just because some pilgrims had their flight delayed, not cancelled. Someone identified the unfortunate Minister as he was to board a flight on official duty and the irate pilgrims beat him to death with no one coming to the victim’s aid.

The brutality in Pakistan and Afghanistan were fatal for the victims but the ongoing one in Sudan which is also outrageous and barbaric is not, at least for now. In that country a Sudanese woman of Ethiopian extraction was sentenced to death while pregnant for apostasy because she married a Christian and refused to divorce him which they said is against Islamic law in Sudan. The woman has delivered her baby while in prison custody this week

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Terrorism, culture and brutality with her first child, also an infant, and sentence is being delayed for two years to enable her take care of her baby.

Which I find quite mind bogging in its cruelty and barbarity as all the world’s religion preach peace and mercy towards even enemies. The plight of the Sudanese woman to me is very similar to those of the abducted 200 Nigerian girls in the grim custody of Boko Haram with the wicked and ominous threat that they will be sold off in marriage like merchandise dangling over their heads as Boko Haram taunts a civilised world with more murders on a daily basis in Nigeria’s North East.

Although Nigeria’s President Goodluck Jonathan has drawn a line in the sand for Boko Haram for threatening the gains of democracy it is to another African nation that we must look for an example of a head on solution to contain terrorism, insurgency and the sort of cultural brutality and religious bigotry in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Nigeria mentioned before. That nation is former Coloonel Muammar Gaddafi’s Libya where a retired general, Khalifa Haftar has taken up arms against terrorists and insurgents who he said had infiltrated government and the National Assembly of Libya. He accused the present Libyan government of being unable to contain terrorism thus being inept in maintaining the security and safety of life and property of Libyans generally. His call has been taken up by similar minded secular Libyans and Islamic insurgents like our own Boko Haram are being attacked all over Libya to bring sanity to the government and administration of that nation. The general has been branded a rebel by the government in Tripoli but he remained undeterred and has called for a postponement of elections due on June 25 saying that time is not conducive for this as the augean stable of Libya’s murky, bloody insurgency and terrorism has to be sanitised by force, first and foremost.

The government in Libya has however said the elections must go on. Meanwhile the Islamist insurgents under attack by the retired general warned the US not to intervene while the US has asked its citizens in oil rich Benghazi east of Libya, where a US ambassador was killed recently, to leave the area because it was unstable in terms of security. The Islamist Insurgents on their part have warned that the US should not intervene in Libya as the consequence of such would be worse than what the US saw in Somalia and Iraq. Some critics have said the retired general could be a CIA agent as he fled and lived in the US when he quarrelled with the late Muammar Gaddafi. To me however his actions and motives are salutary and patriotic as he seemed focussed on achieving the stability and security of the Libyan state which has been elusive to the present government in Tripoli which so far

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has not been able to establish its legitimacy and relevance by containing the sanguinary and bloody insurgency of Libya’s many volatile and bloody Islamic insurgent militia.

What the Libyan government should have done is to find common ground with the retired general who is fighting the for the government in a critical power vacuum created by the ineptitude and weakness of the government in Tripoli.

Similarly the PDP government in Nigeria should find common ground with the opposition APC in fighting Nigeria’s Islamic Insurgency which is what Boko Haram truly is. Instead, a spokesman of the ruling party reportedly said that the demonstrations on the abducted Chibok girls was being orchestrated by the APC all over the nation.

Which to me means that the PDP is directly giving kudos to APC although that was not intended. Any party that is involved in any demonstration on the abducted Chibok girls should be commended and saluted for such a patriotic gesture. That the ruling party should blame the APC for this means that the PDP is not involved in the demonstrations to bring our girls back and that is simply unpatriotic as the issue of the missing Chibok girls transcends politics and the ruling party should have joined APC in such a national assignment for the overall public good on the missing girls Certainly the PDP spokesman missed the point on the demonstrations and has only succeeded in portraying his party in very bad light on the demonstrations over the Chibok girls.

In addition it was reported that APC was organising demonstrations because it was in power in the three North East states namely Adamawa, Yobe and Borno which are under emergency rule. Again that allegation missed the point. It is normal for the opposition to do what it was alleged to have done because that was the duty of a responsive and responsible political party in any such environment.

It is also the duty of the government in power in Abuja to compliment such effort to show that it has not washed its hands off the missing Chibok girls or to quell rumours that it is just paying lip service to global and local efforts to find the missing Chibok girls. Such cooperation with the APC would have been selfless and civil on the part of the PDP and would have lent more credibility to the subsequent, new found courage of the Commander in Chief, the ruling party’s leader in declaring total war on Boko Haram.

Instead of the hollow, rumbling thunder of silence, gloom nonchalance and uncertainty which greeted the threat, locally and globally especially on the issue of the missing 200 Nigerian Chibok girls.

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THE NATION, SATURDAY, MAY 31, 2014

COMMENTARY

Knucklehead With

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

adly and ironically, it was on a day when the Federal Government announced the deployment of more troops to the North- East to checkmate the confounding excesses of a sect that has promised to flood our land with the blood of innocent and defenceless citizens. It was only few minutes after Nigeria's Minister of Information, Labaran Maku, assured a traumatised populace that the Federal Government knew exactly what to do about the abducted 224 schoolgirls in Chibok that would lead to joyful reunion with their family members. It was a time when the Minister of Education, Nyesom Wike, was busy playing the ostrich by blaming the Borno State Government for the mass kidnap and at a period when all international efforts are geared towards finding the girls. Unfortunately, the entire forlorn search for hope coincided with events that further accentuate hopelessness.

With its usual ferocity, terror once again descended with vengeful wings on Jos, the Plateau State capital. Less than twenty-four hours afterwards, the Boko Haram terrorists killed 10 people in the village of Shawa and a further 17 in Alagarno; the two Borno villages are not far from Chibok. It could have been a tragic death for some 400 football fans in the same city but for the bravery displayed by a landlord who had to pay the ultimate price. He died with the suicide bombers who had planned to unleash terror at a viewing centre penultimate Saturday. But, in Buni Yadi, Yobe State, the story was different. Murderous Boko Haram members were said to have killed more than 40 soldiers and policemen including a Divisional Police Office while setting destroying the Emir’s palace and other buildings on Tuesday.

That is aside the tales of many villages that had been invaded, raped and abused in the last two weeks by sect members. Sad, so sad!

For Jos, a city that was still healing from the gruesome mass killings that eroded its boisterous portraiture as Nigeria's 'Home of Peace and Tourism", the devastating twin bomb blast in which a teacher reportedly lost his wife, daughter and sister in-law poses a serious threat to the healing process while it also deepens the mutual air of distrust and suspicion that exist among the tenuously reconciled parties in the state.

No doubt, the bombings, which reportedly claimed over 118 casualties (the police say less than 80 died) with scores injured, are sad reminders of how vulnerable we have become in the hands of the faceless enemies hounding us to our graves. Mass murders, mass kidnappings and mass maiming are becoming regular routines of living in this hellish clime.

We may not have an exact figure of the losses as bombs keep booming and bullet-ridden bodies litter the streets, what we do know is that our losses are being counted in loads of body-bags dripping with blood of innocent citizens. Among the 118 lost to

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As body-bags of terror pile up... the Jos killings were Nigerians who never knew how we arrived at this killing field. These people struggled to eke a living with the hope that things would, someday, get better. Among the dead were traders, final year university students, children, mothers and someone’s father – so many people from all parts of Nigeria. Helpless and hapless, they had taken their fate on their hands, bent on making something tangible out of the difficult situation. Not that they were not angry with those who made living such a miserable journey but they had chosen to trudge on. They never, for once, thought that they would be victims of a terror of another kind. These 118 were just like the rest of us. It could have been any of us in that market. Who, we ask, is this callous killer that continues to thrust his poisoned dagger deep into this fetid wound?

I don’t really know how the authorities feel each time they are confronted with horrific pictures of the citizens mauled by terrorists. What I know is that the weekly morbid images inflict the gravest of psychological trauma on one’s sensibilities. As the bodybags pile up, families mourn their losses with bloodshot eyes. The painful circle of doom beggars belief. Christians, Muslims, traditionalists and even atheists are bonded in pain and sorrow. Many cling to hope that a loved one who went missing on that bloody Tuesday would soon be back home as no one could identify his body amid the charred remains. There was the story of bride-to-be who was scheduled to tie the marital knot last Saturday. She had gone to the bombed market to buy shoes but never made it back home. Her phone rang for a while but had since gone dead. Yet, her corpse or a semblance of it is yet to be seen as I write this. Yet, someone thinks it’s fair to inflict such unforgettable pain on humanity.

Tears continue to flow as the dead mourn the dead. Yet, the terrorist promises nothing but more killings, maiming and slaughtering.

The one who cannot bring a single life into being arrogates to himself the power to wipe out millions of lives!

Question is: who shelters us from this looming catastrophe? Is it the government which has dissipated so much energy on sophistry without concomitant action? Is it the opposition which continues to bark without offering any workable solution? We do understand the argument that because this is far from a conventional warfare, a lot of tact and intelligence would have to be employed in combating it. We also appreciate the regular offer of condolences to bereaved families who have lost thousands of loved ones to ‘devils end evil-minded terrorists.’ We know everything is being done within their power to put an end to the massacre of law-abiding citizens. What we don’t know is how much longer we would have to wait for the authorities to put its house in order and confront this clear and present danger!

Quite honestly, I had thought we would have some modicum of order with the appointment of the Director-General of the National Orientation Agency, Mr. Mike Omeri, as the Coordinator of the National Briefing Centre on the abducted school girls and sundry issues. It didn’t take long for me to know that it was a misplaced hope. Unfortunately, and as it was the case in the past, the Nigerian media became the punching bag for what was apparently a bungled public relations stunt by the Presidency. Here, I speak of the vexatious statement issued by Dr. Rueben Abati, fingering ‘rumour’ mongers for circulating the story of an impending visit by President Goodluck Jonathan to Chibok on May 16 in solidarity with the parents of the missing girls. Many Nigerians had looked forward to such rare presidential gesture, especially with the pecu-

liarity of the Chibok abduction which has attracted worldwide outrage.

Before we get it twisted, let me quickly set the records straight.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with cancelling a scheduled presidential visit over security concerns. Also, it would be uncharitable for anyone to insist that the President should endanger his life in an effort to free the girls. Why should he play superman with a sect he described as having the capacity to “kill anyone” at any time? After all, there will always be another opportunity for the President to exhibit his empathy. If he could do it when Vice President Namadi Sambo lost his brother in a car crash, he should be able to extend such to the wailing parents of so many missing children. What is unacceptable is when government resorts to giving the media a bloody nose in order to hide its officials’ gross inadequacies. That was exactly what Abati and Omeri did in blaming the press for the misinformation. I find it hard to believe that Omeri who had earlier spoken of the imperative of government ‘seeing things for itself’ in Chibok during a live interview with Isha Sesay on CNN would hastily chastised the Nigerian press for hyping ‘totally false and misleading information.’ If that was the case, why has no government official come out to dispute the claim that Jonathan’s advance team was sighted in Maiduguri before the trip was cancelled? Why did it take the government more than 20 hours to dispute the story?

Why was the ‘rumour’ not debunked in the Sesay interview or some hours after the news went viral on all national and international networks?

You ask how this event is related to the issue at hand. Well, a lot. In the past, a lot of ground was lost to nipping terror in the bud due to petty infighting among the security agencies. The refusal to share information among the agencies had resulted in catastrophic consequences. I suspect Omeri was picked as the warehouse of information to be fed the public in order to forestall earlier mistakes. I doubt if some persons are comfortable with a DG of an orientation agency taking over their duty. Something tells me that petty infighting has, as usual, crept in. If we ignore Omeri’s diplomatese and strict reminder that, “it is not within the job of the National Information Centre to announce the movement of the President, it is a duty being done by Presidential aides”, we should be able to decode why the clarification becomes necessary. But, in hitting the media below the belt, may we remind all parties involved that central to this matter is the need to ensure our collective safety and security and save us from the savagery of blood-sucking insurgents?

Perhaps, when we get our girls back home and when the insurgents no longer reserve the brutal force to kill our future right in our very own eyes, maybe those who delight in petty infighting over matters miscellaneous can go on with their whimsical shenanigan. Meanwhile, I hope they remember to tell the President that among the pile of body-bags in the Jos massacre were all shades of Nigerians from different walks of life including eight final year medical students! Do we know how many dreams have been deferred as 234 girls remain in the stranglehold of those bent on killing their future?

In any case, how many more body-bags would be lumped into the morgues before concrete action takes precedence over this cacophonous rant in high places?

When gold rusts...

HE African aphorism that no one knows the child more than his mother is not only true, but it continues to be relevant even till date. With this at the back of his mind, the President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Mr. Okey Wali, SAN, recently took a cursory look at legal practice in Nigeria and berated his colleagues for not paying sufficient attention to professional standards and professional ethics which they observe mainly in the breach.

As a result of this unsavourable practice, Wali lamented that lawyers, who must at all times maintain honour and dignity of their profession as essential agents of the administration of justice, are viewed in a negative light by members of the public in many jurisdictions, particularly in cases where lawyers may have abused their positions and for some other reasons.

The NBA President who interfaced with members of the Bench, the Bar and Legal Academics as well as Law students of Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti, last week said “a consequent obligation of Lawyers is to maintain the highest standards of ethical conduct” and therefore called on the National Assembly to enact a new piece of legislation to replace the near obsolete Legal Practitioners Act (LPA) in order to checkmate the prevalence of declining professional standards and breach of professional ethics by many legal practitioners in the country.

Wali, who spoke in a paper titled “Professional Ethics and the Future of Legal Profession” in Nigeria at the 4th Edition of the Aare Afe Babalola Annual Lecture organized by Ado-Ekiti Branch of the NBA in Ado-Ekiti, lamented that the current LPA neither provide for nor cover the latest and emerging global trends in the legal profession generally and provision of legal services in particular.

He suggested among other things that Nigeria should emulate the practice in England where there is a new legal system which has brought massive reform to the legal system, adding that the volume of disciplinary petitions received daily at the NBA Headquarters is a sad testimony and commentary that some lawyers are grossly deficient in character and ethical conducts.

His words: “In my capacity as the President of the NBA, I have observed the disturbing volume of petitions against lawyers. The number is alarmingly high. Some Nigerian lawyers, for variety of reasons, have not shown sufficient commitment to the ethical obligations of the profession. Ethical lapses have become more prevalent because, for a long time, particularly in the 90s, enforcement of discipline was in a long lull, partly because of the internal crises in the NBA and the inability to give disciplinary matters attention”.

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n

Tunde OLOFINTILA

n

• Afe Babalola He added: “Legal practice presents lawyers with a broad range of ethical problems and tensions. These ethical problems occur in the lawyers’ relationship with hierarchy of persons he relates to in his professional life like clients, the courts, professional colleagues and the society at large. These ethical tensions and lawyers, who must cope with them, operate in spheres where success cannot be guaranteed and in circumstances that offer room for exploitation. Therefore, the need exists to device rules that will assist lawyers in resolving these tensions and raising the ethical standards of legal practice”.

To address this ugly and unacceptable trend, Wali advocated a total review of the Rules of Professional Conduct, stating that “we shall work with the excellent draft already prepared by the Candide-Johnson Committee of the Bar Council”. The sevenman Committee chaired by Mr. C.A. Candide-Johnson, SAN, had earlier sat and reviewed the Rules of Professional Conduct and came up with an improved draft rules of professional conduct and submitted its report to the office of the Hon. AttorneyGeneral of the Federation, Mr. Mohammed Bello Adoke, SAN.

Another way of addressing the menace, he said, is an immediate commencement of the teaching of Professional Ethics, the most fundamental subject in the legal profession, from 100 Level of university education so that they would not only be confronted with the issue of ethical standards/demands early in their training, starting their training with professional ethics will embed that subject in their consciousness with indelible force.

On the other hand, leaving the subject to the last lap of the training of would be lawyers at the Law School, in his view, would amount to an afterthought, included merely to fulfill all righteousness.

Obviously concerned and worried about how the breach of professional ethics has eaten deep into the fabric of legal practice in Nigeria, Wali said apart from formal curricular teaching of professional ethics, NBA will send its paragon of professional integrity to Law Faculties and the Law School to make presentations to students and teachers alike on professional conduct, discipline and ethics.

This, in his view, will add a practical dimension to the training and encourage exchange of ideas between legal academia, practising lawyers and law students on this and other subjects.

He however submitted that the war for the entrenchment of professional ethics should not be left to the NBA alone. Rather, the impetus of change must come from such sources as the public which bears the brunt of unethical conduct, the legal profession that is concerned about its image and the government that previously felt unconcerned about ethical practices and seem united in their condemnation of ethical lapses.

Be that as it may, it remains unfathomable, foggy and incomprehensible why lawyers, who as active players in the temple of justice condemn, in superlative terms, any disobedience of court orders which the late Hon. Justice Kayode Eso (JSC), dubbed (executive) lawlessness and recklessness, would be the ones to pay lip service to the fundamental concepts of professional standard and professional ethics.

When they behave this way, what do they expect from all others – from their colleagues at the Bar, from those on the Bench, from the parties that bow in court and from those who watch from the sidelines? Lawyers ought to carry themselves with grace, dignity and integrity as well as the observance of all rules of practice for these are the ornaments of their hallowed profession. And so, when gold rusts, what will iron do?

•Olofintila wrote from Lagos

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THE NATION SATURDAY, MAY 31,2014

THE NATION SATURDAY, MAY 31,2014

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THE NATION SATURDAY, MAY 31,2014

HELP ME, I am finished!

•19-yr-old, who tested HIV-positive after she was gang-raped, seeks justice Story on pages 14&15

THE NATION, SATURDAY, MAY 31, 2014

14 Like any lady of her age, Helen, 19, dreamt of a bright future. That dream brought her from her hometown in Benue State, to Bariga, Lagos State, where she stayed with her sister. But in her quest for a better life, her dream was shattered last January when she was gang-raped. The incident dramatically altered her life. Helen, who is now living with the Human Immuno-deficiency Virus (HIV), is seeking justice against those who violated her. She tells her story to Senior Correspondent, EVELYN OSAGIE.

•Crest-fallen Helen

19-yr-old, who tested HIV-positive after she was gang-raped, seeks justice H

All was quiet and the street lonely early that Tuesday morning when the unsuspecting lady set out from her Bariga home to resume her morning shift at work. It was at exactly 5:05am, the same time she often left home everyday to board a bus some streets away to Lagos Island.

But that morning, something was not right. She noticed five young men lurking about as she got out of her street’s

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ELEN (surname withheld) will be 20 years on October 10. But she now bears a burden that is too heavy for her age. She was gang-raped in January this year and was diagnosed with HIV last month.

Due to the heart-rending experience and the medical diagnosis that followed, the once cheerful and vivacious Helen now wears a long face as she carries with her the psychological burden of the experience.

After secondary school in 2008, Helen wanted to further her education, but being the fifth of 11 children comes with its own challenge. “Na the condition of no money, na im prevent me from going further,” said Helen when asked why she had not bothered to continue her education.

Despite her background, Helen was unperturbed. Determined that she would return to school some day, she began working as a cleaner in a big firm at Lekki, Lagos, from where she hoped to save for school. She had worked there for almost a year before the tragic episode that altered her life dramatically took place. It was with a deep emotion that she recounted her ordeal.

gate. On seeing their fearsome appearance, her heart skipped a beat. Consumed by fear, her first instinct was to turn and run back into the street, but it was too late. She had been spotted.

“They blocked and grabbed me. They pointed a gun at me and told me to be quiet and do everything they said I should do, or else they would harm me,” Helen said before she was overcome by emotion.

When I went there when it first happened, they asked me some questions, gave me some drugs and told me to come back after three months for more tests. The three-month period lapsed last month. The hospital did the follow-up test and found that I have become HIV-positive

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After a short silence that seemed ages, she added: “I tried to shout but when I looked around and did not see anybody except those guys, I was so afraid and did as they said… They, then, carried me to one corner by the side of the street… (She bowed her head). They asked me to lie down.”

Helen went silent again with head still bowed, to hold back tears. She said: “I begged them to release me, that I was on my way to work and that I didn’t have anything to offer them. They told me to shut up, saying they would waste me, if I didn’t like my life. I begged them to spare my life.”

Her plea touched a member of the gang; he said she should be freed. But his statement fell on deaf ears, for Helen’s other attackers were determined to carry out their task to the letter.

Fighting back tears, she said: “The others said he could leave if he wanted to; they then collected my handbag, my purse and the N5,000 inside with my two phones - one was in my hand. I used its torchlight; the other was in my Jeans pocket. They removed the phone, pulled off my trousers and started vio-

THE NATION, SATURDAY, MAY 31, 2014

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I want justice.

I need help. I want those men to go to jail for what they did to me and perhaps many other ladies in the area. These people cannot be allowed to go free. Everybody knows them as thieves in the area; they do not go to work or school but just hang around all day doing nothing.

Still nobody has done anything about it...

,

lating me (Silence)…They asked me to pull off my clothes. I begged them.” Her face became contorted as the agony of the incident swelled her being.

Helen became silent again. One could see she was fighting to hide several conflicting emotions as she recounted. “But was there no way you could have shouted for help?” the reporter asked in an attempt to douse the tension.

“There was no way I could have shouted because there were five of them against only me… I was so scared. So, I just kept begging them to release me.”

