The Nation October 1, 2011

Nigeria

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GERMAN BUNDESLIGA

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Ogbuke faces Bayern test

Founding fathers' dreams:

laments low-key celebration

A 13-page special package inside - Pages 9 -21

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VOL.05 N0. 1900

NLC

What went wrong?

Utaka eyes more goals for Montpellier

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Anniversary Special

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Nigeria’s widest circulating newspaper

TRUTH IN DEFENCE OF FREEDOM

--Page 35 - 36

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2011

N150.00

I’ve devised new strategy to stop bombings-Jonathan Page

Arewa Forum to President: 3 Act on Boko Haram panel’s report MEND faction disowns today’s bomb threat ...Ever y man that ...Every comes around me wants to take advantage

ctress a d o o w y l l o —N anya Ronke Odus

I have put in place a new and reinvigorated national security strategy to combat the threat to our safety... The current incidents of violence and terror, in parts of the country, will surely be overcome.

We will secure the safety of our citizens...

IN THE NEWS

Insecurity

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NYSC cancels 2 passing-out parade for corps members

Pfizer pays $463,750 (N71.69m) to four Trovan victims Page2

Segun Ayobolu’s

Illuminations - Page 55

2 NEWS

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THE NATION, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2011

MEND faction disowns October 1 bombing threat

WING of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), the Niger Delta Liberation Force (NDLF), has dissociated itself from plans by the group to blow up the venue of the 51st Independence celebration in Abuja today.

The NDLF, formed by deceased MEND Commander, ‘General’ John Togo, said it was not a party to the plot, adding that the faction behind the threat “does not represent the interest of the good people in the Niger Delta struggle, and we NDLF, a very strong organisation, condemn the threat.”

It will be recalled that a faction of the group, purportedly led by Henry Okah, who is standing trial in South Africa for alleged connection with last year’s blast, threatened to bomb the Eagle Square today.

Already, President Goodluck Jonathan has ordered a

Shola O’NEIL, Warri low-key celebration, ostensibly as a result of the threat by the group and it’s northern counterpart, BOKO Haram, even though the Minister of Information, Labaran Maku, claimed the subdued celebration has nothing to do with security threats.

But Captain Mark Anthony, speaking on behalf of NDLF yesterday, fingered unknown northern leaders as the masterminds of the latest bomb threat.

Mark Anthony, whose position was contained in a statement made available to our correspondent, challenged MEND to withdraw from its planned action, “if it has genuine interest for Niger Delta people.

“You cannot claim to be fighting for the Niger Delta people and poor Nigerians and go about roasting the

same poor people with bomb blasts. This similar bomb blast last year that MEND claimed responsibility at Eagle Square remains a point of suspicion among key players of former MEND commanders.

“If for any reason (an) organisation like MEND, which is the symbol of the Niger Delta armed struggle, detonates bomb during the independence celebration on the excuse that “Nigeria is not worthy of celebration” with a Niger Delta man as President of the federation is clear blackmail on the current administration (and it is) being sponsored by opponents of the administration,” he added.

The NDLF chieftain said the group withdrew its mmembership of MEND after the October 1, 2010 bomb blast in Abuja for which MEND claimed responsibility. He

added: “We were made to believe that MEND had been infiltrated by a northern oligarchy which dictates the pace for the organisation. That was why we created the NDLF to champion the Niger Delta struggle.”

NDLF promised to continue to support President Jonathan, who they accused of using Ayakoromor people and NDLF soldiers as scapegoats “by slaughtering them through JTF soldiers to boost his campaign.

“When it goes to the northern Boko Haram killer’s sect, President Goodluck Jonathan decided to play double standard by treating Boko Haram as sacred cows, claiming not to rule Nigeria like Pharaoh.

Were you a Pharaoh when you sent JTF to air-raid Ayakoromor? We are watching and the world too is watching,” he concluded.

•A cross section of the 16 new commissioners in Ondo State being inaugurated by the Ondo State Governor, Dr Olusegun Mimiko in Akure.... yesterday

Pfizer pays N71.69m to four Trovan victims in Kano

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FIZER, the world’s largest pharmaceutical company, yesterday compensated four victims of the Trovan clinical trials to the tune of $463,750 (N71.69m).

The four victims were the latest set of claimants, who successfully scaled the DNA test administered by the Healthcare/Meningitis Trust Fund, which was set up by Pfizer and the Kano State Government to execute the out-ofcourt settlement deal reached in 2009.

Speaking while presenting cheques to the Trovan drug test victims, the Chairman of the Healthcare/Meningitis Trust Fund, Justice Abubakar Bashir Wali (rtd) said the payment of the compensation followed the conclusion of medical tests to ascertain the extent of disability, pains and sufferings of the victims and their relatives.

“The Trust Fund has concluded the required medical test and ascertained the percentage of the medical disabilities, pains and sufferings for four other living participants, who passed the DNA test conducted by the Board,” he said.

One of the victims, Shazali Inuwa, 22, who suffers from severe ear pains, got $148,750, while 23 year old Rabi’u Isa, who has infirmities in his legs, received $122,500.

Another victim, Rabi’u Za-

Kolade ADEYEMI, Kano kari, 28, who also suffers from leg pains, smiled home with $105,000, with $87,500 going to 23 year-old Abubakar Ahmad Umar, who has mental disorder, allegedly caused by the clinical trials run by Pfizer in

Kano.

Wali further disclosed that the results of the second DNA test administered on 191 claimants indicated that six more participants were successful.

He, however, stated that the six successful claimants refused to honour the invitation of the Board for medical as-

sessment to determine the extent of their disabilities, for the purpose of compensation.

He, therefore, appealed to the six remaining claimants to cooperate with the board in order to process their compensation and determine the amount each of them is entitled to.

Insecurity: NYSC cancels parade for outgoing corps members

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HE directorate of the National Youth Service Corps has cancelled the passing out parade for the outgoing Batch C corps members who are expected to finish the one year compulsory programme on Tuesday, October 4.

Though the Director-General of the NYSC, Brig.-Gen. Nnamdi Okore-Affia told newsmen yesterday in Abuja that the directive was in compliance with the decision of the government to have a low-key independence celebrations, findings by our correspondent indicate that the measure is taken to forestall any plan attacks by terrorists groups in the country.

Okore-Affia, while answering questions at an interractive session with journalists, said the directorate would soon open distress call centres for the use of corps members as additional measures to enhance their safety and security as they serve their fatherland.

Acknowledging that the directorate lacks the power to suspend the redeployment of corps members to volatile areas of the country, OkoreAffia said the purpose of setting up the scheme would be defeated if corps members are made to serve in their states or states that are contiguous

US backs dialogue with Boko Haram Augustine EHIKIOYA, Abuja

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he United States of America (USA) has declared her support for dialogue with the Boko Haram sect to end bloodshed in the country.

It also called for a strong and effective security response and effort to change the mindset of the religious sect from condoning or supporting any act of terrorism in the country.

According to a press release issued by the Public Affairs Section of the United States Diplomatic Mission to Nigeria yesterday, the views were expressed by the US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, at a meeting with Nigeria’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Olugbenga Ashiru, in Washington DC on Thursday.

She pointed out that some terrorist and extremist groups are absolutely unreconciliable and would not be convinced to end their violence, and as such, the US is committed to developing capabilities in Nigeria towards providing better security.

Clinton said: “But where there is an opportunity for any dialogue or outreach, we would support that. We certainly have around the world. ‘’But we also know that it has to be both at the same time.

There has to be a strong, effective security response and an effort to try to remove the reasons why people would, in any way, condone or support this kind of terrorism.’’

STF, police foil planned attack in Jos Yusufu Aminu IDEGU, Jos,

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HE Special Task Force (STF) on Jos crises, code named Operation Safe Haven, have in conjunction with the police averted another bloodshed in Jos, the Plateau State capital.

Working on intelligence report, the men of the STF moved in large number to Rukuba Road, Gadabiu, Utan, Ali Kazaure as well as Zaria and Bauchi roads as early as 7.30 am yesterday.

The heavy presence of security agencies in these areas raised suspicion and anxiety over what could lead to the development.

Many who went to work returned home early and shop owners hurriedly closed their shops to avoid any possible attack.

The Nation leant that the security movement was prompted by intelligence information available to the security agencies, which revealed that the Izala Muslim group were alegedly preparing to go to Rukuba road to perform the weekly Friday prayer.

Envisaging another bloodshed like the one that occurred during the last Sallah prayer, men of the STF moved quickly to stop the prayers at Rukuba road.

The last prayer held in the area by the Izala Muslim group led to a bloody clash with Christian youths in the area, resulting in heavy casualty figures and breakdown of law and order.

Passers by and motorists on the affected routes were subjected to serious checks, as it was rumored that heavy movement of weapons and armed youths were expected in those areas.

Although no security agency could confirm the incident, heavy presence of security operatives was noticed, while youths in the affected areas remained on the alert throughout the day.

The state police command later issued a press statement warning anyone with violent intent to desit or face the full force of the security agencies.

According to the statement signend by the command’s Public Relation Officer, ASP Apev Jacop, "in its quest to ensure a peaceful and violence-free 51st Independence Day celebration, the Plateau State Police Command, in collaboration with other security agencies in the state, have put in place comprehensive security strategies as proactive measures to forestall any incident or threat by any persons that may wish to thwart the security equilibrium of the state."

FRSC decorates 854 newly promoted commanders Augustine Ehikioya. Abuja

From Yomi ODUNUGA, Abuja to them.

He said: “I heard that the Federal Government has directed that the celebrations of this year’s independence anniversary should be low-key.

In line with that, our passing out will be lowkey as there will not be any parade. As you are aware, some areas may not be conducive for passing out parade and, to ensure the safety of the corps members, we will keep to that lowkey celebration.

“We do not have the authority to stop posting corps members to volatile areas but we try as much as possible to post them to areas that are not volatile. It was unfortunate that some of our members were killed during the post election violence that erupted but these are things no one could easily identify” Speaking on the need for the distress calll centres, he said each corps member would be required to furnish the authorities with “functional GSM numbers and other relevant information” such that it would be easy to get to them whenever they need help.

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O boost the morale of its workforce, the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) yesterday decorated 854 newly promoted commanders nationwide.

The 854 decorated include 236 Assistant Corps Commanders (ACC), 266 Chief Route Commanders (CRC), 96 Senior Route Commanders (SRC), 86 Route Commanders (RC) and 170 Deputy Route Commanders (DRC).

The Corps Marshal, Osita Chidoka, and members of top management staff yesterday decorated 158 newly promoted officers working in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) at the FRSC Officers' Mess in Abuja.

Those decorated in the FCT yesterday included 51 Assistant Corps Commanders, 53 Chief Route Commanders, 15 Senior Route Commanders, 14 Route Commanders and 25 Deputy Route Commanders.

He said: "Today's event is a further demonstration of our human capacity building initiative, motivational policy and desire to build a modern institution anchored on the principles of people, process and technology (PPT).

"What is happening at this venue today is being replicated across the commands in the federation where officers who successfully went through the exercise are being decorated in their new ranks in fulfillment of our pledge to bring succour to all hardworking and committed staff."

NEWS3

THE NATION, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2011

AT THE LEADERSHIP NEWSPAPERS AWARD

•From left: Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu; Ogun State Governor, Sen. Ibikunle Amosun; Aremo Olusegun Osoba and Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN) at the Leadership Newspapers Annual Conference and Awards in Abuja... Thursday

•Representative of ETISALAT Nigeria (first and second left) pose with the award. With them is Alhaji Isyaku Ibrahim (right)

•From left: The National Security Adviser, Gen. Azazi Owoeye; the representative of FCT Minister, Ogbenyi Anosike and Edo State Goveror, Comrade Adams Oshiomole

•Chaiman LEADERSHIP Group,Sam Nda Isaiah(left) and representative of the Speaker, House of Reps., Hon. Victor Ogene

I’ve devised new strategy to stop bombings -Jonathan

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RESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan declared this morning that he has devised a new strategy to tackle the threats to security in the country.

The country has for some time come under a spate of bombings and other forms of violence by militant groups, including the Boko Haram sect.

In June, the militant group claimed responsibility for the bombing of the Police Headquarters in Abuja and that of the UN House, also in the Federal Capital, which occurred in August.

Before now, the sect had restricted its activities to the north eastern states of Borno, Bauchi, Gombe and others.

In Jos, the Plateau State capital, there had been serial killings on account of ethnic clashes.

Jonathan, who addressed the nation in commemoration of the nation’s 51st independence anniversary, said he had evolved a new strategy aimed at checking the spate of violence.

He said: “I have put in place a new and reinvigorated national security strategy, to combat the threat to our safety. Yet, no matter what I do as your President and no matter what we do as your elected leaders, at all levels, the peace and security of our nation rest also on our collective efforts as citizens, in our various communities.

Vincent IKUOMOLA, Abuja “All leaders and citizens, in every community, must therefore make peace the number one priority of their daily routine. This is because, without peace, no community can realise its objectives or achieve a happy and productive life for its members.

“The current incidents of violence and terror in parts of the country will surely be overcome. We will secure the safety of our citizens, for only when we do this will we be able to build the needed peace and tranquility in all parts of the federation.

“Securing our peace and stability will ensure economic growth and prosperity for all.”

On the economy, he said: “We are growing our economy to generate employment opportunities for our teeming youth and enhanced prosperity for every citizen. This remains the main focus of my administration.’’

He also said in a few days, he was going to launch an innovative competition for our young entrepreneurs to come up with ways to expand their businesses, create more jobs, and sharpen their business skills.

The President said the Nigeria that the people need is one that is above ethnic and religious leaning.

This, he said, is very necessary for the peace and unity of the country. He also pictured a new Nigeria that uses

its diversity for the good of the country.

He said: “Let me assure all Nigerians of my resolve to lead our nation into a safer, more peaceful and prosperous future for our children.

“This is the Nigeria we need and this is the Nigeria we all must build. As we celebrate today, let us resolve to build the Nigeria of our future.

“For the time has come to rise above ethnic and religious divisions. The time has come to unite against violence in all its ramifications.

The time has come to secure our peace and unite against suffering and deprivation. ‘’I see a new Nigeria rising.

A Nigeria that is economically strong. A Nigeria that takes its rightful place of leadership in the world. A Nigeria that uses its diversity to reinforce its strength. A Nigeria we all can be proud of.“ He also called on political leaders to put aside partisan politics for united action towards the advancement of our nation, adding that all political leaders must be involved in the building of the country. ‘’All leaders and citizens, in every community, must therefore make peace the number one priority of their daily routine. This is because without peace, no community can realise its objectives or achieve a happy and productive life for its members,’’ he said.

Continued on page 4

•Leadership Business Person of the Year and Chairman/Group Managing Director, Global Fleet, Barr. Jimoh Ibrahim (left) with GMD Enterprises Bank, Mallam Ahmed Kuru PHOTOS: Abayomi FAYESE

...Arewa Forum to President: Act on Boko Haram’s, other panels’ reports

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HE northern socio-political organisation, Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), yesterday asked the President Goodluck Jonathan to implement the report of the panel on Boko Haram and Security Challenges, as well as those on ethno-religious crises.

The forum said the full implementation of those reports is the only way to retain the confidence of Nigerians in the ability of government to guarantee the safety of citizens.

This was contained in the communiqué issued at the end of the joint meeting of the Board of Trustees and National Executive Council of the ACF. The communiqué, which

Tony AKOWE, Kaduna was signed by the National Publicity Secretary of the Forum, Anthony Sani, welcomed the setting up of such panels by the government, but expressed concern about the non-implementation of their reports.

It also expressed concern about the educational situation in the north and the abysmal levels of enrollment of children in both primary and secondary schools across the northern states in spite of the billions of naira lying idle with the Universal Basic Education Commission.

The forum asked the northern governors to immediately pay up their counterpart funds, which is the condition they

must fulfill before the UBEC funds are released to them.

The communiqué reads: “The Arewa Consultative Forum had its 3rd Joint Meeting of the Board of Trustees and National Executive Council for this year on the 29th September, 2011, in Kaduna.

“The meeting was well attended and ably chaired by retired Lt-General J.T Useni who was supported by other leaders of the Forum. The meeting deliberated on the preparations for the forthcoming Arewa Peace and Unity Conference and other matters of national importance as they affect the North in particular; and resolved that the following communiqué be issued.

Continued on page 4

4 NEWS

THE NATION, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2011

•Evangelist Ebenezer Obey-Fabiyi (middle) at the burial of his wife, Julianah Olaide yesterday

Defend democracy, Amosun tells Nigerians

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HE Governor of Ogun State, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, has urged all Nigerians to stand firm and defend the current civil rule, saying that democracy is about freedom, liberty, independence and prosperity.

Governor Amosun acknowledged that the country was facing major challenges, but cautioned that “a poor democracy can only be replaced by a better democracy.”

The governor said: “The only alternative government recognised by the constitution is within the party system, not outside it.”

He cautioned opinion moulders in Nigeria to be wary of comments that might suggest that our country could

not be governed democratically, adding that “there is no democratic country in the world that has no challenges confronting it.”

Senator Amosun observed that our founding fathers at independence in 1960 bequeathed to us “democracy as the compass to our greatness, but the subversion of that led to monumental losses. Now that we have retraced our steps and accepted democracy as an article of faith, the greatness envisaged by our founding fathers is now within reach and attainment.”

Governor Amosun implored citizens against taking the laws into their own hands, saying grievances of whatever hue, colour or shade could only be resolved through peaceful means.

Arewa forum to President: Act on Boko Haram’s other panels’ reports Continued from page 3 “The Forum noted the spate of ethno-religious crises and the novel incidents of bomb blasts, as well as the problems of almajirai across the North, considered the upsurge in armed robbery and menace of area boys in the South-West; pondered over the upward spiral in the inhuman practice of kidnapping and breeding of infants for sale in the South-East; and the militant activism in the South-South; as well as considered their dire consequences on national security and socio-economic development of the country.

“The Forum, therefore, directed the Planning and Organising Committee of the Arewa Peace and Unity Conference to ensure that the conference is very inclusive of Northern Governors Forum, the traditional rulers, Northern Senators Forum, Northern Members of House of Representatives Forum, Northern Speakers Forum, Ahmadu Bello Memorial Foundation, all religious communities and political leaders of northern extraction, as well as representatives of youth for effect.

“The Forum also welcomed the spirited efforts by Mr. President in setting up the panels on ethno-religious crises in Jos and its environs and on Boko Haram and security challenges in the North-East geopolitical zones.

“The meeting, therefore, urged the government to go further and take all the necessary actions on the submitted reports expeditiously, lest Nigerians lose trust and confidence on panels and commissions set up by the government in future.

“ACF considered the abysmal levels of enrollment of children in both primary and secondary schools across the northern states amid billions of naira lying idle with the UBE Commission.

“As a hedge against such disheartening trends, the meeting appealed to northern governors to make haste and provide their counterpart funds, which are conditions the governors must fulfill in order to access what is due and payable to their respective states from the UBE commission.

“This is very significant, considering the funds can go a long way in improving the volume and quality of education across the Northern parts of the country.”

Court remands six Boko Haram suspects in SSS custody

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N Abuja Federal High Court yesterday remanded six persons suspected to be members of the Boko Haram sect in the custody of the State Security Service (SSS).

They are Shuaibu Abubakar, Salisu Ahmed, Umar Babagana, Mohammed Ali, Musa Adam and Umar Ibrahim.

They are facing a five count charge of criminal conspiracy and voluntarily causing grievous hurt by dangerous means, slammed against them by the SSS before Justice Bilikisu Aliyu.

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HE Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has stated that Nigerians will never give up as they can triumph over any challenge being that of bombers of public places or bombers of the nation’s economy and wealth.

In its 51st Independence Day Commemoration message titled: “We will never give up,” the NLC president, Abdulwahed Omar, yesterday said: “On this 51st independence anniversary, the NLC calls on the ruling political elite to have a rethink and lead the country on the path of progress and development.

Nigerians are a courageous and selfless people; there is no challenge we cannot overcome whether by bombers of public places or bombers of our economy and collective wealth. Nigerians will never give up!”

The labour movement, however, regretted that the independence anniversary celebration was of low key due to the insecurity in the country.

NLC commended the resilience of the citizenry even in the face of misrule.

The congress also took a definite stand on the creation of more states just as it cautioned the Federal Government against the idea, saying

A cross-section of new Rivers State commissioners during their swearing-in by Governor Rotimi Amaechi at the Government House, Port Harcourt, Friday.

Labour laments low-key anniversary John OFIKHENUA, Abuja

that the creation of more states would lead to multiplication of the parasitic bureaucracy.

“On this reflective occasion, we also caution against the creation of more states which is simply the multiplication of the parasitic bureaucracy,” said the NLC boss.

He described the creation of more states as illogical for a nation with very low production capacity to raise the number of government houses, governors and their aides.

Omar said: “It is illogical for a country with very low production capacity and so much poverty to increase the number of governors, government houses, commissioners, special advisers and advisers to special advisers in the name of state creation.”

Omar said: “The labour movement will resist the removal of labour from the exclusive list to the concurrent list.”

He added that the congress “will never allow a situation where state and local governments will be allowed to pay Nigerians peanuts in the name of a deregulated minimum

wage.”

While commenting on the minimum wage implementation, the NLC president said: “We are all witnesses to the way the federal and state governments have turned the implementation of the minimum wage into a long drawn and disruptive battle. The NLC condemns the emergence of lawless governors in a democratic system.

“Due to this disregard for the constitution, law and agreements freely entered into with the labour movement, the country has witnessed and is witnessing deregulated strikes in many states. Given the level of resistance by some governors and the use of thugs against peaceful workers’ strikes in a number of states, the NLC may reconsider its decision not to call a national strike and mass protests to ensure that the minimum wage is implemented in all parts of the country. “ The statement reads in part: “It is a sad reflection on our national life and history that on the 51st anniversary of our

flag independence, the official celebration has to be ‘low key’ given the state of insecurity in the country.

“The NLC salutes the resilience of Nigerians to have come thus far despite difficult challenges mainly due to misgovernance and misuse of our resources over the decades.

Even when many foreign countries and analysts predict that the country is on the brink, Nigerians have always bounced back.

“We all have a duty to rebuild our country and move it towards paths that would be beneficial to the populace. This is why the fixation that the private sector is the engine room of the country’s development must be abandoned for a people-oriented policy. Contrary to claims that government has no business in business, we need government building primary infrastructure and providing the basic needs of the people.

The private sector is profit– driven and no country has developed on the basis of benevolence from private sector.

I’ve devised new strategy to stop bombings -Jonathan

Continued from page 3

On the security challenges in the country, the President assured it would soon become a thing of the past, saying that the government would secure the safety of all, adding that peace and stability will ensure economic growth and prosperity for all.

He also said that his administration resolve to tackle corruption had not changed.

“As we celebrate today, we remember with pride, the nationalism and patriotism that inspired our founding fathers and the Nigerian people.

They set aside their differences, to secure the unity and independence of our great country.

“That is the Nigerian spirit!

For the Nigerian spirit cannot be broken. We are a resilient nation, determined to chart a course through the turbulent waters of nation building. The Nigerian spirit is vibrant today in the world.

“Together, we shall work for a Nigeria in which democracy and the rule of law are sacrosanct. A country where corruption and its attendant vices are banished. A country where human life is sacred and respected, and where the

rights of the individual are protected.

“The journey to nationhood always has its own challenges.

Nigeria has had her own share.

Our growing pains as a nation have included the civil war, the June 12 election crisis and restlessness in the Niger Delta. But Nigeria has always overcome each of these challenges. We overcame before. We will overcome yet again.

“Today, as a nation, there is much for us to celebrate. We celebrate our diversity. We celebrate our entrepreneurial spirit.

“We celebrate our resilience and ability to turn adversity into hope. We celebrate our culture. For the labours of our heroes past shall never be in vain.”

The President also reassured Nigerians that he will strongly defend the peace and stability of the nation, saying, “My administration will spare no effort in fighting crime, building peace, and securing our homeland against internal threats and infiltration by violent groups from outside our borders.

“We condemn all acts of violence and declare that such acts of mindless savagery shall

not be allowed to define our country. We will not be deterred. Our resolve is strong.

He said further: “Now, it is very clear that without fundamental reforms in the key sectors of our economy, we will not be able to fully unlock our potential as a nation. We must manage our resources more prudently and efficiently. We must provide stable electricity to our citizens to help drive economic activity.

“Because of the measures we have taken on the economy, our GDP is today one of the fastest growing in Africa . We are currently growing the economy at 7.8 per cent. We expect to sustain an 8 per cent growth rate and a better GDP in the medium term, on our journey towards realising our Vision 20:2020 goal.

“We shall strive to make this growth, job creating all inclusive.

“Growth in agriculture and other non-oil sectors are crucial to help diversify the economy and to generate much needed jobs. Agriculture remains one of the highest priorities in my government’s Agenda for National Transformation. We have set out clear, agricultural, transformation action plans and pol-

icy measures, to achieve self-sufficiency in the production of rice, cassava, maize, sorghum and other staple foods.

“Self-sufficiency in rice alone will save us the N356 billion that we currently spend annually importing rice. We will revamp the way we distribute fertilizers, taking government out of distribution of fertilizers.

“We plan to reach 20 million farmers with private-sector distributed fertilizers over the next four years. We will improve the investment environment and incentives for the private sector across the agricultural value chains. Our agricultural transformation plan will generate 3.5 million jobs and an additional 20 million metric tons of food.

“We must also take pride in our scientists. This week, Nigeria released eight new high yielding cocoa varieties. This will help to transform cocoa production, across the 14 cocoa producing states in the nation.

“We have put in place implementable programmes to transform our nation from an importer of petroleum products to the regional hub for exportation of value-added petroleum and petrochemical products. We are revamping existing refineries and building three new ones.’’

THE NATION, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2011

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6 NEWS

THE NATION, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2011

FG may send witnesses to South Africa for Okah’s trial Yusuf ALLI, Managing Editor, Northern Operation

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•Lagos State Deputy Governor, Hon. Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire (second left), cutting the cake on her 52nd birthday.

With her are, from left, Mr. Abiodun Adefulire, her husband, the Diocesan Bishop of Lagos, Most Reverend Ephraim Ademowo, and wife, Oluranti, at the Deputy Governor's Ikoyi residence on Thursday.

Sambo prays for God’s favour for Nigeria

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HE Vice-President, Arc Mohammed Namadi Sambo, yesterday prayed for God’s intervention in Nigeria’s affairs.

He prayed to Almighty Allah to bestow His favour on Nigeria for peace and progress to continue to reign.

The vice-president for the country yesterday at the National Mosque, Abuja after the Jumma’at Prayer to com-

Vincent IKUOMOLA, Abuja memorate Nigeria ’s 51st independence anniversary today.

Arc Sambo said: “We extend our sincere happiness to Almighty Allah that has made it possible for us to see this important day and to pray that He continues to grant favour to our country,

Nigeria, for peace and progress.”

He further said: “We thank Almighty Allah for what He has granted us and we pray that we continue to be given the good health and the wisdom for the development and progress of Nigeria.”

Highlight of the Jumma’at service was the offering of a special prayer for the country by the Chief Imam of the

mosque, Ustaz Musa Muhammad.

Those who participated in the prayers included former President Shehu Aliyu Shagari, Acting Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Kawu Baraje, members of the federal executive council, security chiefs, top government functionaries, captains of industry and members of the diplomatic corps, among others.

There’s hope for Nigeria, says Tinubu

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SIWAJU Bola Tinubu, former governor of Lagos State and National Leader of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), has urged Nigerians to rally to the national cause of justice, fairness and peace, despite the present economic and security challenges.

“We are almost there,” he said in a special release signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Olakunle Abimbola, to mark Nigeria’s 51st independence anniversary.

“I see a land free from institutional and social injustices that breed so much discontent. I see a people free from economic deprivation that breeds so much poverty. I see a nation bound together in freedom, justice, peace and unity,” he said.

He, however, added that to get to the Promised Land, Nigerians must vigorously engage the government to radically reform those critical institutional frameworks needed to halt the present slide and drive development and prosperity.

On such frameworks, Asiwaju Tinubu called on all patriots to always speak truth to power and place the survival of democracy in Nigeria on the priority agenda.

One, the former governor said, is the federal question.

“To get out of the woods, Nigeria must go back to fiscal federalism. That gave our country much hope in the immediate years before independence and a few years after, before the overcentralisation of the military

years that halted everything,”he said.

The ACN leader reasoned that though increased revenue allocations to state would start the “re-federalisation” process, ultimately, every state must move towards growing its own resources to develop its own people.

“Federalism is not a political question, though it appears outwardly political. It is basically an economic question, for it structures the growing and allocation of resources for development,” Asiwaju Tinubu insisted.

“If we get our federalism right, we would be well placed to confront head on and conquer the poverty question. If we get rid of poverty, or reduce it to the barest minimum, we would

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have uprooted deprivation and want, which is the nursery for the security challenges like Boko Haram and the Niger Delta militancy that we now experience,” he said.

But Asiwaju Tinubu also cautioned that social justice was key and that was why, he added, the judiciary must be strengthened to do its work without any fetters.

“In every state, talk less of a democratic order, the judiciary is key. The courts must not only do their work without any fetters, they must be seen to do so,” he said.

He repeated his clarion call for electoral reforms, so that no person or part of the country could go to the extent of resorting to violence, out of a feeling of frustration over marginalisation of political power.

“Democracy is all about fair access to power by everyone. But the driving engine is fair electoral processes. If we must institutionalise regular, periodic and peaceful change of power, then our best bet is free, fair and transparent election.

“That is the only way elections would not be a do-ordie affair, for whoever loses today knows he could win tomorrow,” he said.

While congratulating Nigerians on the 51st independence anniversary, he called on them not to despair, but do everything to make the country better.

“We have no other country. That is why we must insist that our country be well run. It is the only way to actualise our manifest destiny,” he said.

Fashola to workers Embrace dialogue

AGOS State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN), has urged the nation’s workforce to embrace dialogue rather that resulting to strike in pressing home their demands from the government.

Governor Fashola made the call yesterday during the special prayer service in commemoration of Nigeria’s 51st independence anniversary at the Secretariat Mosque, Alausa.

He stressed that the country could only achieve its objective of providing good

Miriam Ndikanwu governance in the country “when there is peace, unity law and order as well as increase productivity”.

Fashola said the nation’s dreams “will not happen unless the resources with which the nation is endowed are distributed fairly across the country”.

He appealed to the aggrieved striking workers to always embrace dialogue rather than embarking on strikes as a means of agitating for their demands.

“I think this country has seen one strike too many.

We must understand that comfort and luxury will only be delivered by increasing productivity, rather than increasing destruction. Everybody has a role to play from the youngest worker to the highest chief executive.

“The sooner we understand that the sooner we go back to the productive cycle and find more useful ways of agitating and resolving our disputes rather than continuously disrupting the production cycle”, he said.

ARELY a year after October 1 bombing in Abuja by the Movement for the Emancipation of Niger Delta (MEND), there were strong indications that the Federal Government may send witnesses to South Africa for the trial of the leader of the group, Henry Okah next January.

Also, it was learnt that the government has no plan to repatriate Okah to Nigeria for trial.

A Johannesburg High Court had in August fixed the trial of Okah for January 2012.

While the prosecution is contemplating 55 witnesses, Okah was said to have lined up about 103 witnesses.

Investigation by our correspondent revealed that the South African government has been reaching out to the Federal Government over the successful prosecution of the case.

A top government official described the collaboration between the two nations as “mutual and in line with international standards on such a case.

He said: “The government will no doubt show keen interest in the case because MEND, which he disputably led, claimed responsibility for a terrorist act on October 1 last year.

“Besides our own brief, we may send witnesses to South Africa as may be demanded by the prosecution there. I think they need some Nigerian witnesses.

“Considering the high-level of sabotage of the petroleum sector by MEND and loss of lives, we cannot afford to distant ourselves from such a trial.

“All I can say is that we are talking on how to ensure justice and I will not want to engage in act of subjudice.”

Asked how many witnesses will be involved, the source added: “I cannot say now, it depends on the prosecution in South Africa.

“Do not forget that some of the suspects arrested in connection with the October 1, 2010 blast are currently facing trial too in our courts.’’

Okah is facing a five-count charge bordering on terrorism against the state.

Jang commends Nigerians for resilience Yusufu Aminu IDEGU, Jos,

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LATEAU State governor, Jonah David Jang, has said the nation’s 51st Independence Day should be a celebration of the country’s resilience in its journey to nationhood.

According to a statement signed by the Director of Press, James Manok, Governor Jang said: “In spite of the economic, social and political challenges which are phases in development, Nigerians have demonstrated a strong spirit of nationhood, thereby standing tall.”

Jang urged Nigerians to love, tolerate, forgive and respect one another’s diverse cultures and values so as to strengthen this bond of nationhood. He enjoined Nigerians to pray earnestly for the country and its leaders.

Jang assured that the peace process in Plateau State is on course, while the administration remains committed to honouring its covenant of bequeathing an enduring peace in Plateau State to the next generation of leaders.

Kogi governorship poll

PDP may dump Governor Idris’ candidate for Echocho Yusuf ALLI, Managing Editor, Northern Operation OLLOWING a stalemate over the choice of governorship ticket, President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday met with the Governor of Kogi State, Ibrahim Idris, and other stalwarts of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The party is at crossroads on whether to retain its governorship candidate, Mr. Jibril Isah Echocho, who won the primary on January 9 or a hurriedly “anointed” candidate of the governor, Capt Idris Ochala Wada.

While the primary that produced Echocho was free and fair, the exercise which produced Wada was boycotted by five aspirants.

Based on legal implications, there are strong indications that the party may retain Echocho as its governorship candidate.

Investigation by our correspondent showed that the PDP is caught in a legal web because it has submitted a candidate, Echocho, for the December 3 governorship poll since January and it has not communicated to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) that it has changed the candidate due to death or withdrawal on personal grounds.

It was, however, gathered that Sections 33 and 35 of the 2010 Electoral Act (as amended) is causing a serious dilemma for the party because PDP cannot change Echocho.

Section 33 reads: “A political party shall not be allowed to change or substitute its candidate whose name has been submitted pursuant to Section 32 of this Act except in the case of death or withdrawal by the candidate.”

Section 35 says: “A candidate may withdraw his candidature by notice in writing signed by him and delivered by himself to the political party that nominated him for the election and the political party shall convey such withdrawal to the commission not later than 45 days to the election.”

A top party source added: “The President, Governor Ibrahim Idris and other stakeholders are meeting at the Presidential Villa because of the legal challenge. We are in a fix: we have just realized that we cannot present a new governorship candidate to the INEC or else, those in the opposition will just win on technical grounds.

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NEWS 7

THE NATION, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2011

Stop deceitful politics, Aliyu tells politicans

Protesting youths storm NDDC head office •Take over Port Harcourt-Aba Road, paralyse commercial activities

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O fewer than 1000 displeased youths from the nine states of the Niger Delta yesterday stormed the head office of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, to protest against poverty in the region.

The youths, armed with placards and banners bearing various inscriptions, were chanting “save our souls” songs and they took over the ever-busy Port Harcourt-Aba Expressway, thereby disrupting traffic and activities at the NDDC and adjoining offices for some hours.

Some of the placards read: “Mr. President, save us, we are dying”, “SGF, don’t kill the vision of NDDC”, “Youths need empowerment”, “SGF, be sincere in NDDC matters.

We need proactive leadership”, “SGF, engender NDDC to work, poverty is high” and “SGF, give acting MD mandate to perform her functions.

We are tired.”

The youths protested under the umbrella of the “Watchdog of Niger Delta” and the “Niger Delta Peace Movement,” with policemen and soldiers on hand for the peaceful protest not to become violent.

The Secretary of the Watchdog of the Niger Delta, Mr. Sam Ebiye, while speaking with reporters at the main gate of the Federal Government’s intervention agency, during the protest, said the youths

From Bisi OLANIYI, Port Harcourt were not happy with the developments at the NDDC. Ebiye said: “The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (Senator Anyim Pius Anyim) has remained nonchalant towards making NDDC fulfil its mandate of developing the region. The past SGF, Alhaji Yahale Ahmed, never allowed NDDC to stop functioning, considering the volatile nature of the Niger Delta.

“After over three weeks of the dissolution of NDDC’s board and with an Acting Managing Director, Mrs. Os-

ato Iyasere Arenyeka, in place, the mandate of performing the functions of the Chief Executive Officer has not been granted her, unlike when Mr. Timi Alaibe and Pastor Power Aginighan acted as the managing director.

“Not giving the acting managing director the mandate to perform her functions, is detrimental to the development of our region. NDDC remains the bedrock to sustainable peace and development in the Niger Delta. Keeping it redundant will imply initiating violence, criminality and militancy.

“NDDC contractors took loans from banks to mobilise

to sites, with interests accruing, while some have achieved milestones without payment. Our people are frustrated. We cannot continue to experience skewed development, because of bad governance.”

Ebiye then admonished President Goodluck Jonathan to fast-track the development of the Niger Delta, in order to ensure lasting peace in the hitherto volatile region.

When contacted for his reaction through the telephone, the NDDC’s Head of Corporate Affairs, Mr. Toye Abosede, said: “NDDC is addressing poverty in the region. We are doing our best to transform the Niger Delta.”

Ogun commissions borehole, solar station

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URAL communities across the state have lages and promised to provide it with good been assured of massive investments in road and primary healthcare centre within the social amenities within the next four shortest period.

In his speech, the Commissioner for Special years.

This assurance was given by Governor Duties, Dr. Lanre Tejuoso, said Asore was a piIbikunle Amosun at the commissioning of a lot scheme of a developmental project, which solar project donated by Schneider Electric and would be replicated in all villages across the a borehole provided by the state government state.

Earlier in his speech, the Director-General, at Asore Village, Ado-Odo Ota Local GovernEnergy Commission of Nigeria, Professor Abument Area.

The governor, who was represented by the bakar Sambo, commended the donor of the Deputy Governor, Prince Segun Adesegun, said solar station and thanked Ogun state governthis vision was necessary in order to make vil- ment for its support.

He described solar power as the best form of lages habitable for the dwellers, adding that this would also discourage rural-urban drift. electricity that could be sourced, explaining that Governor Amosun explained that the bore- solar panel could be used for up to 25 years hole and solar power station were a mark of without developing any fault.

Professor Sambo advised the state governhis administration’s commitment towards rural development as well as its intention to fur- ment to adopt solar power for all communities in Ogun State, adding that this would go a long ther partner with Schneider Electric.

Governor Amosun declared the development way in giving the people a sense of belonging in Asore Village as a prototype for other vil- especially in this age.

Jide ORINTUNSIN Minna

•Aliyu HE Chairman of Northern Governors Forum (NGF), Dr. Mu'azu Babangida Aliyu on Friday told politicians that the era of politics of deceit was over, warning that political consciousness in the country will make all office holders accountable for their actions.

He also told them to see politics as service to the people instead of using it for personal aggrandisement.

Aliyu, who is the governor of Niger State, said that the era of politics of deceit is over because 'even if the people did not see you, you must know that you will account for all your deeds in the hereafter.’’

Speaking at the final of the inter-school quiz competition to commemorate the nation's 51st Independence Day anniversary in Minna, Aliyu said: "Politics is not about deceit.

Politics is not about stealing.

It is about service to the people", adding that "even if the people did not see politicians

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and political office holders involved in the vices 'God sees you. If you believe in the hereafter, you must do what is right all the time."

The governor then assured the people of the state of the resolve of his administration to implement policies and programmes that will make the state to achieve its vision of being one of the top three most developed economies in the country by the year 2020.

Commending the finalists at the school quiz, which was moderated by Frank Idoho of the Who Wants To Be A Millionaire fame, Aliyu expressed happiness that the finalists were from public owned schools. The finalists are students of the Government Model Secondary School Suleja and Government Secondary School GRA Bida.

The governor noted that the emergence of the finalists was a pointer that government's investment in education is already yielding results.

'This is one of my happiest moments, because if you make effort and you begin to see the result even before you leave office, you must be grateful to God'.

As a result, Governor Aliyu directed the immediate establishment of cyber cafes with 50 sets of computers and standby generators in the schools, insisting that the projects should be completed in the first week of December this year.

8 COMMENTARY

THE NATION, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2011

A longing for the good old Nigeria

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reparatory to my movement into a new apartment about four months ago, I was clearing the wardrobe in the visitor’s room when I stumbled on a 1986 edition of a national newspaper. I was shocked to realise that the cover price of the newspaper, whose Sunday edition currently sells for N200, was a paltry 25 kobo.

I cleared my face again and again to be sure that I was seeing right. My mind wandered back to the good old days and I remembered that there had been a time in this country when suffering was an alien and the good life was a phenomenon everyone took for granted. Those were the days of oil boom when money flowed like river and living standard was so high that the then head of state, Gen. Yakubu Gowon, publicly declared that money was not Nigeria’s problem but how to spend it.

So excited and confused were Gowon and members of his cabinet about what to do with the nation’s oil money that the nation volunteered to pay the salaries of striking teachers in Jamaica in 1974. That was the year the govern-

ment also embarked on the famous Udoji Award, a spending extrvaganza in which the Federal Government increased the minimum wage of workers from N312 to N720 without any provocation. Those were the days a dollar exchanged for just 60 kobo or thereabout. In other words, the least paid worker around that time earned a monthly salary of about $1, 200.

Although I was barely old enough to know the colour of the naira then, I recall that an uncle who then was a primary school teacher returned home one afternoon with the arrears of his new salary. The entire sum must have been far less than N1,000. But given the extremely high purchasing power of the naira then, he was so excited that he held me by the hand, took me into his room, raised up the mattress under which he had spread the naira notes and proudly announced to me that he had arrived. Perhaps as a proof of this, he bought a Yamaha 100 motorcycle and became the toast of many women in the community. The good times endured into my days as a secondary school student, when I got N20 as pocket money for a whole term. With it, I bought every conceivable item from Tree Top to Goodygoody and still returned whole with a balance at the end of each term.

These, to many Nigerian youths, would sound like fairytales. But the truth is that Nigeria was one happy nation until the Gen. Ibrahim Babangida-led military administration introduced SAP (structural adjustment programme) SFEM (second-tier Foreign Exchange Market and all manner of economic policies that did nothing ,but to protect the interests of the rich and further pauperise the poor. Against popular

opinion, the regime devalued the naira, claiming that the Nigerian currency was overvalued.

But not a few believed it was a move aimed at advancing the cause the rich, particularly thieving public office holders who had stashed much of the nation’s funds into their private foreign accounts. Devaluing the naira would translate to enhancing the value of the dollars they had in their foreign accounts, giving them a double advantage by the time they bring their dollars back to Nigeria.

An online writer recalled an encounter he had at St John’s Wood, London with a Briton who had lived in Nigeria in the 1970s. The writer was billed to do a job for the Briton at his £4 million apartment. His host asked him which part of Africa he came from and he said Nigeria. “Oh! Nigeria had it going in the 70s,” he said, adding that he actually made his money from Nigeria.

The Briton probably saw the shadow on the wall and sensed that the sun of the good life was going down when he decided to quit Nigeria in 1979 and return to his native country to enjoy the much he had gathered from the country. He could not have made a better decision, considering that living has grown increasingly worse since then. It began with the increasing decay of social amenities. Fifty-one years after independence, electricity, a basic social amenity whose supply is taken for granted in other climes, remains a luxury. You either live without electricity or buy a generator like most people do and forfeit your right to a noise-free environment.

These days, hapless citizens live perpetually under the threat by the Power Holding Company of Nigeria to increase the tariff for the elec-

Lest we forget October 1, 2010

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year today, twin bomb blasts shattered the peaceful ambience of the Federal Capital Territory and tore its innocence apart. Since that tragic incident, several other bombings had taken place while the authorities wring their wrists in an endless search for answers to the growing cases of acts of terrorism. As the nation comes together to celebrate its 51st Independence Anniversary and one year remembrance of the day when the agents of darkness struck with deadly accuracy, Knucklehead repeats a piece titled “When confusion breaks bones” published on October 9, 2010.

Sadly though, one year after, the perpetrators of that heinous act are still on the run despite the clayey promise to put them behind the cage. The piece reads:

One out of the dozens of evergreen songs from the rich repertoire of the inimitable icon, the creator of that special genre of music, Fela Anikulapo Kuti, comes to mind as I write this piece. In short, I am confused beyond words. The late Abami Eda’s ‘Confusion Break Bone’ song aptly captures the madness that has pervaded our landscape after some demented fellows deflated the conviviality in our hollow celebration of 50 years of nationhood by detonating the deadly bombs that left 12 dead and scores of others injured. Whatever their grievances are, only those whose souls have been sold to the devil could carry out such a dastardly act. The blood of the innocent that was spilled and the lives snuffed out abruptly in the twin bomb blasts some few metres from the Eagle Square venue of the activities marking Nigeria’s 50th independence anniversary are sad reminders of how low we have sunk.

Nothing can justify the bestial callousness displayed by the agents of death on that day. It was, indeed, a black Friday that calls for not only a sombre reflection but also a determined effort to, this time, bring the culprits to justice. That is if the life of the average man is truly worth anything in this country. What rankles is the fact that the casualty figure could have been worse had the perpetrators of the crime made it to the Eagle Square, going by the accounts of the security agents.

Ordinarily, the brazenness with which these maniacs set the Federal Capital Territory ablaze that dark Friday should be enough reason to hunt and bring them face-to-face before the full weight of the law.

The blood on the street; the charred remains of the casualties; the pitiable body of that young boy on the canvas of blood; the wrecked vehicles; the scattered wares; the billowing smoke; the earthshaking reverberations; the splintered glasses; the broken legs; and the dejection, shock and angst etched on the faces of rescuers and onlookers alike, should have filliped the authorities into taking the appropriate action. But what did they do? First, there were the usual consolatory assurances that the security agencies were on top of the situation. Then, as it is normal with the police, one of its senior officers was seen on television describing the deadly blast as “looking like an accident but investigation is still ongoing.” Ha! And if you thought that was the best comic relief that could come out of the tragic incident, then you are not conversant with our capacity to reap huge political capital from the misfortunes of others.

By the next day, all hell was let loose as every individual who has access to the press started spilling jargons. Even those that were not known for sprucing up in traditional attires quickly searched through their wardrobes, adorned themselves in one and dashed to the National Hospital, Abuja, to disturb the peace of the surviving victims of the blasts! In doing this, they never forgot to go with a convoy of pressmen and some paparazzi for the usual ‘photo opportunity’. Often, such visits are rounded off with a pregnant punch thrown in

the direction of President Goodluck Jonathan for sitting on his hands while the nation boils. Some say he is incompetent and lacks the shrewdness to govern this country beyond the May 29, 2011 date which providence had placed on his laps. They say that Mr. Jonathan should not push his luck too far.

But then, even Mr. Jonathan did not help matters. If anything, he is the chief initiator of the confusion that began after the bomb blasts. He it was who set the ball rolling by opening his mouth too wide. As the husband of Patience, he should have known when to apply that golden rule while quietly absorbing the heat. But he did not. He bungled it when he, with reckless abandon, exonerated the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta from the blast. Although there is a possibility that some dark forces could have used MEND’s name or hacked into its e-mail to dispatch the message which alerted the security agencies about the plan to wreak havoc, it is clearly out of sync for the President to, in less than 24 hours after the blast, say what he said. He laid claim to knowing “those behind the attack and the persons sponsoring them”. He said with emphasis, “They are terrorists, not MEND.” This, in my humble opinion, was a tactical blunder even if I understand the kind of pressure Jonathan must have been going through. Again, that should serve as a test of his leadership capabilities. I expect him to know when to talk and when to maintain a dignified silence while the security agencies paid to carry out such responsibilities are left to do their job. Sadly, Mr. Jonathan fumbled. Woefully so, on this score! He merely succeeded in providing the opportunity for his political opponents to latch on to something with which to engage him in a roforofo fight. These ones who have been waiting to roast him simply seized the initiative. Now, the long knives have been drawn and the opening montage for the absurdist drama has just begun. The macabre dance is just beginning to unfold.

From the highest office in the land to the lowest rung of the ladder, everyone appears to be playing politics with an event that ought to be tackled with every sense of seriousness. For now, no one is talking about the dead, neither is anyone attending to the needs of the survivors in the various hospitals. Sadly still, a shade of doubt hangs over the ‘thorough’ investigation the State Security Service claimed it was carrying out as one of those interrogated, Chief Aleogho Raymond Dokpesi, said he was being victimised for his decision to serve as the DirectorGeneral of the Babangida Campaign Organisation. Those who lost their voices have suddenly rediscovered the craft of coating timely gibberish in political colours!

No one can tell who is telling the truth. The only truth we are sure of is that, on October 1, 2010, two bomb explosions rocked Abuja and left, in its trail, sorrow, anger and blood! We are not sure if autopsy had been carried out to verify the actual cause of death. We are not sure if the dead had been given proper burial.

We are not sure if families have found their missing relatives.

We are not sure if the security agencies will ever get to the root of the devastation wrought on the capital city. We are not sure if adequate measures have been put in place to forestall a repeat of our own 10/1. We are not sure if compensation would ever be paid to families of the victims and the survivors. The losses cannot be quantified because it is not in our character to do so.

The only thing we have mastered is how to trade blames. We leave the substance and chase shadows. We are a confused bunch.

Instead of finding solutions, we compound the problems. We set up an amazing maze of contradictions. We bicker, heckle and rant. We never get things right. We get our values wrong. Well, most of the time anyway.

Let’s face it. We do not need a Henry Okah to tell us that an associate of Jonathan called him to implicate the North and some politicians of Northern extractions in the blasts. What we should

tricity they have not enjoyed.

The other day, a neighbour, who found it extremely strange that we had enjoyed uninterrupted electricity for almost 24 hours advised that we should go and report the matter at the PHCN office that was nearest to us.

“Report what?” I asked.

“Ah! You don’t know these PHCN people,” he retorted.” The fact that we have enjoyed electricity for 24 hours without raising the alarm could be used against us by the time they decide to keep us in darkness for months!”

