THE NATION, September 06, 2014 by The Nation

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THE NATION,

EBOLA OUTBREAK

2 NEWS

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2014

Schools to now reopen Sept 22 —Minister

UBLIC and private primary and secondary schools across the country will now reopen on Monday, September 22, 2014. The schools, which are on holiday, were initially ordered by the Federal Government to delay their resumption until October 13, 2014 on

•Parents divided over new resuption date

Gbenga OMOKHUNU, Abuja and Paul UKPABIO account of the outbreak of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in the country.

The Minister of Education, Ibrahim Shekarau, told reporters in Abuja yesterday that the new resumption date was arrived at during an emergency meeting with state commissioners of education.

Delta FMC cordons off ward over Ebola fears THE Federal Medical

Centre (FMC), Asaba has cordoned off the emergency ward of the hospital as a patient suspected to have contracted the deadly Ebola virus disease (EVD) was admitted at the hospital. The ward had earlier been fumigated before the authorities ordered that it should be cordoned off to prevent anybody from going into the ward. The patient, it was gathered, was taken to an isolated ward after she was said to have manifested some

Okungbowa AIWERIE, Asaba

symptoms of the disease at the emergency ward where she was rushed to on Thursday. Medical Director of the hospital, Dr. Leo Erhunmwunse, had said the patient was stooling and vomiting, two of the symptoms of the contagious disease, adding that it was yet to be confirmed. “A patient who was stooling and vomiting was actually brought to the hospital today (Thursday) with symptoms of

P’Harcourt doctor Enemuo died for his passion — Associates

RIENDS and associates of the Ebola victim in Port Harcourt, Dr. Ikechukwu Sam Enemuo, have said that he was a victim of his passion for medicine. Enemuo, the proprietor of Samstel Clinic and Maternity in the oil city, contracted the disease from an ECOWAS diplomat, Olubukun Koye, who himself had been infected after coming in contact with the index case, Patrick Sawyer. Some critics had blamed Enemuo for deciding to treat the diplomat for financial reasons at the expense of his life and the safety of others. But speaking in separate interviews in Port Harcourt, some friends of the deceased doctor said he was not crazy for money. One of his friends, Mr. Antony Azuka, said he personally encouraged him to set up his private hospital. Azuka said: “At a point, he became much sought after in Port Harcourt. Every hospital wanted him to work for them. He was a workaholic, huge in size and full of energy, though he struggled so much then to make ends meet. ”When I saw how good he was on the job, I personally advised him to start his own clinic. He objected, but I continued to encourage him until he gave it a trial. “I am not exaggerating, D’Iky, as we called him, was good in medicine. His workers and patients can testify that he was a genius in medicine.” Mr. Idaye Opi, a lawyer,

Rosemary NWISI, Port Harcourt

said of Enemuo: “Iky was my friend, an acquaintance and also my client. I have known him for more than five years. Over time, I came to respect him for his hard work. “He graduated from the University of Jos and came to Rivers State for youth service, and stayed back thereafter. ”I don’t know why Iky did what he did, but it is very bad that Iky had to die this way, because I knew Iky to be a responsible, hardworking, intelligent young man. I’m not happy that he ended his life like this. “Iky, like any other working person, liked to earn his money. But I don’t see him as a criminal anyway. “There was a time somebody died in his clinic.The police officer relation of the old man came after him. I followed him all through the time. Even the Nigeria Medical Association(NMA) cleared him because he did his work well. “The man died as a result of abandonment at the hospital by his relations to the point that Iky was treating and feeding him with his own money. “When the man later died, they came out to make trouble because they wanted to extort money from somebody. “He was not that kind of person people are talking about, but he liked to see and have the proceeds of the job he did.” •Details on pages 3-5

EU pledges 140m euros to fight Ebola in West Africa

BIDJAN - The European Union yesterday promised 140 million euros ($181 million) in assistance to bolster the overstretched health sectors of Nigeria and three West African nations struggling to halt the worst ever outbreak of the deadly Ebola virus. The funding will be used to strengthen health systems, train health workers and pay for mobile testing laboratories in Sierra Leone, Liberia, Nigeria and Guinea where over 1,900 people have died since the outbreak was identified in March. Over 97 million euros will be spent on budget support to

Liberia and Sierra Leone in order to help them deliver public services, including healthcare, and maintain macroeconomic stability, the European Commission said in a statement. “The situation is going from bad to worse,” said Kristalina Georgieva, the EU Commissioner for International Cooperation, Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response. “We are helping make a difference on the ground but the needs are outpacing the international community’s capacity to react.” The United Nations said on Wednesday that $600 million would be needed to fight the West African outbreak.

Ebola. But we need to confirm if he is suffering from the disease. “We need to carry out series of test to verify if he has the virus or not. People should not panic. The situation is under control.” Meanwhile, Delta State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Joseph Otumara, has confirmed that the blood sample of the patient has been taken to Lagos for analysis to determine if she was Ebola positive. Residents have been scared of going to the hospital for medical attention for fear of contacting the deadly disease. The Nation gathered that the wards were almost empty while some health workers were seen milling around, an indication that activities were yet to pick up following the suspension of the strike by the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA).

He said the precautionary measures put in place to curb the spread of EVD were still intact. The meeting directed states which are yet to appoint desk officers on Ebola information to do so before September 22. Each state ministry of education is expected to train at least two officials for every school on how to handle any suspected case of Ebola and also embark on immediate sensitization of all teaching and non-teaching staff in all schools on preventive measures. He added: “All primary and secondary schools, both public and private, should be provided with a minimum of two blood pressure measuring equipment by the state ministries of education. “The state ministries should determine the number of such equipment required and forward same to the Federal Ministry of Education. “The Federal Ministry of Education will liaise with the Federal Ministry of Health to ensure that appropriate equipment is procured. “Those states that have not complied with this agreement should please do so.

“State governments are called upon to support their state ministries of education with all necessary funds to ensure effective implementation of these preventive measures. “Regular washing of hands is part of the preventive measures. There must be steady supply of water in schools. All states should ensure that this is put in place as the schools reopen. “All state ministries of education should again establish a working and monitoring team for effective supervision of school activities before and after the opening of schools. Each state ministry of education should appoint a designated desk officer who should also receive appropriate training and who must report on a daily basis to the commissioner on situation in the schools. “The names of such desk officers, their phone numbers and e-mail addresses should be communicated to the headquarters of the Federal Ministry of Education.” Some parents and teachers who spoke with our correspondent in different interviews yesterday received the

news of the resumption date with mixed reactions. One of them, Mr Olushola Ogunsiji, who also is the Principal of the School for the Blind in Lagos, said the availability of anti-Ebola vaccine ought to be the criteria for resumption of children in schools. “I think the Federal Government should make the vaccines for the prevention of Ebola available to all children. Schools should have the vaccination ready for all children before the children resume. “If that is done, then I will support the resumption of the children at their various schools. If it is not done, I cannot support the resumption. “Ebola is an epidemic disease, so I do not support that the children should go out like that and become vulnerable. “It is not safe yet to let the children return to school.” Popular Lagos lawyer, Festus Keyamo, said: “The government has the data they are relying on. We do not have access to such data. “If their data say that by the 22nd of September they should have been able to curtail Ebola disease, then we must support them. Again, of course, we would not want to disrupt the calendar of the school system. •Continued on Page 6

•Vice President Namadi Sambo receiving an award from the Patron, Community and Youth Development (CYD), Alhaji Yayale Ahmed (left) at the 4th Unity Conference in Abuja yesterday. With them is the chairman, Dr Siraj Abdulkarim PHOTO: NAN

Ebola: Panic in Delta communities over woman’s sudden death in hospital

HERE was panic yesterday in Eku and other neighbouring communities in Ethhiope East Local Government Area of Delta State over the death of a woman suspected to have resulted from the Ebola virus disease (EVD). Eku Baptist Government Hospital, located in Eku town, is one of the three designated isolation centres by the state government for the study and treatment of cases of persons with EVD symptoms. But the state government, in a swift reaction, has debunked the EVD rumour, allaying the fears of the public by explaining the case at Eku to be that of acute diabetes. The Nation gathered that a patient, whose identity was yet to be ascertained at press time, was admitted at the hospital in the early hours of yesterday but collapsed at some

Victim died of diabetes— Govt Bolaji OGUNDELE, Warri point and eventually died. The sudden death of the deceased, the fact that traces of blood were seen on her body and she was brought in from Port Harcourt, gave rise to fears that she might have died of the dreaded EVD. A resident of Eku community, Comrade Jimitota Onoyume, who spoke to our correspondent on the phone, confirmed the panic in the community and others nearby. According to him, the deceased woman, who was reported to have her background in Port Harcourt, had been taken to her community for traditional care,

but was taken to the hospital when her sickness worsened. He said: “To the best of my knowledge, there is no Ebola case in Eku. Although I don’t work for the hospital, I heard from the side that a lady was brought in, she slumped and died and they saw strains of blood on her. That was how the story went viral. “You know that the hospital is one of those designated as an isolation centre. She might have died of hypertension. “There is tension in the community, even as far as Okpara down to Abraka. I learnt that they have taken blood samples of the deceased, just because of the way the people are reacting.” But confirming the real situation, the state’s Com-

missioner of Information, Chike Ogeah, defused the EVD rumour, explaining that the deceased died of diabetes. According to him, he had spoken with his colleague, the Health Commissioner, whom he said had told him that the deceased was a known case of diabetes at the hospital, adding that a recent social media prank, which advised people to drink salt water to avert Ebola had worsened her case. “It is not true. There is no Ebola. The lady had diabetes and she is a known case at the hospital, so they brought her in from Port Harcourt. “I think around the time they asked people to be drinking salt water and all that, she also took it and that worsened her situation. So there’s no Ebola case in Eku,” Ogeah said.

THE NATION SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2014

NEWS 3

EBOLA VIRUS

A view of the Ebola isolation centre in Lagos

EBOLA VIRUS

4 NEWS

Continued from Page 9

? First Consultant Medical Centre, Obalende, Lagos. Where Patrick Sawyer was admitted

Another view of the isolation centre Continued from Page 9

THE NATION SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2014

EBOLA VIRUS

NEWS 5

BOLA Virus Disease (EVD) has impacted highly on health care workers across the West African region. According to World Health Organisation’s recent report, more than 240 health care workers have been infected with 120 of them dead. Since the outbreak of the virus early this year, 2,615 persons have been infected out of which about 2,000 have died. In Nigeria, out of the six

•Health workers union holds training for workers, says they’re at high risk

Vincent IKUOMOLA, Abuja death recorded, three are health care providers. Speaking at a one day training the trainers national workshop and formal launching of the WHO interim infection

director at the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, nevertheless said the Geneva discussion “gives a lot of hope to the African people affected and those who are in panic”. ZMapp has been given to about 10 infected health workers, including Americans and Europeans, of whom three have recovered. Current stocks are exhausted, but the WHO said a few hundred doses could potentially be ready by the end of the year. But beyond experimental drugs, the key to controlling the Ebola outbreak, which began in Guinea and has spread to Liberia, Sierra Leone and Nigeria, was manpower and medical basics. The European Union (EU) yesterday released 140 million Euros in aid to combat the disease, a day after the United States offered an additional $75 million to buy beds and bolster treatment centres. “What is needed? It is health workers. We need treatment centres. We need more, especially in Liberia. Definitely, we need people who will be in treatment centres, but there is also a need for supplies,” WHO spokesman Tarik Jasarevic told reporters.

Ebola: Kwara engages 100 village health workers

HE Kwara State Government has engaged the services of 100 village health workers as part of strategies to enhance community healthcare in the villages. The health workers are to mobilise individuals, households and communities in order to achieve the millennium development goals (MDGs) by 2015. Speaking at the launch of the MDGs village health workers (VHW) programme, Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed said that workers are also expected to carry out routine household visits to enhance promotion activities such as good nutrition and immunization practices. The health workers, the governor added, “will sensitize communities on clean environment, hygiene practices and health education to prevent diseases such as Ebola Virus Diseases (EVD). On the essence of the MDGs, Governor Ahmed noted that more active collaboration was needed among governments, non-governmental organisations, the private sector and well-meaning individuals in order to achieve its goals. Ahmed said it was noteworthy that despite the fact that Kwara state joined the MDGs programme late, it attained 08.58 per cent of the infant mortality rate target and 88.75 per cent of the under-mortality rate target until six years. According to the governor, the state government has over the years built new primary health centres, rehabilitated and equipped existing ones to bring affordable and qualitative healthcare to the rural areas. The chairman of the MDGs

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2014

Ebola has killed 120 health workers —WHO

World health experts study untested Ebola drug

ENEVA - Health experts honed in yesterday on a handful of unproven drugs they hoped might turn the lethal tide of Ebola, as key figures urged that funds go for frontline crisis care in some of the world’s poorest states. On the second and last day of talks in Geneva, the World Health Organisation-led group discussed fasttracking two potential vaccines and eight potential therapies, including the drug ZMapp that has been used on a handful of frontline workers. With no fully tested treatments for Ebola, WHO has endorsed rushing out potential cures like ZMapp — a call echoed by African doctors battling the epidemic that has taken some 1,900 lives so far. “Everybody keeps asking why isn’t this medication made available to our people out there?” Samuel Kargbo, from Sierra Leone’s ministry of health, told AFP. The WHO said “extraordinary measures” were in place to accelerate the pace of clinical trials — but admitted that even that would likely not allow “widespread use before the end of 2014”. Abdulsalami Nasidi, project

THE NATION,

EBOLA OUTBREAK

6 NEWS

Adekunle JIMOH, Ilorin Implementation Committee in the State and Commissioner for Finance, Alhaji Demola Banu, in his remarks said the employment of 100 village health workers marked the extension of the frontiers of MDGs as well as employment generation in the rural areas. Alhaji Banu said the MDGs intervention in the state had been experienced through construction of boreholes, classrooms as well as in the health sector.

prevention and control guidance for healthcare workers in Abuja, National President, Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria, Dr. Ayuba Wabba, said health workers are particularly vulnerable due to the nature of health care delivery. He also dded that with the way Ebola virus is evolving, there was need for extra care on the part of health care providers. He said, “ while all health workers are at risk and should

safeguard against infection, there are some cadres that that even more at risk due to the higher probability of their coming in contact with patients included those that might be infected with Ebola virus. These include all our members working in the following departments: medical laboratory; health information; community health; laundry; nursing care; clinical services, and ; environmental health. “there is every need for ex-

“The fact that the government even thought of keeping children away from school for some period should be commended. That was a good decision. “They are the ones who closed it down and they are the ones that are about to reopen it. That means that they have a clear sign of what they are doing. “So let us look at it, and see how it works out. I think the Federal Government should come up with measures for schools to educate their pupils on how to keep hygiene and so on. That is important.” A clergyman, Bishop Tom Samson, also said the Federal Government is in a good position to understand the situation. He said: “If they come up to say that the children should go back to school, then it is alright. I am sure

since the disease has no cure, emphasizes should be on prevention. Oyemakinde blamed the high impact of the virus on heath workers to a missing gap. He noted that most of the health facility are missing it in the area of waste management. Explaining further that where there is no proper health management programme in place the health care providers are endangered.

