The Nation Publication for Saturday 8th, 2014

www.thenationonlineng.net

THE NATION

2 NEWS

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2014

PVC REGISTRATION

T

INEC bungles PVC exercises in Lagos

HE Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos State, Otunba Oladele Ajomale, yesterday flayed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for bungling the take-off of the permanent voters card (PVC) distribution to registered voters in the Lagos metropolis.

He said the failed exercise in the 57 councils in the state smacked of poor preparation on the part of the agency, adding that the party suspected a foul play.

Ajomale said yesterday’s poor showing has vindicated APC’s fears about the competence, credibility and readiness of the umpire to conduct free, fair and peaceful elections next year.

The party chairman lamented that despite the holiday declared by the state government and the preparedness of the people for the exercise, the commission failed to live up to expectation.

Ajomale spoke in Lagos with our correspondent shortly after monitoring the exercise in no fewer than 30 local government areas.

Emmanuel OLADESU, Group Political Editor

He complained that other party members were also worried about what he described as a deliberate effort by INEC to frustrate Lagosians ahead of next year’s elections.

He warned that democracy and the sanctity of the ballot box were under threat on account of the botched exercise.

Ajomale observed that despite presiding over an agency that is found wanting in trust and integrity, the INEC Chairman, Prof.

Attahiru Jega, is only trying to save his job.

The chairman said the APC had a premonition that the exercise would fail, recalling that it had informed the commission about its reservations on the eve of the failed exercise.

He said: “Yesterday, at our meeting with the INEC, all political parties, including the APC, voiced their anxiety about the unpreparedness of the INEC for the distribution of the PVCs. We have been vindicated. We said they should stop the exercise and postpone it till November

PVC: Fashola blasts INEC, accuses commission of foul play

L

AGOS State Governor Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN) has ac-

cused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of foul play and planlessness, saying its excuses for postponing distribution to residents were deceitful.

The governor, who expressed his displeasure in a state-wide broadcast, said INEC was being economical with the truth on why it decided to postpone distribution of PVC in nine local governments.

He said: “Barely 48 hours after I addressed you about our preparations and preparedness to enable you participate in the process of issuance of your Permanent Voters’ Card as planned and announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), I am constrained to address you again this morning.

“This is because by omission or commission, INEC has decided to make this a painful experience for us in Lagos by announcing that it will only issue Permanent Voters’ Card in the following 11 (Eleven) Local Governments.”

He listed the local governments where INEC decided to distribute PVCs to include, Agege, AjeromiIfelodun, Ifako-Ijaiye, Ikeja, Mushin, Lagos Island, Lagos Mainland, Ibeju-Lekki, Ikorodu, Kosofe and Ojo. According him, INEC had postponed the exercise in nine local government areas, which include Alimosho, Amuwo-Odofin,

Miriam NDIKANWU

Apapa Badagry, OshodiIsolo, Epe, Shomolu, Surulere and Eti-Osa Fashola lamented: “INEC now says that it will conduct the exercise on the 28th, 29th and 30th of November, 2014.

“I can only imagine the level of disappointment that you must all feel, having waited anxiously for this exercise and in spite of the fact that we had declared a work-free day.

“I am deeply disappointed at this display of lack of planning that speaks volumes of the contempt and disregard of this national agency for the rights of citizens.

“I wish to recall that it was INEC that first announced that this exercise was planned for August, and later shifted to September, and later to today and yet they did not get it right.

“If this is a foretaste of what we should expect in the general elections, for me it is a bad start. It tastes awful.”

The governor wondered why INEC had not answered the question he posed about the delisting of over 1.4 million voters from the register it compiled in 2011 in spite of assurances it gave Nigerians, and billions of naira it expended for the purpose.

Meanwhile, many potential voters who trooped out to obtain their PVCs were frustrated yesterday as officials of INEC did not show up at many of the registration centres.

•Continued on Page 4

•Residents, APC chiefs slam Jega 28 when the second phase will commence.

“Our people were prepared for the exercise.

They had trooped out en mass for the distribution but the exercise did not take off.

From Island to mainland, through Badagry, Ikorodu to Epe, Mile 2 to Bagadry, the exercise failed.”

Ajomale said INEC would have complained about an attempt by the APC to frustrate the exercise if the

party had called its members to boycott the flawed exercise.

He stressed: “If we had called APC members not to participate, they would have said we want to sabotage their effort. They want to frustrate us. We will not be frustrated.”

The party chairman said the work-free day declared

by Governor Babtunde Fashola (SAN) to ensure a hitch-free exercise was not

effectively utilised by the commission.

Urging Lagosians to stand firm, Ajomale said the agenda of the INEC to disenfranchise them will not see the light of the day.

He said: “Our people should stand firm. The exercise has not taken off at all. Let the people of Lagos show them that they are different. This foul play will not stand.

“Initially, we had 6 million. Later, they said it is 4.8 million registered people. They have their own agenda. We will not be intimidated. We will ensure a peaceful exercise. INEC must do a thorough job. That is our demand.

“Lagos declared a holiday because of the exercise.

Everywhere we went, people were complaining. They were on queneu for hours under the sun but the PVCs were not available. INEC was not available. Nothing was done.”

Ogun State Governor,Senator Ibikunle Amosun (middle) and his wife, Olufunso (left),when the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC), Sam Olumekun (right), presented their permanent voter cards (PVC) to them in Ajura,Obafemi-Owode Local Government...yesterday.

W

ITH the commencement of the distribution of permanent voter cards in Lagos yesterday by the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC, the Speaker, Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. Adeyemi Ikuforiji, has warned the Commission not to shortchange Lagosians.

In a Press Release signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Rotimi Adebayo, Ikuforiji said: “It is very sad that INEC has just announced that only some four million permanent voters’ cards shall be distributed from Friday, when the same INEC had publicly declared, way back in 2011, that over six million Lagosians were on its regis-

Don't short change Lagosians, Ikuforiji warns INEC

ter as potential voters in the state.

“It is therefore incumbent on INEC to ensure that not a single voter in Lagos State is short-changed for whatever reason.”

Ikuforiji said it was worrisome that after waiting for so long to collect permanent voter registration cards, the time that people have eagerly awaited for so long finally came only to be told that almost about two million voters will be denied their cards.

Admonishing Lagosians to troop out for the exercise,

he said: “Beginning from Friday, November 7, 2014, all Lagos residents who registered and voted during the 2011 general elections should troop out to obtain their cards.

“As residents of the state that is ranked as the best performing and most secured state in the country, it is incumbent on us all to make sure that we individually obtain the cards during the three days that have been allotted to the exercise.”

“As you all know, the im-

INEC officials fail to show up at collection centres

R

ESIDENTS of Imota community, Ikorodu, Lagos State yesterday complained that officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) did not show up at the designated areas where they were supposed to be issued permanent voter cards (PVC).

Some of them spoke during the National Orientation Agency’s campaign on voters’ education and security consciousness, held at the palace of the Ranolu of Imota, Oba Ajibade Bakare-Agoro.

They said that it would dis-

Musa ODOSHIMOKHE

enfranchise many people as some of them might not collect their PVC within the stipulated time.

Responding, the Lagos State director of NOA, Mr. Waheed Ishola, urged the people to take the exercise seriously, stressing that it was the only way they could elect good leaders.

Ishola said: “The PVC is very important. All you have to do is to visit the area and collect it. It is the only guarantee that you will cast your vote. And once you have it, you don’t need to go

through another exercise again because it is permanent.

“For those who lost their temporary cards issued by INEC, all they should do is to check the register. Once their names are located on the register, they will be issued their PVC,” he said.

The traditional ruler of Imota, Oba Bakare-Agoro thanked NOA for educating the people towards their civic responsibilities. He called on the people to be law abiding during the exercise and complain to the appropriate authorities if the need arises.

portance of this permanent voter card cannot be overemphasised. Without this all-important card, our dream of electing a peopleoriented government and effecting the much needed positive change in our country cannot be possible.

“You should therefore make sure that you do not allow anything to hinder you from going early to your registration cum voting centre to obtain the card beginning from Friday 7th November to Sunday 9th November.

“And to all those who are yet to register possibly due to the fact that they have just attained the voting age of 18, or that they could not register during the last exercise, they should also endeavour to get themselves registered as has already been advertised by INEC.” He commended Gov. Babatunde Raji Fashola for promptly declaring Friday 7th November as a workfree day to enable civil servants turn out en masse to collect their PVCs. “Let me also assure all Lagosians that we in the Lagos State Government shall continue to do our best to keep sustaining the delivery of more democracy dividends to our people without let or hindrance,” Ikuforiji said.

THE NATION

NEWS 3

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2014

PVC REGISTRATION

Huge turnout in Kano

T

HE Permanent Voters Card (PVC) registration exercise in Kano State yesterday witnessed an impressive turn - out of prospective voters.

As early 9 am, people had started trooping to the various polling units, eager to obtain their PVC. Our correspondent observed that the exercise commenced early in some units, forming long queues, while the lNEC staff had taken positions to commence the issuance of PVC. In some other polling units, liket Dakata/Kawasaki in the metropolis, as at 1.30 pm, no

Kolade ADEYEMI Kano

INEC official had arrived as the people waited endlessly.

While there were sufficient materials, the prospective voters complained that the staff deployed by INEC was not enough to cope with the huge crowd.

At Gegireya polling unit, Yankaba Quarters, one Mallam lbrahim Bello told our reporter that they had been there since 9 am but had not been able to obtain their PVCs as at 1.30 pm simply because there was shortage of officials to cope with the surging crowd.

Missing voters' register mars PVCs distribution in Edo

S

OME members of the National Youth Service Corps assigned to distribute permanent voter cards to voters in Unit Six Ward Two, Oredo Local government Area of Edo State were yesterday stranded at the Government Reservation Area because they could not locate the area.

As at 12 noon, the NYSC members were seen sitting at Idah Primary school, waiting for a vehicle to convey them to the area.

Woman leader in the Unit Six, Stella Ekhator, said many voters were waiting at their polling units to collect their voter cards.

She said: “People are waiting for INEC since morning but they said there were no vehicles to take them there. We are tired.”

Unit Six comprises many rural communities in Ward Two. One of the corps members who gave his name as Tony said they returned because they could not locate their area of assignment.

He said INEC officials had promised to bring a vehicle to

Osagie OTABOR, Benin take them there.

The entire voter registers were missing at Unit 16 Ward 12 and Unit 25 Ward seven in Oredo.

A voter at Unit 16, David Aiyegbeni, wondered how the register could be missing when it was what they used in previous elections.

He said: “We could not find our names in the register. I am sure INEC is playing pranks to help the PDP.” Commissioner for Works, Osarodion Ogie, who collected his card at Ugbekun Primary School, described the exercise as peaceful and expressed optimism that INEC would fix all hitches before Sunday.

National Coordinator of the Justice Research Centre, Inwalomhe Donald, said there were complaints of missing names at several wards his group monitored.

Resident Electoral Commissioner in Edo, Baritor Kpagih, was silent on the number of PVCs to be distributed in the state.

INEC reschedules PVC, CVR in eight states

A

BUJA, Nov. 6, 2014 (NAN) The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said the distribution of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) should commence in all local government areas of Kano, Edo, Plateau, Ogun and Imo states from November 7 to 9.

The daily bulletin of the commission, issued in Abuja on Wednesday, said the approval was given at a meeting held by the commission on Tuesday.

It added that the commission also approved that the distribution of PVCs should commence in some areas in Lagos, Rivers and Nasarawa states on the same date.

“The commission has approved that the distribution of

PVCs in Katsina, Niger, Kaduna, and Borno states should be re-scheduled to take place in November from 28 to 30, 2014.

“It also approved that the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) in those states should be re-scheduled from Dec. 3 to 8, 2014 respectively.’’

It added that the CVR in Adamawa should begin on November 12 and end on November 2014.

The commission had previously scheduled the distribution of PVCs and the CVR to begin in 13 states on November 7 and 12 respectively.

The states are Adamawa, Borno, Kaduna, Katsina, Kano, Plateau, Nasarawa, Niger, Imo, Lagos, Ogun, Edo and Rivers.

Ogun CNPP urges electorate to get voter cards

C

ONFERENCE of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP) Ogun State Chapter has called on the electorate in the state to turn out enmass to collect their Permanent Voters Cards during the exercise holding in the state from November 7 to 9, 2014.

The group made the plea in a statement issued in Abeokuta after the re-election of its state executive officers, comprising Otunba Owolabi Odebudo (Chairman); Mr. Bola Lawal J.P. (Secretary); Chief Gbolahan Idowu (Organising Secretary);

Comrade Segun Olufemi (PRO) and Pastor Adio Odejide (Advisor).

Also present at the re-election exercise was Oloye Adegboyega Adeniji, SecretaryGeneral CNPP, South-West and Otunba Femi Soluade, BOT Chairman, Ogun CNPP. In his post-election speech, Otunba Odebudo appealed to eligible voters in the state not to disenfranchise themselves by ensuring that they turn out enmass to obtain their permanent voter cards.

•A community leader, Alhaji Oladipo Taiwo (middle in white cap) appealling to anxious voters as collection of Permanent Voters Card (PVC) starts today 7/11/2014 in Lagos, people were seen waiting for the (INEC) officials that would not come, at Ilepo area of Abule-Egba, Lagos.

PHOTO: RAHMAN SANUSI

T

Confusion in Rivers over collection of INEC's PVCs

HE Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) yesterday caused confusion in Rivers State over the collection of permanent voter cards (PVCs).

The collection of PVCs in the 23 local government areas of the state, according to INEC, was to hold between November 7 and 9, with voters already sensitised and the stakeholders met with in Port Harcourt by the electoral body chaired by Prof. Attahiru Jega.

The Governor of Rivers State, Rotimi Amaechi, who is also the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), also declared yesterday a work-free day for Rivers people to massively participate in the exercise.

The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) of INEC in Rivers State, Aniedi Ikoiwak, who earlier assured that the PVCs would be distributed in all the 23 LGAs of the state, could not fulfill his promise, blaming the failure on technical challenge.

Ikoiwak, on Thursday, disclosed in Port Harcourt that the PVCs would be distributed in the three days only in seven LGAs: Ogba/Egbema/ Ndoni, Omuma, Ogu/Bolo,

Bisi OLANIYI, Port Harcourt Okrika, Opobo/Nkoro, Oyigbo and Tai, without indicating specific dates when persons who registered as voters in the remaining 16 LGAs would get their PVCs. Chairmen of the seven LGAs also made free transportation arrangements for their people to move from Port Harcourt to their various communities to pick their PVCs, and to be brought back freely to the state capital.

As the prospective voters were preparing yesterday morning to move to their registration units and communities to collect their PVCs, the Supervisory National Commissioner of INEC in charge of Rivers, Cross River and Akwa Ibom states, Mrs. Thelma Eremiren, announced that the PVCs would no longer be given in the seven LGAs. Eremiren also disclosed that because of the technical challenge, all the registered voters in the 23 LGAs of Rivers State would now be collecting their PVCs between November 28 and 30.

In view of Amaechi’s workfree day announcement, most government offices were under lock and key, but there

was confusion in public schools.

Students and teachers, who acted on the governor’s earlier directive of work-free day, decided to stay at home, but when some of the students of public schools saw their counterparts in private schools, who got Eremiren’s later information and were going to school, some of them also went to school without seeing any teacher.

The LG council chairmen, who had earlier made arrangements for transportation of voters to their communities, hurriedly started announcing on local radio and television stations that the arrangement had been cancelled in view of the latest development from INEC. Some enthusiastic voters from some of the seven LGAs were seen at the popular Abali Motor Park and some other major parks in Port Harcourt, waiting for vehicles to convey them to their communities only to be told that the exercise had been cancelled. Most of them were disappointed.

Governor Chibuike Amaechi had earlier expressed optimism that Jega would defend his reputation and uphold his integrity by ensuring that all Rivers people

above 18 obtain their PVCs. Amaechi said: “INEC cited technical problem. We sympathise with INEC and we join them to pray that they find a solution to it. In my LGA (Ikwerre), there are some units that were registered but the names of some people have been omitted completely. So, there will be fresh registration.

A

Paul UKPABIO places, they are not there.

“We got the news about the nine areas where they said the exercise would not take place.

But unfortunately, it is not just the nine areas that the exercise is not taking place; it is almost across the whole state.

“As at Thursday, the impression that INEC gave was that the exercise would take place in every part of the state, but it has not been like that.

The APC chieftain insisted that Friday’s outing by INEC was a total failure.

He said: “Even INEC knows that the exercise has not taken place because today, I don’t know how many people will say that they have been able to exchange their temporary cards with their permanent

cards.

“In the local government where I come from, I do not think that up to 20 people have been able to take part in the exercise. I am talking about Lagos Mainland, Yaba LCDA. It is almost a total failure.”

According to him, APC as a party is not happy.

“How can APC be happy?” he asked. “INEC, which is supposed to organise the election and ensure procedural issues, had fixed this period for exchanging the voters’ temporary cards for permanent ones but failed on the first day when a public holiday was declared to facilitate their work.

“Today is a public holiday in Lagos and nothing has taken place. So tell me, how

can the party be happy? Even the people are not happy.

“There is crisis of confidence of performance by INEC, particularly in the delineation of polling units and all that. It has been under focus lately.

“It is for them to generate confidence. I don’t see how what they have done today can build confidence for them.

This one can only erase the confidence people had in them.

“All I can say for the party is that we are ready. We have been on the field since morning, and we will take them up again tomorrow to see whether they do it right.

“These are not good signs.

It shows that INEC is not prepared. They picked the date and they have failed.”

“What INEC is doing now is to say all the elections in the past have not been properly conducted. Now they want to conduct proper free elections. I did not use the word fair. This is because elections in 2015 may be free, but at the end of the day, it may not be fair.

“If they use police and soldiers to chase away the voters of the All Progressives Congress (APC), is that election fair? No matter how much INEC would have put a technical process in place, then the elections won’t be fair.

“So, you can only say whether the election is fair at the end of the election, but for now, we can assume that INEC will be able to conduct a free election, believing and trusting that Jega will be able to defend his reputation.”

INEC exercise a failure in Lagos —Wale Oshun

PC chieftain, Chief Wale Oshun, has denounced INEC’S exchange of temporary cards for permanent voter cards exercise in Lagos as a failure.

In a telephone conversation with our correspondent, Oshun lamented the absence of INEC officials at most of the polling units.

He said: “As I speak to you, the papers are not available anywhere. In the whole of Lagos Mainland, no papers are available. It is just 4 pm and I’m just leaving a polling unit.

“And there calls from other parts of the metropolis that INEC officials have not shown up. And where they have shown up, they did so after 3 pm. In majority of the

THE NATION

4 NEWS

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2014

FG, Police undertake not to undermine Tambuwal

T

HE Attorney General of the Federation and the Inspector General of Police, were yesterday told by a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, that they should not do anything that will undermine or threaten the person and office of the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

Also, Justice Ahmed Mohammed of the Federal High Court restated his earlier order that the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), its Chairman Adamu Mu’azu and others should refrain from taking steps to reconvene the House of Representatives before its December 3 adjourned date.

The judge had last week Friday ordered parties in the suit by House of Representatives Speaker, Aminu Tambuwal, to maintain the status quo. He adjourned to November 17 for the defendants to appear before the court and show cause why he should not grant orders of interim injunction sought by the plaintiff in an ex-parte application, in which Tambuwal urged the court to among others, order the restoration of his security aides.

Tambuwal had sued the FG, the Police, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), his deputy Hon Emeka Ihedioha and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) seeking protection against moves to impeach him as the Speaker of the House of Representatives following his defection to APC, and also to declare the removal of his security details by the Federal Government as

pending the hear•Maintain status quo, court orders parties ofingthisonsuit the issue of the jurisEric IKHILAE, Abuja unconstitutional, null and void.

Yesterday, Tambuwal, dressed in white agbada, cap and shoes, was in court all through the proceedings that lasted about two hours.

He was accompanied to court by APC’s National Deputy Chairman (South), Segun Oni, and the party’s National Vice Chairman (North-West) Inua Abdukadri, who were also dressed in white agbada. Oni and Abdukadri were in court to represent the APC (the second plaintiff in the suit).

The plaintiffs’ lead lawyer, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), who led about 68 lawyers, including five other Senior Advocates of Nigeria, urged the court to make the interim order of injunction to restrain the defendants from taking any step to remove Tambuwal as the Speaker and a member of the House.

He also expressed concern over Tambuwal’s security and urged the court to make pronouncement on it.

The PDP and Mu’azu represented Yunus Ustaz (SAN) and the Inspector General of Police and the Attorney General of the Federation, represented by Mr. Ade OkeayaInneh (SAN) opposed Fagbemi’s application for interim order of injunction.

Ustaz and Okeaya-Inneh told the court that their clients had not acted against the order for maintenance of status quo. They assured the court that their client would

PVC: Fashola blasts INEC •Continued from Page 2 Residents who trooped to their various polling units very early in the morning were disappointed as they waited several hours without the ad hoc officials of the commission showing up to distribute the PVCs. The exercise, scheduled to start at 8 am had not begun at the time of filing this report around 2 pm, as polling units monitored by our reporter had residents with gloomy faces waiting endlessly for INEC officials who were yet to show up.

At a polling unit on Awolowo Way, Ikeja, residents were seen waiting for INEC officials.

At Sunday Adigun Street in Alausa, the polling unit of a former Governor of the state, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, Lagosians were seen waiting for INEC officials to no avail as they lamented the failure of the exercise and complained bitterly that they had not seen INEC’s officials coming to hand over their PVCs to them.

At Polling Unit 008, Alausa, there was no sign of INEC officials as residents who had waited for hours left in annoyance.

At Ward C, several people were seen waiting in vain for INEC officials, who had not shown up after 1 pm.

Former Chairman, Ikeja Local Government, Wale Odunlami, who was at Tinubu’s polling unit expressed disappointment that INEC’s officials had not shown up at 1 pm to distribute the PVCs to several

people waiting to collect them.

He lamented that the exercise had been a fraud so far, but noted that there was need for Lagosians to be patient to collect their PVCs. A consultant, Adewale Fasade, who was at Ward C to collect his PVC, said he had waited for hours without INEC officials showing up.

According to him, he went to his polling unit at Oregun and waited for hours for INEC officials to show up, saying that when they did not show up, he decided to come to Ward ‘C’ where he was told that some INEC’s officials were there to distribute the cards.

Fasade said he was disappointed when he had to wait for hours at Ward ‘C’ for INEC officials who refused to show up to distribute the cards, adding that he would not be deterred but ensure that he got his card to enable him vote in the forthcoming elections.

An All Progressive Congress (APC) chieftain, Wale Ogundimu, who was at Ward ‘C’ said he mobilised several members to come to the ward as at 8:30am to collect their PVCs, but lamented that they had been waiting for INEC for six hours but the officials had refused to show up to distribute the PVCs. “We need these cards and INEC has to get their act together. Lots of people have left already after they waited for a long time. We hope to get the cards as there are two more days left.”

not act in any manner to destroy the res (subject matter) of the case.

They informed the court that they had filed counteraffidavits in opposition to the substantive suit and notices of preliminary objection challenging the court’s jurisdiction to entertain the suit.