As her attackers were beginning to enjoy their violent act, they spotted another young man and lady walking towards them. Helen’s attackers also pounced on the couple, robbing them of their valuables at gunpoint. Two of them also raped the second lady. By that time, Helen’s eyes were already swollen, from her trauma and obvious helplessness in the hands of the crooks.

The two men raped the girl while the other three continued raping me,” she said in a subdued voice.

On how she felt when her violators had their turns, Helen, in tears, said: “I swallowed my scream, felt very bad and closed my eyes as each of them…(Silence). For my mind e be like say make I get knife take kill them, because it was a very painful thing to experience. Before they started, I had asked if they had condoms but they said ‘No’. ‘’After they finished, all I could think

15 of was running to the hospital and getting some drugs or treatment that could wash everything away from my whole being: my physical body, heart, soul and all. (Again, she lapsed into another silence). I felt very bad and, somehow, dirty.”

After the incident She ran back home to her sister. Both ladies cried in silence; they felt ashamed to share with neighbours what had happened. As if that was not enough, while nursing the psychological trauma of the assault she got, another shocker happened to her on the same day. Helen discovered that her violators were her neighbours.

“I recognised them: two of them live opposite my house. Before that time, I did not notice them. I see them every day and cringe; I’m always in fear each time I see them,” she said.

Three months after Besides the traumatic rape, Helen has fallen into a worrisome medical condition.

Last month, she was diagnosed with HIV at the General Hospital where she was rushed to after she was raped. Before then, Helen said she had been “negative”, adding that she knew through a test she did some time back.

“When I went there when it first happened, they asked me some questions, gave me some drugs and told me to come back after three months for more tests. The three-month period lapsed last month. The hospital did the followup test and found that I have become HIV-’positive’. ‘’I felt bad, very bad; and I cried. In fact, the doctor tried to calm my mind; but I kept on crying that ‘I’m finished’. I wanted to take my life because I never expected this to happen to me. They told me life still goes on and that I can still live my life to the fullest. They say people with HIV are can be healthier than those who are negative with the help of drugs. Before I left the hospital, I cried and begged them to help me because I did not plan to live on drugs for rest of my life,” she said.

With tears dripping freely and looking straight at the reporter as if to find answers on her face, she continued: “What kind of life can one live now? I feel so bad; I feel so weak and I am asking myself: what did I do wrong in this life to deserve this? What will happen to my dream of going to school? I have not been able to save for school, and I now am treating HIV.” The news of her status has added more sadness to her family who were still recovering from the shock of her violation. “When my parents heard the news, they were very sad and they all cried,” Helen said amid tears.

The 20-year-old has since turned an advocate, seeking justice against her attackers. After living in fear for months, the dread of the rapists forced her and her sister to relocate last weekend. The move has emboldened to seek for justice, feeling she is beyond their reach.

“I want justice. I need help. I want those men to go to jail for what they did to me and perhaps many other ladies in the area. These people cannot be allowed to go free. Everybody knows them as thieves in the area; they do not go to work or school but just hang around all day doing nothing. Still nobody has done anything about it. It is almost as if they are using charms. Their father is a very aggressive landlord. I see them always and I’m always in fear; that’s why we packed out of the house last weekend. You won’t believe that till we packed, my attackers are still using my phone,” she said.

Helen’s sister, Stella, who was also in her 20s, said the whole incident has left the family heart-broken.

Stella, who learnt a comforting hand to her sister, said: “We felt so weak and very unhappy, but there is nothing else we can do but to support her and pray that those crooks would be made to pay and suffer for what they did to my sister.”

‘Boko Haram is a socio-economic problem’ Pastor Ladi Thompson, International Coordinator of Macedonian Initiative and Special Adviser to the CAN President on Counter-Terrorism and Conflict Resolution, speaks with Assistant Editor DADA ALADELOKUN on the influx of aliens from neighbouring African countries into the country vis-à-vis the current worrisome security challenges in the land. Excerpts: S Nigeria battles bombings, kidto them? When somebody stood up in nappings and other indices of inAmerican Congress to claim that Nigeria’s security, illegal aliens keep problem arose from poverty, the Congress flooding the troubled land. What does woman from Texas, Sheila Jackson, stood this trend portend for the country? up and up and rebuked him on behalf of Let me quickly say that this is a digresNigeria. She told them that she once sion – a diversionary tactic. It is what is schooled in Jos; she said it was an insult called the proverbial red herring. Look at on a people who have learnt to bear the girls’ kidnap in Chibok; first, there was poverty with dignity. an attempt to deny it, but it did not work.

What we are facing is a huge problem Now, they want to shift to another digreswith an ideological base. I challenge anysion; it is a waste of everybody’s time and body to come out openly now; if you have money. I’m not saying that foreigners are any other definition apart from what I’m not involved; I’m not saying these are not saying, you are either a political jobber or the best of times to take security at our a liar. And what you are doing is what is borders seriously; what I’m saying is that costing the blood of innocent citizens. If until we really understand what the probwe honestly accept this definition, those lem is, we cannot really solve it.’ who really have knowledge of it can Right now, Nigeria is yet to understand emerge and begin to fashion out a framethe problem. Some are saying it’s political; work that will lead to the end of the probsome adduce economic reasons; yet, to lem by tying the five legs. There are moles many, it’s social, military, traditional or rein the Nigerian government today; we are ligious. And to make matters worse, there the laughing stock of the international are political jobbers and people who community. are blinded by political ambiBut the president claims to tions who keep giving silly be having sleepless nights on definitions. Also, there exist the problems… the so-called financial se(Laughs) The truth is, if curity experts who are towe keep covering up the tally unqualified to talk truth, we can’t solve the about this big problem problem. At our end, that Nigeria is facing. we have for years All they keep profferspent our hard-earned ing is the same outmoney on far-reachmoded tactics that ing researches aimed will not take us anyat preventing what where. we are grappling In your opinion, with today, while what is the real defimany interlopers are nition of this probout there collecting lem? billions of naira as I challenge anybody grants to spread lies. anywhere (this is how Our president must we have been defining it stop declaring war outsince 2000), until we acside the country; he must cept this definition, we can have the courage to declare •Pastor Thompson never solve the problem. officially here in Nigeria that What Nigeria is facing is not we are in a state of war. Let just a social problem and what him take the sweeping powers of have you; what we are facing is a a president and create a new body socio-political, socio-economic, traditional, with the mandate to comb through the militaristic … (just name it) machinery Nigerian Army, the police, the political that is cloaked in a religious garb. The cadre and the civilian population; any power of this thing comes from the reliBoko Haram mole, its sponsors; anybody gious cloak and it is using the Islamic faith working for Boko Haram; let the president to cloak itself. To destroy it, we must first rout them out and take care of them on remove the veil; that religious cover is the behalf of this nation. reason people easily prompt somebody to May be negotiation which the governbe ready to be suicide bombers and sacriment seems ready to embrace will do the fice himself. Removing the veil cannot be magic, especially regarding the kiddone by the military, though they have napped school girls…? their role in this matter. Once the cover is On the girls abducted from Chibok in removed, the problem is 85 per cent Borno, we are not negotiating. They all solved. have memories; whether it takes three Can you be more explicit? weeks, months or 60 years, we are bringWhat is happening in Nigeria today is a ing our girls back. I spoke with one of model, an upgrade of terrorism designed them who escaped; she told me she was

by Osama bin Laden in Sudan between raped everyday by 15 men! Now, some 1992 and 1996. The design stands on are saying we should negotiate and reabout five legs. The militancy we are seelease those men in custody to come out ing is one leg and behind it are the finanand rape more of our daughters. We must ciers. Osama bin Laden was one of the have a special squad that will ensure that major contributors to Islamic Banking in our daughters are brought back from Sudan. He converted it to fund terrorism where they may be. Anyone or family and created a model for them. Apart from who stands in the way of bringing back that, we have what we call the media our daughters, whatever casualties emmanagers. All over the world today, the anate from the effort with be treated as media is blaming Nigeria’s problem on collateral damage. The truth is, these are bad economy, corruption, unemployment not normal times; these are war times and and all the rest. We are not denying these we must be prepare the minds of our peoproblems but that is not the root. Did ple. If the Nigerian government handles it America have economic problem before well, there will be minimal damage and 9/11 happened to them? Did Britain have we will all be happy for it, but if othereconomic problem before 7/7 happened wise, too bad!

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CRIME

Family seeks answers after 22-yr-old student allegedly drowned

USPECTED leader of a threeman kidnap and robbery gang has confessed that he and his gang members went to Airtel office in Lagos and collected the AK47 rifle of a mobile police officer on duty.

Forty-two-year-old George Docult to believe the circumstances surrounding Sylvester’s death as HE family of a National Diploma minic Nwafor, an Abakaliki, n Kunle AKINRINADE n (ND) engineering student of The narrated by the officials of the school. To this ends we are calling Ebonyi State indigene also known Polytechnic, Imesi Ile, Osun State, on the police not to sweep the case under the carpet because of the gation told me on phone that the school had concluded arrangeas Chairman, said they entered the Sylvester Oluwatosin Okoruiele, who nature of his death and his controversial burial by some commuments with some community leaders at the palace of a traditional warehouse of the telecommunicaallegedly drowned in a river, is denity leaders in conjunction with the school without seeking the ruler to bury my son near the river where he allegedly died withtion company on the day of the consent of his family.” manding explanation on the circumout our knowledge. Second, the members of the delegation were incident and pretended that they When contacted on his phone line on Tuesday, the Registrar of stances surrounding his death. led through a thick forest which was about seven miles away were customers. And as soon as the school, who refused to reveal his names, said: “ I am not in the The late student was said to have from the school to the river where my son was said to have died. they sighted policeman, Nwafor best position to speak on this matter. I would link you up tomorleft the school to play football with This was contrary to the explanation given by the school authorirushed at him and held his gun. row (Wednesday) with the Rector of the school, Prof. Benjamin some of his classmates near a river ties that he died in a river within a short distance from the college. close to the private polytechnic on Oluwafemi, who will give you his comment on this case.”

As they struggled for possession, “There was a hot argument between the delegation and the May 3, 2014.

He, however, forwarded the telephone number of the chairman another member of the gang, community leaders, who had insisted on burying my son near the The Nation gathered that the deceased of the school’s Governing Council to the reporter, saying: ”I have Abayomi, held one of the policeriver in line with their traditional belief, which my relatives had initially trained as an aluminum been instructed by the Rector to ask you to speak with the Chairman’s hand while another memturned down.

I asked the leader of the delegation on phone to technician before securing admission man of the Governing Council of the school, Barr. Emmanuel ber named Makoro, pointed a gun play cool in order not to endanger their lives since they claimed Abiodun, on the case you mentioned.” into the school. He was said to at the policeman’s head, warning that they were outnumbered by the locals.

The family had reCommenting on the matter, Barr. Abiodun said: “I am aware of have resumed fully for lechim to leave the Ak47 rifle or risk quested the release of Sylvester’s body for proper burial in line the case you mentioned. The children involved are adults and tures in January before his his head being blown up. The with the tenets of Christianity but my son was buried near the they live off campus. There was an ongoing examination at the tragic death a few weeks helpless policeman let go of his river against my wish and demand for autopsy to determine the ago. time the unfortunate incident happened. Nobody expected that actual cause of his death. rifle and the gang left.

The bereaved famthe students would choose to play football near a river while their With a tearful plea, he said:” I want justice and nothing but jusThe case was then reported to ily, however, disexam was on. Sylvester was said to have died while he was trying tice. There are many questions that require answer. The claim by the Lagos State Commissioner of to save one of his mates from drowning.” agreed with the officials of the school that my son went to the riverside to play Police, Umar Manko, who diaccount of his He denied the school’s complicity in the burial of the remains of football with three of his classmates cannot hold because four peo- Sylvester near the river. He said: “Eight members of the bereaved rected the officer in charge of the death given by top ple cannot play good football together. Another suspicion is that Special Anti-Robbery Squad family were around before he was buried near the river. Who officials of the the school had rejected my request to see the three students who (SARS), Abba Kyari, a Superinwould have stopped them from collecting his body for burial if school. “I am still •Abayomi allegedly played football with my son.

Each time I demanded to tendent of Police (SP), to fish out they had requested for its release to the family? Besides, the stustruggling to see them, officials of the school always gave excuses as to why I the gang. With his special squad, come to terms dents involved have made their statements to the police on the cannot see them or know their identity. with his death. circumstances surrounding his death.

Kyari arrested the gang members and recovered the “The Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Obokun Police Division Imagine send“Following the unfortunate incident, we have warned our stuAk47 rifle. where the case was reported even told me he cannot say much dents to always inform the school management before embarking ing your son to Recalling the circumstances in which the gang was about the case because he had just been transferred to the station, school and the on any sensitive trip.The school has not been indifferent to his stusmashed, Nwafor said: “We were planning to carry out adding that he had since forwarded the details of the case to the dentship since he came to study in the school. The boy (Sylvester) next minute, you another robbery operation in a house at Alakuko area of state police headquarters in Osogbo. I have visited the Osun State are being told was once sick and was taken by officials of the school to a nearby Lagos when the O/C SARS stormed the area with his Police Command at Osogbo, where a senior police officer, who athe died in a hospital where he was treated while his family was duly inmen and arrested me and Abayomi. They later used us tended to me, requested for the case file in my presence and asformed.” river near his to pin down Makoro. sured that investigation would be carried out on the case but as I school, while Responding via a text message, the spokesperson for the Osun “I am married with six children and reside at No. 155 State Police Command, Mrs. Folasade Odoro, a Deputy Superinon the contrary, speak I have not received any information from the police. Even the Investigating Police Officer (IPO) in charge of the case has Ilo/Iwela Road, in Toll Gate area of Otta, Ogun State. the said river tendent of Police (DSP), said: “The case is under investigation.” stopped picking my calls.

The first operation we did was kidnapping. We were was tucked in a One of his relatives, Mr. Steve Egbodoh, said: “We found it diffifour in number. The job came through a friend of Abayforest about seven omi named Ugo, who followed us miles away from the to the hotel. His wife works with school,” said Sylvester’s heartthe owner of the hotel named Igwe broken father, Chief Moses Okoand we went there to kidnap him. ruiele.

“Abayomi then took us to his The Ibadan-based 63-yearfarm at Adogun in Ogun State old retired civil servant, who hails from Uromi, Edo State, rewe kept the victim for one N amorphous security outfit called hotlines/telephone numbers, due to terror- where called how he received the week before we collected a ransom ‘National Security Force’ has alism, kidnaping (sic), rituals and other news of his son’s death. of N1 million.” legedly been extorting money from heinous crime (sic) in the society on intelli“ I received a call from the Asked how they shared the ranRegistrar of the college on shop and business owners in Abule Egba gent (sic) gathering/information dissemisom, he said: “Ugo collected the May 3, 2014 asking me to see area of Lagos State. nation to security agencies nationwide for money and gave Chairman the Rector of the school the Members of the group allegedly stormed protection of life and property. For further N100,000, Abayomi N50,000 and next day. I asked him to tell me Makoro N90,000. They lied that the enquiries…08033075732, 07084916538.” the reason for the invitation but the area about 4pm on Tuesday in an unamount they collected as ransom marked Volkswagen Vanagon bus deAnother trader, who simply identified he declined. Because I am a was N700,000. It was later that I manding the sum of N1, 200 for herself as Mrs. Ifeanyinwa, said that she Catholic, I asked him to reveal started hearing that it was N1 milthe reason for my invitation to registration. fell victim to the men of the fake security lion. a reverend father in charge of a One of the traders, Ms Janet Ibikunle, outfit because of the word ‘policing’ dis“They call me Chairman, but I am Catholic parish near the school who spoke with our correspondent, said: played on their dress. not the chairman of the gang. The who will in turn relay the infor“ I thought they were policemen because chairman of the gang is one Louis. mation to the priest in charge of “Although, I did not give them any money because I suspected they were fake but of their appearance. I never knew they “From the warehouse of Airtel, a catholic church where I worwe stole cable wires. It was around some of my colleagues fell for their tricks were not genuine policemen until a ship in Ibadan. That was how midnight on that fateful day. We the news of the death of my and regretted paying the money. woman alerted us shortly after they had son was broken to me.” carried the LT truck and the con“They wore black beret on mufti but had gone. I gave them N1, 200 because they He accused the school autainer in which the cable was kept. on their dress a short apron with ‘policing’ said we could pay more at their undisthority of being adamant deThey gave me N200,000 after the inscribed on it. They circulated handbills closed office.” spite the insistence of the operation. which have the logo of the Nigeria Army, When our reporter called one of the telefamily to know those it “In the third operation, which Police Force, and National Agency for phone numbers, a male voice, who refused culminated in our arrest, Abayomi claimed went with his son to play football near the river.

Food, Drug Administration and Control to identify himself before terminating the told us that we should go and see “ I quickly dispatched two (NAFDAC) among others, thereby creating call, said: ”Please, just come to Ijeshatedo his friend at Alakuko, saying that of my sons and other relafears in the mind of the traders. Their locaPolice Station, Surulere. I cannot give you there was a job to be done there. I tives to visit the school in asked him what type of job and he tion or address was not displayed on the the description of our location because of order to detersaid armed robbery. He said the n Kunle AKINRINADE n handbill. the sensitive nature of our assignment.” mine the veracvictim was coming with the sum of A copy of the handbill obtained by our The spokesperson of the Lagos Police sale; only the certificate of identification is ity of the story N30 million and there was no time and I was reporter reads: “National Security Force: Command, Ms Ngozi Braide, said: ”The for sale for a token fee…please we are waste. shocked at the fighting crime under secrecy due to insecu- mandated from the office of the security so- called National Security Force is an ille- to“My wife did not know that I was outcome of their rity. Certificate of identification on security gal organisation and I am not aware of its agencies to circulate this security alert ceran armed robber. She was only findings. First, I alert on policing. This copy is free, not for existence.” tificate that contains all important security after money to buy a car, buy was shocked

• He was buried in the presence of his relations — School authority T

•The late Sylvester

How we disarmed mobile policeman on guard and robbed Airtel’s warehouse —Robbery suspect S

•Dominic

Strange security outfit extorts Lagos residents

38-yr-old beggar bags 7 years imprisonment for kidnapping

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when the dele-

them keep him and they assured me that I would participate in the sharing of the ransom. They even assured me that with two or three successful kidnapping jobs, I could start mechanised farming, and I was very happy.

“The mistake I made was that I did not tell them to take the victim away from my farm. They had been doing kidnapping. It was the third victim that they carried to my farm. Ugo had even gone to prison for kidnapping and armed robbery.

“I did not follow them to where they collected an Ak47 rifle from a mobile policeman. I was with Uche before Uche called Nwafor. I should have avoided Ugo because he is criminally-minded, but I had no choice because of poverty and hunger.”

The third suspect, Makoro, a native of Isoko, Delta State, said: “I am a motor boy. I was following trucks and trailers. I am married with children. I participated in the kidnap jobs only once. It was the Chairman (Nwafor) who introduced me to the gang.

“After one of the successful kidnap jobs, I was given N90,000. I also participated in stealing MTN mast batteries at Benin Road. We stole eight batteries and we sold each battery for N12,000.

“There was no security man on duty at tha MTN mast when we got there. But we were armed with ropes in case we meet a guard. We normally tied a guard to enable us to do our work without hindrance. I was given N6,000 after they had sold the eight batteries we got from the MTN mast.

“One of our gang members named Onyebuchi is still in Abeokuta Prison because he could not produce N50,000 with which to perfect his bail. My role is to torture victims into submission and make them pay ransom on time.

“I also went to agreed venues to collect ransom when victims’ families are ready. This role was the most risky because one could walk into police ambush.”

n Kunle AKINRINADE n 38-year-old beggar, Aminu Hamisu, who was nabbed for kidnapping a pupil in Agege, has been handed seven years jail-term by an Abule Egba Magistrate’s Court.

Hamisu, who lives in an uncompleted building in the Papa Uku area of Agege, Lagos State, allegedly committed the offence on January 16, 2014.

He was said to have kidnapped a five-year-old pupil (names withheld) of Olusanya Primary School, Agege, but was intercepted by a neighbour of the pupil’s parents who raised the alarm following which he was apprehended.

Hamisu was subsequently taken to Isokoko Police Station, Agege from where he was arraigned before the court.

Although, he had earlier been granted bail in January when the case first came up for hearing but he could not perfect the bail conditions because of lack of sureties.

While delivering the judgment last week, the Magistrate, Mr Tajudeen Elias, said all evidence proved that Hamisu had attempted to kidnap the pupil contrary to the criminal laws of Lagos State and Nigeria.

He said the judgment would serve as a deterrent to other unscrupulous elements in the society.

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•Samuel n Ebele BONIFACE n

clothes, throw parties and travel. She was always looking for money to buy land in order to build a house.”

The second suspect, Abayomi, a native of Ado-Odo town, Ogun Statem, said: “I am a farmer. I grow cocoa, cassava, cocoyam, beans and water melon.

“Somebody called me to come and collect money in a kidnap operation. They kept the victim on my farm and I was giving him whatever food he wanted because I was given enough money to buy food or snacks and drinks for him. I used to escort him to the toilet in the nearby bush so that he would not escape.

“I was kind to him and was always comforting him, telling him that he would eventually go and join his family members. I told him not to develop hypertension because all the gang was after was the ransom and that they would not allow anything to happen to him.