•From left: Guest speaker, Prof. Akin Oyebode; President, Campaign for Democracy and Women Arise, Dr.joe Okei-odumakin and Barr. Mohammed Fawehinmi, son of the late Gani Fawehinmi at a public lecture on state of the nation and the 2015 general elections, issues and challenges organised by Gani Fawehinmi Memorial Oganisation ( GAFAMORG), in Lagos yesterday

HE Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has called for a collaborative effort of all Nigerians, especially workers, in dealing with the spread of Ebola virus disease. It also said the stigmatization of those suffering from the disease will not in any way help in the effort to curtail it. Addressing newsmen at the NLC secretariat, the newly appointed General Secretary of the Congress, Dr. Peter OzoEson, asked Nigerian workers to report any suspected case of Ebola to the concerned authorities for immediate action. He said Nigerians should form the habit of giving information on those suspected to have the disease but have decided not to come out. He commended the quick response to the suspected case in Kaduna, saying, “We pray that it is not true. But if the case is

NLC seeks collaboration on fight against Ebola Tony AKOWE, Abuja confirmed, efforts should be made to track down those he has had contact with so that they can be treated.” The General Secretary, who said he assumed office on Monday, September 1, dismissed claims that the union has not been vocal in recent times, stressing that though there could be difference in style of administration, the present leadership of the congress has had different initiatives which have impacted on the welfare of workers in the country. He said, “Sometimes, we confuse visibility and speaking on every issue with being representative of the defence of the interest of work-

Schools to now reopen September 22 •Continued from Page 2

tra care to be taken by these cadre of health-care workers and indeed all health-care workers. WHO guidance booklet will be of immense value for this, which is why we are making copies available to all state councils and branches of the union. Access to this must be available to all our members.” Speaking in the same vein, Dr. Akin Oyemakinde, Chief Consultant Epidemiologist, Federal Ministry of Health in his key note address noted that

they know that it islright before they say the children should resume. “I think that the government has done well with what it should do so far. If they now think that the children should go back to school, then I think the children should go back to school.” A publisher, Mrs Banke Ibrahim-Alayaki, also agreed with the resumption date, as announced by the government. She said: “I agree that school children should resume. They should go back to school. Inasmuch as parents are lettered or educated enough to also educate their children at home and teachers educate their pupils and students at school, the children should go back to school. Ebola can be curbed or prevented. “At this point, prevention

of Ebola could be said to be basically more of enlightenment. After all, the children go to church and meet other children who they do not know where they come from or go to. “Moreover, children still go out to play at different places around their homes or far away from home.”

ers. Yes, I will agree that you may have a difference in style if you move from one regime to the other, and that may give this feeling that there was more visibility or more vocal presentation under some other regimes than this. “You (media) are part of the vehicle that projects us because you report us. So, if we bring out any idea, the degree to which you report us will bring out how visible. We will do everything that we can to ensure that we are forthcoming. “I just want to say that even

in the last few years, there has been quite a number of worker-related initiatives which if reported would have shown a non-dormant movement. “At the end, what are we really seeking to achieve? It is to elevate the position of workers in the interest of workers and there are various ways that this is done. “It can be to work for improvement in welfare in terms of general salary review which as taken place under this regime.”

Ebola scare at UCH, Ibadan

HERE was panic among members of staff and patients at the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan Thursday evening over a patient thought to have been infected with the deadly Ebola Virus Disease (EVD). Sources informed The Nation that the patient was brought to the Accident and Emergency Department of the hospital after the close of work. It was learnt that the male patient manifested common EVD symptoms such as vomiting and weakness of the body, which made members of staff suspect that he was an EVD patient. A source further explained that

the suspicion caused a scare among medical workers, prompting eyewitnesses to spread the news of the suspected case. When contacted, the Head, Public Relations Unit of the hospital, Mr Ayodeji Bobade, denied that the patient was infected with the virus. Bobade explained that the said patient was still under observation at the hospital, adding that his blood sample had been taken to the laboratory for test. The spokesman said that the result of the test would be out in 48 hours to confirm his health status.

PAC joins campaign against Ebola

HE Police Assistance Committee (PAC) has joined the move against the spread of the dreaded Ebola virus disease through sensitization awareness campaign programme being organised by its members nationwide. The PAC with its affiliate members, Association of Tradesmen and Artisans, who are mainly traders and shop owners operating at major markets are embarking on organizing seminars/workshop

in all major markets, local government areas and various communities across the country to educate and train members on what to do to prevent the spread of the disease. In a statement in Lagos, the Director General, Dr Martins Oni, said such a move was being made to collaborate with the Federal Government, the Ministry of Health and other stakeholders on how the members can put efforts together to curb the spread of the Ebola disease.

Oni enjoined all the executive members of PAC, comprising chairmen, secretaries, and public relations officers of all trade associations at the various markets across the country to ensure proper mobilization of their members to participate actively in the seminars/workshops which are meant to promote the awareness campaign.

See more news stories on pages 56 to 62

THE NATION, SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2014

COMMENTARY 7

Battlefronts of elections and insurgency O declare that the greatest threat to world peace today is Islamic militancy will be an understatement given the new way Islamic State or IS, is decapitating captured human beings before a live global TV audience nowadays. I know the use of the term Islamic can be upsetting given that we know Islam is a religion of peace and love but the facts of violence, murder and mayhem by those who claim to be acting on behalf of that great religion cannot be ignored. In Britain, during Tony Blair’s as PM the use of the policy of Multiculturalism to contain the spread of terrorism amongst British Muslims who are largely from the former colonial territories of Asia, Africa and the Middle East the term Religious Militancy was the vogue. This week while speaking before the summit of NATO and US leaders in Wales, in the UK, Prime Minister David Cameron said it was time to deal decisively with what he called Islamist Extremists. It is instructive to know that David Cameron had condemned Multiculturalism as a failed policy before and after being elected into office as PM in the present Coalition government with the Liberals. Cameron also asked members of NATO not to pay ransoms for their captured citizens in the hands of such terrorists as earlier agreed at NATO Summits no matter how painful this was for the families of such captives. This according to Cameron was because such money will be used to fund more terrorism to purchase weapons and provide ammunition for more violent activities of these extremists. That piece of advice sets the tone for our analysis of today on how elections and global insurgency have become modern battle fields in a world awash with Islamist Extremism which needs to be curbed fast before igniting a battle of religions or ideologies; or a clash of civilisations that has been in denial for some time, but which is bound to be cataclysmic enough, if it does happen, to consume our world as we know it today, if care is not taken. We start our analysis today by looking at the work schedule of three world leaders this week aside from David Cameron who hosted NATO leaders and US President Barak Obama to a summit in Wales at which sanctions against Russia were expanded to punish it for invading Ukraine again while denying what NATO affirms is really the case. These three leaders are Nigeria’s President Goodluck Jonathan, Pakistan’s PM Nawaz Sharif and US President Barak Obama. We start with the Nigerian president who is seeking re election without declaring that ‘open secret ‘ yet, but who is also facing the fiercest insurgency and rebellion in the North East of the nation from Boko Haram which wants to establish Sharia law in Nigeria. Without mincing words one can say that the Nigerian President is involved in a costly war in two battlefronts which he must win to stay in power in 2015. The Boko Haram war is one and his re election is the other. He is campaigning furiously for his re election which was what prompted him to declare that he has given more jobs to Igbos than any previous president. Which really is an understatement as the Igbos dominate the commanding heights of the economy in terms of appointments and which also is to be expected as he too bears an Igbo name – Azikiwe. In addition the president is making sure that some states having elections are supervised militarily so that there is no rigging. Which some how must account for why the army is having a rough time containing the Boko Haram menace in the North East of

the country. It took a US Assistant Secretary of State to tell a Bi Nation Security Meeting of Nigeria and the US that Boko Haram is operating freely in the North East of Nigeria where it has proclaimed a Caliphate in Gwoza and has announced it has captured Bama not far from the state capital Maiduguri, in Borno State. Undoubtedly the President must be happy with the support he is gathering over his reelection nation wide. That too is to be expected because Nigerians love people in power and today’s incumbents who have money, favours, offices, appointments and patronages to give out, in the rags to riches way governance and political appointments have transformed public servants into overnight millionaires and emergency billionaires in Nigeria today. But then the Boko Haram menace must not be allowed to be the Achilles heel of our 2015 elections or the soft underbelly of our political stability. This is because it is becoming daily disturbing that the Nigerian Army is losing face and legitimacy in the way it has found it difficult to contain the Boko Haram menace. The army should not be disgraced over this Boko Haram insurgency as it is the last hope of Nigerians for peace, security and the territorial integrity of this nation. Elections must go on in democracy as they are the life line and vital ritual expected of the electorate to give and take power, but, there must be peace for elections to take place in this Nigeria. Nigeria is not Iraq or Agfhanistan where people trooped bravely out to vote while terrorists bombed polling booths. Certainly this government must be told to crush the Boko Haram menace before the 2015 elections. This is the only way it can avoid the odious tag of Nero, the Emperor in the Ancient Roman Empire who fiddled while Rome burnt and put his name in infamy and opprobrium, with posterity and history forever. In Pakistan which is a bubbling democracy like Nigeria the PM Nawaz Sharif faces a battle of wills with his political opponents over charges that he came to power in a rigged elections and should resign for fresh elections to take place. There are fears that the army headed by his namesake General Raheel Sharif may stage a coup and take over power. The PM has however had some reprieve constitutionally in that the Pakistani Parliament has voted in his support to stay in office as he was democratically elected. The US also, as it did in the US/Nigeria Bi Nation confab on Security in Abuja has waded in through its Ambassador in Pakistan to say that it recognises Nawaz Sharif as the duly elected PM of Pakistan in spite of the huge demonstrations on flawed 2013 elections. So what then are the demonstrators up to except to goad the army to stage a coup? Anyway again as in Nigeria, the Pakistani Army is fighting Islamic Exteremists in that nation and this week killed hundreds of them in a battle which has characterised Pakistan, a Muslim nation and a democracy where secular Muslims have never voted to have any fanatic as PM and where politicians are brave enough to confront and deal effectively with

Islamist Extremists regardless of which party has been in power. Also the Pakistani Army is well respected as being capable of defending the peace and security of the Pakistani nation, the only snag being when Bin Laden was taken away from Pakistan by the Americans right under the nose of the Pakistani military. Also the fear of a coup may not be that deep as the Pakistani Army has it hands full fighting insurgency in the nation without the added and avoidable burden of taking over the government and incurring the wrath of Pakistan’s very active and boisterous politicians. Let me round up by giving my grudging respect to US President Barak Obama over the way he has responded to the threat of ISIS or IS and its disturbing trend of beheading captives, taking ransoms by sending airstrikes to chase the terrorists away in Iraq and saving lives. He was in Wales this week for NATO meeting obviously to give assent to NATO’s decision for more sanctions against Russia on Ukraine. In a way I suspect the US president looked battle or crisis weary in this second half of his second term . You must however give it to him the way he has handled the capture of US citizens and the crazy killing or shooting incidents in the US in recent times. He has always been there on site to assuage feelings and give succour to affected US citizens and families. Which is an anathema to the way the Nigerian President has handled Boko Haram and the issue of the missing 200 Chibok girls as the President is yet to visit any part of the North East including Chibok to show the strength of the Commander in Chief of the Nigerian Army. Aside from President Obama’s trade mark empathy with his people I still blame him as I have always done for the state of affairs in the Middle East and especially the rise of IS in Iraq. Just as I thank him for giving the rallying call for democracy in N Africa although that has backfired in Egypt and Syria and Libya. Also Nigerians must be grateful to the Americans for alerting us on our fight against corruption, election rigging and now the fight against Boko Haram and the fact that it is seizing territories with impunity in the North East of Nigeria. Certainly the US again has become the Policeman of a free world as it claimed during the Cold War. The only difference this time is that its Commander in Chief has no stomach for policing other nation’s wars but its own, and it does not have any on its home front. Except perhaps the campaign and election promise to end the war in Iraq and Afghanistan which unfortunately gave confidence to jihadists to plan and fill the ensuing post war vacuum, which is now sprouting merciless and blood thirsty caliphates in the Middle East and Nigeria. Certainly the US president is struggling to live with the pragmatic dictum of - win some, lose some. I wish him the best of luck in his onerous duties as the reluctant global policeman of our time an appellation that can only infuriate leaders like Ruussia’s Vladmir Putin like mad.