Lawyers to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and House of Representatives, T.M Inua, and N.C Ohanze, said they would leave the decision on whether or not to

grant the plaintiff’s application to the court’s discretion.

Ruling, Justice Mohammed said: “I will take the issue of jurisdiction with the plaintiffs’ substantive suit, since the substantive suit is brought by originating summons. I rely on the provisions of Order 29 Rule1, paragraphs (a) and (b) of the Federal High Court Civil Procedure Rules 2009.

“In line with the above reasoning, I hereby, again, direct parties to continue to maintain the status quo with regard to the subject matter

diction together with the substantive suit.

“I shall also make order of accelerated hearing in this suit on weekly basis so that the matter can be determined expeditiously,” Justice Mohammed said.

The judge, who was silent on the request that he should make a pronouncement on Tambuwal’s complaint about the withdrawal of his security aides, ordered parties to continue to maintain the status quo and refrain from taking steps to destroy res of the case.

He granted accelerated hearing in the suit in order to determine the case expeditiously. He elected to hear the objections raised by some of the defendants along with the substantive suit. Those who filed objection are challenging the court’s jurisdiction.

Of the seven defendants, the Deputy Speaker of the House of Reps, Emeke Ihedioha and the Independent National Electoral Commission shunned the court.

•All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) gubernatorial aspirant in Ebonyi State, Senator Anthony Agbo (right) receiving his nomination and expression form from National Secretary of the Party, Alhaji Abdullahi Shinkafi, at the party headquarters in Abuja yesterday. With him are some of his supporters.

PHOTO: Abayomi FAYESE

20 feared killed, 28 injured in Bauchi blast

A

A bomb explosion yesterday killed about 20 people and injured 28 others near an automated teller machine (ATM) stand in Azare, the second largest town in Bauchi State.

The dreaded Boko Haram sect was suspected to be behind the blast which occurred at about 11 am, as the pattern of the attack was believed to resemble the style of the sect.

Angry citizens of Azare were said to have lynched two suspected Boko Haram members at the explosion spot.

No fewer than 15 of the corpses were being prepared for burial last night.

But a probe had been launched into the incident with military and police antibomb experts drafted to the town located in Katagum Local Government Area.

The military last night ordered troops to be on the alert in Plateau, Jigawa and Kano states, following renewed attack on Azare.

A reliable source who spoke with our correspondent said the blast occurred at about 9 am yesterday at the First Bank ATM stand along Kano Road in Azare.

The road harbours many banks, making it a busy axis of the commercial town.

The source said: "We learnt that three suicide bombers came around in a Golf car and joined the long queue to withdraw cash.

"While on the queue, they detonated the bomb which killed more than 20 people on

Yusuf ALLI, Managing Editor, Northern Operation, Austine TSENZUGHUL, Bauchi the spot. More than 28 others were injured.

"We suspected that some of the bombers were killed in the blast which shook all the banks and buildings nearby.

"It was obvious that the targets were the innocent citizens on queue to withdraw money. They were mostly those with savings accounts and workers who came for their October salaries.

"Disturbed by the development, angry mob descended on two suspected Boko Haram members and lynched them. Two motorcycles suspected to belong to the sect

were also set ablaze.

Another source added: "Some people also alleged that three men came from the Kano Road end of Azare in a ash colour Golf car and threw bombs at those on the queue through their car window while speeding off.

"What they did was to target the time workers usually come around to collect salaries. The explosion left many wounded but the people of the town mobilised to take them to the Federal Medical Centre, Azare."

Meanwhile, following the explosion in Azare, the military has directed troops in Plateau, Kano and Jigawa states to be on the alert to "smoke out" Boko Haram insurgents who

may want to relocate from Bauchi State to strike.

A military source said: "We know their tactics; they may retreat to neighbouring states to cover up their tracks.

"This is why we have placed troops on the alert in these states to repel the insurgents."

It will be recalled that on October 23, 2014, there was an explosion at the Azare Motor Park, which killed several persons and injured many.

Efforts to get the spokesman of the Bauchi State Police Command's, Haruna Mohammed's comment were fruitless as he did not respond to calls made to his phone. He also did not respond to three text messages sent to his phone.

Barnabas MANYAM, Yola

control of Boko Haram insurgents.

In the mean time, most primary and secondary schools in Yola, the capital of Adamawa State have been shut down indefinitely over fears of possible attack by the sect.

Fears in the city were heightened by an attack on Ashaka Cement where the insurgents were alleged to have carted away large dynamites and explosive devices.

The outlawed group had earlier declared their intention to overrun Yola.

Schools shut in Adamawa as moves to free Mubi suffer setback

A

joint operation of the military and Mobile Police units known as Operation Guerilla yesterday failed in their bid to recapture Mubi, the home town of the Chief of Defence Staff, Alex Sabundo Bade, from the grip of Boko Haram insurgents.

Members of the joint operation, who departed Yola in high spirits are camped at Pakka near Maiha but have been unable to overrun the sect three days after arriving Pakka, which is about 7 kilometres from Mubi.

Soldiers are also said to be camped at Mararaba, about 6

kilometres from Mubi, and are making frantic efforts to to gain access into the insurgents' hideout with a view to dislodging them.

The troops, led by a general, were said to have moved to Pella, about 80 kilometres from Mubi, to join forces with Operation Guerilla to flush out the insurgents.

A resident of Mararaba, Miss Phebe James, said: "There is the presence of stern and heavily armed soldiers manning the roads leading to Vimtim, Mubi and Michika towns, which are under the

THE NATION

NEWS 5

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2014

Senate race: Suswam, Chime, Imoke, other govs may lose out ...as Jonathan concedes tickets to 40 senators A

FTER a three-hour meeting, President Goodluck Jonathan and the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) conceded automatic tickets to 40 out of 72 PDP Senators to return to the Red Chamber.

The President and the PDP will however engage the governors of the party to allow experienced Senators to come back in 2015.

Jonathan said it pays the nation to have built a stronger legislature than starting afresh all the time.

But governors interested in picking their successors

Yusuf ALLI, Managing Editor, Northern Operation

might not be given senatorial ticket.

With the development, some governors may lose out of the senatorial politics.

The governors are Sullivan Chime (Enugu West already conceded to Ekweremadu); Suswam (Benue North-East where Gemade may be retained); Liyel Imoke now to accept Victor Ndoma-Egba for Cross River Central instead of a new candidate); and Emmanuel Uduaghan (Delta South now conceded

to the incumbent, James Manager).

According to a Senator from the South-East, the session at the Presidential Villa was a frank session with all the sides allowed to air their views.

The source said: “Led by the President of the Senate, Chief David Mark, about 60 of us attended the meeting at the Villa. The President was there with the National Chairman of the PDP, Adamu Muazu, and his Spe-

cial Adviser on Political Affairs, Prof. Rufai Alkali.

“Every Senator was allowed to speak his or mind on the political developments in the state, the ward congresses and the challenges of re-election.

“We told the party that to emulate the practice in the US and other developed democracies where experience counts.

“Senators also asked the party not to allow too many outgoing and former gover-

•APC governorship hopeful,Akin Ambode (sixth right), with members of the Lagos State House of Assembly during a visit to the House...yesterday

APC to Presidency: Chamberlain resigned as British PM during World War II

T

HE All Progressives Con gress (APC) has said the presidency needs a refresher course in history, if it is not aware that a leader has had cause to resign in the course of a war being fought by his country in order to change the course of the war.

In a statement issued in Abuja yesterday by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party reminded the presidency that Neville Chamberlain resigned as British Prime Minister on May 10, 1940 after Adolf Hitler forced the allies to retreat from Norway. ''According to available information, Chamberlain led Britain through the first eight months of the World War II, but had to resign after the Allies were forced to retreat from Norway because of his belief that a government supported by all parties was essential for the unity needed to defeat Adolf Hitler. The resignation paved the way for Winston Churchill who later became the hero of the War,'' it said.

The APC, therefore, said the call by Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu on President Goodluck Jonathan to resign in view of the widespread insecurity in the land and the fact that some parts of Nigeria are now under occupation by terrorists is neither extraordinary nor unprecedented. ''The call by one of our leaders is about taking responsibility. President Jonathan is the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. If under his watch Nigerian territories are being annexed progressively by insurgents, and all that he has demonstrated so far is sheer cluelessness and in-

competence, it is time for him to take responsibility and quit in the national interest to pave the way for a leader who can lead the country to victory,'' the party said.

It said all the blame game and name calling by the presidency targeted at the opposition constitute a mere distraction. ''The presidency is right to say that when terrorists attacked the US in September 2001, the leaders of the Democratic Party did not demand a resignation of President George Bush, but rather they rose in defence of the American nation to support the various measures taken by the President to defeat the AlQaeda terrorists. ''What the presidency forgot to say, however, is that Americans would not have rallied behind then President Bush, if he had been photographed snuggling with any sponsor of Al-Qaeda as President Jonathan did with one of the alleged sponsors of Boko Haram in Chad. Americans would not have rallied behind Bush, if 9-11 had occurred not just once, but twice or thrice because it would have shown that the President is simply incompetent to lead. ''President Jonathan watched helplessly as Boko Haram moved from Sambisa Forest to take over a large chunk of territory in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states and proclaim a Caliphate.

“President Jonathan watched helplessly as Boko Haram abducted and took away almost 300 girls, hold-

ing most of them for over 200 days and still counting. His administration is even mocking and harassing those who are campaigning for the release of the girls. No people in the world will give such a leader unconditional support. ''Therefore, even if no leader in history has ever resigned during war (even though we

have now proved that is not correct), nothing prevents President Jonathan from becoming the first leader to do so. After all, never in the history of any nation has incompetence and cluelessness been exhibited by any leader, as President Jonathan has done, when the country is at war,'' the APC said.

nors because only a few of them are resourceful. They always come to the session to drink tea.

“After each Senator’s submission, the President of the Senate, Chief David Mark justified why experienced Senators should be retained.”

The source quoted Mark as saying: “The Senate has been very supportive and it has shown maturity on challenging issues facing the nation.

“You and the party should allow us to have our tickets back because we have not betrayed the party.”

The President said: “Left to me, it pays the nation for us to build the institution of legislature. The more they come back to the Senate, the better they are.

“I know it is not possible for all of you to come back, but if we have a reasonable percentage returning to the Senate, it is better for our democracy.”

Responding to a question, the source added: “There and then, we harmonized the list of experienced Senators who should be allowed to return.

“But with a caveat that the PDP leadership will engage governors to show understanding and allow those given automatic concessions to have their way. The party was directed to remind all aspirants that any ticket or slot is its prerogative.

“We also reached a consensus that governors interested in imposing their successors should forget senatorial tickets “To avoid rancour, there may not be senatorial primaries where concessions had been granted.

“The PDP leadership was mandated to go and consider the modalities of giving these Senators their return tickets.

But certainly with the concession, the party has sent a subtle message to other aspirants.

Based on the harmonized list, those who may return are as follows: The President of the Senate, Chief David Mark; the Deputy President of the Senate, Ike

Ekweremadu; Ahmed Makarfi, Nenadi Esther Usman, Smart Adeyemi, Atai Idoko-Ali, Barnabas Gemade, Barth Nnaji, Pius Akinyelure, Boluwaji Kunlere, Philip Aduda, Enyinnaya Abaribe; and Uche Chukwumerije.

The list includes the Senate Leader, Victor NdomaEgba; Bassey Otu, Benedict Ayade, Zainab Kure, Simon Ajibola, Adeseun Ayoade Ademola, Agboola Hosea Ayoola, Emmanuel Bwacha, Umar Abubakar Tutari and Suleiman Adokwe.

Also enjoying concession are Maccido Muhammad Ahmed, Abdullahi Danladi, Hassan Abdulmumin, Emmanuel Aguariavwodo, James Manager, Emmanuel Pualker, Heineken Lokpobri, Tukur Bello, Hassan Barata, Lidani Joshua, Alkali Saidu Ahmed, Andy Uba, Margery Okadigbo, Magnus Odion Ugbesia, Garba Gamawa Babayo and Adamu Gumba.

The session was, however, not without drama on how the party will handle some states like Benue, Akwa Ibom and Anambra states.

The source added: “When Senator Aloysius Etuk stood up from Akwa Ibom on his fate, there was a pin-drop silence and the party’s National Chairman was careful in saying: ‘We are looking into it.”

As for Senator Nurudeen Abatemi Usman, the party chairman also said: “We have not yet consider this district.”

Concerning the rivalry between Governor Gabriel Suswam and Chief Barnabas Gemade on Benue NorthEast, Muazu simply said: “We are looking into it to resolve all issues amicably.” But everyone agreed that Gemade should get the slot as a former National Chairman of the PDP. Regarding the cold war between Senator Margery Okadigbo and ex-Minister of Aviation, Ms Stella Oduah, for Anambra North, it was directed that Okadigbo be allowed to retain her seat having just spent two years in the Upper Chamber."

Pandemonium at PDP secretariat as police teargas Kaduna, Taraba govs, Ihedioha, others Tempers ran riot yesterday as aspirants that went to the headquarters of the Peoples Democratic Party to submit their nomination/expression of interest forms were teargassed.

What began as a multiple rally of aspirants and their supporters, with drumming, singing and hundreds of colourful banners and posters, almost turned to a near tragedy yesterday.

One of the policemen attached to the Wuse Zone 5, Abuja PDP headquarters, (popularly called Wadata House) at about 11:25am, released tear-gas on the first floor, in the corridor leading to the office of the National Organizing Secretary where the forms were being submitted when scores of people, including aspirants, were struggling to gain entrance into the office.

Those that were in the building when the incident occurred included the Deputy Speaker of the House

Victor OLUWASEGUN and Dele ANOFI, Abuja of Representatives, Emeka Ihedioha (who came to submit his governorship nomination form); Governor of Kaduna State, Ramalan Yero; the Acting Governor of Taraba State, Garba Umar; and Senator Abubakar Gada (Sokoto).

Others were Chairman, House Committee on Health, Ndudi Elemelu (who also came to submit his governorship form); Chairman, House Committee of Sports, Godfrey Gaya; Hon. Ibrahim El- Sudi and others.

There was confusion as people ran out of the back door, eyes and noses covered with handkerchiefs. Tears flowed freely from people's eyes, while others were sniffing intermittently.

Two men slumped on the floor, one of them was being fanned vigorously. They were eventually helped out

through the back door.

Many of those that came were furious that the police could use tear gas inside a corridor in which sitting governors and other important aspirants were in the queue to submit their forms.

Though many of the aggrieved visitors who were caught within the deadly fumes protested vehemently, but shied away from commenting to reporters for fear of repercussions.

They wondered why the party could not have used a more spacious portion of the building rather than cramping sometimes over a hundred people in a tiny corridor with the attendant discomfort.

Meanwhile, efforts to reconvene the House of Representatives by the Peoples Democratic Party caucus before the December 3 resumption date has failed.

The Nation learnt that PDP members in the green chamber are reluctant to heed the

call by the National Chairman of the PDP, Adamu Muazu, who has asked the Deputy Speaker. Emeka Ihedioha, to reopen the House, sequel to the October 28 defection of Speaker Aminu Tambuwal to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The consent of the Speaker or 240 members of the House are needed to re-open the House, and there are indications that the PDP members would get neither.

However, the Deputy Leader of the House, Leo Ogor, has opined that the PDP caucus does not need the consent of the Speaker to reconvene the House, a position which the All Progressives Party Caucus in the House has faulted.

Speaking to reporters under anonymity, a PDP member of the House from Cross River State, yesterday said trying to reconvene the House before December 3 may as well be a futile effort.

6 NEWS

A

Federal High Court, Abuja yesterday granted bail to a former Managing Director, Nigeria Security Minting and Printing Company(NSMPC) Mr. Ehidiamhem Okoyomon, on stringent conditions.

Okoyomon is facing extradition proceeding instituted against him by the office of Attorney General of the Federation, following a request by the UK government.

The former Mint boss is wanted in the UK over his alleged role in the bribery scandal involving officials of the

THE NATION

SATURDAY,NOVEMBER 8, 2014

Alleged N750m polymer contract scam: Court grants ex-Mint boss bail Yusuf ALLI, Managing Editor, Northern Operation Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, the Nigeria Security Minting and Printing Company, NSMPC, and Securency International Pty of Australia, between 2006 and 2008.

A statement by the Head of Media and Publicity of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, said Okoyomon is expected to report to the agency every Monday.

The statement said: "At the last adjourned date, Alex Iziyon(SAN), counsel for

Okoyomon had pleaded with the court to grant his client bail pending judgment.

"He averred that his client was entitled to bail and that, if granted, he will be available for trial.

"The prosecution counsel, Tanimu Almakura, told the court that before bail is granted,

search over the past twentyfour years, and this has resulted in her significant contributions to geomagnetism and equatorial electrojet (EEJ) phenomena.

Viewers of African Voices will learn how her academic contributions in her areas of research have immensely helped in simplifying the understanding of rather complex phenomena, and how this has consequently led to a better understanding of geomagnetic and

EEJ phenomena.

Professor Okeke has won several awards in recognition of her contributions to research.

Among the awards are: visiting research fellow to University of Natal, Durban, South Africa in 1998, the fellowship international Award as (FJSPS) to University of Tokyo, Japan, from 1999 to 2000, Visiting Associate to CPTEC Brazil, Research visits to Harvard Smithsonian Centre, Cambridge, USA, 2004 and Morgan State University, Baltimore, USA, 2003.

Glo-sponsored African Voices to feature Nigerian scientist

T

HE Glo-sponsored African Voices will come up this weekend on CNN International with renowned Nigerian female scientist, Professor Francisca Nnenna Okeke, as the star guest on the programme.

A Professor of Physics at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Okeke was the first woman to head the Department of Physics and Astronomy from 2003 to 2006 and was the first female Professor of Physics in the Eastern part of Nigeria. She was again the first female Dean, Faculty of Physical Sciences, 2008 to 2010, and the first indigenous female Professor in the Faculty of Science and Engineering of the university.

The television magazine programme, which runs for 30 minutes on CNN International, will be aired at 3.30 p.m. on Saturday and at 4.30 a.m., 12.30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. on Sunday.

Viewers can also watch the

show during the repeat broadcasts on Monday at 3:30 a.m., 11.30 a.m. and 6.30 p.m., on Tuesday at 5.30 a.m. and on Wednesday at 10.30 a.m.

The research professor has contributed immensely to the development of Physics at both secondary and tertiary levels in Nigeria and has conducted many workshops.

She has written a number of Physics text books and articles that have enhanced the teaching and learning of Physics at both secondary and tertiary levels in Nigeria. She has written many articles that encouraged girls to study Physics in the country.

Her passion for Physics and Science began at an early age and this was principally because of her father’s efforts to ensure his children were well educated. She is reputed for her dedicated and painstaking commitment to academic re-

Nigeria makes progress on ease of doing business

N

IGERIA has made ap preciable progress with regard to the ease and speed with which Small and Medium-scale Enterprises (SMEs) can be established in the country, latest World Bank report on ‘Ease of Doing Business’ indicated.

The 2014 Report launched in Abuja recently by the World Bank, in conjunction with its development partners, showed that Nigeria recorded remarkable improvement in 34 vital thematic requirements.

Some of these requirements, according to the report, include easy access to fund transfer, improved access to credit information, implementation

D

Okwy IROEGBU-CHIKEZIE

of regulatory reform and tax holidays for outstanding entrepreneurs.

Other requirements that have reportedly improved the nation’s performance on the ease of doing business scale are the government’s cashless policy and the lifting of some socio-economic burdens on various categories of businesses.

Observers say the 2014 Report was a significant improvement on the 2013 Report which placed Nigeria at the bottom rung of the ten top countries in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Ebola : Togo’s President heads ECOWAS response team

E

CONOMIC Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has appointed President Faure Essozimna Gnassingbe of Togo as head of the region's Ebola Virus Disease Response and Eradication Process.

The Togolese President was asked to supervise the process following the endorsement of the Regional Integrated Operational Plan for response to the Ebola virus by ECOWAS Heads of Government during a regional summit in Accra on Thursday.

Also, ECOWAS Chairman, President John Dramani Mahama of Ghana, has urged regional and international responses to the Ebola scourge be "extended beyond the obvious and tangible needs" and address equally critical issues of fear and stigmatization, and the growing number of children being orphaned by the disease.

He said Liberia alone, one of the three countries mostly affected by the outbreak and which is recovering from a 14year devastating civil war, has registered more than 2,000 orphans, adding that about 50

Nigeria Couple of the Year Award holds in Ibadan Nov 15

RUMS will beat and carpets will be rolled out as dignitaries from all over Nigeria descend on Ibadan for the annual Nigeria Couple of the Year Award which comes up next Saturday November 15 at the Jogor Centre Ibadan, Oyo State.

In a release jointly signed by the National President of The Family Club of Nigeria Professor Oluwole Osonubi and General Secretary Chief Mrs Foluso Lasaki, this year’s edition will be chaired by renowned industrialist Bashorun Kola Daisi with Governor Abiola Ajimobi and the Oyo First Lady as Special Guests of Honour while the Speaker of Oyo State House of Assembly is expected to add colour to the star studded event. His Royal Majesty The Olubadan of Ibadan Oba Odugade Odulana is the royal father of

the day.

Nigeria Couple of the Year 2014 is the veteran Sports administrator, High Chief Emiola Adesina with his wife of over 50 years Chief Mrs Oluwafunmilayo Adesina, the proprietor of the prestigious Subuola Memorial Group of Schools. They will both stand tall as they have the Investiture carried out.

The Family Club of Nigeria, otherwise known as the Elite Club of Ibadan was founded 35 years ago by friendly professionals, academics and industrialists with their wives and children enrolled as members.

A Non-Governmental sociocultural association, the Club is dedicated to the propagation, promotion and enhancement of family values and the sustenance of high moral and ethi-

sufficient evidence must be placed before the court.

"Ruling on the bail application today, Justice Chukwu granted Okoyomon bail in the sum of N500million and two sureties who must be of the rank of executive director in government establishment and possess landed property within Abuja Municipal Area Council.

"Also, the sureties are to swear to affidavit of means and provide evidence of tax payment for the last three years. " The two sureties are also to deposit two recent passport photographs with the court registrar.

"The two sureties and the respondent are to deposit their international passports with the EFCC, while Okoyomon is expected to report to the commission every Monday.

"Furthermore, counsel for the respondent is also to write

an undertaking, while officials of the EFCC, the court registrar and the bailiff are to verify the terms.

Justice Chukwu adjourned the case to December 1, 2014 for final ruling.

President Umaru Yar`Adua had, in company with the then CBN Governor, Prof. Charles Soludo, launched the new N5, N10 and N50 polymer notes on September 30, 2009 at the Presidential Villa.

The circulation of the new bank notes coincided with Nigeria’s 49th Independence Anniversary day.

But there had been allegations of shady deal between some CBN officials and Securency International Pty of Australia.

The Australian Federal Police (AFP) had already probed the alleged N750million bribe offered by Securency to win the contract.

Although the contract for the printing of N5, N10, N50 notes were awarded in 2009, the bribery scandal involving Securency was perpetrated in 2006.