Potable water is not readily come by in a country that hosts some of Africa’s longest rivers.

Public taps run dry. Those who cannot afford to sink their own boreholes have to rely on sachet water whose sources are often questionable. Our roads are euphemisms for death traps. It is no longer a case of avoiding potholes when you drive; it is a case of choosing which of the potholes you will enter. Unfortunately, you can buy a generator to improvise for electricity and dig a borehole to improvise for potable water, but you cannot construct a private road.

Today, we are not only longing for the good life, we live in perpetual fear of the Boko Haram, Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) and other militant groups whose activities are fast turning the country into Thomas Hobbes’ state of nature where life is nasty, brutish and short. In spite of the Federal Government’s denials, the nation has to observe her 51st independence anniversary without a parade for fear that the Boko Haram or MEND could turn a birthday celebration into a huge funeral. Is this how we must live?

Knucklehead With

Yomi Odunuga E-mail:yomi.odunuga @thenationonlineng.net SMS only: 07028006913 validate, first, is whether he was culpable as an estranged exMEND leader. If we are able to establish that, we can then proceed to ask why the act was carried out. Was it part of the Niger Delta agenda, a sponsored act of terrorism or a diabolical political strategy straight from the pit of hell? We do not need an Adamu Ciroma or a Kanti Bello to ask Jonathan to resign or to cast aspersions on the President simply because an embattled Okah alleged a conspiracy against the North. We do not need the subtle indictment of Dokpesi through the hasty announcement by the SSS about a text message sighted in a suspect’s handset addressed to the Babangida campaign head. That is too pedestrian and needless. What we need is concrete evidence that links the text message to the events of October 1. What we expect is a foolproof investigation that would end with some people having their days at the court, defending themselves against this obvious treason and act of terrorism against the state. We do not need the barrage of press conferences by various agencies of government addressing the same issue from different dimensions. We do not need the noise. It only portrays the government as unorganised, uncoordinated and unserious. Why should Jonathan speak today and Dora Akunyili would speak on the same matter tomorrow? Why would the police say one thing today and the SSS come out with another thing tomorrow? Why are all the political camps in the country trivialising a rather serious national matter? Why the sudden surge of ethnic jingoists and irredentists? Why this madness?

In case they have forgotten as they are wont, the bombs that boomed that fateful morning did not isolate the victims based on their ethnic coloration or geopolitical zones. The blasts eliminated lives without mercy. An Abayomi, Aminu or Azu could have fallen victim of the twin blasts. Any Nigerian or foreigner could have been maimed. The bombs killed officers of the state— men on national duty. The madness affected us all. Collectively, we all feel the pain. We thought our leaders feel the same way, too. Little did we know that they would soon turn the sickening event into another round of selfish ranting in order to gain political mileage. Little did we know that it would be turned into a campaign slogan while the dead cry for justice. Little did we know that this national misfortune would be converted into something that could transform the political fortunes of others!

However, one thing is sure: Even in this state of confusion, we can only hope that those who disrupted our peace and replaced it with instant doom on October 1, 2010 would not be left to strut about the streets, waiting to perpetrate yet another monumental perfidy. We hope the real culprits would not hide under the umbrella of political persecution or whatever to walk away from justice. We hope, this time, that we would get the answer to this simple question: who killed the dreams of the victims of Abuja bomb blasts on October 1? That is what should concern us, not the opportunistic ranting of an insensate political class!

One year on, are we sure of anything as we celebrate yet another independence in grief?

THE NATION, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2011

Saturday

9

SPECIAL

PROLOGUE Bolade OMONIJO, Group Political Editor

Nigeria

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51

Anniversary Special

Founding fathers' dreams Continued on Page 13

What went wrong?

10

THE NATION, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2011

Why Zik didn’t struggle to be prime miniter at independence —Widow, Prof. Uche Azikiwe

Prof.(Mrs.) Uche Azikiwe, wife of first president of Nigeria, late Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, spoke with CHRIS OJI, in her office, Institute of Education, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, about life without the Great Zik, what she shared with him and other issues.

THE Late Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, your husband, was actually a great man. What attracted you to him? (laughter) I thought we are going to talk about the independence. Okay… and I think the question would have been directed to Nnamdi Azikiwe. You know, in our culture, it is the man that looks for a wife, so I don’t know what attracted me to him, but I will say it is destiny. I used the word destiny because I am from Afikpo and he was from Onitsha. Secondly, the age gap is too wide.

Thirdly, the status, “Zik” and the Uche Ewa from Afikpo, the daughter of Seargent Major in the Nigerian Police. So that is why I sum it up to be destiny.

Was there any time the stature and name of Dr. Azikiwe was a disadvantage to you?

You know, nothing is perfect under the sun. The world is imperfect. So there is no way one can say that the name has been 100% positive or good. But I don’t think I will categorically state that on such and such occasion because of his name, I wasn’t given what I’m entitled to due to any negative influence. But I can’t believe that everybody loves Nnamdi Azikiwe, No! But we have been enjoying his good will. I thank God for that.

Some how, you might have shared some dreams with him, can you recollect any of these dreams; and did you ever achieve them?

A personal dream; my personal dream?

No, as husband and wife, two of you might have had some expectations.

I think, if it is a personal dream, he supported me in whatever I have planned to do in life to succeed. I married him after my secondary school education and he allowed me to gain admission into the university to go further. I think it was a big dream for me because my colleagues in the secondary school had already graduated when I gained the admission because I married immediately we left the secondary school. And after having my children, he graciously allowed me to further my studies.

It was a dream for me that I wouldn’t just end with school certificate or WAEC. I think what I may also call a dream is seeing our children growing and unfortunately he is not around to see them getting married, having children and being on their own. That could be seen as a dream, because whenever you get married you want to have your own children, and then bring them up in a proper manner, I think that is all about my personal dreams. I can’t think of any other thing unless if anybody reminds me.

Obviously, you must have had enough time to discuss the project Nigeria with him when he was alive. Did he ever tell you how he felt when he emerged the first governor general of Nigeria?

I think in his write-ups, in his statements, he had always stated that the struggled for Nigerian independence was not for him to be the Prime Minister. All he wanted was to set his people free. To show the light and the people will find the way. Giving him governor general to him was sort of what he wasn’t expecting because if he had stood his grounds that since I fought for the independence, I must be the Prime Minister, there would have been no Nigeria.

He was talking of one Nigeria, one Nigeria , one Nigeria, one Nigeria. So I think he was satisfied with the governor general

•Prof. Uche ceremonial position. What was primary in his mind was Nigeria being free, Nigerians having independence, the British people going, leaving Nigeria. Having tasted that freedom is for everybody, nobody has that power to rule and others rule from exposures in America. I think he was satisfied. Nnamdi Azikiwe was not all that ambitious. I think his ambition was to fight and achieve freedom for Nigerians and Africa as a whole because he started from Ghana. His project, his thesis or whatsoever, for his masters degree was on Liberia. “Liberia in World Politics.” So he was a pan- Africanist. What he was fighting for was how to improve the lives of Africans.

So giving him governor general, I think he was satisfied with it. Because he would have said no and insist that I want to be the Prime Minister, I played a major role in this independence, but when he found out that if he wanted that it was not going to go well

for Nigeria. Nigeria might disintegrate.

There would have been no independence in 1960. He was struggling for Nigeria to be independent before Ghana. But Ghana became independent before Nigeria. So if some of them had said I am sticking to my gun, I must be this, it couldn’t have been possible in that 1960. I think he was satisfied with the governor general.

When he was dying, you were close to him. Did he tell you anything that he was regretting as he was passing out of this environment?

I don’t think he had any regret whatsoever.

Yes, I was with him at UNTH until he breathed his last breath. I wouldn’t call it regret, it wouldn’t be seen as a regret, because the military coming in, nobody appreciated the military people coming in. But may be that is Nigeria’s destiny that the military would come in after the First Republic. But nobody liked the military incursion into our

politics and democracy. But everybody was not agreeing with what the military people were doing. I think that is the only thing I will say he didn’t like and nobody will say that he or she likes the military coming in.

What were his views on other nationalists like Awolowo, Ahmadu Bello and Tafawa Balewa?

I think he worked hand in hand with all those nationalists. He saw politics not as what his life was dependent on. Remember that he had made it in life before going into politics, he had made it. He was not all that greedy. He had all one could want. How many newspapers scattered all over Nigeria, businesses, schools, City College Lagos. He had made in life financially before going into politics and as I said, his main goal of getting into politics was to set his people free. So he related well with all the other people who were struggling for Nigeria’s independence.

I don’t think he had any personal misunderstanding with them. It is only on issues, policies that is what you will say.

Any argument will be on issue. If you say you want A to be here and I say I want A to be there; convince me that the A being there will be the best for Nigeria. I will agree with you. That was his stand.

Did he ever express bitterness over the roles played by such politicians in his political career, the likes of K.O. Mbadiwe, Ojike Mbonu and Eyo Ita, all of the blessed memory?

I don’t think he had any problem with them. As I said, it is just on policy. If you disagree with the policy of Eastern region; Eastern region had policies, they had their programme. If any member of NCNC disagrees with the policy it is on the policy and not on the personality. I don’t think he had any problem with any of them.

Yes, did the great Zick ever share his opinion with you on why he decided to site University of Nigeria in Nsukka?

As I said earlier on after the exposure in America, he realised that education is the key to anything. If we want to be independent we must be educated because if you don’t reason and argue, you know, with the white, they cannot leave you. They will tell you don’t know what you are doing.

But if you can convince them that you know what you are saying and you know what you want to do then there will be no hindrance for you on your way to achieve your goal.

I think it goes to show how liberal Nnamdi Azikiwe was in bringing the university here, he is not from Nsukka side. Nsukka is not even Anambra area or old Onitsha province.

I don’t know, was it Enugu province where Nsukka belong then? I think he first thought of the best. Remember that he had lived in Nsukka prior to the university being established there in the 50s when he ran for his dear life according to his story.

So he found out that the environment there was very cool and conducive for education and the university he attended in the US, the first university, Lincoln University where he copied the lion and so on. Because Lincoln’s logo is lion, UNN logo is Lion and we will always tell him that he copied this from Lincoln. So, he found out that if you want to succeed in education, it must be an enabling environment and he thought that one, Nsukka has the land. Nsukka is very cool.

Continued on Page 14

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THE NATION, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2011

The Ahmadu Bello I knew

— Retired Perm Sec who worked with the late Sardauna

I

think I am one of the few who can say same things about Sir Ahmadu Bello, even though I did not work directly under the Premier’s office. But I worked with him on the field which is of greater concern to any government. I was appointed an Administrative Secretary in the Northern Nigeria Civil Service on September 1, 1961 and posted to Kano.

One of the important things that I can remember while in Kano was that in 1964 during the hajj operation, there was no commission, but only pilgrims agents appointed by the various governments particularly, northern and western regions.

The regions would appoint a Liaison Officer who was usually an Administrative Officer and I was appointed; and I still have the letter of appointment in my personal file.

The Premier had to approve the name of the person to be appointed the Liaison Officer for the region for the Pilgrims Affairs and I have my personal file that he approved my name and the letter was signed on his behalf by Alfa Wali, who retired as a Permanent Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Trade and Industry some years back.

Secondly, when there was crisis in Jos; this crisis in Jos did not start now, it has been on since then and the Premier was disturbed that instead of working, they were quarrelling at the Jos Native Authority Council. The Chief of Jos was Mallam Ryuam Pam and we had Jos, Pingana, Rukuba and some others where you also have chiefs, but they were of lower cadre and were under the Chief of Jos who was senior. You also have Bukuru and the town council.

Now, the town council was dominated by the Hausa, Fulani, Yoruba and Igbo.

The Biroms and others were not in this main city where the economic facilities were in abundance. When they realised that, they wanted to share and participate because they are the majority. But as local government council incharge of market in Jos and Bukuru, the Hausa, Fulani, Yoruba and Igbo were in majority.

In jos, marketing was very important because you make very good money since the mining was going on well. So, the Premier decided that there had to be an administrative officer who would go and stay there for two years for them to cool their tempers. I was a very junior officer then and the Premier went there on a one week visit and even had an Executive Council meeting there.

There are some of his ministers then who are still alive today. You have Mamman Nasir who was the Minister of Justice of the region and the Emir of Katagun and the Yeriman Kano as well as Sule Gaya.

These are the ministers who were alive that are were there. I was called from Kano to go to Jos and he said to me: “My son, I want you to take charge, but they said that you are too young and too junior and I have been briefed by my provincial commissioner in Kano that if it is the Abbas Sambo Dabo that I know, he will fit in very well; forget about his being junior.”

There are some qualities which the Premier wanted. You should not have too many friends. Secondly, you should not be going about in town, you must know the work of the Native Authority.

Fortunately for me, the way you find me here, that is how I am. I hardly go out except to the mosque and that is how my life has been since I was young and so, he gave me a pass mark there.

While in Kano, I had my own budget to run the office and from here, he could decide whether you are a friend to contractors and fortunately, I did very well in Kano and he said: “My son, if Kano cannot confuse you about money and world affairs, whatever you want, tell me and you

Alhaji Abba Sambo Dabo worked with the late Sir Ahmadu Bello as an Administrative Secretary, District Officer, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Establishment and Acting Secretary to Government. He spoke with TONY AKOWE about his experience under the late Premier of Northern Region and Sardauna of Sokoto.

•Alhaji Dabo

‘

On several occasions, the Premier sent me gifts while I was in Jos. He was very kind and gentle. What he wanted was for you to work with sincerity... Sardauna would put the right peg in the right hole. Once he made up his mind... it would be done regardless of who is involved

will get it.” On several occasions, the Premier sent me gifts while I was in Jos. He was very kind and gentle. What he wanted was for you to work with sincerity.

Sometime back, I was doing a research at Arewa House and I got a copy of the minutes he made. One of the permanent secretaries wanted to go and tour some places in Kano. He wrote a letter to the Premier saying he wanted to go to Kano through Funtua, Malumfashi and return through Kura to Zaria.

’

The Premier minuted: ‘Tour approved but (a) use a shorter route through ZariaKura-Kano rather than the longer route to save public funds; (b) the minister if being paid 90 pounds consolidated for his vehicle and so, he should use his vehicle rather than getting a vehicle from the pool.

This is public accountability. People can say that it is a minor issue, but it is not minor because if you add lots of that, it means something.’

Now, Ahmadu Bello, what did he leave behind? He had no land in Kaduna and I

challenge anybody to come out and disprove me. As the administrator of Kaduna, I can tell you that they ate all the money here. While I was in Jos, I started building roads and contractors were swimming to my office and I asked the white man who was the provincial engineer to give the estimate and I gave him all the money to do the work.

If you go along this Ali Akilu road, you will find the present Ministry of Lands and Survey was the plot he gave to Obekpa Obeta who was one of his ministers and he asked Bank of the North to finance the construction. He did the same to Tanko Yusuf. That was why before he died, if you talk of Ahmadu Bello, Tanko Yusuf wished that God would bring him back. Isa Kaita was the third person he did that to and that is his house and he asked Bank of the North to finance it so that after 10 to 20 years, they can take full ownership. Tanko Yusuf’s children took over the property when he died. But Obekpa Obeta had no heir to take over when he died and I bought the property for the then North Central State through public auction.

Now, where is the leadership today? We are crying, but what is sustaining us is just the will of God. Otherwise, our leaders know these things, but they think that amassing wealth is the ideal. But it is not.

If I know what I can do to Ahmadu Bello’s family today, I will do it. But what can I do? The tragedy is this, Mohammadu Hayyatudeen who was a Junior Private Secretary in the Premier’s office, visited Sokoto about three or four years ago and came back in tears because the Premier’s family are not cared for.

I think it was one of the governors that did a little thing for them and what they should do is very simple. I was talking to an aide of one of the former presidents of this country. This Boko Haram they are talking about, I think that the politicians are very unserious. I respect them; but they are not serious at all. Go back to your village and farm about 30 to 40 hectares. Are you saying that all political office holders cannot raise 10,000 people today? If you put in N5 million annually into farming, in about three to four years time, you will be putting about N20 billion into farming and people will get employment.

But they prefer to build petrol stations or they go to Dubai. Before now, they used to go to Europe. A former minister deposited 30 million dollars in a Swiss bank and he now decides to get the money and the Swiss authorities told them that they have a new rule which stipulates that they must pay 20 percent of the money to them, which is six million dollars before they can collect the 30 million dollars.

They are indirectly saying they will not pay the money. When they steal the money, instead of investing it here in farming and industry, they will not. They will take it away. Let me say that the politicians are the enemies of Nigeria.

How do you feel seeing most of the things that he worked hard to establish being allowed to waste away?

I feel highly concerned and disappointed. The issue presently is: what will I do to better myself? People don’t even care about their neigbours. Anybody who is a leader should first ask himself, what is my responsibility as a leader? I believe that they know, but why are they not behaving like people who know their responsibilities.

Who takes the blame for this? First, the Continued on Page 17

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T

THE history of Nigeria will be incomplete, wherever and whenever it is written, without the mention of the late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo. His was a life of uncommon and trail-blazing leadership. He was the first indigenous Premier of the defunct Western Region under Nigeria’s parliamentary system, from 1952 to 1960, and became the official Leader of the Opposition in the Federal parliament to the late Alhaji Abubakar Tafawa Balewa’s government from 1960 to 1963.

He was not just one of the tripod pillars that steered Nigeria’s ship through the turbulent waters of colonial days and worked assiduously for the attainment of independence, he maintained at least two or three steps ahead of his peers in terms of visionary, exemplary, inspirational and qualitative leadership. His leadership style was phenomenal, and was much later dubbed ‘the issue’ in Nigerian politics. And it showed in all aspects of public life in the defunct Western Region where he held sway. He was, and still is, simply put, a giant political figure in the mode of the Shakespearian colossus, towering hugely above all others.

Born on March 6, 1909, Awo, as he is most popularly known, made indelible marks in his 78 years’ sojourn on earth as a Nigerian politician, trade unionist and statesman. A Yoruba and native of Ikenne in present day Ogun State, Awo started his career as a regional political leader like most of his preindependence contemporaries and was responsible for much of the progressive social changes in the region and modern Nigeria.

He founded many organisations, including Egbe Omo Oduduwa, the Trade Unions Congress of Nigeria and the Action Group (AG) political party. He was an active journalist and trade unionist as a young man, editing The Nigerian Worker among other publications. After earning a Bachelor of Commerce degree in Nigeria from a London University through correspondence, he went to the UK where he earned a law degree from the London School of Economics.

Among the many legacies he is often remembered for include building the Liberty Stadium in Ibadan, the first of its kind in Africa as at the time it was built; establishing the WNTV, the first television station in Africa, building the first skyscraper in tropical Africa - The Cocoa House, which of course is still the tallest building in Ibadan as at today.

Today, even as Nigeria celebrates her 51st Independence Anniversary, Awo is regarded by many Nigerians and non-Nigerians, in the words of Chief Odumegwu Ojukwu, ex-Biafran leader after Awo’s transition on May 9, 1987 at the age of 78, as “the best president that Nigeria never had”.

His closest move to a federal position was when he served as both the federal commissioner for finance and the vice chairman of the Supreme Federal Executive Council under General Gowon. Instructively, he resigned the same position almost immediately after the Nigerian Civil War. It is generally believed by many people, particularly, political pundits, social critics and other commentators that it would be in the interest of the country to adopt some of his policies, political thoughts, political structure and his approach to public office which he has carefully articulated in several of his publications among which are: Path to Nigerian Freedom, Thoughts on the Nigerian Constitution, and Strategies and Tactics of the People Republic of Nigeria.

During the centenary celebration of Awo’s birth in Lagos in 2009, the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, represented by then Health Minister, Prof. Babatunde Osotimehin, not only spoke of him in glowing terms, he acknowledged that the nation never fully knew the worth of the late sage and what he stood for all along until after he had passed on.

Awo, according to Yar’Adua, was a visionary whose thoughts and leadership qualities should guide present day leaders, saying it was regrettable that his immense worth was not fully appreciated when he was alive, often misunderstood, because he lived way ahead of his time.

He recounted how the sage was “a democrat and visionary per excellence with exceptional qualities celebrated by all and sundry”.

And noted rather regrettably, that it was “after his death we came to realise that he stood for the advancement of the people; he was a consistent advocate of the liberation

THE NATION, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2011

My abiding impression of Awo as a child — Awolowo-Dosunmu

•Dr. Awolowo-Dosunmu

Augustine AVWODE, Assistant Editor of man from the excruciating pains of disease and poverty. He left indelible footprints in the sands of time, and his achievements have become a benchmark for exceptional leadership.”

Former United Nation’s Secretary General, Mr Kofi Annan, at the same event declared that Awo had the rare gift of “identifying the challenges facing our continent long before many others, he (AWO) worked tirelessly to find solutions which would allow us to overcome them”.

It can be rightly argued that Awo’s major preoccupation, if not sole concern, while on this terrestrial plain was liberating the human mind, first and body from the shackles of ignorance, poverty and sickness. But the question many have asked and are still asking is? What made Awo tick?

Dr. Olatokunbo Awolowo-Dosunmu, Executive Director, Obafemi Awolowo Foundation, provided an insight into what the late sage stood for and how he was able to provide such endearing leadership. In a welcome speech she delivered on July 20, 2011, at the Special Dialogue of the Obafemi

Awolowo Foundation, titled: Transformational Leadership And Good Governance: Lessons From The Awolowo Example’ at Ikenne, Ogun State, which she made available to The Nation mid-week, she declared: “He engendered trust, admiration, loyalty and respect in his followers and because of his qualities they were willing to work harder than would be expected. He was honest, competent and intelligent.

“More than that, he provided his followers with an inspiring mission and vision.

Together with his team, which he described as ‘well-knit, highly disciplined and fanatically loyal’, he was able to record remarkable successes in government”.

She pointed out that from the word go, back in 1952, that is about 59 years on, Awo had made the people the centre of his policies.

“Indeed, on assumption of office in 1952, he enunciated three principles by which the drafting of the Region’s budget would be guided. Essentially, these principles were about spending more money on services which would enhance the welfare, health and education of the people at the expense of any expenditure that did not ‘answer to the same test’. He went on to say in his 1955 budget speech: ‘From the figures I have just

quoted, Honourable Members will see quite plainly that thrift is one of the keynotes of this government, and the general well-being of our people (is) the supreme law’”.

She argued that ever before the World Bank thought about what has become known as the human development paradigm came into being, Awo in the then Western Region had identified it and grafted it into the administration of the region.

“A little less than 40 years before the human development paradigm was developed by some brilliant scholars at the World Bank, Awo and the Action Group had articulated, and begun to implement their people-centered development agenda.

The human development paradigm is about much more than the rise or fall of national incomes. It is about creating an environment in which people can develop their full potential and lead productive, creative lives in accordance with their needs and interests.

“The Human Development Report was launched in 1990 with the single goal of putting people back at the center of the development process in terms of economic debate, policy and advocacy. It, therefore, represents a globally accepted paradigm shift and a remarkable confirmation of Awo’s position on the matter”.

She also pointed out that the now globally acknowledged must-achieved UN Millennium Development Goals had long ago been practised by Awo and that demonstrated beyond and doubt the fact that he was well ahead of his time, as many people have now come to accept.

To further illustrate his trail-blazing leadership, a little less than 50 years before the United Nations Millennium Development Goals came into being, Awo had already made universal education, maternal and child health, poverty reduction, employment opportunities, agricultural reforms, as well as environmentally correct policies including forest reserves and reforestation, priorities of his government.

“A few examples will suffice: in education, primary school population more than doubled between 1953 and 1959; the number of secondary schools rose from 46 in 1953 to 139 in 1959, with a phenomenal increase in pupil numbers. The labour policy of his government was the most enlightened in the whole federation, having introduced a 5/- per day minimum wage in 1954 (as opposed to 2/4 in other regions). Rapid industrialisation, provision of infrastructure and democratisation of local governments within the year of his assumption of office, among other achievements, marked him out as an exceptional moderniser in government.

“He was, indeed, a transformational leader in life and has, not surprisingly, become an extraordinary phenomenon in death”, she stated.

Dr Awolowo-Dosunmu lent more credence to her assertion and even explained why Awo enjoyed such popularity at home and beyond when she said in an address she delivered during the launch of a book by Insa Nolte titled ‘Obafemi Awolowo and the making of Remo: The local politics of a Nigerian nationalist’ at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA), Victoria Island on July 28, 2011.

The memory of Awo, today, as always to Dr Awolowo-Dosumu represents “The memory of a leader who in recent times approximated people’s culturally imbibed expectation of a ‘trustworthy leader who would (not only) put the public interest above his own’, but one who also successfully and selflessly fast-tracked their lives into modernity by his programmes and Continued on Page 13

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THE NATION, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2011

Founding fathers' dreams

What went wrong?

•Continued from page 9

•The late Awo

‘

On a personal note, my abiding impression as a child growing up in a household that was the hub of meetings and consultations was of the boundless enthusiasm, comradeship and delight with which AWO and his colleagues went about their historic assignment...

Continued from Page 12 policies simply refuses to go away “On a personal note, my abiding impression as a child growing up in a household that was the hub of meetings and consultations was of the boundless enthusiasm, comradeship and delight with which AWO and his colleagues went about their historic assignment. Nothing appeared to give them greater satisfaction than working towards the fulfilment of their promises to the people by whose mandate they occupied high office. They knew the electorate well enough to know that only by so doing could they hope to renew their mandate at the next election. They, most certainly, had their eyes firmly on history”.

But did Awo come before his time? While she would not disagree with those who hold such a view, she honestly states what the author, Insa Nolte, had put down. “The evidence in this book appears to suggest that, on the contrary, what Awo did was to use his prodigious talents to re-affirm and apply traditional, and timeless, values of honourable leadership and responsible citizenship to his time. The result is the phenomenon that we celebrate today”.

According to her, Awo had long, precisely about half a century ago, charted a path that could lead Nigeria to the promised land.

This, he succinctly penned in his autobiog-

’

raphy and which Dr. Awolowo-Dosumu quoted cupiously for her audience at the book launch. “ ‘But in order that our independence may be worthwhile, it is urgent and imperative that we should plan on a much bolder and grander scale. To this end, the governments of the federation must avail themselves of the services and advice of all the talents which Nigeria and nations friendly to her can provide. Nigeria has in her all the makings of greatness. But we would be deluding ourselves if we imagined that size, population and natural resources, which are nothing but latent factors, are all that are required to boost us into a position of eminence and leadership.

“On the contrary, it is the amount of patriotism, unstinted effort and wisdom which we apply to the exploitation of our vast resources, and of the just and equitable distribution of the results of such exploitation, that will determine the measure of our greatness and happiness as a people.’ The challenge, therefore, is for this and succeeding generations to trace AWO’s footsteps back to those ‘ancient’ landmarks.”

And the question is, anyone listening? If yes, is the political will available? If yes, when shall it begin? But if no, too bad because the supposed ‘giant of Africa’ is walk sleeping, even as it clocks 51.

What emerged, finally, was a federal constitution. None of the three regions trusted the other so much as to drop its identity and autonomy. Each region had its constitution, ran its own affairs and some even had representation abroad.

The common matters bound them all together- currency, defence, foreign affairs.

They had their individual dreams that they captured in various speeches and books. But they also appeared to have a collective dream. The dream of a country united in common pursuit of greatness; a country that would be the toast of the world and a true giant of the African continent.

In the West, Awo had the opportunity to show the stuff he was made of- an administrator par excellence.

Monuments like the Cocoa House, Liberty Stadium, Western Nigeria Broadcasting Service and Television and solid roads even in the remote villages stand to salute the memory of the great man.

Zik was made Governor General in recognition of his political standing. He was the Field Marshal of the independence struggle. Although he was also the first President of the Igbo State Union, the roles he played in the Nigerian Youth Movement and the NCNC stood him out as a giant. He towered above his peers on the political scene. He led the anti-Richards Constitution campaign on the ground that the colonialists did not consult Nigerians in the determination of their affairs.

At a point, he was the closest to a unitarist among the founding fathers. He wanted one strong and united Nigerian.

To demonstrate his pan-Nigerian credential, he sought to rule the Western Region following his election to the regional legislature from Lagos. He lost, but had established a principle. From Senate President, he was promoted Governor General in 1960 and then President in 1963. All his peers deferred to him.

In the North, the word of the Sardauna was law. He was held in awe by his men and many saw him as a potentate. What could not be denied was his selflessness.

Till date, many of his men concede that he never plotted to amass wealth. He was a man of the people. Bello was more of a confederalist. He wanted a largely autonomous North, was reluctant to have independence when the regions stood on unequal pedestals. By the time he came round to embrace the popular notion, he ensured that the North had the advantage.

They were three men, united by destiny. They played their different parts and then parted. Bello was the first to leave the scene. On January 15, 1966, mutinous military men struck and snuffed life out of the Premier of the North. The Prime Minister, Alhaji Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, too, was abducted and killed. Akintola who had been used to supplant Awolowo lost his hold on power as he too was dispatched to the Great beyond. Okpara, Premier of the East, survived. So did Zik, who was out of the country. And Awo, who was in jail on charges of treasonable felony.

Within the five years that the First Republic lasted, turbulence reigned to set the stage for the storms that kept the ship of state dancing on the sea. In 1961, the NPC-controlled government, tried to introduce a defence pact that would have made Nigeria an outpost of the British Army. The West kicked and the students resisted. The bid failed. The NPC realised that, going by the results of the 1959 General Election, success at the

1964 federal elections could not be guaranteed. Its response was to promote disaffection in the AG, pick Awo up and keep him behind the bars with a view to taking over the West by proxy. That was in 1962.

The following year, a nationwide census was held ahead of the 1964 elections. It was another means of stirring the pond as all the regions were up in arms against one another. The NPC had its way as the hotly disputed figures were accepted by the Balewa government. Political analysts predicted that the forthcoming polls could sound the death knell of the federation. The NPC, acting in league with the unpopular Akintola regime in the West, seized the region and kept the country to itself alone. The NCNC had been frustrated from coalition federal government. To as many as had insight, the future was bleak. The template was followed in the 1965 Western parliamentary election that saw Akintola Nigerian National Democratic Party (NNDP) announced winner. It was, indeed, the beginning of the end.

The end of a fragile federation.

It was no surprise that the ship of state sank. The politicians had, in five years, put the Republic to trial and sentenced it to death. That sentence was executed through the 1966 coup. Unfortunately, the hot lead employed for the task rained on some of the judges. For 13 and half years, an Army ill-prepared for the task of nation-building, ran the affairs of a tottering country. It laid the foundation for another Republic, seeking to impose an order ill-understood by the people.

Again, consequently, the Second Republic crashed after four years of the experiment.

Fifty-one years after independence, there is still no health in the body polity.

The fabric is worn-out and Nigerians are still groping in the dark. As Awolowo said in 1945, the country remains “a mere geographical expression”, with the disparate components sailing in different directions. As Chinua Achebe put it, things have fallen apart, and the centre cannot hold.

What would the founding fathers say had they the benefit of looking down and assessing the state of affairs? They dreamed of a great Nigeria. True, they missed the mark of democracy, but, undoubtedly, they meant well. Do the leaders of today similarly mean well?

Anyone who has the opportunity visiting the houses built by Zik, Awo, Bell, Balewa, Okpara and Akintola would appreciate that they were “saints”. They would not empty the treasury to build mansions and stash away the commonwealth in foreign land.

The heroes past played their roles.

They worked for independence. The toiled for a nation where they thought that “though tribe and tongue may differ”, they could still stand in brotherhood. Now, the MEND, Egbesu, OPC, MASSOB, and lately, the most deadly, Boko Haram, have taken over.

In this special Independence Anniversary Project, correspondents speak with family, friends and associates of the founding fathers in a bid to recollect the contributions of the founding fathers to nation building.

Elder statesman Shettima Ali Monguno draws from his repertoire of experience to speak on the state o f the nation. The men who saw it all, how independence was won and how the freedom so gained was soon lost, recount the part they played. They include Alhaji Femi Okunnu and Prince Henry Odukomaya.

The question is, if we know the heroes past, who are the heroes present? The struggle continues.

THE NATION, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2011

14

‘I’m not happy about the way Zik’s Mausoleum is being handled’ Continued from Page 10 Before, Nsukka was as cool as Jos. I schooled at QRSS. Early in the morning you really find it easy to go and take your bath.

In the 60’s Nsukka was so quiet, no noise.

Population has exploded now. So I think that is some of the things that attracted him to Nsukka. Having lived there and saw how quiet that Nsukka is that the best place to set up a university is this type of environment.

We didn’t discuss details but I know that might be one of the reasons why he set up the university there.

How did you feel when he died?

Why are you asking this…? Do you think I will celebrate and jump up? That is, it is indescribable how a woman feels when she loses her partner. It is very unfortunate that at times in the villages and culture they’ve always accused the woman of being responsible for the death of her husband.

Which is not true. I don’t think any woman will go out of her way to kill her partner, the father of her children. For what? When he died, you know, my children had all left for America. It was just both of us in the home.

In 1990, Molukwu left, Uwakwe left in 1992.

So it was just both of us and nobody else.

And it seemed as if from morning till evening, till night both of us were lonely there in the whole premises. So for him to leave, I was just wondering, how am I going to stay alone in the whole premises and knowing his status, how am going to handle life without him?

He was like an umbrella; he was like a fortress for me; he was everything; he was a father; he was a husband and he encouraged me in whatever I was doing. When I passed through my masters programme, he was so excited. Anybody he saw,’Do you know my wife has done her masters?’ That kind of thing and I need that kind of encouragement in life. Although I had finished my PhD. before he died, I needed all other things in whatever I am doing, to say how, how do I do this, could you help me, anybody to help?

It means you are going to do everything alone. I remember the kids were still in school. So the burden of how to see them through their education was on me alone.

So it’s not something one has to…….. I don’t want to be remembering it. I was only happy that in the end, my children were able to complete their education and they are all back home to Nigeria and I have survived.

During his time he had a lot of friends, what measure of support has been extended to you by his friends, associates and critics alike?

As an individual, I have loved my independence, and if you will allow me, I will tell you that I don’t depend much on anybody. I will ask for help but I don’t really want people to come and help because I feel I can do certain things on my own and I have contentment in whatever I have. So to your question, I don’t think it is necessary, what his associates contribute is not much important to me.

What of the governments? I mean all the tiers of government?

Yes nothing from the local government, nothing from the state. The federal is trying.

The Federal Government has, I think, it is a decree or constitution or whatever, there is a stipend for spouses of deceased former heads of state and at the moment, there are five of us: Joke Mohammed, Miriam Abacha, myself, Victoria Aguiri Ironsi and the surviving wife of Tafawa Balewa. There are five of us now. Then Turai Yar’Adua. She will join us now.

It was Yar’Adua who improved what stipend that was given to us, the spouses of former heads of state. They call it allowance.

He improved it, he reviewed it and added vehicle but since 2008 he approved that we should be given one vehicle each, every five years. I am yet to receive a vehicle for that five years. But the remuneration, the allowances, we thank God that the Federal Government is doing something.

But the state, be it the former East Central

•The Late Azikiwe

‘

That is the sore spot in my heart anytime the question is raised. But as a Christian, I am very very positive that one day, one day, the Federal Government that started the Mausoleum at Onitsha will complete it... But what is left there is not making one happy. I am not happy about the situation, I have to say that

State or the former Eastern Region, Anambra, Enugu State now and the new Anambra State, nothing and Nsukka local government, once in a while, I will ask please come and help clean the environment, the premises at least, just clean the compound, it is too large for me to hiring people labour to clean it. Let the local government come and do something nothing. Two of the chairmen have visited me paid courtesy and brought something but majority out of all the local government chairmen in Nsukka, nothing.

How would you describe efforts by the government to immortalise him? His final resting place?

That is the sore spot in my heart anytime the question is raised. But as a Christian, I am very very positive that one day, one day, the Federal Government that started the Mausoleum at Onitsha will complete it. I am very positive. I might be dead but before then, I might be alive to witness it because

’

the Federal Government started the project.

And I think they have to complete it. But what is left there is not making one happy. I am not happy about the situation, I have to say that.

The great Zik had other children, what is your relationship with his older children?

No comment How do you relate with Nsukka people?

Did they in their attitude towards you show appreciation that it was your husband that brought this university to this place and opened them up?

I think I feel very comfortable at Onuiyi where we reside. I don’t think I have had any cause to have anything to do with Nsukka people but I feel … no Nsukka leader has ever come to see me; let me put it that way.

What of the university where you work?

With regards to this, clearing the compound, which is a big burden, I am not asking for money. I just want them to help

me clean the compound once in a while.

When I ran to the university they do send people from works department to clear the compound, right from Nebo to Okolo, it has continued. But it depends on me coming and say the grass is getting out of hand, could you please come and help me? They do send some men to clear the vicinity.

But you know you are not going to work here forever?

Yes, I am retiring next year, next year February.

How do you tend to spend the rest of your life outside the university environment? Do you want to take up what your husband has started?

Politics? No! I have started a private school partnering with a colleague. I started the school at Onuiyi. Day Care, Nursery, Primary at the moment. I think that will keep me busy. Two, I don’t think I will just…., I still have to move around, go to Abuja to see if anything would come out there. If it doesn’t, I will still be okay. If I find something doing in Abuja as in appointment, fine. If none, I will still be okay. Staying here moving around, I still have a lot to do. I would go into some other business which I don’t know yet.

For politics I have that in mind but I am being discouraged.

Why? There are many factors responsible for women succeeding in politics. I think I don’t have it. I don’t have the resources. I don’t have the temperament to do some certain things wrong when it should be done right just to succeed in the game. Because I have a name, whatever, I want to do in politics I must do it right. Another factor being the way people react to women getting into politics. I don’t know whether I will have a god father or a god-mother but if I don’t, I don’t think I will have to force myself to get into politics.

But if politics is what I would want it to be, I will only play or contribute either as a local government level as I have been or at any level at all to help give back to Nigeria being a professor. I think I have made it in my career so I have to look else where to contribute also. It is interesting if one could be in politics but what is happening, killing, maiming, money, money, money I don’t think I have that kind of money to throw around to be elected into a position.

Would you like any of your children to step into the political shoes of their father?

It is their own wish if they want to. I know that the younger one shows interest in politics, Uwakwe, but Molukwu is the quiet one. I don’t think he is interested as such but we discuss politics at home. There we argue and analyse and we joke but Uwakwe is the one who seems as if he is interested. I won’t tell him to go, if he wants, let him go there and find out how hot it is. If it burns him fine. If it favours him, we thank God, we will celebrate.

Madam, with the situation in the country, and with the kind of politics in the country, do you think that the tall dream Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe had for this country has been achieved or is yet to be achieved?

I think, I don’t know, you know I had expected that Nigeria would have been better than what it is today. I think Nigeria would have been leading Ghana. I am sorry to mention Ghana, but Ghana is far ahead of Nigeria. Why? There is nothing stopping Nigeria from achieving the goals of our founding fathers. Nigeria will achieve the goals of our founding fathers. But a lot needs to be done like the process now is changing, democracy now is about 12 years. By the time it is 16, there will be a lot of changes that will be leading towards the goal of being the real giant of Africa. When we say one out of every four Africans is a Nigerian, and then it will not just be a figure. We will also be doing it in our ways of life, development, in our progress, in whatever we are doing in life Nigeria will be number one. We will achieve it. I am not a pessimist. I believe that Nigeria will achieve it in the end.

15

THE NATION, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2011

Nigeria is far from the promised land — Femi Okunnu Former Minister of Works and Housing Alhaji Femi Okunnu (SAN) spoke with Deputy Political Editor EMMANUEL OLADESU on the crisis of leadership in Nigeria, the huge cost of governance and frustrated pursuit of true federalism in post-independence period. pean nationals, Irish, Germans, Brit-

W

•Alhaji Okunnu

mark institutions. But it was still a military regime. Unfortunately, it burst. The bubble burst. In 1975, he was overthrown. Unfortunately, the agenda for the return to civil rule was scuttled among Army leaders.

Some Army leaders like Babangida came with highfaluting promises, but he left nothing to show for it.

Gen. Muritala came when he overthrew Gowon. He appeared to be a national leader. But then, he wrecked the civil service by the indiscriminate retirement of experienced British-trained public servants. And the civil service has never recovered from that trauma till today. Obasanjo’s legacy from 1976 to 1979 was the handing over to civilians on October 1. That is what you can remember him for.

As for his second time as civilian President, I am afraid, he left practically nothing you can remember him for. He was an Army man in agbada. We need people with vision to lead this country. Abacha destroyed the economy. He brought us back by decades with his iron-fisted

rule. He also left nothing you can remember him for. The military did more harm than good. They promised to unite the country. They never kept their promises.

Why is it difficult to develop a national outlook in Nigeria?

Most Nigerians think of themselves by the language they speak from childhood, from their ethnic background. We still have not cultivated the spirit of oneness, nationhood. This is what we have to teach children from primary school, to let them know that they are not Yoruba, Hausa, Ijaw, Ibibio, Efik, Benin, Kogi, Tiv, and Fulani, but they are Nigerians speaking different tongues. That spirit of oneness can be acquired by teaching civics, which is education for citizenship, in the primary school.

They say it with lip service on paper; it is not in service. If a Nigerian sees himself first as a Nigerian and not as an Ibo, Hausa, Beni, and Efik second, or Nigerian first, Nigerian second and Nigerian third, even if he speaks Ibo, Hausa, that should be the lesson. America was not what it is now. It was a collection of Euro-

,

HEN you were growing up, what were your expectations about Nigeria? when I was a school boy at Kings’ College, Lagos, and also as a student in London in late 40s and early 50s; and also as a young man, a young professional in the late 60s, my expectation of Nigeria was very great.

The picture of Nigeria we wanted to create and we were looking forward to as young men, and the type of country we expected our leaders to put in place was a country that would be strong and united; one of the leading countries economically in the world; the voice of Africa, a great voice in the non-allied nations of the world, a country to be reckoned with in world affairs, a prosperous country, where poverty would be reduced to the barest minimum. Nigeria is far from being what we thought and even what we tried to build in the 70s is no more.

How did we come to this sorry state of affairs?

Well, there was a succession of bad leadership, political leadership in the country. Nigeria, unfortunately, never had a Ghandi or Neru of India, or a Mandela of South Africa, or an Nkrumah of Ghana, or Sekou Toure in his younger days in Guinea. Nigeria never had that sort of charismatic, forward looking national leader. We are not talking about regional leaders. Nigeria only had regional leaders, not national leaders.

The nearest we had as a national leader was Dr Nnamidi Azikiwe, but he also had some failings. He fell into the trap of regionalists. So, we didn’t have someone who could speak for or act for Nigeria, have the vision of Nigeria, great and small, not a vision of their regions, political regions, but of Nigeria; great and strong, politically and economically, who can lead Africa, who can be one of the leaders of the world. We did not have that. We have not have that up to now.

But the military came and declared that it was the symbol of national unity. How do you assess military incursion into the nation’s politics?

It’s been great and sour. The first military intervention by the young majors led by Nzeogwu apparently had some patriotic feelings. I was a young man at that time. Unfortunately, the good intention was punctured by the fact that the first coup also had ethnic colouring, which dampened the enthusiasm of nationalists. The coup was staged in certain parts of the country. And that was followed by Ironsi Administration for six months, from January to July 1966.

His own government was as ethnically coloured as the regional administrations. That led to Kano riots in May 1966 and his overthrow or assassination in July 1966. The government which came in after led

by Lt-Col, later General Yakubu Gowon had a difficult task in bringing the country together when civil war was imminent. I joined the government on the eve of the civil war in May 1967. A number of us were invited, including Chief Awolowo, Dr Dikko, Tony Enahoro, Joseph Tarka and Aminu Kano. These were nationalists of yore; tested in many ways.

At that time, we wanted to build the nation. We were called federal commissioners. But the first major task we faced from that May 1967 was the outbreak of the war. With the facts and figures on ground, Gowon had good intention. I am saying this not because I served in the government. There were economic developments, road networks, ECOWAS and other land-

ish, French. Mexico itself is an amalgam of Spanish, Portuguese and so on.

An average American, even the one that has just been given citizenship, is proud of being an American.

How many Nigerians are proud of being Nigerians? Very few. So, that spirit of oneness is what we have to imbibe from childhood. So, you stop putting emphasis on your mother tongue. It should be cultural. Of course, you can develop cultures.

We talk of Egbe Yoruba, Ohaneze, Arewa. That will not get you to the promised land of one nation.

Do you share the view of people who insist that the 1914 amalgamation was a mistake?

It was not a mistake. Countries always have one reason or the other for coming together. Germany was a collection of principalities before Bismarck united Germany in 1870/ 71. Italy had three leaders; Karvol, Gerry Bardi and another one. Before it came to be called Italy, it used to be a collection of small kingdoms.

Nigeria coming together in 1914 as one, after the amalgamation of the Southern and Northern Protectorates, which have been in existence since 1900, was not a mistake. It was an accident of history. It happens like that.

The fact that we have remained as one country politically and administratively since 1945 since the time of Richard Constitution, we are talking in terms of almost 100 years of being together. That is not a mistake.

We are bound to swim together; we won’t drown. Nigeria will remain one and should remain one, but let the people join politically and culturally as one people.

There is concern over the soaring cost of governance in Nigeria. How can this be stemmed?

It can be stemmed, if the people want it to be stemmed. People are not taking this problem seriously.

The people have not agitated for a reversal of this dangerous trend, for the heavy cost of governance. There is a situation where you have the legislature raking 25 percent of the recurrent expenditure and members of the national legislature and state legislature do the same thing.

The National Assembly consists of just over 400 people. They take 25 percent of the recurrent expenditure of the nation as salary. The total package; senators went from N1.3m to almost N15m per month. The package for the House of Representatives member rose from N.78m to about N11m per month, inclusive of allowances. Allowances are getting too fat. The average civil servant is asking for N18,000 minimum wage and many state governments cannot pay N18,000 per month, whereas our legislators take home in form of salaries and allowances as much as N11m or N13m per month. The cost of governance is too high. These allowances are too fat. We have to reduce the fat in our polity. The Senate has 56 committees. That is extravagance. It is like every senator will be chairman of a committee or the other or every member will be a member of three, four, five committees and they will get allowances.

They get estacode to travel about.

They should begin engineering road studies. We need to revive the railway system. It is suffering from acute heart failure. But it can still be revived, not on paper but in reality. The infrastructure must be revived. He (President) should ensure security of lives and property. Killings and assassination are now part of life in Nigeria. Boko Haram is a disgrace

,

They may even say that they want to have a retreat in Ghana.

This is harmful to the economy.

American and Ghanian parliamentarians do not go on retreat. The cost of governance is killing this country. Let us come to the executive. I was privileged to be the chairman of the Committee on Executive at the Reforms Conference summoned by President Obasanjo in 2005. We discovered during our deliberation, based on papers from Aso Rock officialy, that President Obasanjo had 86 or 87 aides, from personal assistants to special assistants. That is extravagance.

The President of America does not have up to 20 aides. If the President of Nigeria wants to laugh, he will appoint a senior special assistant to laugh. If he wants to scratch his back, he will appoint another to scratch his back for him.This is wasteful. We have to reduce these assistants. We are wasting too much money. The government itself must trim its size.

What is your expectation about constitution review?

The legislature has reduced itself into a pathetic edifice. It is not doing its work. It is pre-occupied with changing the constitution every month. The constitution is the bed rock of stability. You don’t change the constitution every now and then.

American Constitution has endured these 300 years with barely 30 amendments. Right now, the Senate President is talking about creation of states.

Let the National Assembly make good laws for the country, for the peace and prosperity of Nigeria.

Stop tinkering with state structures and local governments. The Federal Government has no business with the local government system under a federal system of government.

Local governments are purely matters for the respective states. The Federal Government has no powers over local government creation. Let the states run their local governments.

What is your advise to President Goodluck Jonathan?

The executive should get on with creating prosperity for this nation.

We are far from the promised land.

If I am to advise the President, he should concentrate on power generation and distribution. That should be his topmost priority.

Number two, he should construct roads. I understood the Minister of Works is undertaking some internal restructuring. I have no quarrel with that. I did that also in 1967/68 when I was there.

The Federal Government should embark on the rehabilitation of the federal roads. Some of them were built in the 60s. They should begin engineering road studies. We need to revive the railway system. It is suffering from acute heart failure.

But it can still be revived, not on paper but in reality. The infrastructure must be revived. He should ensure security of lives and property. Killings and assassination are now part of life in Nigeria. Boko Haram is a disgrace.

The Federal Government cannot say what they stand for. We have different stories in the newspapers.

Boko Haram says it is haram to imbibe western culture. The Chief Judge of the Federal High Court said recently at a party in his honour that the goal of Boko Haram is education in Bornu State. But intelligence information says they don’t want education. Conflicting signals. The Chief Judge also said employment to stem poverty. so, which is which? Koran says seek knowledge.

The Prophet said, even China, which was then an outer space, should seek knowledge. So, education is the bedrock of Islam. It is the failure of security that they cannot unravel it. Assassination, killings should stop. This is not the Nigeria of my dream.

16

THE NATION, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2011

•The main entrance to TBS

TBS: Where Nigeria’s freedom was first celebrated T

•The route between the Race Course and the old National Assembly Complex

Dada ALADELOKUN, Assistant Editor belly of the arena were about half a million people, while many more scattered over the 373,250 sq. miles of the landscape. Others sat by their radio loud-speakers, listening to the proceedings with rapt attention.

The Square is bordered by a 25storey Independence building, and for a along time, it held the record of being the tallest in Nigeria. The entrance to the Square has four white giant horses suspended above the gate and seven red eagles, all sym-

bols from the nation’s national emblem signifying Strength and Dignity. It boasts a large convention ground, 1,500-space shopping mall, 10-floor creativity block, 60-floor offices, 10,000-capacity of car park and many more.

On Tuesday, as the nation counted down to today for the celebration of the nation’s independence anniversary, this reporter made a visit to the Square, at least to ascertain its state of health.