‘

So, who dunnit? never knew that the Nigerian leadership clan has become so tragically inept and painfully hollow until some few days back when some of them started throwing brickbats at one another over who should take responsibility for the murderous monstrosities being perpetuated by the Boko Haram sect. While those ‘transforming’ Nigeria are busy organising rallies in some select parts of the country, genuflecting pleading with President Goodluck Jonathan, just like some did with Abacha, to make public his desire to run for a second term in 2015, it may not be out of place to advice these ‘transformers’ to also plead with the President to show courage in stemming the horrendous menace being inflicted on the entire nation by the terrorists and their sponsors. Common sense dictates that the country and its leadership ought to have gone beyond playing the ostrich at a time when key towns in some parts of the North-East are said to be firmly in the control of the militants. It is sheer idiocy of an infantile hue for anyone to believe that sitting in Abuja and playing politics with this clear and present danger is all that is needed to stop the looming onslaught. It is such a crying shame that while the terrorists’ grip of widening territories grows in leaps and bounds, the leadership continues its ding dong affairs with crass impotence if not cluelessness. Besides, the nation cannot afford to fight the war on terror on the prism of political sentimentality or affectations. Sadly, that is the script playing out as the nation groans under intense bombardments by the Boko Haram sect. Clearly, the insurgents would have been flushed out a long time ago if all that is required to win the war is a burst of riotous rage or paying lip service to a political gimmickry that elevates indolence to an art. War, though an art; is made of a sterner stuff. No one has ever won a war on the prism of vacuous innuendos and muffled propaganda. Unfortunately, we have witnessed quite a lot of politicking than a presidential display of good and effective political will, not only to rein in the terrorists but also dragging their sponsors before the court of competent jurisdiction. With the serial threats by the leadership of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, the security apparatchiks and the Presidency to expose the sponsors of the insurgents, one would have thought that their channels of funding would have been blocked by now. Yet, recent developments show that the sect has uninhibited access to funding and procurement of sophisticated military hardware. Its members are no longer holed up in the forest. No. They have brazenly taken over towns, hoisting the sect’s flag and imposing its laws just like the ISIS militants are doing in Iraq. Apart from Bama town in Borno State, the sect members were said to have forcefully taken over Bara in Yobe State and Banki in Borno while the Nigerian troops engage them in a continuous battle to reclaim the seized towns. The

Knucklehead With

Yomi Odunuga E-mail:yomi.odunuga @thenationonlineng.net SMS only: 07028006913 scary reality is that, regardless of the tempered language being used by the authorities, Nigeria is at war, with total curfew imposed in some states. That Nigeria would have to win this war is not negotiable. However, what is in doubt is how and if the nation is prepared to end the warfare soon. Proffering solutions to the incessant violence being perpetrated by the Boko Haram militants in Nigeria, delegates, at a one-day meeting to assess the level of implementation of decisions and commitments made in the security summit in Paris and the follow-up meetings in London and Washington DC, urged the government to track both local and external sources of funding the sect. They also harped on the need to cut off logistics, arms and ammunition, in addition to intensifying socio-economic cooperation aimed at poverty eradication, economic uplift and inclusive development. Of course, it may be argued that these simple nuggets are not really new. The problem is that the Nigerian leadership appears to be hamstrung in dealing with the local sponsors of the Boko Haram sect and other festering terrorist groups. While some names have been bandied around in muted voices as likely sponsors of the sect, not a single individual has been officially fingered by those who claim to know the brains behind the killings, maiming, abductions and bombings. Oftentimes, what we get is the epileptic ranting from both sides of the political divide. No one is sure anymore if this serious national tragedy has not been reduced to a common political gloating while lives are being wrecked daily. If the PDP is not blaming the opposition for the wanton waste of lives and property; the leadership of the All Progressives Congress is sure to make the headlines, demanding that one of its defected members should be dragged before the International Criminal Court for allegedly sponsoring insurgency. If an aggrieved member of the APC is not linking his

defection to the PDP to the ‘Boko Haramites’ tendency in the opposition, the leadership of the PDP will be at its preposterous best, defending why it warmly welcomed back former ‘Boko Haramites’ to its fold. And then, you ask: who are the moneybags bombing us to death? Today, the answer is hanging in the air. Even the intelligence unit has failed to engender our confidence. Slowly but steadily, Nigeria is sliding back into the abyss of infamy due to the inaction of its lacklustre leadership. In the past, we have learnt to live with a leadership that is scared to its pants in naming and shaming the unscrupulous cabals in the oil sector. Although, we had a rare glimpse of the humongous damage these persons had inflicted on our economy during the oil subsidy probe, there is nothing to show that the wings of these untouchables have been clipped or will ever be clipped in our lifetime. Latest report indicates that Nigeria now records N16 billon loss monthly as a result of oil theft while the figure, as at January 2014, stands at N47 billion. Question is: how much of the fleeced money is being used to sponsor terror and how is it being channelled? And if the authorities claim to know those involved, why are they still in business? If you ask me, from whom do I seek an answer? Do I ask The President; the official intelligence community or those playing cheap politics with the lives of the citizens? Perhaps, no one can succinctly put the lingering questions in a better perspective than Nigeria’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Ambassador Aminu Wali, who, during the delegates’ meeting in Abuja, asked: "Who are the sponsors of Boko Haram terrorist campaigns? Who are those funding the insurgency? Where are the sources of the sophisticated arms and ammunition being used by the terrorists and who are those seeking to re-define the territory of Nigeria and Africa in the 21st century?” In another context, one can safely say Wali’s questions can be surmised in two words which became popular after the iconic journalist, Dele Giwa, was killed by a parcel bomb on October 19, 1986: who dunnit? 28 years into that dastardly murder, no one has been able to answer the question. It is a public secret that all hands point in one direction over Giwa’s murder, but no one has been punished. All we are left with are innuendoes and insinuations that cannot stand the test of any judicial rigour in any court of law. And so, as Nigeria, Africa’s largest economy following a whimsical rebasing process, drops to 127th position in Global Competitiveness due to “weakness in public finances (as a result of lower oil exports), continuing institutional frailty and deterioration in national security", I just hope we would not have to wait for another centenary celebration (should we survive the present savagery) to still be grovelling for answers to Wali’s abridged questions: who dunnit?

THE NATION, SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2014

‘It is time to wrest Nigeria from the vampires’ A Text of speech delivered by Chief Pius Oluwole Akinyelure (APC National Vice Chairman-South West Zone) at the First All Progressives Congress, South West Assembly, held at the Premier Hotel, Banquet Hall, Mokola Hill, Ibadan on Thursday, September 4, 2015. T is my pleasure to welcome you to this important gathering of the All Progressives Congress, (APC) zonal meeting holding at Ibadan, one of the oldest modern cities in history. I welcome you to the city of your ancestors, a city noted for her cherished role in the battle for freedom and the campaign against colonial domination. I choose to recollect that it was at this great city that the laurels achieved by the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo were launched. Permit me to reflect a little bit on our past. Ibadan has always provided the bedrock for great monuments. Today, I strongly believe that we are here to build even a greater future for our long suffering people by confronting the ills of the present to achieve a greater tomorrow. Today, we are here to make history. Ibadan is a city of history, a city that made and is still making history. I recollect for instance, that the achievement of the Action Group, (AG) and later the Unity Party of Nigeria, (UPN) took Africa by storm. Not only did the party become the best organized political party in Africa, it brought forth the best programme of action for the Africa renaissance. It was at this great city that remarkable achievements of one of the founding fathers of modern Nigeria, Pa Awolowo, rekindled the hope for black Africa when he established the first television station and the first radio station in Africa. Today, I can say that we are also making history by coming together in this remarkable city to re-energize our party so as to meet the greater challenges ahead. As we gather here today, we must admit that in spite of the outstanding achievements recorded by the founding fathers of Nigeria, there is a conscious attempt to dwindle and extinguish the glorious past of this great country and a more desperate attempt to dwarf every genuine attempt by the progressive forces in Nigeria to bring hope where despair lay siege. We cannot deceive ourselves about the economic and political woes of the ruling People’s Democratic Party, (PDP) that dimmed the stars of yesteryears, becloud the rainbows of today and diminish the hidden potentials of our great nation. I doubt if Nigeria has ever been faced with such a perilous future in the annals of our history, as much as currently witnessed and experienced today. On the economic front, Nigeria has been dragged into the red light district of global affairs. On the political front, there are fears about the future considering the odious attempt to eliminate the basic principles of democracy and the lowest common factor of representative government. Recent history is our witness. In Ekiti, Osun and across the South West, the PDP is promoting a retinue of rogue regimes that negate the fundamentals of the egalitarian political heritage of the South West democratic space. In Ekiti for instance, we witnessed the monetization of votes and the blatant institutionalization of violence - using state machinery. We are aware of the flagrant cases of human right violations perpetrated by some of the nation’s security apparatus. This is different from the several masked gun men that stormed the State of Osun before and on August 9. I must say without any contradictions that the APC leaders in Ekiti and the State of Osun fought a gracious fight. They fought a battle nurtured by ideas and ideology. They waged campaigns based on developmental issues, such as the environment, culture, economy, tourism, education and human capital and infrastructural development, while their counterparts in the PDP based their campaigns on appeal to banal instincts, primitive accumulation of wealth and the promotion of communal corruption. The PDP candidates had no inspiring political and economic programmes and rather hung on the puerile propaganda of momentary and opportunistic patronization of market women and artisans. Through the activities of the PDP, we have seen the decline of the values of governance and the disgraceful role of political leadership as the conveyor belt for corruption and ineptitude. This is reprehensible. Permit me to use this opportunity to commend the resilience of millions of our supporters in the South West states for their calm-

• Chief Akinyelure Chief Pius Oluwole AKINYELURE ness in the face of naked brute force, provocation and outright stateinduced assault by the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP). I also wish to commend the governors of Ekiti and the State of Osun, Dr Fayemi and Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola for their sterling leadership qualities and for providing the beacon of exceptional leadership under very difficult circumstances. I wish to commend the leaders of the APC at the local and state levels and at the South West regional levels for their vigilance and their resolute, their iron cast determination to defend the core principles of democracy and their resolve not to resort to violence even though the impetus for violence was imposed by the PDP at the national level, during the Ekiti and Osun elections. I also commend the APC leaders in the South West for showing unflinching solidarity with Ekiti and the State of Osun, realizing that threat to stability anywhere is a threat to stability everywhere. I also commend other APC states - Lagos, Oyo and Ogun for their achievements which have been validated and acclaimed by the international community. The effective response by the Lagos State Government to the Ebola scourge is another glaring example of how APC leadership stands shoulder high above our political foes who have failed in all ramifications to uplift Nigeria from her state of stupor. However, it is not yet time to sheath the sword in the campaign to entrench democracy and sustainable livelihood in the South West and across Nigeria as a whole. For instance, apart from the political situation in the South West, the entire country is faced with monumental challenges arising from poverty, want and penury. The manufacturing companies are facing an all time economic low, the income per capita of the country continues to decline amidst the diminishing purchasing power of our long suffering peoples. Less than half of the population has access to electricity; living standards are the same today as they

‘

Nigerians are tired. They are tired of the bombing, the killings, the cutting of human torso and the slicing of human throats. This unending stream of blood and anguish is socially and psychologically scaring