•Professor Osonubi cal essentials of the sacred institution of marriage.

Parading professors, pharmacists, educationists, journalists, engineers and industrialists, the club which had Drs Winston Banigo, Lani Sogbetun, Chief Tunji Amole as successive Chairmen in its early years, remains one of the biggest charity organisations in Nigeria with branches and chapters all over the world.

Vincent IKUOMOLA, Abuja per cent of people fortunate to survive the disease in the region "are unable to return to homes in which they once lived or return to their former jobs."

"With such large numbers of the labour force unable to work as a result of infection or quarantine measures, the economies of Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone have all but crumbled," the ECOWAS chair told his colleagues, while opening the extra-ordinary summit on Ebola.

The summit is also discussing the political crisis in Burkina Faso, following the resignation of President Blaise Compaoré on October 31 and military takeover of power.

Citing the inter-connectedness of the economies nations in the region, President Mahama, said: "Discussion of aid must include a plan for the future sustainability" of the three Ebola severely affected countries.

"We cannot and must not leave them (counties). To do so would make all our efforts

and all of our assistance virtually meaningless."

While acknowledging the success stories in Nigeria and Senegal, which have been declared Ebola free by the World Health Organization (WHO).

The President of the ECOWAS Commission H.E. Kadré Desire Ouédraogo announced that the commission haddonated one million US dollars to each of the three severely affected countries to help strengthen their fight against the disease.

THE NATION, SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2014

COMMENTARY 7

Values, elections and war seek refuge in William Shakespeare’s play Henry V in my musings and analysis today and the reason is not far fetched. Henry V is a war story of the Battle of Agincourt that chronicled the leadership qualities of a young English king who led his small number of troops to a great victory over the French army which vastly outnumbered the bedraggled English soldiers.

Henry rallied his troops by telling them - ‘the fewer we are, the greater the share of honour‘. He told them pointedly - ‘ In peace there is nothing so befits a man as modest stillness and humility. But when the blast of war blow s in our ears, then imitate the action of the tiger. It is Henry’s leadership qualities that interest me today and his effectiveness as a war leader who led his people to victory against great odds in his time.

The young English monarch showed commitment, honesty, courage and integrity in leading his troops to victory in spite of the numbers against them. He did not lie to them. He did not abandon them. He raised their morale and lifted their spirit to a heroic performance that led to victory. These are the values that have made the story of the Battle of Agincourt one of the best of Shakespeare’s historical plays and indeed my favourite after Julius Caesar. Sadly though, these same values are clearly lacking in Nigerian politics and leadership today especially as we go to the 2015 elections.

This has been made more glaring in the reckless statement credited to a presidential spokesman that no President resigns during a war and comparing the situation in Nigeria now to that of former President George Bush in 2001 when Al Qada struck the Twin Towers of New York and the Pentagon, and the US president declared the global war on terror.

Obviously the presidential spokesman missed the point and went on to hurl abuses on the opposition as charlatans and anarchists. His reaction was a simple piece of irritable illogicality because he mistook the shadow for the substance thereby committing a laughable fallacy. He said ‘no president resigns in the middle of a war’. The opposition said the president should resign because he could not contain the insurgency thus endangering the security and territorial integrity of Nigeria. The president has not declared war on Boko Haram. He sees it as an affordable insurgency.

That explained why he could go to Burkina Fasso during the week on behalf of the African Union to ask the army there not to take over . While Boko Haram during the same week was giving a new name of City of Islam to captured Mubi in Adamawa state and City of Wisdom to Gwoza in Borno State, in the beleaguered North East of Nigeria where Boko Haram is busy creating caliphates with impunity.

In the uninformed reference to George Bush and 9/11, some corrections have to made apparent to the presidential spokesman. After 9/11 George Bush sought and got the mandate of the US Congress to go to war. He told the American people – Whether we bring our enemies to justice or bring justice to our enemies, justice will be served. And the American people gave him the blank cheque to pursue the war against Al Qada and terrorism. The war on terror made George Bush one of the most powerful presidents in US history because it gave him back some powers which the

I

Watergate and Mona Lewinsky scandals had eroded during the Nixon and Bill Clinton presidencies. Indeed the war on terror boosted George Bush’s 2004 re election campaign mightily such that he defeated Democratic candidate John Kerry with a massive majority. Yet, this was the same George Bush that barely defeated Al Gore but for the Florida recount and the US Supreme Court decision to stop it in his first election in 2000. If the war on terror boosted George Bush’s re election bid in 2004 can the same be said of the current re election bid of our President given the handling of Boko Haram just over a quarter to our presidential elections in February 2015?. Definitely not.

This is because re election should be based on performance on several sectors of the economy and given the results on power or electricity availability, security, employment and jobs for our teeming graduates we are definitely not out of the woods. The example of Francois Hollande the French President is educative here when he said this week in an interview in France that he would not seek re election in 2017 if the figures on employment have not improved.

This was because, according to him, he promised in 2012 when he was elected that he would provide more jobs and that he would not be able to face the French people and seek re election in 2017 if he had not fulfilled his electoral pledge that secured his election. He therefore promised to work hard to improve the employment situation in France so that he can be a credible and electable candidate for re election in 2017.

Really the French president’s candour reminds me of Henry V although it was the French Dauphin, his countryman that Henry defeated and showed such equally admirable candour and honesty in so doing.

At home too, two Nigerian leaders have shown leadership values and qualities that have gripped my attention and both have presidential ambitions. They are former Vice President Abubakar Atiku and present Governor of Kano State Engineer Rabiu Kwankwaso. Both to me are good presidential candidates provided they can win the primaries of the APC. But I look at them in terms of their records of performance and their environmental and political relevance in their catchment areas to see how electable they are as potential presidents of Nigeria. Let me say that I am using some statements in the media this week on both leaders to buttress my assertions on both candidates.

Former VP Atiku showed great sympathy and empathy for the plight of Nigerians in the North East of Nigeria under Boko Haram and warned Nigerians that what is happening there could spread to the rest of Nigeria if care is not taken. That is great insight from some one who should know, given his antecedents in power in this nation before.

But those who live in glass houses should not throw stones.

The former VP is best remembered for his disputes with

his former boss while in office leading to litigation right up to the Supreme Court which made even his eligibility to contest the presidential election too late to be effective when the apex court eventually cleared him. This time again he bears another huge albatross or excess luggage in terms of his locality or political catchment area which is Adamawa State, which for now is a war zone. Atiku himself reportedly said recently that Boko Haram controls 16 local governments in the North East. The state Governor Bala Ngillari at Aso Rock this week confessed that they need more troops to secure the state and he sounded really panicky. One can ask almost rhetorically- can elections be held in Adamawa state today?. If the former VP can answer that question in the affirmative then he should continue his quest for the presidency. Otherwise he should close shop on his presidential bid for now.

In contrast the present Governor of Kano State Rabiu Kwankwanso’s presidential quest catches my fancy not only because of the red colour of his entourage’s caps but for his guts, courage and record of performance in office.

He had been governor in Kano before and was the nation’s Defence Minister sometime ago. So at least he has relevant experience in terms of our Defence and security in the ‘middle of a war‘ as the presidency would say. But I first noticed his love for education when I stumbled on a programme the Kano State government conducted for indigenes of the state sent off after being given scholarships to a university in Ogun State. Before that I has read a fiery interview in which he said that some leaders were just waiting for the incumbent president to declare for his re election before knowing what to do next. I think his presidential bid is the answer to that.

In addition his courage and guts are shown in the way he has executed his programme for educating girls in Kano State in spite of the cruel and bloody aversion of Boko Haram to this which has made Kano a ready target for the murderous Islamic group. In addition his presidential bid programme mentioned boldly that he banned Okada in Kano State which is a bold and audacious move by any Nigerian leader given the potential nuisance value of that means of transportation amongst the masses of this nation.

Okada is well known hindrance to meaningful economic development in spite of its mass appeal which has made less courageous leaders and governors to turn a blind eye to the Okada danger and menace in our streets and cities.

Kwankwanso has demonstrated successfully that he can take brave decisions in a volatile environment like Kano and I do not see why he can not replicate that at Aso Rock for the benefit of Nigeria. His governorship seat gives him great leverage to give front runners like former General Muhammed a run for their money in the APC primaries.

He certainly reminds me of Bill Clinton and his bid for the US Presidency from his Governorship of little Arkansas state. Except perhaps that relatively in Nigeria, Kano State is a bigger proposition than Arkansas in the US. Which really shows that Kwankwanso has the means and clout to make him electable as a President of Nigeria. I tremble therefore for those in his party or anywhere else who do not take his candidacy seriously. This Engineer Governor certainly has what it takes to confront our present war and insurgency such that no one will ever think of asking him to resign ‘in the middle of a war ‘. Again, like the Presidency would or has indeed said, of our present predicament.

Tinubu honoured with ‘Icon of Entrepreneurship in Africa’ R. Summy Smart Francis, President of the South Africa-based Africa’s Young Entrepreneurs, AYE, who is a Nigerian living and working in South Africa has described Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu as an exemplary leader in Africa.

While presenting the Honorary Achievement Award to Asiwaju Tinubu, Mr. Francis said: “This award is given to entrepreneurs and business people that have made a huge impact on the continent and are known around the globe through their business achievements. Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Africa sees you and recognizes you. You are an African Icon.” The presentation of the award took place at Asiwaju Tinubu’s residence on Tuesday, October 4.

The former Governor and National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), in his response, called on the youth of Africa to save their continent from economic and political stagnation by applying what he called “Commonsense Revolution” to all that they do.

The business mogul and politician also said conquering fear and rigorously challenging bad government policies were necessary ingredients needed to grow entrepreneurship on the continent.

He admonished the high-powered team from the AYE that visited him not to let fear prevent them from striving for excellence in all they do. He was awarded the “Icon of Entrepreneurship in Africa.”

The six-man team was led by the president of the organisation, Mr. Francis.

In his further comments to the contingent, Asiwaju Tinubu urged young investors to have self-belief and be fearlessly inquisitive.

“Fear should not have a place in your dictionary,” he told his guests. “You must conquer the fear of failure. Believe in yourself that you cannot fail. Not every young enterprise will succeed at first try, but you must forge on because Africa depends on your industry, your tenacity, your ability to rise above all the things that hold us back.

“You all must find within yourselves leaders. And as you seek success in entrepreneurship, keep an eye on the political conditions in Africa. If Africa must break away from destitu-

M

•Asiwaju Tinubu (third right) and the AYE team

This award is given to entrepreneurs and business people that have made a huge impact on the continent and are known around the globe through their business achievements tion, the rule of law must be supreme. Adherence to the rule of law is fundamental to business. The 12 million youths in your organisation want to create and innovate to give us a prosperous continent and they must recognize the critical role of good leadership. Embrace democracy. You are the ones

who can create and promote the Commonsense Revolution.”

Asiwaju Tinubu advocated that as the study of good leadership is important for young people to learn worthwhile examples, bad leadership should also be studied and evaluated so the people may recognise the traits and conquer it in good time. He also told his guests that while talent was important to any venture, time is the most valuable asset of all.

According to its website, the AYE unites and empowers young entrepreneurs in Africa to network socially and financially, thereby developing a generation of outstanding entrepreneurs. Our collective intellectual capital develops marketleading businesses and networks, to play a key role in raising African prosperity.

THE NATION, SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2014

8 COMMENTARY

Flash of hope in a dying country Saturday Flakes

N Wednesday, former President Olusegun is scrambling for a slice, Courtney Dike told the conveyObasanjo received a delegation of the Nigeria ors of the money that it was already more than enough Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ) at honour that the nation gave her the chance to wear its his Abeokuta, Ogun State home, where he extolled the green and white colour. Return the money to Nigeria virtues of women in politics. According to the exand use it to further develop our football, she reportedPresident, women in politics are more reliable than their ly told the bearers. male counterparts because “when a woman says she is Yet her story would hardly come as a surprise to those With with you, you can believe that she is truly with you. But who are familiar with the ways of her elder brother, if a man tells you he is with you and you catch him in Bright Dike, the few times he has been invited to the another meeting, he will tell you it is politics. It should Super Eagles. In the friendly games in which he has featured for Nigeria, the enthusiasm on his face was simnot be so.” vincentakanmode@yahoo.com ply palpable. He broke his leg playing for Nigeria and Obasanjo’s public appreciation of the womenfolk SMS only: 08034426263 could not kick the ball for almost a season. But even in could not have come at a better time, considering the those trying moments, he prayed fervently for the sucexcellent showings of two of our female football teams in major competitions in circumstances their male coun- of attacking football, Asisat Oshoala. But it is US-based cess of the national team and continually voiced his Courtney Dike that has emerged the finest flower in the readiness to return to action for Nigeria. It would have terparts would have cracked like biscuits. Two weeks ago, the senior national female football team, the Super team, not because he scored the fastest goal ever in the been interesting to see how he would react, if he was in Falcons, won the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) a tournament, but because she became the epitome of the World Cup team that refused to train in the buildrecord seventh time after dispatching countries like patriotism. Born and bred in the US with a football tal- up to the quarter-finals match because their bonus had South Africa, Cote d’Ivoire and Cameroun by wide mar- ent as huge as General Sherman, she had every chance not been paid.

In more civilised societies, Courtney Dike’s story gins. They attained the feat barely two months after the to ply her trade for God’s Own Country, but opted to female national under-20 team, the falconets, won the play for Nigeria. And as if that was not enough show of would have been a veritable source of inspiration for patriotism, she rejected the sum of 7,000 dollars the our rapacious leaders to see beyond themselves and silver medal in the World Cup tournament held in nation ferried to her as match bonus from the competi- members of their immediate families. But ours is a Canada. country of rat race where public good has no meaning.

The conduct of the falconets was particularly remark- tion.

It was the least gesture the pearl of female soccer It will not come as a surprise, for instance, if the money able as they were said to have put up the performance deserved for her scintillating performance at the comperejected by Courtney does not find its way back into the hailed by everyone as spectacular without their match bonuses. Juxtapose that with the shows of shame the tition, but one she declined out of sheer patriotism. At a treasury, much less deployed for public use as she time the nation has become one huge cake and everyone requested. Yet her action senior national male footportends a glimmer of hope ball team has put up at that all hope may not yet be major competitions, includlost for the future of the ing the 2014 FIFA World country with the existence of Cup tournament in Brazil NCLE Vincent, why are you mis- cedural rules. The same Obasanjo in like- such infrastructure development failed youthful patriots like the where the team boycotted interpreting the bible for political wise manner removed Ladoja in Oyo. to develop and transform the lives of the Dikes. In a country where training and vowed not to gains? The manner in which you Also, I perceive that you were not majority Ekiti that voted him out of the ability to corrupt and be touch the ball with a sixcorrupted is a precondition inch pole as they prepared interpreted the Esau and Jacob story objective enough to recognise that the power.

Above all, Ekiti people are wise to for appointment into public for a quarter-final match makes a misfit analogy to what hap- electorate that voted Fayemi out of office with France because the pened and still happening in Ekiti. Why was the same electorate that voted for reject the deceptive government that office, our kleptomaniac bonus for their win in the did you think that Rebecca loved Jacob him earlier. This only implies that Ekiti wants her masses to live in hunger while leaders would rather rehaprevious match against just because he kept her company at people are more intelligent than you the elites live in outrageously expensive bilitate, repackage and Jacob would not be like many of writers think. What is the logic in gov- mansion built by a prudent government rebrand old men convicted Bosnia-Herzegovina had home? our country's pet writers of today who ernment renovating roads and hospitals from the borrowed money of the impovof corruption than bestow not been paid. Not surpris- would be romancing their mothers at while people are dying of hunger? Is it erished state. ingly, the team crashed out that age. Gen. 27: 9 makes one to under- the case that such a government wants Meanwhile, it will be unfair to treat honour on a patriot like of the competition after los- stand that Jacob was a keeper of flock. easier passage of people's dead bodies to Fayemi as if he has done nothing for the Courtney.

The challenge is for the ing to France by 2-0. In conIt is important for writers like you to the hospitals?

Ekiti. It is only that there cannot be a pertrast, the Falconets, in their always free their minds from received Moreover, as an acclaimed bible schol- fect government or person. In all fairness, youth to begin to identify quest for national glory, rel- opinion(s). The Illegal removal of Fayose ar that you are presupposes that you infrastructure development under the such positive minds with the egated money to the back- from office during his first tenure was should understand the importance of Fayemi administration cannot be forgot- aim of rallying around them ground, played their hearts based on his anti-third term crusade food. You are not concerned that Jesus ten in a hurry. Thus, it is expected of the for future leadership. The out and lost narrowly to against Obasanjo and not because any miraculously fed more than 5,000 and Fayose government to continue with Dike family deserves nationGermany in the final. poultry project failed. Since Obasanjo provided manna in the wilderness. some of Fayemi’s initiatives. May God al recognition for breeding It was no surprise that the had no respect for the rule of law, he sucIt is claimed that Fayemi engaged in bless the gentleman Fayemi in all his children that could act as a rallying point for the nationNigerian team produced ceeded in roping Fayose with the poultry infrastructure development of roads, endeavours, Amen. al rebirth the country desthe most valuable player of project through the manipulation of pro- hospitals and schools, but it is a pity that •Simon O. Aderibigbe perately needs. the competition in the pearl

O

Vincent Akanmode

Re: Still on Fayose's flawed ideology

U

The conspiracy against ‘smaller’ parties HE Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC’s de-registration exercise and what should be the right number of political parties have generated heated debates in the media. Sabella Abidde wrote in an earlier piece: “… a Jonathan presidency beyond 2015 will be a disaster for Nigeria”. But curiously, in an article he wrote in Punch on August 13, 2014, titled “Is the APC taking a nap? he wrote: “… it is in their best interest and the interest of Nigeria to have fewer parties…”

It makes one wonder if the opposition knows anything about politics, power-sharing and nation-building…”What nation building and number of parties have in common is a matter for another discourse, because other nations with more parties have not failed.

INEC Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega’s recent statement on the decision of his agency not to obey a court order which voided his de-registration of Fresh Democratic Party (FRESH), raised concerns over his respect for the rule of law. INEC has refused to respect this court order despite public outcry. Instead, Prof. Jega says he stands by his own order to ban parties: “That is the law. Until it changes, we will continue to enforce the provisions of the law,” he told The Punch. Abidde also seems to think that INEC is right to decree fewer parties.

But here comes a glimmer of hope: a Federal High Court, Abuja Division, under Justice Adeniyi Ademola recently upturned the de-registration of Hope Democratic Party, and warned INEC to immediately comply with the judgment.

This is the second ruling by a competent court reversing the de-registration of political parties. After noting that INEC failed to comply with an earlier judgment in favour of FRESH, Justice Ademola warned the electoral agency against contempt of court. Party’s like FRESH, which INEC wants to sniff out to make room for bigger parties, are not smaller because they have demonstrated the capacity to fight big guns, and to proffer workable solutions to Nigeria’s hydra-headed problems.

We all know that followership and political loyalty in Nigeria are bought, not earned. Voters are compelled by dire economic deprivation to seek pay-offs in exchange for votes, so it becomes a game for the highest bidder which the

T

Ohio-Michael ELAKHE ruling parties can fund from government coffers. This is primarily why budding parties appear to be unmarketable.

New parties need a long gestation period because democracy is not an event, it is a process.

Rev. Chris Okotie, the exponent of paradigm shift and Chairman of FRESH, has often said illicit money is usually diverted to fund elections in this country, while funding for infrastructure dries up. This means that ‘settlement’ and corruption keeps the political machinery of the bigger parties well oiled. More campaign money fosters corruption and serious criminal behaviour.

To be sure, more than five decades of corruption will wear any country thin. The problematic attitude of INEC, which is very aware of this ‘stomach infrastructure’ and monetization of votes, which are hampering Nigeria’s politics, is unwittingly legitimising this aberration by its action.

The problem new parties face is not the absence of quality candidates who can offer new dimensions of governance, prosecute and sustain programmes which can turn the fortunes of the nation and its people around, but a system that stifles growth and frustrates the ambitions of such people.

The ‘smaller’ parties are not led by career politicians like the big politicians, who earn a living from the corridors of power. They are mostly gainfully employed citizens. So naturally, after the rounds of non-profit-making politicking, they return to their businesses, thereby creating what appears to be a lull in party activities. They are like pressure groups which can break the cycle of crony management that has dominated Nigeria’s economic and political sphere.

They don’t have the embezzled government resources which finances the big parties’ media propaganda, electoral campaigns, fame and ‘stomach infrastructure‘.

So, all argument by Mr. Abidde, a brilliant writer if you ask me, cannot justify his grouse with small opposition parties. Most Nigerians have never heard of some of these parties because the media houses naturally don’t promote the smaller parties and the bigger parties have the ‘resources’ to buy the highly expensive media space. Of all the parties that contest, the media only mentions the leading contenders despite the claim to fairness in reportage. A commentator

on Abidde’s article said: “Having many parties is not the real problem but the media. Media makes every party what it prefers it to be in the eyes of the electorate. For instance, 20 parties contested in Osun, but only two or, at best, three were recognised by the media…”

True, there is strength in numbers, but having many parties does not confuse voters or dilute opposition parties competitive edge if moral character, personality and principles of aspirants are used as criteria by the electorate, as opposed to party brands as is the case in Nigeria. This is what Rev. Okotie’s paradigm shift is all about. And if parties are constituted along ideological lines, then they don’t need to dissolve; all they need do is simply ally and adopt a consensus candidate to accomplish chosen goals.

It is the ‘unseriousness of Abidde’s so called ‘serious’ politicians that has dug our nation and economy into the abyss that we find ourselves today, which is exhibited by their corruption quotient. If the corrupt PDP administration and its members are Sabella’s idea of serious contenders, then Nigeria is in deep trouble.

So, a government that condones corruption cannot be an example worth citing. And if the writer is honest, he would know that the alternative he asks about can be found in some of the de-registered parties like FRESH. And this is not being overtly partisan. Let’s recall Okotie’s pedigree.

He has been in the race since 2003 without a godfather, thugs or cronies who play up tribal or religious sentiments.

Abidde said he was told in Abuja by more than three cab drivers that ‘Jonathan would have been a better and more effective President but for what the Northern elites are doing…”. In a country of an estimated 150 million people, Mr Abidde based his conclusion on what a handful of ‘cab drivers’ said. Quite interesting! Focused and visionary leaders have accomplished more under more dire circumstances, and the death and maiming of thousands of citizens has not “helped the Jonathan government and his candidacy”. Jonathan’s real and perceived shortcomings are inherent, not devolved.

•Ohio-Michael Elakhe, a Security/Emergency Evacuation expert wrote from Lagos.

THE NATION, SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2014

COMMENTARY

9

Lack of political ideology fuels defection few days ago, the news print and social media went agog with screaming headlines of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Aminu Tambuwal’s “official” defection from the ruling party, People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to the opposition party, All Progressive Congress (APC). This action via subsequent developments hitherto, has elicited extolments and acclamation, as well as criticism and condemnation from various quarters within the country.