The fairly expansive frontage of the

,

HE masterpiece was imposing enough to cause a pleasing quake in a tender heart. Of course, 51 years ago, when it hosted an unprecedented national carnival of sorts, it was adjudged a classy architectural wonder. The historic Race Course is it!

So sprawling in topographic comfort, many simply call it Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS). It is situated in the nation’s former seat of power, which is seated in the heart of Lagos , Nigeria ’s one-time capital city.

Dateline was October 1, 1960 . The place entered the country’s history book as a most important national monument. Reason: It was where Nigerians, decked in their best bib and tucker, gleefully celebrated their freedom from the shackles of British colonial imperialists.

Senator Munirudeen Adekunle Muse, a 73-year-old Lagosian was there. As he recalled in a chat with this reporter on Monday, there was no elbow room for anyone. Even legs, according to him, competed for space.

“I just left school then. Everywhere glowed with ornaments and so it was at night when all sorts of lightings adorned the Square and the streets up to even Broadstreet and Marina. I doubt if we will ever witness such a beauty again. It was a rare experience with the beauty of a special celebration of freedom,” he further said.

In the thick ecstatic crowd stood the then Prime Minister, Alhaji Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, delivering what has since come to be known as Independence Speech.

Time, history has it, was 12 midnight at the Race Course. The dramatis personae - Sir James Robertson, representing the Queen Elizabeth II of Britain and Balewa, representing the forty million people of Nigeria – were in action. In the

The eagles and horses are still there, although some of the latter have lost colour. In fact, one of them has lost one of its horns to old age exacerbated by apparent lack of impressive maintenance culture

,

place, though adorned with welltarred road network, now plays host to parks for commercial and BRT buses. They are not the only tenants there. Petty traders including phone call operators, wrist watch repairers, books’ sellers and sundry hawkers also do have a field day there; but not for free. “We do pay our taxes to government here,” one of them disclosed.

Also, fixed out there are signposts of tenant-companies including Ecobank, TNT, Universal Parcel Service (UPC) and ErrandEx among others, with their vehicles parked inside a metallic fence that stands between the traders from the wall of the Course.

After surviving the “come and buy from me” pleas from the traders, three Lagos ’ traditional statues of Eyo, embroiled with white robes, welcome visitors into the main bowl of the pale arena. The eagles and horses are still there, although some of the latter have lost colour. In fact, one of them has lost one of its horns to old age exacerbated by apparent lack of impressive maintenance culture.

A shallow river of waste water dropping from the roof of the entrance welcomes visitors’ feet into the arena. In some few parts, the plaster on the walls of the structures are peeled off. Major cracks are not noticeable on the walls but the flowers bases.

However, the flowers beautifying the sides of the podium that hosted the feet of Balewa and those of other personalities for hour on October 1, 1960 still maintain their beauty, signifying constant care.

Noticing the curiosity on the reporter’s mien, Samuel Anthony of Corporate Guards Limited, who was seen traversing the length and breadth of the edifice for its safety, came to his ‘rescue’. “Oga, you are wondering why the flowers are still intact and well-trimmed? It is the work of some boys assigned to maintain them. Though I have not seen them for two days now, they have been up and doing at ensuring that their neatness remains,” he said.

The green-white-green paint on the podium is no longer anything to cheer about, though, surprisingly, •Continued on Page 17

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THE NATION, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2011

‘The Ahmadu Bello I knew’ Christian and Muslim clerics are the first people to take the blame because they know the books. How many of these clerics today will you take N5 million to and won’t take it?

In the past, I know many of the ulamas and many Christian clerics who will ask you if you give them such money what the money is meant for. If you cannot tell them what it is meant for, they will ask you to go and donate it to the mosque of church.

Now, look at what is happening. I can tell you that 90 percent of them will take it and put it in their pocket. They are today the challenges we are facing because they have refused to tell everybody the truth. You can go and win election by killing people, but through persuasion, through your programmes and understanding. But now, what do they do? I wrote something before the election warning that unless we are serious about security, the elections may not end well and I gave reasons. But they did not listen. When you start talking, they will not listen. But some fools will come from the village to say my wife has given birth and I want assistance. They should devote some time to politics weekly, they will have time to study and work for the people.

They have no budget. Somebody will come and say I will do this and then they divert the money.

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Continued from Page 11

The tragedy is this, Mohammadu Hayyatudeen who was a Junior Private Secretary in the Premier’s office, visited Sokoto about three or four years ago and came back in tears because the Premier’s family are not cared for.

I think it was one of the governors that did a little thing for them and what they should do is very simple

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Who will do it? I am not saying that we don’t have good Christians and Muslims.

What I am saying is that the majority are not good. The second group are our emirs and chiefs. They used to have the power, but the politicians have taken over. Like Ahmadu Bello and Tafawa Balewa, like

Sultan Abubakar of Sokoto, like Sanusi of Kano and Ja’afaru of Zazzau. When they were there, their prime target was who will they help?

So, if we put the clerics, both Christians and Muslims together with these traditional rulers, the country will change, no matter who has gotten money to invest in politics. But if they are not ready to carry out their own responsibilities, then what has happened will happen again.

In a situation like this, what would Sardauna have done?

If he were to come back today, he will not mind where you come from, if you can perform. In the Kaduna Textiles when he changed Turaki Zazzau, he appointed Michael Audu Buba saying he found him a composed person.

In terms of bribery, let me tell you this. One big business tycoon in Kano told me that some years back, they won a contract to supply materials to secondary schools in the north and they went to Isa Kaita who was the Minister of Education with money, 200 pounds. They offered him the money and he drove them out of his house asking them to go and look for the downtrodden to cater for.

So, Sardauna would put the right peg in the right hole.

Once he made up his mind on what was to be done, as long as it is something that God will bless, it would be done regardless of who is involved. If the Premier were here, he will say this is the right thing to be done.

•The Late Sardauna

TBS: Where Nigeria’s freedom was first celebrated ,

•Continued from Page 16 the nation’s national flag and the Coat of Arms fixed on the structure behind it won’t spark off anger in the mind of a most critical onlooker.

The drainage system bordering the solid-looking floor of the main bowl appears not likely to be haven of bacteria. Serving their siesta right behind an apartment said to be the security post at the arena were three women who are among those saddled with keeping the place dirt-free.

Four compactors with their users were seen parked on the north-eastern part of the bowl. And towards the outer gate leading out of the space were about ten parked coaster buses. They were said to belong to the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

Near the compactors were four mobile toilet facilities for use at the centre. But no matter how hard pressed you may be, a source hinted that you won’t gain access into the facilities without dropping a certain fee.

Most of the lightings on the structure that illuminated the arena 51 years ago had fallen off; though the remaining few, obviously non-functioning, still hang there, oscillating like a pendulum..

That electricity supply to the arena had got unbearably epileptic is evidenced by the presence of power generators in front of virtually all the companies that operate their businesses from there.

The two tall towers overlooking the

It, therefore, does appear that since the movement of the nation’s seat of power to Abuja , little or nothing has been done to retain the beauty of the arena that presumably popped eyes 51 years ago

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•The aerial view of TBS

rendezvous in front of the adjoining old National Assembly Complex appear going derelict. None of the ‘exotic’ lightings has life flowing in it any longer.

It, therefore, does appear that since the movement of the nation’s seat of power to Abuja , little or nothing has been done to retain the beauty of the arena that presumably popped eyes 51 years ago.

The condition of the “national asset” was the pain in the hearts of three young men who visited the

edifice while the reporter was there on that Monday. Armed with a Kodak camera, one of them had taken various shots of some strategic structures there. Then came the moment to bemoan what they termed “a decaying monument.”

One of them, Joe Chukwuma, a contractor, told the reporter that though he is just 39 years old, it occurred to him to pay a visit to the place. He said: “Of course, I was not yet born when the independence of my country was celebrated. How-

ever, I have read it in history that it took place right here. That is why I came to see this place again. Though the place is neat, I think government should preserve the architectural designs. It is enough as a major tourist centre that can even fetch us more income. So, it is economically unfair for this place to suffer neglect.”

However, as the reporter found out, the main arena has remained a source of money for the government as it is, most times, used for various social events. Not too long ago, front-

line legal luminary and former President, Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN), celebrated the wedlock of one of his children at the centre.

Not a few giants in his ilk, it was revealed, had made used of the place for such ceremonies, thus underpinning the need to make the centre more inviting to such users.

Today, as the nation remembers that glorious day of relief, the centre that hosted the maiden edition of the ceremony 51 years ago seems deep in painful sleep.

THE NATION, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2011 18 What was Nigeria like in those days at independence and after independence? Compared to the current challenges, what went wrong? Where did we miss it as a nation? Our reporters went to town and interviewed selected senior citizens from 75 years old and above. We present the interesting encounters:

Elder statesman Shettima Ali Monguno,91, is very passionate in matters relating to Nigeria and indeed, the welfare of Nigerians. In this interview with our correspondents JOEL DUKU & JOSEPH ABIODUM, he goes down to memory lane, baring his mind on Nigeria at 51.

Excerpts:

No religion permits bombing, assassination,kidnapping — Ali Monguno ‘ Let’s play politics without bitterness.

But government has to find out where things go wrong. They should be introspective, bring everybody together irrespective of religion, tribe or class and give them the key to governance.

Let them open the door of governance

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‘

•Ali Monguno

north or south? Is it Christians or Muslim? Is it the poor or the rich?

Gowon held on and I can remember at many occasions accompanying Gowon on tours of parts of this country when women, children and men trooped out to welcome him warmly.

Gowon too had to leave because another of his colleagues had also wanted to have a taste of governance, of power and the goodies.

Was it justifiable that civilians were still serving military regimes?

Yes! It was justifiable in the sense

sacking themselves and eventually decided to hand over power back to us hence, we have been shuttling between civilian to military and back again. But even within the military, there was a period when Yakubu Gowon was chosen and was appointed Head of State.

Now, Christian Gowon accepted Muslims into his cabinet and gave them very important portfolios and ruled the country for about eight years. And when the civil war broke up and everybody was asking: Is it

‘

I should have started by congratulating ourselves for having lived together at least for 51 years after independence. What didn’t we do, including civil war? We came back, thought about it and prayed to God, never again! Whatever our problem, we would sit together, sort it out and embrace ourselves within mutual respect and understanding

‘

HERE were you during independence and how old were you then?

I was a member of the first parliament and of course, I hailed from Borno Province then, which later became Borno State. And I was about 40 years old then. I was born into a needy peasant family at a time when recruitment into what was then called elementary school was very much against members of not only my family but the community because most people then thought that that wasn’t the type of school they would like their children to attend.

They preferred Islamic and Quranic schools. I was forcibly dragged from my parents in a hamlet called Zankari and taken to Monguno to be registered as a pupil at about 1935.

How were you recruited into the political process of the country?

I got into politics when it first came, I got elected into the parliament and my constituency then was called Kaga/Margi/Damboa. It was at a time when the thought of giving money to people wasn’t even understood properly by the electorate. All they wanted to know was what type of candidate they were going to elect.

So, the political party would have to tell their audience in Baneshiek and Damboa as well that Mallam Ali Monguno was a good man who would not quarrel with people, who would not smoke cigarette let alone drink. So, it was about your integrity and mission.

How much did you spend for campaigning then?

I spent no kobo, no naira in bags; just merit; but it is totally a different thing today. Even in my former constituency, today you must have bagful of naira even to be seen, recognized or understood. No money, no way! That is totally different from what I experienced. That is how I got into politics and young as I was then, our first and only Prime Minister, Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, of blessed memory said to me that he would like to appoint me as a minister. First a Minister of State in the Ministry of Defence in charge of Air Force; three of us were junior ministers then - M.T. Mbu for the Navy and Ibrahim Tanko for the Army. Just after a few months, the Prime Minister made me a minister of Internal Affairs, in charge of security of this country.

How did the military come into power?

I still remember when the German Air Force came with that small plane to train our boys as pilots. Then all of a sudden, our young men in the army whom we managed to recruit and train to defend our country felt they could do better than their fathers and staged that coup which brought that unfortunate blood in our history. But they too tasted it but they went round

that the military often say we are not trained to rule, but this country must not disintegrate. What they did was to go round the country looking for civilians who had already been elected into parliament and trusted by their respective communities, but they did not confine their selection to one political party. They brought in NPC, Action Group, NEPU etc.

Was it during that time that you were made the Petroleum Minister?

I was first posted to Industry and then moved to Trade and I was running two ministries with very dedicated permanent secretaries like Philip Asiodu and Ibrahim Damshida. We worked to the extent of gaining respect at the United Nations when any resolution concerning Africa was to be tabled at the UN. Both the western powers and the Americans respected us because our name and our presence in that international body was so recognised and respected by the then upcoming colonies in Africa. Nigeria was held in very high esteem right from then till date. But the problem has always been, how do we uphold that good name?

You said that you were elected at the House of Reps without spending a kobo. Now with the advent of money, what do you see of the democracy we have now?

As I said, the principled leaders worshipped God and served their people to the best of their abilities, sacrificing money for merit and long after they have gone. When we felt they should be emulated, dirty politics of do or die came. Politics of ambition, avarice crept into our society; if you have no money, you are not good. If you are considered good in certain areas, majority would say, ‘look at him, he is a fool; does he think he would rule forever?’ That is when politics of money came. That is when the convenient marriage between politicians and money-bags got to what we sometimes call ‘rob my back I rob your back’ and then the talk about ‘nothing goes for nothing’.

What do you expect? Somebody spent his money to get into power and you think he would easily surrender because his tenure runs out?

No way! The money that brought him into power, to him, was an investment for what we now call dividends of democracy. So people get

into politics with money, recoup their money and increase upon it so that he comes back to get more. It’s a very sad episode in the life of our country.

What do you think can stop corruption in our country?

A society where the average citizen earns less than one dollar per day as income, with a wife and two children; how will he cope? We once had a Minister of Finance, Chief Okotie Eboh. We used to call him big man because physically, he was big. When he started saying that he would increase something by one penny, government would have more money for development, some of us objected to that and said ‘Mr. Minister, if you increase the cost of petrol by one penny, the unfortunate results will be costly.’ Government should be held for that. But a couple of years ago, I heard of something like Council of State where former presidents, Justices and bigwigs met and said that prices of petroleum products should be increased and some of us cried out.

Now, how can you sit in parliament and talk about increase either of kerosene or fuel? Now, they say government raised the minimum income to N18, 000 and some governors are saying ‘no way!’ It is sad. This is a rough moment for the poor people sitting in the villages struggling for survival.

So much has happened in this country since independence; would you say that Nigeria is a failed state or is there hope at all?

I should have started by congratulating ourselves for having lived together at least for 51 years after independence. What didn’t we do, including civil war? We came back, thought about it and prayed to God, never again! Whatever our problem, we would sit together, sort it out and embrace ourselves within mutual respect and understanding. I should thank President Goodluck Jonathan for considering me as one of the recipients of the Golden Jubilee Award.

It’s an encouragement but at the same time, if you recognise the good ones, it would do you no harm to work hard and bring out the bad ones and punish them accordingly. I heard the president at his media chat mentioning the cost of our last election - over N130 billion. Just listen to that! That is why when it was mooted that the tenure or period of office should be increased to six-year single tenure because the two would create problems, people would be fighting to be re-elected.

So, in your opinion what is the solution?

Mr. President should go to the people and ask them how they feel about it. Everybody says we are rich; we have the resources, human and material. When Bill Clinton visited Nigeria, a young reporter accompanying him said that Nigeria is too rich to be poor and too poor to be rich, but that wealth has not been trickling down to the people. Look at the bigwigs, look at the politicians. How do you remedy this situation? Let at least 25 per cent of our people be literate and understand what governance means. This government has a big task in its hand. It is time it got people-focused in its thoughts.

Down to memory lane as Deputy National Chairman of NPN and after a successful career in politics, why did you quit? Is it because it had become dirty and what type of politics would you advocate for this country?

It’s politics. If politicians could stick •Continued on Page 19

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THE NATION, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2011

I think it was unfortunate that we struck oil — 80-yr-old Prof who witnessed Oct 1 1960 parade 80-year-old Prof. Thomas Duncan witnessed the independence parade. He spoke with SUNDAY OGUNTOLA on Nigeria of I think‘ it was unfortunate that T’S been 51 long years. But he yesterday, today and tomorrow. pained that crass materialism has remembers events of the day like

I

the palms of his hands. He was already 29 and working at the General Hospital, Lagos. Very early on October 1, 1960, Thomas Duncan, a medical doctor, now a professor, sauntered into the Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS), Lagos to witness the nation’s independence ceremony.

He was accompanied to the historic event by his beloved wife, who died five years ago, and their one-month old baby. The baby girl is now over 50. The new couple joined thousands of other Nigerians to witness the lowering of the Union Jack, the hoisting of the Nigerian flag and the declaration of Nigeria as an independent nation.

Last Thursday, Duncan, who clocks 80 tomorrow, recalls the event with nostalgia. ‘’It was a glorious day,’’ he began. ‘’It was celebration galore. The entire atmosphere was electrifying and colourful. I witnessed the lowering of the Union Jack and the raising of the Nigerian flag.

“I stayed very close enough to see our leaders then. I saw Zik, I saw Tafawa Balewa, Enahoro, Awolowo and others.’’ The cancer specialist also paid rapt attention to the independence march like a soldier. ‘’The parade commander was Mobolaji Johnson. We have been good family friends for a long very time. The march was a sight to behold. Everyone was proud of the performance. There was the gun salute and all that,’’ he recollected.

The Octogenarian said the greatest excitement was reserved for the hoisting of the Nigerian flag.

According to him, there was spontaneous shout of joy as the flag was hoisted signifying the nation’s independence.

He recalled: ‘’As the Nigerian flag was hoisted, there was exhilarating shout and joy in the arena.

Everyone was agog with joy.

Immediately, the first national anthem was sung with excitement.

The entire arena reverberated with hilarious joy. It was very good.’’

Duncan left the independence square with renewed hope for Nigeria. Unfortunately, that hope is yet to materialise 51 years after.

Nigeria, he said, started very well but derailed the moment oil was discovered. ‘’I think it was unfortunate that we struck oil. As an 80-year-old man, I remember we were very strong on hides and skin, cotton, cocoa, rubber, groundnut and others. At that time, these commodities gave Nigeria a comfortable living and people learnt to live within the limit. But the moment we struck oil, •Continued from Page 18

religion, we will have the best.

People know the right and the wrong. The type of politics I would like to see in Nigeria is the politics that the ordinary man sitting in his home would understand what government is all about. What does his constitution say? Can he read and understand or can somebody explain it to him? There is this expression that ‘Politicians build bridges where rivers do not exist’. People told us this when we started building

•Prof. Duncan

we suddenly became uncontrollable,’’ he lamented.

He said the oil boom met Nigeria unprepared. Nigerians, he pointed out, had money but lacked training on financial management. His words: ‘’There was so much money that one of our Presidents said getting money was not our problem

but how to spend it.

“We threw away process, methodology and merits. The result was chaos. Those who suddenly found themselves rich had not been educated properly on how to spend the money. So they were misbehaving.”

Fifty-one years after, Duncan is

now taken root in the country.

Looking troubled for the first time during the chat, he said: ‘’I am sorry to say but I saw a 40-year-old CEO in Oil and Gas recently in the papers. There were so many adverts. At 40, he feels he is old enough to rub shoulders. One national paper even used him in almost the entire front page and left a tiny space for President Goodluck Jonathan.

“I think it is a slap on us and a reflection of who we are. It is an outright insult on us. Once there is money, anybody can get anything.

Those of us who have been thoroughly educated are sad.’’ The present socio-economic crisis confronting the nation, he pointed, was never there before independence.

Going down the memory lane, he recalled living in the then Nigeria. ‘’Life was good in Nigeria, I can tell you. Most of the things that appeared irregular were very silent, not so visible. Things like corruption, disorderliness and religious tension were not just there,’’ he began with a glow. ‘’The colonial government succeeded in managing these things well. And I can tell you things moved, at least in Lagos, where I was born and lived. I was in Kaduna for two years and saw things there too. Life was good. Life was comfortable. We had the cinemas, the schools, the churches. We lived among ourselves in peace. ‘’There was no open conflict. I lived on Tokunbo Street where some of the repatriated slaves were based. The Salvadors, The AkaBashoruns, The Da Silvas, the Da Costas were all there. There was no religious tension whatsoever. We tolerated one another and lived as one. So life was good and Nigeria was moving. There was no blatant explosion of corruption and to a very large extent things were transparent.’’

The Nigerian dream, he said, is certainly off course. But Duncan is a firm believer in the Nigerian project. He said the nation shall rise again from her ashes. ‘’I don’t think the dream has come true but I do not think as well that we would not rectify and get better one day. I still believe in Nigeria.

Everything that goes up comes down. Everything that goes round comes round. I believe a day is coming when there would be an explosion, like Wole Soyinka, my schoolmate said. How bloody it would be is another matter.’’

He said it would be defeatist to give up on Nigeria just yet. For young Nigerians who have written

‘As we’ve survived for 51 years, we ’ll survive for another 51, even forever’ bridges across Lagos then. Like the late Waziri Ibrahim said, politics without bitterness.

If you truly believe, you can bring together, the Christians and the Muslims, the rich and the poor, the ruler and the ruled and say swear that you would rule according to the tenets of your religion, custom and tradition. But

this is probably how we started.

Let’s play politics without bitterness. But government has to find out where things go wrong. They should be introspective, bring everybody together irrespective of religion, tribe or class and give them the key to governance. Let them open the door of governance. Let them go inside and sit

down and decide what they want.

Just as we managed to survive for 51 years, God willing we would survive for another 51 and even forever.

What’s your advice for Nigerians as Nigeria celebrates 51?

All of us should continue to be patient, honest, continue to embrace ourselves regardless of religion, political affiliation, where

we struck oil.

As an 80-yearold man, I remember we were very strong on hides and skin, cotton, cocoa, rubber, groundnut and others. At that time, these commodities gave Nigeria a comfortable living and people learnt to live within the limit. But the moment we struck oil, we suddenly became uncontrollable

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the nation off, he offers this advice: ‘’ I will say to them, don’t give up.

You have nowhere else to go. If you give up on Nigeria, you will give up on life. It is not over for Nigeria.

Come back to Nigeria because things will not always be like this.

All young superstars who have given up should look up again.’’

To save the country, he counselled, rich Nigerians had better address the wide imbalances with the downtrodden. ‘’I hope rich Nigerians, if they have any sense at all, will try to rectify the imbalances while they are still alive before the army of unemployed youths will carry guns and blow off the heads of everyone,’’ he warned. He also said Nigerians in the Diaspora must return home to help with their knowledge base.

we come from. There was a time I suggested that we must have a passport which is just good enough for Nigeria. If God had wanted, He would have kept us in a compartment, but He never did that because he had a purpose for not doing that. No religion permits bombing, assassination kidnapping, no. All religions teach us to be one another’s keeper; to live in peace and harmony. Whatever happens we should try and find out because there must be a reason for it. The government should keep reasoning along this line.

20

There are threats, but Nigeria won’t disintegrate — Chris Okotie Rev. Chris Okotie of the Household of God was a candidate of the Fresh Party (FP) in the last presidential election. In this interview with MUSA ODOSHIMOKHE, he advises Nigerians to be patient with the Federal Government considering many challenges facing the nation and expresses his belief that the problems will make the country stronger. Excerpts:

•Rev. Okotie

What is the international implication of this?

Well, this does not portend well for our nation. There is no doubt about that. Terrorism in Nigeria has demonstrated its kindred activities across the borders. There is no difference between what is happening in Nigeria and other countries where terrorism has shown itself.

But we must show that we are a resilient people. We went through a civil war and emerged a stronger nation. I think we can handle this, but with the co-operation of Nigerians by eschewing partisan sentiments and allow the higher attribute of patriotism to prevail. This is not a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) issue anymore. It’s about Nigeria.

With these problems, do Nigerians have cause to celebrate?

It could have been worse than this, which is what I am saying. We are still a nation; when there is life there is hope. I believe these are the les-

sons we ought to have learnt. One of the reasons for the lack of political will in the present situation is the indifference within the PDP. It is not a party that is as cohesive as it ought to be. There are many fragments and interests within the party. Many people who don’t believe in the party are within. They are the ones frustrating the efforts of government. The government has to take responsibility for their decisions. I won’t dismiss the government quickly because there is no other government. I think that the situation on ground will probably convince Nigerians on the calibre of people that are going to be asking us for their votes in the next elections.

Government has said it will remove fuel subsidy; what will be the effects on the people?

As for the policy, I will not interfere because they are the government and they claim they were voted into power. So let them prove

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H

OW should Nigeria mark the 51st anniversary?

I think the first disposition is that we should be thankful to God that we have been able to maintain our corporate existence. This is against the backdrop of the international crisis that afflicts nations.

The forces of evil have tried to polarise nations along ethnic and religious divides. We need to thank God that Nigeria maintains its existence as a nation.

It appears the security situation is not improving; what do you think about this?

Our people have been traumatised by incessant bombings and atrocities committed by different organisations in the North and government have had difficulty in containing the abnormality. I think government should look seriously into how to deal with this malaise.

And I do not think this is time for partisan sentiments because this is threatening our territorial integrity.

I think Nigerian people should be patient and give President Goodluck Jonathan more time. We know that to be saddled with this kind of responsibility at that level is a very difficult terrain to navigate.

So as citizens of this nation, we have to stand by our nation and pray that God will help him. Nigerian people should be patient and give him more time to deal with the situation.

It appears our government is confused on the approach to deal with Boko Haram. It doesn’t know whether to dialogue with the sect or use force…

I think it is normal when you are studying the attack by the enemies.

In a situation like this, you prevaricate. It is a very sensitive issue because this is not the usual kind of violence manifesting as a result of a social disorder within a community. This is religious, and when it is so, it becomes fanatical. It goes beyond logic. This is because you are dealing with people who are talking about faith and faith deals with the super natural. They can’t even understand why they do it and how they want to do it. So it is a new area that Nigeria must deal with. I sympathise with our government and I recognise that it will take a little while to discern the modality that government must apply in tackling this kind of phenomenon. Like I said, Nigerians just need to be patient to assess the situation correctly, so that the government can carry out the remedial measure that will be adequate enough to arrest this abnormality.

Some people have said the Boko Haram came up because a Christian is now in control I do not think so because if you look at their operation so far, the target has been mainly their own people. I do not think that it is calculated to derail government. It is a coincidence and that whoever that is there, whether an Obasanjo or Buhari or Yar’Adua, it would not have made any difference. I think that government must now show its strength, not just by confrontation, but by assessing the methodology they have applied and finding out what the organisation is all about because terrorism has become a universal phenomenon.

And if you want to arrest terrorism, you have to dig deep to find out its root so that your defence mechanism or offence mechanism is not defective. I think it will require a little bit of time to understand the philosophy of the organisation and to know how to respond adequately. I want to appeal to our people to be patient and give government more time. Then, if they fail, it would not be because people forced them into any action. This is not the kind of action that requires haste. You need strength to properly study what is on ground and devise measures to tackle it.

THE NATION, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2011

to Nigerians their leadership qualities.

By hiking the price of fuel?

Whatever decision they take, they will take responsibility. That is what I am saying. I will not hold brief for them; neither will I give them counsel because if you say you are the government of the day, then you must have enough wisdom to govern. Whatever they want to do, let them do as long as they are willing to take responsibility for their own actions. It is not in my brief to determine for them what to do. They are the ones in government, so let them exercise the power that they have.

But Nigerians expect people like you to speak for them…

Government knows the consequence of their action. Maybe they have a plan. It is important you give a man an opportunity to prove himself. President Jonathan is the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. He has a cabinet of enlightened minds who understand the consequence of what they are about to do. They have not listened to the labour or others on previous positions. What has happened to the minimum wage? Let them go ahead and do what they have decided to do. That is their prerogative. If Nigerian people find it unpalatable, they know what to do.

We are not going to create a situation that they will say this is diversionary and that we are trying to create a distraction by making comments that are destructive. I think that at this point in time they have taken the bull by the horn and they should fulfil the promises they made during the campaigns, so that Nigerians would know who is fooling who.

The media scored the President low in his 100 days in office…

I think the media has been fair in his assessment, but like I have been saying when a government emerges like that of President Jonathan, I think it is still trying to find its bearing and I don’t think they should judge it by just 100 days. I care about this nation because this is the only one we have.

I said during the campaigns that the PDP should not be voted into power because they don’t have the capacity to move Nigeria forward because of the kind of leadership they were recommending at the time. But this is a democracy. This is what the people want; this is what they must have. However, the consolation that I always have is that President Olusegun Obasanjo is still around. You can be sure that even if they want to derail, there is a power there for them to always find the equilibrium.

Some have seen President Obasanjo as too overbearing; is this good enough?

He has always been concerned

If you look at the indicators within the political landscape, there are threats of disintegration, but the God of Nigeria has shown mercy and has intervened many times... Sacrifices must be on the platform of nationhood. If we follow that premise, Nigeria will remain together

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about Nigeria and that is why I have always said we have been blessed in having a leader of his calibre. He is still there and still has interest in the nation and because I know that he cares about Nigeria and to that extent he will be a stabilising force in the party. People who say that Obasanjo is overbearing must look back. Our economy is really the most important issue today in government. The power that began the process of regulating the economy in giving the configuration that will take Nigeria out of the wood was initiated by Obasanjo. The woman that he brought, Dr. Okonjo-Iweala, is back in that same portfolio. I have difficulties understanding how people don’t see the greatness of President Obasanjo when it comes to governance. If you look at him without bias and assess him as a leader in the context of Nigerian politics, you will see how much of an asset that he is to this nation. The confidence that I have that Nigeria at least will not be fragmented is the fact that President Obasanjo is still within the PDP. He is a stabilising power no matter what anybody says.

Based on the assessment of what he has done for our nation, he has tried. And if anybody thinks otherwise, let him ventilate his opinion and see whether it is based on logic or empirical data. It is because of Obasanjo that I am more patient with the Jonathan administration.

But you have always said the PDP is unreliable. Have you changed?

Not at all! I am speaking within the context of the present reality facing Nigeria and when your mission is against disintegration, you rise beyond the rank of partisan politics. You become a statesman.

It is not about election; it is about maintaining the corporate existence of Nigeria. Now all well-meaning Nigerians must rise to a position of responsibility that can help this government to protect the Nigerian people. Those killed out there are Nigerians. Anything we can do to help the situation, we must do it.

So it is within that context that I am speaking, not because I believe that this government has answers to the problems confronting our nation. I do not believe that the present leadership has the capacity to take Nigeria to the next level, but as a statesman, I have responsibility to join President Jonathan to salvage our nation.

Is it not possible for Nigeria to disintegrate given these various challenges?

It is possible Nigeria can fragment, but I do not think that will happen because there is a God factor to all of this, which is the difference. If you look at the indicators within the political landscape, there are threats of disintegration, but the God of Nigeria has shown mercy and has intervened many times. I believe He will still be the same. What has been happening will serve us better. This also depends on the resilience of the people to recognise that sacrifices must be made, if we are going to remain one people. Sacrifices must be on the platform of nationhood. If we follow that premise, Nigeria will remain together.

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THE NATION, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2011

We need a national conference to solve our problems

C

AN you recall the state of things in Nigeria in the 60s?

In 1960, when Nigeria became independent from the British colonial overlords, I remember very well that Lagos municipal was a lot tidier and things were orderly, especially transportation within the metropolis. There was hardly anything like power outage and I cannot even remember a day when there was power failure because electricity was very constant. But the reverse is the case now, probably due to population explosion because Nigeria’s numerical strength, according to the then estimation, was put at 90 million.

However, there was a better social interaction among people of diverse social background.

In the area of education, there is no need for comparison because while we had just the University College, Ibadan, Oyo State, there are about 150 universities belonging to private individuals, religious organisations and government.

Also, education was free and made compulsory by the government of the old Western Region of Nigeria and to a certain level too in the then Eastern Region.

As one of the journalists of that era, what was the political atmosphere like in those days?

We had just about four major political parties, namely: the National Congress of Nigerian Citizens (NCNC), Action Group (AG), Northern Peoples Congress (NPC) and Northern Elements Progressive Union (NEPU) and only three of these political parties controlled government at both regional and federal levels. The NCNC was controlling the government of the Eastern Region, AG was holding sway in the then Western Region while NPC, which also formed a coalition

government with the NCNC at the federal level, was equally in charge of the administration of the then Northern Region. Back then, it was politics of ideology and not that of political expediency that has become the order of the day in recent times in Nigeria. In those days, politicians don’t change parties as if they are changing clothes like we have now.

So, at what point did we miss it as a nation?

It was when the military took over in January 1966.The soldiers who took over via coup de tat and the succeeding military administrations in Nigeria rubbished the political structures bequeathed to us by the British colonial masters. For example, what we had then was the parliamentary system of government, which strengthened our existence as a people but by the time the soldiers took over, they changed it to the American presidential system of government.

Besides, the 14 years gap between 1966 and 1979 when the military initially ruled before handing over to the civilian administration of exPresident Sheu Shagari has been described as the years of the invasion of the locusts. Those who witnessed the pre and post-independence era will readily attest to the fact that the politicians of the era were not as corrupt as their today’s

E

Ekiti at 15 – Perspective and prospects

KITI State shares birthday with Nigeria. Although the struggle to create the State was herculian, it did not involve collision with law enforcement agents, nor did it involve blood letting like the three decades old fight for Nigeria’s independence.

Nigeria is heterogeous while Ekiti is homogenous.

Before Ekitiland was declared a state, we were a part of some other sub-ethnic knitted together in a strange polity. Obviously the association was uncomfortable and artificial – expect in some cases where we share some norms and customs with Akure and akoko – Akure was until 1947 part of Ekitiland.

After much paper work and many meetings and travels, our state was inaugurated on October 1, 1996. It was a day we would long remember. It appeared our problems were over as we all saw a great opportunity staring us in the face.

With infrastructural and other economics matters to battle, the state took off on shaky but confident note.

All told there have been 10 administrations since Ekiti State was created in 1996. it is the current government that has acknowledge the existence and work of the Committee for the creation of Ekiti State. Indeed some members of the committee are serving in sensitive positions in the present administration. The first two administration - both military had no difficulty identifying the priorities of the State. But resources were too scanty, and our public servants – Commissioner and career civil servants alike were too timid to address frontally the myriad of problems.

And at the end of their beats, the two military administrations apart from ceremonials and tokenism achieved very little. I later on got information that, that was the same trend throughout the six new States created in 1996.

The emergence of a brand new administration in 1999 was the beginning of civilian administration in Ekiti. This was a fresh breath, people said. Indeed it was. Nut also fresh

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— Ex-Champion MD, Henry Odukomaiya Prince Henry Odukomaiya, 77, is a renowned journalist and former Managing Director of the Champion newspapers. In this interview with KUNLE AKINRINADE, he speaks on the need for a national conference to address the immediately after independence, myriad challenges confronting Nigeria. Excerpts: on the invitation of the Managing

•Prince Odukomaiya counterparts. But the military came and institutionalised corruption using mostly civilians and by the time the baton was handed to the civilians again in 1999, their orientation has totally changed; instead of poli-

Deji FASUAN problems emerged, the major being how to ‘Satisfy’ – a euphemism for nepotism – the battalions of party faithful who have been in the ‘Wilderness’ for so long. And so the bulk of our money was used to pay wages, salaries and allowance, leaving pittance for development, that is, abandoning, or downgrading the purpose for which the state was created. Increasingly government expenditure was looming large; pensioners who had suffered neglect for years at last had the opportunity to cry out for attention. Yet the resources of the State were stagnant the allocations from the Federation accounts remained at the bottom of the national table, and the I.G.R. never reached One hundred million Naira per month.

The Governor a genial, decent and mild mannered high breed did not know how or was reluctant to return brickbats. But he was a prisoner in the middle of aids who wanted to cut corners. And some did – His administration ended unceremoniously if humorously in 2003 with little to show for our little resources.

The administration of Governor Ayo Fayese which followed was a peculiar one, perhaps throughout the Western Zone, Unorthodox, sometime petulant, always on the move, the governor plunged into physical development. Road and government building and related infrastructures were the administration’s targets and much was achieved in these vital areas. Professionals have said that many of the roads were not properly laid out and many had no sound or solid basis. This observation is largely true, but some of these roads subsist till today, especially the road network in the Ado metropolis. The Fayose administration was also accused of sponsoring violence. While that administration cannot claim template,

tics of ideas it has become politics of corruption. Only recently, an American scholar described the salary of Nigerian legislators and public office holders as ridiculously higher than their counterparts in the rest of the world.

What do you think is the solution to many of Nigeria’s socio-political problems?

I don’t care the name they may give to it, whether sovereign or constitutional conference, the fact is that there is a serious and urgent need for a national conference that would review our existence as a nation and the kind of system we are running. We must address our problems by ourselves instead of leaving it for legislators to take up through constitutional amendment that may be influenced by powerful elements. Let Nigerians decide through a popular forum what they want for themselves and the way to bring about a solution to their problems.

How did your journalism career start?

I started in 1957 at the defunct Daily Times. I was just 26 years old when I started as a print journalist but I later left for the Western Nigeria Television established by the then Premier of Western Region, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, because of the fat salary in broadcasting. I later went back to the Daily Times

DIALOGUE

•Fasuan most of his accuser were driven by what the Yoruba called ‘ilara’ for which there is no referral hospital like the UCH or LUTH or Ife. Perhaps the most potent accusation against – the Fayose government was that it did not take advice, was tempestuous, was instinct inclined, or was prepared to hear what suited it.

Then entered the ignorious aberration. The twisted, faulty and illegal administration, one lasting 24hrs, and the last imposed on a docile, conformist and gullible society. The sole administration from Ogun State will remain the dirtiest spot in our political history. Since Kiriji War, Ekitis have not been so insulted and humiliated. At the end of it all, they saw him

off at night while he succeeded in carting away much of our commonwealth. It will remain the black history of Ekiti especially when he even attempted to elongate the interregnum, but mercifully the National assembly boldly said no.

The coming into power of our son Segun Oni is a ludicrous as it is baffling. It shows the frustration of Fayose’s enemies who wanted a malleable, palliable, soft speaking native son in place of his tempestuous predecessor. They all got what they did not bargain for. Governor Oni was disarmingly smooth; he had all the answers, knew all the problems, had an idea of all solutions, but he lived in the air, firmly planting his two feet in the firmament. It his government had resources for ten capital projects, he applied them to twenty. As a result few would go beyond 25% completion. Hence we have skeletons of projects scattered throughout the place. Moreover, Segun Oni applied almost half of his time as governor chasing ex-governor Fayose all over the place. Didn’t anybody advise him to spend his time more productively?

I don’t know.

We breathed some fresh air when Dr. Kayode Fayemi was declared winner of the governorship election.

Progressive (welfarist) forces now dream of Awolowo years. People yearn those fundamental problems afflicting society would now be addressed. What are these issues? Unemployment especially of the educated and health. These are problems that have germinated and have taken roots in our land. Peoples also expect continous prioritisation of our needs to enable government shift emphasis from time to time to meet those needs.

As is expected the usual problems of a party long in opposition have

Director of the paper, late Alhaji Babatunde Jose. But most importantly, I went back to print journalism because I did not find any allure in broadcasting with all its big salary; it wasn’t just challenging at all.

Then, there were no university graduates in journalism because no Nigerian universities offered journalism as a course. Graduates who wanted to practise journalism had to either be trained on the job or study in foreign institutes like the Fleet Street School of Journalism, London. Besides, journalism was not seen as a lucrative profession.

Were there cases of assassination of journalists during the period you just mentioned?

No. I cannot even remember of any journalist who was killed simply because he was a journalist. I think the killing of journalists lately may not be unconnected with personal vendetta. For example, Bayo Ohu, the Guardian journalist, was said to have been assassinated because he was working on a story that involved a high profile personality. However, owners of media organisations must endeavour to provide an insurance package for their staff in case of unforeseen hazards in their line of duty and I think that big print media houses should be more than capable of providing better packages for their reporters in this regard.

come up: The dichotomy of ‘us’ and ‘them’ and the pressure by the guild of ‘us’ the government. Some people who ran with the hares yesterday are now hunting with the hounds today.

To them personal position, placement in government overshadow honour and integrity.

As a democracy, government of course has no option than to accommodate them all – cats and rats. The administration is too young to be put in compartments, but in the ensuing months, if not years concrete results ought to be available to enable discerning patriots to compartmentalise.

Someone who hid his telephone number called me the other day and averted my mind to the fact that there is no difference between ‘Half a Dozen and Six” I told him without bothering to ask his name (and I know he won’t tell me) that there is a difference. ‘Six’ would be in pieces while “Half a Dozen” is a solid whole.

With a will and total commitment Ekiti can and should succeed. What mineral resources does Japan have?

What are the endowments of the ‘Tiger’ nations of South Asian nations – will, commitment and brains – and these attributes here!

Let us face it, there must be some misfits, self seeker and harmful insects with butterfly dresses among the governing class. A responsible government should continuously look inwards, purge itself of these elements and move on.

On the occasion of the 15th year of the creation of our state I salute all our Obas and colleagues with whom we fought together.

I congratulate Ekiti people and I wish us all a memorable celebration.

•Deji Fasaun (JP) Fasaun, a retired Permanent Secretary, was Federal Commissioner in the Revenue Commission Abuja and chairman, Committee for the Creation of Ekiti State.

22

THE NATION, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2011

‘How I impersonated Ringim, former IGs to swindle more than 2,000 people of millions of naira’ ‘ I wanted to go into

O

armed robbery, but I was discouraged by my decision not to look for money with the gun. After a few days of brainstorming, I came up with the idea of sending text messages to important people, pretending to be exSenate President, exgovernor, chief executive officer of big companies or a retired Inspector-General of Police

‘

PERATIVES of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) of the Lagos State Police Command have arrested a 32-year-old man, Charles Ebuzome, for allegedly obtaining millions of naira from more than 2,000 members of the public as well as corporate organisations by impersonating ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo, ex-governors, ex-senators, retired police officers and chief executives of multi-national companies through text messages.

Admitting in an interview with our correspondent that he obtained various sums of money from eminent persons without coming into direct contact with them, the suspect said: “My name is Charles Ebuzome. I am 32 years old. I am a native of Ukwale village, Ndokwa East Local Government Area, Delta State.

“I graduated from the Federal Polytechnic Oko, Anambra State in 2003 with Higher National Diploma (HND) in Marketing and did my National Youth Service (NYSC) in Kogi State.

“I conceived the idea of obtaining money from people by false pretence through text messages and impersonating important people last year after I met one of my friends called Phillip. He is late now because he was involved in a fatal accident.

“He was into yahoo-yahoo (Internet fraud). He was living fine and carrying ‘first class’ girls around town.

He also rode the latest cars.

“One day, as we sat together drinking and eating pepper soup in a restaurant, even though as an asthma patient I could only take soft drinks, he asked me why I chose to be suffering when God had endowed me with a sharp intellect like himself. He told me to start using my brain, which he said would give me more money than relying on my hands.

“When I told him that the company, Zenith Security Company, Asaba, with which I was working then was paying me N95,000 per month, he said I was a confirmed slave and that I was imposing punishment on myself. When the security company later folded up, I made up my mind to join the fast lane.

“He told me that majority of the wealthy people in the society today got their wealth through dubious means, adding that if I must make it, I had to join the line of dubious people.

“I wanted to go into armed robbery, but I was discouraged by my decision not to look for money with the gun. After a few days of brainstorming, I came up with the idea of sending text messages to important people, pretending to be exSenate President, ex-governor, chief executive officer of big companies or a retired Inspector-General of Police.

“In fact, I could impersonate anybody to enable me obtain money from unsuspecting members of the public.

“I once disguised as retired Inspectors General of Police like (Musiliu) Smith, Tafa Balogun, (Sunday) Ehindero, Mike Okiro, (Ogbonnaya) Onovo and the serving IGP, Hafiz Ringim. I also disguised as an ex-president of the Senate and ex-governor, among others.”

After scrolling through the two

•Charles Ebuzome

Ebele BONIFACE phones that were found on him, our correspondent discovered some scam text messages that were saved on them. One of the text messages he directed to “CP (Commissioner of Police), Rivers State Command, CO Suleiman Abba. Suleiman,” reads: “Sorry, missed your call. Please search and forward contacts of state chairman (NURTW), Rivers please.

Thank you.”

He signed the message dated September 25, 2011 as DIGPOL O.A Efuntayo (rtd).

Another text message on one of the phones reads as follows: “To former Senate president 08081777944.

Dr. Nnamani, hope you are doing well.

Forward two names for Cadet ASP. Must possess first degree please. My regards.”

He signed the message, also dated September 25, 2011, as IGPOL Mike Okiro (rtd). Yet another message found on his phone reads: “To GVN (Governor) Bukola Saraki. Sen. Saraki, hope you are doing well, insha Allah.”

Another message he addressed to GVN (Governor) DSP Alamre reads: “Your Excellecny, greatings.

Very sorry to bother you. I need little finance. I’ve a book launch on 4/10/ 2011 at Intel Conference Centre, Abuja. I need your support to make it a successful one. I’ve to confide in you, it has not been easy with me. Post-election pile up doubts. Kindly see what you can do for me. I will appreciate.”

To Sen. Iyabo Obasanjo, he wrote:

•Catherine Ofreka

“Sen. Iyabo, hope you are doing well?

Help me contact deputy governor.”

He confessed: “I used some commercial banks for my transactions.

I also used debit cards. I also have a complimentary card bearing the name Momodu Abba ABBAS & Co, Specialist in Honda, among other things.

“I had a car, but I sold it when I had a problem. I also had a daugh-

ter from my girlfriend, Miss Omalukue from Oha, Anambra State. My daughter is one year old, and she is called Chukwunonso.

“This girl here (referring to his accomplice) is my secretary. I used her bank account numbers to deposit the money victims sent to me.

Her name is Catherine Ofreka. I also used her ATM card to withdraw money.”

Asked how he was arrested, he said: “I sent a text message to the Commander MOPOL 22, a Superintendent of Police, Abubakar Yakubu, that I am a Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) 9, Adeoye (retired), and that he should forward the GSM number of the Commander Mobile Police Ford Squadron 20, a Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) Bello A. Mohammed, to me immediately.

“The MOPOL 22 Commander responded by telling me, ‘Sir, I don’t have it now. But I will search and send it as soon as I get it.’ He later sent a fake number to me. When I continued to disturb him for more information, he said he had lost his handset.

“I later told the MOPOL 22 commander that after retirement, things had not been easy, and that I was receiving medical treatment in Osogbo. I implored him to mobilise cash and send to me, but he told me to send somebody.

“I was afraid of sending my secretary, Catherine, or going there by myself to avoid being arrested.

Therefore, I sent my UBA account no: 42258422.

“I regret going into fraud because I could not save a kobo from all the millions I made. Women and my lifestyle blinded me to squander my money.”

When CP Yakubu A. Alkali was alerted, he directed the officer in charge of SARS, Abba Kyari, a Superintendent of Police (SP), to go to court and obtain a court order (bankers order), which would make the bank agree to give details of the account number the fraudster was using to the police, as well as his residential and office addresses and other details that would enable the operatives of

SARS to trace the fraudster.

SP Abba was able to trace the owner of the bank account, which happened to be a woman (Catherine). Upon interrogation, Catherine revealed that Charles collected her ATM card and threatened her not to go to the bank until he had finished the business transaction he had with UBA or he would kill her. She also revealed the address of Charles.

She told SARS operatives that Charles resided in last house on Zamani Street, off Abacha Road, Maraba, Abuja; near Mountain of Fire church. With the direction, Kyari moved to Abuja with his team, and with the assistance of one Inspector Tanko and one OC Patrol and Guard (P&G), Abacha Division in Maraba, ASP Amala, they were able to track down Charles and bundle him SARS’ office in Lagos.

Explaining her involvement in the alleged fraud, Catherine said: “My name is Catherine Ofreke, aged 26, from Wula Town, Baki Local Government Area, Delta State. I am a school certificate holder. I schooled in Buentsebe Secondary School. But at present, I live on Euba Street, Fadeyi, Lagos.

“I was arrested at my former house when I went to visit my former neighbour on Wednesday night. I have no job. I live with my elder sister, Mrs. Eunice Okonkwo, who works with Sweet Sensation (a popular eatery) but travelled home recently.

“I was arrested for threatening the AIG, but I don’t know the AIG, DIG or IGP’s name. I don’t do fraud with Charles. I met Charles in Abuja when I went to buy some noodles.

We became friends and he impregnated me but refused to take care of me and my pregnancy.

“Charles gave me N5,000 to abort the pregnancy, but when I refused, he turned me into a punching bag and I stopped visiting him to save my life.

“Any time I asked him for money, he would start beating me. It was the incessant beatings that caused me to have a miscarriage. When I noticed his criminal activities, I decided not to visit him again. But he seized my ATM card and warned me not to go near UBA again until he instructed me to do so. Otherwise, he would kill me.”

On how he (Charles) managed to collect her UBA account number, she said: “Charles sold his red Toyota car and deposited about N250,000 in my account, so that he would not waste the money, as he was planning to move out of where he was living. It was a Thursday.

Then on Friday, I called an agent who helped him to secure a house.

He also used my ATM card to withdraw money.

“It was the pleas from his mother to help her son to save his money that made me to give my UBA account number to him. There was a day I used the ATM card to withdraw N100,000 for him, but I did not know that he was using me to commit crime.”

Contacted for comment, the Command’s Public Relations Officer, Samuel Jinadu, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), said the command had raised the standard in the war against criminals with intelligence policing. He assured that the command would continue to live up to public expectation.

23

THE NATION, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2011

•Arms and amunition seized from the suspects

‘Why I became an illegal arms dealer’ F

•Odunze

OR Paul Odunze, a 57-yearold arms dealer, life was no more than a bed of roses until he began to see the other side of it. Rich and influential, he dealt in the importation of arms and ammunition unhindered, reaping bountifully from the trade.