‘

were in 1970, and nearly 100 million Nigerians live on less than $1 dollar a day. There is high unemployment, with over 50% of our youth out of work, alongside deepening cycle of poverty, income inequality and insecurity. These trends are worrying for economic, political and security reasons. Terrorism continues to hunt the country like a specter. People are dying daily- with well over recorded 5,000 lives lost to date. Children and women are dying in hundreds in the North East from the activities of violent extremism; thousands are fleeing their ancestral homes in the North Eastern part of the country; people live in perpetual fear of bomb attack; whilst bullet dodging is now a daily occurrence. Suicide bombing has suddenly become a past time, and unfortunately, this also involves young, teenage girls. It is now five horrifying months that the Chibok girls have been kidnapped. I want you to close your eyes for a moment and imagine the awful scenario of young people taken from their parents, who have not been seen for five months, being held captive by armed men. They may never be seen for ever. This is the Nigeria of their dream. This is not the Nigeria of our dream. Nigerians are tired. They are tired of the bombing, the killings, the cutting of human torso and the slicing of human throats. This unending stream of blood and anguish is socially and psychologically scaring. This is an alien culture unknown in our history. All are happening in the face of a PDP government that has no effective strategy to stem the worrisome whirlwind. This is the time for change. It is the time for all elected officers in the APC, all members of our great party, high and low, poor and rich, artisans and professionals, haves and have-nots, men and women, young people, to come together in a unified form, including those that have no party affiliations, to wrestle Nigeria from the hands of vampires. Time is running out. We must act fast and decisively. This is not going to be an easy task. It is the responsibility of all and for all of us. I hereby task our leaders, that for us to strengthen the APC and establish a political machinery and institution that no force on earth can dismantle, we must; 1. Realize the need for us to make sacrifices for the party, build new alliances and strengthen old ties. 2. Develop a set of political and developmental vision and overarching philosophy that our people can relate to and associate with. It must be a developmental ideology that address current needs, provides hope of and about the future and assures of self-actualization opportunities abundance for all. 3. APC must have local cells alongside the ward structure that will become a meaningful platform of and for citizens’ engagement. This will become the space and place for citizens to inform and influence political and governance programme, and policy. Consultation and engagement culture must permeate our approach to governance; there must be an unfettered adherence to civic engagement as a fundamental practice and philosophy 4. We must build a formidable, modern regional secretariat with the latest technology that will equip us for swift, smart and decisive response to the challenges of the party and the tribulations of Nigerians. Technology must be employed as a tool for communication and a system for effectiveness. 5. We must build a strong research capability and reinforce our communication tactics. Our research must be scientific and bottom up and their outcome must inform our policy stance and political positioning. 6. Our politics must be accompanied by clarity of message about what we stand for. This should be articulated and communicated with an end to end story; they must reflect their impact on citizens’well-being alongside the developmental aspirations of our communities; whilst we intensify political education and enlightenment. 7. We must energize the younger people in the South West, we must underline the difference between us and them, we must create a movement that will put light at the end this long, dark tunnel, we must give energy to the toil worn populace, we must energize the masses and make them the pilot of their own destiny, so that Nigeria can reclaim her lost glory at home and in the comity of nations. 8. Our new politics must be relevant, current and fit-for-purpose and must have political instruments that offer adequate response to the challenges facing our citizens. APC must become a political party that can act as social movement. We need to start doing and playing politics of ideology and values, walking in the footpath of our avatar – Chief Obafemi Awolowo – so that our politics can once again generate genuine momentum for progressive change. I look forward to a meaningful discussion and a practicable outcome from this great gathering. I thank you all for listening.

Good luck Eagles • Continued from back page beats one’s imagination, especially with FIFA’s insistence on government not interfering in the administration of its affiliate bodies. It is common knowledge that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) sent a strong worded letter to Nigeria over the show-of-shame kits our athletes wore. What that setting showed was a failure of leadership at the NSC, since the buck stops on his table. It was also clear that the federations acted independently instead of allowing the Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC) to kit them. Sadly, despite being in Scotland, the minister didn’t ask the NOC why the Nigerian athletes were so shabbily dressed. The international media feasted with our coat-of-many-colours attires but it didn’t mean anything to the minister it seems. If it had been football, heavens would fall. While the minister orchestrated the need to keep the Super Eagles technical crew for their ‘remarkable’ outing in Brazil, he chose to lampoon NFF chiefs for the Eagles shambolic performance at the Mundial. One isn’t shocked with the minister’s doublespeak because it is the hallmark of our leaders- they only think after they have spoken. Indeed, when the Eagles clinched the Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa on February 10, 2013, the coaches and players got all the applause while NFF men were treated like orphans. How come the NFF keep getting the stick, in the victories and losses of the Eagles? Shouldn’t those who got the praise in the period of triumph get the whip in defeat? Since the World Cup ended, Nigeria is the only country among

the 32 nations that took part in the tournament that is in turmoil. By the ratings of FIFA, Nigeria is one of the 16 best countries at the last Mundial, so why didn’t the minister allow the NFF’s tenure to lapse instead of his tactless approach to force their exit. Curiously, rather than blame himself for failing to provide the logistics for the Nigerian contingent to the Commonwealth Games, he continued to push for the ouster for a board whose members have been commended by FIFA as being the only nation among the 208 others to qualify for all the body’s competitions. How else do you measure success than with such verdicts from credible bodies like FIFA? Facts are sacred. Indeed, the fact that one of our weightlifters tested positive for steroids was enough reason for the minister to have pursued the task of fishing out those who gave the girl the banned substances with the same enthusiasm he has shown in getting the NFF out of office. The minister’s utterances since the furore began explain why he hasn’t been able to resolve the crises. A more tactical administrator should have ensured that the President received the Eagles and the NFF men in Abuja for commendation. He could later sit with the NFF men to tell them where they erred. He would have used that platform to ask for the roadmap for the future more so when we have two Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, 25 days after the Mundial ended. During the heart-to-heart talk with the NFF men, the minister would have sounded them out on their next movement as it concerns the body’s elections. He would have known those eager to

return to the NFF and plotted his next moves. The minister must redeem himself by asking those elected into the kangaroo NFF board to respect FIFA’s directives, else we are banned. We must accept the fact that FIFA didn’t invite us to participate in its competitions. We elected to do so and must therefore respect their rules. I really don’t know why government officials have refused to allow the NFF run as an independent body? Must government fund NFF? Is the domestic league being funded by government? No. If the domestic league can run on its own, what stops NFF from doing so? Government should just restrict its sponsorship to Nigeria’s participation in big tournaments (World Cup, Africa Cup of Nations, Olympic Games etc) and allow the NFF fund other things. The minister should as matter of necessity ensure that he fast tracks the process of abrogating Decree 101. He must ensure that our football is governed by the FIFA Statutes, if we hope to open the horizon for other Nigerians to aspire to run for the NFF elections. The calibre of people who can run the NFF will remains at its pedestrian level until the Statutes, as operated elsewhere is instituted. We must jettison the Nigerian version which leaves the window for government to interfere. We are tired of the bickerings at the Glasshouse, especially after every World Cup. Does it not worry the minister that FIFA have written us six letters since after the 2014 World Cup telling us what to do? Minister sir, allow NFF men run their elections the way FIFA wants it to.

THE NATION

SATURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2014

THE NATION SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2014

THE NATION

SATURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2014

THE NATION SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2014

THE NATION, SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2014

SUPREMACY TUSSLE

•Uneasy calm as Police, Civil Defence Corps engage in bitter rivalry Story on pages 14&15

THE NATION, SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2014

•Some of the tools seized from suspected vandals

•A female NSCDC operative allegedly beaten

Uneasy calm as Police, Civil Defence Corps engage in bitter rivalry T was not the first time that men of the Nigerian Police Force would attack officials of the Nigerian Securities and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC). Neither was it the first time that both agencies would engage each other in a gun duel, leaving officers dead on both sides. But last week’s alleged public harassment of the Commandant General, Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NCSDC), Dr. Ade Abolurin, by a team of five policemen in Ikorodu, Lagos, while the CG led the Presidential Committee on Seized and Forfeited Items to Isawo, revealed the ineffectiveness of the truce called by former Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Abubbakar, in 2012. To be sure, there has always been mutual distrust between the two paramilitary agencies charged with the responsibility of managing critical government assets, and protecting lives and property. While the police felt that the NSCDC has usurped its constitutionally assigned role, the NSCDC often accuses the police of sabotaging its efforts towards curbing the activities of vandals. Before the alleged harassment of Abolurin and his team penultimate Friday by a yet-tobe-identified Inspector, who reportedly wore the IGP taskforce T-shirt at Abule Oba in Isawo, for ‘invading’ a ‘police territory’ and destroying over 100 of 50-litre kegs laden with stolen petroleum products, several other uncompromising NSCDC personnel had suffered assaults and intimidation from the police. In March, at Ikorodu, Lagos, two NSCDC officials attached to the anti-vandal squad were ambushed and killed, while several others sustained gunshot injuries in a commando attack some policemen allegedly car-

n Precious IGBONWELUNDU n

ried out at about 3 am. The victims were said to be returning from a successful anti-vandal operation, arresting suspected vandals and recovering exhibits, which were being transported to the NSCDC state headquarters in Alausa. Still basking in the euphoria of their successful operation, the NSCDC men, who rode in a patrol vehicle marked CD15A01, did not know that an ambush had been laid for them. All of a sudden, they saw bullets hitting their van from different directions. Their attackers, according to them, wore police uniforms. One of the NSCDC personnel, who asked that his name should not be mentioned for security reasons, said: “We did not know how the information leaked to the police. We were careful not to inform them before the operation. “I was shocked when half way on our journey, we started hearing sporadic shootings. It was about 3 am. We tried to avoid it because it was obvious that we were the tar-

get. We know that the police collaborate with vandals, but what I did not envisage was a situation where the police would open fire on us. “I saw them. They were policemen. They shot and killed two of our men (Assistant Inspector Gabriel Adaji and Inspector Innocent Akegbe) on the spot. Five of us sustained injuries and ran for safety, while the policemen freed the vandals. ‘It was not a fight because we did not fire back at them. They just laid an ambush and attacked us. Instead of joining forces with us to tame vandalism, they aid vandals because of the money they make from them. It did not start today. The evil has been going on for a long time and the police authorities should not claim they are not aware. ‘‘Most times, if there is a joint operation, it is the police that will still go and inform vandals about the raid such that by the time the team goes for the raid, the hoodlums would have all vanished.” As the policemen escaped with the suspected vandals, little did they know that an identity card marked 1206ZZ, belonging to an Inspector attached to the anti-pipeline

I was shocked when half way on our journey, we started hearing sporadic shootings. It was about 3 am. We tried to avoid it because it was obvious that we were the target. We know that the police collaborate with vandals, but what I did not envisage was a situation where the police would open fire on us

vandals task force and his service pistol fell and were recovered by the NSCDC. Also in March, two female officers of the NSCDC and the Nigerian Prisons Service were allegedly severely beaten by officers of the Kubwa-FCT Police Station because they asked a plain clothe policeman, who had accused them of reckless driving, to identify himself. Inspector Adeduyite Blesssing (NSCDC) and Prison Assistant Afolabi Dorcas, both engaged by Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister as members of a special task force to rid the territory of hoodlums and vices, alleged that they were badly battered by the errant policemen. Another incident occurred in Niger State in June, where the police allegedly stopped NSCDC personnel on operation around 2 am in order to aid the escape of vandals. Threatening to open fire on the NSCDC officers if they dared to enter the bush, the policemen allegedly deflated the four tyres of the corps’ patrol vehicle. “One of the policemen said we (NSCDC) had no right to operate in the area. Our men explained that it was our duty to protect all government facilities, including oil pipelines, but they were not interested,” said an NSCDC source. The Nation had earlier reported how the IGP petroleum monitoring task force aids the activities of pipeline vandals in Festac and Amuwo-Odofin in Lagos, to the detriment of residents who have decried the massive environmental pollution they are exposed to. These officers, it was learnt, collect as much as N400, 000 weekly from the vandals, who usually come in a convoy of SUVs and buses at wee hours, accompanied by armed policemen in police vans. An angry resident said: “Do they care? The police only care about themselves. People are too scared to say the things they see

THE NATION, SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2014

•...When Abolurin visited Ikorodu

around here. They usually come here around midnight. The vandals always come with police escorts. They park their vehicles beside that church and then enter their canoes, which are usually parked on this side to go and connect their pipes. ‘Meanwhile, the policemen stay on the side and assist others in filling the gallons. When they are done, they load them in their convoy and the policemen lead them out before it is dawn. “What I do not understand is how come NSCDC people only come here during the day. At night, you would not see them. But since the men of both agencies fought and injured themselves in Festac, I no longer see the NSCDC people here at night. So, I do not know if they are now part of the conspiracy or have just decided to allow the criminals have their way. “We are tired. They have destroyed our farmlands, polluted our water and now we cannot even breathe fresh air. The government really needs to investigate these security agencies because they are obviously working for themselves and not for the country.” At Ikorodu and Ijegun, the stories were not different. Residents insisted that acts of pipeline vandalism flourish because of security agencies’ connivance. The police, according to Isawo residents, are neck deep in pipeline vandalism and always notify the vandals when it is not safe to operate. A petty trader, who spoke mostly in Yoruba, said the police patrol the place not to arrest vandals but to exploit them. He said: “We do not engage in vandalism. I sell drinks here. The vandals usually come from across the water. Ever since I started staying here, the police usually come to collect money and fuel from the vandals. ‘‘I heard that civil defence men used to

come about five years ago to collect money too, but I have never seen them. Policemen would come and harass the vandals and their customers and after much persuasion, they would collect money from the vandals and leave. “People come in jeeps (SUVs) and cars and big vehicles to buy fuel. They do not want to buy fuel from the filling station.” A member of the Oodua People’s Congress, who pleaded anonymity, also said: ‘They usually fight here and kill people. The vandals always come with weapons and so, most times, we run away. They have even killed some of our people. They siphon a lot of fuel from the river. “What can we do? Is it the police that collaborate with them that we would report to? Is it the police that would come and collect fuel and money without arresting the vandals that we would report to? So, we the OPC are minding our business. Once it is around 5 pm now, our members will come here for meeting.” Another resident, Daniel Kuika, said: ‘Be-

For those accusing policemen of aiding vandals and sabotaging the nation’s economy, I urge them to come up with evidence. They should mention the name of the officer and the area the incident occurred and watch out for our action

fore the NSCDC people came here, about four vehicles loaded with petrol had been evacuated by vandals that morning. The Abuja people got here around noon and I think the criminals got information about their coming and quickly moved those ones. “From the way they were speeding, we sensed that they were running from something, but we did not know what it was since policemen usually come there to collect money from them. “The vandals operate daily. Who do you expect us to complain to when the police that are supposed to arrest them is even supporting them and collecting money? Do you think we

want to die? “Those vandals do not care about life. They usually fight themselves and even kill themselves here. Seeing them around is a normal thing, and the vehicles that come to carry the petrol are jeeps (SUVs) and big cars, which I think would belong to rich men.” However, the police denied all the allega-

tions against its personnel, urging residents to provide evidence of their complicity in the vandalisation of government assets. The Deputy Police Public Relations Officer (DPPRO), Lelma Kolle, refuted claims of an unhealthy rivalry between the police and the NSCDC. He also said the inspector, whose name was not given, never pointed his gun at the CG NSCDC or any of his team members. Kolle said: “Nothing like pointing a gun happened. We have investigated the matter and confirmed that the Inspector, who is attached to the IGP anti-vandals squad, was at his place of responsibility when about nine pick-up vans fully loaded with Navy, Army and NSCSC personnel arrived at the site. “On reaching there, they met the Inspector and his men on ground, and he requested to know why they were at the location. They felt disappointed that an Inspector was asking them such a question, whereas, the Inspector was only doing his job. “As far as I know, the police and all security agencies, including the NSCDC, have a good working relationship. They are both Federal Government agencies and we work together to protect lives and property. If there are issues between us, we know how to address them to ensure that we continuously collaborate for a safer society. “For those accusing policemen of aiding vandals and sabotaging the nation’s economy, I urge them to come up with evidence. They should mention the name of the officer and the area the incident occurred and watch out for our action.” The spokesman of the NSCDC, Emmanuel Okey, declined comment on the issue, saying that the matter had gone beyond the NSCDC, as it was being investigated by higher authorities.