“At times, I would ask him to call his family and ask them to hasten up so that he would be allowed to go home. We even bought him table water. In fact, we treated him like a king.

“It was Ugo who lured me into kidnapping. He is just a friend. They brought the big man to my farm to help

THE NATION, SATURDAY, MAY 31, 2014

FEARS in Lagos neighbourhoods over influx of aliens •‘Why we’re flocking to Nigeria’ •We’re in control – Lagos, Immigration Story on pages 18,47&48

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Why we’re flocking to Nigeria –Aliens ,

•Immigration men patrolling one of the borders

My father has five wives and 15 children. I am the first born and none of us is educated. All of us helped my father on the farm, but there was no money. So, all the children had to go out to make money. A friend of mine came to Nigeria and returned to our village with many good things.

He also told us that we could make it if we come here. That was why I left my village and came to Nigeria

,

,

Now, I see myself more as a Nigerian than a Nigerien. Life is too good here to get myself involved in the shameless activities of Boko Haram...Before now, I felt very free to go to any part of Lagos I liked. But the Boko Haram people have spoilt everything for us.

The people now fear us, and some even call us Boko Haram

,

•Wheelbarrow filled with fruits

n Gbenga ADERANTI n Segun AJIBOYE and Kunle AKINRINADE LI, Mamoudu and Musa are citizens of Niger Republic. But more than being citizens of the same country, the three young men are born of the same parents. Musa, the eldest of them, was the first to arrive Nigeria about seven years ago. The journey, from his village in Niger Republic to Lagos took him about two weeks, with stopovers in Katsina, Ibadan and Shagamu.

Musa said his journey to Nigeria was without any interruption until he got to Kamba, a town at the border between the two countries. “If you are coming from Niger to Nigeria, you will get to Kamba where you will pay some people who will give you some papers. They said the papers would enable you to enter Nigeria,” he said.

Musa, who has no formal education, said between the time he left his village in Niger Republic and the time he arrived Lagos, he engaged in more than three different jobs.

He said: “In Ibadan, I carried loads for people. After I had made some money, I moved to Shagamu where I sold water with trucks.

It was in Lagos that I started selling provisions after securing a job as a gateman (security guard).”

Soon after he settled down in Lagos, Musa’s two younger brothers followed suit, making their ways into Lagos in a similar fashion. Today, the three of them live in Bariga area of Lagos. While Musa runs a provision store that also serves as home for more than eight others, Ali and Mamoudu hawk water in jerry cans.

There are fears that the influx of foreigners from neighbouring countries like Mali, Chad, Niger and Cameroun provides a ready market for insurgents to recruit as foot soldiers.

But Musa and his siblings swore that they have nothing to do with any terrorist group, saying they only came to Nigeria in search of greener pastures.

But not many residents of the area appeared to be convinced by the claim made by the brothers. Adeleke (surname withheld), who resides on a popular street in Akoka

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•Commercial motorcycle operators... a sizeable number of the aliens are in the business area of Lagos, said the residents’ fears had been raised by the realisation that the aliens in the area were increasing in number every day.

“We started to notice that these people were increasing in number every day. At a time, they were virtually the ones in command of commercial motorcycle business popularly called okada in the area. They later ventured into other businesses, which eventually attracted the attention of the people.

“It was also observed that they lived in a particular building where one of them was employed as a gateman.”

The fear of insurgency being the beginning

of wisdom, the residents met recently and ordered the owner of the house in question to do something about its occupants, following which the number of aliens in the house was reduced to six.

Until about two weeks ago, no one in the Agbelekale neighbourhood in Abule Egba area of the city knew that Ishaq Gumsu was not a Nigerian. Everyone thought he was an indigene of Kano State, but they soon discovered that they were wrong when Ishaq was accosted by men of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) on the neighbourhood Ekoro Road as he was returning from a nearby market where he had gone to purchase some pro-

visions.

“Oga, please, I am a Nigerien, but I have been staying in Lagos for close to 15 years,” he reportedly pleaded with Immigration officials. “I have brothers in Birnni Kebbi and I visit there twice in a year to take care of our cattle.” But the concerned residents, who spoke with one of our correspondents, expressed disappointment that the Immigration officials who accosted Ishaq let him off.

Ishaq himself told our reporter that he had at different times lived in parts of Lagos like Ilasamaja, Isolo and Mushin where he worked variously as a shoe shiner and water vendor before relocating to Abule Egba. He

said: “Throughout my stay in those places, I did not live in any rented apartment. And up till now, I live in a small kiosk where I sell provisions and also work as a shoemaker.

“I was an itinerant shoemaker and I made some money with which I set up my cattle business and provision kiosk. I have a wife and five children in my village in Niger Republic. They treat me like a king each time I visit home.”

But Ishaq is not the only alien in the neighbourhood. There are many others from Niger, Chad, Mali and even Cameroon in parts of Abule Egba, Meiran, Ajasa, Command and Alagbado areas of the city.

Meiran, a suburb of Lagos, boasts a horde of aliens, including a Malian named Ahmadu Traore and his two brothers, who work as commercial motorcycle operators. Asked what his mission is in Lagos, Traore, who said about 50 of his kinsmen live in the area, said: “There is no better country to work and make money than Nigeria. I make good money and live relatively well with my brothers. There are about 50 of our kinsmen in this community and we hold regular meetings for the purpose of bonding. But most of us work as okada riders, cart pushers and shoemakers.”

In the Akute area of Lagos, the story of the three brothers is replicated in Audu, another citizen of Niger Republic who came to Nigeria through Kamba, near Birini Kebbi, Kebbi State about four years ago.

According to Audu, entering Nigeria from Niger is very easy once you are willing to part with some money at the border. He believes that Nigeria is the best place for him because the environment is friendly and there are job opportunities.

He said: “Before I came to Nigeria, many of our people who had come here told us about how good and friendly the country was. That was why I decided to come here myself.”

Audu, like other aliens our reporter spoke with, was initially reluctant to admit that he is a citizen of Niger Republic. He claimed to be an indigene of Kebbi State until he was sure that our reporter was not an immigration official. He said some of them were being constantly harassed by real and fake immigration officials.

Audu, who spoke smattering English, said he learnt the much he could speak of the language when he got to Lagos. Strangely, he said he had learnt to distance himself from Malians and other Nigeriens in the country to avoid being haunted by immigration officials and the suspicion with which Nigerians now view the aliens among them on account of the activities of the Boko Haram sect.

“Now, I see myself more as a Nigerian than a Nigerien. Life is too good here to get myself involved in the shameless activities of Boko Haram,” he said.

But with the security challenges confronting Nigeria, Audu fears that he might no longer be safe in the country. He said he had personally restricted his movements in the city because he feared that he might be

picked up by the security agents.

“Before now, I felt very free to go to any part of Lagos I liked.

But the Boko Haram people have spoilt everything for us. The people now fear us, and some even call us Boko Haram.”

Kamba as ‘free’ entry point So, what makes Kamba tick as an illegal entry point into Nigeria from the northern part of the country? According to Ibrahim, who ekes out a living by carrying loads for people at the popular Mile 12 Market, which also serves as his home, there are too many entry points into the country for illegal immigrants from Niger Republic. But he identified Kamba as the most patronised of the entry points.

Kamba is the headquarters of Dandi Local Government Area of Kebbi State. It has an area of 42,003 square kilometres, while the 2006 census puts its population at 144,273.

“There are many routes through which we can enter Nigeria. You know that the border area is very large. But most of us come through Kamba and Cotonou,” Ibrahim said. Asked why he left his country for Nigeria without any feasible means of livelihood, Ibrahim, the first in a family of 15 children, said his father is a subsistence farmer with five wives.

He said: “My father has five wives and 15 children. I am the first born and none of us is educated. All of us helped my father on the farm, but there was no money. So, all the children had to go out to make money. A friend of mine came to Nigeria and returned to our village with many good things. He also told us that we could make it if we come here. That was why I left my village and came to Nigeria.”

Ibrahim has two wives and six children.

But his dream of hitting it big in Nigeria is under severe threat as a result of the security situation in the country. “People now fear us when we go out. That is why we no longer go far away from where we live. Please, tell them that we are not Boko Haram,” he pleaded.

But Akeebu, a Nigerian and ‘hustler’ at the Mile 12 Market, lamented that the activities of illegal aliens at the market and its environs had given the rest of them in the area a bad name. He said: “These people are giving us bad names around here. Most of the bad things that happen here are perpetrated by the illegal aliens but the people would think we are the ones. If you come to this place at night, you would see more than 500 of them sleeping on the bridge. Now the bridge is bad because of their activities.”

Sixty-six-year-old Ibrahim came to Nigeria as a young man more than 30 years ago.

While acknowledging the fears of Nigerians about the activities of illegal aliens in the country, Ibrahim recalled that the situation was different when he first arrived in Nigeria.

He said while no entry papers were required at the time he came into Nigeria, things have since changed, particularly because it was discovered that many of his compatriots were being killed and many others were disappearing without any trace.

“That was when the Nigerien government insisted that before any of its citizens left the country, they must obtain the right papers.

“At a point, Nigerian immigration officials were arresting and detaining illegal immigrants into Nigeria, and many of our people were victims. It became worrisome when some of our people were disappearing without any trace. Some people, who were not Immigration officials, were taking advantage of our people. This attracted the attention of our government when the cases of abducted

Continued on page 48

THE NATION, SATURDAY, MAY 31, 2014

19

‘My boss sacked me for befriending his girlfriend and I masterminded a robbery attack on him’ suspected member of a five-man robbery gang, Ojo Iyare (26) has explained why he organised a robbery operation against the man he was supposed to be guarding in Dolphin Estate, Lagos. The Ovia, Edo State indigene, who thereafter adopted armed robbery as his full preoccupation before he was arrested by operatives of the Special Anti-robbery Squad (SARS) of the Lagos State Police Command, said he was angry that while he was posted by his security outfit to guard the house, his boss was also using him for other domestic chores without any compensation.

He said he was not allowed to enter any of the rooms in the house and could only enter the •Obiona parlour if his boss wanted to send him on an errand. Upon all this, he said, his erstwhile boss still had the guts to tell his company to withdraw him from the house and, if possible, sack him completely.

He said upon learning about the plan to sack him, he hurriedly sent in his resignation letter and decided to go into full-time armed robbery.

The other suspected members of the gang, who were cooling their heels in the cell of SARS at GRA, Ikeja, Lagos include Richard Okon (29), Obiorah Frank (27), one Sunday and one Chukwuma Nkem, who was said to be helping the gang to ferry snatched vehicles across the Nigerian borders into neighbouring countries.

With the aid of two locally made double barrel guns, the suspects also allegedly stole from the victim’s room some dollars amounting to about N12 million. They were also alleged to have stolen other items like laptop computers, phones and wrist watches.

Recalling how they carried out the robbery operation, Ojo, the suspected leader of the gang, said: “We were a five-man gang. But those who carried out the operation that day were Richard, Obiorah and myself. It was in the previous three robbery operations and two car-snatching operations that Sunday and Chukwuma participated fully.

“In the operation that caused our arrest, Chukwuma acted as the provider of buyers. Hence, his role was to market snatched cars and other stolen properties of victims, while Sunday’s role was to monitor the movements of the police after the gang had gone on an operation and policemen were looking for them. At times, he said, they acted as hawkers, selling bags, recharge cards, clothes, shoes and jewellery.

Ojo added: “First, I will like you to know that I am a secondary school certificate holder. I made all my papers with credits and above, yet I could not further my education because of my dad’s inability to encourage me. To worsen matters, when I told him that I wanted to join the police, he frustrated all my efforts in that regard.

“He had three wives. He has up to 15 children and gives the first wife the greatest attention. To assure him that I really wanted to join the police, I went to meet him while he was serving as a police inspector in Okene, Kogi State.

“After telling him that my reason for coming was to seek his help to join the police, he told me that he needed N300,000 to lobby people for my recruitment, but he did not have the money.

“When I got to Lagos and told my mother about it, she said I should give him some time to gather the money.

When I went back to Kogi State the second time, I discovered that he was not taking my discussion with him seriously hence I went back to Lagos to look for work.

“First, I approached a security company and they trained me and posted me to the victim’s house at Park View Estate, Apapa, on a monthly salary of N18,000. When the man (the victim) started dating the house cleaner, a young girl of about 19 years, he saw me as a rival because he always saw me discussing with the cleaner. At times, I also helped her in cleaning and other domestic duties over which the man commended me and even gave me more domestic chores without any allowance.

“But what annoyed the man most was that the cleaner liked me more than him, hence he sacked me.

I went back to my company and asked for redeployment. Unfortunately, they posted me to a far place

A

‘

•Okon

•Ojo

•The robbers weapons

n Ebele BONIFACE n and I could not afford the transport fare.

“Frustrated, I stayed at home and stopped going to work.

It was during the period I was idle that I met Richard through his girlfriend. They live on the same street with me.

“When I told Richard that life had not been fair to me, he told me not to worry, saying that I should count myself lucky that I told him about my problem. He said he would show me the way to liberation from poverty and that I would swim in wealth within a few days.

“He gave me N2,000 to buy drinks, cigarette and pepper soup. I was very happy and thanked him for the gesture.

Later, I went to him and told him that my condition had worsened because I impregnated a girl and I had no money to take care of her antenatal and feeding. I told him that he should find a solution to my suffering.

“I also told him about the rich man I was guarding on Park View Estate, who sacked me. I suggested that we should find a way to rob him. I did not know that Richard had just come out of prison and wanted to rest for sometime before engaging in another robbery operation. Based on that, he did not accept my proposal to rob my former boss.

“But Obiorah, a friend to Richard, was present when we were discussing my plight. He became interested because I was the one who got him a job at a security outfit on a monthly salary of N18, 000. That was why he was always interested in whatever I did.

“Sometime in January, Richard accepted and we decided to carry out the operation. I had the details of the house

But what annoyed the man most was that the cleaner liked me more than him, hence he sacked me. I went back to my company and asked for redeployment. Unfortunately, they posted me to a far place and I could not afford the transport fare

and the man because I had worked there before I was sacked. To avoid being recognised by the security man on duty, we went there as supervisors from the security company where I was posted to the house. Upon getting there, I stayed outside and allowed Richard and Obiorah to knock and go inside.

“When Richard knocked at the gate, the security man came out and he told him that we were supervisors from the security, and he opened the gate for us. But before the security man could look at their faces very well, Richard had brought out a gun and pointed it at the security man. He ordered Obiorah to tie him and cover his mouth with cellotape.

“When the security man had been properly tied, they bundled him into the security post, while I took over his job.

When the owner of the house returned and hooted, I went and opened the gate for him. He drove in and stayed in his car for some minutes to answer a phone call. As he started walking into the house, Richard rushed towards him and pointed a gun at him. Obiorah and I tied the man and covered his eyes and mouth with cellotape.

“We slapped him several times and warned him not to do anything funny if he did not want us to shoot him to death.

We then took him inside his house and ordered him to show us where he kept his money, wrist watches, phones, laptop and other items. Obiorah later called our attention, saying that he had seen some dollars in his wardrobe.

“Obiorah handed the money over to Richard, who later gave me one million naira. I did not know the amount Obiorah collected. From the money, I bought wheat and garri grinding machines.”

Asked how he was arrested, he said: “I was at Bariga Market grinding wheat for one of my customers when I saw SARS operatives led by Superintendent of Police (SP) Abba Kyari. They told me to follow them to Scorpion House (Police Headquarters, GRA, Ikeja Lagos). I was handcuffed and whisked away.”

The second suspect, Richard, said: “I am from Ogun State. I finished primary school. My father was an Army Captain before he died in 2008 and he had six wives from different parts of Nigeria. My mother is the first wife.

“I used to earn N10,000 as monthly salary. I have robbed more than three times. It was one CY that lured me into armed robbery. In one of the cases, we were charged to court for armed robbery and remanded at the Kirikiri Maximum Prison. I paid my lawyer N50,000 to perfect my bail and regained my freedom.

“I started selling gas and second-hand clothes at Oshodi with Okwui, who later ran away from me when he found that I was an armed robber. I returned to robbery because my shop was burnt down a few days before I was released from prison custody as an awaiting trial.”

The third suspect, Obiorah, a native of Nnewi, Anambra State, said: “I had wanted to go to the university after graduating from secondary school, but my father had a fatal accident that nearly paralysed him. He is still walking with crutches.

“I was born in Okene, Kogi State. It was there that I started riding commercial motorcycle (okada) and had an accident that affected my eye in 2012. It was my friend, Ifesinachi, that brought me to Lagos.

“Life was hard for me, and in an attempt to find what to do to survive in Lagos, I met Uzo Ojo Iyari who introduced me to armed robbery. I was doing cleaning work after resigning from a security company.

“I was the one who tied the security man and the owner of the house. I collected N1.2 million. Uzor colleted the only laptop we got from the man. I also collected an ipad.

I participated in four armed robbery operations. But we did not kill anybody.

“The second operation was at Surulere. We snatched a Toyota Camry car and sold it. I collected N35,000. The third operation was at Isolo where we snatched a car and sold it, but I was not given a dime.

“The fourth operation took place along Ikorodu Road.

I used my loot to buy a Toyota Camry for N450,000. I rented a self-contained room at Oworonsoki with N100,000, but the person I gave the money ran away.”

THE NATION, SATURDAY, MAY 31, 2014

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THE NATION, SATURDAY, MAY 31, 2014

45

A B E O K U TA : •The underneath of the bridge

•The overhead bridge at Sango-Ota

•The overhead bridge, Abeokuta

Transformation of a city set on the rock GUN State has the rare luck of being home to many great Nigerians—dead or living. They include the late Madam Tinubu,Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Dr Tai Solarin, Chief Moshood Kashimawo Abiola, Senator Abraham Adesanya, Prof. Wole Soyinka, and Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo, to mention a few. The state is also home to many historical and tourist sites like the Olumo Rock in Abeokuta, Yemoji River in Magbon-Ijebu and the Birikisu Sungbo Shrine, Oke-Erin in Ijebu-Ode. But not a few people were worried that the state, particularly Abeokuta, the capital, had not sufficiently harnessed its human and natural resources for accelerated development.

Intra and inter-city movements remained a huge challenge for residents, visitors and prospective investors, particularly in the rainy season because of the deplorable conditions of the roads.

In Abeokuta in particular, the rocky terrain engendered by the huge presence of the popular Olumo Rock did not help matters. Poor physical planning combined with lack of political will for development projects on the part of successive administrations in the state to rob the city of its potential beauty and business appeal.

Happily, however, the historical city is now wearing a new look, thanks to the massive development projects embarked upon by the administration of Governor Ibikunle Amosun in different parts of the state, including Sagamu, IjebuOde, Ago-Iwoye and Sango-Otta. Indeed, in the last two years, the Gateway State has become one huge construction site. New and modern roads,bridges, markets and shops have given the cities, particularly Abeokuta, new and attractive looks.

From Onikolobo, Lalubu, Totoro, Sokori, Sapon, Abiola Way, Sage and OGBC, all in Abeokuta, to Ijebu-Ode, Sagamu and Sango-Otta, modern cities are emerging with the efforts of the administration of Governor Ibikunle Amosun. One of the easily noticeable projects that have transformed Abeokuta in no small measure is the lbara/Labubu/Ita-Eko Overhead Bridge. The 2.4km dual carriage flyover was built at the cost of N1.5 billion, which begins at Lalubu-Ibara and opens into the new Totoro-Oke-Sokori six-lane road also constructed with N1.3 billion, according to the government.

The Totoro-Oke Sokori Road has such features as drains, median, greenbelt, walkway, street lights, modern bus-stop and pedestrian bridge. The pedestrian bridge alone was said

O •The stair case leading to Olumo Rock’s elevator

n Ernest NWOKOLO, Abeokuta n to have cost about N260m.

The massive investment in the roads, according Governor Ibikunle Amosun, was in fulfillment of his electoral promises to the people. But they have proved to serve more purposes than just fulfilling campaign pledges.

The Alake of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo, captured the changing face of Abeokuta months back while appreciating the first state-built Lalubu- Totoro Bridge. Gbadebo, who likened the development to the time pipe-borne water and railway station arrived Abeokuta during the colonial era, said it had transformed the state capital from one of 19th Century status to that of 21st Century.

He said: "The flyover can only be compared with the day electricity came to Abeokuta or the pipe-borne water was installed in Abeokuta, or 1906 when a train entered the city.

The flyover is as major as any of these, and I thank the governor for bringing Ogun State and Abeokuta in particular from the 19th Century to the 21st Century.

"When visitors came to Abeokuta and they paid courtesy visits to the palace, they were always whispering and asking: ‘Is this the state we have talked so much about? Where are the roads we expect Abeokuta to have? The first class medical facilities, the first class schools as the fountain of education in Nigeria?’

"They expected the very best in Ogun State. We thank God now that we have the governor who has started very well.

Our people do say the morning shows the day. If under two years this government has been able to put in place the flyover in Ibara and several others like it, we know that in a matter of another year or two, we will be where the best state capital of this nation are.

"We have been lagging behind in all of them for so long. By the grace of God, we are going to overtake all of them who are not moving in the same pace they started with.

"For this, I want to thank the governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, and his team for a job well done. Somebody asked me what do we have for the people? I want to congratulate them for their support and tell them to please pay their tax.