But all that changed with his arrest by the Anambra State Police Command at Omeife Street, Umudioka, Dunukofia Local Government Area, Anambra State on October 18, 2010.

Odunze was arrested alongside one Robert Lartey with 200 cartons of live cartridges.

When the matter was taken to the Magistrate’s Court in Onitsha by the state’s police command headed by the then Commissioner of Police, Philemon Leha, the court granted him bail. Since then the case has been on.

According to the charge sheet number MO/546 C/2010, the arms dealer, who gave his name then as Paul Nwosu, was arraigned for importing the items without declaring them to the appropriate authorities, thereby committing an offence punishable under sections 27(1) (b) (iv), 27 (1) (b) (ii) and 27(i) (b) (iii) of the Firearms Act cap F28 laws of the federation of Nigeria 2004.

Although he was yet to admit being sponsored, many in the security circle believe he might have some influential backers.

He was said to have been arrested alongside his 53-year-old driver, Nwanue Ifionu, after the police got a tip-off that they were conveying the items to Onitsha, his business base. They were said to have been arrested by a team of policemen led by an Assistant Commissioner of Police in charge of operations, Bashir Makama, with the help of the State AntiRobbery Squad (SARS).

Other items recovered from them, according to the police, included 100 bags of live cartridges

Nwanosike ONU, Awka totaling 154,000; 148 rounds of 15 pump action guns and 12 double barrel guns, which were conveyed in a Mercedes lorry with registration number XF 283 FGG. Odunze, who showed no sign of remorse upon his arrest, told our correspondent that he imported the arms for the vigilance groups in the state.

He said: “If not for vigilante, I would not delve into this kind of business. I am not regretting it, because I did it for the security of the state and nothing more.

This is my second trip.”

The arms, according to him, were brought into the country from Russia. “Is it the first time such items are being brought into this country? he queried. “All I know is that they are for security.”

A kinsman of the suspect, who spoke in confidence, said many people in the community had been asking questions concerning his source of income because of the way he dished out money.

The source added: “Everyday is for the thief but one day is for the owner of the house. The full weight of the law must be brought on him. My only regret is that his cohorts may effect his release. So many terrible things are happening in this state.”

He urged President Goodluck Jonathan to “put his ears on the ground on this matter. Otherwise, the Boko Haram issue could take over the entire SouthEast region and not just Anambra State, based on the number of arms and ammunition that comes into the zone.

But Odunze told The Nation on Saturday that he nursed no fear concerning any decision that might be taken against him on the matter, insisting that he did it for some vigilance groups.

Asked who his sponsors were,

•Ifionu

he said: “Nobody is sponsoring anything. Just leave that part.

What I did was for the security of the state.”

The driver, Ifionu, told The Nation that he was not briefied on the kind of assignment he was being given by the importer. He said Odunze saw him on that Tuesday morning and told him he wanted him to convey some goods to Onitsha for him and he obliged.

Ifionu said: “I had just come out from my house when he flagged

me down. He told me that there were goods he wanted me to help him transfer to Onitsha. I agreed and we packed the items into the vehicle.

“On our way out, because there was a heavy downpour the previous day, my vehicle got stucked somewhere. We did our best to push it out but all our efforts were in vain. Before we knew it, a good number of policemen had invaded the place and got me and the man arrested,” he said.

Ifionu, who spoke amidst sobs, told our correspondent that he was in the business of transporting goods from Anambra to such places as Zakibiam, Gboko and other Benue communities, adding that he was not in the know of what he was contracted to convey for his client.

However, Anambra State Police Commissioner, Muhtari Ibrahim, while parading the suspects at the command’s headquarters in Amawbia, said the war being waged by his command against crime had started yielding results.

He said the operation was carried out within 24 hours the command got the tip-off. Ibrahim said the command had commenced investigation into the matter, adding that anybody found to be directly or indirectly involved in the matter would be made to face the full wrath of the law.

The only thing the command requires, he said, is information from the public. He added that he had vowed immediately he took over as the commissioner of police in the state, to flush out criminals.

Anambra State Governor, Mr. Peter Obi, could not hide his joy over the arrest of the suspects. He in company with his deputy, Emeka Sibeudu, took time to ask the suspects some questions.

He said: “The first priority of this administration is security.

The breakthrough in crime fighting in this state today is as a result of the cordial relationship existing between this administration and the state police command, which was lacking before now.

“We cannot bequeathe anarchy on our children. It is dangerous to do so. Everybody must sacrifice in building a better society for the children. This incident is shocking to me.”

24

THE NATION, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2011

I became deaf mysteriously during my final year at UNILAG, now I can’t get a job with a Second Class Upper —Political Science graduate who needs N2m for surgery

T

•The main gate of UNILAG

Kunle AKINRINADE I needed a device called cochlea implant. He also showed us an example of the device in a catalogue.

“But he explained that it would cost a little above N1million to buy the device. He advised my father to source for money to purchase the item.

“My father, a beer distributor, was trying to source for the money when he lost his life an auto crash a few days later. The tragedy thus put paid to the effort at remedying my hearing impairment.

“In a bid to give my father a befitting burial, my elder brothers and other relations squandered my father’s entire life savings. Although I was terribly devastated by the unfortunate turn of events, I still mustered enough courage to return to school. It was not so easy but I was still able to write my final examination, and I graduated with a Second Class Upper.”

There is no doubt that the society looks down on physically challenged people like Offor. He narrated how his condition has created a gulf between him and getting a good job.

“Since then, I have been made to go through excruciating and heart-breaking discrimination and stigmatisation persons with hearing impairment face in our society. The situation is such that an average Nigerian thinks that loss of hearing ability comes with complete loss of intelligence, wisdom and understanding. It is almost impossible to see any government establishment, ministry or agency willing to employ someone with hearing impairment.

•Anthony Offor

,

HERE was no sign of helplessness beneath his hunky frame when our correspondent met him during the week.

But 39-year-old William Anthony Offor attracted a heart-felt sympathy when he tried to speak but could not find his voice.

The Anambra State indigene and graduate of Political Science from the University of Lagos (UNILAG) was born hale and hearty until fate played a cruel trick on his hearing ability during his final year in the university.

Recalling the “slight fever” that robbed him of hearing and the fruitless efforts he made at regaining it, he said: “My problem began in 1999 while I was in my final year at the University of Lagos. I was on the campus when I suddenly started feeling feverish.

“I had taken it as one of those routine illnesses which would soon subside. But when the situation worsened, I contacted one of my course mates and we headed to the UNILAG Medical Centre.

After a series of tests, the doctors advised us to go to a private hospital for more effective attention, saying they had no enough drugs to treat a sickness of that nature.

“They said my condition was too serious to be treated with levity.

We headed to a nearby private hospital at Moshalashi, Surulere, Lagos.”

He explained he began to notice that all was not well with his speech on the way to the hospital. “While we were on our way to the hospital, I noticed that each time my friend spoke to me, his voice sounded very distant; as if someone was speaking from behind a wall. When we got to the hospital, the doctors’ and nurses’ voices sounded very faint, and I became more convinced that I was having difficulty with hearing.

He said: “I was placed on drips after some injections. Moments later, I slept off. By the time I woke up the following day, my hearing problem had developed into a complete hearing loss. This time, you could only communicate to me either by gesticulating, by writing or by reading my lips, But while he became worried and complained bitterly about his condition, his father dismissed it as a mere side effect of his infirmity, and that he would regain hearing as soon as he fully recovered.

“When I became too worried about my loss of hearing, my father dismissed my anxiety as utter rubbish, saying that my hearing would soon be normal again.

Unfortunately, my deafness persisted even after I had fully recovered from my illness. Doctors at the hospital then referred me to another hospital because they didn’t have a specialist who could handle my case.

“The hospital they referred me to is called ORL; Ear,Noise and Throat Hospital. It is located at No 1 Oduduwa Close, Ikate, Surulere, Lagos. There, one Dr.Kunle Okupe, after examining my ears, told my father that there was really nothing strange about it, explaining that high fever could cause deafness, depending on the condition of one’s eardrums.

“Dr. Okupe told my father that

“When I wanted to join the Nigeria Customs Service as a graduate recruit in 2005, I was disqualified because of my hearing loss.

It is instructive to state that my hearing loss never affected my speech in any form.”

He recalled how some of his class mates had intervened to help restore his good health and the daunting challenge of procuring

My father, a beer distributor, was trying to source for the money when he lost his life in an auto crash a few days later. The tragedy thus put paid to the effort at remedying my hearing impairment

,

the hearing device: “Early this year, some of my course mates at UNILAG learnt about my predicament and decided to intervene. They registered me at the Military Hospital, Ikoyi, Lagos.

After the necessary medical examinations, doctors at the hospital again said that I needed the same hearing device (cochlea implant) and that I needed to undergo a surgery. But this time, the cost of the device had gone up to slightly above N2 million.

“The Military Hospital later transferred me to an Ikeja-based private hospital called B.S.A Hearing and Speech Centre.”

In a report signed by the Clinical Audiologist at the hospital, which was based on the outcome of the tests carried out on Offor, it

was stated that his treatment had been discontinued since June because of his inability to provide the money required to carry out the surgery.

The report reads in part:” Preliminary examination on him showed in the audiogram that he had a blockage of left eardrum caused by a thick blood clot. The right ear, though normal, also needed chemical washing and cleansing. Further medical examination also confirmed the recommendation of the Military Hospital that he required a Cochlea Implant. In his case, he requires it only in the left ear.

“We succeeded in softening the blood-clotted left eardrum with Castor Oil and others here, but no frequency could be derived. And so, under such a situation, a Cochlea Implant becomes inevitable to restore his hearing. Normally, an implant into both ears costs N4.4 million. But since the surgery is for only the left ear, we put the figure at N2 million, in which an initial deposit of N200,000 has so far been made.

“We have discontinued further treatment since June, after he said he needed some time to source for money…” Offor is, therefore, appealing to Nigerians to come to his aid so that he can regain his hearing ability once again.

“The necessary therapies have been administered on me preparatory to the surgery, but the issue now is the bill which I cannot afford at all. I work as a clearing agent at the Lagos ports, mainly marking out containers for a fee.

I cannot afford the cost of the device and surgery.

“I am calling on fellow Nigerians to come to my aid because it will be a tragedy to allow the talents in me go untapped simply because of a hearing impairment that has a remedy here in Nigeria and not abroad.”

An account (4020322660) has been opened in his name (Anthony Williams Offor) at the Fidelity Bank Plc. He can also be reached via text message on his mobile telephone number: 07038327168.

AAG: Don’t judgeTeamNigeria withS/Africa’s AAG:Don’ medalhaul —AlhassanYakmut medalhaul—Al Pg. 26

ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE

Osaze keen to lift West Brom

Pg. 30

Nation Saturday, October 1, 2011

•Wolfsburg's midfielder Christian Traesch (l) and Hoffenheim's Nigerian striker Chinedu Obasi fight for the ball during the German first division Bundesliga football match

GERMAN BUNDESLIGA

Ogbuke faces Bayern test Pg. 30

Utaka eyes more goals for Montpellier

26

31

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 01, 2011

NATION SPORT

NATION SPORT

C

AN we meet you?

My name is Alhassan Yakmut.

Were you surprised with how Nigeria shrugged off the slow start in terms of medal haul to be among the top countries now?

I’m not surprised because we came here with the hope of winning a number of medals we were expected to win. So it will be very very funny for a technical person of my caliber and my colleagues to say that they are surprised about the turn over because we came to the Games with our areas of strength and weaknesses and unfortunately we started with the areas of weaknesses and as we blossom into area of strength our true colour is being reflected. So it’s not an issue of surprise or rather we are moving according to plan.

South Africa is led the medals table with wide margin, are you satisfied with that?

Our strategic plan was that we were going to be among the first three because we knew very well that South Africa is not in wrestling, weightlifting and powerlifting nation and all those three sports are not in the Games. That is, we are talking of 20 gold medals being lost even before the Games started. South Africa is not a sporting nation in terms of distribution; it’s only a sporting nation in terms of Cricket, swimming and rugby, so all the medals that they got, 85% are from swimming. So it will be very wrong for anyone to judge the strength of Nigeria based on the number of medals that South Africa won in swimming. This is because if you notice, the Mozambicans are not particular about Nigeria but South Africa because if you don’t report anything about swimming, South Africans are not known anywhere, but we are in all sports that we are, we are in contention. I tell you, if those three other sports were involved in this game, it wasn’t going to be a question of South Africa being the topmost; it’s going to be a keen competition between Nigeria and South Africa.

Be that as it may, we did our projections based on our strength in other areas and of course as you can see, it’s working. By our permutation before coming, we targeted 10 to 13 gold medals in athletics, 10 in Para athletics, four in badminton, four in Table Tennis, four in Chess, four in Judo, four in Taekwondo, so if you put that together, you’ll be coming with good total of gold medals around 48. Where we deviated, or let me say the standard deviation in permutation and after performance was in Canoeing, we projected three gold medals in Canoeing, but we had a silver and two bronze and the reason is not because we didn’t project well, the actual athlete that was supposed to get the two gold medals in Canoeing was involved in Olympic qualifier in Europe and we had to lethim go for the Olympic qualifier than to come here for the All Africa Games. We only got one gold

•Nigeria's Seun Adigun after winning the Women's 100m hurdle at the Estadio Nacional, in Maputo

AAG: Don’t judge Team Nigeria with S/Africa’smedalhaul—AlhassanYakmut medal wrong in Table Tennis and Badminton, where we projected four gold medals, we had three gold medals and one silver and a bronze, same thing in Table Tennis. So I think those people that are surprised are the ones that are watching from a distance, but for those of us insiders, that took time to apply all the major theories of strategic planning and implementation, nothing here is a surprise. Normally in international competition, if you are saddled with the responsibility of preparation and participation, you are not expected to go there without knowing what you want to achieve on what you have prepared for. We conducted a research of all the countries that has participated in these games as far back as 1965 to 2007 and we also did across the board, the analysis of the performance of the first five countries in the last three years in international competitions. We are talking of Algeria, Tunisia, Egypt and South Africa. We analyse them in all the international championship between 2007 and 2011, so we knew where the medals were going to come from.

Talking about Canoeing, the athletes complained they would have done better if they had the right canoe to practice, while the Table Tennis players complained about the distance from the Games village to the event center. It is alleged that the Egyptians were able to dominate because they had accommodation close to the center That is not correct, l want to tell you it is all incorrect. The secretary met me and requested for accommodation next door to the center and we gave them. We gave them two rooms.

But they complained they got tired because… (Cuts in) That is what they complain to you.

The athletes don’t complain to me, it’s their officials. Officials are the ones that complain to me. When they said they needed a transit accommodation, we gave them two rooms transit accommodation, one room for female to rest between morning session and afternoon session and another room for men and the officials came back, even the general captain, Funke Oshinaike came back to thank me that that transit camp helps a lot. Let me tell you, what of the Egyptians that are younger than our players, our own players have been playing for more 18 years. I’m a scientific manager, you cannot expect a 22 year old athlete competing with a 40 year old athlete and you start saying that it is the transit camp. It’s unscientific, you as a journalist, you don’t know. If they tell you that I’ll ask them, if they ask me to run at 22 with somebody who is 40, who will come first? So what are we talking about?

The canoeing, there are five different companies that produced the boat and they are all approved by the international body. So if you had bought the canoe that was being used in camp and it’s different from the ones used at the competition, definitely you need to acclimatise to it. But the organizers were very deliberate, they refuse to give our athletes access to the canoe until 48 hours to the event, we have to transport our athletes on our own from here (Maputo) to Zidengelis and to there is 276 km. ordinarily it should have been the responsibility of the organizers, did the athletes tell you that? These are some of the details

For Nigeria’s Chef de mission to the just concluded 10th All Africa Games, Maputo 2011, Mallam Al-Hassan Yakmut Saleh is of the opinion that Team Nigeria had done exceptionally well at this year’s edition of the Africa’s most glamorous sports event. South Africa finished top of the medals table with a total of 156 medals (61 gold, 55 silver and 40 bronze), while Egypt came second with a total of 66 medals (32 gold, 14 silver and 20 bronze) and Nigeria having a total of 98 medals (31 gold, 28 silver and 39 bronze). In this interview with AKEEM LAWAL and STELLA BAMAWO in Maputo, Yakmut revealed how the team was able to overcome the slow start in terms of medal haul and finished in a creditable third position. He also shed light on the controversies which led to the decamping of the National boxing coach, Obisia Nwakpa among other issues. Excerpts:

•Nigeria Men’s 4x100m after winning the final. Peter Emedoze 2nd (r), Ben Aduku middle and Ogho Oghene Egwero and I thank you for wanting to know what the logistics are and what the participants should do. So it’s only a bad athlete like a bad workman that blames his poor performance on the tools. All these things are excuses; some of us are ex-athletes, sometimes you just lose a match and blame the canverse, you should have blamed the canverse before you start the match. So the strategy we are going to work out now is that when we get back to Nigeria, now that we know we are a stronger in female canoeing than male, we are going to raise a formidable team and buy assorted canoes, the product of different companies. They are different

designs; it’s just like BMW, Toyota.

The reason for winning gold medal, how many gold medals did Mozambique win? They had no gold medal in canoeing and they provided the officials for the event. What will be their excuse? We are used to all these antics of the athletes, but we will get it right.

What lessons have we learnt from this Games?

There is no lesson to learn in this games because it’s not the normal type of Games. This game is just a basic game, but the most important lesson that I pick in terms of participation, is that there are some things that are very wrong in the

•Men's 4x100m gold medallists Peter Emeloze, Ben Aduku, Ogho Oghene Egwero and Obinna Metu

architecture of federations. Emphasis is given more on paper work than the technical work and sports is all about technical performance. You have three quarters of workers in the federation worked daily in the office; you have non working daily in the field. Where do you now manufacture the athletes if 80% of your activities are in the office?

Do you think the brohaha among the country’s two boxing coaches affected the country’s performances at the Games?

No. you are getting it wrong. There was no technical communication in the three coaches, so we decided to reduce the strength of the coaches in order to create a communication at ringside. That was why we got a better result than what we were expected from them, I was personally involved.

But from our findings, we discovered that there was a power tussle between Ndika Nsofor and Obisia Nwakpa?

Your investigation was not correct because you didn’t use the right parameter to check. There wasn’t a power tussle. Even coach Konyegwachie (Assistant coach) himself had a personal opinion.

Three coaches who had different ideas and initially they were five in camp, to select the athletes they had to put to vote, to select a programme, they had to put to vote and I said there is no way in coaching, decisions can be followed or taken by voting because minority opinion can be very technically sound and we discovered it was true. So in order to reduce the communication channel between the

coaches and the athletes, we had to take one person out who was more controversial than the remaining two.

Nsofor is supposed to be technical adviser, who oversees the two coaches, Nwakpa was supposed to be the chief coach, Tony Konyegwachie was supposed to be assistant coach, but there were three people in a ship with who wants to go to the same direction, achieve the same goal but were not united. So at that point in time, we had to come in and took a decision that improved the performance. I and the president addressed the coaches and the boxers. So yours is investigation and mine is to only give sports account.

But Obisia claimed he was victimized by the NSC officials and we were informed that he was handed his retirement notice here in Maputo Nobody retired him. He even reminded me that in 1993, it was my complimentary card that gave him the job. He told me and I had forgotten. I have served six ministers, two as personal assistant, four as potential assistant. I’ve been working with the commission for the past 22 years and I had my masters in sports administration in 1990. So it’s not a question of saying Obisia Obisia, I don’t join issues with those who have sentiments. The technical reason that removed Obisia Nwakpa was the one that gave us the three silver. You saw the way we started I boxing, it was a total shame, so if he takes it personal, then it is his own business. I was the one that took me in my car from the meeting to the boxing arena, from the meeting in the boxing arena to the games village, then to his hotel and I also saw him off at the airport along with others. As far as I am concerned, he gave only his own personal opinion. If we victimize you and we got three silver medals, I think we should victimize you the more, because what we came for was the medals. How can we be your employer and we victimize you. I told Nsofor not to join issues with Obisia.

•Yakmut We are not here for outside the ring battle, we are here to fight inside the ring and those of you who came here and you think that is the news that you’ll carry, fine, because back at home, they are all ashamed, they had said that we came for jamboree. Now they are finding it difficult to report the number of gold medals we got, but focusing on Obisia and Nsofor. We came for a national assignment and the mandate was to do Nigeria proud and that is why we are committed to this exercise and in order not to wait for you to investigate and tell me, I make sure I’m everywhere.

Let me ask you, have you reported the logistic problems here. Have you reported that even in the Games village, Nigerians games village is the only one where the clinic has a massage bed and a consulting table and chair? Those chairs were bought here by the Nigerian delegation. We had to buy modems for the secretariat; we had to hire another nine to eleven cars to supplement the organiser’s cars. You know why I’m reading all these things to you, it’s because I want you to be very well informed and give a balanced story. I told you I appreciate what the athletes and officials told you, and this is my own opinion and I am very alert to everything that is happening to every single Nigerian, in regardless of you role, even as journalist, if I heard you have problem, I intervene, but if your problem is money I cannot intervene because I can only intervene when there is budget.

Look, this sport, my headache is why is sport a poor man’s event in Nigeria, when it is a money spinner everywhere, this is my challenge now.

By the time we get back, I’ll write my report, I’ll tell the authorities why I think we should look at it again from a business point of view, so that when journalist like you comes you won’t be moving around without a chartered car. If a reporter of CNN comes here, I’m telling you, you won’t see him asking taxi hey, hey, hey, he would just pay the taxi for 30 days.

The best thing is for us to look at this thing from a very objective point and give the right report. On Obisia Nwakpa, that is his personal opinion out of 150 million, why should it be.

How can he be our staff and said he is

•Nigeria Table Tennis players being presented with medals

victimized. If he was withdrawn and they gave us three silver and a bronze, was the withdrawal sentimental? I think it was a calculated withdrawal in order to garner medals. I don’t have anything thing against him as a person except maybe he is representing you and you felt offended that we removed him.

What we need to do is that the media has a role to play in sports, the government, private sector; the general populace has its role.

Population is a measure of success, but if you don’t manage it well it will lead you into retrogation. China is managing it population well and that is why they are doing well in sports. I want to tell Nigerians that if we get it right, then Africa is no longer a challenge to us in sports.

What plans is the NSC putting in place in ensuring that we get sponsorship in order to ease the burden off the government?

I’m the chairman of internal committee on sponsorship and partnership, our reports is expected to be submitted after this game and there are over five class of sponsorship in sports. On the side of the athletes, there is endorsement, for instance, when Okocha (Austine Jay Jay) was a superstar, ordinary endorsement of his boot should have been enough to run a football academy for over 10 to 15 years. When the Super Eagles was rated as the most entertaining team in 1998 FIFA World Cup in France, that is when the Eagles should have been rated very high is sports business market. Corporate Nigerians doesn’t seem to understand sponsorship in sports, it’s not philanthropist. It’s a business to business relationship that has value in promotion, in advertisement, corporate social responsibility cameridiary among the community it operates, but we don’t understand this. It is not government that will tell corporate to come into sponsorship, but it is corporate community that should exploit and explore the opportunities that are in sponsorship. The world market for world sponsorship is about 48 billion dollars and very minute of that comes to Nigeria. So the sponsorship market is an issue to corporate Nigeria, an issue to the public sector, and an issue to athletes and sports managers, that is what I will advise.

At the last National Sports Festival, Rivers State paid more allowances to their athletes than what the Federal Government is paying the All Africa Games medalists … (cuts in) All these things are piece meal; we need a sustainable sponsorship thing. Awards are different from sponsorship. Sponsorship is for a period. Most times our athletes are not challenged until when games come up, but we will now be look for a way to sustain them. From one game to the other, there must be a programme and it is those programmes that are sold to the corporate community. If you don’t have a programme, you don’t have a programme. We were asking the federations to compartmentalize their programmes the way that they will become events that will be marketed to sponsors in the corporate community.

Has this Games contributed to Nigeria’s preparation towards the 2012 Olympics?

It will give us zero assistance. Our participation in this game is zero to the Olympics. Although in Table Tennis, the performance here is a qualifier to the Olympics, but a bronze in some of the sports apart from long distance, most of the sports we have medals here are not close to the records that we have at the level of the Olympics. That is why, it’s not all the sports that we came for here that Nigeria will be going in for in the Olympics no matter the qualification. So the All Africa Games to us is just part of the training programme for the Olympics.

AKINLOYE AT LARGE 08050246155 atlarge84@yahoo.com

The way forward NIGERIAN coaches return to the classroom in a couple of days for CAF Coaching Licence B. IT will be preceeded by a seminar for Licence C which started in Abuja on Monday. Over 70 coaches will take part in the programme which is meant to classify Nigerian coaches. The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has decided that no coach without the B licence will sit on the bench during the African Cup of Nations which holds in January.

The coaching course is a welcome development. It shows that the administrators in the Glass House are listening. The last time a high level coaching course took place in the country was in 1985. It was organised by the Federation of International Football Association(FIFA). The facilitators was Brazilian Carlos Alberto Parreira. Who –was-who in the coaching business in the country took part in the coaching course which took place at the National Institute of Sports.

It is great that the coaching course is taking place before the African Cup of Nations. Nigerian coaches have a lot to learn and jaw-jaw about during the two -week exercise. Nigeria has won the Nations Cup twice and it came through the efforts of foreign coaches. Professor Otto Gloria won that of 1980 while Clemens Westerhof won that of 1994. NO indigenous coach has led Nigeria to the Nations Cup glory. The country has won silver through the effort of Adegboye Onigbinde who is in charge of the CAF coaching course. Others came through the effort of indigenous coaches and they were bronze medals. We have also won gold medal in football event of the Olympic Games in Atlanta, Georgia. It was also won by a foreign coach, Bonfrere Jo. Samson Siasia, the indigenous coach that came close, ended with the silver medal in Beijing, China in 2008. The time they are spending together in Abuja for the coaching course should not be wasted. We need to know why they settle for silver and bronze while the foreign coaches win the top marble. It is important they brainstorm on the way forward for the indigenous coaches in the Nations Cup as we approach another edition. Siasia is likely to lead us to the Nations Cup in January. Nigeria will be tipped as usual to win the competition once again. The discussion will be enriching to Siasia and his men. We want to know what the foreign coaches have that made them excel which our indigenous coaches do not have. We also want to know what the foreign coaches do that make them win which our indigenous coaches do not do. The indigenous coaches, especially those who have been on the hot seat, would blame the failure on lack of support , but I believe it is more than support. It also boils down to other factors. One importrant area is tactical deficiency. Our coaches are behind time in tactics of the game. In 1980, Otto Gloria reshuffled his team for the final match. Segun Odegbami , who was a winger, ended up playing as the striker and he scored a brace. IT was ingenous on the part of the coach. Our coaches should think out brilliant ideas to win games. They should make do with what they have to achieve victory. The depedency on foreign-based players should be condemned by right thinking followers of the game.

I hope the tactical deficiency will be handled •Igali during the course. It is the major hurdle Nigerian coaches must scale to win the Nations Cup. The knowledge of our coaches about the game should be up-dated every two years. Football is dynamic. It changes every season just as the ball rolls on the turf. New strategies evolves every season. The English Premier League which has taken the shine off our domestic football is up there because it is attractive. Our football cannot compete with what we have in Europe because our coaches are behind time in technical matters. Our people wants to watch beautiful football. What they are being fed with cannot attract fans to the stadium. The problem is not with the coaches alone.

The administrators have a part to play as well as ownership. Most of the clubs are owned by states and are run under civil service rules. Players must be encouraged to sign long-term contract and clubs must be forced to adhere to the terms of the contract.

The administrators should be classified too. They should be taken back to the classroom and taught the modern way of running a club. It is not the responsibility of a coach to shop for sponsors or merchandise. It is the responsibility of the administrators to open up the cluib to new ideas and market it.

CREDIBILITY MUST RETURN TO AFRICA Nigeria’s undignifying performance in the All Africa Games in Maputo will be swept under the carpet as the previous ones.

The country spent billions of naira to prepare and prosecute the Games and came third on the log. Some would say that third position is good enough considering the number of countries in the continent. I disagree with them. Nigeria should be leading Africa in everything and sports should not be an exception. The amount we spent on the games is higher than what South Africa and Egypt shelled out and they came first and second on the medals table. We finished third because we did not prepare well for the Games. While others were getting ready, we were not only sleeping but snoring. It is incredible that we were found wanting in boxing and table tennis which used to be our strong points on the continent. There is no short cut to success in sports beside adequate preparatrion. We must learn to start early preparation and give more attention to individual sports.

Also, credibility must return to the games. IT must be rescued from dirty politics and from the hands of those who want to destroy it in an attempt to win. The win-at-all-cost must be separated from the games so that it would be well with the continent and the games itself. The games has lost its credibility because of win-at-all-cost syndrome. Nigeria excluded swimming from the version it hosted and that made the country to come first.

Mozambique excluded wrestling and powerlifting from the last edition.

Both sports are Nigeria’s strong points. I hope the next one will be without the dirty politics which is angling to tear the games asunder.

THE NATION SATURDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2011

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Lagos State FA as Nigeria’s football Santa Claus F

OR once, Heartland has put Imo State and the city of Owerri on the positive side of news since the political class has failed in the over 12 years of civil rule to give the people reason to be joyful. Still a teenager during the reign of Late Sam Onunaka Mbakwe as the first civilian governor of the state, the imprimatur of that wave-making approach to governance is yet to be seen in successive politicians that have laid claims to the leadership of the state.

It was Mbakwe who reclaimed Aba after the throes of the civil war, paving roads, providing tap waters and generally giving the people a sense of purpose. These virtues of governance have been lost to the political gangsters that now strut the streets as leaders.

Our football is still in the realm of tokenism. Some persons including those running the game are yet to brace up to the fact that they are running a huge business that can contribute to addressing the cases of youth restiveness that is throwing the country from one regional violent convulsion to the other. Imagine how many youths of the Niger Delta would have been eking out a living from football and allied industries if the business has been properly harnessed since 1990 when Professional Football was introduced? Perhaps, the youths recruited in suicide missions by Boko Haram would have been competing with Ahmed Musa or offering services of diverse nature to the football industry if the right structures were put in place to administer the game. The MASSOB chieftains would not have found listening ears if those trade-inclined Igbo chaps were allowed platform to import and sell soccer equipment to a thriving industry.

It is in this light that it is amusing to find governors who prior to assumption of office never strayed near a football arena only to come prancing in a blaze to match venues just to be seen as football loving. In the same vein, you find governors whose states as owners of clubs owe backlog of sundry payments to players and coaches but are not ashamed to come forward to receive trophies won by the sweat of the suffering lads. It explains why the game and sports generally remains a public relations tool than a revenue and job spinning venture in the consideration of persons in government. My governor, Rochas Okorocha came with more aides that there were players in the team to the finals at Teslim Balogun Stadium last Sunday and only the State’s accountant general can tell how much that trip cost the state. Thank God he has the trophy to show the people of the state for that jamboree.

Last Sunday epitomized how not to deploy tax payers’ money for engagements that count for nothing. One wonders how much the Lagos State government channeled into the hosting of the Federations

By Harry Iwuala

Cup which did not bring any returns to the people. It was a waste because the state could have recouped part of or the entire fund from ticketing if those in the State FA spared some time to think of responsible ways of spending public funds. It is time the Lagos State Government realized that they are not doing the tax payers any favour by hosting matches that efforts are not made to generate revenue from. Hosting football matches cannot be a Corporate Social Responsibility if those who are to benefit from it are not at the stadium to watch the game.

Nothing has changed in the way the folks at Lagos State Football Association conduct business. They are still carrying on as government baby simply because the governor is reputed to love football. But Governor Babatunde Fashola should henceforth spend from his personal vault to feed his love as opposed to releasing state money on ventures that neither brings financial returns nor qualitative return by way of feel good for majority of Lagosians. His interests should be separated from that of the state since it is not all Lagosians that craves or enjoys a reputation as football lover.

The point being made is that in accepting to host matches of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), the state must be clear about the business objectives and work towards realizing such. It is unacceptable to the tax payers when huge amount is spent in hosting a match but little or no planning is committed to making commercial capital out of the exercise. Even students of basic sports marketing can tell that tickets sales for the Oriental clash between Heartland and Enyimba should have been taken to the markets at Alaba, Idumota, Ladipo, Orile etc and not on radio programs and Onikan Stadium. It is elementary sports marketing for such a fixture to go up on Out of Home sites which the Lagos State government has been creatively deploying for events such as Ramadan, Christmas, Eyo Festival etc. That is awareness stumping that Lagos State Advertising and Signage Agency (LASA) would have providing at no cost since it is a state venture. More importantly, at what point in the competition was the state approached to host the finals? At what point did the state accept and if it was too close, why accepting an exercise that would be a loss to tax payers? The problem with government officials in the country is that while they campaign to mobilize citizens to pay their taxes, such money in government coffers are hardly considered the people’s money. This explains why the corrupt ones dip their hands in the commonwealth since they only believe it comes from the federation account shared from Abuja.

It is not sufficient for the Lagos FA to accept on behalf of the state to host matches if they cannot plan for the commercial mechanics of organizing the matches. Those who parade as football technocrats in the country are people whose minds are permanently fixated on inside-the-field control of matches. They think match organization is all about arranging for security, accommodation, match officials, ball boys and printing tickets that they don’t plan to sell. When you aggregate the composition of most States’ Football Associations, you will find out that it is made up of largely persons who have neither designed a marketing proposition nor come close to where one is designed and implemented. Yet, it is these same characters that are supposed to drive football as a business.

Some persons seated beside me during the match pointed out that the stadium was filled to capacity during the 2009 Federations Cup which was hosted by the same Lagos State. It should be noted that the hosting in 2009 scored a bull’s eye on CSR as the state and local councils hired buses to convey fans to the stadium but low on commercials as more money was spent to hire the buses and buy tickets for the fans. It was like state’s money returning to the state.

But then, the people felt good that their government considered their happiness. This time, the case was neither CSR nor commercial returns except for those who earned allowances, awarded contracts and supplied candies, small chops etc.

Football as a business is an

•Fashola

event that should be managed by professional Event Managers. The FA members are not into Event Management and should retain the services of those steeped in the business to assist them. This will definitely be money well spent as the Agency will be properly screened to determine their action plan. It is for this same reason that corporate organizations retain the services of Event Management firms for such internal engagements as staff parties and external ones as musical concerts and others.

We must begin to situate football in this realm and this way, an end-to-end plan will be programmed with every aspect covered.

The NFF on its part did not show leadership by staying in Abuja until 48 hours to the match. The standard by FIFA and CAF is for the management staff of the federations and a few Executive Board members to relocate and operate from the venue at least two weeks to the day. The Federation ought to design television commercials and newspapers copies for the Federations Cup finals. As we speak, very few can recall what the Federations Cup logo looks like or what it stands for. These are little marketing communication briefs that can build phenomenal following for the event and chart the part for the rediscovery of the glamour of the oldest Cup competition in Nigeria.

Once again, brave Heartland for a deserved break from a trophy-less past.

Harry Iwuala is a renowned Journalist based in Lagos, Nigeria

VOICE OF SPORTS

With Clement Nwankpa Jnr. sportswar@yahoo.com

Heartland’s victory train I remember Heartland captain, Chinedu Efugh telling me and Team manager, Promise Nwachukwu one fateful night in Kaduna that the team will win the Federation Cup. The team had just put up a dismal performance in a league match against Kaduna United earlier in the day so I didn’t take Efugh seriously. The Federation Cup was still in the round of 64 while Heartland was languishing in 14th place in the league, but even as I expressed my pessimism, Efugh insisted that they will make up for their dismal showing in the league by winning the Federation Cup and earning a continental ticket.

Fast forward, last Sunday night after the Federation Cup and emerging man of the match, Efugh walked up to me at the Teslim Balogun Stadium and said; “a promise kept”. Yes, it dawned on me that an 18 year trophy drought had just been broken by a management barely a year old. But the import of that victory sank in two days later when the team returned to Owerri. I was glad to be there. I have always been there through Fan Ndubuoke-led management’s travails and Heartland’s ill fortunes so it was some soothing balm to be in the contingent that brought a silverware to the Eastern Heartland. It felt great to be around on a day Ndubuoke and co will be celebrated in Owerri.

From the moment the contingent alighted from the aircraft at about 8.30 am, it was obvious the state government was totally involved. In fact, the team was supposed to arrive on Wednesday but governor Owelle Rochas Okorocha was marking his 100 days in office on Tuesday hence the need for the team to fly in a day earlier. At the VIP wing of the Sam Mbakwe Airport, Owerri, the Sports Commissioner, Kenneth Emelu, while eulogizing the boys, pointed out that the governor had led a highpowered government delegation to welcome the team at the Douglas Road junction. “What an irony”, I almost thought aloud. This was a team that left for the final game unheralded through the tortuous Lagos/Benin Expressway but now gloriously flying in. I wondered what would have been the case if the team had lost the game. Emelu couldn’t have been more correct when he observed that if the team had not beaten Enyimba, they wouldn’t have been ushered home in a blaze of glory. Truly, success has many friends. This same team did not get the requisite support they needed prior to the match, but at the moment, everybody wants to identify with their accomplishment.

But I wouldn’t fail to appreciate the boys’ attire on the day.

They were decked in black suits on red shirts, the same way they looked when they arrived Teslim Balogun for the game on Sunday. Ndubuoke has really rebranded this club. He is a man brimming with ideas and innovations that should set standards in football management in the land. The sight of the boys in that outfit was so pleasant to the eyes.

From the airport, we embarked on the about 20 minutes ride to the city but it was at the heart of the town that the import of the boys’ achievement sank in. Rochas welcomed the team at the Douglas junction and we all hopped on a caravan. To the amazement of all, the governor joined us on the caravan hoisting the trophy alongside the captain, Efugh.

Owerri literally came to a standstill as the residents poured out on the streets to welcome their heroes. I am sure the governor didn’t know the magnitude of the victory till he saw the large turn-out. People stood on the road, balconies and roof tops just to catch a glimpse of the jinx breakers. I saw people shedding tears of joy as the train moved the whole length of Douglas Road.

I saw Rochas, so excited, moving from one point of the caravan to the other acknowledging shouts of “Owelle! Owelle!!” that rent the air. Standing close to Dutch Technical Adviser, Lodewijk de Kruif, I noticed him feeling every bit an Imolite as he waved at the crowd with childish excitement. I am sure he didn’t anticipate that tumultuous reception. Then I observed Ndubuoke (the fan that rotates) nodding his head in contentment as if saying; “mission accomplished”. Then the players were all over the long vehicle waving, screaming and dancing to the rhythm of the Supporters’ Club who were also in the open van. Chants of “Owerri wu oke mba” (Owerri is a great city) was all over the town. It was a carnival-like atmosphere.

I fought hard to hold back the tears that gathered in my eyes.

Tears of joy for Imolites. Frankly, I had underestimated their trophy thirst before that day. Those were tears for the muchvilified Ndubuoke whose job was secured by that trophy; tears for Rochas, for clutching a trophy within four months of his administration.

As the train moved through Douglas to Wetheral and anchored at the Dan Anyiam Stadium, I prayed that this mood will be permanent. I prayed that this victory should usher in more good tidings. I prayed that this team doesn’t wait another 18 years for a trophy. I prayed that Rochas, who has admitted he has done little for a team that has achieved this much, would key into this momentum, be the team’s cheer leader and pilot it to a wave of greater accomplishments. I prayed that, now, those eyeing Ndubuoke’s job will drop their ambitions and support him all the way.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2011

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NATION SPORT

NATION SPORT ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE

L

IVERPOOL attacker Dirk Kuyt says the Merseyside derby is the best of English football.

The Reds go to Everton this weekend.

"It's a game I really enjoy. As a football player you always look forward to the biggest games," he told LFC Weekly.

"You enjoy the atmosphere, the pressure and the expectation. It's why you become a professional. Liverpool v Everton is one of the biggest games of the season and when you win, especially away at Goodison Park, it is one of the best feelings.

SPANISH LA LIGA...SPANISH LA LIGA...SPANISH LA LIGA.

Kuyt: Everton clash best of English game "The thing I really like about the Merseyside derby is that the game is fast and physical and you quite often

have one or two strong tackles on the pitch.

"But at the end of the game, the

players shake hands. My brotherin-law is a big Ajax fan who was there at Goodison in 2007 and he too commented on how, despite the outcome of the match, both sets of supporters generally got along quite well."

Gallas set to miss Arsenal clash

T

OTTENHAM defender William Gallas has "virtually no chance" of playing against his former club Arsenal in Sunday's North London derby after picking up another calf injury.

Gallas was set to make his first appearance of the season against Shamrock Rovers in Thursday's Europa League clash at White Hart Lane to prove his fitness to Harry Redknapp, but has now been ruled out after straining his other calf muscle.

"William was looking okay to return but just when we thought he was over his initial calf injury, he has pulled a calf muscle in the other leg," Redknapp said in the Sun. "He won't face Shamrock and has virtually no chance of playing Arsenal. It's a shame because he turned in a man-of-the-match performance against Arsenal last season."

• Kuyt celebrates with teammate Maxi

Cahill a doubt for Derby

Gunners eager to play Spurs

W

OJCIECH Szczesny believes Arsenal have sorted out their defensive woes and can’t wait for Sunday’s north London derby at White Hart Lane.

The Gunners head up the Seven Sisters Road to take on their arch rivals with a dreadful record of 12 goals conceded in their last two Premier League away games.

But Polish keeper Szczesny feels that the displays that saw Arsenal ship eight goals at Old Trafford and then four at Blackburn are now behind them.

“We always look forward to the

TOP SCORERS Player Team Rooney Man United Agüero Man City Dzeko Man City Klasnic Bolton Adebayor Tottenham Van Persie Arsenal Leon Best Newcastle Nani Man United Agbonlahor Aston Villa Demba Ba Newcastle Di Santo Wigan Luis Suárez Liverpool

Goals 9 8 6 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3

FIXTURES Saturday Everton vs Liverpool Aston Villa vs Wigan Blackburn vs Man City Man Utd vs Norwich Sunderland vs West Brom Wolves vs Newcastle Sunday Bolton vs Chelsea Fulham vs QPR Swansea vs Stoke Newcastle vs Wasps Tottenham vs Arsenal

derby. There is always lots of tension around it and players like that, we all want to play in this game,” he told the Gazette.

“It’s always a difficult game and it has been the last couple of seasons.

Last season it was a great game and a great atmosphere – I enjoy it, but we drew 3-3 when we were 3-1 ahead so maybe we should have won the game.”

The Gunners keeper added that he feels that Arsenal’s new signings are settling in, despite the club sitting in 12th place in the table following the 3-0 win over Bolton.

“It takes some time for us to get used to things and to each other, and we are going in the right direction I believe. The important thing is that we continue to work hard together now and we will only get better. “[Against Bolton] it was important

to keep a clean sheet and that’s what we managed to do, that’s four now so far this season which isn’t too bad.

“Even before the game we just thought let’s win the game, and for the back four and the goalkeeper, let’s keep a clean sheet. If we keep a clean sheet we know we will have a good chance of winning the game.”

Szczesny also doesn’t feel that Arsenal are out of the title race, despite already trailing joint leaders Manchester United and Manchester City by nine points.

“We just have to concentrate on us,” added the 21-year-old Poland international. “Hopefully we can just go on a run now and keep winning games and challenge later in the season.

“That’s all we can do. We have lost some games but it’s still early in the season and there’s a lot of things that can happen.”

D

AVID Moyes says Tim Cahill remains a doubt for this weekend's Merseyside

derby.

The Australian is battling to be fit after a challenge with Manchester City's Vincent Kompany last weekend.

Cahill has an excellent scoring record in games against Liverpool and has been leading Everton's line in recent weeks.

Speaking live on national radio on Thursday morning Moyes said: "We're not sure. His leg was black and blue and he hasn't trained yet but we'll be keeping a close eye on him, and we'll wait and see.

"He's been doing well for us up front, he hasn't scored any goals yet but he's done well."

English Premier League Table as at September 26 Team P Man United 6 Man City 6 Chelsea 6 Newcastle 6 Liverpool 6 Tottenham 5 Stoke City 6 Aston Villa 6 Norwich City 6 QPR 6 Everton 5 Wolves 6 Arsenal 6 Sunderland 6 Wigan 6 Swansea City6 Fulham 6 Blackburn 6 West Brom 6 Bolton 6

W 5 5 4 3 3 3 2 1 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 0 1 1 1

D 1 1 1 3 1 0 3 5 2 2 1 1 1 2 2 2 4 1 1 0

L 0 0 1 0 2 2 1 0 2 2 2 3 3 3 3 3 2 4 4 5

F 22 19 12 7 8 9 4 7 7 5 6 5 9 7 5 4 4 8 3 8

A 5 5 7 3 8 9 6 5 8 7 6 8 14 6 9 9 7 13 8 16

GD 17 14 5 4 0 0 -2 2 -1 -2 0 -3 -5 1 -4 -5 -3 -5 -5 -8

Pt 16 16 13 12 10 9 9 8 8 8 7 7 7 5 5 5 4 4 4 3

B

ARCELONA visit bottom side Sporting Gijon and Real Madrid are at Espanyol in Sunday's La Liga action.

Since their 2-2 draw with Valencia at the Estadio Mestalla last Wednesday, Pep Guardiola's side have looked invincible, cruising to a 5-0 win over Atletico Madrid on Saturday before repeating that scoreline against Belarusians BATE Borisov in the Champions League on Wednesday.

Argentine maestro Lionel Messi orchestrated much of the carnage, scoring a hat-trick against Atletico and following up with a brace in Belarus.

Guardiola's team are looking healthy, with Gerard Pique and Carles Puyol both back in action after injury, although Andres Iniesta (hamstring), Ibrahim Afellay (knee) and Alexis Sanchez (hamstring) are all unavailable.

Jose Mourinho's Real Madrid side, meanwhile, are in fifth place, just two points off the lead, and they will be buoyed by their 3-0 win over Ajax in the Champions League on Wednesday as they head to 10th-placed Espanyol.

Defenders Fabio Coentrao and Pepe are under clouds for Real, but Mourinho will be delighted by the return to form of Brazilian playmaker Kaka, who scored a goal and played a starring role in the Ajax win.

But the surprise packet so far of the 2011/12 La Liga season is Real Betis, who have a one-point buffer at the top of the table over Barca, Levante and

Ranieri’s revival faces stern test A

• Barral

Gijon faces tough task against brilliant Barca Sevilla after five games.

Betis host Levante at the Estadio Benito Villamarin on Sunday, while

Guardiola wants Barca to ‘stay hungry’ B ARCELONA manager Pep Guardiola wants his side to forever show the desire that has brought it success and helped guide it to a 5-0 win over BATE Borisov in the UEFA Champions League.

Lionel Messi moved into joint-second place on Barcelona's all-time goalscoring list as his double helped the defending champion to a comprehensive Group H win in Minsk.

Pep Guardiola's side was 3-0 up at half-time thanks to an own goal from Aliaksandr Volodko and further strikes from Pedro Rodriguez and Messi.

The Argentina international grabbed the fourth goal early in the second half with an assured left-footed finish to move level with Ladislau Kubala's total of 194 before David Villa rounded things off as the visitor made light of the sodden conditions.

The win was also Barcelona's second 5-0 win in a row following its weekend success over Atletico Madrid to see it move to second in the Primera Division.

Guardiola hopes his side can always maintain its combative approach and said: "(I hope) they don't lose the competitive spirit they have shown this Wednesday, and that has characterised this team for so long ... this spirit I've been seeing for years.

"It's imbedded. I'm very clear that they feel it.

"It doesn't matter if we win or lose, but we always have to keep doing the same things."

Despite the scoreline Barca had to work hard to break down an obdurate defence with the partisan home crowd on their feet whenever their side en-

tered the Barcelona half.

The Barca boss gave his players credit for retaining their composure, saying: "The truth is that they defended really deeply, and I didn't expect that.

Sometimes if you don't score early on it makes you lose a little patience.

"But we were able to cope really well, and this gave us the time and space to develop our game.

"It's never easy attacking against 10 defenders. All these teams are pretty similar. They set out to defend and hope you lose a little patience.

"It was very important to control the midfield players, and (Mateja) Kezman, and our players have done that very well."

• Cahill

P 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5

W 4 3 3 3 3 3 3 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 0

D 0 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 3 2 2 2 1 1 3 2 1

Sevilla journey to Madrid to meet Atletico, and Real Sociedad welcome Athletic Bilbao.

Saturday's games see Mallorca journey to Osasuna, Racing Santander host league newcomers Rayo Vallecano and Villarreal will look to bounce back from their 2-0 Champions League loss to Napoli on Tuesday when they host Real Zaragoza.

Valencia, fresh from their 1-1 draw with Chelsea in the Champions League on Wednesday, welcome Granada while Getafe visit Malaga.

Kaka ready to lead Real Madrid over Espanyol

B

RAZIL striker Kaka will be hoping his return to form will help Real Madrid beat Espanyol in the Spanish league on Sunday and keep pace with defending champion Barcelona.

Kaka scored a goal in Madrid's 3-0 Champions League win over Ajax on Tuesday and should be fit to face Espanyol.

For Barcelona, Lionel Messi can take over sole possession of second place in the club's scoring list at Sporting Gijon on Sunday. Messi equaled Laszlo Kubala's total of 194 competitive goals for Barcelona in the 5-0 win at BATE Borisov on Wednesday. Cesar holds the club record of 235 goals overall.

Also Sunday, league leader Real Betis will host Levante.