THE NATION, SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2014

•Legacy House Ijigbo

•Ijigbo Roundabout

Face of modernity

HE urban renewal initiatives of the current administration of the Ekiti State Governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi, have indeed transformed Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, as it has done other towns and settlements across the 18-yearold state. These efforts are more easily noticeable in the well-paved single and dual carriage ways alongside drainage channels on both sides of the roads, which are fast positioning the ancient Ekiti stronghold into a modern setting. From the entry points of Iyin-Ekiti,

n Sulaiman SALAWUDEEN n Iworoko-Ekiti, Ijan-Ekiti/Federal Poly axis, Ikere-Ekiti and Ilawe-Ekiti, or out of the capital, residents and travellers alike are greeted by and enjoys dark, shiny, smooth tar. Within the township, the main roads, including Police Headquartres-Basiri-Fajuyi road, Fajuyi-Adebayo road, Fajuyi-OkesaOkeyinmi-Old Garrage road, Bank road, NTA road and Old Garrage-Ijigbo-Ajilosun road are all donning attractive looks. While the roads have done a lot to ease

movements within the town, and coupled with such fixtures like street, traffic lights and multimedia placements about major junctions and further beautified the inner city, they have been the reason, according to investigations, for the growing urge by entrepreneurs to seek space for their business interests within the capital. Major junctions, including those of Fajuyi and Ijigbo and Okeyinmi Roundabout have become a beauty to behold, especially at nights, given the general lease on pedestrian and vehicular operations wrought by the widening of the roads and the advent of

street lights. Sights of wooden and iron kiosks placed on the last margins of major roads and streets about the town have become a rarity, a situation which has also offered a more organised tone and texture to business operations across sections. But Ekiti has not all been roads. Alongside such official structures as the Mutual House beside Tantalizers around Fajuyi is the Governor’s Lodge Complex, which stands sturdy on the

Ayoba Hill, which is visible all about Okesa. The State Pavilion, located at the far end of the Bank Road and the Civic Centre also at Fajuyi area, which are at different completion stages, are expected to serve as a good icing on the cake of the very many infrastructural accomplishments of the current administration. Further, private buildings like Legacy House about Ijigbo junction, which offered

Pe a c s CitY

accommodation to different outfits, including Demmy Global which deals in ICT materials, Greenwich Trust Limited, Best Bargain Nig. Ltd and a property outfit, add to the exotic, modern outlook of Ado-Ekiti. Bayo Ajibade building and the Paint House are all there now at the Ijigbo Junction, alongside many others which all combine to reveal Ado-Ekiti as having come of age. How much the expansion and renewal have altered business culture across the capital may not be immediately ascertainable but a close observation would reveal some businesses have receded, while others have been promoted. Although, there may not be large shopping malls like Shoprite in Ibadan or Just Rite in Lagos as elsewhere, there is DN Okoli at Okesa, Lino and Buno along Adebayo where those of class and sufficient genteel presumption go for the purchases of consumables and household items generally. Again, structures like the mentioned Mutual House and Hotels, including Prosperous in Adebayo and Delight on Ilawe Road, also exist now to inform newcomers that Ado is a fast pacing modern setting. Ado, seems somehow constrained in terms of available space, in view of the per-

ADO-EKITI:

•Adebayo Road

These efforts are more easily noticeable in the wellpaved single and dual carriage ways alongside drainage channels on both sides of the roads, which are fast positioning the ancient Ekiti stronghold into a modern setting

ceived pressure on land within the metropolis, especially among those willing to obtain same either for accommodation

and/or businesses. While this fact may not be readily admitted among the establishment, findings reveal that the competition for spaces has shut up property values beyond expectations. In consequence, dealers in property have been having a field day as the socalled business streets/areas are practically limited and most spaces have already been occupied. Any appearance of 'market' (possible space for sale) have spurned and spinned competitions among potential buyers, which has led to sky-bound prices. As a result, owners of old and disused property in choice areas are more often than not being encouraged to dispose them off at unimaginably high and ‘attractive’ rates. This recently ruffled feathers at the town’s traditional institution. The effect of urbanisation on property have thus been unprecedented and mindblowing. While the cost of obtaining shops has more than doubled in the last two years, that of renting a modest residential apartment has become more unfriendly. According to a property lawyer in AdoEkiti, Barr. Olakanmi Falade, once the attention of most business owners remains concentrated on such major roads, including Adebayo, Bank and Ijigbo, all within the metropolis, prices either of obtaining plots of land for self-development or leasing an existing property around the areas would remain high. His words: "If you compare the price of an upstair in Fajuyi, it is about N50 million but the land in the same area is just about N10 million. Generally, renting old structures is cheaper than renting new ones. Out of every 10 buildings, just one is a new building, nine belong to the ancient times. So, the prices of letting or leasing them differ in nature. Going by the comments of some indigenes, who prefered anonymity, and a few dealers in land/property sales and leasing across the state, a subtle ‘property war’, which signposts all modern cities, may have begun in Ado-Ekiti. Hinting directly at this at a recent gathering, the Ewi of Ado-Ekiti, Oba Adeyemo Adejugbe, lamented the growing, perhaps even indiscriminate, tendency among the people to dispose off such 'old' property to the highest bidders, even if such are nonindigenes of the town. The monarch had clarified: "We are not saying those who have buildings should not sell. What we say is that if you must sell, you need to inform the palace and the chiefs who will then do findings to know the status of such a property and the normal way to dispose of it. "We don't want outsiders to take over Ado. What we say is that the rate at which old structures are being sold is worrisome. We want our people to exercise restraint in the way they sell off their property. We insist that they must contact the palace for the monarch's express consent", Oba Adejugbe said. According to Falade, the solution to the pressure on space is for government to open up new areas. According to him, AdoAfao road in the state is an option which the state government has considered, adding: "Although people have moved into the area, it still needs official presence for marked develooments to happen". On the concern that old buildings are being acquired by new buyers, the lawyer said: "It is not true that old buildings are being acquired. In the last six months, only three buildings have been sold between Sinmiloluwa and Adebayo, which is a distance of about one and a half kilometres". He spoke further: "Who is even ready to buy the property? Indigenes who should be buying are resident in Lagos and Ibadan. They only come here on weekends. They are not even attracted to having property here. However, I do agree that non-indigenes are picking interest in the same property left unbought by our own indigenes.’’ On how to take pressure off the existing spaces within the capital, Falade urged the state government to establish a presence on spaces along the Housing-Afao road to cause a movement of the people. His words: "Let govermnent establish a school or an office around the area. Interest will shift to that place and before you know what is hapening, attention has shifted away from those places in Ado now to the new area. Although, some people have structures there now, the development will be much better with a government’s presence.’’

Olatunji OLOLADE, Assistant Editor and Kunle AKINRINADE

THE NATION, SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2014

When will ‘Baby’ Samuel get succour? n Kunle AKINRINADE n IX years after he was allegedly ‘mistakenly’ slashed at the back of his head by surgeon’s knife, when his mother was undergoing childbirth at the Apapa General Hospital, Lagos, succour is still far away from Samuel Oji. The distraught father of Samuel has accused the authorities of the Lagos State Health Service Commission (LHSC) of turning a blind eye to the plight of his son. The unfortunate incident, which his parents attributed to alleged doctors’ negligence, happened on July 15, 2008 and has left the poor boy to battle cerebral palsy to date. He cannot talk, crawl or even sit, unlike other children of his age. To compound his woes, his mother who was taking care of him at home died in a controversial circumstance at the Isolo General Hospital a few years later. She was said to have been operated by doctors despite being diagnosed of high blood pressure when she was brought to the hospital for childbirth. Samuel’s parents, who were exasperated with what they felt was indifference to the plight of their son caused by doctors’ error, had sought legal intervention in the matter. The couple had sued the Lagos State Health Service Commission for N500 million damages. They got a reprieve when the court, presided over by Justice Olateru-Olagbegi, ordered an out of court settlement, which, however, has not seen the light of day to date. The heart-broken father of Samuel, Mr Sunday Oji, said: “Shortly after the court asked us to pursue an out of court settlement of the matter, the Lagos State Ministry of Health through the Lagos State

•Samuel...6 years ago Health Service Commission (LHSC) asked us to present Samuel for a comprehensive test at the Massey Children Hospital, Lagos Island, and we complied.” “At the hospital, one Dr. Mohammed Salisu and Dr Emokpae examined Samuel many times. Each time they examined the boy, they would tell us that the result of the test would be forwarded to the highest authority for necessary action but nothing would be done about the matter. In fact, I did not hear any-

•Samuel...now thing from them till I lost his mother a few years later. It was after we started disturbing LHSC again that we were asked to represent Samuel for medical examination again. I reminded them that the entire test carried out on Samuel has not yielded any positive action on the part of government. Dr Salisu examined Samuel twice while Dr Emopkae examined him once. Now, we have been asked to present him again for another test. “At the hospital, the doctors carried

out the test without availing us with the outcome of their findings until we started disturbing them again. When they became uncomfortable with our insistence that the government must give Samuel a lifetime care and treatment, we were again asked to represent him for another round of test, which we equally did, yet, there has been no word from the authority of LHSC. So far, we have presented Samuel for doctors’ examination about three times, but there has not been any response.” Oji’s lawyer, Mr. Omobolaji Adejumo, berated the authority of LHSC for reneging on its promise to explore a peaceful settlement of the matter by taking care of Samuel’s health for the rest of his life. He said: “There was a time they told us that they would give Samuel a comprehensive life, time treatment and rehabilitation and we requested to see their comprehensive treatment plan before the boy could be released to them so that both of us can monitor the implementation of the treatment plan, yet, they reneged. As you can see, the wound at the back of Samuel’s head has not healed to date. He can neither sit nor talk. “Only recently, LHSC requested that we present Samuel for another re-examination but I insisted that they must make it formal by putting the request in writing and the commission has refused to respond to date. LHSC has been footdragging on taking necessary action to take up a comprehensive lifetime treatment of Samuel contrary to the promise. ‘’The course we have taken so far is to explore out of court settlement as directed by Justice Olateru-Olagbegi but since LHSC is not ready for it, we shall once again make recourse to legal adju-

Continued on page 45

‘Why I led a seven-man gang to rob my uncle’ A 24-year-old motor mechanic and native of Agbaru Owege, Delta State, Emmanuel Erhirie, who was alleged to have led five other members of his seven-man robbery gang to the house of his uncle, one Peter, in Festac Town, Lagos on a robbery mission, has been arrested by operatives of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) of the Lagos State Police Command. The five suspects arrested with Erhirie include a 25-yearold indigene of Eziudo community in Mbaize, Ahia-azu Local Government Area, Imo state, Victor Ezenwa; a 22-year-old native of Agbara Oto Community, Delta State, Joseph Oronogbarho; a 21-year-old plumber from Obowu community, Imo State, Innocent Ibe; a 32-year-old barber and fish

n Ebele BONIFACE n

pond farmer from Ughwagba, Delta State, Ukerume James; a 24-year-old fish pond farmer and youth leader in Ighwreovie village, Delta State, Oyoma Akpojiyovwi and and Joseph Atagbo a.k.a. Joe Black who hails from Uwagba village, Okpe Local Government Area, Delta State. According to a police source, Erhirie had lived with his uncle in Festac Town, Lagos for close to three years before he decided to steal his uncle’s money and vehicle. But as he was travelling to his village in Delta State where he intended to keep the money he had stolen from his uncle, he had an accident and damaged Mercedes Benz MM500 (2013 model) beyond