Without paying your tax, good things like this cannot happen."

Also, a transport consultant, who pleaded anonymity, told

Pe a c s CitY

•Another area of Olumo Rock

The Nation that the roads and bridges would facilitate easy, easy movement of goods and services, easy flow of traffic, reduced manpower time wasted on the road and improved productive time of persons plying the road.

The transport expert added that the roads would also help in monitoring traffic flow to determine the bottleneck points for necessary solutions as well as assist the police, medical team and other people responding to emergency situations to arrive at the scene or their destination quickly, besides the aesthetic values they add to the environment.

According to the initiator of the projects, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, "The goal is to put Ogun State in the league of advanced economies and make it an investors’ destination of choice, not only in Nigeria, but the sub-Saharan Africa."

The governor noted that to achieve that feat, the importance of modern day and world class infrastructure cannot be overemphasized.

He said: "For this reason, we will continue to rehabilitate existing infrastructure and put them in a position where they will not only stand the test of time but stand out as a reference point for others anywhere in the world. Where the need arises, we will construct not just modern but high-tech infrastructure that will enhance the magnificence of our environment and act as a catalyst for our socio-economic development.

"I urge all our people to exercise more patience and continue to support us in prayer and in deeds. As we do this, we will have more dividends of democracy across the nooks and crannies of our state for the overall benefit of our people.

Also, I want to use this opportunity to call on the private sector to partner with our administration in the actualisation of the socio-economic development of our state.

"Our policy is to create the necessary atmosphere for the private sector to thrive. We need the private sector to make use of these infrastructure while establishing industries that will help to provide jobs for our people. As you do this, we shall be creating wealth for our people and bringing smiles to their faces."

But a serving House of Reps member and governorship aspirants on the platform of Labour Party (LP) in the state, Hon. Abiodun Akinlade, while admitting that Amosun's infrastrutural development and roads expansion are "desirable," cautioned the governor against going about his road projects in a manner that would put Ogun people in pains.

Akinlade said: "As we note the efforts of the state govern-

ment to handle these road expansion projects in a way that protects the economic interest of the people, preserve their heritage and improve their welfare, the current approach is creating hardship, homelessness and joblessness for Ogun State people.’’

But it is not just the roads and bridges that have made Abeokuta a tourist attraction and investors’ destination. The traditional headquarters of the Egba is home to many unique things—both ancient and modern. Aside the aesthetic values some of the unique features add to the city, they also tell stories of the struggles of the Egba people over time.

The rocky setting is such that a significant portion of the populace lives atop rocks. The sights of some of the rocks are so scary because of their sizes and seemingly loose positioning. One could imagine them falling and rolling over people from their heights. But it is always within the realm of imagination, as the rocks have kept their positions for more than 100 years.

The average visitor to Abeokuta would not feel a sense of fulfillment until they have been to such places. Even researchers travel from far and near to gather information about the city’s setting.

The famous Olumo Rock for which Abeokuta is renowned is about five minutes’ drive from the Adire Market in Itoku area of the city. It was the place where Egba people were said to have taken refuge during the inter-tribal wars in Yorubaland in the 19th Century. The people eventually settled underneath the rock when the wars ended.

Today, it is a major tourist attraction and constitutes one of the important tourist centres for the Ogun State Government.

Before now, tourists aspiring to climb to the top of Olumo Rock would have to trudge through its windy and rugged path. Hence, only the healthy and strong attempted that feat.

These days, one can access the top of the mountain with the aid of an escalator.

The new look of Olumo Rock was brought about by the innovations carried out on it by the administration of the immediate past governor of the state, Otunba Gbenga Daniel.

For instance, last Thursday, which was a public holiday to commemorate the return of democracy to Nigeria, hordes of school children and other tourists—local and foreign—were sighted on the rock.

A tourist to Abeokuta would not be deemed to have accomplished his mission if he has not visited the Centenary Hall in Ake.

THE NATION, SATURDAY, MAY 31, 2014

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THE NATION, SATURDAY, MAY 31, 2014

2015: Honest questions Jonathan should ask himself

— Catholic Archbishop at 55

Catholic Archbishop of Lagos State, Most Reverend Alfred Adewale Martins, will be 55 years tomorrow. In this interview with INNOCENT DURU, the softspoken cleric expresses concern about the state of the nation and urges President Goodluck Jonathan to think twice before declaring his intention to contest for a second term in the forthcoming 2015 elections. He said if he were the president, he would not. Excerpts: ongratulations and happy birthday Your Grace. How do you feel at 55?

I am simply grateful to God that He has given me an opportunity of being in this world in the last 55 years. In the first instance as I often say, there is no reason why I or anybody should be in the world if not for the grace of God. Even from gynaecological point of view, there are so many eggs in the life of a woman, why is it that it is only one that survives? It is simply the grace of God that determines which one has the opportunity of being in this world and of being in the service in the way the God Himself has willed it.

So my first feeling is that of gratitude to God, particularly at this time when some people don’t think anything wrong about abortion. That anybody could have been born and that anybody could have lived this long is certainly something to be grateful to God for.

What prompted you to go into the priesthood and were your parents in support of it?

I had interactions with priests as I was growing up. For instances, I was an altar boy. If you were in my family, you would either be an altar boy or a choir girl. That encounter in my early life played a part. The fact that I went to a Catholic primary school in those days when the Catholic identity was very strong, even though those schools were public schools, played a part. You had to engage in morning prayers in the Catholic way, when it was lent period, you had to go for stations of the cross, you prayed the angelus and all that. All of these activities obviously were helpful.

The atmosphere of growing up was within the church environment and that certainly was a lot of help for me. My parents didn’t have any problem with my going to the minor and the major seminaries. They were very supportive. I wish that other parents will also encourage their children to take part in the life of the church right from when they are pretty young. Parents should not think that it is too young for their children to learn about the church. Begin to tell him about it even when he or she is not able to talk.

Whether you believe it or not, it begins to sink and it becomes a pattern of growth.

The president in a recent media chat said there is a thin line between stealing and corruption. What do you make of this and the menace of corruption at large in the country?

I didn’t watch the media chat but only read a snippet of it in the newspapers. I will be extremely surprised if stealing is not recognised as an aspect of corruption. Stealing is an aspect of corruption, it is an aspect of lack of self-control. A person with dignity and self-esteem will not go out and take what does not belong to him. Certainly for me, stealing is an aspect of the corruption that we have. Indeed, people who steal government property, government finances and other kinds of resources certainly are involved in stealing, which is the part of corruption of which we have the EFCC and ICPC for instance that were set up to check corrupt practices.

I think there is another aspect of corruption that needs to be highlighted as well. An individual who for instance engages in exam malpractices is an aspect of corruption that is not the same as stealing but it is an aspect of corruption that we cannot envisage. When we even refuse to do the work that we are paid for as civil servants, that is an aspect of corruption that we cannot just push aside. There are different aspects of it that we can talk about but I am not sure we can

C

remove stealing from the body of corrupt practices.

Do you think the present administration has been committed to fighting corruption with different cases of allegation levelled against some people in the government?

There

are certainly lots and lots of lapses that need not to have been there that give the impression of not wanting to deal with particular individuals or particular circumstances.

There are lapses that give that impression. The EFCC at a point in time was much more in the news in terms of an effort to deal with a particular problem that arose in a particular case of corruption within the nation. It was like a robust effort to deal with corruption.

We have not seen the same robust effort to deal with corruption this time. We don’t know what problems the president is facing, he certainly does not give too much confidence to the people that corruption is being tackled as it should. Unless the government as it were deals with particular situation as it arises and is seen to be dealing with it, I am afraid that the kind of feeling that you expressed will continue to be there.

What is your take on the unresolved case of the Chibok girls abducted by members of the Boko Haram?

Obviously, that episode in the life of our nation is another dimension to the insecurity of lives and properties in our nation that had never been seen in that way before. Yes, it is the case that people had been kidnapped in the past but to kidnap them in a large number like that was certainly unprecedented particularly with regards to children from their schools. It is a good thing that there has

•Archbishop Alfred

been that reaction not only from non-governmental institutions but also from the international community. The church as an institution feels not only for the girls and the trauma that they must have been going through but also the parents and the relations of these girls. This is why the Catholic Bishops Conference asked that we as a nation should have a particular time we should pray for the situation to be changed.

The idea of carrying placards and doing public demonstrations has its values. It has the value of drawing the attention of everybody and making people focus on it. There is also another way of dealing with the situation, which is approaching God and asking Him to help us, especially seeing that all the efforts that have been made so far have

‘

not been as fruitful as they should be. I believe that the combination of all these by the grace of God will help bring our children back.

There are concerns among the citizens about the presence of the international community, America in particular, in the country.

People have the fears that they may not be willing to leave even after the problem might have been resolved. What do you think of this?

I don’t know the terms upon which America and other foreign powers have been asked to engage in Nigeria. I suppose that the government should have been able to have conditions upon which they would have invited these foreign powers to come into Nigeria. We should also be in the position to monitor to the best we can to ensure that they don’t go beyond what they are called upon to do. I am not sure that America or any of them will stay if we say they shouldn’t stay beyond what is agreed.

I think the problem is even beyond that. If we had been able to take the right kind of steps to deal with these problems before they degenerated, I think, there wouldn’t have been any need for America to come. We didn’t take proactive steps initially and I think that is where part of the problem is. There was a time people were wondering if this was a political game, that actually those girls were not abducted. That frame of ,mind didn’t allow the government to do the right thing at the right time. I would think that our government should be in a position to bring together people with experience in this kind of matter irrespective of their political leaning. As somebody said, when there is a war, you don’t begin to worry that you belong to that political party and he belongs to the other political party. You just literarily bring everyone who is in position to make a difference.

I think our government needs to look beyond party, political problems and rivalry and bring people within this nation who have the education ,intelligence and experience to deal with this problem for us. It is bad enough that we have asked America and other world powers to come. It would even be worse if we surrender our sovereignty to them.

By the grace of God, we have the resources, the human resources at least within this nation,- that can help resolve the problems.

We have heard that some individuals are taking some steps to deal with it. All of these are good but factors made it difficult to take the appropriate steps at that time. Those who should have condemned this thing outright at that point in time, for political and other kinds of reasons didn’t quite do it. However, the point is that we are here now. Let us get people who could help us deal with the problem.

There are insinuations that the problem bedevilling the country will abate if President Jonathan does not declare to context in 2015.

What do you make out of this?

As for President Jonathan and his future in politics, if I were him, I will say to myself, have I been able to fulfill the expectations of my office in these last few years? Have I been able to generate enough confidence in the activities of government that I am holding at this point in time? I will also want to find out what are those people around me, who do not have political inclination, feel about the way I have done my duty.

I am sure all of those questions, if honestly answered, should be able to help President Jonathan to decide whether he should go ahead or not. I would personally think twice before I throw my hat in the ring. I would advise the president to think very very seriously and not just from a personal point of view but from an objective point of view. I would not if I were him.

The polity appears to have been seriously heated up ahead of the 2015 elections. We have also seen a sort of mutiny by the military in Bornu State.

What does this portend for the nation?

Heating up the polity seems to be the stock in trade for politicians. The issue of mutiny in the army that you mentioned is very very worrisome.

That we could be led to a situation in which soldiers almost literally were going after their commander is very very worrisome. You want to ask what led to that? They are complaining about payment of their salaries, they are complaining about logistics, about ammunition and materials to use in combating the insurgency. They are also having the feeling that their commander did not have their best interests at heart. All of these are very very serious. Our military authorities should not joke with it. Even if they

As for President Jonathan and his future in politics, if I were him, I will say to myself, have I been able to fulfill the expectations of my office in these last few years? Have I been able to generate enough confidence in the activities of government that I am holding at this point in time? I will also want to find out what are those people around me, who do not have political inclination, feel about the way I have done my duty...

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I am sure all of those questions, if honestly answered, should be able to help President Jonathan to decide whether he should go ahead or not. I would personally think twice before I throw my hat in the ring. I would advise the president to think very very seriously and not just from a personal point of view but from an objective point of view. I would not (run in 2015) if I were him...

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deny it in the public, they should be able to go back there and look at the situation and deal with it before it becomes more troublesome than it is now.

During the week, the first lady came out to ask Nigerians to desist from insulting her husband. What is your reaction to this?

It is not right to insult anyone. To insult anyone is not appropriate, not to talk of anyone who occupies a postion. The office demands that you don’t insult the person. There is no doubt about that as far as I am concerned. However, that does not say that if there is a point to be made, that does not mean they should not be said. As our people say, there is a way you say something and it evokes a violent reaction and there is another way by which you say the same thing and the person sits back and says, this is true o. It is important to judge how to say what needs to be said without necessarily insulting either the office or the person.

If you have the opportunity of being one on one with the president, what will you be saying to him?

(Laughter) Well! Certainly, I will ask the president to listen to what everyone has to say because everyone is saying something from wherever he is coming from but he should be ready to accept what is unpalatable as long as it is going to help him to carry through his government and do it well for the welfare of the people. I will encourage him to work on principles that will ensure that people who are corrupt elements within his government are not given the opportunity to continue to remain there and create a bad name for the nation, not to talk of the government.

I will tell the president that it is good to pray, it is good to go to different churches and be seen to be praying. I think that is a good example that you can commit things to God but at the same time, there are values that are attached to religion; there are values that are attached to faith that need to be enforced within the body of government, the leaders and the relationship with the people. I will tell the president to objectively look at the circumstances of governance in these past years and ask God to teach him to take the right decision with regard to his future in politics.

What is your opinion about the on-going National Conference?

I will just say that as a nation, we have all been clamouring for an opportunity that people from all the diverse parts of the nation will come together and talk about the conditions for our staying together.

The difficulty has been about what is the value of what comes out of the forum. Does it have a legally binding effect? Does it have a legislative backing and all of that? It is with the hope that that conference will be an opportunity for people to say their minds on different aspects of the nation that it was organised. It was not meant to be a place where you go and threaten other groups of the nation.

I believe that everyone concerned has since learnt that, that is not the way to enter into this confab because I have not heard anything similar to that since that statement was made by members of the confab. I believe there has been some understanding that, that was not the path to follow as far as that confab is concerned. You could call it arrogance if anyone chooses to follow that line of attitude. What should be the main concern is that people should ensure that the contributions they make are not for sectional interest but for the totality of the nation to lead us out of the problems that we have now.

What is your position on the call for churches to be paying tax?

It is either the question was framed wrongly or the vote was taken in a wrong direction because I think there is a mix up there. If you say individuals who are leading the church and receiving salaries should pay tax from their salaries, that is appropriate. But if you say that the church as an institution should be made to pay tax, that is an aberration. It is not acceptable and it cannot be acceptable in a nation like Nigeria because where people who make contributions to the church are tax payers themselves, if you are going to collect tax from the contributions they make in the church again, then that will amount to double taxation. It is not acceptable.

We should make a distinction between income that is peculiar and particular to the individual from an income that belongs to the institution as it were because such income goes into building of churches, it goes into building of schools, it goes into the welfare of the masses and so many other things that the government itself cannot do by itself. The church engages in spiritual activities, social activities and welfare activities should not be required to pay taxes on income it receives from people who themselves are tax payers. They should be careful and avoid going into troubled waters and cause trouble for the nation.

What is your birthday gift to Nigerians?

Part of my duty as a priest is to pray for people and guide them as far as faith is concerned. I can promise my prayer for the particular circumstances that we have in the nation with regard to the Chibok girls, with regard to insecurity, with regard to religion not to be used as a divisive tool but rather to be used as a tool to draw closer to God and be concerned for the welfare of one another. I will pray that, that will take effect in our country. Then of course, I will recommend that everybody should also pray for the nation and for our individual needs.

Chief ADEGBOYE ONIGBINDE is an Icon of Nigerian Football in more ways than one, he took the Green Eagles to the Final of the 1984 African Cup of Nations and was the trail blazer in Nigerian Indigenous Coaching, also serving in the Confederation of African Football CAF and FIFA Coaching and Instructor Committees for decades. In this Interview with KAYODE TIJANI, the Modakeke High Chief bares his mind without, recalling interesting events, telling things as he sees it with lots of amazing revelations.

The second part next week is therefore also a must read.

ENJOY

I earned ten thousand Naira per annum as Green Eagles' coach

Coutinho

Kaka

Tevez

Nasri

Donovan

Robben Cesar de gea

Paul UKPABIO and Patience SADUWA

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THE NATION, SATURDAY, MAY 31, 2014

GOVERNOR ORJI

Gov Orji

Gov Suswam

Gov Amosun

Gov Akpabio

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THE NATION, SATURDAY, MAY 31, 2014

A portion of Kabba-Egbe-Ilorin Road

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HIS is to bring the suffering of the people of Calabar to the notice of the Governor of Cross River State, Senator Liyel Imoke, and the Minister of Power.

Since October 2013, the people of some streets in the town have been living in darkness. The streets, which are in the Calabar South Local Government Area, are New Airport Road, Eno Street, Ibete Street, Effioawan Street, Ikeya Street, among others.

The PHCN officials have been giving different excuses since the people have been experiencing the darkness which is giving them a lot of concern.

I am begging the governor to bail out my people from darkness by using his influence to correct this anomaly. The minister is also implored to co-operate with the governor on this important matter.

What the people of the streets mentioned above are going through is sad. They need help. They will, forever, be grateful to people used by God to put on end to their suffering.

Mrs Eileen Ogunyannwo, FCT, Abuja.

HIS is an appeal to the Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), and it is my hope that it will be treated with seriousness it deserves.

On April 12, I took the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examinations (PPT). I did the examinations well, and I hope to score good marks in all my subjects.

The problem I have now is that the JAMB has refused to release my results. I did not involve myself in malpractices during the examinations.

I want to plan my future. And this is not possible without these results. I am, therefore, begging the registrar to release my results so that I can start planning my life.

My registration number is 45051266.

Ekechukwu Chinasa Precious.

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ENATOR Liyel Imoke of Cross River State is a performing governor. Though you are not making a noise about the work you are doing, people are aware of your achievements in many spheres of life.

It is my prayer that God will continue to give you wisdom, dynamism and courage to provide a purposeful leadership for the people of your state.

But there is one area I want you to focus on. In Calabar, there are many children roaming streets.

They do not go to school. They roam streets from morning to evening.

These children are now dangerous because they commit crimes, though not serious ones. But the real danger lies in the future when they transform into hardened criminals or another Boko Haram sect.

The governor must act by taking away these children from streets urgently.

Pastor J.O. Gureje, Calabar.

THE NATION, SATURDAY, MAY 31, 2014

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‘Please, tell them we’re not Boko Haram’ Nigeriens became rampant.

“Many of our people died on the Apapa/Oshodi Expressway while trying to run away from immigration officials. But, thank God, things have changed. We have leaders in different communities in Nigeria, so whenever anything happens, we come together as a family. That is why I’m telling you that it will be difficult for any of us to be a member of the Boko Haram sect.

“Although I am often referred to as a Boko Haram man, it does not bother me. Funny enough, most Nigerians don’t even know the difference between Nigerians and Nigeriens. The only exception is the immigration people at the border.”

Ibrahim said that while he had had to cope with many problems as an immigrant, he would not subscribe to anybody becoming a member of the Boko Haram sect. “It is evil, barbaric, primitive and wicked,” he said.

A visit to Ketu, a suburb of Lagos, revealed how much some of the aliens have had to grapple with accommodation problems. An overhead bridge in the area has virtually caved in as a result of pressure from the large number of illegal immigrants who sleep on it on a daily basis. As soon as night beckons, the pedestrian bridge begins to play host to the immigrants. By 10 pm, the entire space on the bridge would have been taken over by the hordes of illegal immigrants.

Interestingly, some residents our correspondents spoke with did not seem to nurse the belief that the influx of illegal immigrants into the country constitutes a clear and present danger.

Some respondents said they had not bothered to find out the backgrounds of the people they employed as security men.

Eze Okoye lives in a four-bedroom flat in the Yaba area of the state. He shares the compound with three other tenants. But while the four tenants know one another fairly well, none of them knows anything about the the security man employed to guard the house.

Asked what he knew about his security man, Okoye said: “This question is tough o. Would you believe that we have never bothered to carry out any background check on our security man? All we know is that he is Hausa and his name is Musa. I must confess that we don’t even know if he is a Nigerian or not.”

Okoye and his co-tenants are not alone in this. Cases abound of domestic servants who, having worked and gained the trust of their masters and madams, cart away the very property they were employed to watch over. But generally speaking, the rising number of immigrants in Lagos has heightened the fears of the people, particularly as they now appear to dominate okada business and other menial jobs.

While most of them may be involved in legal activities and may indeed have documents backing their stay in the country, the activities of the Boko Haram insurgents and the belief that many of their members may not be Nigerians have heightened fears.

On the streets of Lagos, they have become a constant feature with their wheelbarrows filled with assorted fruits as they go round the city hawking their wares. This form of trade has no doubt driven fears into the people, bearing in mind the revelation that one of the attackers at Nyaya Park in Abuja might have carried out the attack with a wheelbarrow filled with fruits embedded with explosives.

The fear is further heightened by a recent special investigation report by a BBC reporter in Niger Republic, who found that the country had become a fertile ground for the recruitment of insurgents.

According to the report, the Boko Haram sect pays the poor recruits about $3,000 to become their members. In the face of grinding poverty, experts fear that young Nigeriens might be easy catch for Boko Haram once it

safe, especially in the face of the current security challenges facing us.