Other than the news of unceasing escalation of the security situation in the North-Eastern region being perpetuated by the dastard insurgents, with scores killed and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) rising every hour, the Speaker’s defection has also been trending, featuring prominently in the front burner of political discourse within the polity. Understandably, while the APC are the happier out of the two political parties in this particular situation, as the number four most important citizen and office now belongs to their fold, the ruling party has been in a dysphoric state ever since Hon. Tambuwal declared his defection.

Undoubtedly, the ruling party has been rattled by his action, evident in their agitations and furore to unseat the speaker at all cost.

The resultant effect is the “atypical manner” in which the Speaker’s security details have been withdrawn by the police, citing a constitutional provision – Section 68 (1)(g); however, perusing the provision doesn’t enable or authorize the Nigerian police force to perform the supposed initiative they took. This act in itself by the police is unconstitutional, therefore illegal.

One would have thought the duty of the police is to enforce the law of the land (as explicitly stated in the constitution), and not play the convenient role of assuming the functions of the judiciary to interpret laws. By virtue of the position and office of Speaker of the House of Representatives should by law be attached with security details (likewise the office of the Presidency, the vice and Senate president), irrespective of the individual holding the office or party affiliation. The act of the police withdrawing the Speakers security detail should not have happened under any circumstance.

Its not unexpected that there is such a hullabaloo over Hon. Tambuwal’s defection. Its not unexpected that the Speakers defection would further heat up the polity in light of the fact that Nigeria is just a couple of months away from an overemotional and potentially volatile election.

A

The poetry of deceit Knucklehead

have tried to understand how we got wrapped up in this mess and I have come to the painful conclusion that we have continuously buried our shame in the harvest of deceitful narratives that fill our space. Sometimes, you just wonder if there will ever be an end to the unfathomable madness that has taken over our land--the sickening killings, bombings, callous attacks on communities and the sheer savagery consistently stamped on it all. Frankly speaking, Nigeria is in a crisis in spite of the lingering official debauchery and crazy buffoonery going in the name of politics among the elites. It is one thing when the government conveniently deploys subtle white lies to cast a shade of truth on certain scary realities in the fight against the Boko Haram terrorists. At least, some among us do understand that, in a war where propaganda plays a major role, the government cannot afford to leave the initiative in the hands of those deluded characters whose main occupation is baying for innocent blood. Yet, there is a huge difference between a government that occasionally choses to be economical with the truth and the one that makes it a routine occupation to lie through the teeth as a veritable cover up for glaring incompetence!

That, by the way, is what I detest in the Goodluck Jonathan administration.

Without calling into question what it claims it has been doing to tame the mad men foisting a reign of terror on our land, there is no doubting the fact that something is definitely wrong with the tales by moonlight filtering out of government quarters on this matter. It beggars belief that, as I write this, the Boko Haram insurgents seem unfazed by the chest thumping in Abuja about how the Nigerian security forces have been winning the battle against terror. Instead, they are also doing everything to ridicule the entire Nigerian nation, going by the brazenness with which they have been executing the orgy of killings, maiming and looting in some parts of the NorthEast in recent times. We had thought that the harvest of violent orgies would gradually fizzle out when respected agents of the government rushed to the market with news of a ceasefire signed with representatives of the Boko Haram sect in Saudi Arabia. We were even promised a likely return of some of the abducted Chibok school girls, seven months into their inhumane ordeal in the hands of their abductors. Though celebrated with muted pessimism and cautious optimism, it was one piece of news that reawakened the forlorn spirits of the girls' parents and Nigerians.

Today, some three weeks after the Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshall Alex Badeh, literally ordered the service chiefs to sheathe their swords against the insurgents in deference to the ceasefire agreement signed with the intervention of the Chadian government on November 17, the story of the carnage, bombings, assassinations, abductions, arsons and heart-wrenching criminalities has grown in monstrous proportion. Audacious insurgents even raided Badeh's hometown to prove a point. According to the Adamawa State Governor, James Ngilari, the entire Mubi Senatorial Disctrict which comprises of five local government areas, has been overrun by the insurgents. He said the security situation in the state remains ‘dicey.’

Somehow, I still vividly remember how Badeh giggled his way through a rare cameo appearance on national television the other day, telling a war-weary populace that: “Without any prejudice to the outcome of our three-day interactions and the conclusions of this forum, I wish to inform this audience that a ceasefire agreement has been concluded between the federal government of Nigeria and the Ahlul Sunna Li Daawa Wal Jihad. I have accordingly directed the Service Chiefs to ensure immediate compliance with this development in the field.” Badeh was at his best. Not even a fast chuckle to hint us that we were, as usual, being taken on another whimsical ride that leads to further humiliation by a sect once described as a rag-tag army by the authorities. In saner climes, all the top security chiefs involved in giving the nation such a '419' ceasefire would have long been gone from office.

I

Hon. Tambuwal is alledged to be strategizing to become governor of his home state of Sokoto. If so, his move from the PDP to the APC is not surprising considering the fact that, presently APC appears to be the more dominant party in Sokoto.

Evidently, since the return to civil democratic rule in 1999, political defection in the country has become a fundamental phenomenon and regular occurrence of the political system in the country.

Politicians have decamped from one party to another. Cross-carpeting has dotted the political landscape within the country, which cuts across all the major political parties in the country. Without doubt, politicians have the right and freedom to move from one party to another or change their party allegiances.

Another major trend within the political landscape of our polity is that most politicians more often than not cry foul when a member of their party decamps to another party, but welcome with open arms members of another party who defects to theirs. An exemplification of this scenario was what played out with the defection of Ondo State Governor, Olusegun Mimiko, to the PDP, who was elected in 2009 and re-elected in 2012 for a second tenure under the platform of the Labour Party (LP).

Similarly, the APC persecuted the likes of Nuhu Ribadu and Co. when they decamped to the PDP, but hailed the defection of members of the House of Representatives from the PDP into their rank and file, which bolstered their numbers in the lower legislative chamber. This current trend in the political arena cut’s across all political parties as they all are culpable in this regard.

However, what is good or bad for the goose is also good for the

gander. As long as cross-carpeting is good for one political party, then it should be good for all the parties.

Undoubtedly, the precipitating factor for this current trend is the lack of ideological commitments to any political party by some politicians and the non-existent clear-cut political ideologies of political parties in the country. In the US for instance, the Democratic Party generally represents liberal ideals, while the Republican Party commonly represents conservative ideals. In Germany, the ruling Christian Democratic Union (CDU) is known for its liberal conservatism, and economic liberalism and are referred to as Christian democrats, the main opposition, the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) is known to be social democrats with a definitive ideology called “Third Way”, which is a position that tries to reconcile right-wing and left-wing politics by advocating a varying synthesis of right-wing economic and left-wing social policies. However, in our political landscape, there is a conspicuous absence of such ideologies. Most politicians connections to their parties are largely based on inordinate ambition for political offices because of the gains attached to such positions, than the services they are supposed to render to the teeming citizenry.

Political parties are increasingly becoming mere veritable platforms whereby some politicians ascribe to in a bid to get political power or be elected into public office, hence, the current spate of cross-carpeting by politicians within the country.

As the 2015 general elections approaches, the quest for relevance appears to be the driving force behind the plethora of cross-carpeting currently practiced by many within the country. This is not the kind of legacy our founding fathers and first republic leaders, such as Ahmadu Bello, Nnamdi Azikiwe and Obafemi Awolowo, who were guided by ideologies with which they laid the foundation for the development of their regions and Nigeria at large, left for us to emulate. What is largely obtainable now is the politics of convenience and inordinate ambition by some of our political elites. As long as there is an absence of definite political ideologies, like what is obtainable in other politically developed climes, the norm of cross-carpeting, defections and decampments will continue to exist, as some politicians would seek different veritable political platforms in order to position themselves for relevance come 2015 or any other election moving forward.

With

Yomi Odunuga E-mail:yomi.odunuga @thenationonlineng.net SMS only: 07028006913 I also remember how top members of the administration seized the opportunity to remind us about how the President's "shuttle diplomacy" yielded a positive ceasefire agreement just about a month to the day he would officially declare his intention to run for a second term in office. Not that I quarrel with anyone sucking sour political juice from a dead-on-arrival ceasefire agreement though.

After all, if Jonathan has taken, with philosophical equanimity, a barrage of oven-baked criticisms for his administration's crying indolence in tackling the insurgents, it would be wrong for anyone to cry blue murder if he was being credited with the plaudits on the "success" of a signed ceasefire with the same "faceless" insurgents! And so, we do understand when we were told that the insurgents had to embrace the ceasefire due to the losses they suffered on the field against the Nigerian forces; the arrest and subsequent surrender by some of their fighters including the killing of a 'second' Shekau! We were relieved when the President of France, François Hollande, spoke about the imminent release of the Chibok girls, noting: “Boko Haram have said they will free these young girls and we have information that this will happen in the coming hours or days,” Our cautious optimism received further boost from statement credited to the Director-General of National Orientation Agency (NOA) and Coordinator, National Information Centre (NIC), Mr. Mike Omeri, that the abducted Chibok schoolgirls were hale and hearty. For anyone who still has blood running in his veins, that is one cheery piece of news. So, this Boko Haram folks were not as vicious as we had thought. If they could keep those girls and other captors alive for over six months, then maybe there is a ray of hope that this reign of terror would soon become another chapter in our dark history. Or so we thought. On matters such as this, we knew someone in The Presidency must put a stamp of authority on it. And so, Knucklehead was not surprised that the lot fell on the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Affairs, Dr. Doyin Okupe, to do the needful and bring the matter to an end. In an interview with ThisDay, Okupe said: “The implementation of this ceasefire was signed today and further agreements on this deal, including the release of the kidnapped Chibok girls are part of this agreement”.

Now, fast forward to the present and see how fast the story has changed for the worse with a huge humanitarian crisis looming in our nation. Three weeks after the noise and dance over a ceasefire agreement with the Boko Haram sect, we now know that a "third" Shekau has emerged from Sambisa Forest to foist another round of killings, ablutions, arsons, maiming and depraved bloodletting on the land. This same "third incarnation Shekau" has not only denied signing any ceasefire with the Nigerian government or any other government for that matter, he has also dissociated the sect from whoever represented it at the Saudi Arabia meeting. As would be expected, he has promised more deadly attacks while Abuja wrings its hands in stupefaction. Parents have lamented how the sect members seized their young girls, paid them off with N5000 in addition

to killing those who refuse to convert to their doctrine of Islam, including Christians. Reports said over 51,000 Internally Displaced Persons are currently camped in the NYSC Camp in Yola. Countless others are scattered in the Cameroons, remote mountains and bushes. They are helplessly foraging for faith in a land that has abandoned them. If only they had been truly protected, maybe they wouldn't be chewing their pain in tears!

Daily, the number of IDPs grows as donor agencies struggle to avoid a calamity that might plague the camp. Yet, in Abuja, those who should do something to save humanity think there is no cause for alarm, content with the delusion that everything is under control with the warped ceasefire that has upped the venom of unmitigated violence. Daily, concerned Nigerians go on the social media to nudge the conscience of the authorities into taking the right action to halt the impending doom. Sadly, they seem too far gone in the crafting of poetry of deceit to give damn. I am sure they never read Aminu Mohammed Ofs's post on the plight of a young man who is presently on national service in Kano. He got the sad news of the massacre of his close relatives in the Mubi tragedy---his father, mother, four uncles and their wives, his siblings, cousin, nephews and nieces. They were all in Mubi for a wedding scheduled that weekend. "Now, how can he ever forget this incident?" Aminu asked. Did they ever come across a post by Eniola Mayowa, which cautioned against playing smart amidst the clear and present danger? "Our economy is crumbling with oil price at the lowest in four years....yet GEJ is busy fighting Tambuwal over his second term ambition.

Nero is fiddling while Rome is burning." Do they know the import of this statement or are they still dangling the shameful tail of "No shaking, we are on top of the situation" balderdash?

However, it does not mean that The Presidency has gone into deadpan silence over these grave allegations of playing politics with the people's lives and fiddling while the country burns. No, they care too much about us to let that slip by in an election year. First, Badeh has come out to categorically say it was no big deal if insurgents seize his ancestral town and sent thousands fleeing. He said he was pained as much as he would have 'pained' if the city of Lagos were to be captured by the insurgents as the CDS. Thankfully, we now know they are pained! They have also maintained a discomfiting diplomatic silence since "Shekau" said the Chibok girls were married off after their abduction. Okupe has come out to chastise, lambast and curse anyone who dares blame President Jonathan in the botched ceasefire agreement. He said government was unprepared for the insurgents and all options have been placed on the table to clear the mess!

Godswill Akpabio, the cantankerous Governor of Akwa Ibom State, has come out to put the blame at the doorstep of an illiterate Nigerian media which has failed to understand the difference between a ceasefire and a high level contact with people who claim to be representatives of the Boko Boys!

Listen to man who always strives to put an icing on an eternally bitter cake: "The Council of State was satisfied that the Defence Ministry and all the agencies have taken the right steps. The NSA was of the opinion that high-level contact with the Republic of Chad was made and that some persons who acted on behalf of the Boko Haram and who claimed to have authority also had discussions with them and there are some Nigerian officials with them. Of course, no agreement has been reached yet. It is just that the press probably misunderstood what was reported. The discussions are ongoing. So we look forward to when the real Boko Haram will come out for negotiations."

Well, since they are satisfied with developments so far, who are you to complain? It is poetry and they have the poetic licence to embark on a binge of flowery deceit…as they wait on the ‘real Boko Haram’ to sit his dumb ass on the negotiating table!

10

THE NATION SATURDAY NOVEMBER 8, 2014

THE NATION SATURDAY NOVEMBER 8, 2014

11

12

THE NATION, SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2014

Issuance of PVCs a painful experience in Lagos, says Fashola Being text of a state-wide broadcast by Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN, yesterday on the issuance of Permanent Voters’ Cards Dear Lagosians, Barely 48 hours after I addressed you about our preparations and preparedness to enable you participate in the process of issuance of your Permanent Voters’ Cards as planned and announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), I am constrained to address you again this morning.

This is because by omission or commission, INEC has decided to make this a painful experience for us in Lagos by announcing that it will only issue Permanent Voters’ Cards in the following 11 local governments: 1. Agege 2. Ajeromi- Ifelodun 3. Ifako-Ijaiye 4. Ikeja 5. Mushin 6. Lagos Island 7. Lagos Mainland 8. Ibeju-Lekki 9. Ikorodu 10. Kosofe; and 11. Ojo As for the nine remaining local governments, namely: 1. Alimosho 2. Amuwo-Odofin 3. Apapa 4. Badagry 5. Oshodi-Isolo 6. Epe 7. Shomolu 8. Surulere; and 9. Eti-Osa INEC now says that it will conduct the exercise on November 28, 29 and 30.

I can only imagine the level of disappointment that you must all feel, having waited anxiously for this exercise and in spite of the fact that we had declared a work-free day.

I am deeply disappointed at this display of lack of planning that speaks volumes of the contempt and disregard of this national agency for the rights of citizens.

I wish to recall that it was INEC that first announced that this exercise was planned for August, and later shifted to September, and later to today and yet they did not get it right.

If this is a foretaste of what we should expect in the general elections, for me, it is a bad start. It tastes awful.

INEC has not answered the question I posed about the delisting of over 1,400,000 voters from the register it compiled in 2011 in spite of assurances it gave Nigerians, and billions of naira it expended for the purpose.

As far as this further messy conduct is concerned, its lame excuse is nine contractors disappointed it.

Who are the contractors? Are they faceless?

I think Nigerians deserve to know who they are.

The information at my disposal is that all the cards are in Lagos and INEC must explain why it had decided not to distribute all of them.

Nevertheless, I want to urge all of you who registered in the 11 local governments, namely: 1. Agege 2. Ajeromi- Ifelodun

3. Ifako-Ijaiye 4. Ikeja 5. Mushin 6. Lagos Island 7. Lagos Mainland 8. Ibeju-Lekki 9. Ikorodu 10. Kosofe; and 11. Ojo to go and collect your Permanent Voters’ Cards to prevent yourselves from being disenfranchised.

Our love for democracy and development that it had brought to our state and our lives must be bigger and stronger than our disappointment at a national agency that has let itself down.

For those of you who registered in the suspended nine local governments, namely: 1. Alimosho, 2. Amuwo-Odofin 3. Apapa 4. Badagry 5. Oshodi-Isolo 6. Epe 7. Shomolu 8. Surulere; and 9. Eti-Osa I urge you to observe the work-free day and stay at home.

My local government in Surulere, that of the Deputy Governor in Alimosho and the Speaker in Epe are among those affected by the suspension.

I urge you to remain peaceful, but determined to be vigilant and assured that nobody will take your rights away because our government will stand up for you.

Thank you for listening.

God bless you all.

Eko o ni baje!

13

THE NATION, SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2014

Story on pages 14&15

THE NATION, SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2014

14

•A cross section of widows in training EACE has finally returned to Plateau State after a n Yusufu AMINU IDEGU, Jos n terrible storm of conflicts that threatened to tear and widows left by the conflict. the state apart. The state has entered into a postThe local government stands as the most affected counconflict era, with attention now on reconciliation, cils in the entire state. While speaking with The Nation, reconstruction and rehabilitation. the council boss confessed that his local government has The people are now happy that the era of maiming more orphans and widows than it can cope with. and killing is abating in the state. For three years on, ex"On behalf of my people, I am pleading with the Fedcept for skirmishes in the hinterland, the state has eneral Government to intervene in the rehabilitation and rejoyed relative peace, a huge respite from the almost a settlement programmes of the crises victims. I know the decade war, which lasted between 2001 and Federal Government has done a lot in the restora2010. tion of permanent peace in the area. But as a The speed of recovery from the ruin father, the Federal Government needs to do has amazed even the most optimore for victims of the crises’’, the chairmistic. Today, a new visitor to the man said. state may be willing to swear Hon. Loman also commended the that there was never a war or They discovered Plateau State government for supsomething near it in Plateau porting the victims, but added that State. that I'm a widow as a the problem was bigger than But behind the boisterous what the state can handle alone. and blissful nature of result of the crisis, and He used the opportunity to apPlateau lies the sad tales they took my phone and left... peal to civil society organisaof the victims of the war, to help out in the especially the thousands I came here and they promised tions rehabilitation project. of widows, widowers Some local and foreign orand orphans created by to give me and other victims ganisations may have heeded the crises. the call to offer assistance to the training that will make us None of the 17 local the widows and orphans. The government areas of the become self-sufficient. I was organisations include the Eustate is spared the agony ropean Union (EU); the Canaof taking care of the widtrained on how to make soap. dian government; the ows and orphans. While government of Germany (GIZ); Now, I make soap for sale some local government Community Action for Popular areas may have coped and the proceeds have been Participation (CAPP); APURIwell with the tragedy, othMAC ONLUS from Rome and ers are finding it extremely enough for me to manage Displaced Women and Children tough to cope with the numFoundation (DW&CF). my life and those of ber of the victims.

The Displaced Women and ChilFor instance, the Chairman my three children dren Foundation (DW&CF) is curof Barkin Ladi Local Governrently hosting over 500 widows and ment Area, Hon Emmanuel orphans at its training camp, located at Loman, who is also the state Murtala Muhammed Way Jos. The center is ALGON Chairman, is currently batorganising vocational training, skill acquisitling to manage the number of orphans

P

,

,

tion training and computer training for the victims.

Some of the victims have been trained and are already practising their skills. A victim, Hajiya Memuna Dauda, said: "From the beginning, I thought that was the end of my life after I lost my husband in the crisis. I had actually lost hope until my neighbour told me about this NGO. I was told that the NGO is enrolling victims, so I went there reluctantly.

“So, when the NGO told us that they can help us manage our situation, I had no option than to try it. But so far, the opportunity has worked out. The skill I acquired from the NGO is what is feeding me today. That has made me to forget about the past."

Another widow, Mrs. Keneng Gyang, who was picked from the displaced persons camp, said: "The NGO came to our camp in Riyom to interview us. They discovered I'm a widow as a result of the crisis, and they took my phone and left. Three months after, the NGO called me on phone to invite me for empowerment. That was all.

“I came here and they promised to give me and other victims the training that will make us become self-sufficient. I was trained on how to make soap. Now, I make soap for sale and the proceeds have been enough for me to manage my life and those of my three children."

Another NGO, the Community Action for Popular Participation (CAPP), has helped the victims to heal the trauma of going through the crisis. The NGO, funded by MacArthour Foundation, Chicago, United States, organises seminars for victims of the crisis who are traumatised.

The state coordinator of CAPP, Nelson Amanze, said: "We undertook to help the victims recover from their trauma. We noticed that all the survivors of the crises, particularly the women and children, are suffering from trauma. So, in 2001 and 2012, we organised series of seminars for such victims from Jos North, Jos South, Riyom and Barkin Ladi local governments respectively. We have to work on their psyche to take them out of their condition, else the society is not safe. Apart from that, CAPP has organised capacity-building for women and youths to reduce the level of unemployment among the youths.”

Mr. Godwin Okoko is the Director of APURIMAC ONLUS, a non-governmental organisation that is also

THE NATION, SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2014

15

•Some orphans in Riyom camp, Jos

part of the peace-building process in the state.

The NGO has established two skill acquisition centers in Jos; at Rantya-Lowcost and Katako, both in Jos North Local Government Area. At the center, youths are trained in computer, hair dressing, knitting, weaving, baking and sewing among others. The APURIMAC center has graduated over 3,000 youths who have been trained in various skills from its center. The trainees have also been provided with available tools to commence small scale business that will guarantee them the needed financial freedom.

The Displaced Women and Children Foundation (DW&CF) has identified about 4,000 victims of the crises and has created a skill acquisition training center for them at its office along Murtala Muhammed Way, Jos. At a recent induction programme for the victims, the Director of the NGO, Salis Muhammed Abubakar, said his organisation has decided to train the victims in order to take them away from the streets.

"My NGO has developed a center where these victims will learn vocational jobs to make them self-reliant. These victims have lost their husbands and breadwinners to the

,

•Grinding engine distributed to orphans and widows by Senator GNS Pwajok in Jos recently

means to establish their business. We are not going to leave them alone after their training. The NGO intends to use the center to, not only train these victims, but to also use the center to reconcile and re-unite them. We are doing this because the victims are from Christian and Muslim backgrounds. We want to bring them together to share their common problem and find a common solution. We don’t want them to see their religions as a barrier.”

Also speaking on the rehabilitation efforts, Amanze of the CAPP, said: "We had earlier discovered the plights of the widows and orphans when we carried out a trauma healing exercise for the victims of the war in 2012. We discovered that there were many of the victims who need counselling. So our next project is to focus on how to assist them in skill acquisition trainings."

However, amidst the jubilation and celebration over the return of peace to Plateau State, a number of civil society organisations see the jubilation as premature.

For them, there is an urgent need to ensure that the peace is maintained and sustained. They warned that whatever has been gained by the return of peace to the state may be lost if the widows and orphans are not properly taken care of by the society.

“If the society fails to manage the widows and orphans created from the crises, the prevailing peace will have no meaning. These victims, especially the orphans, are in their thousands and are capable of making mess of the peace that we are enjoying now if they are not trained and educated now.”