•Emmanuel (second right) and other suspects repair and also smashed another car in the process. Upon his arrest, the police promptly charged him to court

and he was sentenced to six months imprisonment at the Kirikiri Minimum Prison. During his stay in prison, he inter-

acted with some hardened inmates who told him to arrange

Continued on page 20

CRIME

THE NATION, SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2014

another robbery operation against his uncle in order to teach him a lesson. As soon as he returned from the Kirikiri Prison, he went straight to his Agbaroto village in Delta State where he met Innocent Ibe and told him to look for other people with whom they could form a formidable robbery gang to rob Peter, a wealthy business man based in Festac Town, Lagos. Innocent then called Victor Ezenwa and Joseph Ovonogbarho and they all travelled to Lagos. As soon as they got to Peter’s compound around 7 pm, Emmanuel, who knew the compound very well, pressed the door bell and the man’s wife came to open the door. As the woman opened the door, Emmanuel stepped aside to avoid being recognised while the three others who accompanied him went into the duplex. Seeing that they were not people that she knew, she called her husband to attend to them. Unknown to the couple, Emmanuel had told his gang members that his uncle used to keep a lot of foreign currencies at home. He had also told them where they could find the cartons in which he kept money in the house. Immediately Peter saw them and they could not provide answers to some questions he asked, he became suspicious and raised the alarm, which attracted neighbours to the house. As the neighbours made to arrest the suspects, Emmanuel and Peter Ezenwa escaped, leaving Innocent Ibe and Joseph Ovonogbarho at the mercy of the mob. After the arrested suspects had been thoroughly beaten, they were handed over to the Festac Police Station from where their case was transferred to SARS office at the headquarters of the Lagos State Police Command in GRA, Ikeja, Lagos for discreet investigation. As they were brought before the officer in charge of SARS, Abba Kyari, a Superintendent of Police (SP), one of the phones they (Innocent and Joseph) were holding started ringing. Kyari asked who was calling and they said it was Emmanuel Erhirie. He told them to keep talking in order to know where Emamnuel was calling from. Emmanuel told them that he was in the village and also asked how they managed to escape from his uncle’s duplex in Festac town. They also asked Emmanuel whether the village was safe so that they could come into hiding with him and he said yes. Following their discussion, Kyari led his special decoy to the village and captured Emmanuel, who then led them to arrest Ezenwa, James and Oyoma. They all confessed to the crime. It was said that Peter could not believe that Emmanuel masterminded the robbery operation until he was tracked down and arrested by SARS operatives in their village in Delta State. Upon a search carried out the gang’s armourer, Oyoma Akpjiyovwi’s house, they allegedly recovered many pump action guns, locally made guns and cartons of live ammunition, which Oyoma initially said were purchased by his community to be used by vigilance groups to guard the community against robbery attacks. He also said that he sold the guns and cartridges to the robbery suspects because some of them were members of vigilance group from another community. Asked why the community did not come to his rescue if indeed he was a responsible youth leader, he said it was the greatest surprise of his life time. Confessing to the crime, Emmanuel said: “I trained as a mechanic at Ajangbadi area of Lagos and lived with my uncle at Festac. Last year, I stole from the house jewellery worth more than N200,000. I also carried his vehicle, a Mercedes Benz MM350 worth N7 million but had an accident with it and also damaged another person’s car. Festac policemen arrested me December 20 last year and I stayed in prison for six months. “My uncle imports and sells furniture. When I returned from prison, he refused to accept me back into his house. Annoyed, I went to the village and collected boys that could help me to rob him. The operation failed and we were later arrested. I used the money to repair somebody’s car I damaged during the accident I had with his car. The second suspect, Ezenwa, said: “I don’t have a father, so I was staying with my uncle. I had not been to prison before. Emmanuel and I were the first to run away when his uncle raised the alarm. It was Joseph and Innocent who entered, and the only two the mob captured and handed over to Festac police.’’

OTHER STORIES

olukunle87@yahoo.com

Two injured as car rams into school building A

‘Why I led a seven-man gang to rob my uncle’ N Continued from page 19

THE NATION, SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2014

O fewer than two persons were injured last penultimate Friday when a Toyota Camry car with number plate KTU 148 C crashed into the Oduduwa School complex in Ladipo market, Mushin, Lagos State. The incident occurred about 4:00 pm when a bullion van with police escort was being driven into a branch of a new generation bank opposite the school. The driver of the car, who is an automobile technician, had gone inside the bank to carry out some transactions leaving behind one of his apprentices in the car. The security men at the bank were said to have asked the mechanic apprentice to move the car from where it was parked as it was blocking the bullion van from coming into the bank’s premises. The apprentice was trying to

Cleric offers panacea to insurgency

n Kunle AKINRINADE n

move the car from where it was parked when he crashed it into the school complex damaging its perimeter fence. Apart from hitting a middle age passerby; it also damaged a Toyota Pathfinder Sports Utility Van (SUV) with number plate LSD 716 AV parked near the school fence. When Saturday Nation arrived at the scene of the incident, the victims were seen wriggling in pain on the floor and could not talk. One of the victims who had his shirt soaked in blood had passed out and was being revived by synpathisers .The victims were however taken away to hospital by sympathisers. The automobile technician who did not disclose his name said: “I was the one that drove

the car to the bank. The man who crashed the car is my apprentice and I only asked him to wait for me in the car while I carry out a transaction in the banking hall. “I did not know that he would move the car because he does not know how to drive. Please help me to carry him to a hospital…” One of the eyewitnesses who simply identified himself as Okechukwu, said:” Thank God the school is not in session, otherwise it would have been a different thing entirely. Obviously, the man who drove the car knows nothing about driving. You needed to see the way he crashed the car to know that he lacks driving skills. His boss has even confirmed that he does not know how to drive and that he had only accompanied him to the bank.”

muslim cleric and founder of Jama’ati Ilabilahi Islamiyyah Society of Nigeria International, Sheik Abdul-Azeez Lahola, yesterday said there is need for Christians and muslims to work together in order to put a stop to the Boko Haram insurgency currently rocking northern part of the country. Lahola said: “Boko •Lahola Haram is a divine challenge for Nigeria.It was during period in Egypt that God elevated Joseph.Allah did not ask us to kill; only those who kill are expected to face capital punishment, but if we pray together as be-

Customs seizes 22 new vehicles n Innocent DURU n

•The scene of the accident

‘My wife doesn’t know I’m a thief’ PERATIVES of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) Lagos State Police Command have arrested a suspected robbery kingpin, Adedekun Adewusi, who is allegedly behind the snatching of exotic cars in Lagos and its environs. The 39-year-old native of Igbore Community in Abeokuta South, Ogun State, who is married with four children and lives in a luxury three-bedroom flat in Labak Estate, Abule-Egba, Lagos, with annual rent of N900,000, is also said to be putting up a multimillion naira mansion in Abeokuta. Other suspects include Chigozie Oji aka Ojukwu, 35, a native of Aboh Mbaise in Imo State. He was said to have been arrested twice and spent one year in prison before regaining his freedom through a controversial means called ‘motion bail.’ Other suspects are: Henry Adebayo, 36; Adegun Kareem, 35, and Chigozie Esika. Police sources said the suspects had been evading arrest for sometime until they were finally nabbed. They were said to have been using their connections with some highly connected persons in the society to evade arrest. In his confession, Adedekun said: “I used to buy cars from Cotonou and sell at Lagos. I have a car shop at Abule-Egba. For now, I am building a mansion in Abeokuta, Ogun State. ‘’I started buying stolen cars three years ago when customs men seized my five cars and it affected my business such that I found it difficult to even buy one car to re-

From left: Oji, Adewusi, Adebayo and Adegun

n Ebele BONIFACE n sell. I know members of the gang through one of my friends called Lekan. “He took me to a drinking joint at Agidingbi area of Ikeja, Lagos. There he introduced the gang members to me. They supply stolen cars at cheap prices like Toyota Camry 2007 model for N700,000 and I resold it for N1.2million; Toyota Highlander 2003 model for N500,000 or N600,000 which I sold for N1.2 million and a Toyota Corolla for N500,000 or N600,000, which I sold at the rate of N1.2million. In the last three years, I have sold about 48 cars supplied by the gang.” Confessing further, he said: “I used to sell to one Hausa man named Alhaji Dogo, one Tope and one James with car shops at Abule-Egba. My role is to buy cars. There was a time customs seized my five cars. This affected my business. There was a time somebody from South Africa connected me to Ojukwu when he was released from prison. I bought a Toyota highlander 2003 model from him at a cost of N500,000 and later sold it for N1million. The robbers I used to patronise for stolen vehicles include one Musibau, Soku, Coded, and Prince.’’ On what he did with the money he got from selling stolen goods like cars, he said: “I used to travel outside the country a lot, especially South Africa, to enjoy myself. I built my multi-million naira mansion in Abeokuta. I revelled at night clubs; I take care of my family in my rented three-bed-

room flat in Labak Estate, Abule-Egba, which cost N900,000 per annum. I used to lodge in hotels at times, especially when any of the robbers who sell cars to me is arrested. ‘’We call it giving ‘gap or partial’ being in hiding till the storm is over or the suspect’s case is charged to court and remanded in prison. I know that they were stolen cars but I am in business. I am a Christian, it is wrong business. I see my business as a very high risk business.” The second suspect, Chigozie Oji aka Ojukwu, said: “I spent one and half years in Kirikiri Medium Prison for armed robbery but my parents rallied round and gave a lawyer N250,000 to perfect motion bail for my release. It was SARS that charged me to court. They said they saw gun in my hand. If you can remember, SARS paraded me sometime in the past for armed robbery. My brother-in-law, who travelled to Norway, kept an English pistol in his house. When I went to sleep there, I saw the gun in a cupboard and took it. When the police saw it in my possession, they arrested me. It was that arrest that took me to prison. ‘’My gang also snatched Highlander with one Saheed, who is still at large. We also robbed houses in Jakande Estate, Ejigbo and Ajah and collected their laptops, phones and sold them. We sold one to to Adegun Kareem for N10,000 each, some for N15,000 each. ‘’We use touchlight and razor to tear door and window nets. The gun the police found in my possession belonged to my brother-in-law. I regret going back to rob having gone to prison once. I think there is a bad spirit that makes some people to go and rob. It is a spiritual thing. Pray for me so that the evil spirit of robbery will leave me. Please, pray for me. If I regain my freedom, I will not rob again.’’ The third suspect, Kareem said: “I am a business man. I deal in stolen phones. I used to repair phones and laptops before. I live in the Agbara

lievers, insurgency will become a thing of the past. He charged Nigerians to shelve religious bigotry and join hands to kick insurgency or terrorism out of Nigeria. “There is no crisis or problem that God cannot solve.The only thing Nigerians must do is to forget about their religious pride and work together so that terrorism could be kicked out of our society once and for all.” “Politicians should do what will make us to remember them by leaving a good legacy for the future generations of Nigeria instead of orchestrating violent crisis especially as the 2015 election beckons,” he added.

area of Lagos State. Those who supply stolen phones to me including stolen laptops are Ojukwu, Henry and one Monday who is still at large and equally an ex-convict. At times, I buy each N12, 000 and sell at N15,000. Some I bought for N15,000 and sold for N20,000. ‘’In 2012, I had a problem and was arrested by SARS and charged to court. I was later discharged because my family members were able to raise money to hire a lawyer who perfected my release. It was when I met Ojukwu in February this year and bought four phones and three laptops from him that my trouble started again.” The fourth suspect, Henry Adebayo, said: “I steal phones and do tear-net robbery. At times, I would go alone and tear window nets and collect phones and laptops. I do not enter houses when I am stealing phones for fear of being arrested by the owner of the house. It was God that saved me when I started net tearing. There was a day I was caught and I paid dearly for it. They beat me so mercilessly that my survival was a miracle when I was released to go by neighbours who gathered to get glimpse of me. ‘’I belong to a four-man robbery gang namely: Monday, Henry, Aminu and myself. We also went to Ajah three times to tear nets but they caught Aminu inside somebody’s compound at Egbeda. When he was interrogated, he mentioned my name and led the police to my house from where I was arrested and charged to court. In prison, we were learning how to grow in crime and avoid being arrested. ‘’In prison, I met Oji aka Ojukwu. I also met him when I came back from prison. I met him in his house at Isolo, Lagos. Two of us went for net tearing and we got four laptops and three phones. I sold these phones and laptops to Adegun Kareem. My daughter is four years old. I paid her school fees from the money I made from robbery. ‘’My wife is not aware that I am a thief. There was a time I resigned from stealing. I did not follow them to do the last operation. They just mentioned my name as one of the members of the gang and I don’t know why they mentioned my name. If I had known, I would not have answered their calls. In fact, I reluctantly came out just to tell them that they should stop disturbing my peace not knowing that they came with the police. ‘’ The deputy spokesman of the Lagos State Police Command, Lelma Kolle, said efforts are on to arrest other members of the gang at large.