Training and retraining our men and officers are going on every day. Having said all these, I can assure you that the service is doing its best to keep our borders safe.”

The Special Adviser to Governor Fashola on Information and Strategy, Mr. Lateef Raji, told The Nation that the government is collaborating with security agencies and members of the public on the need to join hands to ensure the safety of the city.

He said: “There is a basic and fundamental issue that guides all Nigerians. You can’t just pounce on Nigerian citizens; it is part of their fundamental human right to move from one part of the country to the other, except when they become a nuisance. So, it is always difficult to look at a person and identify such as an alien except the Nigeria Immigration Service intercepts such. Issues of immigration solely rest with the Federal Government and it is their responsibility to actually monitor the movement of aliens. But for us as a •Map showing Kamba government, we can’t label anybody as alien.

“What we do is for the agencies in •The popular Mile 12 overhead bridge charge to go out and monitor the activities and influx of people in a parwhere many of the aliens sleep ticular area. The security agencies are doing this and members of the public have been very helpful. The public notify us whenever they see any strange gathering, and we have responded immediately. We keep direct tab in those areas.

“The Nigerian legal system assumes that you are innocent until proven guilty. It is not unusual that some of these criminals in the guise of riding okada commit serious crime, but it is also not fair for government to pick on them while doing their normal job. But what government is doing is that we are paying very keen attention. We have, in our public enlightenment campaign, notified citizens to alert us about any suspicious movement or item found in their neigbourhood.

“All the phone numbers of the DPOs and the Commissioner of Police, are on our website. We are also going to print this out so that the average person will know who to call.

The immigration now has to be alert in their duties. It is their primary and his request was granted. The first batch dangles such money before them. duty not to allow aliens come into the counof 1,000 men of the special force unit graduBut the Nigeria Immigration Service is not try. But we are trying to reach out to them ated only last week. And as I speak with you, and anywhere we see such people, we will folding its arm, in the face of the security these men are being posted to the border challenges. Speaking to The Nation, Mr. CPP notify the immigration service.” posts across the country.

Obuah, Assistant Comptroller, said the servIn the same vein, the Hausa community at “These specially-trained men will henceice is working hard to ensure that the naMile 12 Market is not losing sleep over the forth help in monitoring the activities of peo- threat of insecurity in Lagos. Speaking to The tion’s borders are secure. ple entering the country illegally. The idea is While disagreeing with the ‘porous borNation, Alhaji Shehu Usman, the Financial that if anybody tries to enter the country der’ tag used by the media to describe the Secretary of the group, urged residents to put through the many bush paths, he or she will nation’s borders, Obuah said the right word their minds at rest, assuring that insurgents surely encounter the men of the special force to describe the borders is ‘expansive’. Many sect cannot operate in Lagos. unit, even if such perpeople describe our Usman said: “We have told the people that son has escaped the borders as porous, there is no need to fear. Inside the Mile 12 border posts. but the truth is that market, we are organised and have the ma“Talking about the what we have is exchinery that ensures that we know everyactivities of our men pansive borders,” he body inside the market. For instance, I can in the hinterland, the said. tell you the name of the person in a particusurveillance and Obuah said the lar shed. monitoring unit is enservice, under the “In the same way, we have leaders in each gaged in the monitor- section of the market who reports any leadership of the ing of people who Comptroller General, strange incident to the leadership of the marmay have entered the ket. Even those who bring foodstuffs from Mr. David Paradana, country illegally. has done a lot to enthe North are monitored very well. We know Whenever they ensure the safety of the all those who come in or go out of the marcounter such people, borders. According ket. So the issue of Boko Haram can never they are questioned to him, part of the happen here.” to ascertain whether measures put in A chieftain of the Motorcycle Riders Assothey have valid paplace by the service ciation of Lagos State (MOALS),Oja Oba pers or not. And if was the introduction Unit, Abule Egba, who identified himself they are found to lack simply as Comrade Niyi, said: “We have of a special force the necessary papers, unit. “Shortly after many Chadians and Nigeriens among us but they are taken back to we scrutinise them very well before admithe came into office, their country. the Comptroller ting them as members. Initially, we didn’t “All these are a General set the safety take them because we feared that they might routine exercise being elope with the motorcycles given to them by of the borders as his carried out by the priority. To do this, owners, but we have since relaxed our rules service as part of the he requested for the to accommodate them when it became clear ways to make sure establishment of a that they are only seeking legitimate means that our borders are border patrol force, of livelihood.”

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Continued from Page 47

Before I came to Nigeria, many of our people who had come here told us about how good and friendly the country was.

That was why I decided to come here myself

,

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THE NATION, SATURDAY, MAY 31, 2014

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Fund delays Nigerian youth delegates to world summit igerian delegates may not make it to the One Young World Summit in Dublin,Ireland.

Reason: The delegates comprising of Joshua Oyeniyi, Moyosore Elesho, Owolabi Ibrahim and Adeosun Temitope have publicly confessed that their trip to the annual youth event may be totally jeopardized, unless government or well-meaning Nigerians sponsor their trip to the event.

One Young World is a charity that stages an annual summit, which gathers together the brightest young people from around the world, empowering them to make lasting connections to create positive change.

Unlike any other event, the summit gives young people the kind of media platform and forum ordinarily afforded only to the leaders of nations and corporations.

According to information that emanated from the organization, Oyeniyi, Elesho, Ibrahim and Adeosun have been selected as “outstanding candidates to attend the summit on the basis of their capacity for leadership, concern about global issues, ability to generate and articulate impactful ideas, teamwork and evidenced commitment to volunteering or other extracurricular activities.”

The summit provides an opportunity for delegates to “debate, formulate and share innovative solutions for the pressing issues the world faces. Each participants become “One Young World Ambassadors” and are charged to work on their own initiatives or lend the power of the One Young World network to those already in existence. Ambassadors have gone on to have an impact on issues ranging from education, global business, health, human rights, sustainable development and transparency.”

The most valuable young talent from global and national companies, non governmental organisations, universities and other forward-thinking organizations are joined by world leaders to rub minds.

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•Temitope

•Joshua

•Moyosore

•Ibrahim

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Paul UKPABIO

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The young Nigerian delegates though excited, are worried that they may not be able to attend the event, unless they are assisted with funds. “We are young people who have proven our mettle in social and human development spheres with track records of outstanding success and recognitions for what we

do. That is why we have been selected” said Moyosore Elesho, the only lady among the four. “It is to this effect that we seek sponsorship in line with the requirement to pay our delegate fee which covers hostel accommodation, on the ground transportation, feeding, and handouts/summits materials. The delegate’s fees will be paid directly to One Young World in United Kingdom, which excludes return air fares.”

She added that, “it is important we get our delegate fee paid on time so we can apply to be among the few delegate speakers that will be selected to talk on topical global challenges and those of our home country before the audience from the over 190 countries expected at the summit.”

Owolabi Ibrahim on his part said that, “we see this as a great opportunity as young leaders from Nigeria to attend this conference joined by world leaders like Kofi Anan, Arch Bishop Desmond Tutu, Paul Polman and others to boost the image of Nigeria before the international community and tackle issues that affect the world and particularly our country Nigeria, bringing back all the knowledge we might have gathered to charge up other young leaders in this country.

We will sincerely appreciate that our request receives favourable response and considered with a level of urgency.”

According to The Nation investigation, about N4.2m will be needed by the delegate of four, to register Nigeria’s presence at the summit. The absence of the delegates at the event could only mean that Nigeria’s flag will not be hoisted along with that of other nations, come October 15-19 2014, when the event will be held in Dublin, Ireland.

Last year’s summit took place for the first time in Johannesburg, South Africa and 1,250 delegates from all round the world attended. They were all aged between 18 and 30 from 190 countries.

Fresh controversy over anti-infidelity charm • Continued from page 54 Agege area of Lagos and shared his experience with this reporter, said he will never doubt magun's efficacy. “I am one of those who do not believe that ordinary rope crossing as it used to be in magun case can terminate a life until I was a witness. It occurred in my neigbourhood where a taxi driver, popularly known as 'Ganja', took a middleaged woman to a hotel in the next two streets to ours. I was in the garden of this hotel to cool off with a friend who had just arrived from the United Kingdom. The diver passed through the garden to the room allocated to him with his lover. Barely 30 minutes after they passed, the woman rushed out screaming that the room attendant should assist her. We all rushed to the room. Ganja was on the ground with foams and mixture of blood gushing out of his mouth. The woman explained that her lover somersaulted thrice after a hot sex and suddenly blood was gushing out of his mouth.”

Ijilade explained further that the husband of the woman was said to have been warning her of infidelity that had caused several misunderstanding between them, but she refused to put a stop to it until the husband decided to solve the problem by lacing her with magun, which eventually sent her secret lover to his early grave. “The husband of the woman who was later arrested by the police was said to have confessed that he was given a magun charm which the wife crossed over that afternoon before he went for a round of sex with her lover,” he added. He pointed out that since that incident, he has concluded that “civilisation and magun exist side by side, especially in the South-West area of the country where l came from.”

To Ronke Omolewa (not real name), who recalled a terrible experience during her undergraduate days, there should no controversy about the efficacy of magun.

“There was this lecturer who was harassing me for sex, threatening to fail me if I refused. Initially, l did not take it seriously, but when it turned out that he really meant business, I was confused. I was not innocent neither was I a virgin at the time, but I just hate the idea of forcing me to do what l did not like doing. Therefore, when l went home for my pocket money, I discussed the issue with my mother. Unfortunately, I did not know that my father was not yet asleep, he eavesdropped and rushed out of his room and demanded that l should tell him the gist, which l did.

“My father told me that he would use the lecturer as a scapegoat and he sold the idea of magun to me. Initially, l was scared because if the man eventually died, definitely I would be held responsible and the society might later label me as a killer, but he assured me that the type he would give me would not terminate his life but teach him the lesson he would never forget in his life. He said the

lecturer would not even succeed in having sex with me, just an attempt, he said, would do the magic.

“I came back to school with a bead-like magun charm with my father's instruction that l should not use it until we got to the hotel and the action was about to start.

When l got back to school, l confided in a guy who equally wanted to be my friend and a plan was hatched and the lecturer fell into the trap. On the D day, l was at the appointed place somewhere around Anthony area of Lagos State. After a shower, the lecturer was ready for action, l was already on the bed, half naked. As he was all over me and ready for the action, suddenly his back bone just made a funny sound and within a twinkle of an eye, he collapsed on the ground.

With the assistance of an attendant of the hotel, we took him to the nearest hospital and his family quickly guessed that he might have been a victim of magun. The senior brother of the lecturer later approached me for an interrogation; l told him the antidote, according to my father. He was discharged from the hospital. Though the lecturer never forgave me, neither was he courageous enough to discuss the issue with his colleagues till l left the school.

He suddenly became a gentleman without people knowing why this was so.”

Perhaps instances like the above ones make Folarin to lament that it is embarrassing that a Yoruba man will claim ignorance of the existence of magun, adding that the advent of colonialism has denied the Yoruba race of what he called an 'authentic African insurance.'

According to him, there are about four classifications of magun which he was aware of. The first one is that the victim will somersault three times after a round of sex and he will die instantly. The second one is that the victim will make a sound like a cock three times and die, while the third one, the victim will be thirsty immediately after a round of sex and there is no amount of water given to him that will satisfy him until he drinks to death. The fourth type of magun, he explained, is rarely used, but when it is used, it will bring shame to both lovers as the two of them will glue together for hours and die unless the antidote is administered before it is too late.

Speaking in the same vein, Dr Ewenje Faponle, a herbalist, smiled when this reporter teased him that magun may be an imagination after all. His countenance changed immediately; he shook his head and said “Omode o mo oogun, o n pe ni efo,” meaning that only a child underestimates the efficacy of 'African insurance'. According to him, there are various types of magun, depending on the expertise of the herbalist involved. Aside the ones that are common, there is another magun that the victim will not die until after a few days or until the victim violates the taboo.

There is one that is called 'do not cross the stream' after

having indulged in sex, and the victim will only die only if he crosses the stream. This type of magun will protect the woman from immediate humiliation. “There is another one that is called magun elesuke. This one will not allow the victim to die until seven days after the incident; he will not be able to speak coherently and any time he decides to speak, he will be perspiring. If the antidote is not given to the victim before seven days, he will die,” he explained But a medical doctor based in the United Kingdom, Dr Biodun Ogunobo, debunks the existence of magun, saying it is mere superstition, adding that his medical practice experience tells him such a thing does not exist in the medical world. “There is nothing like magun. This level of ignorance and depravity is fostered by the irresponsible Nigerian film industry, Hollywood. I had a patient with a similar presentation of stroke a few years ago in Scotland, United Kingdom. A 53-year-old man was transferred to the accident and emergency section following a distress call. He collapsed following a sexual intercourse.

He had complained of sudden severe headache and felt sick with nausea and vomiting.

“Shortly after, he lost consciousness and became unresponsive. His partner quickly phoned the ambulance service and he was taken to the hospital. At the hospital, he was completely unresponsive and had to be resuscitated. When he woke up, he had a convulsion and became unconscious again. However, he soon regained his senses and was admitted to hospital. Investigations revealed that he had suffered a severe stroke. We treated him for the stroke and he was discharged home safely, to resume sexual relations with his partner, without any further problems. He remains alive and well today and still enjoying sex,” he explained.

Dr. Ogunobo added that “sexual activity may be complicated by neurologic syndromes of headache, seizures and amnesia. Orgasmic cephalgia (headaches after orgasm) and postcoital headaches (headaches after sex or even after masturbation) have been reported in the literature from different parts of the world. When doctors see a patient with headaches during or after sexual intercourse, we are most concerned. The most important diagnosis is a type of stroke called subarachnoid hemorrhage.

Postcoital headache is a recognised presentation of some patients with this type of stroke. It is due to the weakness of a part of the blood vessels in the brain. This bursts open due to the stress of the sexual act leading to bleeding inside the brain. The bleeding causes acute increased pressure in the head, convulsion and death can subsequently occur. Therefore, there is nothing like magun,” he asserted.

• Continued on page 60

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Society

Jonathan, Obasanjo, Fashola, others bid Otedola final farewell HE remains of former Lagos State Governor, Sir Michael Otedola, have been buried.

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He was buried yesterday in his home town, Odoragunshin, in the Epe Local Government Area of the state.

The burial was preceded by a funeral Mass held at the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, Ibonwon.

The church programme was attended by President Goodluck Jonathan, his wife Dame Patience Jonathan, former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Governor Babatunde Fashola, his wife Dame Abimbola Fashola, Governor Ibikunle Amosun, Hon Abike Dabiri, Security and Exchange Commission (SEC) boss Aruma Oteh, Minister for Agriculture Adeshina Akinwumi, former Zenith Bank boss Jim Ovia, business magnate Aliko Dangote, among others.

The funeral Mass was officiated by Archbishop Alfred Adewale Martins of the Lagos Archdiocese, together with Bishop Emeritus, Anothony Cardinal Olubunmi Okogie; former Archbishop of Ibadan, Rev Dr Felix Alaba Job; and other priests with clergymen from various denominations in attendance.

The sleepy community was awoken by the unusual presence of the dignitaries in the area. The residents, including a large number of physicallychallenged people trooped out in their numbers to catch a glimpse of the visitors.

It was an opportunity for some of the residents to make brisk business. Commercial motorcyclists and commercial drivers smiled home as they picked visitors from one part of the town to the other.

It was equally an opportunity for many politicians across the state to register themselves in the minds of the people and most importantly, the decision makers in their different political parties. They strategically placed banners with their photographs at different parts of the area to welcome the visitors and bid the deceased farewell.

A large number of armed and stern-looking securitymen stood at strategic positions to forestall a break-down of law and order.

Delievering his sermon during the Holy Mass, Monsignor Otenhi extolled the virtues of the late governor and exhorted the congregation to live a life worthy of emulation.

"Our beloved father lived a life worthy of emulation. He was a devout Christian who dedicated his life to the service of God and humanity.

“Today, he has gone to be with his creator. One day, it would be our turn. We should strive to live a life worthy of emulation so that when our time comes, people would have good things to say about us just as they are saying about our departed father today," he said.

President Jonathan, in his brief remark, extolled the virtues of the late governor, while assuring Nigerians that: "Serenity would soon return to the country."

The president, in his condolence message to the deceased family, said: "It is with great sadness that I write to condole you on the passing of your dear father, Sir Michael Otedola: a consumate nationalist. Your father brought a characteristic level of uncompromising diligence and commitment to

Innocent DURU excellence to bear on every facet of his service to God, country and community, a rich legacy which should be an enduring source of pride to you and the entire members of your family in your moment of grief.

"On behalf of my family, the government and the people of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, I write to express my heartfelt condolences to you, the entire members of the larger Otedola family and the government and people of Lagos State where he served meritoriously as governor, on the passing of this titan. May Almighty God grant succour to all he left behind, even as He grants his soul eternal rest."

The Vice President Namadi Sambo described the deceased former governor as an elder statesman who served his people with a sense of humility, saying: "It is with deep shock and total submission to the will of the Almighty God that I received the sad news of his demise. " He will be remembered by all as an elder statesman, distinguished politician and devout Christian who served his people with a sense of humility and touched many lives through his just and exemplary leadership."

Former President Obasanjo, in his condolence message, described the deceased as a rare breed "who combined the sterling qualities of patriotism and firmness of purpose requisite for high office with the domestic virtues of modesty and loyalty.

An extra- ordinary person and unforgettable personality, quality and integrity were his imprints."

Lagos State Governor Fashola said the deceased's accomplishments and the records of his administration amply reveal his accommodating nature and predilection towards politics without bitterness and acrimony, adding "this endeared him to friends and political adversaries alike as he showed by example that it was possible to accommodate diverse shades of thought and opinion. His distinctly dignified comportment outside political office is no less worthy of emulation."

Ogun State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, noted that the fact that the deceased attained a ripe age has not in any way "lessened the pain, nor the magnitude of the death of a patriach who devoted his life to the service of his creator and the benefit of humanity.

"Everyone who knew Sir Michael Otedola testifies to his disciplined lifestyle and gentle disposition," he said.

His Osun State counterpart, Governor Rauf Aregbesola, said the deceased while alive was was a humble, energetic, enterprising and astute politician.

He said: "The lesson that can be drawn from his passage is that while we are alive, we should all strive to serve our people and God, our creator in in the belief that we shall all account for our deeds when we return to our creator."

The First Lady, Dame Jonathan, said: "Though his death was painful, we should take solace in the fact that he left good legacies which are evident in the quality of the children he left behind. He will be remembered for living a worthy life and for making indelible impact on humanity during his lifetime."

• Former Nigeria President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo and President GoodLuck Jonathan

• First Lady Nigeria, Dame Patience Jonathan (left) with Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola

• Governor Ibikunle Amosun (left) with Otunba Ojora

• From Left: Olubunmi Cardinal Okogie; former Governor of Anambra State Peter Obi and Femi Otedola

• Otedola’s widow, Doja (middle), with her children

• Former Osun State Governor, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola (left) with Chairman of Dangote Group, Chief Aliko Dangote

NEWS 57

THE NATION

SATURDAY, MAY 31, 2014

DHQ warns against alleged plot to blackmail military

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HE Defence Headquar ters yesterday alleged plans by some groups to blackmail the military, using doctored and falsified audio visuals.

The Director of Defence Information, Maj-Gen. Chris Olukolade, who raised the alarm in a statement in Abuja, asked the public not to allow themselves to be hoodwinked by the affected groups.

The alleged plan, he claimed, is “aimed at attracting international condemnation and indictment of the Nigerian military and its operations in the Northern part of the country.”

He added:"The campaign, which is to rely heavily on doctored and falsified audio visual materials, some of which are already trending in the social media, is to be coordinated and funded by a prominent political leader whose state is currently under

Yusuf ALLI, Managing Editor, Northern Operation the state of emergency.

"The details of the plan which is already being finetuned by a group of media practitioners is to be presented for the final ratification and funding by the political figure."

The DHQ alleged that the campaign is targeted at a religious group to cause disaffection and “forcefully whip up sentiments of genocide allegedly targeted against a particular religious group.

"The planners of this multimedia crusade also hope to use it to gain some mileage in the drive to secure international attention as they have not achieved this sufficiently despite previous efforts.The programme, which is also meant to reinforce the ongoing media campaign against the military,

was adopted as an alternative by those who are bent on politicizing the ongoing counter, terrorist operations in the northern part of the country.

"It will be recalled that a newspaper, apparently testing the waters, last week published some of the doctored pictures which the Defence Headquarters instantly repudiated, pointing out that they do not represent activities or operations of the Nigerian military.

"This Headquarters wishes to reiterate its rejection of pictures and video footages from unverifiable sources claiming to reflect activities or so-called atrocities purportedly perpetrated by Nigerian security forces.

"They do not reflect or depict the true state of affairs or operations of Nigerian military or any of the security forces.

"The public is advised to watch out and not allow

themselves to be hoodwinked by these acts of infamy orchestrated by this desperate group.

"Once again, it must be emphasized that the dastardly

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Bisi OLADELE and Kelvin Osa Okunbor time Nigeria was looking forward to the younger generation and people of his calibre to take over from the present leadership.

The monarch said: “I was pained when I heard of the demise of Adebola. As a parent, it is a very painful incident.