All the NGOs involved in the peace-building effort in Plateau State are under the coordination of the Peace Building Office, under the control of the Governor's Office. It is headed by the Special Adviser on Peace Building, Mr Timothy Parlong. Recently, the office convened a meeting of all the community leaders across the state, as part of the efforts to consolidate the peace in the state.

Apart from these NGOs, state and national legislators from the state have made it a point of duty to rehabilitate the victims of Jos crises. Some of the victims have been provided with work tools like sewing machines, hair dryers, grinding macines and others.

A recent beneficiary of some of the items donated by Senator GNS Pwajok , Mrs Ladi Markus, from Mazah village, said: "I got a lifeline today. I have been looking for a loan to buy this machine for a long time. But the senator has provided it for me free of charge. I am going to start my business right away."

Miss Lydia Choji, a physically-challenged, got a wheel chair. She said: "I have been praying for this for a long time. As you can see, I don't have legs to move. I can only move about on wheel chair and the only one I got from the government five years ago has packed up, I kept spending money to repair it. God knows I need a new chair and He has provided for me through our senator."

Some young victims, who received hair dryers to commence their own hair salon business, expressed their joy over their change in fortune. They chorused: "The senator gave us these equipment and the most important thing is that he gave us a generator to provide us electric light to run our salon.

He has done what we have long been hoping to achieve.”

The beneficiaries, who are widows and orphans, have earlier been identified and trained in various areas before qualifying to benefit from the programme.

The wife of the state governor, Ngo Talatu Jang, is also involved in the efforts to rehabilitate the widows and orphans. Her pet project, the Women in Agriculture and Youths Empowerment (WAYE) has concentrated its effort in the training of the less-priviledged. Over 5,000 women have graduated from its skill acquisition training center, known as the 'Redemption camp', located in Doi village, Jos.

These victims have lost their husbands and breadwinners to the war. Our belief is that if these children are not made to acquire skills in order to make them employable and achieve economic independence, they may become violent in the nearest future. If that is allowed, the peace already achieved can be truncated. That will not be good for the state

war. Our belief is that if these children are not made to acquire skills in order to make them employable and achieve economic independence, they may become violent in the nearest future. If that is allowed, the peace already achieved can be truncated. That will not be good for the state.”

Speaking further, Abubakar said: "We have gone far to make the particulars of these victims available on the Internet, so that anyone who has the heart to help them can meet them. We don't want to localise the rehabilitation process of these victims.

"At the end of the skill acquisition training, my NGO will provide them with

,

16

THE NATION SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2014

49

THE NATION SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2014

How do you identify them?

They usually don't talk about the future with you in it. They shy away from discussing marriage because they know they are not ready to be committed to you.

THE NATION, SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2014

Okada man slumps, dies ...after encounter with policemen •Nobody beat him –Police T was a tragic end for a 27-year-old Okada rider, Sulaiman Lawal, who died shortly after an encounter with some policemen on October 28, 2014, in the Oyingbo area of Lagos State.

Eyewitnesses said Lawal, who until his death resided at No 90, Jebba Street, Ebute Metta, Lagos, slumped to death shortly after the brutal encounter with the minions of law attached to Denton Police Division, Ebute Metta, Lagos.

The incident, according to sources, happened about 8 pm when Lawal fled as he sighted the policemen during a raid on Okada riders in the area. He was said to have been given a hot chase by the policemen and beaten up, while his motorbike was also impounded.

An eyewitness who asked not to be named said: “He was alerted by his colleagues of the presence of some policemen who were carrying out a raid on Okada riders but he unfortunately fell into their trap. The policemen then tried to forcibly impound his motorbike; hence, he fled the scene. The policemen then pursued him and mercilessly beat him up to the extent that he became so weak and barely managed to return home, while his motorbike was impounded and taken to their station.

“It was when he got home that his health worsened and he decided to have a shower in order to apply a balm on his body when he slumped and died instantly. As a matter of fact, blood was gushing out of his mouth and nostrils when he collapsed on his way to the bathroom.”

The police, in a swift reaction, however, denied that any of its men beat the Okada man.

Angry youths and sympathisers were said to have stormed the police station to register their annoyance about the alleged complicity of the policemen in the death of Lawal, but they were pacified by the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in charge of the station. “ We (the youths) went to the station to register our displeasure about the circumstances

I

•The late Lawal

n Kunle AKINRINADE n

surrounding Lawal’s death, but the DPO of the station begged us and pleaded that we should go and bury Lawal’s corpse. He even gave us some telephone numbers to call if we encountered other policemen while taking Lawal’s body for burial in his home town in Kwara State. His (Lawal’s) body was subsequently taken to Ilorin where his burial held on October 30,” said a resident, who simply identified himself as Adewale.

A close family member, who spoke in confidence, explained that the deceased had gone out on the unfortunate day because he needed some money to defray his ailing mother’s hospital bills.

“Lawal’s mother had been sick lately and was taken to a hospital in Ilorin, where she is currently receiving treatment. In fact, he had to relocate his wife and two children from Lagos to Ilorin, because of his mother’s condition which required a lot of care. He was asked to pay about N24, 000 for his mother’s treatment but had just saved about N16,000. He had hoped that he would make some money to complete the amount requested to clear the bill when he met his untimely death as a result of the unfortunate encounter with the overzealous policemen.”

The spokesman of Lagos Police Command, Mr. Kenneth Nwosu, said: “It is not true that he was beaten by our men. Two of our men were actually on surveillance in Oyingbo, when the deceased was passing on a prohibited route for Okada. On sighting one of our men, he abandoned his motorbike and ran away following which his motorbike was taken to the station. ‘’It was the following day that some people reported that he was found dead in his room. I want to use this opportunity to warn Okada riders to desist henceforth from plying prohibited routes because violators will be arrested.”

Kwara police parade four suspected church robbers, others T

HE Kwara State Police Command has paraded one Abdullahi Muhammed for allegedly robbing a church in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital.

The name of the church, located in Iluteju Oko-Erin area of the metropolis, was given as Apostle of Christ Church.

Also paraded were three robbery suspects who allegedly robbed a Professor of the University of Ilorin in his home.

Addressing reporters in Ilorin, the state Commissioner of Police, Salihu Garba, said the robbery suspects who allegedly attacked the church were seven in number.

Mr. Garba said: “On the 25th of October, 2014 a gang of armed robbers invaded Apostle of Christ Church, Iluteju Oko-Erin and carted away the sum of N308,000, a phone and a gold wrist watch.”

Other items recovered from them include one blackberry and one Ipad, the commissioner added.

He gave the names of the robbery sus-

n Adekunle JIMOH, Ilorin n

pects that attacked the Professor’s residence as Samuel Olawale Pedro, Ogunjobi Segun and Alhaji Danjuma Abu, adding that they were also allegedly involved in another robbery incident in the metropolis on the same day.

Items recovered from them include nine wrist watches, two cameras, one white garment and jewellery.

Two of the suspects who spoke to reporters said their friends introduced them to crime.

Ogunjobi Segun said: “I was brought here due to robbery. That will be my first time of being involved in robbery. It was just a friend of mine that led me into it. I am a barber in Lagos. I stay at Ojuelegba.

I came here on a visit.”

Samuel Olawale, who said he hailed from Kogi State, regretted his action.

He said: “I was brought here because of a robbery incident. I robbed a professor’s

•The suspects that attacked the Prof wife because of bad friends.

“They initiated me into the act. They told me to go with them and I did not know the effect.

“We were six in number. Three of us ran away and they were not apprehended. I

am a furniture maker in Lagos.

“It was during the Sallah period that I came to Ilorin. After the Sallah celebration, they initiated me. I have not been long in robbery business. This is my first time and I am really regretting it.”

THE NATION, SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2014

20

CRIME

&

Homosexuality tears brothers apart n Shola O’NEIL, South-South Regional Editor n

lood, they say, is thicker than water but its thickness sometimes comes with pains and unease.

This is the case of one Peter, who accused his elder brother of bringing shame and disgrace to the family.

When Peter called our reporter recently to 'disown' Albert and his wife, this reporter sought to know why.

"They are a disgrace and harbinger of bad luck to our family," Peter responded vehemently that the sexual inclinations and recent revelations about his brother and his wife was a scourge to the family name and their community.

"Our culture permits a man to marry as many wives as he wants," he said. "We have no room for a man sleeping with another man. How can we stand that when we are not animals? Even animals don't do that but my brother was caught sleeping with another man as a man and woman would, if you know what I mean. We want the world to know that we are not part of it and we do not support his madness in anyway," he added.

The elder brother, who was contacted on telephone, would neither confirm nor deny the allegation by his brother. "I do not discuss my issues on the pages of newspapers but my brother has his life and I have mine. I don't discuss his issues outside and if he chooses to say anything about me and my wife, I won't respond," he said calmly and hung. Further calls and text messages to his telephone line were unanswered.

However, asked how an alleged gay couple gave birthday to five children over the years, the younger brother, who spoke exclusively with The Nation, said until their cover was blown, the family and their community saw the couple as a model family, raising five children together, went to church and lived respectably.

"It was after my brother's shame that we found that he and his wife lived separate lives in the closet. They are both gay but were merely living together to protect their secret life from their parents, family members and friends. As soon as we found out, the wife has packed out and left and the man, am sure is somewhere with his lover," he added.

Detailing the pains his brother’s recently uncovered secret life had imposed on the entire family, Peter said his brother's lifestyle hastened the death of their mother, besides the communal pressure and fines on the family.

He said the ‘crime’ of his brother and family had exposed the family to ridicule and disgrace, noting that they are now described as a family of gay.

B

One dead in Ayobo tanker fire NE person was burnt beyond recognition on Monday evening when a fuel tanker went up in flames after it fell on its back on the Ayobo road in Ayobo-Ipaja Local Council Development Area of Lagos State.

The incident, according to eyewitnesses, happened about 8.30 pm causing heavy traffic on the busy road and leaving commuters stranded.

Policemen from Ayobo and Ipaja Divisions were said to have been drafted to the scene to rescue the injured to hospital.

An eyewitness, who simply identified himself as Tope, said: “The driver of the truck was trying to avoid a bad portion of the road near Megida bus stop when he lost control of the vehicle. The truck fell splashing its inflammable content on the road and subsequently caught fire.

“Several vehicles and

O

n Kunle AKINRINADE n motorcycles were razed by the fire. One of the victims who jumped into a nearby gutter had his intestine slashed and was burnt beyond recognition. It is a rather bizarre incident.”

Confirming the story in a telephone conversation with The Nation, the spokesman of Lagos Police Command, Mr. Kenneth Nwosu, said: “A tanker conveying fuel from Lagos exploded shortly after it fell on its back as a result of bad road. The fire consumed a bus and a commercial motorcycle. The driver of the truck is nowhere to be found, while the driver of the bus escaped unhurt and he is assisting police with necessary information about the incident. Only one person died in the incident, while our men have taken injured persons to hospital.”

THE NATION, SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2014

45

OTHER STORIES

olukunle87@yahoo.com

The pangs of cable vandals in Plateau WO cable vandals in Jos, Plateau State have got instant justice with their electrocution in the process of stealing.

The more recent of the two incidents occurred in an isolated area of Dadin Kowa, Jos South Local Government Area of Plateau State when a young man whose age was estimated at 35 sneaked out of his house while everyone else was sleep. With a ladder, he climbed one of the electric poles and successfully cut two high tension cables from one end. He then alighted and moved the ladder to another pole in order to cut the other ends of the cables.

To show that he was an expert in the art of stealing electric cables, he left the ladder and sat on the pole bar. He wore hand gloves to prevent direct contact with the naked cable. It was about 11.30 pm and everyone in the neighbourhood had gone to bed because there was no light for them to stay late that night.

The cable vandal thought it was the best time to carry out his plan since everywhere was dark and no one could see him. But just at the point he lay his pliers on the cables to cut them, electricity was restored and the cable thief was instantly electrocuted. But rather than fall from the electric pole, his lifeless body remained hanging till the next day when the people in the neighbourhood woke up to behold his lifeless body on the bar of the electric pole.

Some residents of the community recalled that they heard a spark the previous night when light was restored, but they did not know that someone had been electrocuted until they woke up the next day and found the body on the pole.

A member of the community, Simon Madugu, said: "Last night, a lot of us went to bed on time as there was no light to watch the television. At about 11.30 pm, we heard a violent spark and some of us thought it must have come from an overloaded transformer. So we ignored it and continued sleeping.

“But the next day, we started hearing that a lifeless body of someone was hanging from the electric pole, and we all rushed out to see the body."

Mr Paul Gindiri, manager of a Stone Crushing Company located near the scene, said: "The same electric lines have been vandalised five times in the last one year. It is my company that

T

keeps replacing them each time they are vandalised because this is the only line supplying power to my company. I did not know that it was these boys that are doing it. Now God has caught one of them.

“But he should have been alive to help the police with investigation. It is obvious he is not the only one in the act."

The neighbours then called on the police and men of the Civil Defence Corps who came to remove the body of the criminal from the pole.

The second case of natural justice occurred in an isolated area of Tundunwada, Jos where a young man was electrocuted and his body left hanging from an electric pole. The incident occurred when at about 11 am when most members of the area had gone to town for their legitimate businesses.

But while other members of the community were rushing out early to source for livelihood, the deceased suspected vandal was plotting how to execute his plan to vandalise electric cables.

So at about 11 am on that fateful day, the deceased, who was identified as Bulus Dangayi, took a ladder, climbed the poles and had made a good harvest of electric cables.

“But as he climbed the last pole to round off his business for the day, electricity was restored.

The victim had not expected that power would be restored at that time of the day because he was aware that power supply to the community was being rationed. There had been light in the area the previous day and night, and as the light went off in the area, it was the turn of another part of the community to enjoy electricity.

One of the residents, Inuwa Bala, said: "It has been long since our community was placed on power rationing. We would have it for 24 hours and they would serve light to another area for another 24 hours before we would get it again.

“So everybody knew when it was their turn, and that was what the criminals took advantage of to steal electric cables. They would steal the cables and plunge us into darkness until members of the community would contribute money to buy another cable. But God is at work. On the day this boy was electrocuted, he least expected there would be light. So, he was doing it with confidence. But, as they say, every day is for the thief but one day for the owner."

In the case of Dangayi, the family quickly identified him and he was taken for burial instantly before the police could hear of it. lso in Apata, Jos North area of the state, a similar incident occurred. But it was a case of illegal connection of electric line.

The victim was a known electrician in the area.

Eyewitnesses said he normally climbed the pole to change the lines that supplied power to his shop.

But this time around, the electrician made a wrong connection which resulted in a spark. He was electrocuted instantly and his body hanged on the pole.

The 28-year-old electrician is identified as Chukwuebuka Eze. "We saw him climb the pole in Agwan Lambu quarters around noon ostensibly to change the supply phase to his shop when the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) suddenly restored light "The shirt he wore caught fire and burnt out

A

even as his body remained glued to the electric line. We heard a spark when the thing occurred and we rushed out to see the man on fire on the pole. We could not but help the PHCN people to switch off the lines so as to bring down his body" Some onlookers rushed to PHCN office to lodge a report for the electricity supply to the area to be cut off and it took the combined effort of PHCN officials and some concerned residents to bring down the corpse of the deceased from the pole.

The corpse was later taken away by the PHCN officials accompanied by three policemen.

Only a few days ago, residents of Old Cemetery Street in the heart of Jos city were thrown into confusion when a suspected fuel thief was electrocuted while attempting to siphon fuel from an MTN base station. The victim was a known person in the area except that they never knew that he lived by stealing fuel from Telecom Service-based stations in town. He was identified as Timkok.

The telecom station was fenced and barricaded with barb wires. But the suspect knew there was no electricity in the area and he found it a juicy opportunity to play a fast one. They came in a group of five, but while the suspect was scaling through the naked electric cables, electricity was restored and he was electrocuted instantly.

The Public Relations Officer of the Plateau State Police Command, Emmanuel Abu, who confirmed the incidents, advised youths in the state to engaged themselves in productive ventures rather than stealing.

Vigilance group arrests four murder suspects n Precious DIKEWOHA and n Rita KPAZOP, Port Harcourt HE Rivers State Command of Vigilante Group of Nigeria, (VGN) has arrested four suspects in connection with the killing of one Obunikem by unknown gunmen last week in Ahaoda-East Local Government Area of Rivers State.

The State Commander of VGN, Rivers State Command, Mr. Mambo Wilcox, said his men in Ochiagba Community, Ahoada East LGA of Rivers State found a dead man along Ochiagba-Ogbologolo road of the area.

He said the dead body of the deceased was found by one of the Ward Commanders, Mr. Otishi Cosmos, who thereafter reported the incident to the District Commander in Ahoada Area Command.

He said the suspects have made confessionary statement admitting that they were responsible for the killing of the victim.

He added that the suspects were found with locally made pistols during a search on them.

Commander Wilcox said: “After hearing the news of the victim’s death and his missing corpse, Mr. Amobi Richard, one of our commanders in the area, mobilised his men on surveillance to search the area.

“In the course of investigation, our men apprehended two suspects, Emmanuel and Okechukwu, who in their confessional statements, admitted that they were responsible for the murder of the late Obunikem.

“The two suspects have confessed that they were four in number, two from Ochiagba and the other two from Ogbologbolo Communities of the LGA. As we were searching them, we found locally made pistols with them before we handed them over to the police.”

Wilcox also added that the paramount ruler of Ochiagba, Chief Benjamin Okirie and other chiefs of the community were invited alongside the paramount ruler of the neighbouring community of Ogbologbolo to the scene of the crime by VGN officers.

He affirmed that VGN, Rivers State Command, will do everything possible to ensure that the lives and properties in Rivers State are protected, especially now that elections are fast approaching.

Efforts to reach the Rivers State Police Public Relations Officers, Ahmad Mohammad, on the matter did not succeed.

T

•One of the suspects

IN BRIEF Missing persons Luke Okafor aged 67 years old about 5.8ft tall, dark in complexion, speaks Igbo and English languages fluently. If seen contact Mrs. Davidson Uchenna of No. 21, African Church Street, off College Road, Ifako-Ijaiye, Lagos or Pen-Cinema Police Station.

(2) Joseph Oranusi ‘m’ aged 50 years old, about 5ft tall, dark in complexion, speaks Igbo and English languages. If seen contact Mrs. Hope Oranusi ‘f’ of No.6, Olusanya Street, Agege, Lagos or Isokoko Police Station.

Uche Nduka ‘f’ aged 34 years old, about 4ft tall, dark in complexion speaks Igbo and English languages fluently. If seen contact one Nduka Obiora ‘m’ of No. 4, Afess Avenue, Ojo Alaba, Lagos or Ojo Police Station.

Madeline Sunday ‘f’ aged 14 years old, about 4ft tall, dark in complexion speaks Oron dialet and English language fluently. If seen contact Victoria Chris ‘f’ of No. 6, Aladikun Street Igbo-Elerin, Okokomaiko Or Okokomaiko Police station.

Chioma Okeke ‘f’ aged 13 years old, about 4ft tall, fair in complexion, speaks Igbo and English fluently. If seen contact Promise Chkwuekere ‘m’ of No. 18, Kehinde Street, Anjorin Alagbado, Lagos or Alagbado police station.

Stolen Vehicles Toyota Corolla S/car 2003 model with Reg. No. APP 157 AG colour: Navy Blue, Engine No. 5626592 and Chassis No: BR32E43Z1051078. If seen contact any nearest police station or Ilupeju Police Station.

Honda Accord V5 S/car 2008 model with Reg. No. APP 215 CC, Colour: White, Engine No and Chassis No. IHGCP36899A004354. If seen contact any nearest police station or Ilupeju Police Station.

Recovered vehicles S/No Makes of vehicle 1 Mazda 626 2 Nissan Starlet 3 Nissan Murano Jeep 4.

Honda CRV Jeep 5.

Toyota Yaris 6.

Toyota Rav 4 Jeep 7.

Mit Montero Jeep 8.

Toyota Avensis 9.

Toyota Sienna S/Bus 10.

Mit Outlander Jeep 11.

Toyota Camry 12.

Toyota Camry 13.

Toyota Camry 14.

Nissan/Finder Jeep 15.

Nissan Murano Jeep 16.

Honda Accord 17.

Honda Accord 18.

Yoyota Corolla 19.

Mit Highlander Jeep 20.

Toyota Camry 21.

Toyota Camry 22.

Toyota Camry

Reg. No. EE 199 LSD AM 21 TTD EQ 798 SMK FKJ 90 AQ EKY 603 CH EE 955 AKD GG 362 LND ABJ 89 BK FJ 611 LSR KTU 615 AV MUS 353 CV BDG 370 CG AAA 487 CA AGB 839 RK KRD 449 CL KMN 115 AA LSD 394 BG KUJ 122 HT KJA 745 BH UW 879 KJA MU 861 CA BG 652 AKD

Colour Ash Red Grey Black M/Ash Green Blue Silver Blue Silver Silver Green Bluen Green Silver Brown Gold Gold Silver Green Blue Ash

Location Isheri Div Isheri Div Idimu Div Maroko Div Area ‘F’ HQRTS Kirikiri Div Dopemu Div SARS Ikeja SARS Ikeja SARS Ikeja SARS Ikeja SARS Ikeja SARS Ikeja SARS Ikeja SARS Ikeja SARS Ikeja SARS Ikeja SARS Ikeja SARS Ikeja SARS Ikeja SARS Ikeja SARS Ikeja

27 THE NATION SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2014

Chinelo Iwenofu

38

THE NATION SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2014

THE NATION SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2014

39

Chinelo Iwenofu

Chinelo Iwenofu

Kenny St. Best

44

Olabiyi Durojaye

46 SOCIETY

THE NATION SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2014

At the Island Club’s 71st anniversary lecture

48

?

Continued from Page 47

THE NATION SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2014

THE NATION, SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2014

50

•DMGS Roundabout

,

It is a dream come true to see Onitsha compared to cities like Lagos, Calabar and Enugu.

It is what the bad boys have done in this city that made a lot of people to relocate to Enugu or Asaba, leaving our businesses to suffer serious setback.

Although business has not started booming again, people are now sleeping with their two eyes closed. It is difficult now to see people being attacked or robbed

,

ONITSH A commercial

city in transition NITSHA city has for ages remained the hub of commercial activities in the eastern part of Nigeria. While Awka enjoys the status of the capital of Anambra State, the commercial city remains the ‘oil bloc’ of traders. It shares boundaries with Asaba, Delta State, with the River Niger as the dividing line.

The city has before now produced prominent Nigerians, including the first Nigerian President, Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe; former Administrator of Eastern Nigeria, Ukpabi Asika and Chief Louis Mbanefo, among others.

Onitsha, which before now had harboured many robbers and other anti-social elements, is being transformed into a model city.

Onitsha is divided into two Local Government Areas, namely Onitsha North and Onitsha South, with their headquarters at Awka Road and Fegge.

O

n Nwanosike ONU, Awka n It is a one-community local government with the indigenes residing mainly in the North, while the non-indigenes are concentrated in the southern part.