Man faces trial over fraudulent land deal n Rukayat JIMOH n fraudulent land deal has landed a 39- year-old property agent, Chuma Uche- Okeke in Ebute Metta Chief Magistrate’s court. Chuma was accused of defrauding one Davis Ike Gwuono of N3 million on the pretext that he would sell plots of land to him. He was charged with felony, conspiracy and stealing. He pleaded not guilty to the charges. The Police prosecutor, Inspector Asu Feddy, told the court that Chuma’s atrocities are punishable under Section 409 and 285 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, 2011. The charges read in part: “ That you Chuma Ucke-Okeke and others now at large, between June 2012 and August 2013, at Ibeju Lekki in Lagos Magistrate District conspired among yourselves to commit felony to wit; fraud. “That you did obtain N3, 275,000 from one Davis Gwuonu under the pretence that you are in a position to purchase plots of land for him; a representation you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 312 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State of Nigeria, 2011.” The defence counsel, F.S. Oladele applied for the bail of his client in the most liberal terms. The presiding magistrate, E.O. Ogunkanmi granted the defendants bail in the sum of N100, 000 with two sureties in like sum. The case was adjourned to October 13.

EN of the Nigerian Customs Service (NIS), Federal Operations Unit Zone A Ikeja-Lagos, has intercepted 22 brand new vehicles along Ikoyi/Victoria Island area of the state. The seizure comprised 19 Toyota Hilux pickups, two IzuzuDMAX Jeeps and one Toyota Land Cruiser GRX 2014 model. The vehicles were valued at N186, 474,128.00 The Controller of the unit, Turaki Usman Adamu, said the seizure was as a result of intelligence gathering which necessitated laying of ambush by the FOU ‘A’ operatives. He pointed out that his men had trailed the vehicles from an unapproved route but could not intercept them there because of the possibility of recording casualties. He stated that: “As professionals with the

requisite training and competence, the unit could not afford to embark on aggressive confrontation with the smugglers particularly in densely populated areas, hence the need to trail them to a safe place. Despite these precautionary measures, the smugglers engaged our operatives in a gun duel, but were over powered by the superior fire powers of our men but interestingly there were no casualties.” He eulogized the Comptroller-General of NIS, Alhaji Abdullahi Dikko Inde, and his management team for their unflinching support in terms of logistics, provision of arms and ammunition, functional patrol vehicles, and staff remuneration. He noted that all of these have culminated in spectacular seizures since he took over the unit six weeks ago. He promised to sustain the tempo with a view to re-positioning and re-activating the anti-smuggling stance of the unit.

Police arraign six brothers for shooting policeman n Rukayat JIMOH n IX brothers who allegedly shot a policeman have been arraigned before an Ebute Meta Chief Magistrate's court. The accused pesrons are: Saheed Onilewaji, 38, Lawal Onilewaji, 34, Ramon Onilewaji, 35, Azeez Sanni Onilewaji, 30, Sulaimon Abbas Onilewaji, 31 and Lateef Abbas Onilewaji, 24. They family of six were alleged to have attacked an Assistant Superintendent of Police, Mr. Alli Thomas with a matchete before shooting him on July 26, 2014 about 1 pm, at Oribanwa village, Elemoro, IbejuLekki,Lagos. The prosecutor, Inspector Nwosu George, said the offences are punishable under Sections 409 and 243 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, 2011.

Counsel to the defendants, Mr. Spurgeon Ataene, urged the court to grant all his clients bail in the most liberal term. However, the prosecutor, Inspector Nwosu George, he however told the court that the victim, who is the complainant in the matter is admitted at a hospital receiving treatment. The presiding magistrate, E. O. Ogunkanmi, who stood in for the Chief Magistrate, Mr. Timothy Abolarinwa, admitted the accused persons to bail in the sum of N50,000, with two sureties each in like sum. The magistrate also said the sureties must provide evidence of tax payment to Lagos State government among other conditions. The matter was adjourned till October 16.

When will ‘Baby’ Samuel get succour? Continued from page 19 dication,” he added. Attempts by our correspondent to seek the response of the Assistant Chief State Counsel of LHSC, Mr. Ade Ogunnowo, on the matter on telephone did not succeed as he declined comment; he instead directed our correspondent to the Permanent Secretary of LSHC. Our correspondent’s visit to LSHC’s office on Ganiyu Smith Street, Lagos Island, to get the response of its spokesperson, Mrs. Shileola Adama, was fruitless as she also declined to speak on the matter.

•Samuel’s late mother Attempt to also get the response of the spokesman of the health ministry, simply identified as Tunbosun, failed as he

did not pick his calls or answer a text message forwarded to his phone line. An impeccable source at LSHC, who spoke in confidence, however, told our correspondent that only the Commissioner of Health, Dr. Jide Idris, can comment on the matter. A visit by our Staff Correspondent, Miriam Ekene-Okoro, to the ministry of health did not yield fruit. Apart from being told that the commissioner was not around, calls made to his phone number was not answered, while a text message forwarded to his phone was not also returned.

THE NATION SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2014

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MCILROY

•McIlroy

RYDER CUP WILL BE TIGHT Kirk reacts to Ryder Cup picks

HARRINGTON RELISHING ROLE

•Harrington

Zaria…one with golf history

Continued from page 27

THE NATION SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2014

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41 with KAYODE ALFRED E-mail:kayflex2@yahoo.com TEL:08116759807

ON. Adijat Adeleye Oladapo is a ranking member of Ogun State House of Assembly representing Ifo 11 Constituency while Fatai Akinlabi is a prominent politician currently nursing a governorship ambition in Ogun State. As a politician, Oladapo has been able to win elections twice on two different political platforms. She was a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) where she contested and won the election that took her to the House the first time. She got re-elected into the House after she defected to the defunct Action Congress Nigeria (ACN) where she contested in 2011 and won again. Before her recent defection back to PDP, she was a member of the APC. Now, there are speculations about her closeness to Fatai Akinlabi, one of the arrowheads of the party. Oladapo plans to represent the Ifo/Ewekoro Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives.

THE NATION, SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2014

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Nigeria’s Ambassador to Uganda, His Excellency, Omolade Oluwateru, was a former Deputy Governor of Ondo State. In this interview with SEGUN AJIBOYE, Oluwateru, who was Agagu’s deputy, shares his experience on the life and times of the late Agagu. T’S been a year since Agagu died. What has been the impact of his death on the PDP in the state? It has been difficult, trying, very trying and full of ups and downs. But we are eternally grateful to almighty God. You know the strength of any system by its survival instinct, and for us, I think we are way above average pass mark. Remember, my late boss and leader, Dr Olusegun Agagu, was one of the founding fathers of the party and Ondo State PDP and the people generally were privileged to have him as their leader and governor for six years. I was honoured to be elected to serve as his deputy for those years and so I am an authority on those years. For a man who brought so much determination and vitality to government, so much brilliance, patience, love, sincerity, clear ideas and track records, there is no gainsaying he will be sorely missed. If you look at • Oluwateru us in the light of what we have missed by his absence, then it has been difficult, but I’d also say we have discharged ourselves creditably. Does it mean that the Party’s fortune will continue to dwindle beyond rescue? If you understand what I have been telling you, then you will see the irrelevance of your suggestion. The PDP in my state is an irrepressible spirit, it is an organ that won’t die. It has grown into an ideology, a belief that binds all genuine lovers of development of the land together. So the issue of Agagu’s death running PDP aground doesn’t arise. It is even a disservice to his memory to suggest such. Remember also that our party nationwide has an organic existence that has been developed to endure. You know, this is the very nature of PDP in this country since 1999. This is the only party that has weathered the storm. It has not changed its name since 1999 unlike all others who have worn different garments and had different constitutions over the years. Yes, our party in Ondo State suffered a great blow with Agagu's demise but it has capacity to recover and it has recovered numerically. My joy as a witness and partaker is that Agagu worked daily as if he knew his time might soon be up. He thrived and developed people and systems around ideas, processes and goals instead of building tin gods and ephemeral things. This is the kind of building bricks that has wedged us together. But Agagu’s popularity or grip on the party was also thought to be responsible for the instability that rocked the party. Do you agree? I disagree with you. I have always told people that one through his years of sojourn on earth as a parent, professiongood thing about God is that He makes truth constant al, politician, leader and statesman. How did you receive the news of his death? above lies. And evidence of this is the fact that good things With deep shock, embarrassment, unbelief and total loss. are never out of fashion. If there is anything that has bonded the PDP in Ondo till now, it is Agagu’s vision, fair lead- For one year I was in a state of self denial. I think one is just ership and polished humanity. Yes it is true. In fact, I doubt coming round to it, having not heard the voice or seen the if there is anyone in the party who is not a beneficiary of his face of the mentor in the last one year. Given the circumstances that surrounded his death and benevolence and astute leadership. The facts are there for all the burial rites, would you attribute it all to anything to see. The sprawling structure of our party which has survived all vilification and subversion in the last six years or supernatural? I am not superstitious and so do not see anything superso is still surviving and waxing stronger. If you talk about natural or more than meet the eyes in all the events. As a leadership with mission and deep understanding of organising human being into a successful team, that defines Christian, we are taught to believe and know that God Agagu. Today, I doubt if there were any politician in the knows about everything that happens to us both in life and state whose heart is not saddened at the state of our dear death. You know there were three parts attached to Agagu’s state considering the dreams and lofty vision our adminis- death. How he died, the tragedy of the plane crash and the tration had, initiated and began implementing for the state. burial service and interment. The most shocking are the first How could anybody oppose progress and development? two. The death was shocking and devastating. But it is the The funny thing about life is that events and actions come in event that preceded the burial that took the wind off one binary pairs which are most times in opposition to each sail. It shook this nation. It was like an angry thunder storm. But we thank God the storm is over. The end of the rightother. eous is filled with thanksgiving. I think Agagu’s life and So how have you coped with the loss? Till now I still find it most difficult to refer to him in the times and particularly the events after leaving office ought past tense, which means one is still in a state of self denial. to teach one a great lesson. Good things don’t go out of fashWhile a part of me let go and thank God for a life well spent ion. What were your feelings one year ago when the news of by Dr. Agagu, the other part of me growl in sadness at the his death was broken and now that the reality is dawned? loss of a good man. He was a very wise man, dependable, It was inconceivable and the feeling indescribable. He was knowledgeable and friendly. Throughout my relationship with him, I found him to be trust worthy, highly urbane and never sick, gave no sign or warning. For an athletic and very astute in organisation and planning towards specific and healthy man, fresh from vacation to be pronounced dead beneficial end. My greatest worry since he died however, is was my greatest shock of the year. If you know my late boss the short memory of human beings. But I get energised by very well, you will know he was a man who paid deep the physically indelible legacies that dotted his foot steps attention to detail of life, his own health inclusive. We spoke until a few days to his last breath. In fact, a few months ear-

My joy as a witness and partaker is that Agagu worked daily as if he knew his time might soon be up. He thrived and developed people and systems around ideas, processes and goals instead of building tin gods and ephemeral things. This is the kind of building bricks that has wedged us together

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lier, he was with me in Kampala,Uganda and we interacted greatly about the growth and development of our country. He was always interested and committed to reinventing our society to a functional, productive and proud nation. What were the high points of your times together in Cabinet? It was a breathless experience in the sense that Agagu drove us at a steady but frenetic speed towards delivering both the profits and dividend of democracy to the people. It was a team that had a dream and a clear vision of what to do and how to do it. Agagu introduced a robust sense of transparency, issues driven debates, and knowledge based policy making process. Our cabinet meetings were like a ship that always sailed in the same direction in spite of whatever storm came its way. I remember the debates leading to the approval of the policy plan of action of government for the first four years. As a development expert, Agagu led us into the minute details of the whys, how’s and when’s of the policies. And for everything we set out to do, we never begun until every member of the cabinet understood, believed and in fact became an evangelist of the roadmap. So, cabinet days under Agagu were some of my best moments of serving the state. He was a patient listener, a stickler for details and a very understanding leader who knew how to manage individuals instead of their known excesses. He never had bad words for anybody who served with him. He was always focussed on our goals. So, cabinet meeting, which sometimes drew into the far nights, were always sober, highly challenging and deeply intellectual sessions. Of course the results are there for posterity to judge today. Considering the often frosty relationship experienced between many governors and their deputies, how were you able to survive such tensions between the two of you? I think the basis of such disaffection was not there. If you have a competent, highly exposed, goal driven and very friendly and decent governor who is neither greedy or domineering, what more could you ask for? Dr. Agagu was a team player, a leader of men. I was always proud to take assignments from him. What effort is your party at home putting in place to immortalise Agagu? Well, Agagu has already inscribed himself in our hearts by his good deeds. And so we will continue to honour him with our memories. Beyond this, he remains the patriarch of the PDP family. The Party at the highest leadership level will continue to work hard to win elections and form governments in the state, so that the good works he did would be completed and many more will be done to immortalise his heritage.