“My thoughts are with Senator Ladoja and his entire family at this trying time.

“It is my prayer that God Almighty will grant the deceased eternal rest”.

Oba Oyewumi prayed to God to give the family of the deceased the fortitude to bear the irrepairable loss.

Friends, colleagues and other sympathizers expressed their condolences to the deceased and his family on Twitter and Facebook.

Social crusader, Dr Joe Okei-Odumakin, tweeted: "Adebola Ladoja was trapped behind the wheel with blood gushing out of his head as a result of the impact! This is an avoidable death. O we

mourn."

A colleague, Stanley Enemanna, tweeted: "A friend, brother, associate, colleague. We still argued at work yesterday. We were together before leaving for the gymnasium."

Another friend, Akinbo A. A. Tweeted: "If this is how we lose our friends, U want to say God bless Adebola Ladoja. For the living, we have no power to stop death, but I have this day to say I cherish you..."

On Facebook, Folarin's Amosu wrote: "Adebola Ladoja, my aburo, my godfriend and ex-colleague, I just heard about the sad news about your accident that led to death. I had a chat with Henry yesterday during which I sent my regards to you as you sent yours back and promised to see me this weekend. Why brother?..."

Until his death, Mr Ladoja was a Client Coverage Executive at UniCapital, a financial services company in Lagos.

He studied in England before returning to Nigeria last year.

According to a source close

Group calls for change in governance

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OVEMENT for the Fundamental Change (MFC), a social pressure group clamouring for fundamental change in the governance of Nigeria, has passed a verdict that the present system operational in Nigeria is not democratic.

The MFC, comprising members of various social groups and high net-worth social crusaders, passed this verdict in a statement titled: “Our Scorecard on Nigeria’s Democracy: 15 years on (1999-2014)” released in Lagos to assess democratic governance in Nigeria in the last 15 years.

In the statement signed by the Chairman of the Steering Committee of the group, Oloye Adegboyega Adeniyi, the MFC said democracy does not thrive yet in Nigeria because of leadership indiscipline, as the present system lacks the most basic ingredients of democracy which include broad participation of

the people in governance processes, rather than exclusion and alienation which the present system fosters.

Other reasons adduced by the group include accountable public institutions rather than opaque systems prevalent now, credible elections rather than the violent, heavily monetized and predatory electoral processes we currently endure which thrive on patronage and cronyism; the enthronement of criminality as an act of governance and an absolute incapacity for public service delivery.

In view of its position, the MFC said it had resolved to launch a national protest against this state of affairs in due course to drive home its point.

The group lamented that Nigeria remains one of the most corrupt nations in the world, based on the Corruption Perception Index (CPI) 2013 released by Transparency International, a global watchdog, adding that in the

last survey released in December 2, 2013, Nigeria ranked 144th out of 177 nations in the world, scoring 25 points out of a possible 100 points, while her corruption performance in 2013 was worse than 2012 when it scored 27 points.

On declining social services, the MFC noted that professionals in the educational sector had continued to protest the abysmal condition of learning and research in educational institutions due to poor funding; shortage of qualified staff, dearth of infrastructure and inadequate laboratories.

Other national anomalies that attracted the wrath of the group include youth unemployment which it claims stands at conservatively estimated 54% of all employable youths, meaning at least 40 million young people are without jobs; poverty level growing from 54% in 2004 to almost 70% currently, meaning over 100 million Nigerians live in absolute poverty, amongst other national deficiencies.

can justify the evil acts of terrorism by attempting to cast the Nigerian military and security forces in bad light."

Fed Govt saves N457.96bn from contract frauds

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HE Federal Government has saved an estimated total of N457.96 billion from checking contract frauds through its procurement reforms in the past two years.

This was contained in the 98-page Transformation Agenda: Review Progress report for the period 2013 to 2014 presented to the public

by President Goodluck Jonathan as part of activity marking the 2014 Democracy Day celebration in Abuja.

The report, which highlighted the achievements of the administration in the past one year, broke down the sav-

Ajimobi, Soun, others mourn Ladoja’s son HERE was an outpour ing of condolences for the deceased Adebola, son of Senator Rashidi Ladoja, yesterday from the Oyo State Governor Abiola Ajimobi, the Soun of Ogbomoso, Oba Oladunni Oyewumi, Ajagungbade 111, and friends of the deceased.

While Ajimobi described the death as “tragic, disheartening and sad” Adebola's friends took over social media, Twitter and Facebok, to express shock and condolences to the Ladoja family.

Ajimobi, in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media, Dr Festus Adedayo, said: "It is even more painful, considering the fact that Adebola was snatched by the cold hands of death in his prime.”

He admonished Senator Ladoja to take the incident as an act of God, saying nothing could happen to any human being without the knowledge of God. Oba Oyewumi, in a condolence message through his Private Secretary, Toyin Ajamu, described the incident as unfortunate, noting that the young Ladoja died at a

acts of terrorism are against all Nigerians and all peace-loving people all over the world.

"No amount of propaganda by apologists of terror group

to the family, Adebola clocked 30 years old last month. He was said to be thinking of marriage in recent times.

Meanwhile, the Bodija, Ibadan home of the deceased’s father and former governor of Oyo State, was quiet yesterday as the family mourned. But sympathizers were very scanty due to the absence of the politician. He is currently attending the National Conference in Abuja.

Augustine EHIKIOYA, Abuja ings from the procurement reforms into N400 billion in 2012 and N57.96 billion in the year 2013.

The government explained that it embarked on the reforms to address the issues of contract costs inflation, proliferation of projects, lack of procurement plans, poor project prioritization, poor budgeting processes, lack of competition and value for money in the award and execution of government contracts.

The report said: “Under the reform, all contracts must be awarded through a due process laid down by the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) including advertisement, pre-qualification, invitation to tender, technical and financial bid process opening of tenders and evaluation process, to determine the company/organization that is best qualified for the contract.

“This reform is being sustained through strong political and leadership support to the BPP which has resulted in a gradual reduction in the

cost of public expenditure and improved competitiveness in the award of public contracts.”

To consolidate on the gains achieved on the reforms, the report said that government has established the Public Procurement Research Centre at the Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO) to support research on all aspects of public procurement and related subjects and to implement training of procurement officers.

The BPP, the report, said also signed a cooperation compact with the United Nations Office on Drug and Crime (UNODC) late last year towards strengthening its anti-corruption efforts in the country.

It also said that through the cooperation of the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), the BPP in 2013 sent more than 50 companies to Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) for investigations for attempting to secure government contracts with forged documents or made false claims about their competence and capacity.

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NEWS

THE NATION, SATURDAY, MAY 31, 2014

NDLEA arrests man with cannabis n Kelvin OSA OKUNBOR n HE National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has apprehended a Malian, Kone Ali, with compressed cannabis, weighing 4kg.

The suspect, a businessman and student at Guangdong University of Technology, China, holds dual citizenship of Nigeria and Mali.

He was arrested at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) Lagos while attempting to board a Kenyan Airways flight to China. The cannabis was hidden inside foodstuff like melon, dried bitter leaf and assorted local spices.

The 22-year-old suspect, who is studying Chinese language, was travelling with a Malian international passport no. B0563273.

Preliminary investigation revealed that his Ibo name is Ebuka Onyedigbo and he hails from Okija, Anambra State.

Kone Ali has lived in Guangzhou, China, since March 2013.

He was found with a student identification card of Guangdong University of Technology, China.

NDLEA commander at the Lagos airport, Mr. Hamza Umar, said that the suspect was nabbed while trying to check in his luggage.

“The arrest of Kone Ali by the NDLEA officers took place at the departure hall of the Lagos Airport when he brought two bags for check. The first bag was searched and no drug was found. While searching the second bag, it was discovered that five compressed parcels of dried weeds that tested positive for cannabis were packed together with foodstuff,” Hamza stated.

In his statement, Kone took responsibility for his arrest, saying, “I am a victim of carelessness. My friend in China called me that I should bring a bag containing foodstuff from Nigeria.

I had every opportunity to have turned down his request, so I take full responsibility for my actions. A man who identified himself as a Ghanaian brought the bag to me in Lagos. He said that he was instructed by my friend in China to bring the bag.

“At the screening, the drug was found by NDLEA officers. Now I cannot go back to my school and my parents are angry with me,” Kone stated.

The Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, Ahmadu Giade, said that the suspect has violated the provisions of the NDLEA Act.

13 persons killed in auto crash

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Death of Ladoja’s son tragic, disheartening –Ajimobi

•Ogun State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun (with mic), Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mrs. Abimbola Akeredolu (2nd left), Controller of Prisons, Ogun State, Mr.Olarele Joseph (right) and Deputy Controller of Prisons, Ibara, Mr. Ailewon Noel (left), during the governor's visit to Abeokuta prisons in commemoration of the Democracy Day.

OVERNOR Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State has commiserated with a former Governor of the state, Senator Rashidi Ladoja, over the death of his son, Adebola, in an auto crash, which occurred in Lagos, on Thursday.

The governor, in a statement issued in Ibadan on Friday by his Special Adviser on Media, Dr. Festus Adedayo, described the death of the former governor’s son as tragic, disheartening, unfortunate and sad. ``It is with deep shock and utter disbelief that I received the death of Adebola, son of my cousin and former Governor Rashidi Ladoja in a ghastly motor accident that occurred in Lagos on Thursday. ``It is even more painful considering the fact that Adebola was snatched by the cold hands of death in his prime,’’ he said, describing the deceased as a rising star and potential leader of tomorrow.

Governor Ajimobi admonished Senator Ladoja to take the incident as an act of God as nothing could happen to any human being without the knowledge of God. While praying for the repose of the soul of the deceased, the governor beseeched God to grant the former governor and the entire Ladoja family the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss.

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Nyako sacks 12 advisers OVERNOR Murtala Nyako of Adamawa State yesterday sacked five of his special advisers and seven principal special assistants.

Sacked, according to the Secretary to the State Government, Mr. Kobis Thimnu, were: Sanusi Jauro, Abdur-rahman Bobboi, Kelvin Peter, George Moses and Chubado Babbi,all of them Special Advisers.

The affected principal special assistants are, Hadiza Kuto, Sadiq Haske, Danjuma H., Bello Njidda, Gidado Aliyu, Shehu Jacob and Usman Marafa.

No reasons were given for their removal, but the governor thanked them for “the services you rendered” and directed them to hand over government documents and property in their custody to the appropriate authority.

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O fewer than 13 persons, including women and children, were burnt to ashes in a Thursday night road crash at Tudun-Dukiya village near Dogon Karfe, about 10 kilometres from Illela town in Sokoto State.

The incident, which occurred at about 9.00 pm, also left fourteen other persons injured.

The dead included women and children.

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The accident, according to an eye witness, involved a Peugeot J-5 bus travelling from Jos, Plateau State to Illela and a Toyota Starlet car, travelling from Illela to Sokoto.

Confirming the incident, Sector Commander of the Federal Roads Safety Commission (FRSC) in Sokoto State, Dr. Umar Gummi, said that the two vehicles burst into flame after a

head-on collision.

"Some of the passengers are seriously injured, with some having first degree burns," he said, adding that some of the victims were receiving treatment at the Illela General hospital, while others were referred to the Uthmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital, Sokoto.

"As for the dead victims, they were burnt to ashes and it is too difficult to recognize them," Gummi, explained.

Umana to repeal A’Ibom pension law if voted governor M R Umana Okon Umana, the leading People’s Democratic Party (PDP) governorship aspirant in Akwa Ibom State, has promised to remove the offensive portions of the controversial state pension law if voted governor.

The law, signed recently by state governor, Chief Godswill Akpabio, provides for many controversial financial benefits to past governors and their deputies.

Some of the controversial provisions of the pension law include N100 million annual medical allowance for every past governor; N30 million for a former deputy governor; N5 million allowance (N60 million annually) to a former governor for his domestic staff and a 5-bedroom mansion in Uyo or Abuja for every former governor.

Reacting to questions on the law in a telephone interview with our reporter, Umana, who is the immediate-past Secretary to the State Government (SSG), described the pension legislation as “obscene, provocative and insensitive,” adding, “it is surprising that in spite of a nationwide public outcry against the bill for the pension law, the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly rushed to pass it within 11 days and the governor signed it into law with indecent haste in 24 hours without any inputs from members of the public who will foot the bill.”

Umana said sections of the law that are highly offensive and insensitive to

Wahl barbing contest holds June 8 HE Annual Wahl Barbing Competition and Charity Show will hold in Lagos on June 8, 2014.

This year’s event is the 22nd in the series.

The first edition, which held in 1992, was organized by J. Green Mbadiwe & Sons, in conjunction with Wahl Clipper Corporation of Illinois, U.S.A. The contest will hold at The Syrian Club, Ikoyi: Lagos, from 12 noon.

Speaking on the forthcoming event, Chief Victor Ngozi Mbadiwe, Chairman of J. Green Mbadiwe & Sons, says elevating the art of barbing, as well as its hygiene values “is a commit-

n Adamu SULEIMAN, Sokoto n

ment that we are not ready to compromise at all.

We shall continue to encourage barbers to maintain highest levels of hygiene, so that the health of their customers is not jeopardised in any way.

We shall also encourage them to be as professional as possible.”

J. Green Mbadiwe & Sons is the sole distributor of Wahl Clipper Corporation products in Nigeria.

The annual barbing contest is also an avenue to give back to society, as proceeds from the event usually go to charity. In the past 21 years, many charity homes round the country have benefited in cash and kind.

the plight of Akwa Ibom people and therefore unacceptable include the provision of a ceiling of N100 million in annual medical allowance, which is about $700,000; N5 million monthly allowance for the domestic staff of a former governor and the provision on housing for the former governor.

He said in spite of the argument that the N100 million allowance is the ceiling, the contemplation of the provision is absurd, outrageous and unfortunate, given the level of economic hardship t facing the average person in the state, which made the World Bank in a recent report to categorise Akwa Ibom State as the third poorest in the South-South.

Umana faulted the pension law also on the ground that a former governor cannot realistically incur a medical expenses of up to N100 million or $700,000 in one year.

The former SSG added that an annual

wage bill of N60 million at the rate of N5 million a month for the domestic staff of a former governor means providing for compensation for over 250 domestic servants for a former governor based on the current minimum wage of N18,000. “This is clearly unrealistic and outrageous,” he said. On the provision of a 5-bedroom mansion for a former governor in Abuja or Uyo, Umana who said the provision is not only unjustifiable and unnecessary, described it is an open-ended provision that is liable to abuse, since the cost of the mansion is not specified, making it possible for an outgoing governor to provide a mansion at any cost for himself.

Umana said he believes that government should be accountable to the people, arguing that the bill for the pension law should have been revisited to take away its controversial and offensive portions when citizens of the state and other Nigerians began to protest against its provisions.

Nigeria will overcome insurgency, OVERNOR Aliyu Wamakko of Sokoto State has expressed opGtimism that Nigeria will over- says Wamakko come the numerous social and security challenges confronting it, just as he said democracy has thrived in the country.

He noted that since the country was able to overcome the difficulties of the bloody civil war, militancy and the menace of kidnap and violent killings in other parts of the country, the current insurgency would also become a thing of the past.

"Only prayer and the observance of the principles of co-existence peaceful will sail the country out of the trouble waters of insecurity challenges," he stated.

According to Wamakko, democracy has provided Nigerians the free will to make objective criticisms and also facilitated the people’s participation in electing their representatives.

n Adamu SULEIMAN, Sokoto n

"We are now far away from the primitive dictatorship of the past," Wamakko added.

Responding to question on the readiness of his party (APC) to give Nigerians what they deserve come 2015, Wamakko said the party was built and nurtured to spare Nigerians of bad governance, institution of the principles of rule of law, tackle the growing insecurity by ensuring the safety of lives and property of every citizen, as well as initiate the mechanism for rapid approach to economic diversification.

He described the APC as the sure and only alternative to the rot Nigerians were passing through.

THE NATION, SATURDAY, MAY 31, 2014

NEWS

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Group urges Emetulu, Uduaghan to contest for guber, Senate pressure group, Proper Inheritance Political Associates, PIPA, has called on the Delta State Commissioner for Energy, Mr. Charles Emetulu to contest for the governorship seat of Delta state come 2015.

The group in a statement signed by its chairman, Mr. Eugene Eyube also called on Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan to contest for the Delta South senatorial district seat in 2015, saying that he has the experience and qualities to be at the senate.

It will be recalled that PIPA in the time past had also urged Dr. Meyiwa Erewa, for House of Representatives, Warri Federal Constituency, Hon. Daniel Mayuku, for Delta State House of Assembly, Warri South West LGA, Mr. Andrew Aganbi, for Chairman, Warri North LGA., Engr. Lucky Akuruli, for Delta State House of Assembly, Warri South II Constituency and Hon. Mofe Edema, Chairman, Warri South LGA. The group stated that the call for Emetulu to contest for the governorship was because of his outstanding qualities and character, adding that he is committed to service and has leadership excellence and integrity. “Emetulu is humble, loyal focused and God fearing as a serving C ommissioner in the present administration of Governor

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•L-R: Bayelsa State Governor, Hon. Seriake Dickson; Israeli Ambassador to Nigeria, His Excellency, Mr. Uriel Palti and Bayelsa State Deputy Governor, Rear Admiral Gboribiogha John Jonah rtd, during a courtesy call by the ambassador at Government House in Yenagoa.

PHOTO: LUCKY FRANCIS

INEC registration exercise: Enugu residents lament lack of DDC machines n Chris OJI, Enugu n ESIDENTS of Enugu State are displaying frustration with the ongoing voters registration in the state, describing the process as too cumbersome.

As at yesterday, thousands who had thronged the registration centres went back home in frustration, as only one Direct Data Capturing Machine (DDC) was available in most centres.

The state government had declared Wednesday and Friday as public holidays to avail workers and traders the opportunity to register.

All offices and markets were closed and people thronged the registration centres as early as 7 am.

As at the time of filing this report, people who have thronged the centres to get registered were seen leaving in frustration, as it became apparent that it may not get to their turn before dusk.

Besides the shortage of DDC machines, most machines were faulty, making the process slow.

It took between 15 to 20 minutes to register one person.

Many who spoke to The Nation said they had tried to register for three days without success.

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Poly lecturers’ strike: Forget about 2015, MASSOB tells T Jonathan

HE Movement for the Actualization of Sovereign State of Nigeria (MASSOB), has asked President Goodluck Jonathan to forget winning the 2015 election, with the unresolved strikes in the polytechnics and colleges of Education in the country.

The group condemned what it called the insensitivity and carelessness of the Federal Government to the plight of the members of Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) and college of Education Staff Union (COESAU).

It will be recalled that the institutions have been on strike since September and December, 2014, respectively.

In a statement by the group in Awka, Anambra

n Nwanosike ONU, Awka n State, the group also condemned the disruption of peaceful protest by the police in Lagos.

The statement, which was signed by the National Director of information of MASSOB, Uchenna Madu, said that most of the female students in the affected institutions have ventured into prostitution, while some of their male counterparts have gone into all sorts of crimes as a result of government’s action.

The movement demanded that polytechnics and colleges of education

should be reopened next month (June 2014) for academic session.

The statement read: “The future of our youth is bleak without education, no nation gambles with the education of her youth because they are the leaders of tomorrow.

“The closure of polytechnics and colleges of education has grossly affected the academic and moral growth of the affected students.

“This is not healthy for the future of our children who are tomorrow’s leaders.

“As a result of the closure of schools, some female stu-

2015: Ijaw youths want kinsmen as governors I JAW youths in the Niger Delta region have reiterated their call for their kinsmen to become governors in all the states of the region in the 2015 general elections.

The youths, under the eagis of Eastern Delta People’s Association (EDPA), yesterday, in a five point communiqué, issued after a

n Rosemary NWISI, n Port Harcourt one-day conference, held in Port Harcourt, the Rivers state capital, expressed their resolve to support any political party, especially in

Rivers State, who presents an Ijaw candidate for the office of governor.

They noted that the people of Ijaw ethnic nationality have in the past sixteen years threw their weights behind governors from

Danjuma’s foundation gives N2 billion grant in 4 yrs HE TY Danjuma foundation said it has given out a total of N2 billion to organisations in form of grants between 2010 and 2014.

This was disclosed by the foundation Executive Director, Dr Florence Etta-Akin Aina, at the occasion of the foundation’s 5th grantees training, on Friday, in Benin City.

Akin Aina, who said a total of 75 organizations benefited from the grant within the period, listed three core intervention areas of the foundation to include education, quality healthcare and Income generation for women and youths.

She also disclosed that 7 million persons have been treated of non-tropical diseases by the foundation within the same period, noting that this year alone, N77.5m grant have already be given to 11 organizations across the country.

She noted that seven of the 11 organizations are implementing the Edo Community Fund projects.

"The foundation has funded 75 organizations to implement 117 projects in 18 states of the federation, including the federal capital territory.

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dent have resorted to prostitution, commercial sales girl/factory workers and petty trading, while some male students are deeply involved in criminal acts, commercial motor cycle and internet fraud, some are introduced into dangerous smoking and drinking because of idleness.

“How can President Goodluck Jonathan win next year’s election without the support and votes of the students? Why must the President’s wife keep quiet when millions of students are on the street wasting away with their brilliance.