One of the sub-villages called Okpoko, which boasts the largest population, is reputed as a den of armed robbers. But according to Mr. Bonny Nwigwe, a resident of Nkpor, one of the bubbling parts of Onitsha, the issue of robbery and kidnapping in the city has become a thing of the past. He commended the new administration in the state for the development.

A major characteristic of Onitsha is the resourcefulness of its residents, even though the real indigenes are believed to have preference for white collar jobs.

The only industry a core Onitsha person

knows is education, which is why they say Onitsha no dey do boy-boy (an Onitsha indigene would never be a servant).

But a lot has gone wrong with Onitsha in recent years. The city which used to boast of amusement parks is now left without any.

A visitor to the city would be reminded of the famous Denis Memorial Grammar School, (DMGS), Christ the King College (CKC) and the popular Girls School (QRC) attended by some famous Nigerians, including Senator Joy Emodi.

At the heart of the busy city, the imposing compound of the late Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe greets one, just as the popular Upper Iweka Junction stands out. The only feature that is missing in the commercial city is night life, which makes other cities like Lagos, Kano,

Pe a c s CitY

THE NATION, SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2014

51

•Azikiwe's Masoleum in Onitsha

A:

Uyo, Calabar and Enugu tick.

But fast food centres in the city are as many as those of other famous cities.

They iclude Crunchies at Oguta Road and Mr. Biggs, which has two outlets at Limca Road Nkpor and Upper New Market Road.

As for restaurants, they are almost uncountable. The famous ones include Mary-Joe (Nwanyi-Awka Etiti) close to Elite Club on Onitsha-Enugu Expressway; Busy Bee at Awka Road and Madam Social, close to Koka Filling Station, Limca Road. There are also others like Five Star on Awka Road by Pacific Plaza, with branches at the Young Plaza at the Main Market and Enugu-Onitsha fly over, Nkpor.

The Onitsha Main Market, which prides itself as the biggest market in the sub-Saharan region, is located in Onitsha North Council Area, while others like Ochanja, Electronics Market, and Ogboefere are all located in Onitsha South Council Area.

Residents of Onitsha are predominantly traders, which some say is the reason for high rate of alcohol consumption and other promiscuous acts in the town.

There are also magnificent hotels like Lumen Christy at the Government Reserved Area (GRA), Amen Ridge, Bigger

•Zik's Roundabout

Villa and Ben Gee. Others are Top Ranks at Fegge, Nkisi Palace Hotel owned by the late popular traditional ruler of Anam, Igwe John Emeka; Dolly Hills, Precious Hotels and Safety Hotels behind OANDO Filling Station and Niger Heritage at Omagba, among others.

On assumption of office, Governor Obiano’s first assignment was to chase away the hoodlums who had sworn not to allow the residents sleep with their two eyes closed as gunshots kept them awake.

A resident of Onitsha, Engr. Tony Nweke, told The Nation that Onitsha is now safe for business, adding that foreigners are now trooping into the city because of its conducive nature. “We have never heard it so good. People are walking freely in the city and discussing freely without fear of bad people. This city is born again,” he said.

For Mr. Bonny Nwigwe, “it is a dream come true to see Onitsha compared to cities like Lagos, Calabar and Enugu. It is what the bad boys have done in this

city that made a lot of people to relocate to Enugu or Asaba, leaving our businesses to suffer serious setback.

“Although business has not started booming again, people are now sleeping with their two eyes closed. It is difficult now to see people being attacked or robbed.’’

Chief Gilbert Obi Nwasike, who had lived in Onitsha for many years, said that most residents of the city would not live elsewhere. The businessman commended the Obiano administration for what it has done in the area within the short period of his administration.

He noted, however, that former governor, Mr. Peter Obi, also did well in Onitsha in terms of road construction, while praising Senator Chris Ngige for exposing residents of Nkpor to life by building Nkpor old road.

He said: “Our past governors did well but we are grateful to Obiano for making Onitsha safe again. Before now, people were living in fears. We were always on our toes. Honestly, we cannot believe

what we are witnessing today.”

Onitsha is one of the big cities in Nigeria without a higher institution.

The only higher institution close to it is Nsugbe College of Education.

The city has a rich vein of culture with Agbogidi as the traditional ruler at the helm, surrounded by Otu-Odu Women, the Ozo and Agbalanze societies, among others.

In Eze Goes to School, a novel written

by Onuorah Nzekwu, first Managing Director of News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Eze’s mother describes Onitsha as a dangerous city full of kidnappers.

She advised her son (Eze) not to go near the River Niger.

But today, those fears have been wiped out by the Anambra State Government. The only problem remaining is the ‘planless’ nature of the city with the highest number of three, four or fivestorey buildings in the country.

Be that as it may, the commercial city has started bubbling again without fear of attacks in broad daylight.

Email: counselling@faithoyedepo.org

Coping with Diseases it

W

Professor Dayo Oyekole,

h

Ph.D. (Ibadan), NMD, FNCP.

Tel: 0803-330-3897 Website: www.holisticlifecare.com E-mail: kolemetric@yahoo.com

THE NATION SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2014

53

54

56 NEWS

THE NATION, SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2014

THE NATION, SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2014

NEWS

57

Women group to honour Sen Tinubu, Dabiri, others HE former first Lady Ekiti State, Erelu Bisi Fayemi, is expected to be the guest speaker at the 2014 edition of the International Women’s Society (IWS) annual celebration, billed to hold on Tuesday 11, November, at the Golden Gate Chinese restaurant, 25b, Glover Road, Ikoyi, Lagos.

The theme for the lecture is Women Leadership: Life line for social equality and community development.

The event, which would be chaired by Hon. Abike Dabiri, Chairman, House Committee on the Diaspora, would be used to bestow honours on deserving women.

The awardees include the first lady of Lagos State, Dame Abimboa Fashola, the Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Mrs. Orelope Adesuloye, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, Hon. Justice Folashade Aguda- Taiwo, Onyeka Owenu, Sola David – Borha and Mr Funmi Falema among others.

The International Women’s Society is an non-governmental charity based association of Nigerian and expatriate women from all nations and all walks of life rendering charitable services to the less-priviledge, especially girls and women.

Every November each year, the society, marking its 57th anniversary this year, organizes lunch and get-together for members and friends with the sole aim of relaxing and sharing love.

The president, Mrs. Folasade Oyeniyi, said this year’s programme will seek to honour women who contributed to the development of womanhood.

T

•Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State (left), Chairman of Flour Mills of Nigeria (FMN) PLC, Mr. John Coumantaros (second left), Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina (second right) and the Group Managing Director of FMN, Mr Gbededo Paul (right), at the commissioning of the ultra modern Edible Oil Refinery & Margarine Plant of Rom Oil Mills Limited in Ibadan...yesterday.

2015: Akure indigenes threaten showdown with Mimiko I NDIGENES of Akure, the Ondo State capital, have protested alleged imposition and political marginalisation of their people by Governor Olusegun Mimiko.

The aggrieved communities, covering three local governments of Akure North, Ifedore and Akure South, on Thursday, expressed dismay over the manner indigenes of the town were being marginalised by the governor, threatening to resist any attempt to impose people with little electoral value on them.

Addressing reporters in Akure, the Secretary General of Akure Community Development Forum, ACDF, Bayo Fajemilua, accused Mimiko of marginalising Akure communities.

Fajemilua, whose speech was entitled, ‘Before Akure is pushed out of political reckoning in Ondo State’,

n Damisi OJO, Akure n

noted that the governor had been doing everything to make sure that the state capital was pushed out of political reckoning in the state.

According to him, Akure has been practically excluded from political appointments at the federal, state and district levels.

He said, "Governor Olusegun Mimiko is used to hijacking all political positions and developmental projects to Ondo, regardless of the rightful owner of the project.

"The governor ensures that no Akure person occupies the first ten positions in the state. He is also fond of witch-hunting anybody from Akure community who has goodwill for the land.

"It is no more news that projects of

great social, political and economic value to the community were abandoned by the present government. For example, the new ultra-modern stadium under construction because of the huge amount of money the project attracts.

"Apart from that, the reticulation of Owena Dam, which would have provided water for Akure and some important road projects within Akure and its environs, have been abandoned. These projects were on-going during the late Olusegun Agagu government.”

Fajemilua lamented that no indigene of the capital city has represented the state in the senate since the inception of democracy in 1999, and emphasised that nobody outside the community would be accepted in the 2015 general elections.

Ajimobi commissions biggest oil refinery OVERNOR Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State on Friday inaugurated the biggest automated edible oil refinery and margarine company in Sub-Saharan Africa in Ibadan, with a pledge that his administration would continue to do all within its powers to ensure that the state continued to be the preferred destination of investors in Nigeria.

The firm, Rom Oil Mills Limited, a subsidiary company of Flour Mills of Nigeria Plc, is expected to refine crude palm kernel oil, crude palm oil and crude soyabean oil into refined oil and distilled fatty acids.

Speaking at the ceremony, Governor Ajimobi said that the effect of the employment generation that the company would give the people of the state, was his own idea of stomach infrastructure. ``This, indeed, is our idea of the so-called stomach infrastructure. We thank the management of the company for their implicit trust and confidence in our state.

G

You have indeed vindicated our stance,’’ he said.

The governor added that the cumulative effects of his administration’s developmental drive and consequent influx of investors into our state would result in employment generation and empowerment of the people which, he said, would positively impact millions of our people, as ``it is the best and most dignifying stomach infrastructure ever’’.

Ajimobi said the establishment of the firm, a-400 metric tonnes per day universal refinery, was another testimony to his administration’s leadership and “investors-baiting” policies.

He described the development as the dividends of the peaceful atmosphere which his administration brought back to the state at its inception, as well as the enabling environment which had been attracting foreign investment. He also stressed that the management of the company would never have invested their billions of naira in a violent-prone and

dirty Oyo State of the past.

The governor, while stating that thousands of the sons and daughters of the state would be employed by the company, added that this would have multiplier effects on over a million of their dependants.

Governor Ajimobi expressed satisfaction with the rate at which investors had been trooping to the state, stating that ``Oyo State boasts of the presence of a leading soya milk manufacturing company in Nigeria, the largest bread-making factory West Africa, the Number One day-old chicks agricultural company in Nigeria, the biggest support service provider for the telecoms industry in Nigeria, among others. ``If you add the largest Shoprite outlet in West Africa that has been recently sited in our state, you will understand how a secured and peaceful atmosphere, as well as an environmentallyconducive state, is essential for employment-generation and indeed, the economic development of the people.

``Add all these to the rebirth of night life in the capital city, as manifested in the many hospitality industries that have sprung up in the nooks and crannies of Oyo State, you will realize why development experts say that peace and security are the foundation of any society,’’ he said..

The governor said that his vision was based on removing the state from the unpleasant profile of a backward, violent state that drove away investors.

Speaking at the occasion, the Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina commended the agricultural agenda of the Ajimobi administration, stressing that the governor had done a lot to assist farmers in the state, especially in the provision of tractors and other farm implements.

He also said that the federal government had distributed 351,000 high quality palm seedlings to farmers in the state. He thanked the governor for ensuring that the seedlings got to the end users.

AD opens Lagos secretariat HE Alliance for Democracy (AD) has opened its new Lagos State secretariat along the Lagos-Abeokuta expressway.

While addressing a crowd of party faithful during the occasion, the party’s national chairman, Senator Mojisola Akinfeyinwa, also used the opportunity to unveil the party’s governorship aspirant for the 2015 governorship election, Bolaji Ogunseye.

Fielding questions from reporters shortly after the announcement, Ogunseye said the 2015 election would be free and fair, and called on the electorate, who he described as mature, to vote for candidates of their choice and defend their votes.

Hhe said: “I came into politics in order to contribute my quota to the development of this country and state. I chose the AD because l believe in the philosophy and method of rules of late Pa Awolowo, Alhaji Lateef Jakande and other leaders.”

T

Ooni commends founder of Oodua varsity, urges stakeholder’s commitments HE Chancellor of Oduduwa University, His Imperial Majesty, Alaiyeluwa Oba Okunade Sijuwade Olubuse II, the Ooni of Ife, has lauded the contribution of the Pro- chancellor and founder of Oduduwa University, Chief (Dr) Ramon Adedoyin, to the growth of education in the country.

The Royal father, who gave the commendation during the second convocation ceremony of Oduduwa University, held on Friday, October 17, 2014, also advocated for stakeholders commitment in the education sector.

Oba Okunade Sijuade stated that every descendant of Oduduwa is a stake-holder in the university, and urged them to contribute to the growth of the institution.

Describing Ramon Adedoyin as a man of great vision and one of the foremost educationists in Nigeria, the monarch enjoined the awardees to join hands with the management of the institution in moving the university to an enviable height in the midst of universities in the world.

In his speech, Dr. Ramon Adedoyin appealed to the society for their contributions towards the growth of the university.

He said: “Education is no more a luxury or a mere social need. It is a necessity for the onward march of humanity.

History will therefore record in gold the efforts and commitments of those who invest in provision and promotion of education.”

T

Rotary donates borehole, toilet n Kunle AKINRINADE n HE Rotary Club of Omole Golden has donated borehole facilities and six blocks of toilets to Ajuwon High School, Ogun State.

At the handing over ceremony, President of the club, Mr. Chris Alabi, said the projects became compelling in order to create conducive and hygienic learning environment for students.

“This has always been one of the projects we wanted to do. We have done this for the purpose of humanity and to help the young students learn under a hygienic environment.”

He stressed: “Even though embarking on a project like this comes with a lot of financial burden, we shall continue to do all we can to support all those who need our inputs within our community.”

While inaugurating the projects, the District Governor of Rotary District 9110, Dr. Dele Balogun, said: “Whoever gives water, gives life. The facilities that we have provided in this school should be put to good use to help prevent against diseases among the students and teachers.

T

58

NEWS

THE NATION, SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2014

Cross River PDP suspends Ndoma-Egba, Jeddy-Agba, others

Three burnt in Edo auto crash

T

•Rumoured suspension a non issue –Ndoma-Egba n Onyedi OJIABOR, n Assistant Editor & Nicholas KALU, Calabar

N a move that has surprised many, Cross River State chapter of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), yesterday said it has suspended some top members of the party in the state.

The state chairman of the party, Mr John Okon, listed the suspended members to include the Senate Leader, Victor Ndoma-Egba.

Others are the member representing Ikom/Boki federal constituency, Chris Etta; governorship aspirant, Goddy Jedy-Agba; Dr Sandy Onor; Mr James Tambang; Mr Tony Mkpang; Mr Livinus Odigha; Dr Godwin Igile; Mr Kenut Ndoma-Egba; Mr Samuel Willie; Mr Obitam Ettah; Mr Venatius Ikem and Mr Ernest Irek.

He, however, said NdomaEgba and Etta have been referred to the national office of the party.

“We don't have the power to suspend Senator Victor NdomaEgba and Hon Chris Ettah. The constitution of the party says because they are members of the national assembly, any case against sucp people should be referred to the national assembly,” he said.

Okon said the suspension was due to a petition brought to the party in relation with the recently concluded ward congresses.

“For those suspended, they were accused of corrupting the delegates election,” Okon said.

Speaking further, he said, “We had some challenges. Following the just-concluded delegates congress, a lot of issues occurred.

We have some party members that have ridiculed the party and gone against party rules.

“Some of them have gone to court against party rules. Some have been induced to compromise the system. And some other party members from across the state have sent petitions to me.

And I had to summon the party exco in the state to sit over them.

Meanwhile the Senate Leader Victor Ndoma-Egba, has dismissed reports of his purported suspension from the PDP as "a rumour and a "non-issue."

Senator Ndoma-Egba told newsmen in Abuja that while he was yet to be officially notified of the purported suspension, the move by the Cross River chapter of the party will amount to nothing.

"I've heard the rumour; I don't believe that the state chapter of the PDP will display such crass ignorance.

"If they did, then, it's a pity and quite unfortunate. It would be a comedy of very frustrated people, as far as I'm concerned."

The Senate Leader promised to throw more light on the issue at the appropriate time.

I

•Former Anambra State Governor, Mr. Peter Obi, presenting a cheque of N2m to the senior prefect of Holy Name Secondary School, Umuchu, Chinecherem Umeojiako, yesterday. Watching are the Manager of the School, Fr. Elias Uzoigwe and Father Luke Anameze.

Couple, undergraduate arrested for kidnap in Rivers PERATIVES of the police in Rivers State have arrested a couple in Port Harcourt, the state capital, for their roles in the abduction of one Daniel Opiyo last October.

Also arrested was a female student of the Rivers State University of Science and Technology (RSUST), Emmanuella Olusegun, who is Opiyo’s facebook’s friend.

The police made the revelation while parading the suspects in Port Harcourt yesterday.

The command’s Public Relation Officer, Ahmad Mohammad, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), said the command also foiled a bank robbery in Port Harcourt. He also disclosed the police killed two suspected armed robbers and recovered the sum of N15.6 million belonging to the bank.

According to Mohammad, the couple connived with Godwin Samuel and David Dokoro to use Olusegun to lure

O

•Police foil bank robbery, recover N15m n Rosemary NWISI, Port Harcourt n Opiyo to the kidnappers’ hideout. He said a ransom of N2 million was received and shared by the gang members.

In a confessional statement, Olusegun confessed to the crime and stated how the ransom was shared. She said: “I was arrested because of my role in the kidnap of my facebook friend, Daniel. We met on facebook, and as we kept talking, we got to know that his parents were wealthy. We agreed to kidnap him.

“My role in the deal was to lure him to the hideout where he was kidnapped.

Daniel is about eight months older than me, so the other members of the gang felt that since I am within the same age bracket with him, I should be the one to lure him. But I was not at the kidnapers’ hideout,” she said.

The PPRO said the sum of N300,000

and one locally made pistol were recovered from the gang.

According to the police, the money was part of the N2 million ransom the gang received.

"Teams of police from all direction besieged, engaged and subdued the armed robbers, during which two of them were fatally wounded, while others escaped with wounds.

"The sum of N15,635,500, one AK 47 rifle, one Berretta pistol, two toy guns and their operation vehicle, a saloon Golf car, were recovered," the PPRO explained.

He said the strides were in line with the CP’s commitments to rid the state of all forms of crime and criminality. He appealed to the general public to continue to partner the police by giving useful information that will assist it in its battle against criminally-minded people.

Rivers CJ crisis: Take your protest to NJC, Amaechi tells NBA IVERS State Governor, Chibuike Amaechi, has urged lawyers in the state to channel their grievances over the closure of courts in the state to the appropriate quarters.

Amaechi gave the advice in a meeting he held with members of the state branch of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) in Port Harcourt, the state capital, yesterday, on the closure of state courts.

It will be recalled that there has been lingering squabble between the state government and the National Judicial Council (NJC) on who becomes the substantive Chief Judge (CJ) of the state.

The office of the state CJ was vacated

R

n Rosemary NWISI, Port Harcourt n on August 19, 2013, following the retirement of the last CJ, Dr. Iche Ndu. The state governor appointed Justice Peter Agumagu acting CJ for three months. But NJC later appointed Justice Daisy Okocha, a female and Agumagu’s opponent in, pending the resolution of the substantive matter.

However, Governor Amaechi was not comfortable with the development, and went on to reject Okocha’s appointment.

He directed Judiciary workers not to take directives from her or be sanctioned.

For fear of default, the workers, under the eagis of Judiciary Staff Union of

Bayelsa sets aside date to honour Ijaw music maestro AYELSA State government has set aside July 31st of every year as a special day to honour the late Ijaw music and cultural legend, King Robert Ebizimor, for his contributions to the propagation and development of Ijaw cultural heritage.

Governor Seriake Dickson, who made the announcementduring the valedictory session for King Ebizimor in Yenagoa, also directed the Ministry of Culture and Ijaw National Affairs to work out the modalities towards providing financial support on a monthly basis to deserving Izon musical artistes.

Paying special tribute to the septuagenarian, the governor promised that a major public monument would be named after the departed musical icon at a later date to serve as a lasting reminder of what the late Ebizimor stood for in his lifetime.

According to Governor Dickson, these measures are part of his administration’s efforts to celebrate Izon

B

Osagie OTABOR, Benin HREE persons were on Thursday evening burnt to death in an auto accident at Ugbokun village, along the BeninLagos express road.

The victims included the driver of the vehicle and two female passengers.

It was learnt that the 18seater commercial bus, marked WWD 624 XA, was heading for Port Harcourt.

Eyewitnesses said the bus busted into flames after it had a head on collision with a lorry conveying wood to Edo State.

One of the passengers, Sikuru Olawale said one of the victims was his sister.

He said the driver of the lorry had an argument with some persons and angrily drove away when it hit the commercial bus.

Olawale said all efforts to put out the fire and rescue the trapped victims failed as the fire engulfed the bus.

The Unit Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps, Ameen Adewale, said drivers always failed to adhere to traffic rules.

The driver of the lorry, who ran away from the scene, was later arrested.

sons and daughters who have made their mark in promoting the language and tradition of the Ijaw people.

Emphasizing the need for the Ijaws to celebrate one another while alive, he explained that the establishment of the Ministry of Culture and Ijaw National Affairs, as well as the appointment of Special Assistants, whom he described as cultural ambassadors,was a demonstration of the respect he has for Ijaw heroes.

“Today, I like to express the condolences of the government and good people of this great state at the passage of our foremost Ijaw cultural icon. When I came into government, because of the special emphasis we place on the promotion and protection of Ijaw national interest, particularly in the areas that, have to do with culture, tradition and our language, I took some unprecedented decisions such as the establishment of the Ministry of Culture and Ijaw National Affairs. I also appointed Culture Ambassadors as Special Assistants.

Nigeria (JUSUN), declared an indefinite strike on June 10, leading to the closure of courts in the state .

Lawyers in the state have been agitating for the re-opening of the courts to enable them get back to their practice, lamenting the hardship the closure has caused them. Efforts to meet with the state governor on the issue had not been fruitful until yesterday.

The meeting was meant to appeal to the governor to allow for the re-opening for the court so they could go back to work while the CJ issue is being settled.

But the governor told the lawyers that the NJC was responsible for the closure of courts in the state, and urged the lawyers to channel their grievances and appeals to them.

He maintained that he had nothing against Justice Okocha, nor does he have any interest for Agumagu, maintaining that his fight was against illegality in the judiciary.

He blamed lawyers for not being objective in their judgment on the matter and said the solution lied between them and NJC. "It is not about Justice Daisy Okocha; it is not about Justice P.N.C Agumagu. The point I want to make is keep to the law of 10 years of practice".

He explained that one of the steps he took towards resolving the crisis was requesting the state House of Assembly to amend the state High Court Law, to enable the lawyers continue with the practice.

Court restrains PDP, INEC from recognising results of Akwa Ibom congress n Eric IKHILAE, Abuja n USTICE Adeniyi Ademola of the Federal High Court, Abuja, has stopped the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) from using the results of the ward congresses of November 1 in Akwa Ibom State for the purpose of conducting the primaries to select governorship candidates.

The judge granted the order while ruling on an exparte motion filed by a former Secretary to the Akwa Ibom State Government and a governorship aspirant in the state, Umana Okon Umana. The motion was argued yesterday by Umana’s lawyer, Godwin Obla (SAN).

The PDP, its chairman, Adamu Mu'azu and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) are the defendants in the suit.