TOP SCORERS

• Guardiola

Spanish La Liga table as at September 26 Team Real Betis Barcelona Levante Sevilla Madrid Malaga Valencia Atletico Sociedad Espanyol Mallorca Osasuna Rayo Villarreal Zaragoza Getafe Granada Santander Bilbao Gijon

ITALIA LEAGUE...ITALIA LEAGUE...ITALIA LEAGUE

L 1 0 0 0 1 1 1 2 2 3 3 1 2 2 2 3 3 2 3 4

F 9 22 7 6 16 7 8 8 6 5 3 3 5 5 5 4 2 3 5 2

A 6 4 3 3 5 2 6 6 6 7 5 10 9 9 11 7 7 8 8 9

GD 3 18 4 3 11 5 2 2 0 -2 -2 -7 -4 -4 -6 -3 -5 -5 -3 -7

Pt 12 11 11 11 10 10 10 7 7 6 6 6 5 5 5 4 4 3 2 1

Player Messi Ronaldo Soldado Garcia Fábregas Cazorla Agirretxe Villa Benzema Negredo Miku Pérez

Team Barcelona Madrid Valencia Atlético Barcelona Málaga Sociedad Barcelona Madrid Sevilla Getafe Rayo

Goals 8 7 5 5 4 4 4 3 3 3 3 3

FIXTURES Osasuna Santander Villarreal Valencia Malaga Sociedad Real Betis Atletico Gijon Espanyol

Saturday vs vs vs vs vs Sunday vs vs vs vs vs

Mallorca Rayo Zaragoza Granada Getafe Bilbao Levante Sevilla Barcelona Madrid

N inspired Inter Milan will be looking to end a successful week on a high when it hosts Napoli on Sunday in Serie A. Substitute Mauro Zarate scored the winner as Inter tasted victory in the UEFA Champions League for the first time this season in the midweek 3-2 triumph at CSKA Moscow.

The result followed a 3-1 victory over Bologna, its first in Serie A this term, and continued Claudio Ranieri's winning start to life as Inter Milan coach.

Ranieri replaced sacked Gian Piero Gasperini last week.

"Ranieri has had a very good start at Inter," president Massimo Moratti said.

"He has been able to get control of the team from a psychological and tactical standpoint. It wasn't easy but he has done it.

"These results were very important for us and now we hope to do well against a Napoli side that has been impressive so far."

Inter was not the only Italian side to prevail this week in Europe's elite club competition.

Rivals Napoli claimed a 2-0 triumph over Villarreal at the San Paolo Stadium.

The result came at a price, however, with strikers Edinson Cavani and Ezequiel Lavezzi doubtful for this weekend's game at the San Siro having sustained ankle injuries in that game.

AC Milan, who also celebrated its first Champions League win this season in a 2-0 triumph over Viktoria Plzen, will be bolstered by the presence of Zlatan Ibrahimovic for Monday's trip to Juventus.

The Swedish striker returned to play after a two-week absence through injury and scored a penalty and set up a goal for Antonio Cassano in midweek.

"I am not at my best yet," Ibrahimovic said. "But I hope I will be come Sunday."

Milan trails three points behind Juve, who leads the Serie A standings level on eight points with Udinese.

Former Inter and Napoli Coach

Marcello Lippi has looked ahead to their meeting on Saturday, and suggested the Azzurri have the edge.

Lippi told Il Mattino of his belief that the weekend game will be detemined by who copes with absences better.

“I do not think of Napoli as numerically or qualitiviely inferior to Inter.

The Nerezzurri are weakened by absences: it is not easy to make do with-

• Zarate

Boateng could return for Juventus clash

K

EVIN-PRINCE BOATENG might recover in time for the game against Juventus, Allegri says.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic returned from injury on Wednesday night and was vital for the team – rated 7.5 by La Gazzetta dello Sport – he scored for Milan and assisted Antonio

Cassano’s goal as Milan won 2-0.

Ibra is back and fit, but many other players are injured for Milan. However, the injury list could be shortened further in the next days, as Kevin-Prince Boateng could return in time for the game on Sunday.

“On Sunday there will be a very difficult game. The only player that can

Lippi: Napoli has opportunity

F

ORMER Inter and Napoli Coach Marcello Lippi has looked ahead to their meeting on today, and suggested the Azzurri have the edge.

Lippi told Il Mattino of his belief that the weekend game will be detemined by who copes with absences better.

“I do not think of Napoli as numerically or qualitiviely inferior to Inter.

The Nerezzurri are weakened by absences: it is not easy to make do without [Wesley] Sneijder. Then, Napoli will find it hard to replace someone like [Edinson] Cavani: like all great players he is one that his team will miss.”

The former Italy Coach refused to be drawn on who would win, but hinted that Napoli carry an advantage.

TOP SCORERS Player Palacio Di Natale Milito Miccoli Cavani Giovinco Denis Klose Moscardelli Pellissier Conti

Team Genoa Udinese Inter Palermo Napoli Parma Atalanta Lazio Chievo Chievo Cagliari

Goals 4 3 3 3 3 3 3 2 2 2 2

out [Wesley] Sneijder. Then, Napoli will find it hard to replace someone like [Edinson] Cavani: like all great players he is one that his team will miss.”

The former Italy Coach refused to be drawn on who would win, but hinted that Napoli carry an advantage.

“I coahced both teams and for this reason won't be cheering for one over the other.

“I coahced both teams and for this reason won't be cheering for one over the other.

“I couldn't say for certain [on a favourite] but Napoli certainly has an opportunity to be seized, given the absences Ranieri will have. I am sure it will be a great show at San Siro.”

Lippi had spells in charge of both clubs to varying degress of success.

recover for Sunday is Boateng, so we’ll just have to hope and see,” Milan boss Massimiliano Allegri told Milan Channel after the game against Viktoria Plzen. Boateng hasn’t played since the last Champions League game against Barcelona.

If no one else recovers, the injury list of the Juventus game would include Philippe Mexes, Mathieu Flamini, Captain Massimo Ambrosini and Gennaro Gattuso, Robinho, Kingsley Boateng and Alexandre Pato.

FIXTURES Saturday vs Atalanta vs Napoli Sunday Novara vs Catania Cesena vs Chievo Fiorentina vs Lazio Lecce vs Cagliari Palermo vs Siena Parma vs Genoa Udinese vs Bologna Juventus vs Milan Roma Inter

Italy Serie A Table as at September 26 Team Juventus Udinese Genoa Napoli Fiorentina Palermo Cagliari Chievo Siena Lazio Roma Milan Catania Atalanta Novara Inter Lecce Parma Bologna Cesena

P 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4

W 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 3 1 1 1 1 0 0

D 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 0 0 1 0

L 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 2 2 3 3 3 4

F 7 5 8 6 5 7 6 6 4 5 3 5 2 7 7 7 3 3 2 2

A 3 1 5 3 2 6 5 5 2 5 3 6 4 4 7 8 7 9 8 7

GD 4 4 3 3 3 1 1 1 2 0 0 -1 -2 3 0 -1 -4 -6 -6 -5

Pt 8 8 7 7 7 7 7 7 5 5 5 5 5 4 4 4 3 3 1 0

30

THE NATION SATURDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2011

NATION SPORT

Inside The Glass House WITH AMINU MAIGARI

Coaches and Coaching (2)

I

was in Cairo, Egypt on Monday when the opening ceremony of the first-ever CAF C-License Coaching Course took place at the FIFA Technical Centre inside the National Stadium, Abuja. But as soon as I arrived on Tuesday, I wanted so much to learn what had happened and how the course was progressing.

When I got there on Wednesday, I was thoroughly impressed with the calibre of persons who had come to learn. There were so many exinternational players, all showing so much enthusiasm, desire and determination to earn licenses that would mean they could take their expertise anywhere in the continent.

I met Friday Ekpo, a former captain of the Senior National Team, displaying so much energy and passion for the course. Ekpo, for those who don’t know, was a terror-inthe-midfield for Nigeria’s opponents in the late 1980s and early 1990s. He was magnificent in that department and was fervent and energetic.

Former goalkeeper Etta Egbe is also there, learning the rudiments of a programme that was approved by the Confederation of African Football and for which colossal personalities such as Chief Adegboye Onigbinde, Mr. Linus Mba, Dr. Bolaji OjoOba, Mr. James Peters, Coaches Kashimawo Laloko and Amodu Shaibu and Dr Akin Amao are instructors.

There were also Nicholas Ukadike, that hard-as-nails defender who traversed so many clubs in the southeast and southwest and was a terror to defenders. ‘Nick’ still looks so versatile and he exudes fervour and perseverance. I watched as Kennedy Boboye, Monday Ibekwe, Wasiu Ipaye, Taiwo Oloyede, Nasiru Jibril (my Personal Assistant), George Ederekumor Dauda Adepoju, Sule Mohammed, Mike Ekpeyong, Sylvester Ekoja, Tunde Odubola, AbdulGaniu Taiwo and the rest listened with rapt attention to the lectures.

Of course, they have to. The 14-day course is the first ever of its kind in the land and the last three days will be for revision and examination.

Each candidate must pass before earning the License C. The Technical Department has assured that the CAF ‘B’ License would take place in a matter of weeks, and according to Chief Onigbinde, the ‘A’ License course would follow, and then the ‘C’ License would again take place, and so on. It is a continuous exercise.

There are also Austin Iyamu, Imama Amakapabo, Yusuf Mangut, Alhassan Mohammed, Gift Okunwa, Francis Obinwe, Chukwuma Agbo, Wilfred Udube, Sam Addingi, Ishola Babatunde

and Kehinde Anjorin.

Roland Ewere, that great leader of Bendel Insurance, was there in the auditorium, with the likes of Fatai Yekini and Lateef Yusuf. Great company for everyone, I dare say.

One Happy Family...

Wednesday, 28th September, 2011 will linger for a long time in my memory and in the memory of other genuine lovers of the Nigeria game. It was the day that we finally brought peace to the house of the Nigeria Premier League, and by extension, Nigeria football.

I had very useful discussions with the Chairman of the NPL, Chief Rumson Victor Baribote over the weekend and we agreed on a number of things.

There has been no victor and there has been no vanquished in this protracted struggle for the leadership of the Nigeria Premier League, and the only thing he should do was bring together all contending forces, listen to their grievances, humble himself before everyone and be ready to work with everyone, if only in the interest of the Nigeria game and generations yet unborn who will feed from the game.

He agreed with me. And we kick-started it with the novelty football match that was the curtain raiser for the grand finale of the 2011 Federation Cup at the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Lagos on Sunday.

That was the precursor to the courtesy visit which the Board Members of the NPL paid to my office at the NFF Secretariat, Abuja on Wednesday.

At the meeting were Baribote himself, Joe Amene, Abdullahi Danbaba, Abdulaziz Mohammed, Akin Akinbobola, Abdulrasaq Owolabi Wopa, Shehu Garba Gusau and the Ag. Executive Secretary, Tunji Babalola.

We had very useful discussions. I mean, very useful discussions. But the important thing remains that at the end, everyone agreed there was the need to move Nigeria Premier League forward, that if for nothing else, for the sake of progress and real growth, the aggrieved should sheat their swords and those who now find themselves in positions of leadership should humble themselves and reconcile all contending parties.

It kills no one to listen. But if people are aggrieved and nobody listens to them, it could lead to terrible consequences and aftermaths.

Like someone said, we should always go guarantee equity, which would bring justice, and justice of course, would bring peace.

Now, the Nigeria Premier League can work and walk in peace. We are happy, and the NFF will surely support them.

Enyi-mba-enyi...

Enyimba FC of Aba, the People’s Elephant are on the road again and my appeal to all Nigerian ball fans to pray for the team to earn a credible result against Wydad Casablanca in this weekend’s CAF Champions League semi final in Morocco.

It is now seven years since Nigeria last drank from the trophy (also thanks to Enyimba FC) and we believe the year has come for another glorious end in the most prestigeous club competition on the continent.

Enyimba FC lost by the odd goal to Heartland FC of Owerri in the final of the 2011 Federation Cup competition in Lagos last weekend, but the club was not disgraced and there are those who feel the players had their eyes and focus on the bigger one – the CAF Champions League.

Surely, it would not be easy, but Enyimba FC has DONE IT BEFORE and we MUST challenge them to DO IT AGAIN At the same Mohamed V Stadium, a number of weeks ago, the People’s Elephant dug their feet into the turf and got a 0-0 draw, even close to edging it against Raja Casablanca, the other big name from that city. And this weekend, they can as well take the bull by the horn, conquer their opponents and make the return leg in Aba in two weeks a formality.

Thanks, FIFA...

I have to appreciate world football-governing body, FIFA for enabling the first-ever FIFA Member Associations’ Elite Referees Course in Nigeria, presently on-going in Abuja. All Nigerian FIFA men and women referees, FIFA men and women assistant referees and some elite Premier League referees are

• Laloko

taking part in the programme, which will last for one week.

Eminent names in the refereeing profession of yore, like Sidi-Bekaye Magassa, Felix Tangawarima, Mademba Mbacke and Kalume Jumaa are around, with our own refereeing colossus Linus Mba and others to assist. It is a good programme for Nigerian referees and at the opening ceremony on Thursday, Tangawarima minced no words in saying that it was time that Nigeria produced a referee that would officiate at the latter stages of the FIFA World Cup. And why not?

Thanks, Governor Fashola...

I must equally appreciate the Executive Governor of Lagos State, Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN) for the support of his person and that of the Lagos State government for the Nigeria Football Federation to stage the grand finale of the 2011 Federation Cup in Lagos.

Governor Fashola has consistently proved to be one of the most passionate football lovers in the land and it is no surprise because he is still active in some way as a player.

We are enamoured by his keen interest and support for the game and by extension, the youth of the Nigerian nation.

Several people have asked me about what the NFF is doing to return the lost glamour of the Federation, and I am happy to assure that things would change for the better as from next year.

Thanks, Governor Mimiko...

Governor Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo State made a surprise appearance at the grand finale of the 2011 Women Challenge Cup, which took place at the Old Parade Ground, Abuja on Wednesday. He was there with eminent personalities from the Sunshine State and their presence conferred dignity and glitz on the occasion.

Sunshine Queens may have lost on penalties to more experienced Rivers Angels but the Queens were not disgraced, and Governor Mimiko must be proud of the players for they gave their all.

I wish to use this opportunity to implore State governments who have women football teams to keep supporting them as women football has brought glory to our country at different levels.

NEXT WEEK: Against Syli Nationale!

• Osaze

ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE

Osaze keen to lift West Brom • As Mikel visits Reebok • Etuhu faces QPR test

W

ITH West Brom langushing at the bottom of the English Premier League, Nigerian international Osaze Odemwingie is set to reenact his scoring form as they face Sunderland at the Sadium of Light today.

Osaze will be hoping to add to his tally of one goal for the season in the match, and the Nigerian international likes playing Sunderland after scoring home and away against them last term.

Odemwingie scored 15 goals in the Premier League last season and the 30-year-old thinks he is returning to full fitness after some ankle issues in the preseason.

"Even though I had a good season, I am still not satisfied and hopefully I can build my confidence now and get back to good physical condition and start scoring again," Odemwingie said.

Osaze has only scored one goal this season in West Brom 's a lone goal vicory against Norwich on September 11.

On Sunday at the Reebok,

By Bimbo Adesina Mikel Obi will continue his form with Chelsea as they face Bolton. Chelsea who sit third place on the Premier League table will aim to continue their good form having thrashed Swansea 4-1 last week.

The Londoners will be without the suspended Fernando Torres so Sturridge can expect some decent game time against his former teammates. Torres picked up a red card against Swansea City and will miss three matches.

Bolton’s fifth successive defeat at Arsenal last Saturday has seen them drop to the foot of the table, having lost 10 of their last 11 league games dating back to last season.

In the same vein, Nigeria's Dickson Etuhu will be on hand for Fulham 's dreadful London derby with Qeens Park Rangers. Etuhu returned to Fulham fold last week after a long spell on the sideline due to injury. Fulham have lost just one of their last 12 Premier League games at Craven Cottage, though they have drawn the last four in a row.

Ogbuke faces Bayern test •Utaka eyes more goals for Montpellier

S

TRIKER Chinedu Ogbuke will have a lot to contend with today as TSG 1899 Hoffenheim confront German Bundesliga leader at the Wirsol RheinNeckar-Arena.

With 2-0 defeat by Kolh last week, Ogbuke will aim to lift Hoffenheim for the maximum points.

The Holger Stanislawski's side have been impressive in front of their home fans this season, notching wins over last season's champions Borussia Dortmund and Wolfsburg, and will benefit from an extra three days recovery from their opponents.

But stopping the likes of Mario Gomez, who has scored 12 goals in 11 matches in all competitions this season, and wingers Franck Ribery and Arjen Robben will not be easy, meaning Hoffenheim will need to be at their absolute best to stop Bayern's winning run.

Jupp Heynckes' side have not dropped a point after losing 10 at home to Borussia Monchengladbach in their season opener and will enter

the trip to the Wirsol RheinNeckar Arena this weekend full of confidence.

A 2-0 win over Manchester City in the Champions League on Tuesday outlined just how much of a threat Bayern will be in that competition this season and new signing Manuel Neuer extended his run of clean sheets to an amazing ten.

The statistics indicate that this will be another Bayern win but Hoffenheim, who sit fourth, are capable of putting up a stern challenge.

With Montpellier battling to remain among the top clubs on the French Ligue 1, John Utaka eyes more goals as they face Bordeaux at Stade Jacques Chaban-Delmas.

Utaka was on target penultimate week when Montpellier defeated Ajaccio 3-1. Both teams look to bounce back from heavy losses to the top two on Saturday.

Montpellier, who topped the table heading into last week's matches, were thrashed 3-0 at home by PSG while Bordeaux went down 31 at Lyon.

Olubanwo Fagbemi

On Sport Sport On SATURDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2011

32

•Quadri

I‘m fulfilled after Maputo experience –Quadri

S

INCE 2009 when 23 year-old Aruna Quadri announced his emergence in African table tennis circuit by winning the Africa Singles Cup in Rabat, Morocco, the player has continued to affirm his status as one of the shining stars in the continent. In his first season in the Portuguese table tennis Premier League, Quadri stunned top European and Asian players to become the number one ranked player in Portugal and he also helped his club to finish second in the league, a feat the club has never achieved. His performance attracted other top teams in the league and he was signed by another top team for this season and the Oyo State-born player proved his worth by becoming the first Nigerian to qualify for the 2012 Olympic Games ahead of other top Nigerian players at the just concluded 10th All Africa Games in Mozambique. In this interview with INNOCENT AMOMOH that for Nigeria to wrestle the title from Egypt, there must be conscious efforts to support the game.

HOW did you feel that Egypt dethrone Nigeria in the table tennis event of the All Africa Games in Maputo?

I felt so bad when we lost to the Egyptians in the team final because it was a disgrace that we lost 3-0 in the presence of our Sports Minister. We lost because they (Egypt) are more exposed than us. They had featured in various international competitions before the games while Segun Toriola, Monday Merotohun and I featured in just two competitions of which we even sponsored ourselves. I think we really need the help of sports ministry to retrieve the lost glory from the Egyptians. This can be done if we are sponsored to more international competitions most especially the younger players.

Before the games you set the target of qualifying for London 2012Olympicsandalsowinning the singles title, can you say you are fulfilled in Maputo?

I had two aims to achieve before the games started which were to qualify for London 2012 Olympics and also to win the singles title. To qualify for the Olympics was my main target because I know that winning the singles title is going to be tough and it was not that I did not believe in myself but I knew that it was dicey. I really thank God for making my main goal became a reality and I am also appreciating what God has done for me by claiming bronze medal after becoming the last man standing for my country. I am a fulfilled man in Maputo.

Whatdoyouthinkwentwrong for the men's team against Egypt in Maputo?

The only thing that went wrong

in the team event final against Egypt was that we were not that exposed than them. We are all training in our different clubs but training without playing tournaments consistently is nothing. They are more current than us in terms of tourneys. The winner of the singles event – Assar Omar has been sponsored to various competitions likewise his compatriots like Ahmed Saleh, El-Sayed Lashin and others immediately after the 2007 Algiers games because they wanted to dethrone Nigeria in Maputo, which they did. I think if we can also be given opportunity to play competitions regularly, we will surely do better. A good example is junior sensation - Ojo Onaolapo, who got the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) scholarship for just a year and we could see from his performance that he improved greatly and this was reflected in his excellent outing at the maiden Youth Olympic Games in Singapore where he got to the quarterfinal stage.

What gave Egypt the edge over Nigeria?

Two things gave them (Egypt) chances over us. Firstly they are serious about youth development and it was through this they discovered Omar and most of their junior female players who are now made up their senior national team were products of the programme.

Also, they ensured they attend international competitions to expose and test their players.

Most times they go for training tour in China on regular basis to the extent that before the Maputo games they were in China for

two months preparing for the championship. All these gave them opportunity to be ahead of us.

What is your assessment of table tennis in terms of the standard and organisation in Maputo?

The standard of table tennis in Maputo was higher than before because most countries that took part in the game really prepared adequately. We had difficulties against North African teams like Algeria and Mauritius but they were not as strong as the Egyptians.

Countries like Congo Brazzaville, Ghana, South Africa and a host of others have also improved a lot. But i think the organisation was superb and the facilities are of good standard.

Some of the players in the Nigerian team had represented the country at various competitions while they had participated in more than two editions Games, do you think theyarestillrelevantintheteam?

Some of them are still useful for the team. Merotohun is not too old to play while Toriola can still be role model for us as well as he will help the team to grow players because we still have a lot to learn from him. Finally former player, who is now based in Italy – Michael Oyebode should be encouraged because he is a fantastic trainer.

Youwerethelastmanstanding for Nigeria in the singles event in Maputo and how do you feel being the only Nigerian that made it to the semifinal?

I felt great for making it to the semi final stage in Maputo but I was not too happy for being

alone there because the likes of Toriola and Seun Ajetunmobi really did great as they lost narrowly to Omar in the round of 16 and quarterfinal respectively. If I was not alone in semi final, something good might have happened but very difficult to escape in the midst of the three toughest Egyptians.

Being your first appearance at the All Africa Games, what can you say you gained from taking part in the games?

I gained a lot from Toriola, Merotohun and Kazeem Nosiru.

I also discovered how to make a good service as well as to return a serve, which are the most important thing when playing doubles and singles events. In addition, the national coach – Nosiru Bello was indeed helpful because in each match, he most times pointed out my mistakes which I did not repeat in my next game.

How do you think Nigeria can win back its title from Egypt in the next All Africa Games?

The only way we can retrieve our lost glory from Egypt is by exposing some of our upcoming players to international competitions and before this the likes of Onaolapo, Bode Abiodun, Jide Ogidiolu, Kayode Adedeji and Sola Oyetayo should be prepared to be part of the team and they must also be exposed by ensuring that they attend international competitions on regular basis. They can be sent to countries like China or Austria.

In Austria, the Werner Schlarger Academy is the right place for them to go. After this training, we must assess them by allowing them to take part in Pro Tours.

Training facilities should be provided for these players to get acquainted to in order to improve their games.

Having qualified alongside Toriola for the Olympics, what kind of preparation do you think Nigeria should put in place to be able to do well in London?

To perform better in London Olympics, Toriola and I need to be playing competitions on regularly basis and two months before the Olympics, we should go to China for training tour so that we can learn several tactics from the Chinese players. If China is not possible another favourable environment to improve rapidly is the Werner Schlarger Academy in Austria.

What lessons do you think the team learnt in Maputo?

We learnt that preparation holds the key to good outing in any competition. We should had started the build up to the games, two years before the event We should also know that youth development programme is very important to discover new players rather than banking on the old ones.

What is your target for the 2012 London Olympics?

My target is to perform beyond the expectation of Nigerians and also to cause the biggest upset during the games.

Why do you think Nigerian players find it difficult to win a world championship?

We are finding it difficult to win world championship because we lacked the basics of the game. We are not well exposed to international tourneys on regular basis and the neglect of youth development is one of our major problems in the sport.

e-mail: deewalebf@yahoo.com

Nigeria: A sports chronicle (I)

F

OR finishing third with 31 gold medals behind South Africa (61) and Egypt (32) on the overall medals table of the 2011 All-Africa Games concluded recently in Maputo, Mozambique, Nigeria underlined a penchant to underperform.

And nothing was more suggestive than the post-Games comment

by Team Nigeria’s Chef de Mission, Alhassan Yakmut. “Our projection before the Games was to be among the first three finishers. Not to win the Games,” he said.

I beg to differ, sir. On account of natural endowment unmatched in Africa, Nigeria deserves sustained leadership in continental competition.

Fourth at the previous 2007 All-Africa Games in Algiers behind Egypt, host Algeria and South Africa, Nigeria surprisingly failed to take advantage of recent political upheaval in Egypt and other North African teams. Led by officials apparently in denial, some cited the host’s decision to exclude weightlifting, wrestling and powerlifting – sports which Nigeria traditionally dominate – as reason for the failure to register greater impact.

But critics know better. Without the kind of homework done by the more organised South Africans who moved up to first place from third in the last Games, there was little chance of Nigeria overhauling the eventual winners even if all sport disciplines were available for competition.

Whereas Nigeria managed to sweep the stakes in athletics, it should be noted that the singular honour only gifts the country the unbecoming status of local champion. After all, did the same athletics team not fumble spectacularly at the World Athletics Championships held in Daegu, South Korea weeks earlier?

No one, given the country’s usual haphazard approach to international tournaments, and time constraint, should expect encouraging results at next year’s 2012 Olympic Games in London. There, as in Daegu, the standard will be considerably higher. A Nigerian contingent constituted on the basis of sentiment and chaperoned by half-baked officials without the benefit of adequate training tours and refresher courses would always struggle against world beaters.

Many would, however, expect the lessons of Maputo to spur Team Nigeria to match the feats of illustrious predecessors in sports other than football from 2012 and beyond. Success in football may highlight Nigeria’s sporting achievements since independence from Great Britain in 1960, but milestones reached elsewhere are as significant in the five-decade campaign for international reckoning.

Boxing The exploits of Hogan ‘Kid’ Bassey and Richard ‘Dick Tiger’ Ihetu announced the country’s championship credentials. Bassey took the world featherweight boxing crown in 1957 while Dick Tiger defeated Gene Fulmer for the world middleweight belt on October 23, 1962 in Los Angeles and added the world light heavyweight title in 1966.

Following in the footsteps of their legendary predecessors, the country’s amateur boxers afterwards blazed a devastating trail in African competition as well as the Commonwealths and Olympics. Karimu Young’s victory in the boxing 51 kg class at the first All Africa Games in Cairo, 1962 set the precedence.

Nojim Mayegun’s historic bronze in the 71kg class of the Tokyo 1964 Olympics and Isaac Ikhuoria’s replication of the feat in the 81 kg class of the Munich 1972 Games established a standard which Nigerian boxers have worked with since. Super heavyweight Duncan Dokiwari also earned bronze at the Atlanta ’96 Games while featherweight Peter Konyegwachie tapped Nigeria’s first silver at Los Angeles ‘84. David Izonritei (heavyweight) and Richard Igbineghu (super heavyweight) repeated the achievement at Barcelona ‘92.

Emulating a rewarding boxing tradition, Nigerian boxers keenly participated in the prime national competition, the Eagle belt. Many of the boxers then stepped up to the Commonwealth Games.

The 70s group of distinguished pugilists included Eddie Ndukwu, Obisia Nwakpa, Fatai Ayinla and the Andeh brothers, Anthony and Davidson while Joe Orewa, Roland Omoruyi and Jeremiah Okorodudu were the pick of the 80s. The 90s produced David Dafiagbon, Sabo Mohammed, Kevin Onwuka, Moses James, Jacklord Jacobs, Albert Eromosele and Jegbefumere Albert.

These boxers launched professional careers on the back of successful amateur campaigns but none came close to major success until Samuel Okon Peter ended the long wait with the 2008 defeat of Oleg Maskaev for the World Boxing Council heavyweight title. But a series of losses, including three to Ukrainian siblings, Vitali and Wladimir Kiltschko – the last of which occurred on September 11, 2010 –, have all but ended the Nigerian Nightmare’s dreams of finding success again.

Basketball Nigeria’s most famous basketball export, Hakeem Olajuwon, may have represented the United States of America with distinction but he owed his emergence to the domestic support and exposure basketball enjoyed in the early 80s. From the late 70s to the 80s, basketball fixtures between the northern Kano Pillars, Niger Potters and Benue Braves on the one hand and the southern Ebun Comets and Lagos Islanders on the other stimulated great interest.

Years of declining followership may just be reversed following the national male basketball team, D’Tigers’ stunning defeat of Mozambique at the 2011 AAG final in Maputo. In women’s competition, First Bank’s national and continental pedigree as well as the national women’s team, D’Tigress’ championship pedigree also ensured lofty status.

33

THE NATION, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2011

T

ODAY the Nigerian nation marks its 51st birthday as an independent nation state and another opportunity presents itself to appraise the progress of the nation since its founding fathers at independence threw off the yoke of colonialism and assumed the mantle of a free and independent nation.

Birthdays are festive occasions and today is not an exception and memories are made of such events.

It is therefore pertinent to remember that last year’s celebration of our 50th birthday was marred for the first time by bomb explosions near Eagle Square Abuja, the venue of the land mark celebrations of our nation hood. Today, however we celebrate our 51st anniversary under the shadow of insecurity cast ominously by a terrorist group called Boko Haram which says that western education is evil and whose leadership has refused to negotiate with the Federal government of Nigeria, according to latest reports.

Celebrations and insecurity are strange bedfellows andwhere they have to go together they can be very expensive pastime both in terms of conception, and execution. That is the dilemma of our 51st anniversary as a nation state today.

However Insecurity brings out the spiritual in the human being and the Nigerian Boko Haram dilemma can not be an exception.

We can either react as the English book of Common Prayer did and say ‘From the fury of the Norse men good Lord deliver us‘. The Norsemen were according to history the Scandinavian Vikings who raided and settled on the coasts of the European continent in the 9th and 10th centuries or, alternatively we boldly take our fate in our hands and say as the navy chaplain said to the sailors on the high seas as they were attacked while praying – Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition!

Either way however is not a peaceful option as conflict and violence loom in the horizon; and that is the reality of our situation as a nation state, as we celebrate as we must, our independence anniversary today.

Yet Nigeria as a nation state at 51 has a lot to celebrate in spite of the nagging and growing threat of Boko Haram which to me is like a new cancer, which once detected early, can and should be treated and annihilated to save the patient.

Really Nigeria at 51 can and should celebrate its stability as a nation state and our history since 1960 can support this. True, we fought a civil war but there was a soothing post war reconciliation and reconstruction put in place to create a ‘no victor; no vanquished‘ aftermath to that war.

We have had several military interventions always purportedly in the national interest even though the interventionists have also gone on to make our lot worse, only to be kicked out by better armed men acting in the name of the same

“FIFTY ONE YEARS ... Still in the WILDERNESS”.

Nigeria at 51

national interest. Twice however fate intervened to end a military tyranny by natural death and a civilian presidency too. Death in prison also scuttled the elected president in waiting in detention at a point in time.

We had our Truth and Reconciliation Commission, the Oputa Panel modeled after the S. African Truth and Reconciliation Commission in S Africa headed by Bishop Desmond Tutu the model being put in place in Ivory Coast now to make way for peace after willful murder and mayhem in the quest for power by politicians. Nigerians really have developed a culture of balance and fairness needed for a successful federal polity embedded in our respect, albeit lukewarm, for power shift between the north and south.

Our problem in this regard has been that too much power is concentrated in the presidency which also controls the purse strings of the republic. But the spirit of fairness and justice in sharing power is there.

In Nigeria we have great respect for the constitution but are always at a loss as to which constitution 1979, 1989 or 1999 - is applicable to the many legal disputes we engineer daily in the power game. Hence Nigeria has a robust and busy legal system as legal issues proliferate astronomically and

prohibitively in terms of time and money and the judiciary becomes the sweet bride of the political system to be wooed by the array of litigants currying justice in their favor.

Of course the sweet bride inevitably succumbs to the highest bidder with predictable dire consequences for the course of justice and the integrity of the state . But the belief in the rule of law and the sanctity of the constitution has become part of our political culture and way of life in Nigeria at 51.

In the name of constitutionalism our political parties have used the party constitution and state power to promote and secure democracy. Grass root politics have taken root in spite of its excesses of abuse and misuse of power and non performance in some cases. The Nigerian populace has come to have firm belief in the rule of law through periodic elections.

The fact and sad experience that the elections are being rigged and that money plays a major role in the emergence of political candidates contesting for power has not diminished the enthusiasm of the average Nigerian to exercise his right to vote at the ballot box. Despite several rigged elections the average Nigerian remains committed to waiting for the next round of elections in the hope that they would be more

transparent. That is one thing the post election killers in Zimbabwe, Kenya and Ivory Coast should come and emulate from Nigeria at 51.

Also the emergence of the present President of the Republic is a tribute to the flexibility and resilience of the Nigerian nation state and its respect for the rule of law.

His succession of his predecessor and his own re- election are pointers to the fact that democracy has come to stay in Nigeria. The fact that he comes from the Niger Delta where we get the oil that we use to run Nigeria has redressed decades of imbalance and resentment whereby the area that produces the goose that lays the golden egg has been ignored in terms of development and progress by successive Nigerian governments.

His emergence as the de facto and de jure leader of Nigeria has been said by many and by him to be an act of God as it was almost impossible to consider it a possibility some years back.

Indeed some have said the present spate of bombings and high insecurity are orchestrated by the former powers that be who want to restore the status quo ante and are really peeved to have lost power to rank power outsiders like they consider the present president to be.

Which puts the ball squarely in the court of the president to take the bull by

the horn and secure the Nigerian nation if only at least to secure his own tenure.

Quoting the bible and saying that he need not be a Pharaoh, Nebuchadnezzar, or even a general to do this is not the issue. Neither would his saying that his host in Washington last week President Barak Obama respects him more than Nigerians at home, solve the problem.

This is because his stance on both issues is a fallacy.

The figures he referred to in the bible are negative figures of oppression and he is a product of a free and fair election as a president in Nigeria at 51s. Indeed his reference to these figures is an embarrassment to his fellow Christians and put a question mark on his knowledge of the bible which should not be so freely quoted in a secular state like Nigeria.

Next as President of the Republic, he is the Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria and should have no inferiority complex on account of his not being a general to save the nation at 51.

Similarly he was elected

by Nigerians and not by Obama and should not be carried away by the respect accorded him by the US president with whom he has a lot in common. Both are Ph.d holders and both are very much close to their wives. But are new comers that are regarded almost as aberrations to their positions of power. Obama is the first black president and that has earned him so much disrespect in the US Congress such that he is bothered by his reelection next year.

He can never say to Americans that he is respected for the street demonstrations in the Middle East and N Africa where he is supporting democracy and not as well at home because he knows that the electorate will rate his reelection in 2012 from his domestic policies and handling of the economy more than his foreign policy.

Indeed a good foreign policy should spring from a healthy, people – oriented,

responsive domestic policy.

That really is what has been missing from the Nigerian foreign policy agenda and may well account for what the President rightly identified as lack of respect for him within and by Nigerians.

He is however in position to change all that positively.

This is because Nigerians will respect any president that guarantees their security and that of their lives and property. Nigerians will respect a president that fights corruption squarely no matter whose horse is gored and not half heartedly and selectively.

Nigerians will respect leaders that work in their respective elected positions to make sure that there is power to make our industries work so that goods are made available at affordable prices and workers stay in employment as required in a rich economy like ours .

Nigerian traders, merchants as well as transporters will appreciate leaders that make and maintain good roads and infrastructure like hospitals and schools that improve the quality of life and not the caricatures that we use nowadays.

If the President can do all these, and appreciate that respect begets respect and is reciprocal, then our problems and his, are, at least half solved. If he moves in this direction he will earn respect and no more yearn for it and he would have deserved it.

That to me would be his real and genuine 51st anniversary handshake for Nigerians.

Happy Birthday Nigeria, I mean, Mr. President! Editor’s note. We apologise for the typo lapses in this column last week and acknowledge the corrections sent by readers. We state that Inter Milan were the former champions of the UEFA Champions League and Barcelona the defending champions and that Kaka of Brazil and Ronaldo of Portugal the two most expensive players in the world at their transfers play in Spain for Real Madrid. The error is regretted.

34

LOCATION

BACKSTAGE

SNAPSHOT

REEL NEWS

MUSIC

SCREEN

Edited by: VICTOR AKANDE

Tel: 08077408676

E-mail: victor_akande@yahoo.com

ntertainment

THE NATION, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2011

...Every ...Every man that comes around me wants to take advantage s s e r t c a d o 窶年ollywo a y n a s u d O e Ronk --Page 35 - 36

35

THE NATION, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2011

Sultry and busty actress, Ronke Odusanya popularly referred to as 'Flakky Idi Dowo' and more recently known as 'Becky' for her role in Funke Akindele's popular flick Jenifa is indeed walking her way to prominence on the movie scene. Ronke is one of the most soughtafter thespians in the industry and she recently returned to her Gbagada residence in Lagos, after a month on set in Ghana and Oyo respectively.

Her foray into the worldof-make-belief dates back to her undergraduate days at the Olabisi Onabanjo Univesity, where she joined the 'Awada Kerikeri Theatre Group'.

In this interview with MERCY MICHAEL, Ronke opens up amid tears on her life experiences while growing up and how she has managed to come

‘How I lost my first N2million’

•Ronke Odusanya

I hate people barging into my privacy.

That is not to say that I'm not a loving person. But the mentality I've always had behind my head since my struggling day is that, I believe that if anyone wants to date me, he wants to take advantage of me

—Cont’d on page 36

36

THE NATION, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2011

Tonto Dikeh’s sex symbol strategy

‘How I lost my first N2million’ —Cont’d from page 35

W

HILE controversies continue to trail popular actress Tonto Dikeh, gist has it that the controversial status of the actress, who was identified as very intelligent by a close source, is deliberate on her part.

According to the source, who chose to remain anonymous, Tonto feels that no matter how hard she or any of her peers for that matter works, they could never keep in line with the likes of Genevieve or Omotola and for that reason she had to find a way to keep up with fame and

relevance in the industry. This is why she has chosen to toe the controversial path and from the look of things it is definitely paying-off for her.

One of the busiest actresses right now in Nollywood, Tonto is most producers toast especially for those looking at selling their soft porn movies. So don't blame the drama queen when next you hear she's playing dirty again in a movie. If what the source says is anything to go by, then we need to show this sister some compassion, as survival of the fittest is a human instinct.

Nnena bags LASU Ambassador Award

O

LUKUNGA Olayinka, host of the popular TV show Nnena and Friends has been honoured with the highly coveted Lagos State University (LASU) Ambassador Award at the Lagos State University Students' Union Award Dinner 2011.

The event which took place at Balmoral Hall Oregun, Ikeja Lagos was a gathering of eminent and erudite personalities. At the award presentation ceremony, President of the Lagos State University Students' Union, Olayiwola Adebayo said that the institution has produced people of repute but what stands Nnena out is her ability to impact the African child in a remarkable manner. “What she is doing is not easy. Her award is on merit and she deserves it.”

Accepting the Award, Olayinka who has come to be known as Nnena for her role in popular sitcom Super Story expressed excitement because according to her, the award is an inspiration for

•Nnena every child to persevere in being the best in whatever they do.

“Nnena and Friends is here to stay to assist the Nigerian and African child realize their dreams and potentials”.

Nnena is a model, actress, singer and a great lover of children.

Nnena and Friends has become a household name in providing a dedicated commitment to child and teen development through edutainment.

Why I decided to sell food —Toyin Alausa

I'm always the first to take a walk because I tend to tell myself there is really nothing I will miss. It's been a bit of a challenge for me. I'm used

•Ronke Odusanya

•Toyin

37

THE NATION, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2011

2face, MI, others for Top 10 Mics

W

ITH plans in top gear, KOGA Entertainment recently unveiled the names of five out of the ten artistes that will perform at the TOP 10 Mics concert, while keeping the identities of the remaining five artistes under wraps.

Rated as the first of its kind in Nigeria, the Top 10 Mics will hold on December 23 2011 at the Tafawa Balewa Square in Lagos while bringing on stage a blend of artistes from different genre of music like Hip hop, Fuji, Afro Beat, Juju, Dance hall and

Brandy, The Game billed for Project Fame opening Gala

others. Artistes already revealed to perform at the show are; 2face, MI, Obesere, Eldee and Sir Shina Peters.

Prior to this time, a competition has been introduced online for music lovers to guess the names of the remaining five artistes that will perform at TOP 10 MIC correctly, and get a chance to win juicy prizes like Blackberries, TV's and branded T shirts from Shakara clothing and much more.

•2face

Dede Mabiaku, Obesere and Klint D’ Drunk in One Night Stand

S

ET to take place October 7 after a successful outing recently, the Koga One Night Stand is out for another run at the Koga events centre, Oregun, Lagos. Featuring protégé of late Afro Beat King FELA, Dede Mabiaku will be performing on stage alongside top rated Fuji singer and artiste, Abass Akande Obesere, while the guests would also be entertained with hilarious jokes from talented comedian Klint D Drunk.

Expressing enthusiasm about his upcoming appearance on the

•Dede

Koga One Night Stand, Mabiaku said, he will definitely be on stage live to show his fans and the audience that he is always there to entertain and thrill them.

Also in the spirit of one night stand, comedian, Klint D Drunk promised to keep the audience entertained and the venue electrified. According to him, “this will be a one of a kind event which will remain indelible in the hearts of those in attendance.”

On his part, Fuji King Abass Akande Obesere stated that, 'I will definitely be at this edition to

Obesere

make up for my absence at the last edition of KOGA One Night Stand, and I'm very much looking forward to giving out my best as a way of apologizing to my fans who were disappointed by my absence last time. Again, since I am always going out of the country, this will serve as a great opportunity to celebrate the independence of Nigeria with Nigerians'.

Organizers say that the event promises to be more fun filled, as this time around, it would be graced with the presence of various celebrities from the entertainment industry.

Giving reasons for putting the show together, Elsie Oluku, on behalf of Koga Entertainment, said that the positive feedback received from the previous edition of One Night Stand and the requests by people for more “is one reason why we are doing this, besides everyone needs a dose of entertainment in their life and we are committed to providing entertainment in large doses.”

•Klint

Pop phenomenon and actress Selena Gomez to host the ‘2011 MTV EMA’

Mo’Cheddah, Kel for Soulmate

B

•Mo’Cheddah,

RAND Ambassadors of Soulmate Industries Ltd, Mo'Cheddah and Kel will lend a helping hand to the company to make its end of year corporate social responsibility programmes to schools and less privileged citizens a remarkable one.

The CSR programme is set to give back, on a continuous commitment as a mutually beneficial relationship with its consumers.

In its 18 years of existence, the hair care manufacturing company has participated in various forms of corporate social responsibility activities. The Ambassadors have engaged fans through the social media and have been giving out products as gifts in a bid to achieve the set purpose.

Pope steps out with singles

•Selina Gomez •Pope

40

THE NATION SATURDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2011

41

THE NATION, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2011

“V

ERA darling, I have five wives and I love them equally; if you let me, I will make you happy. Listen to me; my wives all live under one roof and they are happy. In fact you can ask them yourself…”

In this life of mine, of all the passes I have had made at me, this one has being the most daring and the most unique. The reason is simple; here was a man I went to solicit an advert support from and these were the words he said to me. You see, this particular “overture” was more interesting and peculiar because as the man spoke to me, his youngest wife was right beside him. When I managed to steal a glance at her, there was no iota of jealousy in her disposition.

So, it made me uncomfortable. Very uncomfortable indeed. And just in case you are wondering…No; he is not a Muslim, he is very much a Christian. My response? Hmm… okay; I will tell you. I simply gave him the oldest trick in a lady’s book. “Sir” I managed to say; If you had asked me, this time last year, I would have said yes; but you see, I already have a man; a very jealous Ibo man for that matter”. He tried to laugh it off, gave me the adverts I came for. With very generous…

Alright, enough about my “runs” (but just for the records, I have since asked my boss to assign me to another beat, I have no strength of being number two, how much more number six? No. •Vintage Vera, quite some time. Today’s topic on the needs of women is highly debatable. Women generally worldwide can be likened to the highway-smooth, undulating and steepy with or without the warning road signs! Efforts at analysing their requirements from the female angle will only navigate to a cul-de-sac. How therefore does one explain the situation of a woman who keeps saying no when she does not stop or abort further advances! Women’s moods are the most difficult

Not me. Besides, I am taken.

I was inspired to write this piece when I gave a ride to a Moslem friend of mine, penultimate Sunday on my way back from lectures. I was glad to give her a ride; even though I barely knew her; but the thought of driving alone makes me sick. So, here we were, driving out of school for our destination which was about three hours drive even though it was on a Sunday. We chatted from one thing to the other. We talked like we had known each other for years.

It was in the middle of our discussion that she mentioned how lucky and blessed she now considers herself since her husband announced he was taking a second wife. I paused because I knew when discussions required a good listening skill, on my part.

This was a very pretty Alhaja. Young, educated, articulate of course. We know men do not take on new wives because the first one is ugly. The reason most men take on second or third, or more wives is because they can. Alhaja, went on to say

Are polygamous men more generous? glowing things, about her husband. She said, he just sent her on an all expenses paid trip to the United Kingdom, bought her an S.U.V (Jeep, if you like) she said the reason for his generousity is because he wants her to welcome the new bride and accept her like her sister. People have said that often times, when men have girl friends or mistresses outside their home, sometimes out of guilt they become more generous to the wife at home.

Perhaps, it’s a way of making them feel less guilty.

Or a way of reassuring their spouses that they are still number one.

What I did not know before now was that, when men take on more wives they become generous. That was strange to me. Strange to me; because I had hitherto thought that when a man decides to take on a new wife, he is irritated with the first one and then treats her shabbily because she is no more “in power”. It was news to

me to hear that they make the older wife happy, perhaps they are hoping to win their support or is it their blessings now? Only the men can answer that. I read somewhere that men in Ashanti may want more than one wife to express their willingness to be generous and support a large family.

When a man has a second woman in the offing, he might, as a routine send his wife and kids away on a holiday. Others treat their wives or girl friends to a special trip they know she can’t resist. (a Caribbean cruise, a week at a world class Spa or a fancy resort) to pave way for them.

Not only have they cleverly and conveniently arranged to get their wives or girlfriends out of the way; but they get “extra point’s and commendations for being generous and thoughtful mates.

Well, I will end this piece with a song from Jennifer Lopez:

“Love don’t cost a thing; You think you gotta keep me iced; you don’t.

You think I want to spend your cash, I won’t.

Even If you were broke; My love don’t cost a thing; You think I am gonna drive your Benz; I don’t ; If I wanna floss, I got my own Even if you were broke my love don’t cost a thing when you rolled up in the escalade.

Saw the dub you gave to the valet Knew that it was game when you looked at me Pulling up your sleeve so I could see the rolley bling.

Saw you later in the corner booth Raising up a toast so I would notice you You think the money you make can substitute the time you take Take the keys to my heart Then you can win my heart and get whatever is in my heart.

I think you need to take some time to show me that your love is true Even if you were broke, your love don’t cost a thing…

Fellow Nigerians, 51 gbosas to you all.

Citizen Vera is wishing you all a wonderful celebration as we mark Nigeria’s 51st anniversary.

I am very optimistic that Nigeria can only get better even against all odds.

So, keep loving. Keep living. Keep soaring

Text messages Re: Money, intelligence or sex; which do women want?

to understand. They love all three but pretend not to notice them. Believe me.

Olofinsao Julius Akinloye, Ibadan •Vera, some women are unsatisfied even if their husband possess these qualities, they must still go outside.

Ugwu Greg, Obudu •Vera, you are doing a nice job. Women have to know their place and rule so that

we will not imitate wrongly.

•I will continue to appreciate your write up, but how many ladies are ready to forgo money for intelligence. Where do you belong?

•A guy preparing for his girlfriend’s birthday went to buy her a gift so he was ten minutes late, on getting to her house he met her having sex with another guy on the

floor right inside the living room… how fair is that?

•I gaolp for this reasonable piece. I think women prefers men that are intelligent because been intelligent means ability to have offensieve and defensive response to the issues in life.

When a man is intelligent, it means he knows how to make things happen in terms of money making and he can spend the money wisely. If a man is also intelligent, he can speak love language fluently and also know how to communicate with his wife when need of sex and the skills will be applied to make the woman comfortable and satisfied in bed.

Boudey Hye •Vera, I don’t agree with you in that of sex, women are more relaxed with their man if he knows how to give it to them. Money is just secondary.

Don FG, Port Hacourt

Mr. & Mrs. Abiodun Fagbenro during their wedding recently

•I think you should have dwelt more on money because not all women have it.

Money is the key to the other two points. I believe all the needs of a woman are kept in one room, the door to the room is the man’s physical appearance. Is he handdome?

Secondaly money is the key of that door.. Once that door is opened the other goodies (intelligence and sex) are inside. But if the key (money) is not there to open the door then forget about the good-

ies inside. I’m writing from experience.

Moses Efe •It depends on the style among this three things which the lady might have packaged herself. But any intelligent man that relates with any lady for at least one year should know what she wants.

Art. •Nowadadys, 90% of women goes for money, while 80% for sex before talking about intelligent. Money can get them what they need, while good sex makes them glad, while intelligence comes in once upon a time.

But if a woman is favour enough to have these three, she will be more glad.

Winning S. King, Eleme

hmmmm she has it all.

Thanks.

Abiola, Akure •Making a woman achieve orgasm 3 or more times in one encounter is not solely a function of the man’s ability. Most times it results from compatibility in terms of the libido levels of the partners driven of course, by the man’s stamina. And to be honest, most women can hardly let go a man who can give them good sex.

Danladi •I love reading your articles because it is very interesting and educative. I will say a lot of woman love money than the rest of the two but it is better for a man to have the three in other to satisfy his woman.

Ozaovehe, Okene

The three interwined.

However for me it takes an intelligent man to get me sexual aroused before we start talking of what your money can do for me.

Adeola

•Vera, you are a God-sent angel to your society, you don’t know how many blind eyes you have opened and disintegrated homes you have integrated. May your years he long, Amen.