“We demand that government should be more serious with a good sense of sensitivity in their dialogue with the leadership of ASUP/COEASU now.”

n Osemwengie BEN OGBEMUDIA, Benin n

"This year, a total of 288 project proposals were received for the 2014 grant cycle.

"From the proposals, 44 were recommended by the staff review team and forwarded to the board of trustees who approved grants to 25 organizations, totaling N250m for the year," she noted.

Akin Aina stressed that the aim of the foundation was to continually impact on the lives of the vulnerable in the society.

She, however, noted that to achieve this, there should be support from the government.

"We seek government’s collaboration with the NGO's that the foundation works with.

"This collaboration will enhance their effectiveness, thereby making us achieve our core value."

In his response, Edo State Commissioner for Basic Education, Mr. Patrick Aguenede, promised the collaboration of his ministry with the foundation.

other parts of the state and insisted that continuing to support others for another eight years would amount to political slavery, which they said would not be tolerated.

Speakers at the conference, entitled, “Equity, Equal opportunity and political leadership: Role of young people in Rivers State” expressed the hope on the possibility of the ambition and tasked them for unity, lobbying and presentation of credible candidate.

According to the communiqué, “it takes political power to influence economic development in our communities and we must therefore synergize and network to achieve this feat.

“We therefore call on all political parties to present an Ijaw flag bearer against 2015, failure to do so shall attract a total rejection of such political party by the entire Ijaw nation.

Lecturer seeks review of new LASU fees communication expert, Mr. Bidemi Balogun, has appealed to the Lagos State government to review the new tuition fees it recently introduced for students in Lagos State University, LASU. Speaking to The Nation, Balogun, said: “I want to say that it has become necessary for Lagos State government to reduce the fees in the best interest of the masses. Indeed, many of the students are from poor families and cannot afford the relatively high new tuition regime.”

He advised government to seek better ways of funding the university without necessarily jeopardizing the educational goals of students.

“There are better alternatives to funding the university without frustrating the educational prospects of brilliant, but indigent students.

The outcry against the new tuition regime is unfortunate and shows that the policy needs urgent review.”

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Activist puts PDP, APC to task N elder stateswoman and activist of the Non-Academic Staff of Universities (NASU), Lagos State University Chapter, Arinola Abass, has admonished the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and the main opposition, All Progressives Congress (APC) to ensure that the over 200 girls abducted by the Boko Haram group are released unconditionally and without further delay.

Abass, who spoke to newsmen, said : “As a mother, parent and a true Nigerian, I have come up with a campaign since the abduction of these innocent girls, that the Abubakar Shekau-led Boko Haram terrorists must release them unconditionally and without further delay. I feel for these girls because the government has not done enough to facilitate their release.

She said prompt attention would have been given to getting the girls back if they were to be the children of prominent people in Nigeria.

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THE NATION, SATURDAY, MAY 31, 2014

Alleged witchcraft: Monarch denies Fresh

complicity in victim’s death KITI State High Court, sitting in Ado-Ekiti, capital of the state, has admitted the statement of the monarch of Omuo Ekiti, the Olomuo of Omuo-Ekiti, Oba Noah Omonigbehin, 'for identification'.

Admitting the statement, Justice Toyin Bodunde noted that the contents (of the statement) bore relevance to the case and decided same should be retained "for identification" Oba Omonigbehin was in court to testify in respect of the 2012 killing of 70-year-old Mrs. Rebecca Adewumi by youths of the town, who claimed to have acted on the instruction of the monarch.

The late Adewunmi was accused of using witchcraft powers to afflict one Ola Adewumi of a strange ailment.

It will be recalled that three accused persons, including Tubosun Orojo (a high ranking chief in the town), Adesola Adewumi and Feranmi Abe have been standing trial in respect of the case.

The monarch, who made a surprise appearance in court, was appearing in court for the first time since the case commenced in 2012.

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n Sulaiman SALAWUDEEN, n Ado-Ekiti The prosecution, led by Paul Alabi of the Justice Ministry was not informed of his coming, When shown the statement made to the police by himself (the Olomuo), he admitted writing the statement, but when same was to be tendered to the court as evidence by the prosecution counsel, it was opposed by the defence councel, Lekan Olatawura, who contended that he ought to have been given a copy of the statement, saying he was not aware that the Olomuo had made a statement at the police headquartres.

The prosecution also countered that the defence counsel had also not informed him that he had invited the monarch to court that day and that he also had not prepared for his (Olomuo's) coming.

Alabi further averred that the Olomuo was not yet an accused person, but a witness in the case, saying that it was only the statement of an accused person that could be given to their counsel and not that of a witness.

When cross-examined by the

prosecution, led by Alabi, the monarch said the woman was brought to the palace about 6 am in the morning of the fateful day and released after 7 pm. He denied complicity in the subsequent torture and murder of Rebecca.

He also admitted knowing the first, second and third accused persons in person of Tubosun, Adesola and Feranmi, but denied applying a concoction to force the victim to confess to the alleged crime.

Asked if the matter was reported to the police, the Olomuo said he did not, maintaining that it was a traditional issue to be handled in a traditional way.

He noted that he also made no effort to ascertain Feranmi's allegation against Rebecca, as, according to him, it was not his duty to verify the allegation and that he only needed to inform his chiefs. "Whatever the chiefs said, i relied upon", Oba Omonigbehin said.

On the request of the defence counsel, Lekan Olatawura, Omonigbehin narrated what happened to the deceased in his palace on 11 May, 2012, explaining that it was Feranmi who came to inform him about the sickness of his brother and

that Mrs. Rebecca Adewumi (the deceased) knew about the affliction.

According to him, he thereafter invited all the chiefs in Ilisa Quartres in the town to his palace to inform them about what Feranmi had said, adding, "the sick boy (now late), Ola Adewumi, their mother, Adesola Adewumi and the late Rebecca Adewumi, alongside many people from the community were at the palace to witness what Feranmi said."

He said Feranmi consequently appealed to him to help appeal to Rebecca to allow her brother to live, saying she (Rebecca) had earlier refused her request to 'release' him.

The monarch, who further admitted knowing Mr. Gabriel Omokanju, the nephew of the deceased, described their relationship as that "between ears and eyes", and denied that he (Omokanju) called to inform him on phone about the assault on her aunt (Rebecca) in the palace.

He equally accepted that the relations of the deceased, including Grace Smith (her daughter), Anike Orojo, Taiwo Adeboye, Taiwo Omokanju and others were at the palace on the day.

Muslim scholars urge sustenance of peace in Osun USLIM leaders in Osun State have expressed the need to sustain the peaceful coexistence among the people of the state, especially the adherents of different religions in the state.

This was the thrust of a one-day seminar organised by the Joint Muslims Action Forum (JOMAF) in collaboration with the United Imams and Khateebs of Nigeria, Osun State chapter, held in Osogbo, Osun state capital.

The seminar was declared open by Osun State Governor, Mr Rauf Aregbesola, while Dr Abdul-Hafeez Oladosu of the Department of Arabic and Islamic Studies in the University of Ibadan, spoke on the theme: “Acceptable Da’wah (evangelization) Methodology in a Multi-Religious Society”.

The Chief Imam of the

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University of Ibadan, Professor Abdul Rahman Oloyede, spoke on “Exploring the power of Mimbar (pulpit) and charged Imams to always use wisdom whenever they are on the pulpit.

A communiqué, which was signed by JOMAF Coordinator, Alhaji Kola Uzaamat and Chairman of United Imams, Malam Lere Yusuf, at the end of the seminar, said the Islamic clerics are happy with the existing peace and harmony among adherents of different religions in the state.

The clerics commended the efforts of the state government in promoting peaceful coexistence among all religious bodies in the state.

According to the communiqué, “all religious leaders must not relent in their various efforts aimed at sustaining peace and harmony in the state.

•L-R: Chairman, Nigeria Governors' Forum and governor of Plateau State, Chief Jonah Jang; Chairman, PDP Governors' Forum and governor of Akwa Ibom State, Chief Godswill Akpabio; Chief of Staff to the President, Brigadier Aragbofa (rtd); governor of Kogi State, Captain Idris Wada and Cross River State governor, Lyel Imoke, at the burial ceremony of the mother of the wife of Ondo State governor, Olusegun Mimiko, in Ondo, on Friday.

Nigeria join global research in normal pathology company, PathCare Laboratory ANigeria, will represent values blood testing the country in an international study to determine "normal values" for various blood tests.

According to the company, the aim of the international research project (IRP) is to redefine medical diagnosis carried out through blood testing.

Research coordinator for the company, Dr Tolulope Adewole said the current normal values used to interpret blood tests conducted within the country were obtained from research carried out on foreign population.

He said this may not necessarily represent exactly the situation of the country's population.

The study, he said will be a true representative of the population, and as such strengthens the practice of evidence-based medicine.

Adewole said: "It is this set of normal values that will

Wale ADEPOJU

help physicians to know if somebody is ill or not".

He said the study, starting in July, will be conducted on people between 18 and 65 years, adding that healthy volunteers are required for participation.

He said ethical approval had been obtained through the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH).

Other local and international collaborators are Prof Keisuke Ichihara from Teikyo UMC Japan and Prof Rajiv Erasmus from Stellenbosch University, South Africa.

Head, Quality Assurance, PathCare Laboratories, Janette Wassung said quality management is essential for a research of such magnitude.

She said similar studies are being carried out in the United States, Kenya, Japan, Central Asia and the Far East.

South Africa concluded her research two months ago, adding that only healthy Nigerians will be enrolled into the study.

"The people with these health conditions are ineligible as volunteers for the research, those with high blood pressure, diabetics, any conditions for which medication is currently taken or health condition for which somebody has been hospitalised within the last two weeks.

Blood donors within the last three months and blood recipients are also ineligible.

"People living with HIV and AIDS, carriers of chronic Hepatitis B or C, expectant mothers and women who deliver less than one year ago, those who take more than five glasses of alcohol per day, obese people, underweight persons and smokers who smoke more than 20 cigarettes daily," she said.

controversy over antiinfidelity charm Continued on page 55 However, a pathologist at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Dr Francis Dayo Faduyile, who did not dispel the myth of magun, explained that people need to seek information and a lot of research needs be conducted before making any pronouncement.

“One cannot rule it out that there is the existence of magun, but that is why science is different. There was a time when somebody has small pox, it was attributed to Sonpona, one of the gods. But if you take vaccination, small pox will disappear. Likewise, the case of stroke before the cause was found out.”

Lamenting that the knowledge base of the people are very low, Dr. Faduyile said it is often easy and convenient for people to trace anything that happens to either a god or a myth. “There are so many things that can terminate one's life. Therefore, there must be a lot of research and information to get things done in an accurate manner. Take for instance, there is what you call in medicine aneurysm when the blood vessels are defective and become bigger. It can burst and if it bursts within the brain, the patient will die.

“The burst can occur at the height of activity. One cannot know how many people fall into this category unknowingly. It has also been proven that the case of stroke came at the peak of activity. At a point when a man gets to that height, all the blood vessels expand. The blood vessels that are defective can burst and the patient may die. These are postulations which l think people refer to as magun,” he said.

His argument is that a lot of things in Africa are skewered in secrecy, while there is no enabling environment to pursue and unmask them. “There was a time, before venturing into pathology, I wanted to do a research on those who died of magun. If one can have about 20 cases in a series and one can do a post-mortem examination, one way or the other, one can find something familiar that killed them. I have not dispelled the myth behind magun, I am of the opinion that it is possible to find out the causes of what killed those we classified as magun,” he added.

THE NATION, SATURDAY, MAY 31, 2014

COMMENTARY

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Islam is non extremist, some Muslims are W ITHOUT saying more, I could leave the caption of this article as it is. However, doing so would be unfair to most Muslims who have been gravely misunderstood and misjudged due to the actions of a misguided few. It would also be unfair to people of other faiths who harbour misconceptions about Islam due to the actions of a misguided few, especially when viewed through the perspective of current events.

Let me clarify at this point that Islam does not allow extremism, not even in acts of worship especially where it would cause hardship to the worshipper or those around him/her. I'll provide some authorities from the Holy Qur'an to buttress this point; "... If God had wanted, He could have been hard on you. God is Almighty, All-Wise "(Surah Al-Baqarah, Chapter 2:220).

Also, In (Surah Al-A'raf, Chapter 7:42 ) Allah says: "As for those who believe and do right actions, We impose on no soul any more than it can bear. They are the Companions of the Garden, remaining in it timelessly, for ever."

There are also prophetic narrations that condemn extremism.

In Saheeh Bukhari, Volume 001, Book 002, Hadith Number 038 : The Prophet said, "Religion is very easy and whoever overburdens himself in his religion will not be able to continue in that way. So you should NOT BE EXTREMISTS, but try to be near to perfection and receive the good tidings that you will be rewarded; and gain strength by worshipping in the mornings, the nights" ( Narrated by Abu Huraira).

Also in Saheeh Bukhari, Volume 009, Book 092, Hadith Number 396: We were with 'Umar and he said, "We have been forbidden to undertake a difficult task beyond our capability (i.e. to exceed the religious limits e.g., to clean the inside of the eyes while doing ablution)" ( Narrated by Anas).

Our judgments and opinions about people's character, disposition, race, religion and tribe are mostly based on the actions of individuals with similar backgrounds. Stereotypical you may call it? That is just the way it is. We're human beings and we may likely not be able to help it. With Islam, people erroneously judge Muslims based on the actions of extremist groups such as Al Qaeda, Hamas, Hezbollah, the Taliban and now the infamous Boko Haram.

I would like to make use of some analogies to give a distinction between Islam the religion on one hand and Muslims through whom the religion is perceived or viewed.

Imagine if you will, two individuals are given brand new cars to test drive for an hour. The first individual returns the test vehicle in the same pristine condition in which he received it; while the second individual returns his test vehicle and it is a total wreck.

The side mirrors are hanging, the rear bumper is dented, there's a large gash across the side and there are weird sounds coming from the engine. Who would you blame for the wreck? The car that has no control over how it is driven or the driver who was in total control of the car? I guess the question itself yields the expected answer. Not convinced? Here's another analogy.

You're out to lunch and you decide to try out a new restaurant. Before you taste the food to decide if it is good enough to make you a regular patron or to recommend it to friends, a number of factors may come in to aid in your decision. These could be: Is there adequate and hassle free parking? Is it in a safe neighbourhood? Are the waiters/waitresses polite and professional? Did they take your order without errors? Did the food arrive late? Did it taste good?

Just as a car has no control over who drives it and how it is driven or a restaurant is adjudged based on the courtesy and professionalism of its staff, the same principle applies to Islam and other religions.

The followers of any religion are the window through which others view the religion. In as much as you can find a lot of proof within the religion itself to show its true meaning and purpose, the actions of those who practice the religion may loom larger thus obscuring its actual intent. And in recent times the actions of some Muslims under the guise of doing ''Allah's work" have cast a dark shadow over the real message of Islam.

As far as doing "Allah's work" goes, Boko Haram are doing a bang up job. Their atrocities of recent have been increasingly shocking. So shocking in fact that Al Qaeda itself recently expressed outrage over some of Boko Haram's blood spilling campaign, especially the Chibok abductions. As a terrorist group, you know you've really crossed the line when another terrorist group with whom you have a lot in common cannot condone your actions.

Every religion has at one time or another had extremists who took it upon themselves to go over and beyond prescribed limits as a show of devotion to their beliefs. David Koresh was a Christian extremist and leader of the Branch Davidians religious sect, believing himself to be its final prophet. A 1993 raid by the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the subsequent siege by the FBI ended with the burning of the Branch Davidian ranch outside of Waco, Texas, in McLennan County. Koresh, 54 other adults, and 28

children were found dead after the fire. Jim Jones was another Christian extremist and head of The People's Temple and is best known for the mass suicide in November 1978 of 909 of its members in Jonestown, Guyana, and the murder of five individuals at a nearby airstrip, including Congressman Leo Ryan. Over 300 children were murdered at Jonestown, almost all of them by cyanide poisoning.

Warren Steed Jeffs is another extremist who was charged and convicted of child sexual assault and incest. Despite these grave offences I wouldn't judge Christianity as an extremist religion. Neither would I support anyone to do so as the crimes in question are those of individuals and not the religion. Besides I've lived a better part of my life amongst Christians and some of my best friends are Christians who have stood by me in difficult and trying times. What sort of friend would I be if I considered them all to be extremists based on the crimes of a few Christians?

Not to play the blame game and with all due respect to the media, sometimes certain captions used by the media plays on the subconscious and gives the wrong impression about Islam. Many times we see news headlines that focus more on the religion itself than on the individual crime. The usual headline we see is "Islamic Extremism". I feel the term "Extremist Muslim" best fits the description as it is not a quality in Islam that turns people violent, but the people themselves that are the problem. It is not a problem within Islam per se; it is a problem with a particular mindset that very few Muslims fall into, which results in a very potently dangerous effect.

I have on several occasions heard people pronounce fatwas to the effect that Boko Haram sect members are not Muslims due to the horrible trail of violence and destruction they leave in their wake. As Gimba Kakanda rightly said in his article titled "Of Conspiracy Theories and Denials", what the Boko Haram insurgents perpetrate is understandably unislamic but they are Muslims. Disqualifying them as non-Muslims is not only a cheap escape from this maddening reality that begs for our honest confrontations but questions the authenticity of our own faith too.

No doubt the actions of Boko Haram and other extremist groups are morally and religiously reprehensible. This fact cannot in any way be defended or denied. However, it is neither fair nor is it enough justification to place all Muslims into the same bloodstained cesspool.

Members of Boko Haram are Muslims, at least outwardly. To excuse their actions by claiming they are not Muslims is not doing justice to the fact of the matter.

So, is Islam an extremist religion? NO. Are some Muslims extremists? Regrettably, YES. As a friend of mine Bello Saulawa said, "Islam is perfect, Muslims are not. Want to know about the religion, study the faith, not the people."

Cameroon weakest link in fight against Boko Haram窶年igeria HE head of Nigeria's counter-terrorism yesterday accused neighbouring Cameroon of failing to make a serious effort to drive Boko Haram insurgents from its territory.

Sarkin-Yaki Bello, Coordinator-General Counter Terrorism Centre, said regional efforts against the Islamist insurgency had improved over the years but more needed to be done.

"Niger has been proactive and aggressive, Chad has shown zero tolerance for Boko Haram," he told Reuters in an interview.

"Cameroon, we've engaged them to be more proactive. They haven't really. Not yet."

Bello's made his comments at a time of renewed international attention on Boko Haram following its kidnapping of more than 200 schoolgirls in northeast Nigeria last month. 窶｢ Paul Biya The girls have still not been rescued despite a mil- 窶｢ Jonathan itary operation involving foreign experts, and neighbours that share its sparse, Nigeria's security forces have been bruised by criticism, both internal and international, for their slow response to semi-arid borderlands.

President Goodluck Jonathan declared a state of emerthe hostage crisis.

Bello declined to comment on where the girls were or gency in northeast Nigeria a year ago but Boko Haram efforts to free them. But he said he feared a rescue could be retreated to the Cameroon border. It has launched near lethal given the Islamist tactic of killing hostages during a daily hit-and-run attacks for the past year from the Mandara mountains between Cameroon and Nigeria. such attempts.

Bello said there had been decades of poor communica"We want to bring them out alive," he said.

He also ruled out any prisoner swap. "If you let them tion between the two countries that hampered cooperaout, the terrorists get stronger. We also need to protect tion. They have had a border dispute since gaining independence in the 1960s from the British and French colothose they haven't yet killed or kidnapped."

West African leaders met in Paris two weeks ago to dis- nialists that carved them up.

Cameroon's information minister, Issa Tchiroma Bakary, cuss the threat and pledged to co-operate in waging "total denied his country was dragging its feet, pointing to its war" on the insurgents.

Though a homegrown Nigerian problem, the success of sending of troops in its Far North region to counter the any effort to defeat Boko Haram will depend partly on the Boko Haram threat.

"Cameroon has never been the weakest link in the

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窶｢No,we are not - Yaounde

chain," Tchiroma told Reuters by telephone from Yaounde.

"As the deployment of troops and equipment in the past few days prove, we have put up an iron curtain with enough firepower, which Boko Haram cannot break."

Jonathan said on Thursday he had ordered an offensive against Boko Haram, but efforts to crush them have thus far been ineffective and it has shown remarkable resilience in five years of fighting the Nigerian government to set up an Islamic state.

The president also told parents of the schoolgirls kidnapped from Chibok, in northeast Borno state, that their children would be freed.

Since the girls were taken, Boko Haram fighters have killed at least 500 civilians, according to a Reuters count.

Nigeria has struck a deal with Niger to allow its troops to cross the border in pursuit of Boko Haram, and is discussing a similar deal with Chad, but it complains Cameroon's Far North region is being used by Boko Haram militants as a rear base.

Lieutenant Colonel Didier Badjeck, Cameroon's defense ministry spokesman, said on Tuesday on Tuesday the country had been timid with its response to Boko Haram due to lack of resources but had recently boosted troop levels in the region.

Cameroon has seen some Boko Haram attacks on its soil.

Two weeks ago suspected Boko Haram rebels from Nigeria attacked a Chinese work site in northern Cameroon, killing at least one Cameroonian soldier and apparently abducting 10 Chinese workers.

Bello said such poor cooperation was a problem globally.

"The jihadists are more global in their thinking than we are. We're still leaving it to individual nations," he said.