The judge also ordered INEC not to recognize the results of the ward congresses for any purpose because Umana and his supporters were prevented from participating in the said congresses, following a statement made by the PDP excluding him (Umana).

Justice Ademola equally issued an interim injunction restraining PDP from excluding or in any way or manner preventing Umana from participating in the governorship primaries slated for November 29th, 2014 pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice filed by Umana.

J

THE NATION, SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2014

NEWS 59

Iwuanyanwu wants Igbo to drop presidential ambition till 2027 n Okodili NDIDI, Owerri n RONTLINE politician and renowned Igbo leader, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanu, yesterday appealed to Ndigbo to suspend their presidential ambition till 2027, when, according to him, the south-south and the north may have completed their turn of eight years each.

Iwuanyanwu, who is also a member of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Board of Trustee (BoT), noted that any attempt to prevent the south-south geo-political zone from completing its remaining four-year-term may be injurious to the unity of the country, adding that Ndigbo had sacrificed a lot to keep Nigeria as one and can’t afford to jeopardize the nation’s unity.

Speaking with journalists in Owerri, the Imo State capital, Iwuanyanwu stressed that every patriotic Nigerian should be more concerned with the unity, progress and peace of the country, adding that, if the elections in 2015 are not properly handled, “situations could deteriorate to a point that it may be difficult to control”.

According to him, “I therefore strongly suggest that since the south-south region has four years out of the constitutional eight years, the south-south should be allowed to complete eight years. I once more appeal to my people of the south-east who are legitimately and rightly demanding for the presidency of Nigeria to subjugate this ambition to the unity, peace and stability of Nigeria by supporting the southsouth.

“After the south-south has completed its tenure of eight years, the presidency will naturally go to the north. In effect, in four years time, all Nigerians will support the presidency going to the north. After eight years in the north, the presidency will come back to the south. When it comes to the south, it will automatically be the turn of the southeast since the south-west and the south-south have taken their turn.

“This is a very trying period for our country and I appeal to all leaders to subjugate their individual or group interest for national interest. I must confess I HE governor of Imo have on my own held priState and presidential vate discussions with some hopefuls of the All Proleaders from various parts of gressives Congress (APC), the country, making this Chief Owelle Rochas Okoproposition and all those I rocha, on Friday, in Aba, discussed with were in sup- Abia State, assured his support of this my opinion.” porters that the party would produce the next governor of the state in 2015.

Okorocha, who spoke during a unity rally of the party, held at at the Recreation Club ground in the commercial city, lamented the deplorable state of infrastructure the PDP-led administration has thrown the state and the country into, adding that the APC was going to correct such anomalies come 2015.

ORMER Governor of According to him, “The Anambra State, Mr. Peter Obi, has called on wealthy indigenes of Anambra State to support worthy causes that will elevate humanity.

HREE persons were Obi made the call yesterfeared dead and over day at the presentation of 20 injured in a stamthe cheque of N2 million to pede during the commisthe Holy Name Secondary sioning of the Akwa Ibom School, Umuchu.

International Stadium in The former governor, Uyo yesterday. who had earlier presented According to eyewita cheque of N5 million to the school, said it gave him nesses, apart from the stamspecial happiness to assist pede, which left many in building a better society people injured, security through support to educa- men at the gate also fired tion, which he said was the tear gas canisters to prevent most potent tool for com- the crowd of people trying to gain access into the stapetition in the world.

Describing children as dium. the future of the society, he One of the victims, Wissaid that the only way to dom Amaowo, said he was make that future meaning- pushed inside the gate by a ful was by investing in security operative who also what will help to nurture sprayed him with tear gas. and give them a better fuHis words: "After the poture. liceman dispensed the tear On how he has been able gas canisters on me, I beto raise the money to sup- came unconscious and didport different schools and n't know when I was moved micro credit schemes through the churches, he to where you now see me.

"Right now, I cannot said it was through appeal to organizations and indi- bend, you can see many bruises and cut on my arms, viduals of goodwill.

On why he joined the legs and other parts of my PDP, Obi said: "God gave body. Since I was brought here, there is no one from us eyes in front to look forthe medical team to assist ward and not backwards."

F

•From right: Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State, raising the hands of Nyerere Anyim, while Senator Chris Ngige (left) watches

Abia will have an APC governor in 2015 –Okorocha

T

Support education growth, Obi tells wealthy Anambra indigenes

F

T

Sunny NWANKWO, Aba APC is not only going to be the solution to the problems of Abia State in 2015, but to the country at large,” stressing that the worst candidate in the APC is better than the best PDP candidate.

On his presidential aspirations, Okorocha said that he was in the race to represent the interest of the igbo, who according to him, have been relegated to the background in the scheme of things in the country.

Okorocha, who lamented the absence of Igbo in some of the key sensitive positions in the Goodluck Jonathan’s administration, said it was an intentional act by the PDP

leadership to sideline the Igbo and make them irrelevant.

He said: “You should ignore the insinuations that the APC is a non-Igbo party. If that is the case, why do personalities like me, Ogbonaya Onu, Senator Chris Nwabueze Ngige and Senator Osita Izunaso among others be in the party?

“I was the person that gave the party its name. APC is a party for a new Nigeria.

It is for the good of the Igbo.

The PDP has made enough mockery of the igbo man. All of us are witnesses of how the PDP messed up with our brothers; Vincent Ogbulafor, Chuba Okadigbo and Evan Enwerem among others.

There is no Igbo man as heads of the Customs, Civil Defence, Immigrations and Army and among others in the present PDP government.

“There is no hope for the Igbo man in PDP. Any Igbo man in the PDP is there for his personal aggrandizement and not for the interest of our people. The PDP government has nothing to show for in the last eight years.”

In his speech, the state chairman of the APC, Hon. Donatus Nwankpa, said that the party was bringing the inevitable change the people of the state need, and assured its supporters that they would be carried along in the scheme of things in the state.

Three feared dead, 20 injured in stampede at Uyo stadium •No nation is free until the world is free from Ebola, says Jonathan as he commissions 30,000-capacity stadium n Kazeem IBRAHYM, Uyo n me.”

The state Commissioner for Health, Emem-Abasi Bassey, who confirmed the incident, however, denied the report of any death.

He stated that he was aware of the situation at the gate, which he blamed on the people without tickets who were trying to enter into the stadium.

Meanwhile, President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday commissioned the ultra modern 30,000 capacity Ibom International Stadium, tagged the nest of champions.

Jonathan, who was supported by the Ghananian President, John Mahama and his Ivory Coast counterpart, President Alassan Ouatarra, regretted that

Nigerians have not really keyed into the sports industry.

President Goodluck Jonathan used the opportunity to call on world leaders to ensure that the deadly Ebola virus contained, saying no nation is free from the deadly virus until the entire world is free.

While commending Governor Godswill Akpabio for the architectural masterpiece, Jonathan said: “I can say clearly that within these years that Akpabio has been governing this state, there is great improvement in infrastructure. Those days when you come to Uyo during the raining season, many parts of Uyo would be flooded.

But now, the people living in Uyo don’t see one drop of flood again.

“From 1999 that this pres-

ent democracy started till date, there is no one state that has hosted three heads of state. Today is a great history. I laid the foundation stone of this stadium and when construction work was going on, I also participated in inspecting it. For today, there is more to coming here to commission this unique stadium.”

The President also urged Nigerians irrespective of their ethnic tribes to see Nigeria as their own.

In his goodwill message, Ghananian President John Mahama, described the stadium as one of the best in the whole of African continent.

He said: “May we see, as Governor Akpabio said, that future Serena Williams and Pele born out of this stadium.”

Group accuses FG of neglecting Igbo states •Demand Igbo president N Igbo socio-cultural group, Ndigbo Unity Forum (NUF), has accused the President Goodluck Jonathan administration of a deliberate neglect of states in the south east region of the country.

The group, in a statement, signed by its president, Augustine Chukwudum, said it was alerting Igbo all over the world of the neglect of the people since 1999.

It said its decision came after a tour of the region, during which it discovered that successive governments since 1999 had always played politics with the developments of the region.

The statement reads in part: “The review was done after over three months tour of the South East and all parts of the countries. We discovered that the PDP-led Federal Government always promise Ndigbo heaven and earth, only to abandon us when election is over.

“Today is no-longer news that the Onitsha seaport is a mirage and the so called Enugu international Airport is nothing to write home.

Since the President Goodluck Jonathan-led administration commissioned the so-called international airport, we are yet to see any first-class airline use it because it is not of international standard.

“The much-hyped Sam Mbakwe international Cargo Airport is a mirage.

There are no good roads in any part of the south-east.

All talks of industry, agriculture, housing, pipe-borne water, urban and rural development have been proved to be lies.”

The group urged Igbo people wake up and “liberate ourselves from political and economic bondage which Ndigbo has been subjected since 1970.”

“We hereby urge Ndigbo to come together and actualize the dream of a president of Igbo extraction. That is the only way we can be liberated.

A

60

THE NATION SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2014

NEWS

Oyedepo, Kaduna monarch, others for award Adekunle JIMOH, Ilorin LD students of ECWA Secondary School, Igbaja, Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara state will today bestow awards of excellence on the presiding Bishop of Living Faith Church Worldwide, Bishop David Oyedepo, Chief Raimi Oladimeji and Kpop Ham of Kwoi, Kaduna state, Jonathan Gyet Maude.

The awards are in recognition of these individuals’ contributions to the educational development of the country.

HRH Maude, ex-student of the school is the paramount ruler of Jaba people of Kaduna state.

The ceremony is to mark the 70th anniversary of the school formerly known as Igbaja Teachers’ College.

Bishop Oyedepo and Alhaji Oladimeji are founders of Covenant University, Landmark Universities and AlHikmah University located in Ogun and Kwara states.

Seven old students of the school have also be decorated with ambassadors of the school for their notable contributions to the development of the institution over the years, the Chairman Anniversary Committee, Elder Olaitan Makanjuola has said.

Elder Makanjuola added that the event would witness the launching of N100 million development funds for the school.

He lamented the degeneracy in the infrastructural development of his old school.

Said Makanjuola: “We want to register our appreciation to the state government for its sustenance of the school, particularly with regards to providing teachers for the school and paying their salaries, as well as other peripheral actions; at the same time we are very sad to note that this institution which was the second teachers’ college in the former northern region of Nigeria, after Katsina College and the second non governmental post primary institution in the present Kwara state.”

O

APC's Aro promises politics of inclusiveness James AZANIA, Lokoja former member of the House of Representatives and All Progressives Congress (APC) Kogi West senatorial aspirant, Hon. Samuel Dele Aro has promised the people of the district unfettered access if elected senator.

Addressing party supporters yesterday in Lokoja/Koto, the former House Committee chairman on Petroluem (Downstream) said the challenges facing the country can only be overcome if Nigerians make the right choice during the forthcoming General Election.

He admonished party supporters not to let down their guard, assuring that the country will begin to enjoy a new lease of life once the right candidates are elected into office.

His words: "This is the time for us to decide wisely. I am not a politician that is not accessibe to the people, this I have proven and this I will continue to do if elected.

"All these challenges facing us are not insurmountable; Nigerians must be wise in choosing those that will represent them, come 2015.

"I have said it before and I am saying it again that if elected senator, we shall fashion out a programme to address all our challenges."

A

US dedicates new Embassy Office Annex in Abuja Vincent IKUOMOLA, Abuja nited States has dedicated new $162 million office annex at the U.S. Embassy in Abuja.

The new addition according to the embassy provides employees with a safe, secure, and modern workplace. The new facilities include a New Office Annex, a U.S. Marine Security Guard residence, a support annex, parking, and community facilities.

U.S. Under Secretary for Management, Patrick F. Kennedy, U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria James F. Entwistle, and the Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations Managing Director for Program Development, Coordination and Support Joseph W. Toussaint, alongside local officials, including Ambassador Usman Baraya, the Chief of Protocol for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs were on hand to unveil the new edifice.

The project incorporates numerous sustainable features to conserve resources and reduce operating costs, including an extensive array of photovoltaic panels on the top deck of the parking structure, the use of occupancy sensors and light shelves at windows, and LED lighting. Sunshades at strategic locations to reduce heat gain. While water-saving plumbing fixtures and the use of locally appropriate plants will reduce water use. AECOM of Arlington, Virginia is the design architect and PAGE of Washington, D.C., is the architect of record. B.L. Harbert International of Birmingham, Alabama constructed the multibuilding addition to the Embassy complex.

Since 1999, as part of the Department’s Capital Security Construction Program, the Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations (OBO) has completed 118 new diplomatic facilities and has an additional 41 projects in design or under construction.

OBO’s mission is to provide safe, secure, and functional facilities that represent the U.S. government to the host nation and support our staff in the achievement of U.S. foreign policy objectives. These facilities should represent American values and the best in American architecture, engineering, technology, sustainability, art, culture, and construction execution.

U

•Kwara State Governor, Dr. Abdulfatah Ahmed (left) inspecting the Quarter-Guard of the National Youth Service Corps during his visit to the Orientation Camp at Yikpata in Edu Local Government Area of Kwara State........Thursday.

Plateau NLC laments plight of workers, retirees ‘We have not seen our salaries for 3 months’ HE Plateau State Chapter of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), has enumerated a number of grudges with the Plateau state government all bordering on poor working relations under Gov Jonah Jang’S administration.

The union said its members are being owed three months salaries.

State Chairman of NLC, Comrade Jibrin Bancir disclosed this in a press conference shortly after their stakeholders meeting in Jos yesterday.

According to Comrade Bancir, "We have observed with dismay the ugly condition at which workers and retirees of the state are being subjected to by the state ministry of Local government and Chieftaincy Affairs.

He said, "Retirees are being coerced and short changed in the computation of their severance or retirement benefit on fifty five percent without recourse to an agreement signed by the organized labour on the implementation of National Minimum Wage.

T

Yusufu AMINU Idegu, Jos According to him , it is on record that an agreement for the full implementation of National Minimum wage was signed on 11th January 2012 and it behooves therefore that any retirees that fall within the armbit of the time when the agreement was signed are entitled to hundred per cent retirement benefit and not 55percent, the ministry is compelling the retirees

medical panel set up by the Speaker of the Taraba State House of Assembly, Mr Josiah Kente, to investigate the health status of Gov Danbaba Suntai, was yesterday nullified by a Taraba High Court in Jalingo.

After a judgement delivered by Justice Silas Haruna, it was declared that ‘the action of the state’s Executive Council and the state assembly, in setting up the panel, was a usurpation of the judicial process.’

A

Khadijat SAIDU, Birnin Kebbi

P

when the salary is paid in arrears, the mode of its payment is discriminative in nature.

"We have a serious role to play in ensuring that the 2015 elections in the state are peaceful, free and fair devoid of rancor so that outcome could guarantee hope and a better future for Plateau workers. " The NLC warned the Plateau state government to do all it can to improve on its workers’ welfare or will soon face the wrath of its workers.

Suntai: Taraba Court nullifies medical panel

Kebbi pensioners protest non-payment of gratuity ENSIONERS in Kebbi State have stormed the office of Governor Saidu Dakingari at Birnin Kebbi , to protest unpaid pension arrears and gratuity.

The protesters, who were largely retired teachers and local government workers, cried out for the non-payment of their pension and gratuity. “We are tired of unfulfilled promises,’ they declared noting that apart from Kebbi, other states had complied with the FG’s directive on the payment of pensions.

The state chairman of the National Union Of Pensioners who led the protesters, stated: “The state government did not

to go home with.

"We call on the ministry to do the needful by paying the retirees their full retirement benefits without delay.”

NLC also said, "It is on record that since January 2014 , the state government has removed salary payment and wage from first line charge , and the Monthly salary payment has not been forth coming and the government is having salary arrears of it,s workers ranging between two to three months, and even

even pay attention to us today, but before now, whenever we demand for our funds, the government would plead for more time to pay. Now we are here to demand for our money and nobody is even attending to us. The Governor is in the office right now but he did not attend to us or even send a representative. We have had enough of his government. We want our money. Some people have died in the course of waiting for this money and some are really sick and hypertensive; you can see for yourself we are all old people that need to be resting, yet here we are suffering in the sun.”

Justice Silas Haruna upheld that Gov Danbaba Suntai’s suit, challenging the decision of the house of assembly to stop him from resuming duty after he transmitted a letter to that effect on Aug. 26, 2013, was still before the state high court. ``There are two cases on this matter: one between Mr Bello Mustapha against Suntai at the Supreme Court and Suntai against the house of assembly at the state high court; both are served on the defendants. ``Their action of setting up the panel to investigate Suntai is thus a usurpation of the powers of the Supreme Court and the state high court.

He thus declared that, ``It is therefore, illegal, null and

void," he said. He also ordered that all “parties should not to take further action on Suntai, until the determination of the substantive suites at various courts.”

Adding that, “any party that was not satisfied with the judgement had 90 days to proceed to appeal.”

However, speaking later, Mr Chris Uche, SAN lead Counsel to Umar, said they were not satisfied with the judgement, but would study it carefully, and take further action.

On the other hand, the lead Counsel to Suntai, Dr Alex Iziyon SAN, who was represented by Mr Elijah Nyaro, declared that he is happy that justice has finally been served on the medical panel issue.

Abuja singer Edgilbert Uzoma releases new album BUJA based top gospel singer, Edgilbert Uzoma whose real name is Edmund Chinedu Uzoma have released his long awaited music album titled "RUN". The five trackers and three Instrumental album which is was recently released into the market, has made a record sales of thousands of copies in the capital city.

The album consists of tracks like "RUN" which had earlier got him two nominations in the Nigerian-Gospel Music Award and Crystal Gospel Music Award and two other popular tracks. These two tracks are enjoying massive airplay in most radio and television stations across the country. According to Uzoma, the album has many more gospel and inspirational tracks and instrumentals that could change lives and make gospel music lovers demand for more.

The Abuja based Raggea Gospel musician started music right from his Childhood as an active choir member in the church. He participated in various concerts when he was a chorister.

He mixed music with work during his stint at the Federal office of Statistics and Nigerian Ports Authority. His love and passion for music made him to leave the work for music, to release an album in 1991 titled ’Lagos Life’ before this second album.

A

THE NATION SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2014

61

EQUITIES NIGERIAN STOCK EXCHANGE DAILY SUMMARY AS AT 7-11-14

Investors turn to insurance stocks as market closes with N424b loss

W

ITH successive losses in the highly capitalised stocks running into three digits, investors appeared to be turning to the low-priced insurance stocks to edge the bear market at the Nigerian stock market and lock in their dwindling returns into bottomedout stocks.

The Nigerian stock market closed its last trading session yesterday with a loss of N424 billion, sustaining a downtrend that had seen the equities’ market reeling under heavy losses since last week. Aggregate market value of all quoted equities on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) dropped from its opening value of N11.425 trillion to close yesterday at N11.001 trillion, representing a loss of N424 billion.

The composite index that serves as benchmark for Nigerian stock market, the All Share Index (ASI) of the NSE, also dwindled by 3.68 per cent to close at a low of 33,216.31

By Taofik Salako, Capital Market Editor

points as against its opening index of 34,494.93 points.

With 50 losers to eight gainers, the overtly bearish market was driven by both widespread losses across the sectors and large-value losses within the highly capitalised blue chip stocks.

Investors turned away from the blue chips to the low-priced insurance stocks.

Otherwise known as penny stocks, most of the stocks are trading at their nominal value of 50 kobo each. Linkage Assurance was the most active stock with a turnover of 300 million shares valued at N150 million in 27 deals.

Staco Insurance Plc followed with a turnover of 197.03 million shares worth N98.52 million in four deals. FBN Holdings placed third on the activity chart with a turnover of 87.32 million shares worth N796 million in 714 deals.

Insurance subsector dis-

placed the banking subsector as the most active group with a turnover of 515.54 million shares worth N268.64 million in 184 deals. Banking subsector recorded a turnover of 263.54 million shares worth N3.24 billion in 2,019 deals. Altogether, financial services sector accounted for 915.87 million shares valued at N4.49 billion in 3,176 deals.

Aggregate turnover at the NSE stood at 1.01 billion shares worth N6.87 billion in 4,908 deals.

Nestle Nigeria led the decliners with a loss of N44.17 to close at N839.33.

Forte Oil followed with a drop of N18.98 to close at N175.77. Dangote Cement declined by N9.92 to close at N188.53. Seplat Petroleum Development Company lost N9.30 to close at N535.29.

Mobil Oil Nigeria dropped

by N8.52 to close at N161.98 while Flour Mills of Nigeria declined by N3.07 to close at N58.33 per share.

DAILY SUMMARY AS AT 7-11-14

THE NATION SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2014

62

SPORT EXTRA Emenike thanks coach for support

N

IGERIA international Emmanuel Emenike has thanked Fenerbahce coach Ismail Kartal for standing by him during his barren spell in front of goal.

Despite failing to score in five straight games before Sunday’s encounter with Besiktas, the manager still kept faith with the 2013 African Cup of Nations goalscorer, handing him his fifth start of the season at Recep Tayyip Erdogan

Stadyumu.

“Before the derby, I was well prepared for this encounter. He understands my state, Ismail Kartal is like my father. It was an emotional event and challenging. He grabbed my hand and helped me stand up,” Emmanuel Emenike was quoted as saying by Fanatik .

The 27 - year - old has averaged a goal every other game since he switched to Europe from FC Cape Town in 2009.

AMAJU PINNICK

Akwa Ibom Stadium to host world class matches

Battle of the Fans debuts on TV

•Akpabio: Its my gift to Africa • It will uncover more champions, says Rawlings

OOTBALL fans will have the opportunity to turn their passion into a financial rewarding venture as the battle of fans television game show begins this month.

The programme, a football season long (48 episodes) activation platform for an online football community, will focus on local and international football as well as enable fans show their knowledge and live their passion.

Each week will be devoted to a particular league, country, continent or global football with 11 players vying for theN250, 000 prize money. To take part in the programme, fans are expected to send SMS to a designated short code number where successful participants would be selected.

According to the executive director of the programme, Naheem Sahid, it took six years of meticulous planning to put the idea together and noted that the show would give a common platform for all football fans to come together and celebrate their passion.

He also said the show was also

HE President of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Amaju Pinnick, yesterday declared that the new Akwa Ibom Stadium Complex in Uyo will host world class matches.

Speaking at the last minute rehearsals for the official commissioning of the Stadium by President Goodluck Jonathan, Pinnick said he was a fulfilled man seeing such edifice in Nigeria.

Stressing that the NFF is going to take full advantage of the well crafted edifice for world class matches, he said the stadium will henceforth be the home to the Super Eagles and Super Falcons.

He said: "This is my second coming. I feel very fulfilled and like I said, this is the home of the NFF, this is the home of the Super Eagles, this is the home of the Super Falcons. And we are very proud to have been associated with the government of Akwa Ibom State."

"It is an edifice that is so well crafted and I can assure you that you will be seeing first class marches.

We are going to take good

F

By Adeyinka Adedipe created to tap into the passion of Nigerian fans for football and create a platform for brands to engage with the fans.

Sahid stated that the objective is to attract viewership to the show in order to create and sustain an online football community to engage with football fans.