Meeks Ugwu, Obudu

•Infact this is a great topic of the year because it took me enough time to go for one but I finally agreed to choose sex, to be frank and sincere women prefer sex more than anything in the house, you can make excuse for no money, but what will be your excuse for sex? Though the three are good and any woman that, lucky to have a man that has money, intelligence and also good in sex

•Women with high intelligence quotient and good moral will definitely look beyond money and sex in a man, however, money has been playing a pivotal role among women of today due to economic situation of our country, in my opinion, aspiring male hooker should take pain in scrutinizing the opposing partner before deeply involving himself.

Segun Makinde, Ibadan

42

THE NATION, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2011

Nigeria we hail thee

I

remember so vividly the day those beautiful teachers at the Catholic pri mary school I attended summoned an afternoon assembly to announce that the National Anthem had been changed.

Before they gave us the stanzas of the new anthem, we were asked to sing for the last time the one which would from then become the old anthem.

We were all so young, so little and so innocent then that both the old and the new didn’t have much meaning to us, but as we stood under the sun in our blue pinafores worn over white blouses and blue berets, we sang it all the same. How old was I then? Maybe six.

It amazes me though that, that beautiful song still resounds in my head till now.

I know why it does. As I began my journey into adolescence, the song kept coming back to me with its full meaning. The old anthem continued to reecho as adulthood happened to me. Oh, how I cry inwardly when I see how much the broth-

erhood we sang about in that old anthem is fast giving way to disunity. Why? We’re still in the same Nigeria of those days noooowww…

I have been to many countries in the world. I have met different people of different colors. And I have seen many beautiful flags. But I have never sung any other anthems apart the old and the new anthems in Nigeria. I have never flown any flag other than the green- white-green flag I grew up loving. And I know that no matter what the enemies of the country try to do to tear us apart, in brotherhood we stand. Nigeria, we hail thee.

‘Nigeria we hail thee, Our own dear sovereign land.

Though tribes and songs may differ; In brotherhood we stand.

Nigeria, we’re proud to serve Our sovereign motherland.’

Happy Birthday dear Nigeria! Happy Birthday to all men and women who believe that no matter what they say or do, we’re one. Celebrate Nigeria today. Enjoy!

I love him although he insults me at will Hi Aunty Deola, I’m confused. I dated a guy for 7 months, during this time he was always saying he was breaking up with me. I would beg him and he would stay. It then happened that I got pregnant for him and he denied it. To avoid shame, I aborted it. He insulted me and insulted my parents but he later begged for insulting them. One thing is that I still love this guy despite all the things he did to me. I want to remove his love from my mind but I find it difficult to stop loving him. What should I do?

you and respects your parents comes along? I’m sure that your answer would be ‘no’.

Stop thinking you love this guy just because you have a low esteem about yourself. Get him off your system fast and begin to see yourself in the hands of a man who will not need to be begged before he stays. The more we allow the poisons of failed

Yes, it’s possible to think we love certain people if they appear to be the only option we have. Let me ask you this: would you still think you love this man if a nice man who adores you, respects

I’m 25 and a student. One day I received a call from my girlfriend’s mother for the first time asking me to come over to their house for a discussion. I hurriedly went there. She

relationships to stay in us, the more we get deep into what is not good for us.

Dump the guy now the same way he has dumped you over and over again. I bet, you will find love in the most unexpected places and it will give you joy.

You’ll call to tell me. Free your spirit let it being you good luck and true love.

How do I tell my girlfriend that her mother is pregnant for me?

•Mr. and Mrs. Onome Ikokide after their wedding

entertained me and served me some food and drinks. I felt relaxed after eating and chatting. We later had sex, although I realized after I woke up on her bed. Sex never happened between us again but months later, she told me she’s carrying my baby. What will I tell her daughter now?

I have deliberately omitted some facts from your message so that your poor girlfriend wouldn’t see it and know immediately that you and her mother have stabbed her in the back. It couldn’t kill her.

It happens every time in the Western world that mothers unashamedly sleep with the boyfriends of their daughters! It is not only a thing to cover one’s face about; it is totally spoken against in all the holy books I have read.

You shouldn’t be concerned about whether the evil mother is pregnant with your baby or not.

You should get out of the lives of these women as fast as you can.

Although you want us to believe that your sleeping with Madam Evil was under the influence of alcohol, the fact that you did it is enough reason for you NEVER to do sex with her daughter again. Please don’t.

You should find a way of letting the daughter know that you can no longer continue with this relationship because of some curses on you which you have to cleanse so that it would not pass to her. There may be tears as you talk, but it’s better in the long run.

What I say however shouldn’t be taken as the last piece of advice in this case. Seek help from your spiritual guardian.

Hearts With Adeola Agoro E-mail: libranadeola@yahoo.co.uk Tel: 08023162609

I love music and girls from affluent homes Dear Aunty, I’m Progress, 20 years old and an SSCE holder.

My problems are girls and my career. I’m currently a newspaper vendor, but I want music as a career because I love it so much, but I don’t know where to start.

Also, I need education but there’s no money. I also need a girl from a rich background; not that I want her to help me financially but because from my own understanding, they tend to be more understanding, pretty, independent and lovable more than the poor ones. But when I try to chat them up they refuse maybe because I’m a vendor. Or am I not meant to be loved by them? Aunty, many times I cry when they say no to me.

What can I do to have a good voice? Please advise me because I like the way you advise others in the paper.

Thanks. (07038545270).

Let’s start with your desire to have a career in music. You just have to start from somewhere. I know that most people who make it musically are those who have the talent to sing.

They also have the talent to string words together to make a sweet

rhythm. Do you have that?

I also know that to convince those who can help you achieve your dream of making a career in music, you must have recorded some of your songs in a tape called demo.

You may need to do that in a studio.

If you have everything done, you may call Mr. Tunde Ajewole (Ebecks) on: 08038015179.

I agree with you on your observations on the ways of girls from affluent homes. But do you know that that they would most often than not want to meet and date people like themselves? The same reasons why you wouldn’t want to date those from poor backgrounds are the same reasons why they wouldn’t want to date you (from the same background you’re running away from).

Women marry up, while boys are allowed to marry down. What that means is that most women end up marrying those who are better than them financially, while men marry woman whose lives they eventually brush up to meet their own standards.

So, for you to date the kind of girls you want, you may have to work hard on yourself – appearances, education, etiquette and everything. You can make it. Just believe and work at it.

Give me tips on how to toast this ex-minister’s daughter Good day. I’m having a relationship problem. There’s this girl I have fallen in love with; her dad was a minister in the country. Please I want you to help me with some tips on how to approach her. My name is Rex. Dear Rex, tell me something; are you in love with this girl because she is Miss Herself or because she’s Miss Minister’s Daughter? We need to be sincere with ourselves here.

I’m sorry I cannot give you tips on how to approach her. For one, I wouldn’t know if you’re in the same social cadre that will allow you to mix freely. If you indeed are, then talking to her and declaring your love shouldn’t be a problem.

Just flash your smiles and be friendly and the rest will take care of itself.

If on the other hand you belong to different social class, then convincing her that you love her may not be so easy. Let’s face it; the way of those whose parents have

Memorable mails Ke ka ime idikwa nma. – 08064955165.

P.S: Nne, imela o, anyi dim ma. Ke kwa nu maka ezi na ulo gi, ewen eluleya na ike di kwa unu? Thanks for writing to me in Ibo. I love this because I know that when we greet in our mother tongue it comes from the heart.

This kind can only come by with the grace of God. Good advice you give to lots that are somehow lost.

You speak with wisdom that is like that of the angels. Keep it up!

(08063695270).

P.S: Thanks for appreciating God in me

tasted power is different. You will also need to learn how to talk, sit, drink from your glass and generally do things around her.

The best way to go about your intention to be close to the exminister’s daughter is to be yourself.

If she notices you and wants your friendship, the better for you.

Remember though that the exminister doesn’t necessarily have money to throw around. He may also want a hard-working man for his daughter. So think twice before you start having dreams that your life would be easier if you succeed in making this girl your girlfriend.

It means you will work hard to make yourself approved.

Fan’s birthday wish Hi Aunty Ade, kindly allow me this space to say Happy Birthday to the love of my life, Omolola Ann Afolabi today 1st of October. This date will always be special not because it’s Nigeria’s Independence Day but because it is the day my companion was born. Happy Birthday my REAl. From Olu Julius (Abeokuta).

Lost contacts Deola, please kindly link me with Rep. Tajudeen Yusuf at the Nat. Assembly. We lived in the same house for years and finished together in Kabba in 1987. – Sunday Kintu, Ojo. P.S: For your protection from fraudsters who may call to say you should send recharge cards for them to help locate your lost contacts, telephone numbers would no longer be published except you otherwise say so.

43

THE NATION, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2011

•Argungu International Fishing Festival

Nigeria at 51: No cheers for tourism It is 51 years of nationhood for Nigeria. Yesterday, the independence eve, thousands gathered at the Tafawa Balewa Square to celebrate Nigeria. The import of the venue should not be lost. It was at this same venue our journey as a nation began. It was here in 1960 the Union Jack, the British colonial flag, was lowered and the green-white-green of the then new nation was hoisted. However, beyond the self-congratulations, how has the country fared in tourism.

Of course, tourism industry did not start immediately as a profession with the advent of a new nation, even though the hospitality industry was fledgling with hotels like the Lagos Airport Hotel, Ikeja and Mainland Hotel owned by the Leventis Group.

In 1962, the Nigeria Tourism Association (NTA) was formed by the Chief Ignatius Atigbi and others. This private sector initiative led to Nigeria being admitted as the member of International Union of Official Travel Organisation (IUOTO) now

World Tourism Organization (WTO) in 1964. The late Mr. Tourism, Matts Ebabojie Da Silva, was employed as secretary of the NTA on December 1, 1969. He and the others worked tirelessly to create awareness about tourism and its economic importance to a developing nation like Nigeria. In 1976, Decree 54 was promulgated formally establishing the Nigerian Tourism Board as the federal government’s parastatal in charge of tourism and tourism development and marketing in Nigeria.

The Nigerian Tourism Board became the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC) through the repelling of the Decree 54 of 1976 and replacing it with 81 of 1992.

The NTDC as the apex tourism agency of the Federal Republic of Nigeria was given the responsibility of promoting, marketing and coordinating tourism activities in the country with the following specific objectives, among many others: •Creating the enabling environment for tourism activities to flour-

ish through the promotion of good standards and efficient service delivery in the hospitality industry and to facilitate investment sector.

•Making tourism a major revenue earner by harnessing the country’s rich cultural heritage and other tourism assets with an efficient, proactive and highly motivated

•Entrance to Abuja

workforce.

• Standardizing and sanitizing the industry through regisContinued from Page 44

44

THE NATION, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2011

Nigeria at 51: No cheers for tourism Continued from Page 43

tration, inspection, classification and grading of the hospitality and tourism enterprises to meet international standard and ensure customer satisfaction.

The NTDC is under the supervision of the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and National Orientation which is charged with the responsibility of formulating policies that would be implemented by the tourism parastatal.

How far has the country fared in tourism in the last 51 years of Nigeria’s nationhood? If the country is to tell itself the truth, it has not done much to develop its tourism sites and potential, thereby moving from being a country with huge potential to a true destination.

If we consider the fact that South Africa latched unto tourism after the end of the apartheid in 1994 and currently has an annual tourist visitors in excess of eight million tourists.

In Nigeria, tourism has not been able to gain a foothold in the country’s economy due to so many

reasons. Hitherto, the sector was taken seriously due to lack of knowledge until 1999 when former President Olusegun Obasanjo upgraded it to a ministry. One would have thought that there would be a more systematic effort in positioning the country as a destination. The NTDC, especially through current leadership has tried its best within its constitutional mandate to move the industry forward, but the necessary policy framework from the supervisory agency to move the sector forward is totally non-existent. The reason for this is outside Chief Franklin Ncheta Ogbuewu. All other tourism ministers that had been appointed were journey men that spent a large chunk of their time in the ministry lamenting on why they were posted to “nonjuicy ministry” than working on how to improve the sector. That is the reason the Nigerian tourism master plan has been on the drawing board for almost 10 years without any meaningful effort from where Ogbuewu left it. Most of the ministers only remembered the tourism master plan as

a subterfuge to organize unending seminars that would serve as conduit to waste government money.

Currently, there is no effort to harmonise and articulate the tourism policy of the country for it to have a semblance of planning.

One could excuse some of these former ministers as many had confessed that they had not heard of the word “tourism” in their life before being posted to head the ministry. If they could be excused, there is no excuse for the so-called “stakeholders” heading the ministry. We have seen situations where efforts are wasted trying to settle personal scores and grappling with inherited baggage rather than honest efforts to move tourism forward. Tourism goes beyond engaging in inarticulate sophistry that has little or no impact in tourism fortune of the country.

At 51, it is high time we left talk and start talking of how many true tourism arrivals in the country and how this has helped to improve the country’s economy. We have talked the talk; it is time to walk the walk.

•Gashaka-Gumti National Park

•Calabar Carnival

Kehinde FALODE: 08023689894

Ofe Owerri

Foluke ADEMOLA

Ofe Owerri is one of the favourites of the Igbos from Imo State. This is a highly nutritious vegetable soup usually flavoured with aromatic uzouza leaves. An average man will always love this vegetable and tasteful soup.

Ingredients • Uzouza leaves • Assorted meats/chicken • Dry fish (washed & flaked) • Stock fish (washed & flaked) • Crayfish • Cocoyam boiled and pounded • Grounded chillies • Palm oil • Water • Salt to taste Method • Wash the meat thoroughly and

place in a large pot.

• Season with salt and ground chillies add some stock and cook for 45 minutes.

• Meanwhile, wash and peel the cocoyam cook until soft and pound. Add the washed smoked fish and stock to the pot of boiling meats and cook for I0 minutes.

• Add the stock and bring to boil. Mould the pounded cocoyam into small balls and add to soup, stir in the crayfish, shredded uzouza leaves and oil.

• Adjust seasoning and simmer for 15 minutes until slightly thick. Serve hot with ine-oka or pounded yam

Healthy and nutritional value of fish Fish is rich in calcium and phosphorus and a great source of minerals, such as iron, zinc, iodine, magnesium, and potassium. It helps the body in different ways such as: • Oily fish: Oily fish like mackerel, salmon, tuna have more than 5% fat (mostly omega3) in their flesh. All omega-3 fats are essential for healthy cells, brain development, cognitive function and general good health. As well as offering vitamin D, a canned sardine is an excellent source of calcium as you can eat the bones. Canned tuna contains much less vitamin D and essential fatty acid than the fresh fish as its oil is removed before canning and is sold separately. Avoid fish canned in vegetable oil as this blend may contain a lot of saturated fat. Only buy fish that has been canned in olive, sunflower or soya-bean oil. If you suffer from any other forms of arthritis, however, you will find oily fish extremely helpful as they have a potent anti-inflammatory action, which can relieve joint and muscle pains.

• White fish: They all contain virtually no fat, few calories and plenty of protein as well as the B vitamins. They don't however, contain much iron and though halibut, which is slightly oily, may contribute a little vitamin A, the white fish do not generally supply fat-soluble vitamins. The livers of cod and halibut are very rich in vitamins A, D and E, but these aren't eaten, only used for the production of oil. The roe of white fish is an excellent source of B vitamins and as a good source of iron and some meat, but fish roe contains cholesterol so may not be suitable for people with inherited disorders of fat metabolism or very high cholesterol levels.

• Shell fish: which are divided into: mollusks (small, soft-bodied sea animals which live inside a hard shell) e.g. mussel; crustaceans (soft-bodied, jointed sea animals

which are covered by a hard protective "crust" or external skeleton), e.g. lobster, crap, shrimp.

• It helps in maintaining healthy heart by lowering blood pressure and reducing the risk of sudden death, heart attack, abnormal heart rhythms and strokes.

• It is also an important source of omega-3 fatty acids.

These essential nutrients keep our heart and brain healthy.

Two omega-3 fatty acids found in fish are EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid).

Our bodies don't produce omega-3 fatty acids so we must get them through the food we eat. Omega-3 fatty acids are found in every kind of fish, but are especially high in fatty fish. Some good choices are salmon, trout, sardines, herring, canned mackerel, canned light tuna, and oysters.

• Aid healthy brain functions, infant development of vision and nerves during pregnancy.

• Fish is very easy to digest and therefore for people with digestive disorders or who are generally felling weak and under the weather, a light fish meal can be of use.

• The main benefit of eating fish as opposed to meat is that fish is far healthier. It is a complete protein and white fish in particular is very low in fat and calories and therefore useful if you are dieting.

45

THE NATION, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2011

Growing children of destiny

D

EAR Reader, I welcome you to another edifying edition of Family Forum. I strongly believe that the remaining months of the year will be a period of overflowing blessing for you, in Jesus' name. All your heart's desire for this year that is yet to be fulfilled, will find fulfillment in Jesus' precious name.

This month from God's Word, we'll be examining the importance of growing children of destiny. This week, I'll start by discussing the topic: Children Are Blessings! God is about to show you something new from His Word because His Word, is new every day. You shall not have

T

HE symptoms of heart failure (sometimes called congestive heart failure) can be difficult to identify and describe, it is often diagnosed quite late.

Taken by themselves, any one of the symptoms listed here probably isn't cause for alarm, but two or more are good cause to call the doctor for an evaluation.

1. Shortness of breath, particularly when sleeping or lying down One of the characteristic symptoms of heart failure is waking during the night or in the morning feeling as if you can't breathe deeply or can't catch your breath.

•A feeling of compression in the chest and lungs, making it difficult to take a deep breath, particularly during exertion or when lying down.

•Difficulty sleeping because of breathing difficulties or choosing to sleep in a chair or recliner because it's more comfortable.

This symptom is easily confused with other sleep problems and breathing problems, but the difference is the feeling of being short of breath when lying down.

It happens because the heart's ability to pump is weakened, blood backs up in the blood vessels that return blood from the lungs to the heart, causing fluid to leak into the lungs. When the head is elevated, gravity helps ease blood flow to and from the lungs, reducing the feeling of breathlessness.

2. A feeling of chest pressure or "drowning" It may feel like a pressure or heaviness in the chest, or a feeling akin to drowning or being compressed by a heavy weight.

It may also feel as if the lungs are filled with fluid when trying to take a deep breath. Some people with heart failure experience chest pain, but not everyone does, so a lack of pain doesn't rule out heart failure.

3. Clothes and shoes that feel tight Fluid retention with swelling is one of the primary symptoms of heart failure, but it can be difficult to recognize, since the swelling can occur in many areas of the body.

•Tightness in clothes and shoes, or puffiness of the skin. A relatively sudden increase in

regrets over those wonderful children.

God's Word declares: Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is his reward. As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth. Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate (Psalms 127:3-5).

The word "heritage" means inheritance or blessings. That is, children are gifts from God; they are blessings to the family, and are unique blends of their parents.

So also, "Children are an heritage of the Lord" means God gives them to you. He gives them to you

to oversee, take care of, and bring them up in His fear, all the days of their lives.

When these children are received as the heritage and blessings of God, then God's purpose for sending them to you get manifested. It is important, as a family, to understand this fact that children are given to us as part of our heritage; they are part of our inheritance in Christ Jesus.

However, in case you don't have them yet, begin to celebrate them as part of your fortune in Christ. They are on their way.

God has pronounced you fruitful. Therefore, as long as you are a child of God, you are entitled to the blessings of children. No matter what the doctors have diagnosed as being responsible for the delay or barrenness, God is greater than that report, provided you believe.

Some parents see their children as burdens. When they do something wrong, rather than standing up to their own responsibilities, they look at them as burdensome and troublesome.

It is important to realize that your perspective in life determines

your focus and interest.

Children are blessings from God. If you see them as burden, then they will in turn become a burden to you. Therefore, see and look at them with your spiritual eyes as blessings of the Lord, according to God's Word in Proverbs 10:22, which says: The blessing of the Lord, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it. From now on, this shall be your portion.

I make bold to say God is not a liar. The Bible records: God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?

(Numbers 23:19) He will definitely make His Word good in your life.

If you have ever experienced sorrow over your children, I believe God that that will be the last you will ever experience in Jesus' name. Perhaps, you have children that are troublesome or are like "thorns" in your flesh.

Today, I pray that God's power will reach them, no matter how problematic they are. God will turn their lives around for good in Jesus' mighty name.

Top 10 signs of heart failure girth is a telltale sign of heart failure.

If the feet and ankles swell first, you may notice puffiness over the tops of the shoes or an inability to wear certain shoes that once fit. Roundness or puffiness in the face and neck is also a telltale sign.

The increased weight will also show as an increase in pounds on the scale, but this may take longer to occur or to notice than the increase in size.

Reduced blood flow out of the heart causes blood returning to the heart to back up in the veins.

The fluid then builds up within tissues, particularly in the abdomen, legs, and feet, a condition known as congestion (not to be confused with nasal congestion).

Also, the weakened heart can't pump enough blood to the kidneys, which become less efficient at flushing sodium and fluids from the body.

4. Heart-rhythm problems It's common to experience palpitations or changes in heart rhythm.

A fast, irregular, or pounding heartbeat. Someone with heart failure may complain that his heart is racing or that it feels like it's beating too hard. Often, a fast or irregular heartbeat is accom-

panied by a jittery feeling, similar to that experienced during a panic attack.

These can be dangerous if left untreated, so it's important to tell the doctor of any heart-rhythm problems.

The heart tries to make up for weakness in pumping by beating faster and harder. As it tires, the heart can't keep up a regular rhythm and skips beats, or beats with varying strength.

5. Loss of appetite There is lack of appetite and it may start gradually with you eating smaller portions and feeling full faster, or it may come on suddenly. There is the possibility of eating more slowly.

Things to look out for are; nausea, constipation, a general feeling of being sick to the stomach, or abdominal pain and tenderness. In addition, the heavy feeling in the chest and abdomen can make it unpleasant to eat. Fatigue can cause someone with heart failure to eat less simply because of fatigue; even chewing can be exhausting.

It’s caused by a fluid buildup around the liver and intestines interferes with digestion. Decreased blood flow to the stomach and intestines slows the entire digestive process, causing

•Many had died as a result of heart failure. Knowing the necessary signs to watch out for could save a life

problems like constipation and nausea. Also, heart failure causes people to feel full quickly because of fluid retention and swelling.

6. Dizziness and lightheadedness Complaints of feeling faint, light-headed, and dizzy are among the most common problems for people with heart failure.

A sensation of being dizzy, faint, and light-headed, or as if "the world's spinning." Nausea or the feeling of carsickness is common, too.

There are several ways heart failure causes dizziness: Inadequate oxygen in the circulatory system causes cells to become oxygen-deprived.

Heart-rhythm abnormalities and narrowing in one or more valves restricts blood flow through the heart. Changing levels of chemicals in the blood, such as sodium, can cause confusion and disorientation. Standing up too quickly can cause a rapid drop in blood pressure called postural hypotension. In addition, some of the medications used to treat heart failure and other heart conditions, such as diuretics, ACE inhibitors, and beta-blockers, can cause dizziness.

7. Anxiety Fast, shallow breathing, racing thoughts, sweaty palms, and a rapid heart rate are all signs of a heightened anxiety response.

People with heart failure often mistake these feelings for anxiety and stress; they may even refer themselves to a psychiatrist or counselor, saying they feel nervous and agitated.

It happens because there is congestion around the chest and lungs causes strange sensations throughout the body that are confusing and frightening. Lack of oxygen in the bloodstream causes weakness and dizziness and may also produce disorientation and memory loss, which exacerbate anxiety. And a racing heart can feel like an anxiety attack.

In other words, children are assets; they are blessings. Psalms 127:5 says: Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate. God wants you to enjoy your children for they are meant to be blessings indeed; they are to make you happy and not to make you sad.

Being born again is the prerequisite for growing children of destiny. Would you like to become one? If yes, please say this prayer of faith: Dear Lord, I come to You today. I am a sinner. Forgive me my sins. Cleanse me with Your precious Blood. I accept You as my Lord and Saviour. Now I know I am born again!

Congratulations! Call or write, and share your testimonies with me through: E-mail: faithdavid@yahoo.com Tel. No: 234-1-7747546-8; 07026385437, 07094254102.

For more insight, these books authored by me are available at the Dominion Bookstores in all the Living Faith Churches and other leading Christian bookstores: Raising Godly Children, Understanding Motherhood and Building A Successful Family.

8. Coughing It feels like a tickle or irritation in the lungs, or fluid in the lungs that needs to come up.

The cough associated with heart failure is less likely to be felt in the throat. Sometimes the cough produces white, frothy sputum or thick mucus, which may be tinged with blood. However, heart failure can also cause a dry cough. The cough worsen when lying down or when you first gets up.

A cough associated with heart failure will eventually become chronic, but at first it may come and go.

Fluid builds up in the lungs because the heart's pumping capacity is weakened. The fluid can cause irritation and infection and can lead to pneumonia.

9. Tiring easily or feeling exhausted all the time The common symptoms are being unable to catch one's breath during and after exertion. Someone with heart failure may complain of being too tired to walk somewhere or to get up and fix a meal.

When a weakened heart can't keep up an adequate blood supply, the body diverts blood to more vital organs such as the heart, brain, and kidneys. This deprives working muscles of oxygen, so they tire more quickly.

Lack of oxygen can also cause faintness and an overall feeling of fatigue. In addition, if the kidneys aren't removing waste products as efficiently, this contributes to a feeling of exhaustion.

10. Any unexplained changes in behavior You might notice a reduction in activity, which could bemaking you too tired to attend an event or activity that previously was important to her.

Changes in exercise and fitness are important, too, such as not wanting to walk short distances or do chores.

Why it happens: Because fluid buildup and lack of oxygen affect all bodily systems, a person with heart failure may unconsciously make changes to compensate for the discomfort without realizing you are sick. Or you may feel under the weather but believe it's temporary, and cancel appointments or decline activities accordingly.

THE NATION, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2011

46

Coping with diseases

Drugs and happiness Marijuana as a social drug

M

ARIJUANA or cannabis is possibly the most widely used “social drug” and possibly the most abused worldwide. In some cultures, it has the kind of acceptance that tea or coffee have in other cultures, though illegally. Thus the great and fondly remembered reggae megastar, Bob Marley, could boldly sing: “got to have kaya now”.

Although archeological artefacts indicate that marijuana has been used from three millennia BC, presently, in many countries, marijuana is illegal. However, with the experience of important beneficial medicinal effects of marijuana, some forms of marijuana have been officially approved for use in conventional medicine.

These include synthetic drugs such as dronabinol (Marinol®) and nabilone (Cesamet®) and an analgesic mouth spray (Sativex®) for cancer-associated pain.

Advocates of medical marijuana support its use for relieving pain (analgesia), reducing nausea and vomiting, stimulating appetite in cancer chemotherapy and AIDS patients, and for the treatment of glaucoma (because it lowers eye pressure).

In another field, the intelligence services used marijuna as a “truth serum” because it caused loquacity (unguarded and continuous talking) and divulging of in-

S

TAPHYLOCOCCAL infection usually takes different forms, most often, an infected person may not be aware of having the infection, because he or she may not have any serious symptoms initially.

Sometimes a victim may be having some common ailments, which he or she may just overlook as just an ordinary or common sickness. A very good example of this is someone having a recurrent malaria or typhoid fever, which always return after few weeks of treatment.

The funny thing about this situation is that when

formation from subjects.

Marijuana smoking or chewing, as a source of happiness, is delusive on many counts. Its “happy” effects do not last. It will keep costing, financially. It produces euphoria, which is not happiness but is unstable sensory and mental pleasure. Perception becomes distorted. Marijuana habit is escapism, a flight from reality to return to reality in a less capable manner, an eventual disappointment.

Chemicals in marijuana act on brain and body cells and can cause undesired effects: decreased concentration, impairment or reduction in short term memory, altered sense of time, confusion, “acute panic anxiety reaction”, apathy, depression, red eyes, increased heart rate, dry mouth and throat, reduced ability for tasks requiring acuity such as driving or operating machinery, and lung damage.

Marijuana users may develop tolerance to the drug, needing more of the drug for the same effect. In some cases, this may translate into financial crises and criminal activities such as theft. Chronic users may become dependent on marijuana to the point that their lives revolve around drug use and this can lead to wrecked careers and failed relationships. Addicts are compulsive users that can-

with Prof. Dayo Oyekole

HIV/ AIDS

T not control their use of the drug. Their brains and bodies have changed to function with the presence of the drug and they suffer tremendously when they lack the drug. Typically, addicts would do abnormal things to get the drug.

Young people who chronically abuse marijuana tend to turn to other social drugs too. Hence, for young people, marijuana is often a “gateway drug”. For this reason, it can be used to trap the children of the rich.

Young people may become hampered in academic activities and less motivated for normal goals in life. Loss of control, unwanted pregnancies, sexually transmitted diseases, and delinquency may be associated with marijuana usage. When youths smoke marijuana heavily over a long period, they get “burned out” (retarded in behavior). High doses of marijuana can produce acute psychotic reaction and development or relapse of schizophrenia (a mental illness) in vulnerable individuals.

Marijuana use can cause infertility problems: low

sperm count and ejaculation disorders in males and irregular menstrual cycles in females. Exposure of the fetus by a pregnant mum using marijuana can cause low birth weight and cognitive problems in the child.

But why do people want marijuana even when they know the dangers? The common human psychology shows that experiences such as euphoria, orgasm, power, etc., are feelings we tend to risk indulging in rather than pass them up. It is not easy to reject opportunities to indulge in them if we can get away without being punished and in some cases we would indulge in such powerful experiences even if we end up suffering from such choices.

It takes a strong intellect or a good cause to reject something that gratifies our senses so effectively. Euphoria is intense gratification.

Dr. ’Bola John is a biomedical scientist based in Nigeria and in the USA. For any comments or questions on this column, please E m a i l bolajohnwritings@yahoo.com or call 07028338910

Staphylococcal infection such people go to the hospital or laboratory for test, all that will be revealed is that they are malaria parasite positive. Such people will continue wasting their hardearned money on treating malaria without any appreciable result.

In some cases a victim of staph may not have any defined symptom, but such a person will feel unwell, restless, and constant headache. When such person goes to hospital for medical check up, nothing will be re-

vealed and such a person is said to be medically fit.

But within themselves they know that they are not okay. A good example is a patient after reading our article on staphylococcus infection and the symptoms, came to our office to complain that he has been to different hospitals for various tests which all revealed nothing.

After carrying out some series of tests on him in our office, he was diagnosed to be having a heavy growth of staph. aureus and he was treated and today he is staph free and a happy man.

Staphylococcus is a very complex disease, apart from being contracted sexually or as a toilet infection; there are some other ways of getting infected. If you have contracted any form of disease in the past like, gonorrhea, syphilis, herpes, candida (yeast infection), urinary tract infection (U.T.I), etc, which you may have treated but not totally cured, could lead to staph infection.

So my candid advice to anyone that has any form of venereal disease or any disease at all should go for complete treatment and cure to avoid staph setting in.

When you wake up in the morning and you usually feel: •Some kind of numbness in your joints, limbs or fingers or •You always have inter-

nal heat, •Rumbling within your stomach •Some worm like movement within your body then you need to go for serious body examination.

All the above-mentioned situations are part of the normal symptoms of staph infections that don’t have any thing to do with other diseases. Most of the other symptoms are one way or another related to one disease or another that is why in most cases of staph infections a victim may not be aware of what is really wrong with him.

Staph infection spreads through the blood stream, that is why the effect is felt on every part of the body system, when it spreads to the bones and joints particularly those of the arms, legs and spine it forms abscesses. This is usually what causes arthritis or oedema and if care is not taken it could lead to affected area becoming permanently stiff. If staph infection spreads to the lungs it can cause staphylococcal pneumonia, if it spreads to the inner lining of the heart it results into bacterium endocarditis (which is a serious condition that can cause permanent damage to the heart).

•Dr B. Filani is the Chief Consultant of Sound Health Centre, Lagos. You can contact him on 08023422010 or on facebook or email soundhealthcentre@yahoo.com.

HE term AIDS is an acronym that stands for "Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome". It is acquired because the victims do not inherit the condition, but contract it. Immune deficiency means that the victim's natural bodily defense mechanisms are unable to function properly, and "syndrome" refers to the combination of different abnormalities or diseases making up this condition.

AIDS is a complex of diseases and symptoms resulting from unexplained immune deficiency; caused by a retrovirus, culminating in a "mixed-bag" of life-threatening opportunistic infections, which invariably results in death.

The retrovirus that causes AIDS is known as Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) with types I, II, and III already isolated.

Although there have been wide speculations and insinuations as to the origin of the virus (HIV), the fact still remains that the first cases of AIDS were diagnosed in North America, Europe and Central Africa about the same time in 1981. Since then, cases are being reported all over the world and most countries now have people with "full-blown" AIDS as well as carriers infected with the virus. It occurs in about 1 to 10 percent of the population and the incubation period is four to 10 years.

The virus has been isolated mostly from semen, vaginal secretion and blood. It is generally believed to be contracted through sexual intercourse, transfusion of contaminated blood, use of un-sterile instruments such as needles, blades and catheters, trans-placental infection, organ transplant, tattooing and circumcision as well as breast-feeding.

The major characteristic feature of AIDS is weight loss of about 10kg within 1 month without a known cause. Other symptoms include chronic diarrhoea, persistent cough, skin infections, oro-pharyngeal candidiasis, swollen lymph glands and night sweating.

Prevention Prevention of AIDS is achieved through avoidance of casual sex, and other factors that may predispose to HIV infection; as well as sterile procedures in clinico-surgical practices.

Treatment and Control Before recommending our treatment and control packages for HIV/ AIDS, it is pertinent to ask the following questions: 1. Why do outbreaks of serious infectious diseases leave some people devastated and others free?

2. If some people are known to be carriers and could go around with the virus for up to 15 years before they physically breakdown, couldn't there be ways of helping to cleanse the virus from the system before it manifests?

3.

Are the sufferer's thoughts, aspirations and living habits not affecting the disease cycle as well as response to treatment?

If yes, then in Holistic Lifecare, we are committed to total cure of HIV/AIDS sufferers when they have just been tested and diagnosed positive, when they are still able to eat, drink and move around on their own, but not when they are expecting their funeral the next day!

The Holistic Natural Remedy being suggested for restoring good health, vitality, and total cure in HIV/AIDS sufferers; is a combination of herbal, nutritional and psychosocial therapies at the appropriate time and in the right proportion. Notable among the useful herbs for HIV/AIDS are Aloe vera, Allium sativum, Harpagophytum zeyheri, Echinacea augustifolia and Zingiber officinale.

For further information and consultation on Holistic Lifecare research and services, especially on Blood Infections, Infertility, Sexually Transmitted Diseases, Chronic Debilitating Conditions as well as mental and social problems, please call on: 0803-3303897 or visit: Mosebolatan Holistic Lifecare Centre, Adeyalo Layout, Ogbere-Tioya, Off Olorunsogo Express Bridge, Ibadan. Website: www.holisticlifecare.com. Distance is no barrier, we can send remedies by courier if need be. We also have facilities for accommodation, admission and hospitalization in a serene and homely environment.

THE NATION SATURDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2011

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THE NATION, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2011

NERC seeks support on power reform

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HAIRMAN of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), Dr. Sam Amadi, has expressed the need for support of electricity consumers on the power reform programme, charging people to conserve energy and avoid waste.

Amadi offered the advice in Ado-Ekiti yesterday while addressing a “power consumer assembly” organised by the commission, stating that ongoing reforms in the power sector in the country would make electricity more available, affordable and accessible.

Amadi said the country needed a minimum of 20,000MW of electricity, but currently generated 4,000MW, adding that the programme with the theme, “The

Sulaiman SALAWUDEEN, Ado-Ekiti consumer, price and quality of electricity supply service,” was part of the NERC’s interaction with consumers in its efforts to “ensure safe, adequate, reliable and affordable electricity in the country.”

He said: “It is mandatory to handle the demand end of the electricity supply chain more efficiently as this is the trend worldwide, even where capacity is not an issue.”

According to him, the reform in the power sector was essential and was aimed at providing the right environment for would-be investors in the energy sector.

“We cannot make progress if we continue to charge the tariff we have been charging

since 1955. Government has been bearing the burden; the tariff must be reviewed to encourage competition. If the price is so low, no investor will come and invest in the sector,” Amadi stated.

He offered assurances that the commission was poised to protect the consumers, pointing out that the NERC had designed various means to protect the interest of members of the public.

Speaking on the occasion, the Catholic Bishop of Ekiti Diocese, Bishop Felix Ajakaye, who was represented

by Father Raphael Borisade, commended the NERC for the interactive forum, but charged the commission to ensure that it did not end at that.

T

HREE suspected kidnappers were yesterday arrested by men of the Ondo State Police Command for masterminding the kidnap of a foreigner, Mehmet Erturk, and three others, including a lecturer at the Federal University of Technology Akure, FUTA, Dr Tunji Akinlabi.

The suspects were paraded after being interrogated at the Special Anti Robbery Squad [SARS] of the state Police Command.

The suspects are Emesiri Obeghele, Emesiri Mamuzo (who are twin brothers) and Monday Agotura.

Police Commissioner Sani Mogaji, who told reporters in Akure that the suspects were professional kidnappers, added that they had confessed to have kidnapped four persons within the last five months.

Mogaji said they were arrested by the detectives from the state Police Command in Effurun in Delta State.

Police parade FUTA lecturer’s suspected kidnappers Damisi OJO, Akure According to him, they confessed to have collected the ATM card of the foreigner while in their custody and thereafter collected over N200, 000 from his account before he was released.

He added that when it became impossible for the kidnappers to collect ransom from the foreigner, they

forced him to release his ATM card.

They reportedly collected all that was in the foreigners’ account before he was let off the hook.

The police boss pledged the determination of the command to reduce the rate of crimes in the state, urging the public to always volunteer information on suspected criminals.

Almakura vows to deal with electricity vandals

V

ANDALS of PHCN installations across Nasarawa State are to henceforth face the wrath of the state government as Governor Umaru Tanko

JOHNNY Danjuma, Lafia Almakura has vowed to deal decisively with anyone caught in the act.

Visibly angered by activities of vandals, the Governor while commissioning a 500KVA electricity in Keffi, said: “We are no longer going to take it lightly with those sabotaging our efforts at trying to make life easy for the people of the state.

“If they are bent on vandalising public facilities, let them go elsewhere because this administration will make life unbearable for them.”

Almakura, who said he would no longer tolerate any act of vandalism and sabotage to public facilities in the state, called on the people to always guard public facilities jealously.

He assured the people of the state of steady electricity soon with the recent boost of power supply to the state from about 17 megawatt to 100 megawatts as well as the purchase and installation of over 30 transformers by his administration.

He reiterated his administration’s commitment to the provision of basic amenities, adding that he would focus on projects to improve the life of the lessprivileged in the society.

Nov 15 fixed for ex-UNAD VC’s suit against removal Sulaiman SALAWUDEEN, Ado-Ekiti

A

HIGH Court sitting in Ado Ekiti, capital of Ekiti State, yesterday fixed November 15 for hearing a suit brought by former Vice-Chancellor of the Ekiti State University (EKSU), formerly known as the University of Ado Ekiti (UNAD), Prof. Dipo Kolawole.

The sitting presided over

by Justice John Adeyeye would hear the preliminary suit brought by Professor Kolawole, challenging his removal from office.

When the suit was brought for mention yesterday, Justice Adeyeye requested the claimant (Prof. Kolawole), represented by Mr. Tope Adebayo, to file written address in accordance with the new Ekiti State High Court Civil Procedure.

Preliminary objection filed on behalf of defendants represented by a Deputy Director, Civil Litigations in The Ekiti State Ministry of Justice, Mr. Gbemiga Adaramola, was equally slated for hearing same date.

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1ST OCTOBER 2011

52 NEWS

FOR THE RECORD

THE NATION, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2011

Independence anniversary speech

Let’s unite against violence — Jonathan President Goodluck Jonathan made a broadcast this morning to commemorate the 51st anniversary of the nation’s independence. Below is the text of the speech:

F

ELLOW compatriots, On this day 51 years ago, the British Union Jack was lowered and replaced by our national Green-White-Green flag, heralding the independence of our nation. The 1st of October remains a special day for us, for Africa, and indeed the world.

As we celebrate today, we remember with pride, the nationalism and patriotism that inspired our founding fathers and the Nigerian people. They set aside their differences, to secure the unity and independence of our great country.

That is the Nigerian spirit!

For the Nigerian spirit cannot be broken. We are a resilient nation, determined to chart a course, through the turbulent waters of nation building. The Nigerian spirit is vibrant today in the world.

Our citizens at home and abroad, are making their mark in all fields of human endeavour. These hardworking and committed Nigerians, remain a source of pride to us and a beacon of what is achievable, if we remain focused and determined.

I know that a great number of you are joining hands with me and the Administration, in the great task ahead.

I value all Nigerians. I see our youth who are looking for jobs and yet remain hopeful. I see the farmer, and fisherman, toiling everyday to earn a living. I see the teacher, working hard, to train our future generations, with much sacrifice.

I see the market women whose entrepreneurial spirit helps to generate income for their children and families. I see our sportsmen and women training hard to bring glory to our nation. I see our resilience and commitment, as a nation, to defend our democracy and secure our future.

I see every single profession and vocation, making positive contributions to national progress. I value you all!

Together, we shall work for a Nigeria in which democracy and the rule of law are sacrosanct.

A country where corruption and its attendant vices, are banished. A country where human life is sacred and respected, and where the rights of the individual are protected.

Nigeria is a young entity in the comity of nations and yet in her 51 years, she has made significant strides in making her presence felt all

over the world. Our diplomatic and peacekeeping efforts, in various parts of the continent, have helped to end conflict and avert crises.

In sustaining global security, our intervention has been crucial to peace, progress and democracy for the citizens of the affected countries.

The journey to nationhood always has its own challenges. Nigeria has had her own share. Our growing pains as a nation have included the civil war, the June 12 election crisis and restlessness in the Niger Delta.

But Nigeria has always overcome each of these challenges. We overcame before. We will overcome yet again.

Today, as a nation, there is much for us to celebrate. We celebrate our diversity. We celebrate our entrepreneurial spirit.

We celebrate our resilience and ability to turn adversity into hope. We celebrate our culture. For the labours of our heroes past, shall never be in vain.

As your President, let me reassure all Nigerians that I remain resolutely committed to the ideals and dreams of our founding fathers. Let me also reassure Nigerians that I will strongly defend the peace and stability of our nation.

My administration will spare no effort in fighting crime, building peace, and securing our homeland against internal threats and infiltration by violent groups, from outside our borders.

We condemn all acts of violence and declare that such acts of mindless savagery shall not be allowed to define our country. We will not be deterred. Our resolve is strong.

I have put in place a new and reinvigorated national security strategy, to combat the threat to our safety. Yet, no matter what I do as your President and no matter what we do as your elected leaders, at all levels, the peace and security of our nation rest also on our collective efforts as citizens, in our various communities.

All leaders and citizens, in every community, must therefore make peace the number one priority of their daily routine. This is because, without peace, no community can realize its objectives or achieve a happy and productive life for its members.

The current incidents of violence and terror, in parts of the country, will surely be overcome. We will secure

•President Jonathan

the safety of our citizens for only when we do this, will we be able to build the needed peace and tranquility in all parts of the federation.

Securing our peace and stability will ensure economic growth and prosperity for all.

Since I assumed office, as the President of our great country, I have continued to focus my attention on the economy. I have taken several measures to address structural weaknesses which stand between us and economic growth and prosperity for all.

We are growing our economy, to generate employment opportunities for our teeming youth and enhanced prosperity for every citizen. This remains the main focus of my administration.

In a few days time, I shall launch an innovative com-

petition for our young entrepreneurs to come up with ways to expand their businesses, create more jobs, and sharpen their business skills.

Now, it is very clear that without fundamental reforms in the key sectors of our economy, we will not be able to fully unlock our potential as a nation. We must manage our resources more prudently and efficiently.

We must provide stable electricity to our citizens to help drive economic activity.

I call on our political leaders to put aside partisan politics, for united action towards the advancement of our nation. We must build together.

Because of the measures we have taken on the economy, our GDP is today one of the fastest growing in Africa. We are currently growing the economy at 7.8%. We expect to sustain

an 8% growth rate and a better GDP in the medium term, on our journey towards realizing our Vision 20:2020 goal.

We shall strive to make this growth, job creating and inclusive.

Growth in agriculture and other non-oil sectors are crucial, to help diversify the economy and to generate much needed jobs.

Agriculture remains one of the highest priorities in my government’s Agenda for National Transformation.

We have set out clear, agricultural, transformation action plans and policy measures, to achieve self-sufficiency in the production of rice, cassava, maize, sorghum and other staple foods.

Self-sufficiency in rice alone will save us the 356 Billion Naira that we currently spend annually importing rice. We will revamp the way we distribute fertilizers, taking government out of distribution of fertilizers.

We plan to reach 20 million farmers with privatesector distributed fertilizers over the next four years. We will improve the investment environment and incentives for the private sector across the agricultural value chains.

Our agricultural transformation plan will generate 3.5 million jobs and an additional 20 million metric tons of food.

But we must all show pride in our farmers. We should eat what we produce. The increasing popularity of local products, like ‘Ofada Rice’, ‘Badegi rice’, and ‘Abakaliki Rice’, attest to the fact, that the populace will readily embrace locally grown produce.

We must also take pride in our scientists. This week, Nigeria released 8 new high yielding cocoa varieties.

This will help to transform cocoa production, across the 14 cocoa producing states in the nation.

We have put in place i m p l e m e n t a b l e programmes to transform our Nation from an importer of petroleum products, to the regional hub for exportation of value-added petroleum and petrochemical products. We are revamping existing refineries and building three new ones.

We are effectively supporting the private-sector led construction of world scale petrochemical and fertilizer plants.

This will for the first time in our history, result in effective monetization of our abundant natural gas resources while at the same time, creating over a million jobs.

Our potential is huge. We have the requisite market volume.

We have a youthful, ener-

getic, and hardworking population.

The structural and managerial bottlenecks, that have obstructed our economic growth, are being addressed, to unleash the energy and potentials of this nation.

To achieve this, I am determined to ensure that Nigerians have reliable electricity.

Our economy will grow faster, and our hard working small businesses will thrive, when we finally fix the power challenges we face.

We are fast tracking power reforms, to improve the generation and distribution of electricity.

Already, we are beginning to do things differently. I believe that integrity, honour, patriotism, selfless service and fear of God, must be the hallmarks of leadership at all levels.

A nation is sustained by its institutions and systems. I have taken strong measures to improve on governance.

It is in this regard, that I signed into law, the Freedom of Information Act. I will further strengthen all institutions, to ensure greater transparency, probity, and accountability at all levels.

Last year, I promised to restore confidence in our electoral system and pledged to deliver free and fair elections. To achieve that, we initiated some electoral reforms and strengthened INEC and other related agencies.

As a result, our April 2011 general elections was adjudged by Nigerians and the international community as the most transparent and credible elections, ever conducted in our country. Indeed, post-election petitions reduced by over 50%.

Let me assure all Nigerians of my resolve to lead our nation into a safer, more peaceful, and prosperous future for our children.

For the time has come, to rise above ethnic and religious divisions; The time has come, to unite against violence, in all its ramifications; The time has come, to secure our peace, and unite against suffering, and deprivation; I see a new Nigeria rising.

A Nigeria, that is economically strong.

A Nigeria, that takes its rightful place of leadership in the world. A Nigeria, that uses its diversity to reinforce its strength. A Nigeria, we all can be proud of.

This is the Nigeria we need and this is the Nigeria, we all must build.

As we celebrate today, let us resolve to build the Nigeria of our future.

I thank you.

God bless you all.