"As long as we keep that approach, I can't see it working."

THE NATION SATURDAY, MAY 31, 2014

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NATION SPORT

Talk is cheap Keshi: I have my list in my head

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UPER Eagles boss, Stephen Okechukwu Keshi has sensationally revealed that he has an idea of the players that will make the final 23-man list to the Brazil 2014 World Cup, but will still wait till the last minute before making it public.

Speaking after the national team had their first work-out at the Philadelphia Eagles Stadium in Philadelphia, Keshi said he was thrilled by the level of tactical and technical depth

•Continued from back page played regularly for Celtic this season. Elderson Echiejile didn’t get enough matches for his French side. Injury kept Joseph Yobo on the sidelines. Godfrey Omeruo played sparingly for Middleborough in the lower league in England. Will the three friendly games be enough to raise the defenders’ fitness? Godfrey Oboabona also didn’t feature regularly for his Turkish side. Reports of Oboabona’s form have been laced with scoring own goals, he also scored match-winning goals for his team and injuries - if we must believe what was reported. Will the coaches stick to the defensive pair of Oboabona and Omeruo? Will Yobo feel happy sitting on the bench in Brazil? Are we not back to the rancorous past with this arrangement? Or will Warri Wolves defender Egwekwue springs surprises and break into the team’s central defensive position? Egwekwue has good height but his movement of the ball among his mates doesn’t suggest that he could upset the team’s defensive applecart.

The story of our midfielders gives hope when you consider the fact that John Mikel Obi and Oguenyi Onazi have played well for their clubs anytime they are fielded.

But my problem with these two players is that they play in the same defensive positions. Our coaches have kept faith in Onazi manning the central defensive position. This setting frees Mikel to play in the attacking midfield position and he hasn’t been at his best during our matches. But this is not surprising because he plays defensively for Chelsea, whenever he is fielded by Jose Mourinho.

The big poser will be if our coaches will play Mikel as our defensive midfielder. If it happens, then Onazi would be benched. Did I hear you say it is forbidden? I agree because he has been the fittest in most of our matches. Do the coaches now play two defensive midfielders in Mikel and Onazi? Who will then play the offensive role in a squad where the coaches still rely on the 4-2-4 formation?

Would the ploy of deploying the wingers to drop into the midfield when we lose possession of the ball help the team?

Indeed, Joel Obi is another fantastic defensive midfielder if fit. He could also function in the offensive position. I hope the coaches get the midfield arrangement right because that is where the game would be won, drawn or lost. The supply of passes to the attackers must be seamless if we hope to win matches with aplomb.

What we have in the midfield on the bench is also defensive, if we consider Nosa Igiebor. I hope Nnamdi Oduamadi and France-based star Sunday Mba recreate the form that earned them the shirt in previous matches. One only hopes that Oduamadi, who hasn’t been regular for his Italia Serie B side is fit. Mba is a good player. The issue is if playing for Bastia in the second division has improved his game.

Upfront leaves the coaches with Emmanuel Emenike as our undisputed best. But that is where the problems will begin in Brazil because he would be a marked man. He would be bullied out. He would be tackled viciously.

Attempts would be made to test his temperament, knowing that if Emenike isn’t playing well, Eagles totter. So, who will deliver the goals when Emenike is ‘arrested’ by our opponents? Ahmed Musa? Shola Ameobi? Or are we banking on the sublime skills of Victor Moses like we did in the group stages of the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa? Or will Babatunde Michael live up to his boast of being Nigeria’s version of Lionel Messi at the Mundial? Far-fetched, if you ask me, but we have been told to believe in this squad.

Tactics play a critical role in determining the outcome of matches. On Saturday night, the soccer world watched how Real Madrid recovered from the ‘dead’ to beat Atletico Madrid, courtesy of a 93rd minute header from a defender, Segio Ramos. Real Madrid’s goal didn’t come from prayer, crowd support or luck. It came from the perfect reading of the match trends by Real’s coach Carlos Ancelotti. As the game moved towards its closing stages, Ancelotti introduced three players who changed the tempo and direction of the tie - to the consternation of Atletico’s players and technical crew.

Indeed, the last ten minutes saw Real Madrid leave its 44-2 formation for the 3-5-2, largely because they had to score the equaliser to be in the match. Even with this arrangement, Ramos, part of a three-man defence surged forward for that precise header, having seen that Atletico had marked everyone upfront from the resultant corner kick. That initiative caught the opponents unawares. It was the moment that gave Real its tenth title.

Matches are won from the bench. Only teams with quality players can win titles because the effect of the changes will manifest in how the team plays subsequently.

Scotland’s game in London on Wednesday exposed some of the flaws in the Super Eagles. No surprises that goalkeeper Austin Ejide fumbled. No surprises that the Eagles’ defence couldn’t curtail the Scots especially from the flanks.

Those fielded in the first half were recuperating players and bench warmers. No surprises that the coaches made changes in the team’s attack. Those replaced were not better than Ikechukwu Uche and Chinedu Obasi. Now we know that the Eagles’ bench cannot change the trend of the matches, except something drastic happens before June 16.

I’m not surprised because we cautioned about taking our best to the World Cup. The World Cup will be tougher; so our coaches must pick our best. Good luck Nigeria. Oba Khato Okpere, Ise.

•Keshi

displayed by the players but there was need to be cautious.

“Yes, I have an idea of those who will go with us to Brazil but we will still wait till the last minute before we announce the list”, he was quoted as saying by the Team’s Media Officer Ben Alaiya.

Keshi said he was delaying revealing the list so as to have a second look at those who are not measuring up. “So, when is the last minute we are looking at?” he was asked.

2014 MILO CHAMPIONSHIP FINALS

‘Nigeria will emerge champions’

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OACH of St. Barnabas LGEA School “A” Ilorin, Kwara State, representing Nigeria, Seyi Oyinlola, believes team Nigeria will be victorious against Ghana in the finals of the 2014 Milo Championship today after his team beat South Africa by four goals to one in the semi final.

South Africa took the lead in the second minute through Feature Zulu before Nigeria got back on level terms in the fifth minute via John Emmanuel. In the ninth and twenty seventh minutes Ajao Afeez and Sodiq Suleiman gave Nigeria a comfortable lead over South Africa before Mustaph Adam Agba’A finally sealed the tie and sent Nigeria into the finals of the competition in

•To face Ghana in the finals today

By Bowale Odukale

the 29th minute.

Speaking to NationSport, Oyinlola said: “We are so happy and we don’t have fear in our hearts. We have quality players in the squad, and we have so many things in our advantage like the fans.

“We have to put our heads together and play tactical football and, by the special grace of God, we will win the competition,” he added.

Oyinlola also heaped praises on his players for a superb comeback, adding that words of encouragement saw them through.

“We had time to come back and win, so I encouraged them and told the players we

could win and also let them know that history must be made and I’m happy they proved it.”

Youngster Ajao Afeez, who gave Nigeria the lead, also expressed joy at his goal.

“I am very excited for the goal I scored. The goal brought a new belief to my team mates to win the match,” he said.

Other matches played yesterday saw Ghana whipping Kenya by five goals to nil to advance to the final.

The final of the competition between Nigeria and rivals Ghana will hold today at Campus Square, while the third place match will be between Kenya and South Africa.

“June 2 is the date we are looking at,” he quipped.

The national team had their first training session on Friday morning in Philadelphia and another later in the evening at 4:30pm local time, which was 9:30pm Nigerian time.

BRAZIL 2014 WORLD CUP

Wenger tips Eagles for second round

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RSENAL Football Club of England manager Arsene Wenger has tipped Nigeria to reach the second round of the World Cup alongside Argentina in Group F. The Frenchman feels that the Super Eagles have something going for them this year, ‘team spirit’ and a lack of big egos which has ensured for a united squad and differentiated them from many African sides of the past.

He said Argentina should win the group which also has Iran and Bosnia-Herzegovina and that Nigeria should join them in the second round.

“I think that Nigeria might qualify for the second stage,” Wenger wrote in his Eurosport World Cup preview.

“They really made a good impression on me during the African Cup of Nations. They seem to have a really good team spirit, which is not always easy for African teams.

“They have less star players.

They have a real team, and it’s been a while since that happened for them,” Wenger said of Stephen Keshi’s team.

AFRICA YOUTH GAMES

Nigeria U-15 boys emerge champions of Africa

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IGERIA once again confirmed her status as the giant of Africa in football when her National U-15 boys team secured the gold medal of the football event with a 3-1 victory over Swaziland at the Africa Youth Games in Gaborone, Botswana yesterday.

The U-15 boys, needing just a draw to secure what is widely referred to as the most prestigious medal of the games, went all out against their Southern African opponents and goals from Nasifi Yahaya, Ali Musa and Young Elisha ensured that Nigeria topped the six-team table with 10 points while Tanzania and Mali picked the silver and bronze medals respectively.

Nigeria did not just win the gold medal, the boys were impressive all through as they conceded just once and scored ten times in five matches.

The team defeated host Botswana 2-0 in their first game, drew 0-0 with Mali, beat South Africa 3-0, defeated Tanzania 2-0 and completed the football event with a 3-1 win over Swaziland in the last game played at the University of Botswana football pitch. The coach of the team, Danladi Nasidi attributed the success to the one month camping exercise they enjoyed before the tournament.

“I’m a happy man today and I must say the one month camping exercise we had in Abuja before the tournament really helped us,” he said.

THE NATION SATURDAY, MAY 31, 2014

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EQUITIES NIGERIAN STOCK EXCHANGE

DAILY SUMMARY AS AT 30-05-14

DAILY SUMMARY AS AT 30-05-14

N

Equities rally N392b gains on 5873 deals

IGERIAN equities reached a new bullish momentum at the weekend as investors scrambled to close premium deals on several highly capitalised stocks.

With more than four gainers to a loser, investors garnered some N392 billion in capital gains.

The key value-based indices at the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) spiraled to a new high and the year-todate return turned positive.

Turnover was also above average with voluminous transactions on several stocks.

Aggregate market value of all quoted companies on the NSE rose from N13.30 trillion to N13.695 trillion.

The All Share Index (ASI), the value-based index that tracks all quoted equities, crossed another threshold to 41,474.40 points as against its opening index of

Taofik SALAKO Capital Market Editor

40,286.76 points.

Turnover stood at 671.26 million shares valued at N11.87 billion in 5,873 deals. Investors concentrated on financial services stocks, which accounted some two-thirds with a turnover of 523.78 million shares valued at N7.24 billion in 3,392 deals.

Guaranty Trust Bank was the most active stock with a turnover of 91.40 million shares valued at N2.72 billion in 484 deals. Access Bank followed with a turnover of 74.77 million shares worth N750.46 million in 296 deals while Zenith Bank trailed with a turnover of 73.13 million shares valued at N1.85 billion in 368 deals.

SEPLAT Petroleum Development Company led 48 other stocks on the gainers’ list with a gain of N23.95 to

close at N658.95. Forte Oil followed with a gain of N19.88 to close at N213.88.

Dangote Cement rose by N7.99 to close at N235. Total Nigeria gained N4.05 to close at N166.05. Flour Mills of Nigeria added N3.65 to close at N76.65. Nestle Nigeria gathered N3 to close at N1,073. Nigerian Breweries chalked up N2.09 to close at N176.09. Mobil Oil Nigeria rose by N2.08 to close at N129.98. Unilever Nigeria gained N1.80 to close at N49.99 while Conoil rose by N1.67 to close at N48.41 per share.

On the other hand, Caverton Offshore Services was the highest loser with a drop of 28 kobo to close at N5.41. African Prudential Registrars dropped by 12 kobo to close at N3.23 while Red Star Express and Fidson Healthcare lost 10 kobo each to close at N4.55 and N2.80 respectively.

TOMORROWPUNCHLINE IN THE NATION

The president should know that he can only ill afford another theatre of war, especially in a multi-ethnic geo-political zone like the Southwest

SATURDAY, MAY 31, 2014 TRUTH IN DEFENCE OF FREEDOM VOL.9, NO. 2865

—Femi Orebe

D

OES an inexorable and inevitable rela tionship exist between democracy and development? Most contemporary democratic theorists and pro-democracy activists will unhesitatingly answer this question in the affirmative. Learning from the glaring failure of various forms of ‘developmental dictatorship’ such as one-party, one-man, military or defunct communist dictatorships to impact positively on the well-being of their societies, advocates of liberal democracy proclaim the virtues of this form of government from the hill tops.

Drawing from Professor Richard Sklar’s notion of ‘developmental democracy’, they posit that democracy is the best form of government with the highest capacity to guarantee progress and development. But in what circumstances and within which context can democracy be a handmaiden of development?

The answers, of course are obvious: a strong, competent, visionary leadership with character and integrity; a free, independent and objective press; respect for the rule of law; a vibrant and vigilant civil society and periodic elections that are free, fair and reflective of the popular will. But the ultimate acid test for democracy is whether or not, it is helping to promote the ‘greatest happiness for the greatest number of the people’ through good and transparent governance.

There is the school of thought, which posits that the greatest impediment to the actualization of Nigeria’s trapped potentials is fundamentally structural. They thus argue that the country cannot make progress unless she is radically re-structured with devolution of greater powers, responsibilities and resources from the centre to the federating units. Of course, this column has consistently supported the advocacy of re-structuring. Nigeria needs it badly. But the present structure of the country is no excuse for the abysmal governance she has experienced over the last 15 years particularly at the federal level. What is going on in many states especially infrastructural renewal, even with dwindling revenue from the Federation Account is simply amazing.

I have had cause to write in this place on the phenomenal work that Governor Ibikunle Amosun is carrying out in Ogun State. Of course, this is part of the dramatic wind of change blowing across the South-West, including Edo State. Even though less ideologically driven than a Rauf Aregbesola, Kayode Fayemi or Adams Oshiomhole, Amosun, like Abiola Ajimobi or Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN) operates essentially as a technocrat and pragmatist. The tremendous physical transformation all over Ogun State today is a function of visionary leadership, determination, focus and incredible financial ingenuity. This column has no regrets for recognising Amosun as Grand Commander of Infrastructure Renewal (GCIR) earlier in the year. That recognition is even more pertinent and justifiable today. Rather than resting on his oars and lapsing into complacency, Amosun has girdled his loins for even loftier performance with clearly discernible evidence throughout the state.

A few months ago, yours truly had the opportunity along with other senior journalists to accompany Senator Ibikunle Amosun on an inspection tour of projects in the state. We

Developmental democracy and its malcontents

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But the self-styled godfathers and ‘oracles’ of Ogun politics must beware of standing in the way of the developmental democracy through which Amosun is elevating the ‘Gateway State’ to new heights of socio-economic progress

•Gov. Amosun commenced our tour at about 9am taking off from the Government House, Abeokuta,in the same Coaster bus with the governor. Even though we were able to cover only three local governments, our tour did not end till well past 7pm! One thing that struck me was the quality of the roads constructed by Amosun throughout the state. Every road constructed, the Amosun government insists, must meet the Ogun standard in terms of depth and width as well as the provision of such road infrastructure as street lights, drainage channels, pipe ducts and pedestrian walkways. Thus the roads in the serene, idyllic rural town of Aiyetoro are of the same quality as those constructed in Abeokuta.

When our team got to Ota, I was completely amazed at the transformation the town has undergone under Amosun. Virtually all the previously deteriorated roads of the town have been re-constructed, expanded and modernised. Those who used to go through hell to attend a popular Pentecostal church in the town can now move more easily and comfortably. Between Agbado and Akute, the Amosun government is building five new bridges at different levels of completion in addition to the on-going massive road construc-

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tion along that stretch. The quality of life in Akute and adjoining communities is truly horrifying. It is amazing that successive governments had simply abandoned the people to their fate over the years. What is astonishing is that the infrastructure revolution being undertaken by Amosun is felt throughout the state simultaneously.

Everywhere we went, the crowds thronged our bus when they realized it was the governor inside. In Akute, an old woman prayed fervently for Amosun raising her hands up to her neck to demonstrate the difficulty residents of the community had crossing the stream before Amosun’s intervention through the bridge construction.I strongly believe that many of those who denigrate the governor on the pages of newspapers or on television dare not go to many of the communities Amosun is transforming to campaign against him.

Some would say that, after all Amosun is doing nobody a favour and the money he is using to provide qualitative infrastructure and services does not belong to him. Yes, but others passed the same way before as governors, had access to the same funds but squandered the opportunity to leave enduring legacies.

Ordinarily, a governor who has posted such

a commanding performance like Amosun should be the pride and toast of his party. He is a great electoral asset. But what do we have here? Some of the bitterest opponents of Amosun are right within his own party. This is quite understandable. To embark on the unprecedented infrastructural modernisation of Ogun, the way Amosun has done means that political entrepreneurs who live on politics, will be starved of the largesse they have been used to. They will not go down quietly. But the self-styled godfathers and ‘oracles’ of Ogun politics must beware of standing in the way of the developmental democracy through which Amosun is elevating the ‘Gateway State’ to new heights of socio-economic progress. They should be told in no uncertain terms to stop distracting Amosun.

One of the vicious misinformation campaigns waged against Amosun is the allegedly astronomical cost of roads constructed by his administration. This is plain mischief. As the Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Olamilekan Adegbite, has explained, the state has expended N166.7 billion so far on the construction of 306.55km of roads that cut across the three Senatorial Districts. Noting that many of these roads have a bridge component, the commissioner notes that the cost of constructing a bridge is different from that of a road.

He urged people to “please go round and see what we are doing. They are standard roads that will stand the test of time, not shoddy projects”.

Many of those who are trying so hard to distract Amosun today, and bounce back into political relevance, were responsible for the victory of the PDP in the state in 2003. The progressives lost control of Ogun in 2003 because of the sheer arrogance, ineptness and complacency of the incumbent government.

Many of my friends in Ogun State told me excitedly about how they had voted for PDP then because they were tired of gubernatorial tyranny and insensitivity of those now proclaiming that they dined and wined with Awo as if that is a criterion for leadership. Yes, the PDP engaged in massive rigging of the 2003 governorship election in the South West. But the complacency of the party structure and leadership made the rigging that helped rout the progressives possible.

To worsen matters, once the progressives lost control of Ogun in 2003, those self-proclaimed political ‘oracles’ and ‘war generals’ promptly fled the state and took refuge in Lagos in a most cowardly manner. They failed to offer leadership when it mattered most. It was the moral, logistical and intellectual support from outside Ogun that enabled the progressives to re-organize and gradually but steadily fight their way back to victory in the state in 2007. If everybody had abandoned ship like those who now parade themselves as the ‘oracles’ of Ogun politics, would the progressive resurgence of 2007 have taken place?

I call on Governor Amosun not to compromise on his commitment to developmental democracy. However, he should be gentle as a dove but wise as a serpent in dealing with those malcontents who crave the resurrection of a discredited and better forgotten era.

Ade Ojeikere on Saturday talk2adeojeikere@yahoo.com

T

ALK is cheap. Super Eagles have mouthed how they hope to lift the 2014 World Cup diadem. And the chorus from Nigerians, including those in government, is rapturous. Add this to the clarion call for prayers; then you are in the mood for the biggest football fiesta in the world- 2014 FIFA World Cup slated to begin in Brazil on June 12, - a watershed in Nigeria’s political history.

No surprises for predicting that Nigeria can lift the trophy on July 13. What will surprise everyone will be a repeat of the South Africa 2013 Cup of Nations, where the coach resigned his appointment.

Surprised? Don’t be because the media is awash with the story that the coach is being

Talk is cheap

(My World Cup diary, 7) chased by six countries, 13 days before Nigeria’s opening game against Iran. I won’t be surprised if nothing happens from his employers or the government. We begged him not to resign last year. It is appropriate he tells us that we should join the queue for his services. We better react. But the coach knows that nothing shocks us here until a calamity happens. We react after the disaster. It is in our character.

No surprises if our players hold their thighs or hips, complaining about cramps. No surprises if we get to Brazil to find out that many of our players hid injuries like they did at the 1998 World Cup in France. In Nigeria everything is possible. All we need to lift the World

Cup diadem, for many, is to appear on the pitch. Others will chicken out. Our national anthem will be sung and our players will take a bow. The fans will celebrate the fact that they saw our boys. It doesn’t matter if they paid gate fees.

Nigeria’s quest to lift the World Cup is hinged on fans’ support and prayers, not entirely on the skills of our players, most of who were not tested for more than three-quarters of the last season. We are banking heavily on luck. Yet we forget that what we call luck in any adventure comes from concerted efforts.

Prayer, support and luck cannot get any team the World Cup; the players must be skillful enough to compete at the highest level.

Wednesday’s game against Scotland was meant to test the players’ fitness levels. The game was another opportunity for us to improve on our FIFA rankings on a match-free day. One hopes that we don’t find ourselves in the setting before the 2002 World Cup cohosted by Korea and Japan, where the Eagles did well in all their warm-up games, only to play so woefully at the Mundial, drawing one game, losing two and scoring only one goal through Julius Aghahowa against Sweden.

Eagles have been slow out of the starter’s bloc at big tournaments under this technical crew. They have been wasteful in front of goalposts, largely because of our strikers’ inefficiency. Our strikers aren’t match fit; nor have they been lethal in front of the goalposts for their clubs before big games like the World Cup. This flaw has put pressure on the team, with the Eagles’ defence standing out.

Sadly, most of our defenders have warmed the bench like the strikers. Only Efe Ambrose

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