Project director, Nkechi Obi, who also gave an insight into the programme, said that part of the expectation is to create top quality entertainment to the target audience in particular and the public in general.

She also said the programme would provide the ultimate fan experience by replicating the ambience of real-life football action on television. The programme, according to her, will provide a unique platform that will enhance sponsors’ brands and business propositions through association with the show.

Obi said participants must be between 18 and 35 years, ambitious , brand conscious, fun seeking and upwardly mobile young people who want to display their knowledge and passion for the beautiful game of football.

T

• Pinnick From Augustine Ehikioya, Uyo advantage of this edifice in making sure that we bring in first class marches, A-rated marches to this stadium".

On whether the NFF will still continue to patronizes the nearby Calabar stadium, Pinnick said, "No, why not?

Calabar is part of Nigeria.

Why won't they enjoy. They are the next door neighbour but this is at the moment, you know we

just got elected last month and we were elected into a new edifice".

Speaking on the maintenance of the edifice, Akwa Ibom State Governor, Godswill Akpabio said that he has already signed a ten year maintenance agreement.

He said, ?"This was done by Julius Berger and you know that they are very good, they've been around for over 35 years in Nigeria. And it is a foreign company that has cut a niche for itself in the construction industry in this country."

"So, I have signed a 10 year contract maintenance with them because I don't want this to ever go down. Like I told the former President of Ghana, Jerry Rawlings, for me I'm very humbled to have had the opportunity to present this to Africa.

"And I believe that from here, Africa will produce a lot of champions. Never again should we go for Olympics and come back without a gold medal, never again. That is why I've presented this to Africa".

He said the secret behind the developmental projects in

Akwa Ibom State was because he wanted to show that government can work.

"I had made up my mind, with a lot of anger when I came in that I must show that government can work and indeed seeing this kind of edifice, I can tell you that the anger is waning. That, yes in deed, government can work.

"I wanted to prove something to future generations and I hope that Nigerians after me, aspiring for leadership will feel the need to learn the little I have experienced here".

The governor predicted that the Nigeria-Ghana match billed for Friday evening will end 3-0 in favour of Nigeria.

He said: "Well, because of my love for Ghana, considering that the current President of Ghana will be here and in addition to the former president who is here, and I have many friends from Ghana, we won't beat them more than 3-0".

Former President of Ghana, Jerry Rawlings, said it was his first visit to Uyo and he was blown away by the edifice.

THE NATION SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2014

63

SPORT EXTRA INTERNATIONAL FRIENDLY

Eagles face Brazil in Uyo on March 29 A

N international friendly has been lined up by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) for the Super Eagles against the Samba Boys of Brazil billed to hold at the ultra modern Uyo International Stadium on March 29, 2015.

Akwa Ibom State governor, Godswill Obot Akpabio, disclosed this while delivering a speech at the opening of the 30,000 capacity stadium described as the nest of champions.

In his bubbling and effervescent manner, Akpabio declared that he had the mandate of the NFF to inform the spectators of the prestigious match which is expected to draw football personalities from across the world to the South-South state.

“I have been directed by the NFF to tell you that Brazil will field the full complement of its stars for the match, including Barcelona star, Neymar,” said the governor.

Next year’s encounter, which will be played during the FIFA window, will be the second friendly between both countries to be played in Nigeria.

Both teams squared up at

From Chijioke Ezeali, Uyo the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium in Abuja in a friendly which was to open the facil-

ity. Nigeria lost the game 0-3 with Ronaldinho scoring.

Again in 2012, the Eagles were due to play the former world champions in Nigeria

during a FIFA window in September but the match was cancelled by the Brazilians due to the bombings in some northern states.

• Emem Eduok

NIGERIA/GHANA Emem Eduok’s goal sinks Black Meteors Keshi missing on

N

IGERIA defeated the Black Meteors of Ghana to win the inaugural edition of the Transformation trophy at the newly built Akwa Ibom International stadium.

It took the home based Super Eagles led by Daniel Amokachi, 34 minutes to open scoring and it was red hot Dolphins star Emem Eduok that headed in a swift cross from Solomon Kwame. It was a good goal by the Akwa Ibom born star, who has 20 goals in the Nigerian Professional Football League (NPFL) and the goal made him the first player to score in the Uyo International stadium.

The 20-year-old was very lively as he ran down the right wing before providing a well waited cross which strike partner Christian Osagona headed wide.

Ghana created problems of their own as twice Chigozie Agbim failed to deal with crosses but the Black Meteors didn't capitalise.

The Eagles pressed to increase the lead but Ghana held on as the first half ended 1-0 in favour of the Eagles.

At the start of the second half Nigeria's league top scorer Mfon Udoh replaced below par Rangers forward Osagona as the Eagles chased a second goal and Emem nearly doubled the lead when he ran unto a 30 meters pass from Joseph Nathaniel and tried to beat the keeper Richard Ofori with a half volley but his attempt went narrowly wide.

The game witnessed a double substitution from both sides as RabiuAliwassubstitutedforChris-

From Chijioke Ezeali, Uyo tian Pyagbara while the Ghanaian Noah Martey came in for Amadu Lapeer. MfonUdohshuffledashot from the right side of the box while at the other end as Opoku Kojo hit a long range strike off target from 20 yards.

Emem sent a quality cross into the path of Mfon but his precise jab hit the crossbar to the disappointment of the teaming Uyo fans.

Ghana again tried to level scores as David Opoku blazed a shot off the right side of Agbim's goal and at the other end the lively Emem Eduok nearly gave the Eagles a 2-0 lead after his neat foot work created an opening for him but his left foot drive narrowly went wide.

The day went from bad to worse for Ghana as Richard Yamoh was shown a straight red card for a dangerous tackle on Pyagbara.

Eagles bench

• Big Boss spotted at popular side

S

UPER Eagles chief coach, Stephen Keshi was not on hand to lead the home Eagles against their counterparts from Ghana in yesterday's international friendly organized to officially declare the Uyo International Stadium open.

The Eagles coach was conspicously missing on the bench when both teams filed out from the dug-out for the prematch formalities.

SportingLife made attempts to know the reasons for his absence from highly placed officials which naturally drew comments from those that were at the stadium.

Omeruo relegated to bench

T

HIS is obviously not the best of times for Super Eagles on-loan Chelsea defender Kenneth Omeruo who has lost his starting spot at Middlesborough.

The 21-year-old, in his second loan spell at Premiership promotion hopefuls Middlesborough, has fallen behind in the pecking order at the club.

Manager Aitor Karanka omitted the Nigerian in their last three games and reports from the riverside suggest the manager will stick with the same back four this weekend.

The back four of George Friend, Daniel Ayala, Ben Gibson and Ryan Fredericks have conceded only two goals in the three games they have

started.

Omeruo’s last action for the team was against Wolverhampton Wanderers where they lost 2-0, since then he has been on the bench for subsequent games.

His situation will also trouble Nigeria coach Stephen Keshi as it will mean that only Godfrey Obaboana is a regular at club level in the Super Eagles’ regular back four.

Efe Ambrose is yet to kick a ball in anger for Celtic in over a month now while Elderson Echjiele has been in and out of the first team of Monaco.

The Super Eagles are currently third in their group and face the possibility of missing out on a spot at next year’s AFCON.

From Chijioke Ezeali, Uyo "My brother let us forget Keshi and concentrate on the match," an official said.

Interestingly, the coach who was expected to join the team on Tuesday was spotted in the stands. He was casually dressed and chewing gum, which is his trademark.

According to reports, the Eagles coach must have arrived the Southern state yesterday from Abuja where he had been attending to personal issues. In his place, first assistant coach, Daniel Amokachi took charge.

Amokachi has been holding forte since the team reported to camp on Monday. But despite officials dodging questions, there are speculations that all was still not well between Keshi and his employer.

A close aide of the coach sighted by SportingLife however dismissed it.

"There is nothing to worry about. In 2012, if you would remember when the home based team played Egypt in Dubai it was Amokachi that handled the team. It was at that game that Keshi gave Amokachi the mandate to handle the team in his absence especially the home based players. So l do not think it is proper for people to draw insinuations," said the aide.

He assured that the coach would be in charge for next week's Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Congo in Pointe Noir.

Eagles’ coaches as lords • Continued from back page it should be calling the shots. I don’t believe that President Goodluck Jonathan ordered the coaches’ return.

If the President did, he ought to have directed that their contracts be sealed and payment made upfront if that is what they want.

I hope those at the Presidency understand the import of keeping quiet while this tale reigns in the minds of Nigerians. If the coaches succeed, which I doubt very much, the purported presidential fiat would have worked. However, if Congo beats Nigeria or secures a draw in Pointe Noire, then the masses would descend on the President, whose hands are full with the myriad of problems besetting the country. Those peddling this presidential directive don’t like President Jonathan. They need to speak up because nothing has changed since the coaches returned.

The team list for the two games against Congo and South Africa has Ikechukwu Uche as the only meaningful addition. Even at that, Uche still needs more than this game to blend with the others. I know that Uche will be pilloried if he fails to excel against the Congolese. But that is expected after being sidelined from the squad for two years. It means that the coaches don’t know the problem with the Eagles. I hope that the coaches know that the game will be played on synthetic turf, which gives the Congolese significant advantage. The argument of playing on artificial pitch is untenable because the Congolese beat us on a grassed pitch. Football hardly has anything to do with the playing surface, if the players are fit and know what to do.

The coaches must give them the right tactics to run the opposition aground. But where we have half-fit and bench-warming players in the Eagles, only divine intervention can rescue them from imminent defeat in Pointe Noire.

The 25-man squad doesn’t represent our best in Europe for the months of September and October. It is despicable that Victor Moses is being dropped by the coaches because we are playing on artificial turfs. Shouldn’t they have asked Moses if he would want to play on such turfs?

Moses is the most exciting Nigerian player in Europe today. He attracts rave previews and reviews in the Barclays English Premier League, including the backlash from Swansea’s Manager Monk for diving.

Is it not also ridiculous that Chinedu Obasi isn’t on the list? Obasi has been a jewel for Schalke 04 since Di Matteo joined the German Bundelsiga. Obasi has also been outstanding playing for Schalke 04 in the competitive UEFA Champions League.

He has scored goals in this competition. Shouldn’t such a player make the Eagles list based on his club form? I really don’t know what the coaches have against Obafemi Martins’ inclusion on a list that has players who have been perpetual bench

warmers in the Eagles in the last three years? Can anyone ask the coaches what crime Sunday Mba has committed?

Why is Obasi excluded? As it is now, the NFF dare not ask these coaches? They take orders from the top.

Part of the problem with the Eagles rests with the arbitrary manner in which the list of invited players is drawn without recourse to certain basic ingredients, like we see in other countries.

John Mikel Obi isn’t fit, with less than one week to the battle in Congo. In fact feelers from Chelsea’s Stamford Bridge grounds suggest that Mikel may not play until the next two weeks. Yet, our allknowing coaches picked him for the two matches to be played within five days.

Oguenyi Onazi isn’t also too fit. Ambrose Efe has lost his first team shirt at Celtic FC of Glasgow. Elderson Echijile scored a goal last weekend after a spell on the bench.

Kenneth Omeruo hasn’t been able to tie down a regular shirt at Middleborough. We must thank God that Emmanuel Emenike has started scoring again. Only Ahmed Musa is a sure bet in terms of his current form. It is for this reason that our coaches ought to have invited Moses, Obasi, Martins and Anichebe. Even Kelechi Ihenanacho.

The Congolese would panic seeing all our big stars doing well in Europe in our line-up.

It would give us the psychological advantage that such big players need to bury the hosts. The 25-man list doesn’t inspire me. It is good the coaches are told the truth so that they don’t return with tales of sabotage by some Nigerians. Again, the coaches are not complaining now that they cannot train the boys on synthetic pitches. I hope they don’t return with tales of the unexpected.

As for the game against Congo, it is my fervent wish that Nigeria wins. Victory will improve our FIFA ranking, except that it will make the coaches more powerful than they were until their reinstatement by the Presidency. It is only with the Eagles coaches that the employee is bigger than the employer.

What that encourages is indiscipline. It also sets the coaches against their employers and Nigeria football is bound to suffer as either party strives to show its importance.

Already, the coaches have won the battle to recall Slyvanus Okpala, just as they have succeeded in reversing NFF’s decision to drop the team’s former media man and coordinator. Will this victory party for the coaches continue? I hope this trend doesn’t dovetail into the situation where the coaches would wake up one day to say that the NFF board should be sacked?

Now that NFF men have become Lilliputians before the coaches, who then will pay the cash they will demand if we eventually qualify for the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations? Or will the coaches’ friends in high places provide the cash? Time will tell.

TOMORROWPUNCHLINE IN THE NATION

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2014 TRUTH IN DEFENCE OF FREEDOM VOL.9, NO. 3026

The tidal wave of Republican victory in the 2014 midterm elections will be repeated only if the twothirds continue to stand lamely and ineffectually beside the one-third that is bought and tied up by big capital

—Biodun Jeyifo

H

IS diminutive physique masks a razorsharp intellect and wit. Dr Muiz Banire, lawyer, commissioner first of transportation and then the environment for 12 years under the Tinubu and Fashola administrations and now National Legal Adviser to the APC, was the guest speaker at a colloquium in Lagos in honour of Ogbeni Raufu Aregbesola. The colloquium was obviously spurred by Aregbesola's outstanding re-election for a second term in the bitterly contested August 9th governorship election in Osun state.

There is much to agree with in Banire's presentation on the occasion titled 'Osun's Election: A Pathway to Nigeria's Democratic Growth'. For example, he paints a vivid and harrowing picture of the security siege on Osun before and during the election. He exposes the many behind the scene bids to manipulate the poll and rig the elections and how these were thwarted through vigilance and proactive action. Among the more sensible of Banire's recommendation is his admonition that a political party should always monitor closely officials elected in its platform. This is in order to ensure adherence to the party's manifesto as well as prevent the alienation of the government and the party from the people due to unpopular policies.

However, Banire treads treacherous and slippery analytic terrain when he makes a distinction between a party and the candidate seeking election on its platform. He contends that it was Aregbesola that won the election in Osun and not the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The APC, according to Banire, has become unpopular because of imposition of candidates such that the people may have voted for the opposition but for Aregbesola's charisma, grassroots appeal and superlative performance.

Let us admit without conceding that Banire is right. What would be the incentive for the average voter or APC supporter to vote for the PDP, for instance, when its own candidate for the Osun election emerged through a violenceinfested process where a former governor of Osun was savagely manhandled by a serving Minister all because he aspired to fly the party's flag in the election!

Again, could it be that most of those Banire claimed to have visited on door-to-door campaigns and who reportedly expressed disenchantment with the APC, sought elective or appointive positions and were unjustly denied the opportunity? That would be strange. I would wager that in most polities, those who actively seek elective office constitute less than one per cent of the population. Osun certainly cannot be an exception.

In the first republic, Chief Obafemi Awolowo's Action Group (AG) was the cynosure of all eyes due to its spectacular developmental achievements in the South-West. Even though he was enormously gifted as a leader, thinker and astute manager of men and resources, Awolowo never sought to personally appropriate the party's collective success to himself. It was the same case in the second republic when Alhaji Jakande was easily the most distinguished governor. Again, he never claimed or sought personal glory. He knew that in a progressive party, both successes and fail-

Banire, Aregbesola and Osun polls

•Aregbesola ures must be collectively borne.

I am sure that Banire's thoughts at the colloquium are his and do not necessarily represent the views of Aregbesola. For, being a product of collective struggle himself right from his student days, I think that Aregbesola is too philosophically deep, intellectually sound, historically conscious, and organisationally disciplined to identify with the kind of hubris espoused by Banire.

It is pertinent to ask, 'Why was Aregbesola able to seek re-election for a second term?' It is because he had won election for a first term and performed creditably. Why was he able to contest for the first term? It was because he was fielded by the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) as its governorship candidate. Here is where I think Banire misses the critical point.

The relationship between a party and a candidate is a dialectical one. The party can offer a candidate its platform but it cannot do the candidate's job for him/her.

If we apply Banire's logic to Ekiti, then we can surmise that the outcome of the polls there was a vote against Fayemi and not the APC. That would be nothing but sterile intellectual masturbation. Even if it were so, the reality is that both Fayemi and the APC in Ekiti are out of power - at least for now. The APC must gnash its teeth and bemoan the calamity that befell it in the August 9th election. The grief is not that of Fayemi alone. In the same way, the APC is entitled to rejoice at the triumph of the party in Osun while basking with Aregbesola in the

•Banire euphoria of victory.

If the candidate performs exemplarily, the success belongs both to him and the platform that gave him the opportunity to develop and exhibit his leadership skills. On the other hand, if an elected official performs poorly and is defeated at the polls, both the party and the candidate bear the consequences.

Let us take governor Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN) as an example. By 2007, he came to power relying solely on the machinery and structure of the party as he did not have any structure at the time. By 2011, however, his impressive performance had turned him into a formidable brand. The party gave him an opportunity to run for governor on its platform.

He grabbed the opportunity and through industry, competence and vision, endeared himself and his party to the electorate. At the end of the day, both the party and the governor enjoy a mutually beneficial and reinforcing relationship.

Banire rightly stressed the need for internal democracy within parties to allow the best and most popular candidates emerge in free and fair intra-party processes. He argues that imposition of candidates is one of the greatest banes of the APC. Well, it is difficult for one to scientifically determine the meaning of imposition in a situation in which, for instance, over 20 aspirants are gunning for a given position and each believes that if he does not win, it is because the winning candidate has been imposed on the party!

The eminent political scientist, Professor Richard Sklar, is quoted by Banire as describing the defunct AG of the first republic as "the best organised, the best financed and the most efficiently run party in Nigeria". But nothing in this quote suggests that the AG was a model of internal democracy. In fact, I think Banire should read Sklar more extensively. I would recommend in particular his collection of essays titled 'African politics in Post-Imperial Times'. He has at least two chapters in this book, which offer a rigorous discourse of the contradictions of Nigeria's political system as well as the travails of Obafemi Awolowo in Nigerian politics.

When Awolowo, following the failure of his party in the 1959 parliamentary election, went to the centre as Leader of Opposition, he tried to re-fashion the party as a vote harvesting machine capable of winning elections outside the South West. To do that he had to retain a firm grip both on the party as well as the machinery of government in the western region even as he sought ethnic minorities in the North and the East to ally with the AG. This led to a head on collision with Chief SLA Akintola, who had succeeded him in office as Premier of the region. His espousal of the new ideology of democratic socialism further alienated Awolowo from the business interests that formed a formidable pillar of support for the AG as well as many of the elders and traditional rulers who flocked to Akintola's side. Awolowo's attempt to have his way against all odds was partly responsible for the crack within the AG that ignited a chain of events that led to the collapse of Nigeria's democracy in the first republic.

No matter what anybody may think about Tinubu and Fashola, they have managed their relationship with maturity and mutual respect such that we have not witnessed in Lagos, the kind of intra-party implosion that destroyed the Action Group in the first republic and nearly brought the entire country to ruin or the godfather versus godson skirmishes prevalent in different parts of the country in this dispensation.

A third critical issue raised by Banire in his lecture is that of the place of zoning and religion in the country's politics particularly Lagos State. He is opposed to any form of zoning or concession of positions to accommodate divergent interests in the political process. He declares: "For God's sake, Lagosians are only interested in good and qualitative governance and no-one cares whether you are a Christian or Muslim". To put it mildly, this is simplistic and overly idealistic.

I recommend Professor Arendt Lijphart's 'Democracy in Plural Societies' for Dr Banire's perusal. Lijphart examines the various strategies, including institutional strictures and processes put in place in ethno-culturally plural societies like Nigeria to achieve political inclusiveness and promote political stability and national cohesiveness. Yes, merit must never be sacrificed on the altar of zoning. But the truth is that there are capable and competent candidates for public office cutting across all nooks and crannies of the country? Would Banire, for instance, want the federal character provision, which is a deliberate balancing device in the 1999 constitution abrogated?

Ade Ojeikere on Saturday talk2adeojeikere@yahoo.com

Eagles’ coaches as lords

T

HEY are back. Yes; they are. Our cantankerous coaches are back in the Super Eagles saddle. Is anyone surprised that the Dr. Goodluck Jonathan administration can embrace a coaching crew that was the world’s laughing stock in Brazil, where they spent the night before the game between Nigeria and France sharing their $3.85 million appearance fees? It means the return of revolts by the Eagles in foreign land. We must prepare for a season coaches scolding their erstwhile employers with ignominy. I hope it doesn’t dovetail into beating up NFF men, now that they coaches take orders from the Presidency. Aren’t these coaches blessed?

What you need to have to coach the Eagles is to have friends at the Presidency, get the ears of the Senate President, shout loud enough for the Secretary to the Government to hear, call any governor of your choice and, of course, get the attention of the Sports Minister to ridicule your employers. These are not easy targets but when everyone calls you big, it doesn’t matter if your team has won one game out of 13. What counts for the coaches’ friends in high places is that they have broken records last achieved some donkey years ago. It doesn’t also matter if the mantra for coaches of being judged by their last matches runs against your recent achievements. Eagles’ coaches cannot be assessed by the team’s performances on the pitch because the NFF is perpetually

enmeshed in crises. But our girls win trophies and play in the finals of the women World Cup. Will Nigerians sit up at night to watch the Falcons or Falconets like they do for the Eagles? I can hear those in government retort as they read this: Is that so?

Who cares if the Eagles are 42nd in the world or even ninth in Africa? The Eagles can be 100th in the world and rock the bottom among African teams. The coaches must stay.

They are untouchable. After all, there is the unseen caveat by the government that no foreign coach should be appointed. So who is that Nigerian coach to dethrone our immutable ones? Those in high places have forgotten that these coaches took the job from others. Let them continue to peddle influence in the corridors of power. Our football will

be the loser. I hope it won’t be too late. I digress!

I have watched in awe how these Eagles coaches have smuggled themselves back. But if these coaches have any self esteem, they ought to walk up to those influence peddlers at the corridors of power to politely reject the job. Would they do it? How can they? Where in the world would they secure such mouthful deal for their poor tactics? Indeed, the talk of having seven offers on the table is cheap. They dropped those deals because Nigeria has better players to sustain their mercantile tendencies for selling players to the European markets. That is the hidden truth; not patriotism; not the love of the game. No. But my joy stems from the fact that they are not beating their chests to celebrate this unholy return. Nigerians are not fooled by this senseless decision which has left the NFF as the inferior partner in an agreement where •Continued on Page 63

Published and printed by Vintage Press Limited. Corporate Office: 27B Fatai Atere Way, Matori, Lagos. P.M.B. 1025, Oshodi, Lagos.

Telephone: Switch Board: 01-8168361. Marketing: 01-8155547, Abuja Office: Plot 5, Nanka Close AMAC Commercial Complex, Wuse Zone 3, Abuja, Tel/08099650602. Port Harcourt Office: 12/14, Njemanze Street, Mile 1, Diobu, PH. 08023595790 ` Website: www.thenationonlineng.net E-mail: saturday@thenationonlineng.net ISSN: 115-5302 Editor: DELE ADEOSUN