And God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

THE NATION SATURDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2011

53

EQUITIES NIGERIAN STOCK EXCHANGE DAILY SUMMARY AS AT 30-09-11 2ND-TIER SECURITIES Company Name

No of Deals (N) 2 6 11 19

FTN COCOA PROCESSORS PLC LIVESTOCK FEEDS PLC PRESCO PLC Sector Totals

Quotation(N)

Quantity Traded Value of Shares

0.50 0.50 7.00

50,000 1,000,000 266,800 1,316,800

25,000.00 500,000.00 1,870,872.00 2,395,872.00

AIR SERVICES Company Name

No of Deals (N)

AIRLINE SERVICES AND LOGISTICS PLC NIGERIAN AVIATION HANDLING COMPANY PLC Sector Totals

2 41 43

Quotation(N)

Quantity Traded Value of Shares

1.95 5.88

36,044 540,056 576,100

73,529.76 3,148,821.49 3,222,351.25

AUTOMOBILE & TYRE Company Name

No of Deals (N)

DN TYRE & RUBBER PLC R. T. BRISCOE (NIGERIA) PLC Sector Totals

5 6 11

Quotation(N)

Quantity Traded Value of Shares

0.50 1.48

34,000 127,819 161,819

Quotation(N)

Quantity Traded Value of Shares

5.62 3.50 2.53 4.25 2.01 9.77 12.85 9.21 5.10 1.26 3.87 2.09 0.75 0.71 12.41

6,402,581 60,088,935 408,737 548,000 28,751,793 14,531,681 12,980,916 21,858,719 1,024,368 2,714,817 24,501,719 8,609,565 2,729,732 652,674 10,395,629 196,199,866

Quotation(N)

Quantity Traded Value of Shares

217.95 6.06 79.98

216,966 48,850 594,313 860,129

17,000.00 189,164.28 206,164.28

BANKING Company Name

No of Deals (N) 146 97 27 25 70 613 542 42 57 38 231 97 32 19 142 2,178

ACCESS BANK PLC DIAMOND BANK PLC ECOBANK NIGERIA PLC FIRST CITY MONUMENT BANK PLC FIDELITY BANK PLC FIRST BANK OF NIGERIA PLC GTBANK PLC STANBIC IBTC BANK PLC SKYE BANK PLC. STERLING BANK PLC UNITED BANK FOR AFRICA PLC. UNION BANK OF NIGERIA PLC UNITYBANK PLC WEMA BANK PLC ZENITH BANK PLC Sector Totals

35,920,719.99 207,012,328.99 1,025,372.58 2,324,675.00 56,353,564.34 141,970,320.57 166,714,511.07 207,071,705.67 5,245,039.80 3,408,511.77 94,597,168.63 17,993,990.85 1,995,704.36 459,348.78 128,511,425.90 1,070,604,388.30

BREWERIES Company Name

No of Deals (N)

GUINNESS NIGERIA PLC INTERNATIONAL BREWERIES PLC NIGERIAN BREWERIES PLC Sector Totals

79 3 85 167

46,077,331.12 281,376.00 47,077,360.42 93,436,067.54

BUILDING MATERIALS Company Name

No of Deals (N)

ASHAKA CEMENT PLC CEMENT CO. OF NORTHERN NIGERIA PLC DANGOTE CEMENT PLC LAFARGE WAPCO PLC Sector Totals

21 8 22 25 76

Quotation(N)

Quantity Traded Value of Shares

16.80 7.30 100.00 40.01

248,532 123,000 233,095 115,966 720,593

Quotation(N)

Quantity Traded Value of Shares

9.36 17.85 1.14 5.11

148,625 125,652 54,000 1,000 329,277

4,151,912.11 853,720.00 23,268,245.24 4,643,395.94 32,917,273.29

CHEMICAL & PAINTS Company Name

No of Deals (N)

BERGER PAINTS NIGERIA PLC CHEMICAL AND ALLIED PRODUCTS PLC DN MEYER PLC PORTLAND PAINTS & PRODUCTS NIGERIA PLC Sector Totals

14 22 1 1 38

1,346,623.67 2,201,108.84 61,560.00 4,860.00 3,614,152.51

COMMERCIAL/SERVICES Company Name

No of Deals (N) 1 17 18

COURTEVILLE BUSINESS SOLUTIONS PLC RED STAR EXPRESS PLC Sector Totals

Quotation(N)

Quantity Traded Value of Shares

0.50 2.41

300 391,114 391,414

150.00 942,584.74 942,734.74

COMPUTER & OFFICE EQUIPMENT Company Name

No of Deals (N)

NCR (NIGERIA) PLC. Sector Totals

1 1

Quotation(N)

Quantity Traded Value of Shares

4.98

2,666 2,666

13,916.52 13,916.52

CONGLOMERATES Company Name A. G. LEVENTIS (NIGERIA) PLC PZ CUSSONS NIGERIA PLC SCOA NIGERIA PLC TRANSNATIONAL CORPORATION OF NIGERIA PLC UAC OF NIGERIA PLC UNILEVER NIGERIA PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals (N)

8 50 1 51 27 31 168

Quotation(N)

Quantity Traded Value of Shares

1.90 30.02 6.11 0.75 33.46 27.50

100,600 281,871 3,000 10,681,716 49,835 128,455 11,245,477

Quotation(N)

Quantity Traded Value of Shares

47.16 0.50 4.65

30,716 155,000 19,000 204,716

182,086.00 8,473,981.13 17,430.00 7,399,369.82 1,642,202.24 3,531,670.07 21,246,739.26

CONSTRUCTION Company Name

No of Deals (N)

JULIUS BERGER NIGERIA PLC MULTIVERSE PLC ROADS NIGERIA PLC Sector Totals

14 10 1 25

1,388,027.12 77,500.00 92,720.00 1,558,247.12

ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY Company Name

No of Deals (N)

CUTIX PLC INTERLINKED TECHNOLOGIES PLC Sector Totals

2 3 5

Quotation(N)

Quantity Traded Value of Shares

2.10 4.90

3,000 5,000 8,000

7-UP BOTTLING CO. PLC CADBURY NIGERIA PLC DANGOTE FLOUR MILLS PLC DANGOTE SUGAR REFINERY PLC FLOUR MILLS NIGERIA PLC HONEYWELL FLOUR MILL PLC MULTI-TREX INTEGRATED FOODS PLC NATIONAL SALT COMPANY NIGERIA PLC NESTLE NIGERIA PLC TANTALIZERS PLC UTC NIGERIA PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals (N) 20 38 106 89 54 8 1 15 32 1 1 365

Quotation(N)

Quantity Traded Value of Shares

47.00 13.91 6.81 7.00 59.55 3.10 1.62 4.50 401.00 0.50 0.50

11,948 131,837 3,329,756 2,390,930 184,916 194,001 350 95,345 17,952 10,000 39,845 6,406,880

Quotation(N)

Quantity Traded Value of Shares

5.31 0.90 1.16 27.00 3.00 0.95 3.68

1,156 26,546 111,680 15,868 734,762 6,300 1,000 897,312

Quotation(N)

Quantity Traded Value of Shares

2.25

5,810,250 5,810,250

556,898.72 1,854,837.52 22,464,275.91 16,601,023.15 11,224,182.79 598,643.10 539.00 429,572.06 7,208,903.14 5,000.00 19,922.50 60,963,797.89

•Core investors set to inject N106bn

S

HAREHOLDERS of Union Bank of Nigeria Plc yester day voted overwhelmingly in support of the recapitalisation of the bank, wrapping up a recapitalisation process that would see injection of some N106 billion or $700 million capital into the bank.

At the extra-ordinary general meeting in Abuja yesterday, shareholders almost unanimously endorsed the recapitalisation of the bank, an overwhelming majority that placed the bank far above the statutory requirement of at least 75 per cent.

With the shareholders’ mandate, Union Bank would receive about N76 billion ($500 million) equity capital and N30 billion ($200 million) Tier 2 capital from a consortium of international investors to retain its nearly century-old brand and regain its competitive verve as one of the strongest and reliable banks in Nigeria. African Capital Alliance (ACA) is leading other partners including many reputable fund managers, investment funds of The Netherland and United States Governments and Nigerian investors under the Union Global Partners Limited, a special purpose vehicle formed for the recapitalisation of the bank.

In her remarks, group managing director, Union Bank of Nigeria (UBN) Plc, Mrs. Funke Osibodu, commended the shareholders for their support and cooperation.

She said that the proposed rights issue aimed at further giving existing shareholders additional stakes in the bank would open in October, following shareholders and regulatory approvals.

She said the recapitalisation and emergence of new core investors would sustain the legacy brand of the bank and put the bank in better stead to resume

By Taofik Salako and Tonia Osundolire

dividend payment and value accretion.

At the bank’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) held immediately after the Court Ordered Meeting, shareholders also unanimously endorsed all the special resolutions, including authorizing the board of directors to take all necessary steps to facilitate and give effect to the Transaction Implementation Agreement (TIA) and the Management Services Agreement, among others.

Shareholders who spoke at the meeting called on every stakeholder to take up their rights in full so as to preserve their capital value in the bank.

They also commended the board of directors, management and staff of the bank for their efforts and understanding in ensuring that the recapitalization process is realized and urged them to continually As part of the recapitalisation plan, Union Bank’s shareholders would receive three new shares for every 16 shares held and would subsequently be offered additional rights, which altogether would push their total shareholdings to 21.5 per cent in the fully recapitalised Union Bank.

UBN plans to issue about 1.41 billion ordinary shares of 50 kobo each at N6.81 per share in the ratio of five new ordinary shares for every nine ordinary shares held as at the September 30, 2011.

With the approval of the recapitalisation plan, Union Bank has been placed in good stead to resume dividend payment as from 2012 and realised its three-year forecasts which were mainly predicated on the shareholders’ approval of the recapitalisation.

According to the forecasts in-

DAILY SUMMARY AS AT 30-09-11 Company Name C&I LEASING PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals (N) EKOCORP PLC 1 EVANS MEDICALPLC. 4 FIDSON HEALTHCARE PLC 9 GLAXOSMITHKLINE CONSUMER NIG. PLC 6 MAY & BAKER NIGERIA PLC. 30 NEIMETH INTERNATIONAL PHARMACEUTICALS PLC 3 PHARMA-DEKO PLC 1 Sector Totals 54 No of Deals (N)

IKEJA HOTEL PLC Sector Totals

33 33

5,837.80 24,582.04 125,550.20 428,553.00 2,204,395.54 5,733.00 3,500.00 2,798,151.58

13,073,062.50 13,073,062.50

INDUSTRIAL/DOMESTIC PRODUCTS Company Name

No of Deals (N) 1 7 8

B. O. C. GASES NIGERIA PLC VITAFOAM NIGERIA PLC Sector Totals

CHAMS PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals (N) 3 3

Quotation(N)

Quantity Traded Value of Shares

6.95 5.70

1 23,766 23,767

7.01 138,181.52 138,188.53

No of Deals 21 21

AIICO INSURANCE PLC. CONTINENTAL REINSURANCE PLC CORNERSTONE INSURANCE CO. PLC. CUSTODIAN AND ALLIED INSURANCE PLC GOLDLINK INSURANCE PLC GUARANTY TRUST ASSURANCE PLC GUINEA INSURANCE PLC. CONSOLIDATED HALLMARK INSURANCE PLC LAW UNION AND ROCK INSURANCE PLC. LINKAGE ASSURANCE PLC MUTUAL BENEFITS ASSURANCE PLC OASIS INSURANCE PLC PRESTIGE ASSURANCE PLC. REGENCY ALLIANCE INSURANCE COMPANY PLC SOVEREIGN TRUST INSURANCE PLC UNIC INSURANCE PLC. UNIVERSAL INSURANCE COMPANY PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals (N) 47 4 1 4 3 6 2 1 4 1 1 2 2 1 1 1 6 87 LEASING

Quotation(N) 0.82

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 294,004 241,083.28 294,004 241,083.28

MORTGAGE COMPANIES Company Name ASO SAVINGS AND LOAND PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 7 7

Quotation(N) 0.50

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 37,075 18,537.50 37,075 18,537.50

Company Name NPF MICROFINANCE BANK PLC ROYAL EXCHANGE PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 2 2 4

Quotation(N) 1.08 0.50

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 5,475 5,639.25 11,000 5,500.00 16,475 11,139.25

Quotation(N) 6.57 1.76 2.92 13.28

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 712 4,450.00 233,010 406,956.00 360 1,000.80 72,469 962,388.32 306,551 1,374,795.12

PACKAGING Company Name AVON CROWNCAPS & CONTAINERS PLC. NIGERIAN BAG MANUFACTURING COMPANY PLC STUDIO PRESS (NIGERIA) PLC. GREIF NIGERIA PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 1 11 1 1 14

PETROLEUM(MARKETING) Company Name MRS OIL NIGERIA PLC CONOIL PLC ETERNA OIL & GAS PLC. FORTE OIL PLC MOBIL OIL NIGERIA PLC. OANDO PLC TOTAL NIGERIA PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 1 9 1 18 22 201 14 266

Quotation(N) 63.86 34.36 5.12 10.44 148.00 22.99 200.00

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 183 11,102.61 5,806 197,668.46 2,000 9,740.00 137,735 1,473,493.20 34,429 4,914,863.20 4,685,278 103,698,329.14 87,942 16,836,528.80 4,953,373 127,141,725.41

PRINTING & PUBLISHING

Quotation(N)

Quantity Traded Value of Shares

0.50

300,000 300,000

Quotation(N)

Quantity Traded Value of Shares

0.57 1.02 0.50 2.30 0.50 1.01 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 1.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50

6,454,492 1,074,528 5,800 80,109 46,050 524,600 499,900 64,200 11,532,904 10,000 2,500 30,000 35,000 5,000 50,000 2,000 249,500 20,666,583

150,000.00 150,000.00

INSURANCE Company Name

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 500 430.00 500 430.00

MARITIME

INFORMATION & COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY Company Name

Quotation(N) 0.90

OTHER FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS

HOTEL & TOURISM Company Name

No of Deals 1 1

Company Name JAPAUL OIL & MARITIME SERVICES PLC Sector Totals

HEALTHCARE Company Name

cluded in the scheme of arrangement for the capital restructuring of the bank, profit before tax is expected to be about N65.4 billion for the three-year period between 2012 and 2014.

Profit before tax is expected to be N13.1 billion in 2012 and thereafter to N24.6 billion and N27.7 billion in 2013 and 2014 respectively.

Net earnings distributable to shareholders is expected to be N9.16 billion in 2012 and subsequently rise to N17.9 billion and N19.4 billion in 2013 and 2014 respectively.

Breakdown of net earnings showed that basic earnings per share would be 47.58 kobo, 89.31 kobo and about 101 kobo in 2012, 2013 and 2014 respectively, indicating the probable level of dividends that the earnings of the bank might be able to support.

Gross earnings of the bank is estimated at N121.72 billion in 2012 and thereafter to N147.85 billion and N169.22 billion in 2013 and 2014 respectively.

Meanwhile, the stock market continued on the uptrend yesterday, closing the week with a weekly gain of 0.84 per cent. The All Share Index (ASI) of the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) closed the weekend higher by 1.13 per cent to 20,373 points compared with the gain of 0.58 per cent recorded on Thursday.

Aggregate market capitalisation of all quoted equities rose from N6.424 trillion to N6.497 trillion.

However, the year-to-date return at the stock market remained negative at 18.67 per cent.

The uptrend yesterday largely reflected gains recorded in the share prices of some highly capitalized stocks including First Bank of Nigeria, Dangote Cement, Zenith Bank, Nigerian Breweries and Stanbic IBTC.

NIGERIAN STOCK EXCHANGE

6,000.00 23,300.00 29,300.00

FOOD/BEVERAGES & TOBACCO Company Name

Shareholders approve Union Bank’s recapitalisation

3,796,825.91 1,076,028.56 2,900.00 193,062.69 23,485.50 527,666.00 249,950.00 32,100.00 5,766,452.00 5,000.00 1,250.00 15,000.00 50,050.00 2,500.00 25,000.00 1,000.00 124,750.00 11,893,020.66

Company Name ACADEMY PRESS PLC. LONGMAN NIGERIA PLC UNIVERSITY PRESS PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 2 3 9 14

Quotation(N) 2.60 4.79 3.81

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 1,898 4,688.06 5,600 26,686.00 40,070 158,457.00 47,568 189,831.06

Quotation(N) 12.20

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 26,845 334,007.50 26,845 334,007.50

REAL ESTATE Company Name UACN PROPERTY DEVELOPMENT CO. PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 5 5

ROAD TRANSPORTATION Company Name ASSOCIATED BUS COMPANY PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 2 2

Company Name UNITED NIGERIAN TEXTILES PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 2 2

Quotation(N) 0.54

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 48,000 24,960.00 48,000 24,960.00

Quotation(N) 0.85

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 1,423 1,266.47 1,423 1,266.47

TEXTILES

THE FOREIGN LISTINGS Company Name ECOBANK TRANSNATIONAL INCORPORATED Sector Totals Overall Totals

No of Deals 25 25

Quotation(N) 12.00

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 361,000 4,285,382.60 361,000 4,285,382.60

3,660

252,214,463

1,452,826,586.16

THE NATION SATURDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2011

54

NATION SPORT PUBLIC NOTICE CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly known and addressed as Pastor Abayomi Akinjide Farinto, along with my family members, Mrs. Elizabeth Adetutu Farinto, Miss Aanuoluwapo Oladunni Farinto, Miss Oreoluwa Olawunmi Farinto, Master Abraham Aseoluwa Farinto and Miss Gift Ogooluwa Farinto now wish to be known and addressed as Pastor Abayomi Akinjide Olurinto, Mrs. Elizabeth Adetutu Olurinto, Miss Aanuoluwapo Oladunni Olurinto, Miss Oreoluwa Olawunmi Olurinto, Master Abraham Aseoluwa Olurinto and Miss Gift Ogooluwa Olurinto respectively. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

PUBLIC NOTICE EQUIPPING THE SAINTS INTERNATIONAL DELIVERANCE MINISTRY This is to inform the general public that the above mentioned ministry has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission, Abuja for registration under Section ‘’C’’ of the Companies and Allied Matters Act 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. Reverend Anyanwu Sunday Matthew 2. Gift Anyanwu Matthew 3. Goodness Anyanwu Matthew 4. Dr. Jude Ehiemere AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: 1. Fulfilling the great commission.

2. Proclamation and spread of the Apostolic Christain Message in accordance with the teaching of the Scriptures.

Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to the Registrar-General, Corporate Affairs Commission, Plot 420, Tigris Crescent, Off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama Abuja within 28 days of this publication.

Obioma Chianakwalam Esq., Chianakwalam & Co. (08036755299)

Dream Team V to camp at O

FFICIALS have confirmed that the U23 National Team, also known as Dream Team V, will camp at the Genesis Hotel, Challenge, Ibadan for its training programme ahead of the CAF African U23 Championship starting in November.

Players invited have now been advised to report at the Genesis Hotel as from Wednesday, 5 October and these will have opportunity

Genesis Hotel of proving themselves within a one-week period before head coach, Austin Eguavoen calls up his established players.

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) is working assiduously to wrap up a number of quality friendly games for the U-23 team, and

Anichebe rues Guinea miss

I

NJURED Nigerian striker Victor Anichebe is unhappy about missing next month’s final and decisive African Nations Cup qualifier against Guinea.

But the 23-year-old is confident the Super Eagles have enough in their tank to see off Guinea and qualify for the Nations Cup. “It’s disappointing because as an international, you want to be involved in every game, especially one as important as this, but it’s unfortunate that I can’t,” he said.

Anichebe has become Samson Siasia’s first choice lone striker in the coach’s 42-3-1 system, but trundled off injured with three minutes left of Nigeria’s 2-0 win over Madagascar early this month.

Scans later showed a groin injury which would keep him out until Christmas.

“I knew as soon as soon as it happened that it wasn’t good,” said the forward, who was in tears in the dressing room after. “But now I just want to get fit and return to the pitch as soon as possible.”

In his absence, Emmanuel Emenike, Ekigho Ehiosun and Brown Ideye are all capable options and Anichebe appreciates how hard getting a spot is in the team.

“It’s a very competitive squad and when you’re there, you have to work hard to get in. The good news is that anybody can come in and do a job for the manager, and I am confident they’ll get a good result against Guinea.”

has confirmed that the team will round up preparations for the CAF tournament with a 10-day programme in Faro, Portugal from where the contingent will fly into Cairo on 22 November.

The CAF African U-23 Championship will take place in Cairo, Egypt from 26 November to 10 December with Nigeria to play Morocco, Senegal and Algeria in group B. The Dream Team V will take on Morocco on 27 November, and Senegal three days later, before confronting Algeria on 3 December. All these matches will come up at the Arab Contractors Stadium, Cairo.

The top two teams from each of the two groups of four teams each move to the semi finals, and only the best three will gain automatic slots at the London 2012 Olympics Men’s Football Tournament.

The fourth-placed team is to play off against an Asian team in London on 12 April, 2012.

The Senior Women’s Team, Super Falcons, has also resumed camping in Abuja with 33 players, ahead of their potentially explosive return leg clash with AllAfrica Games champions Cameroon in Yaounde on 22 October. Nigeria won the first leg in Abuja 2-1. The winner on aggregate will join South Africa’s Banyana Banyana as Africa’s flagbearers at the London 2012 Olympics Women’s Football Tournament.

‘Enyimba must fight or crash’

E

NYIMBA FC of Aba chairman Felix Anyansi-Agwu has warned that the Nigerian champions will crash again if they do not fight against Morocco’s Wydad Casablanca today.

Wydad hosts Enyimba in a CAF Champions semi-final first leg this weekend, but even though the Nigerians are widely tipped to get a result in Casablanca, Anyansi has said the team cannot afford to be complacent again.

“We have four more games in the CAF Champions League to emerge winners, but if we do not fight, we will crash out, just like we did against Heartland,” said Anyansi, who is gunning for a continental treble.

“We cannot afford to be complacent, we cannot think that we are unbeatable.

“This defeat (vs Heartland in the Nigeria Federation Cup final) has opened the players’ eyes to the fact that if you don’t fight, if you do not give 110 per cent effort, you won’t win a match.”

The experienced club boss added: “Let this match be a lesson to everyone of the dangers of complacency, but it us use it as a turning point to our success in other competitions.”

Anyansi said the team paid the price for being “too relaxed” against regional rivals Heartland, but at the same time he said he believes this defeat will be a big test of character for them.

Two-time African champion Enyimba are so far unbeaten in 11 CAF Champions League matches.

They last lost a game in this competition in the semi-final of the 2008 edition when Al Ahly of Egypt pipped them 1-0 in Cairo in the semifinals.

Sack NPL men without clubs • Continued from page 55 of legalising the ILMB, the minister heeded wise counsel and allowed the former NFA Chairman, Ibrahim Galadima, to inaugurate the body.

In spite of this, the ILMB fought the NFA, culminating in the infamous Week 20 matches, where all manner of people served as match referees.

The matches were eventually replayed because the results were not allowed to stand since the games had to be handled by FIFA badge referees.

By this time, Mohammed had been removed as minister. The new man didn’t help matters because he too had issues with an unyielding Galadima who wanted things done according to the dictates of the FIFA statutes and not Decree 101, which gave the minister supervisory powers over football matters as he deemed fit.

In handing over to the NPL, the ILMB insisted that only serving club chairmen or the secretaries should serve on the board. This membership rule arose from the protest by club owners over the right to participate in the running of the domestic game.

They wore the shoes and knew which it pinched. The ILMB went further to reduce the body’s membership from 22 to 6, with the chairman making it seven.

It didn’t take long for the club owners to desecrate the place. Accusing fingers were pointed at several board members who harassed match officials during their home matches to do their bidding.

Rules were interpreted differently to clubs for the same offence. The club owners didn’t have the courage to tell state governments to pay their players and coaches since that would put the positions in jeopardy, especially as most of them were appointed by governors.

Things went awry when mid-way into the

NPL board’s tenure, almost all of them were not members of the clubs on whose platforms they were elected.

Rather than resign, they conjured a loathsome rule which made it imperative on them to complete their tenures, even if they were no longer club chairmen or secretaries.

With this obnoxious rule, NPL members did what they liked. Clubs’ interests didn’t matter.

Members played politics with everything about the domestic game. Why won’t they? They had lost their clubs’ mandate and didn’t know how the shoe pinches anymore.

Is this not why the NPL remained in a quagmire? Does this not explain why the players’ welfare doesn’t count, with the loads of debts running into tons of millions?

Now that there is peace, shouldn’t the clubs move to recall all those whose mandate have expired and replace them with serving club chairmen or officials as enshrined in the body’s statutes?

The NPL board is meant for club owners or their serving representatives. Clubs’ managements should today begin the process of replacing those who have lost their club positions.

Our problem as a nation is that we always feel that there are Nigerian ways of doing things.

Little wonder a government functionary is threatening to scuttle the new dawn at the NPL, largely because he hasn’t read the rules of eligibility.

NPL rules forbid the presence of key government officials on its board. This government man even bought two forms in the last NPL elections. He belongs to the league of unqualified men in the present board.

Can this man tell us if he is the chairman or secretary of the club that he claims to represent?

Come on, NFF, sack all the NPL men without clubs now. We are tired of fragile peace in the domestic league.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2011 TRUTH IN DEFENCE OF FREEDOM VOL.5, NO. 1900

PAGE 55 Tomorrow in T HE N ATION PUNCHLINE The opportunity for dialogue between Boko Haram and the federal government should be expanded to put the country on the road to renewal through re-structuring. The current effort to add state police to the menu of security agencies in the National Assembly cannot substitute for the creation of a people's constitution

—Ropo Sekoni

F

RESH from his last trip to the United States where he addressed the UN Gen eral Assembly and reportedly received an apparently much cherished pat on the back from President Barak Obama, Prophet Goodluck Jonathan delivered a most passionate sermon to the nation from Mount Abuja.

The venue was the National Christian Worship Centre also known as the Ecumenical Centre in the Federal Capital Territory. The occasion was the routine church service to commemorate Nigeria's 51st Independence Anniversay. Prophet Goodluck was quick to thoughtfully disabuse the minds of his fellow country men and women who harbour the illusion that he must be a lion, tiger or some other such carnivorous creature probably because he studied a Zoology related course. Hear o ye ignoramuses, Prophet Goodluck is no wild animal. He is as human as you and I. Thank God. Like the Lord Jesus Christ, an obviously dissapointed Saint Goodluck wondered why a prophet has no honour in his own country.

"When Obama spoke during the Security Council meeting outside the General Assembly, he commended Nigeria, but back home we are being abused. When the President of South Africa and Gabon spoke, they commended Nigeria, but here, we are not been appreciated," Prophet Goodluck solemnly and sadly observed. But even if he believes they are mere 'beer parlour' gossips, this man of God should still learn from the Wikileaks exposures that most statesmen and leaders including his good self most times engage in double speak. They believe that brutally frank truth is so fragile that it must often be protected by deceptive body guards of verbal lies to paraphrase Winston Churchill. This prophet may not be a mind reader. But he would be terribly misguided and naive to believe that Obama and the others were necessarily uttering in their words what they truly think in their hearts of the current state of Nigeria.

Prophet Goodluck had hard knocks for those he believes want him to utilize the powers of his office with maximum ruthlessness and lawlessness. As he most sincerely and bluntly put it "I don't need to be a lion. I don't need to be Nebuchadnezzer. I don't need to operate like the Pharaoh of Egypt. I don't need to be an army general but I can change this country without those traits." By the way, was this a subtle denunciation of a certain soldier turned farmer, turned politician, who deceived by fawning sycophants into believing he was the 'architect of modern Nigeria', ran the country for eight years in imperial fashion like Nebuchadnezzer, Pharaoh, Herod and Goliath all rolled into one? But I digress.

Our prophet from Aso Rock in dissociating himself from terryfying biblical characters

Prophet Goodluck’s sermon on mount Abuja

‘

•Jonathan

like Goliath and Pharaoh wants to project the image of humility, decency and commitment to the rule of law. Humility is certainly an admirable quality of any leader who occupies an office as powerful as Nigeria's presidency.

But humility is not synonymous with weakness, endless vacillation, chronic indecision, injurious niceness and infinite pliancy. In contrast to the Goliath he obviously detests, Prophet Goodluck would probably want to be likened to David, the great biblical giant killer. Yes, anyone who reads the Psalms will readily see that David was a man of abundant humility. But David was no weakling.

In many ways, David was a more courageous and ruthless character than Goliath. The Philistine giant had his intimidating physique.

He had his heavy armoury. He had his blazing sword. All David had were five pebbles, his sling, fierce determination, decisiveness, a ruthless commitment to eliminate evil and infinite faith in his God. These are the quali-

Prophet Goodluck had hard knocks for those he believes want him to utilize the powers of his office with maximum ruthlessness and lawlessness...

By the way, was this a subtle denunciation of a certain soldier turned farmer, turned politician, who deceived by fawning sycophants into believing he was the 'architect of modern Nigeria', ran the country for eight years in imperial fashion like Nebuchadnezzer, Pharaoh, Herod and Goliath all rolled into one?

’

ties needed to successfully lead Nigeria today.

Yes, our President must not be a lion. But he must be lion hearted. Prophet Goodluck's advertised humility masks a disturbing paralysis in reigning in and checking the hawks in his party that are steadily eroding the foundations of constitutionalism, democracy and the rule of law under his negligent watch.

You could accuse President Obasanjo of many vices. Hypocrisy was not one of them.

As President he was a rampaging Goliath. He never hid the fact and you knew where you stood with him. In defiance of the Supreme Court, OBJ seized Lagos State's statutory local government allocation. He made no pretence of respecting the law. With Prophet Goodluck you have the spirit of Goliath disguised in the

deceptive body of David. It is a very dangerous situation. Let me give three examples.

Purportedly acting in respect of the principle of separation of powers, he suspended the President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Ayo Salami, in the face of the notorious facts that the NJC lacked a quorum when it took the decision, the PCA was already in court on the matter and the Senate had not given approval for the action as required by the constitution.

Prophet Goodluck's appointee as acting PCA, Justice Dalhatu Adamu, has gone ahead to reconstitute the Election Petition panel hearing the CPC's petition on the outcome of the last presidential election. Is this not the lawless spirit of Goliath on rampage?

Prophet Goodluck's Attorney General is currently spearheading the selective trial by the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) of the former Governor of Lagos State and foremost opposition leader in contemporary Nigeria, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. He is accussed of allegedly maintaining and operating foreign accounts while in office. 14 governors including Prophet Goodluck had been accussed of the same offence in 2006. The CCB has now made the ridiculous claim that some of the other governors had entered into a plea bargain and refunded money to the government!

Is this glaring persecution not a deliberate attempt to destabilize and incapacitate the opposition in Nigeria? Is this not the spirit of Nebuchadnezzer in action? Thirdly, on the day preceding Tinubu's appearance in court, Prophet Goodluck's Inspector General of Police authorized the detention in Lokoja of scores of A.C.N. supporters who were going to Abuja in solidarity with their leader. Would Pharaoh not be applauding this castration of the constitutional rights to movement and association in his grave?

Yet, in a secular sermon at the 51st Independence Anniversary Lecture in Abuja, Prophet Goodluck asserted that he has no intention of changing his style. He will continue to zealously travel north while earnestly hoping to arrive south. We wish him luck. Seek ye first the kingdom of strong institutions, he declared, and everything will be added unto you.

Once we have strong institutions, Prophet Goodluck reasoned, the President can practically take a leave of absence. According to him "I used to tell people in my office that ministers don't need to see me if the system is running well. Even if I am sick for six months, ordinary Nigerians will not know the President is sick because the system is supposed to run". This is very embarassing. It is precisely because the system cannot afford a vacuum that the office of Vice-President exists so that someone can step in if the president is incapacitated. In any case, is this why this Prophet is running Nigeria in such a lackadaisical manner? All the same, I wish you, dear reader, a very happy independence celebration.

Ade Ojeikere on Saturday talk2adeojeikere@yahoo.com

Sack NPL men without clubs

W

HEN former Sports Minister Colo nel Musa Mohammed (rtd) con ceived the league board, he wanted members who had no link with any of the participating clubs.

Mohammed had in mind the models which make foreign domestic leagues money spinners and one in which the best players in the world crave to play in.

Mohammed dreamt of when domestic clubs would be run by the cash generated from the marketing windows being exploited in climes with discerning templates.

He saw a setting where Nigerians could sit in their living rooms to watch games weekly. He was sure that if they enjoyed what they saw, they would be persuaded to pay to see the games live, like some of them do with foreign clubs whenever they are outside the country.

Mohammed felt that the Nigeria Football Association (NFA), as it was then known, had too much work on its hands. He was

convinced that more attention would be paid to developing the game at the grassroots, if NFA men were stripped of the powers to run the elite class games inside their dingy two-room apartment.

Mohammed believed that there were Nigerians who could re-package the domestic league to meet his vision and carefully chose 12 people not the motley crowd that has become an obstacle than a facilitator for growth.

But the club owners sneered at Mohammed’s suggestion, which would have closed the fraud gates in the running of the domestic league. The players’ earnings would have improved. The fans would have had no option but to identify with the league by being at the stadia.

The club owners won the battle for their inclusion because Mohammed wanted peace.

The Interim League Management Board (ILMB) brought changes. The initial 12 men stabilised the ILMB with their resolve to do things differently. The club owners didn’t like the new order but they didn’t have the numerical strength to carry the day when it was time to vote.

The ILMB ensured that the draws were held live on AIT, reminiscent of what operates in FIFA and CAF. Matches were also shown to Nigerians in their living rooms.

Match schedules were kept. Clubs on continental assignments returned mid-week to play their games and this ensured that there was no backlog of matches. Put simply, things were transparently done during the ILMB’s days.

Ex-internationals, such as Daniel Amokachi and Rashidi Yekini, joined Nasarawa FC and Gateway FC of Abeokuta.

These jewels of the Super Eagles’ 1994 World Cup squad attracted the fans when their teams played.

The ILMB soon restored confidence through their decisions. Clubs paid their debts. Players’ welfare was sacrosanct. Attention was paid to details in contracts, with clubs mandated to submit copies of deals to the body’s secretariat in Abuja.

Referees’ earnings went up. Assault on referees was treated with stiff punishment.

In a particular case in Benin, the fans were taken to court to face the wrath of the law.

Security was taken very seriously. It became

compulsory for the away teams to record games. The disciplinary body relied on these tapes since the home teams often doctor such documents in disputed matches.

Offenders were punished, no matter who they were. Sports commissioners appeared before probe committees to shed light on issues concerning their state government clubs and everyone was happy.

But the system collapsed when the club owners took charge after the ILMB’s tenure lapsed, despite the huge cash pumped into the league by mobile giants Globacom.

Twice, the league was run in an abridged version, thus scuttling one of the feats achieved by the ILMB in making the domestic league to be in tandem with others in the world.

One isn’t shocked that the Nigeria Premier League (NPL) board was an embodiment of crises. Some of those who became members of the new NPL didn’t think that the NFF was the superior body in football administration, even when it was categorically stated in the statutes. In fact, to authenticate the act

•Continued on Page 54

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hat prepared you for leadership position?

My parents prepared me for this. When I was born, I was given a name, Omahme, meaning, ‘it doesn’t stick to me; no matter what anybody says’ The names given to children prepare them from the beginning to greater heights. Also, my father gave me his name Philipa taking from the Christian name Philip. My dad was a very humble and hardworking man and my mother was a very hardworking and quiet woman .

She was very a strict disciplinarian. I was the last child (girl) in the house; I was more with my parents. I was the one doing all the chores at home.

All through that period, I was being prepared for greater heights. That’s where the hardworking attitude came from.

All my sisters would want me to come and stay with them because they saw how hard working I was. My eldest sister got a hold on me. I helped in bringing up her children. I was the one left in charge of the children. Once I was around, everybody would behave well. I really impacted that discipline into them and they are very grateful for that. My eldest sister’s husband was a military officer. A MajorGeneral. His military traning was not restrictted to the barracks but also manifestd at home. Once he was around, everybody would keep quiet. I remember that he used to advise us to be disciplined and hardworking. He would tell us: “You don’t have to look at the position I’m occupying, you make sure you get whatever you want in life on your own. If you are hard working, people will come and look for you, not you looking for positions. These were the traits I had in my upbringing. Even when he was the Governor of Bendel State, and we were in the Government house, there was no fanfare because you are residing in government house. He taught us humility. We should be humble in everything we do.

That was the time I started Polytechnic in Benin because the School of Business Studies was in Benin then. He did not even call anybody to help me in the admission, he just said “there is a school there at the back of the Government House there, walk down there and with the qualification you have, go and see the course you can do, I’m sure they will admit you”.

Meanwhile, he was the one that brought the Principal from the Ahmadu Bello University to Benin to become the Principal of Auchi Polytechnic then. He did not even say let me call him and give your credentials to him. He just said walk down there, which was what I eventually did.

When he was eventually transferred as governor of Bendel State to Kwara, I then opted out, it was then I did a two year certificate programme. I worked briefly made some of my papers and continued with my education. All these prepared me. That was why throughout my working life at the, I did not go to him for any help, because he had already taught us how to be on our own. He had already told him that, “If you are hard working people will look for you.” So with that, I came into the polytechnic. In my very first year in the polytechnic, I was saddled with responsibilities. First I was under the tutelage of a senior officer as a Time-Table officer and from there I graduated to Examination Officer before becoming an Examination officer, I was equipment Officer, I was always co-ordinating one class or the other. Later I was appointed head of department even when my tenure expired, I had to spend one extra year. The then rector said I had continue. But I told him that I could not run three tenure, by then, I had registered for my PhD. I wanted a situation when I would quickly round off my PhD. I had one year in between making sure that I read for my PhD. Again I was appointed the Dean of Part-time Studies of the College. It was while I was there that the governing council sent a search team to me that I was one of those qualified to apply for the post of a rector of the school I did that I just had one year interval. I just finished my tenure as the dean of part-time studies, the late President Umar Shehu Yar’ Adua appointed me as the Rector of the Polytechnic. So the preparation started right from the time I was given birth to as a child.

Also, religion played a critical part in my life and leadership preparation. My parents are strong Catholics, My mother cooked for the reverend fathers and sisters every Sunday; it was like a tradition in the home. Even when we came down to Auchi, she continued that tradition.

How did you sustain this style of leadership in this school?

The factor has been prayer and the indepth knowledge of God. When you know God, there is nothing you cannot do.

While I was growing up we were neck deep in religious activities, even when I got married, I made sure I was in religious activities, my parents didn’t teach us any other way. Than that is where I can say I derive my strength.

When you put the discipline one had and the art of saying the truth, doing things the way it should be, those are the things, we were taught right from childhood.

How are the staff /student relating with your leadership style For the staff, I am not new to them, especially those of them who have been in the system for long and I have been holding leadership position before now. Despite that leadership styles are different. In order for the staff to imbibe my leadership style, when I came on board, I had to address the different groups in the academic community to let them know my vision and mission for the school and for everybody to key into it so that we can carry the polytechnic to greater heights. One of my major visions was to see that everybody was computer literate so that they can fit into any aspect of our endeavour. We started changing their perception. We started sending them for seminars, both within and outside to fit into the global standard of doing things. Today Auchi Polytechnic is one of the leading institutions in Africa going by Commonwealth ranking.

Our aim is to make this polytechnic the best in Nigeria.

Also when I came on board I organised leadership training for key staff and S tudents’ Union leaders locally and internationally.

W

Auchi Polytechnic ranked among many universities in Nigeria Those who know Mrs Phlilipa Idogho would attest to the fact that her choice as the Rector of Auchi Polytechnic was a wise decision. She has served in different capacities in Auchi Polytechnic before her present calling. In an encounter with Daniel Ailemen of The Nation, Idogho talks about what it takes to run a successful institution like Auchi Polytechnic, her journey into teaching among others.

Excerpts:

What are the challenges The main challenge that this administration has is funding.

If Auchi Polytechnic is given a special fund, you will see a small London in Auchi, but we’ve been struggling to manage the meagre internally generated revenue to survive even the subvention that we get cannot get us anywhere.

How have you been coping with the problems of accreditation and the problems of cultism?

Funding is still a challenge if the school is properly funded, accreditation will not be a problem. Inasmuch as funding is the problem, we still make sure that we get accreditation. When I came on board, I came up with the idea of training the leaders of the students. Once you came into the office, we organise one week leadership training.

Once the head is good it will rub off on the body. We equally sent them out either to attend courses in the UK or International conferences in Abuja. They equally take part in debates. In 2009 we came first in the debate all over Nigeria, 2010 second. In International conferences they did well. In 2009, the then Students’ Union leader was chosen to represent youths in Dublin or somewhere. The students have been very good. Apart from that we partner with our brothers and sisters; they come every year they give scholarship to students who have performed very well. That again has improved the reading culture of the students. We equally showcase those who have excelled during our matriculation and convocation. In 2010 Afribank organised workshop for all final year students. They have equally changed their perception by introducing dress code. If you go round the school today, you will see how well the students of the polytechnic dressed. You are addressed the way you dress. We ran that campaign for a year and the students key into it. Security helped us in enforcing it right from the gate.

If you are not well dressed, you cannot enter into the polytechnic, even if you are a visitor.

We equally have good security. Another thing we did when we came on board was to build the perimeter fence. We had to change the two gates.

I don’t know if you pay attention to non academic activities When we came on board, we discovered that Auchi Polytechnic was even banned from the NIPOGA Games. I had to go to Ado Ekiti that year to attend NIPOGA Games for that year and pleaded with the organisers and after paying some penalty, we were readmitted. Since then, we have been taking part, apart from that, we have inter-school and inter-department sports we keep them busy. For the staff too, we do this walk. We get a place in town we walk round to school. We give certificate to staff that participates.

Since then, academic session has been smooth. No strike now. As a result of this we convocate students regularly.

When I came on board I discovered that five sets of students have not had their convocations, I then did combine

•Idogho convocation for them. Now convocation is regular. When students know that when they graduate, they will have their convocation, no student will wants to disrupt the academic calendar.

What is your philosophy of life?

The main philosophy of life I have is to see smiles in peoples faces. When you are happy, I am happy. I just like helping people to be satisfied. When they are not satisfied I try to find out what their problems and to be satisfied. That is what I’m cut out to do in this world.

What do you want to be remembered for?

I want to be remembered for the total transformation of the polytechnic and putting the polytechnic in the pride of place that can compete globally. That is exactly where we are and we hope to even improve on this.

Auchi Polytechnic tops other universities in Nigeria in webometric’s ranking In a country where discrimination against polytechnic education and its graduates has refused to abate, the 2011 world ranking of universities is very instructive.

In the recently released ranking, nineteen institutions in Nigeria made the list of globally competitive institutions. Auchi Polytechnic, Auchi, is the only polytechnic in the country that ranked amongst the nineteen institutions. The other eighteen are universities. This piece is not intended at advancing any superiority argument.

But the import of this ranking is that with proper management, polytechnics in Nigeria are as good as the universities in terms of quality of education they can offer and the ability of the graduates of both tertiary institutions to contribute meaningfully to national development.

Placing 11th overall in the ranking, Auchi Polytechnic had ten universities, mainly of the first generation, ahead of it and leading other nine universities.

Since 2008, the polytechnic took decisive proactive measures to ensure that staff and students compulsorily acquired necessary information and communication technology skills to bring them up inline with contemporary teaching and publishing practices.

With the MDG funds and partnership with private corporate institutions, the polytechnic was able to train 850 staff, facilitated ownership of personal computers and deployed IT infrastructure on campus. This raised

computer application from 5% to 80% in three years.

This has enabled staff and students to get on the computers giving and submitting assignments.

This IT drive partly convinced the Commonwealth of Learning, an arm of the Common wealth of Nations, to designate the Polytechnic as a Centre of Flexible Skills Development (FSD). This designation made the Polytechnic one of eight in the whole of Africa to achieve this status.

The FSD is essentially an education facility comprising Community Learners who receive instructions on skills acquisition globally through the internet. Skills so acquired are ploughed into entrepreneurial activities which contribute to national wealth and development.

It is good that Webometric yearly provides a template by which institutions can gauge their standing. The ranking enhances healthy competition and will put the administrators of our tertiary educational institutions on their toes to think creatively on how best to deliver quality educational services to the youths of this country.

Commenting on the ranking, the Rector of the Auchi Polytechnic, Dr. (Mrs.) Philipa Idogho noted that it is cheering news. According to her, ranking amongst the best is not the real issue, the real issue for the polytechnic is remaining at the top.

She assured that the polytechnic management would do what is necessary to maintain its prime status.

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Dr. (Mrs.) P.O. Idogho That focus and determination are the essential ingredients of success find ample testimony in the career trajectory of Dr. (Mrs.) Philipa Omamhe Idogho, first alumna to be appointed Rector of Auchi Polytechnic and the first woman to be so appointed.

Her journey to the exalted office of Rector, Auchi Polytechnic began, with elementary education in Damaturu and secondary education at St. Angelas Grammar School, Jattu. Thereafter, she took a certificate course in Stenography at the Auchi Polytechnic.

She subsequently enrolled for the National Diploma and later, the Higher National Diploma in Secretarial Studies.

With more thirst for education, Dr. (Mrs.) Idogho went to the University of Benin for the Post Graduate Diploma in Technical Education, returning to the university for the Masters degree in Educational Management. She capped her quest for educational satisfaction with a Doctorate in Educational Administration of the Ambrose Ali University, Ekpoma.

She joined the academic services of the Polytechnic in 1983 and has ever since been contributing to the development of the polytechnic in teaching, research and general administration.

Her research capabilities have produced to date, twenty-one scholarly publications in reputable national and international journals, four books and two publications now under consideration.

She has attended over twenty four local, national and international conferences, seminars and workshops in pursuit of knowledge and solutions to the problems besetting education and humanity.

In the administration of the polytechnic, Dr. (Mrs.) Idogho, has served in twenty-nine various committees with distinction.

She served, amongst others, as Chairman, Committee on the Status of Auchi Polytechnic; Chairman, Nigeria Polytechnic Games Ceremonies and Protocol Committee; Chairman, Review Committee of General Studies Programmes. She also served in the UNESCO/TVE Revitalization Committee; the Anticult Rehabilitation Committee and the Students Welfare Advisory Committee.

Appointed higher instructor in the polytechnic in 1983, she rose steadily to become Senior Instructor in 1985; Principal Instructor II in 1987; Principal Instructor I in 1989 and Assistant Chief Instructor/Senior Lecturer in 1992. In 1999, she became a principal Lecturer and in 2002, she capped her promotion with her appointment as Chief Lecturer.

She was a two-term Head, Department of Secretarial Studies, two term Equipment Officer and one term Dean, School of Evening Studies.

A worthy academic ambassador of the Auchi Polytechnic, Dr. (Mrs.) P.O. Idogho has consistently been invited by the National Board for Technical Education to serve on various accreditation panels to Polytechnics and Technical Colleges across the country.

Her industry, drive and enterprise were acknowledged. Just under one year of her appointment as Rector of the Polytechnic when the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria approved her appointment as a member of the Governing Board of the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE).

Since her appointment as Rector of Auchi Polytechnic, she has demonstrated an uncommon administrative savy, initiative, drive and prudence in the management of men and resources.

The results of these qualities are the visible infrastructural transformation leading to the development of a second campus in the institution, a robust staff development, training and retraining policy and upping of ICT compliance of staff from 5% to 80% in just three years.

Her tough stance against forgery of credentials and cheating in examinations drew the attention of the Anti- Examination Malpractice Campaign Organisation of Nigeria which in 2009 appointed her a member of its Board of Trustees.

Her service to humanity is not limited to the polytechnic circuit. Her contribution to faith and religion has been recognised by the Catholic Church where she serves the Almighty God. She is a Lady of St. Mulumba, and was the 2005 and 2009 recipient of the Church’s Achiever’s Awards by the Diocesan and National Catholic Women Organisation (CWO) and the 2009 Achiever’s Award by the Ladies of St. Mulumba, Nigeria.

Apart from academics and religion, her contribution to professional organisations to which she belongs are quite remarkable. She is a member of the National Association of Business Educators; member of the Nigerian Institute of Management, member of the Association for encouraging qualitative education in Nigeria and member of the Institute of Administrative Management of Nigeria. In all of these professional bodies, the Rector of Auchi Polytechnic is a prized asset.

At both state and national levels, Dr. (Mrs.) Idogho has contributed her time, energy and resources to the fight against the AIDS/HIV pandemic. The Nigerian Action Committee on AIDS (NACA) recognised her contribution to the action on AIDS when it invited her to participate in the workshop that drafted the strategic framework for the eradication of HIV/AIDS in Nigeria.

She runs a Non Governmental Organisation (NGO) known as the Women Enhancement Organisation. It is a charitable, non profit making, non partisan and non religious organisation which works in three thematic areas of gender works, HIV/ AIDS and literacy education for rural women.

Various organisations, institutes, bodies and agencies have noticed her positive impact in the educational system and have responded to encourage her by giving her awards. To date she has more than thirty-four of such awards and more are being considered for acceptance.

She is a wife, mother and grandmother happily married to Dr. Nelson Idogho, Medical Director of Akhemekhai Hospital.

On the path of progress Not since 1976 when through direct government intervention to consolidate the polytechnic as one campus institution based in Auchi has the polytechnic recorded so much progress as it has done in the past three years.

Since the year 2008 when Dr. (Mrs.) P. O. Idogho became Rector of the institution, the polytechnic has witnessed a visible significant turnaround.

From the intangibles of institutional tradition to the tangible, the polytechnic has leaped from a comatose state to one of vibrancy.

For three years, the institution has not recorded any forced closure due to strikes by students or staff. This at once has the salutary effect of a consistent academic engagement throughout the three sessions making students more studious and academic and non teaching staff giving of their best in their respective callings.

The tradition of graduating students at the end of every session that was long abandoned and, perhaps even forgotten in the institution, has now been reintroduced. On her assumption of office, five sets of graduates did not pass through the tradition of convocation and awards which are cardinal to an educational institution of the status of Auchi Polytechnic.

In 2009, the Rector ensured that all ‘ungraduated’ students had what could be best described as a mass graduation ceremony when she performed the academic rites for graduands of 2003-2008 with the promise that from thence graduation ceremonies will be yearly.

True to her promise, another ceremony held solely for the graduating class of 2009/2010 academic session. This set had the distinction of being the class that had a singular graduation ceremony in fifteen years!

Of course, it is the expectation that on graduation, the graduands collect their certificates as a conclusive evidence of their years of hardwork and toil. This has not been so until the Rector, an alumna, conscious of the essence of the Polytechnic reversed the trend. The 2009/2010 graduands again became the lucky class to receive their certificates immediately on graduation!!

Certificates for graduands not signed since 2003 are now printed and being signed with the promise to sign all outstanding certificates by June this year. These developments are intrinsic components of educational developments reintroduced in three years of this administration.

But this may well be a tip of the monumental advancement the institution has witnessed.

On infrastructural expansion and development, Idogho: • One storey building housing six large lecture halls built from internally generated revenue in Campus II •One classroom block of three lecture halls built from ETF intervention fund in Campus II. •A block of four lecture halls from social responsibility assistance by the United Bank for Africa built in Campus II. • Completion of the Centre of Excellence building for Polymer Technology Department • Completion of the Library expansion project •Construction of plant services workshop for Agricultural Engineering Technology Department.

• Extensive construction and extension of block wall perimeter fence round the Polytechnic.

• Construction of chain link fence in the Administrative Block, School of Information and Communication Technology, School of Art and Design.

•Completion of the portable water factory which produces 3000 sachets and 200 crates of pure water daily.

•Completion and equipping of a bakery building for the Department of Food Technology.

•Completion of the kitchenette for the Department of Hospitality Management.

•Construction of block screen fence for Eboreime Market and a parking lot.

•Construction of six speed breakers and road signs on the Benin –Abuja highway to reduce vehicular speed and thus save lives of staff and students ?

Construction of a storey building for offices and workshops for Fashion Design Department.

•Procurement of two jeeps, four corolla cars, two buses, and six motorcycles • Ongoing construction of a storey block of studios and offices for the Department of Mineral Resources.

•Procurement of tables and chairs for the offices of Principal Officers, Deans and Directors.

• Construction of a 100 seater lecture theatre • Construction of a 100 seater ICT building in Campus II (construction is already in progress) • Proposed construction of a new Administrative Block for the Polytechnic.

•Founding of the School of Information and Communication Technology, which is made up of programmes in Mass Communication, Statistics, Computer Science, and Office Technology and Management?

•Sponsorship of 296 members of staff to various seminars and workshops as at 2010.

• Training of 750 staff in various computer applications.

•A collaborative policy that enabled staff purchase 500 laptop computers.

• Forty-nine members of staff are currently on various post graduate degree programmes of which 20 are pursuing

doctoral degree and 29 are pursuing masters’ degree programmes.

ICT DEVELOPMENT •A 100 seater e-learning facility donated by the Nigerian Communication Commission.

•A 100 seater e-learning facility built by the PTDF on Campus I. • Provision of internet facility for the Library, Admin block, School of Everning Studies and School of Information and Communication Technology.

ELECTRICITY • Provided generators for use in the Libray complex, the Administrative block, the cottage hospital, Poly ventures, the students hostels, School of Information and Communication Technology and the School of Evening Studies.

• Introduced Solar powered street lighting in Campus II and East and West end gates.

TEACHING FACILITIES •Purchased and installed 165 HP Computers for the various academic departments.

•Procured tools/equipment for the Department of Science Laboratory Technology, Mineral Resources Engineering Technology, Photography, Ceramics/Glass, Civil, Mechanical and Electrical/Electronics Departments, Food Technology, Banking and Finance, Polymer Technology and Office Management and Technology.

HEALTH SERVICES •The administation fo Dr. (Mrs.) P. O. Idogho last year provided a modern incubator and a modern operating theatre enabling the hospital to provide ante natal care and post natal management.

LINKAGES Good tertiary educational institutions are international communities. Through linkages, institutions share academic properties and exchange staff and ideas. Since the EEC collaboration ended in 1994, not much has happened in this area until this year when the Polytechnic secured a linkage programme with the Commonwealth of Learning (COL).

The COL has designated the polytechnic as a Centre for flexible learning for the provision of learning opportunities to segments of the society which lack access to education and staff acquisition programmes. The Polytechnic is one of eight of its kind to achieve this status in Africa.

The Polytechnic is working on an agreement with the Anambra State University, Awka and the Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba for the award of degrees in technical.

FINANCE When this administration was inaugurated in April, 2008, the finances of the institution were in a shambles. The immediate past interim administration had obtained a loan of N150 million from Zenith Bank which, today, has grown above N200 million.

There was also the outstanding payment for contracts executed which had accumulated to about N300 million.

Significantly, this administration has successfully administered the financial resources of the institution without recourse. To bank overdraft.

The long outstanding contract debts have been substantially defrayed, with arrangements already concluded to settle all pending claims related to contract jobs. It is noteworthy that in the midst of the various ongoing building projects which are products of Education Trust Fund (ETF) and Petroleum Trust Development Fund (PTDF) intervention, there are a number of buildings which are entirely funded from the institution’s internally generated revenue resource.

Accreditation of programmes is a critical index in successful management of academics. This administration operates a robust financial management template which is manifest in the smooth, almost frictionless running of the different sub-systems of the institution. Thus, the stress of funding accreditation of programmes is carefully dissipated such that it does not affeect other institutional operations.

That the institution, today, enjoys a peaceful financial atmosphere is a clear consequence of prudent management of its scarce resources.

WELFARE The Polytechnic management takes the welfare of its staff and students seriously. It has done all that is right within approals of higher authorities to give to staff what is due to them. The Polytechnic has met its obligation to staff in respect of: • Payment of promotion arrears. In fact, until the inception of this administration, promotion arrears were unheard of.

•Payment of 53% salary increase with arrears accruing thereto.

•Payment of 24 months arrears Payment of 7% due to members of academic staff.

• These were achieved without rancor and strikes as would have been under previous administrations.

As already observed, no Management in the recent past has taken a wholistic approach to the development of the Polytechnic as this Management has done these three years.

Much has indeed been achieved in the last three years; much still needs to be done for the Polytechnic. With the mindset and focus of the Rector and her Management team, much will again be achieved in the years ahead.

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Federal Polytechnic, Ado-Ekiti Ekiti State Maintaining the culture of discipline The Rector, Federal Polytechnic, AdoEkiti Ekiti State, Mrs Taiwo Theresa Akande, has been in the service of the institution for more than 31 years. She is currently pursuing her doctoral degree. For many years she was a lecturer in the institution, in this interview with Daniel Ailemen, she explains the secret behind the recent growth of the school Excerpts: How has it been before getting to this position you’re currently occupying?

I am a graduate of the University of Ibadan, I hold a BSc degree in Micro-Biology, MSc and currently pursuing a PhD. I rose through the ranks, from position of Lecturer 3, 2 and I became Chief lecturer and later Dean of School. I was the Dean of the Continuing Education Centre, that’s our part-time campus. I also served two terms as a Deputy Rector before the Lord now put me in the position of Rector on 18th December, 2009.

You have always been known and honoured for excellence. What exactly prepared you for this leadership position?

Well I have always been doing my work in accordance with my nature and in accordance with the sense of responsibility which has been in me.

I don’t see anything extraordinary in what I do. But if you ask me, how I was prepared for this position? In looking back, I would say, at the time you’re being prepared, you don’t realise you are being prepared, but when I look back at my life, I say preparation started a long time, because I came to this institution straight from postgraduate school. I was on scholarship, when I was preparing for marriage, I had to drop my studies after my Masters programme. I joined the service in 1980 immediately. The person who was the head of my unit then, Microbiology. I had to leave for the University of Ilorin and he recommended me to the HOD that I should be the Unit Head. I was newly married and I have not worked before. From my youth service, now I became the head.

I ran to the HOD to decline the offer but the HOD said I had to do it. Along the line, I was head of various committee later head of department twice from 1992 – 1993. I later became the Dean of the school of Science.

If you look at the history of my life, I had been prepared for the leadership position. I attended a Convent School, Our Lady of Apostle Primary and Secondary School in Lagos, and you know in those days it was manned by Reverend Sisters, and we were readily taught in all sense of the word, then I attended the University of Ibadan, at that time standard was very high, so it has always been something in-built, something I acquired along the way. So whenever I find myself I will just discharge my responsibilities. I had a very beautiful upbringing. I had parents who in all sense of the word really brought us up. They inculcated discipline in us. I could recall in 1960, they used to give us exercise books; we mistakenly took someone’s juice books home. My father beat us and returned it and told the school authority to openly beat the hell out of us at the school assembly.

These were the things that shaped my life and made me what I am today. So I can not claim credit for any of these. But I give credit to all the instructions that moulded me.

What has been the relationship between you and the staff / students, especially the one that has to do with your management style?

Human management is the most difficult aspect of management. It is easy to manage material resources, infrastructure but when it comes to human management; you have to take into account the diverse human nature but the Lord has been helping me. My upbringing, schools I passed through and a lot of experiences have really moulded me. When I was much younger I had a very hot temper but along the line, things changed for better. As a head of department,

you cannot afford to lose your temper no matter how angry the situation may be.

As a Dean of School, where you have to deal with a larger set of people, you cannot afford to be anything else other than a leader. What really assisted me also along the line was when I came across the creed.

This made me know the laws of creations. There is no small thing, whatever you do, you take responsibility for them. All these have prepared and have also enabled me manage my position.

Also, I came to understand that I have to love to be able to serve. To lead, you must be ready to serve. If you don’t serve, then you cannot lead that is why our Lord Jesus Christ said:” To be a leader, you must first be the servant. People use the concept of Chief Servant without knowing who a servant is. it has to come from inside of you. You really must learn to love. In other words, you must look at your fellow human being, what talent he or she has. The Lord has given you the opportunity to develop this in him or her. So you look out for the best in him, leave his weaknesses. By the time you develop him, he will drop those weaknesses in him. So, one must love to serve. If you cannot love, you cannot be a true leader, it is not possible.

How do you sustain the management integrity in this school?

If you look at all the challenges, all the forces against leaders, not only in the schools, but all over the world today, you will find out that any leader who wants to succeed must really want to give himself and to consider himself last or else he will be swallowed by the ocean of impurity around him. It is very difficult to be an Island of purity in an ocean of impurity that is the call for today’s leaders. For you then to achieve this, they must not compromise values at the same time they must not run against the will but be able to find a balance. I had the privilege to work with the former rector of the school, Prof Olawumi Ajala. He used to say: “Madam when you’re on a journey and you are to deliver an important speech and you have a specific time limit, and along the way, people are disturbing you with all kinds of distractions, when you know this mandate must be delivered and you have a specific time to deliver, you don’t allow yourself to be distracted.” I never forgot that, so when those distraction come, they do not distract me. I remember those words, I have set myself a goal and the expected mandate must be delivered, so I don’t allow anything, no matter how challenging they are to distract me. And I know to be able to do this, I must maintain my own personal integrity, I must maintain the integrity of this institution and must also ensure that all those the Lord

•Akande has put together to work with me must be maintained, I have learnt overtime to achieve that delicate balancing art to achieve my set goals without compromising my integrity.

How do you think your staff and students will describe you?

I think they will be in a better position to answer that question but I can tell you, initially when I started; I first believed that I should institute leadership by example. If you want people to resume work by 8 o’clock, then you must resume quarter to eight. A meeting scheduled for 10a.m. means everybody must

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be there five minutes before ten. As a leader, I should be there earlier. Like I said initially, it did not go down well with some people because people felt that they were already trying their best and here I was putting them on their toes. You can imagine resuming at 10am and closing at 2 pm. It wasn’t easy, but by and large people are now coming to see things my way. Almost on a daily basis, I receive text messages, that is what I encourage, say whatever they like to me positively or negatively. If you want to abuse me say it, I will read in between the line to wonder why this person is saying what he/she is saying, there is a thing on his mind. I will invite that person over to come and discuss and see what the problem is all about. I receive more that 100 SMS daily from members of the polytechnic, staff and students; from these, I am able to assess their feelings.

What is your philosophy of life?

My philosophy of life is predicated on love and service. Right from childhood, I have always wanted to serve the Lord. There was a time I wanted to become a Reverend Sister, because I felt that was the area I wanted to serve. The desire to serve, to do the best in whatever capacity, has always been my philosophy.

Showing love to everybody, using the resources which He has given me to assist others are also part of my philosophy. For me, the value of life does not rely on material things, which people surround themselves with.

Sentiment cannot enter into leadership. If you are sentimental, you will never be a good leader because then your judgment will be biased. I can be sentimental in my private life but when it comes to official duties, I put sentiment aside; instead, I do that which is best for everybody, which will benefit everybody.

What has been your achievement since you assume office?

Well, if you look around, you will see some of the things which we have been doing in the last one and half years. Unfortunately, we have being constraint by funds. When I came on board, it was as if everything could just take off immediately but one had to go within the constraint of the material resources available. My dream is to make this institution ICT compliant, digitalise all our operations such that we be able to fit into global best practices. Our school will not be left behind, now our website is active. There is a new building, it is going to be a world class ICT centre, courtesy of Education Trust Fund (ETF) based on my presentation to ETF which was approved. The operation of our Central Library is full digitalised.

Another crucial plan is staff development. I know you cannot, give what you don’t have. If we want our graduates to be industry compliant, then, our teaching must be upgraded. We are putting in place adequate training and re-training, both locally and internationally, despite our poor financial position.

Then, students’ welfare, there was a time the students too went on a compulsory holiday because of a number of factors, we had to quickly use that period to transform their hostels. We went into their rooms, toilets and surroundings to identify the problems and fix them. This is an ongoing exercise. I have told the director of maintenance services to look into all the hostels immediately the students are on vacation to put things right before they resume.

I am also looking at the welfare of staff living on the

campus. We are going to do a complete rehabilitation on those building which have not been maintained since the 80s. We are also looking at rehabilitation of the libraries and workshops as some of the equipment need to be replaced and upgraded.

Also we are building a new academic board complex that is also coming up.

The old one cannot service our needs. Also coming up are new classrooms complex courtesy of ETF and many other construction on the campus are coming up.

Entrepreneur development which the government has put in place has been established on our campus. We need a building for that purpose and First Bank has approved a building for use for that purpose.

The entrepreneur ventures have taken off on this campus. We are getting some incomes from internally generated revenue (IGR) like from sales of feed from our farms. A new engineering building is coming up at the Obasanjo Engineering Complex.

People talk about cultism and non-accreditation of courses as being the somee of the problems confronting many polytechnics in Nigeria. What is the situation here?

All our programmes are fully accredited we are preparing for another set of accreditation. This institution is the first to get all its programmes accredited in the entire country; that was in 1982 when we were in Akure, having set that standard. Since then, we have been improving on what we have. In fact, we never had problems with our accreditation.

Also we have always been meeting government’s guideline of 70:30 ratio for science and art studies.

That is why you see most of the constructions going on are in sciences area. That is why we have pressure in this school on admission, the present Post UME we have thousands of students wanting to come to this school, we 47,000 wanting to enter this school but we have space for 2,000. People subscribe to our institution and this is based on our track records.

How would you rate polytechnic education to that of university?

I am a product of the university but I have been in the polytechnic system for 31 years. I have to say with sincerity that there is equal emphasis of theoretical and practical in the polytechnic and the university.

There is no difference in the syllabus of the polytechnic and that of the university, at least I am a product of the university and I can tell you that I am able to assess both. In fact, in the polytechnic, we go the extra mile and we now provide the practical aspect which the university doesn’t provide. Talking of accreditation, if you have not conducted the minimum standard, you fail that accreditation. It was when I got to the polytechnic that I learnt how to use the microism for cutting sections .In the university, the sections are already cut for you because I had to teach my students who will be teaching how to use these things, I have to go for a crash programme in using the equipments.

To me, I am saying it with all sincerity, not because I am working in the polytechnic, the graduate of the polytechnic should be rated higher than their university counterparts. Who knows? Whether that was how it was in the past. The problems came when the industries started closing down. If the industries are back, of course, many companies will prefer to go to the polytechnic than university to recruit their workforce.

In fact, government should give us more funds to operate, to be able to have more equipped laboratories and workshop and studios than the university for the growth of the economy. That is why it has not been easy for many people to go and establish private polytechnics. The polytechnics institution standards are so high that not many people can come into it.

How do you ensure that your students/staff maintain a given level of integrity on their chosen career and how have you dealt with the manace of cultism?

Human management is not the easiest of management. That is why it is important for the leader to have a level of integrity, transparency, administrative acumen. People see you working your top to integrity that will encourage them to do likewise. We are fortunate in this institution that the standards have already been set by my predecessor; all that was left for me was to maintain that standard.

I have added one or two, so we have been able to curtail all those nefarious activities on leadership at the different levels of the institution. We ensure that only approved textbooks are sold to students by the committee setup for that purpose, so you bring your text books to the committee, they are reviewed and assessed, then price is recommended. If any person tries to be funny, he faces a Disciplinary Committee.

Also, for examination, I have an Examination Monitoring Committee put in place. They are in charge of the examination hall, grading of scripts and so on.

When I came on board, I established the RectorStudents’ Forum. We meet once in a while, I discuss with the class governors, most of them have my GSM number, so if there is any problem they text me.

With respect to cultism, we have the grace, you can

ask from our immediate environment we never had any cult related problem because we have been able to beat such activities before they occur. In fact, there was a time the institutions around us, wanted to invade because they felt our campus is too quiet but because of the security network in place, they could not operate here. We also have this periodic cult renunciation programme where a list goes out, and we say come out and renounce all cult activities. The last time we learnt some-students went outside the campus, we got wind of it and they were called, now they know all eyes are on them, that is why the cult have not found our campus same for their activities. When we talk of cult activities there is no way you can divorce your campus from the larger society. It is the larger society that impact negatively to our own micro- society here but because of all the measures put in place they can not be able to operate here.

We also lay emphasize on sporting activities, we have the inter- departmental games which are ongoing.

The idle mind/hand is the devil’s workshop, so apart from the heavy academic work, we let them take part in some recreational activities. So many students prefer HiTV to DSTV, we provided both for them so by the time a student comes back from classroom, take part in some sporting activities, relax in evening with is his/her television then read his/her is books; there will be no time such nefarious activities. So if somebody is calling him for something he will not have the time forsuch. So we keep them busy with activities all time.

What about industrial unrest by the academic and non academic staff?

For the fact that I am an insider, somebody coming from outside will find it difficult to control the unrest.

The unrest is centered on all these allowances, there is a lot of ambiguity for instance, if there is an allowance that is being paid for one group and the other is excluded, there will be problems. But I have been able to weather the storms and that is why there has not been any major staff unrest in this campus. Also, I maintain constant dialogue, just like the students many of the executive members of academic and nonacademic unions have my GSM number and I always maintain an open door policy. So when the leader is transparent, there will not be problem.

On finance, it is open for them to even approach my bank managers to see my account if any funny transaction transpired. By and large, these are my colleagues I have known them for ages, we talk and dialogue.

How have you been able to manage all these challenges from funding students/staff’s and attitudes?

I will not pretend that challenges don’t exist. I requested for this job based on my conviction that I have the ability to take this institution to next level. I have the conviction of the almighty God, He granted me the grace to this position and He already knows that all the challenges I am facing has already been taken care of.

So when these challenges come, I take them, based on my conviction on the almighty Lord. So, when they come, they are personally big task to enable me to achieve maturity, so, I try to accept myself so that I can accept other people. When you come to that recognition, and knowing that you are not the most important element, there are people more qualified than you but it is only the grace of God that put you in that position, you need to be thankful and ask for divine guidance. Those are the ways I have been able to manage these challenges.

How do you cope with funding?

Funding has been a major challenge, in the areas of personal, capital projects.

Our saving grace has been to ETF, also our IGR. Since government cannot do all for us, though I have not been able to achieve most IGR because of human element and bureaucracy, reports to the board l, committee to do market survey and all that, may take two or more years. Take our farmland, which we want to use for farming and partnership with the private sector is good, I can just say let go into partnership. A lot of bureaucracy is involved before such can take place already, we have been able to sign an MOU with a partner in this direction.

What would you like to be remembered for after your?

Someone who was given an opportunity to serve and who served to the best of her ability. My life involves service. We have some physical structures all round the campus. We have computers laboratories in Obasanjo Engineering Complex. We are going to have an additional three computers’ laboratories, our website is being upgraded, the students can use the laptops to access the website now even from there hostels. My next plan is to do e-learning, e-teaching relationship between lecturers and students. This institution must be able to compete with is pairs in any part of the world.

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Federal College of Education, Eha-Amufu Sustaining integrity

By every standard, Professor Ben N. Mbah (FHSN), provost Federal College of Education Eha-Amufu, Enugu State would rank as one of the best performing provost in Nigeria today. In this interview with Daniel Ailemen & Uche Osiesi, he speaks about his challenges, achievements and other issues in more than one year in office.

Excerpts: have started one and completed it. So we are now going to You are known for your various achievements in the past, what are secrets?

I have been a professor in the University of Nigeria Nsukka and I have had the opportunity to function in various leadership positions as Director and some other demands like being in committees. Probably that is part of what prepared me. I am also a clergy man. So I do interact with people.

How do you sustain integrity in the schools?

I think my last sentence is a key. Primarily, I work knowing that I am accountable to God Almighty. It’s not something you place as a mask that you hide the truth, by the Grace of God, I have an inner motivation, that’s what has helped me in sustaining integrity. I do not work in order to get the applause from men. When I came here, my aim was not to impress anybody or eye service, but you know in trying to please God you may not be able to please men. That’s part of the problem of integrity.

What has been your challenges since you assume office?

Well, one thing is that this college is in a rural setting. That is, one of the good things that the Federal Government is doing to bring government to the grass roots. But unfortunately, we haven’t progressed as we ought to, at least that is my impression when I came. So, that is the first challenge. If you are aware, the first year when I came, the support of the government there was a lot of cuts, so that even what we planned, we were not able to achieve. But with what we had, we were satisfied with our achievements. When I came also actually to this particular place, the school was closed. So the first challenge I had was to reopen it. What I found out, you know is what I had as an idea before. It is easy to close a school but to open it, is not easy. You have to ensure that security and every thing has been taken care of. So that is part of the challenges. Also, we had quite some unfinished project that’s a challenge and we have been battling it one by one. Student’s hostels, some uncompleted buildings and we have done a few with the funds that we have gotten. Of course there is also the human angle.

So, when I came here, this context is always there you know?

The human factor. So, it’s a challenge since I am coming from some where and I think I have something to offer. But first of all you have to win the support of your people and I think I have done that because “Abinisho” I have had complaints about people petitioning, this has been done to them I said ‘okay, I want you to know that I am new here but I have come with a sincere heart. Let push this place up. I happen to come from this area so I have a lot at stake in the sense that I am looking forward to a long time effect. Not just something to do and runaway. No, I want the thing that I am doing to be such that the good effect will continue for many times to come. And I must say I haven’t gotten a lot of opposition. They have been working with me. The unions, in fact just some few days ago, I addressed the COEASU. COEASU is equivalent to ASUU in the university. Some of the problems were presented before me. I told them that I was already doing something about it. I look at them as my congregation. That is what it is. And the things that they are demanding are like projects to me and as I achieve them, I am happy. It’s not just that you want something; but that has to be legitimate. And it is because it is legitimate, that is why we have started doing something about it. But you have to be patient with me because often, people think that things are coming and some people are holding it. You know, I try to be as transparent as I can but of course you know that certain things, for inexpediency you don’t disclose. But as far as transparency is concerned, you come you see everything.

What has been your achievement so far?

Well, the students are there now. I brought them back. We have some new completed projects. We have like two phases of our hostels, we have some completed buildings in HPE, that’s the Health and Physical Education, and the extension of the Medical Centre. These are the things we have achieved within the time. We have also some ongoing ones we try to advance. They are not yet completed. We have two projects that are ongoing right now, in fact I could say three. One is still moulding but they are all the things that have happened within my one year plus in office. So, these we call achievements.

There is relative peace. The students have come. They lost some months but we have covered it. That is we have rescued the almost a session that we were lost. We have finished it. We

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start another one. Right now you can see students. No space for them, then. So, I think these are achievements. There is peace and I have quite some greater amount of acceptance going on again because this was a new person. I believe that some of the thing that I promised, I have put, in place.

Water is a problem in this place. One of the things that have caused it is that boreholes do not work here. It is because of the topography of the place. If you dig, they say it is a coal and shell thing, so you don’t. Water has been a problem, but we have been trying in various ways to augument it. We have something concrete storage tanks and there is a new thing we are experimenting right now. We have sunk; something that is called “tube well”. It’s like a borehole. But it’s big enough to allow people to go in. we have a tube well and we believe that during the dry season, we would be able to test how much water it will get for us. If we succeed in that one which is done already just to test it, then by next year we should be able to do two more. If we do those three, it will solve our water problem.

However, it may not produce portable water until we treat it.

Water is really a problem. But from what we have done I think we have tackled it.

What is your philosophy of life?

When you talk about philosophy, what I understand by it is on what basis are you living, acting and doing the things that you are doing? My philosophy of life is based on my faith, okay. If I say religion you may be misunderstood. It is based on my faith. I strongly believed that I have a part to play. In Igbo land it is said that ‘onye obula nwere akaraka’, that thing is a very serious thing. The implication is that, our creator created us for a purpose. It’s strange, but I tell people that my coming here is part of God’s purpose for me. And he will like me to leave a mark. I believe that I have a purpose to fulfill in life and my coming here is one of them. So that is how I do my best. The philosophy I have in life, when I meet people, I deal with people. I deal with them not like a disposable material but like Igbo man said, it is the stream thing not “nku”. It is like marriage. They said that marriage is like going to the stream. You go and come back you go and come back. But going to fetch firewood, you go, carry, you never go there again because you have taken it. So, that is the kind of philosophy that I take. I am a scientist, am really not good in what they call philosophy. That is why I tried to explain to you what I understand by philosophy. I believe also that you reap what you sow. I am always conscious of that. Of course I also believed that the main thing about man is what is inside of him. And what is inside you is not found out just by one action, but track record. What you do all the time, that is what says what is inside you.

How do your staff /students relate to your leadership/ integrity style?

I have this open door policy. Students come to see me here, staff come to see me. I can’t compare myself with others because I don’t know. But I believe I have an open door. The students come, the staff come and people come. We maintain channel of communication, but sometimes, there is need for people to have my phone number. So, I think I am quite free because I have an open door in relating. But of course, I am not saying that everybody is dancing to my tone. In fact, if every person is saying you are doing well, you better look again. So, I know that some people are probably not happy with my kind of style. I can’t do either. I can’t do otherwise because I have told them that a lot of my attitude and way of living and actions are already made. If I come to a new environment, I have something inside of which I will now begin to readdress of what is happening. So, I think I am doing quite well.

How do you rate polytechnic to university education?

I hope you know this is college of education not polytechnic.

You know, one of the things I tell people is that this western education, have it. Do you understand? We learnt it and it is good to understand the spirit behind what these people who brought this thing have in mind. I think what they have in mind is that there will be high, middle, low and these things are necessary. So if you look at it that way, we can now say that polytechnics and the type of people that they train are essential.

The university and the type of people they train are essential.

The important thing is doing the correct training so that these functions would be performed. Do you understand? For us here, let me not answer outside what you have asked. That’s

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the way I look at it. I don’t think everything should now be leveled so that every person is learning the same thing. No. Some people have to do this and others that, and in fact, you know that our capabilities are different which is natural. The Igbo man says that the fingers are not equal. It is for a purpose.

So, we can’t put everybody in the same level. The only thing I want to advocate is that sometime in ASUU, we were saying that our take home doesn’t take us home. We should do such a thing that wherever you are fulfilling a niche let your take home take you home.

Cultism in our higher institutions has become a ‘sick baby’ that needs urgent attention, how would you handle it?

I came from a place where we used to have cults and a leader came and said he had a zero cultism tolerance to cult activities.

Strange enough, the thing almost disappeared. There wasn’t too much of force, but there was force. There was security, but the man’s administration was such that every person felt that he was trying within the things available to him. The workers, the students, even the contractors they dealt with, and there was peace. Often, this cultism has to do with grievances, but not all. It is a way by which some people try to express grievances and so, if you take care of them; there won’t be such need. So, when I was coming, I had that in mind too.

Cultism has to be dealt with by good security, good administration that tries to communicate with the people. You try to get the best out of them by communication, convincing and so on. Let them know that you have the best for them. You will see that cultism will go. There are many people who are convinced just by the way you deal with them. A few will want a knock in the head and the security will take care of it.

They will say this man is serious and every person will comply.

For us in this particular place, students are students. But all I have done, all my life is teaching. And I have continued to say it that a teacher is like parents. If the parents now become crazy, what will happen to the children? That is what we are getting these children to be. So, let us know that we are parents.

When you are parenting, you want to transfer the good to your children. So that is the way I look at people. Communicate back with them and I think that cultism, if it is here. And being a teacher institution as a parenting institution, how can you expect cultism to flourish? A father, who is a cultist, does not do it in his house. When he comes he preaches. So this place is like a holy ground. We are producing the people who are going to determine what will happen in many years to come in this country. We can’t have rascals or crazy people doing that in this country.

After your tenure, what would you want to be remembered for?

This place is a federal institution. I said it before that it one of the things the government is doing to remember those in the rural area. When I go, I would like to be remembered that my administration helped because I may not be able to do it alone helped to accentuate, that is make greater this intention of the federal government. We put this place in a stage that when you come, you will say whao! This place is wonderful in terms of the student we produce, in terms of the commitment of the staff and the influence we have in the community. That’s what I would like to be remembered for.

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Federal College of Education Technical) Umunze ... growth is continious

•Ogbuagu days, the certificate your have in education is very important.

In fact, the National Teachers Council insist that all the lecturers in higher institutions, universities and polytechnics must all go back and have a little knowledge of education process of teaching so they can deliver more properly. If somebody gets in there and obtains (NCE) then moves on from there, the person would have achieved a very important aspect of being somebody in life. Even if you eventually want to be a lawyer, you see that you will be a professional teacher and a lawyer and you can not be at a loss, rather an added advantage, same thing to everybody in other areas. If you have the idea of how to transmit knowledge, a teacher, you are going to do better, all of us attend conferences and workshops and I can tell you that what you do in those places are quite different from teaching. If you watch some professors present papers, you can see that some of them lack the styles of that profession.

At his young age as a professor of Chemistry, Prof. Josephat Okechukwu Ogbuagu, become the provost of Federal College of Education (Technical) Umunze in Anambra State . However, what interests him the most is the cordial relationship existing between the college and the host community and indeed, the assistance being given to the school by the federal government of Nigeria and the Anambra State Governor, Mr. Peter Obi. In this interview with Nwanosike ONU & Daniel AILEMEN, in his office at the institution, he reels out his administration’s achievements since his appointment in 2010 as the provost of the institution. He maintained that the only problem being faced in How has the relationship between the school and the host the college is that of academic challenge. community been, because in some areas, you have skirmishes Excerpts: of fracas at times?

Who is really Prof Josephat Ogbuagu?

My name is Prof. Josephat Okechukwu Ogbuagu, I am from Agulu, in Anaocha Local Government Area of Anambra State. I did my primary school at Umude Primary School. I was at Bendoff Memorial for my secondary school and University of Nigeria (UNN) for my first degree, masters and PhD. I worked briefly as a lecturer in this institution before I joined Nnamdi Azikiwe University (NAU) in 1994. I rose to the rank of Professor of Chemistry in 2006. In 2010, I was appointed the Provost of Federal College of Education (Technical) Umunze located in Orumba South Local Government Area of the State where I have found myself now.

As a person known for excellence, what do you think really prepared you for this task?

Well, my upbringing that is where it started. I have parents who can not take it in half measures, who will insist that it must be the correct way. When I wanted to go to school, they insisted that I must get to the top. So, I promised them to I’m going to do a (PhD) before I stop and also to make sure I remain in the academic environment for me to become a professor and professor of chemistry.

How has it been maintaining integrity in this federal institution?

It is not easy but it is not difficult. Not too easy but not impossible; let me put it that way. You have to do the correct thing, especially, now that we are having year one degree students, everyone will want to know how we are going to do it and get the same standard with other institutions. So, it is a big task and we are prepared for the big challenge.

There are so many challenges in this institution, how has it been taking them headlong?

The first thing is academic challenge, being able to maintain the standard, being able to make sure that those small things or the big ones that happen in higher institutions which are vices that occur like cultism are taken care of. I can proudly tell you that this place is cult free, I do not know what will happen tomorrow but I can tell you that we do not have that kind of problem here. In academic excellence, we are among the highest.

Our students are there, they are all for degree programmes at Nsukka and UNIZIK, go and check the records, they always come out tops, the environment is clean, we make sure we maintain standard. Very soon, we will move everybody to the permanent site and probably, leaving one school here. We are expecting that the World Bank will soon give us a vocational training centre, where we train these young men who are not very busy, I would not want to call them idle people to train them in skill areas that actually give money and give stability in society.

You have just given an insight into some of your achievements, can we go further to reel your achievements out?

Sometimes, people come to tell me that I have done this or that, sometimes I wonder if I really did them. The first thing I did

here when I came in was to look at staff welfare to make sure that everybody is happy. When I came in here, there was only one Chief Lecturer, the other two were suspended because they said they had problems but I begged council to allow my management to intervene. The council did allow us and I brought three of them back, then we had four chief lecturers. I looked at their promotion; I discovered that people were not promoted when they should be promoted. Seven of them, we got them abreast and promoted to Chief Lecturers. That was my first two months. During the last year promotions we got three more Chief Lecturers and we are still moving. So the first thing I did here when I came here was making sure that nobody was short changed.

There after, we faced our environment. The next is the facility, how to work the body, the bodies that will go on intervention like the ETF and today, I can assure you that we have a good number of them. Now we have classrooms, the library was not occupied when I came in but we fixed them by completing it and today we are using it. Right now, it is being used, it is a very mighty structure, we have moved from the small hot called library to what the entire world will see as a complete library. There were some lecturer halls that were not tidied up and we got all of them fixed. We have almost completed the fencing of the institution and that will help us secure the environment completely. We have already moved four schools to the permanent site, this last week, we brought in six new departments including Igbo language to the institution. So we now have Igbo language, we are starting Adult Education and non formal, six of them on the whole. Also, we are trying to increase the number of students being admitted. Last year, we had the highest number ever admitted in this college about 852 students for the first time before now, they were only recording about 200 people. This year, we are going to take about that and we are going to take students for direct entry who will begin in second year and then prepare matriculation for the first year. We want to increase access, increase number of students, we have the facilities, classrooms are there, chairs are there and that is why NUC came here and said, go and award degrees, and that is what we want to do now.

It is always difficult when it comes to accreditation of courses in most of the schools. How has it been with FCE(T) Umunze within this period?

On the issue of accreditation in August the National Commission on Colleges of Education that is the body that does the supervision directly visited us for accreditation and the report they gave us has 100 per cent, all our courses are now fully accredited. Then last week like I earlier said, they came in to look at the facilities we have for the six departments and told us to go ahead to admit students that we are equal to the task.

How do you feel when people compare polytechnic education with university education with some form of derogatory words having been in the system at the highest level in one of them?

You see, it is everybody that understands knows that these

There is no fracas in this area, you see, it is like husband and wife type of relationship. There is no husband and wife that will swear that they have not for one day frown at themselves.

The community is demanding for compensation for the land, they say for the past 20 years the government has been promising them and we are looking at the entire situation and we are helping them now in making sure the cordial relationship continues.

We don’t actually know what the government will say. We want to help them to present the case to the people that should know about them. The little fracas that happened few months ago was as a result of ignorance and when we sat down to discuss with everybody, they found out that there was no need for something like that. That is why I said it is like husband and wife affair.

People will like to know the philosophy of life of his young professor of chemistry heading such a large institution?

(Laughs). If you ask me about philosophy of life, I can tell you that I have never sat down for one day to say I have one Like I told you, I have a father who does not take it or who never took it in half measures. He insisted that you must be busy and be doing correct things at any particular time. When I entered secondary school, I became a prefect and if you are a prefect, you have to make sure that you always do the right things and when I entered the university to do chemistry and with the amount of laboratory work in those days would not allow you to indulge in other excesses. But it never bothered us and I quite believe that those things contributed immensely to who I am today. My thinking is that you just have to work hard, move closer to God, I take my religion seriously. I always ask God to intervene in my affairs while I try to keep to myself.

Tell me what you would like to be remembered for after your stay in this institution.

Yes, I would want to be remembered as somebody who put this place on the maps. By the grace of God, by the time I will be leaving this place as the Provost, it would not be the business as usual because I want to have a situation whereby somebody who visited this institution about two years ago and comes here again to ask if this place is, still the FCT Umunze or another new thing?

Before now, this place used to be referred to as a glorified secondary school, in terms of take off grant from the federal government given to other federal institutions, how has it been?

It has been fantastic, presently, I am the secretary for the Committee of Provosts of Federal Institutions.In my capacity, I can tell you that we interact with people who should know.

This school has a very cordial relationship with the federal government. The government is taking care of us very well.

On the issue of take off grants, I still have to get some facts about it but I know very well that the government is taken care of this place the way it should. Sometimes, one is not enough, but when you talk of funds you have to compare what happens in other institutions of this type, we do not lack.

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THE NATION SATURDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2011

Special Projects:

Nigeria @51

LEADERSHIP EXCELLENCE: SPECIAL FOCUS ON MEN OF INTEGRIT Y INTEGRITY When in 1960, Nigeria secured independence from Britain, hopes were high of a great a country to emerge. But 50 years down the lane, hopes are not commensurate with aspirations and have been seriously dashed. However, this is not to say the country lacks all the necessary human and natural resources to make it an economic giant like America, Germany, Britain, China etc. so where does the problem lies?

Some Leaders of Excellence spoken to attributed the whole problem to leadership and attitude to work. They also complain about the lack of infrastructure and enabling environment also the high level of corruption in government.

Proferring the way forward, they said corruption must be stamped out and conducive environment must be provided for us to get there. And the reforms must be backed up with political will.

In this special report, we start with Prof. Aaron Chinonye Ojule, the chief medical director of University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital.

We want to Build UPTH into a First Rate, World Class Hospital in Nigeria — Ojule The University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH) is undergoing a quiet positive transformation. Thanks to the visionary leadership of Prof. Aaron Chinonye Ojule. Since assuming office in November 2009 as Chief Medical Director (CMD) of the hospital, Ojule has left no one in doubt that he means business; that he’s determined to change the fortunes of the hospital for the best. He’s vigorously pursuing the realization of the three plank major mandates of the institution which are: training, research and efficient clinical service delivery. Every staff and every unit of the hospital is feeling the Ojule impact. Every patients too. Obviously, things are turning around for good for this tertiary care hospital.

With the active support of the Board and Management of the hospital, Ojule, a man with great passion for excellence, manpower development and provision of infrastructural facilities is making a great mark in less than two years of his tenure. It couldn’t be otherwise. For the professor of Chemical Pathology has spent a greater part of his working life and career at UPTH. So he knows the hospital inside-out, He knows the issues, the challenges and understands the mission of the hospital.

In fact, he had the honour and privilege of single-handed writing the vision and mission statements of the hospital some years ago.

See? Add this to his person commitment and dedication to service, then you have exemplary leadership only the person of Prof. Ojule could provide for UPTH. Evidently one of the best performing CMDs in Nigeria today according to the survey carried out by the nation, Ojule recently spoke to the nation on his motivation, challenges, priorities goals and achievements so far, among other things. Excerpts: What was your feeling when you were appointed as the CMD of the Hospital?

I became a staff of this hospital in 1986 and since then I have been challenged with one administrative responsibility or the other.

I joined the hospital as a Medical Officer. I happen to be the first Medical Officer appointed as a Casualty Officer into the Accident and Emergency (A&E) department. In those days, the department was made up of officers drawn from different department:- Internal medicine, O & G, surgery, paediatrics. All of them would contribute their staff to A&E, It had no permanent staff. I was the first permanent staff recruited into the A&E department and so by implication, I had administrative responsibilities. That was between 1986 — 1988. Then I went for residency training at the University College Hospital lbadan. While doing the residency training, at Ibadan, I found myself eventually as the Chief resident in my department.

That was another administrative responsibility. By the time I returned to UPTH in 1992, I was immediately entrusted with the responsibility of running a department as head of department of Haematology and Blood Transfusion, though that was not my specialty. My specialty is Chemical Pathology. At a time, I was running the two department-Chemical Pathology department and the Haematology department together. And I was Head of Chemical Pathology till 2003. At that time, the hospital was in the main Port Harcourt town and the development of the permanent site had just started. A few facilities had been completed. It then became necessary that a clinician be drafted to the permanent site. So I was appointed Deputy Chairman, Medical Advisory Committee to go and take charge of the running of the permanent site. From being the Deputy Chairman, MAC, I contested along with others and I was elected Chairman, MAC when that office became vacant. I served in that capacity until November 2009 when I was appointed the Chief Medical Director of the hospital. So, because I was already familiar with the challenges, I was not too excited, I saw my appointment more as call to greater service.

What were your immediate priorities?

Well, like I said, I have been in the system for quite sometime. And I happened to have moved around this country, especially in the medical area. I also happened to have travelled abroad from time to time. I have seen what medical service should be and I have seen where we are as a nation. The over-riding challenge has always been “why are we where we are”? And what is the driving force of what we are doing? In 2004 there was the need to develop the mission and vision statements of the hospital. The responsibility fell on me. I therefore had the privilege and honour of singlehandedly developing the mission and vision statements of the hospital.

If you read our mission statement, it tells you where we are going.

I can tell you that I didn’t team up with any other person to develop the mission and vision statements of the hospital. The original thought and vision statement of the hospital were mine. Our mission and vision emphasize the point that we must be comparable with our peers outside Nigeria. Health is an international commodity. It has no boundary. Why should we remain where we are? Why should we be sending our people abroad everyday? We are supposed to be a tertiary hospital. That means anything you cannot get in this hospital, you can’t get it anywhere else. That is the challenge. In everything we are doing that is our focus. In keeping with our vision, our goal is to build a first rate, world class hospital.

What have been the challenges so far?

Of course, you would have realized that we are far from where we supposed to be, All we are trying to do is to get closer and closer to where we should be. The challenges are enormous. Finance is one, but I don’t even see it a major challenge, although it is very important. The greatest challenge in my view is the attitude of an average Nigerian to work. Yes, I agree we don’t have the latest equipment, the technology and the right infrastructure. But I still believe that if we optimize what we have, we should be doing better than what we are doing now. So, the real challenge is the attitude to work of the average Nigerian problem. It is not peculiar to this hospital or to the health sector; it is pervasive. The truth is that it is not strictly a Nigerian problem; it is an African problem. It is a black man’s problem. Anywhere you find a Blackman, he has the same attribute. The Blackman, whether in America, Haiti, Canada or elsewhere, he has attitudinal problem. And that is the

difference between us and the other races in the world. We are very hardworking and intelligent people, but we have an attitude problem.

The average black man has a very poor attitude to work. If we had a better attitude to work, we would have gone farther than where we are now, even without enough money, infrastructure, and technology.

But even with the challenges, you have managed to do so much in less than two years of your tenure, share with us some of your achievements so far?

I don’t believe in singing my own praises. That should be left for posterity. As I said earlier. I have been a part of the administration abinitio. And whatever we have achieved is not a one man thing. The previous administration also contributed to it. The credit should go to the entire staff, management and Board, and not only me. Let me however, mention a few things we have done. On the issue of attitude to work. We have tried to tackle that by preaching to our people’s conscience, emphasizing the humanitarian nature of our work, We have been appealing to them on the need to have a rethink. We preach to them at every opportunity we have. We Impress it on them that they need to do better than what they are doing presently Secondly, we have also brought in the Nigeria Institute of Management (NIM) to have some training programmes for the staff of the hospital and they enjoyed it. We’ve tried to change their attitude to work. We have also tried to enforce discipline. If you don’t listen and you don’t do what you are supposed to do and the law catches up with you, you will be dealt with accordingly.

We have also created a conducive working environment for staff and ensured a good industrial relation with our staff and the trade unions.

We have also told them that if you want us to treat you well, then you most show us that you are ready to work and that you are committed to work.

Because of this, there is now reasonable improvement in our attitude to work, but we are not there yet, I have been preaching to my Heads of Department that we have to improve. Above all, we have three major mandate, training, research and clinical service delivery. On training, we are about the highest among Teaching Hospitals with the greatest number of resident doctors in the country apart from training doctors, we also train nurses in collaboration with the University of Port-Harcourt, College of Health Sciences which runs Bachelor of Nursing Science programme. We do internship training in different areas-medical laboratory science, internship in pharmacy, internship in radiography, and in physiotherapy. And of course, we do internship in medicine and dentistry. And so we contribute greatly to training of medical manpower.

We have been able to start two new training programmes. We have Environmental Health Officer’s course, and the first set of students are about graduating. We have also started Post Basic Nursing Programme in Paediatrics. Other training programmes are in the pipeline.

In clinical services area, we have some modest achievements. We have performed some surgeries that have not been done here before, We have tried to improve the service delivery and clinical facilities.

We have tried to create a standard and composite medical record department and refurbished our delivery rooms. Our special care baby unit is one of the best in the country today. It has a large number of incubators. Our oxygen plant is now functional. We have refurbished that of internal medicine as well as obstetrics and gynaecology.

Similarly, we have been able to expand our mortuary which was getting congested, we now have a good mortuary which you will feel like sleeping in. The lifts are now functional. This hospital started developing since 1922 and uptil now we are still struggling to complete it.

We have started some new structures. We are now building kidney and dialysis centre. We are continuing work in our new pediatrics building which was stated by my predecessor. In fact, it is already completed and we hope to move into soon. We also have a nuclear medicine building which was also started by my predecessor and we are also hoping to move in there soon. We have a brand new Avian influenza laboratory and tuberculosis reference laboratory, now fully equipped plus assisted reproduction facility. We have new set of internal road network. (See box for details of achievements) What three suggestions will you offer President Jonathan to help him reform the health sector?

That Nigeria does not need to lose all the millions of dollars it losses every year to the health tourism abroad. Nigerians go abroad every year for one form of treatment or the other. Most of the people that work in those hospitals are not better than the people we have here.

We have more than 130 consultants in this hospital (UPTH). The only difference between us and our foreign counterparts is that they have the technology that we don’t have. And this country has the resources to have that technology. Nigeria is a vast country with many Teaching Hospitals. If we cannot equip all of them, we should at least equip one with the state-of-the-art facilities. The civil service has its internal mechanisms for making suggestions for improvement and this medium is not one of them. However, I am of the opinion, we could pick one specialty hospital like the orthopedic hospital and equip it to the extent that whatever you cannot get in the hospital you cannot get elsewhere. If it is the Eye hospital, then it should be equipped to the extend that whatever you cannot find in that hospital, you also cannot find it anywhere in the world. Nigeria has all the resources to do so

and it is not impossible to do that. If we properly and adequately equip our hospital, then we would not be sending our people overseas for treatment at the slightest opportunity.

I will feel more comfortable if I’m referring patients internally rather than referring patient outside (abroad). I will perfectly advice that we develop the health sector in such a way that we will have just internal referrals. That will save capital flight and serve our people better, will also help us in manpower training. Because, if we have better technology side by side our good health manpower, everything in the health sector will work. Nigerians with the right expertise abroad would come back home to work. With better technology, our Teaching Hospitals will just be fine.

What would be your remedy to curb corruption?

Recently, I was at the Centre for Management Development (CMD) and one issue we discussed was corruption. We agreed that Nigeria as a country is rich but our resources are being cornered by a few people. And that is what is under-developing Nigeria and by extension the whole of Africa. What is the cause and why are we that way? Is it culture, is it genetics, is it our level of development, is it natural instincts? You see some thing good and the natural instinct would tell you to “grab it all”. And you are not bothered whether your brother is living well or not. What is responsible for this? Is it lack of education? But are we not educated? Are we not intelligent? Why do we have that instinct of amassing wealth? Is it insecurity? The people we put in positions of authority plunder and misappropriate our resources. Everybody seems to have the consciousness of let me grab and grab. So how do we solve it?

The rules and regulation/relating to the conduct of government affairs are there, so why don’t we apply them? We promote and celebrate the wrong people. Let us learn to honour and respect the laws of the land. And whoever is caught on wrong side of the law should be brought to book no matter how highly placed. Very important, let us change our values.

I commend the Government for setting up EFCC and ICPC and also the tremendous support that it has given them to perform.

How do we Stem industrial crisis in the health sector?

Here at UPTH, we have a philosophy. We do the much we can under the prevailing circumstances. We cannot close down the hospital completely for any reason. Certainly, we have some groups who are not members of the organize labour. We do the best we can with such groups. In collaboration with some professionals like pharmacists, nurses, doctors. we do our best to prevent unnecessary loss of lives during strikes.

We don’t encourage strikes in the health sector because at the end of the day some avoidable death would take place which will not be in the interest of management. Meanwhile, at the end of the day, there would be a truce and the arrears of salaries and other benefits would be paid but some people would have lost their lives. And it could be anybody: it could be me or you or a loved one.

In UPTH, we have not heard any local or internal industrial crises Management has made conscious efforts to play by the rules. All staff entitlements are released to them promptly whenever made available. We have created an atmosphere of openness, transparency and have tried to earn the first of the industrial unions, Hence there has been a very cordial working relationship. Thus, all industrial crises we have had to face so far have been of national origin.

What would you want to be remembered for?

I am glad I have the privilege and opportunity to serve. While in service, I would do my best. So it would be a thing of joy for posterity to say that I left this place better than I met it. Staff will remember me for changing their attitude to work, making them to take their work more seriously while showing more empathy to patients and generally ensure that the patient is comfortable in every, way. In the hospital setting, the patient is the king. Without the patient, we cannot be here. Our mission statement actually says it all that in anything we do, the patient must be treated in most friendly manner. I believe that if all of us in this hospital, be your clerk, administrator, doctor or cleaner, whatever you are doing should be geared toward making the patient feel better. We all cannot be doctors, but whatever role we assigned to play is very important. I want to be remembered for bringing about this new consciousness and for building UPTH into a model. World class Teaching Hospital in Nigeria.

SOME OF OJULE’S ACHIEVEMENT AT A GLANCE 1. Ensuring stable power supply 2. Ensuring positive change of staff attitude to work 3. Increase in bed state 4. First Total Hip Replacement surgery performed in the hospital.

A major breakthrough 5. First Retinal Detachment surgery by the hospital 6. First Smile Train (Cleft Team) surgery 7. Resuscitation of stalled or abandoned capital projects 8. Ensuring sustained manpower development through employment of new staff and training of old staff for improved efficiently at work.

9. Won the war against mosquitoes which has been a major problem of the hospital over the years 10.Installation of lifts in strategic places 11. Extension of mortuary through internally generated revenue 12.Take-off of Community Heath Officer course 13.Take-off of school of Post Basic Paediatric Nursing 14.Ensuring harmonious working relationship among staff, unions and management 15.New office space for Medical Records department 16. New block/ward for Ear, Nose and Throat department 17. Microbiology department accredited for training of residency programmes 18. Obstetrics & gynaecology department renovation and expanded 19. Commenced construction of permanent site for Burns and Plastics Centre 20. Renovation of clinics and wards of the Internal Medicine department 21. New equipment supplied for surgery, Radiology, Histopathology medicine, microbiology, chemical pathology, heamatology etc.

22. Improvement of the Accident & Emergency centre 23. Permanent planning cells to draw up action plan for the hospital put in place.

24. Supply and installation of 4 Nos, I000K.G and 1600K.G Otis lifts to block A & B 25. Completion of Nuclear Medicine building 26. Completion of out-patient paediatrics and children emergency ward 27. Construction of car parks, access roads and drainage 28. Equipment of Dental Centre 29. Commencement of the construction of Regional Burns Centre, Integrated Kidney Dialysis and transplantation centre Amenity ward, Telecommunication Centre installations 30. Initiation of the proposed Radiotherapy centre, psychiatry ward, ENT ward, GOPO, extensive, etc

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