Agagu donated his life to Ondo State —Ex- Dep Governor Oluwateru

• Oluwateru and late Agagu

THE NATION, SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2014

Point of no return

Gberefu

Echoes of slaves’ footsteps

oots tourism had always been an area of interest to many blacks in the Diaspora. And often they return back to Africa to have a re-connect with their ancestors. Many countries within the West Coast have reaped tremendously from this. Chief among them are Gambia, Ghana, Benin Republic and some few other countries. It is on record that many places in Nigeria had experiences with the obnoxious trade. However, a prime point of slave trade in Nigeria is Badagry. Few places still have graphic images of the obnoxious trade like this town. One of

•A structure inside the slave market

Gberefu, also known as Point of No Return, in Badagry, Lagos State, is a small island facing the Atlantic Ocean. The island was where slave ships berthed to load slaves during the Trans Atlantic Slave Trade era hundreds of years back. OKORIE UGURU writes on his experience during a visit to the island.

such historic places in Badagry is the Gberefu Island, also known as Point of No Return. Stories relating to this place leave one horrified at the magnitude of the wickedness committed on this soil many years ago. You may need to cast your mind back to the slave trade era to really appreciate the pains of the trade in human cargoes across the Atlantic. Gberefu Island was the final outpost before slaves are shipped through the Badagry natural harbour to the New World. For the captured slaves, the journey began from the hinterland from where they are transported to Badagry. At Badagry, there were slave compounds known as baracoons, where the slaves were initially kept. One could still see relics of the slave merchants’ baracoons along the Badagry Marina area. They can be seen along with the other tools used to keep and subdue the slaves. The Mobees and the Seriki Abass compounds are some the families whose forefathers actively participated in the trade. They still have relics from the obnoxious trade. The slaves were kept in these family baracoons along the Badagry Marina at the lagoon waterfront to

longer as it takes time for the boat to get filled up. At weekends, it is a bit better, because the number of people making the trip to the island are many. The traffic is made up of tourists and others who visit the island for spiritual purpose. However, if it is a group trip, the best is to charter a boat to take the group across. The ferry trip takes about five to ten minutes. From the Gberefu jetty, one would have to walk for about 20 to 30 minutes to get to the beach front. The way to the beachfront is probably one of the oldest foot paths in the country. It has been a foot path for up to 400 years now. It is a path many had trodden to get to the shore of the Atlantic Ocean. It is a foot path many had taken, but only few returned. The rest got shipped to the new world or died at sea. It is only the slave traders and their acolytes that came back. The route has the landmarks of key points in the journey to the ocean shore. Tourists would have the opportunity of seeing signposts informing them about notable points on the route. One of these is the well where water was drawn to quench the thirst of famished slaves. At the end of the un-tarred path, one gets to

wait for the merchants' vessels. When it was time to depart, they slaves were ferried across the Badagry lagoon to Gberefu Island. The stretch of the lagoon water separating the Marina shore and Gberefu is about a kilometer. According to history, the shallow nature of Badagry waterfront made it impossible for the big merchant ships to berth, hence the choice of Gberefu as a port. The island has the Atlantic Ocean lapping its shores. It was from there that the slaves were shipped to the Americas. History has it that once a slave crossed the Badagry lagoon and stepped on the Gberefu island, the slave's fate was sealed. That was how the island got the name Point of No Return. Because of the historic value of Gberefu, it has become a tourist site where many tourists, especially blacks in the Diaspora, visit. Such visits are usually very interesting and life-changing for the tourists. To get to Gberefu, you need plenty of patience. First, the local speed boats that run between the island and Badagry come to the shore at intervals. But because the number of people at the island are few, tourists have to wait for the boats to come. Even when the boat arrives, the waiting may last a bit •Old canon of Badagry Marina

51 the shore. A cenotaph is built at the end of the route in remembrance of the slaves. From the shore, one could watch the ocean splashing the white sandy beach with foam. By the right hand side, some small white garment churches have sprung up. Intermittently, you hear their raised voice singing and praying. The soothing breeze from the ocean caresses one's face. Far into the ocean, some fishermen go about their business on the ocean. From the ocean shore, the fishing boats looked like black dots on the blue water. Though the slave ships are long gone, the memory of their activities on the shore would last for ever. In addition to Gberefu, there are many places to visit in Badagry. They include the Vlekete slave market; the slave museum; the first storey building in Nigeria, the Mobee family museum, the Chief Seriki Abass compound and many others. Despite this rich harvest of tourist sites in Badagry, the town is very difficult to access. The road to the town is in a bad shape. To go to

Badagry, a town less then 50 kilometres from Lagos, takes almost three hours. The story is the same on the return trip. Thankfully, the efforts by the Lagos State to expand the route and introduce a metro rail service have gone far.

Uganda to unveil tourism assets at 2014 Akwaaba

ne of Africa's emerging destination, Uganda, will be showcasing in West Africa for the first time during the 2014 Akwaaba travel fair from 26 to 28 of next month, in Lagos. Uganda will be joining other big African tourism players South Africa, Kenya, Rwanda and Gambia in their aggressive marketing plans to increase the number of visitors to their countries from West-Africa by showcasing at the most successful and largest travel platform in the region. With the growth of Intra African travel and incessant and travel advisories from Western nations, marketing within African is becoming a regular feature for most forward looking tourism boards. Tourism which is Uganda's main export, fetched over $1.4billion in 2013/2014 financial

year (Central Bank of Uganda). This growth could be attributed to intensified marketing and promotion of the country both domestically and Internationally. Exhibiting at Akwaaba this year, the Pearl of Africa, as the country is called, will be inviting visitors to experience this pristine destination. According to the organizer of Akwaaba, Mrs. Rita Ikechi Uko, “the participation of top destinations at Akwaaba, shows the fair's relevance within the region. These are countries whose economies thrive on tourism and are experienced at marketing and promotion of tourism because they have been doing this for a long time. We are expecting more tourism stakeholders to key into this by not just participating at Akwaaba but also to network and learn from these tourism boards”.

CEPTAC donates tourism books to varsity

•Vlekete slave market

Brand South Africa identifies Nigeria as key market

rand South Africa, the agency responsible for creating positive and compelling brand image for South Africa has identified Nigeria market as a key focus for its Africa programme. This was disclosed by Miller Matola, Brand South Africa Chief Executive Officer at the Nigeria-South Africa Chamber of Commerce (NSACC) breakfast meeting in Lagos. The Nigeria-South Africa Chamber of Commerce breakfast meeting is a monthly event which brings together individuals and corporates with vested business interest in both Nigeria and the South African economies. The theme for the August 2014 NSACC event which is sponsored by Brand South Africa is'Africa's Competitiveness Nigeria/South Africa, Cooperation or Competition'. According to Matola, the choice of Nigeria along-with Angola, DRC, Ghana, Kenya and Senegal as key markets is informed by South Africa's foreign policy, both political and economic diplomacy as well as trade and investment imperatives. Matola mentioned the importance of the South Africa nation brand viz-a-viz the promotion of the African brand in view of developing the continent as a whole and competing at par with international standards. “Brand South Africa pursues its Africa Programme with an emphasis on promoting the South Africa nation brand as part of the continent

brand, 'Brand Africa'; therefore Africa's reputation and competitiveness is central to that agenda,” Matola stated. He challenged the organized African business and corporate brands to invest in changing the perception of Africa from negativity to positivity. The Brand South Africa CEO said, “There is no doubt about the power of commercial brands to convey the overall brand of their country of origin be it innovation, excellence or quality - which will result in investment in changing the narrative about how Africa as a continent is perceived.” Matola stressed the importance of the African nations having in-depth working and friendly relationships drawing conclusions from the 2013/14 Project Thrive Study on the familiarity of Nigerians with South Africa. The study indicated that the average familiarity rate about South Africa amongst Nigerians stands at 46 per cent and only 18 per cent of the sample has a high knowledge base of South Africa. He advised that it is imperative for each of the African nations to reflect a collective unity of the continent in order to improve the perceptions of Africans and Africa as a whole. Mzwandile Masina, South Africa Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry was part of the Brand South Africa delegation to the breakfast meeting.

HE Centre for the Promotion of Peace, Tourism, Art and Culture (CEPTAC) has donated tourism and historical books to the Ignatius Ajupu University of Education ( formerly Rivers State University of Education), Port Harcourt. Among the books donated to the school were: Memories of the Niger Delta Slave Trade Routes and Towards the Culture of Peace in the Niger Delta. In his speech while presenting the books to the vice-chancellor of the school, Professor Rosemond Dienye Green Osahogulu, the president of the CEPTAC, Chief Amachree, said the NGO decided to present the books to the school to avail the youths the opportunity to know more the history and culture of their fatherland and their root, to remind them of the trans-atlantic slave trade era where their ancestors were sold as slaves by the Europeans through Bonny Island, Calabar, Akassa and Badagry ports and to resurrect the reading habit of youths, especially now that Port Hacourt has been designated as the World Book Capital for 2014. On the activities of the CEPTAC, Amachree said: “The NGO has produced three books since its inception. He said the NGO organized the first cultural carnival in Abuja; the second River State Cultural carnival tagged RIVCAM'92 in Port Harcourt. In addition, it has also organized on peace and

tourism.” He called on students to develop their skills for them to contribute to nationbuilding, especially in the area of tourism, since tourism is the largest employer of labour in the world. Amachree used the opportunity to call of different tiers of government and other organizations to introduce holiday packages for their workers as this will help in creating greater awareness on tourism and its importance. He congratulated the university's vicechancellor for being the first female vicechancellor in River State. In her response, Professor Osahogulu thanked the CEPTAC for the kind gesture. He said that on her assumption of office, students' reading habit was at a low ebb. She said she organized several academic activities to change the trend. She thanked Chief Amachree for the kind gesture, noting that the books would further enhance the reading culture among students. Also speaking on the occasion, Professor Emeritus Ebiegberi Joe Alagoa of the University of Port Harcourt, said the CEPTAC will continue to contribute to the development of cultural heritage of the Niger Delta.

CEPTAC President, Chief Mike Amachree (left) present the books to Professor Osahogulu

Sheraton Abuja sends staff for training

From left: Ambassador Sonni Yusuf, Nigeria High Commissioner to South Africa; Mzwandile Masina, South Africa Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry; Ambassador Mokgethi Monaisa, South Africa Consular General in Lagos and Miller Matol

n an effort to boost staff moral and encourage quality service delivery to its customers, Sheraton Abuja Hotel and Towers recently sent some of its staff to its sister hotel in Dubai, the Sheraton Grand Hotel. The transfer would offer the staff opportunities for better exposure. Among the staff are Joshua Oliver Ndirmbita, Victor Izuwa and Christain Ugwu. The General Manager of Sheraton Abuja, Mr. Boris Bornman, congratulated them on the new overseas posting. He said: t “we consider you Ambassadors of your country as you will relocate and work abroad for the first time, this will add great value to your resume and your skill and knowledge base in the industry. I am certain that you will all keep being super stars as you were here, we will miss you and we wish you the best.” The manager also said in order to add greater value to the dining experience of the hotel's customers, the management of Sheraton Abuja Hotel will additionally sponsor two Nigerian trained Italian Chefs-Chef Olufunke Victor and Chef Timothy Amadi to the Academia Barilla in Italy where they acquire greater and deeper proficiency in Italian Cuisine such as Bruschetta Bresaola - Capicola - Carbonara Cotoletta - Ribollita.

Email: counselling@faithoyedepo.org

THE NATION

SATURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2014

THE NATION SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2014

THE NATION

SATURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2014

THE NATION

56 NEWS

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2014

•Senator Oluremi Tinubu; Alex Ezenagu; and benefeciaries of Post-Secondary Scheme (PSSS) in Lagos Central Senatorial District for the last 4 years of the benefeciaries at her Constituency office, Yaba, Lagos

HE planned rescue of the over 200 school girls abducted in Chibok in April by Boko Haram is on hold for now. The battle by troops to reclaim Bama and Gwoza both in Borno State from the terrorists is said to have forced a shift in focus of military operations in the Northeast,it was gathered yesterday. Security experts from the United States of America and the United Kingdom who were invited to assist in locating the whereabouts of the girls have been cautious in sharing intelligence with the military because of suspicion that such information may be leaked to the enemy. It was learnt that encounters between the troops and the insurgents in Bama,Gwoza and Damboa might have accounted for a fresh relocation of the girls to some “hidden bases” of the sect. Said a security source yesterday: “The occupation of some towns and villages by Boko Haram has affected the ongoing search and rescue operation for the Chibok girls. “The rescue operation for the girls has, no doubt, slowed down now as I am talking to you because of the new dimension of attacks by the insurgents. “The immediate priority now is to reclaim the captured towns, restore normalcy to these places and put in place measures to avert reoccurrence of the seizure. “We are suspecting that the insurgents might have relocated the Chibok girls safely to some of their camps since most Boko Haram leaders have been sighted in Gwoza. “We are optimistic that they are safe because the insurgents have changed their tactics. They no longer kill women and children even in the places they have captured. “You know, due to the rainy season, Sambisa Forest is presently marshy and inhabitable for the insurgents not to talk of the girls.” It was gathered that experts from the United States and the United Kingdom have been cautious in sharing intelligence with the military because of likely leakage to Boko Haram due to alleged infiltration of the

Boko Haram: Bama battle slows down rescue operation for Chibok girls •Why US, UK, others’ experts could not go far

Yusuf ALLI, Managing Editor, Northern Operation troops. Another source added: “These foreign powers came in to assist but there is suspi-

cion that corruption, mutual rivalry and ethno-religious factor within the military have caused leakage of some intelligence reports. “So, these experts have adopted a cautious approach on the rescue of Chibok girls

and how to tackle Boko Haram insurgency generally. It is difficult to secure 100 per cent confidence of some military officers. No one knows who is working for the sect.” Meanwhile, the military yesterday sustained aerial

attacks against the insurgents in Bama and Gwoza. A top military source said: “The battle in Bama is almost won because the aerial power has led to the death of many insurgents. We will keep on shelling them until

express my very deep sympathy to all victims who either lost property or are taking refuge. “Our heart as Government is fully with each and every one of you and we will do everything humanly possible to support you, reclaim your communities, rebuild them and give all of you a new lease of life Insha Allah. “ We will be supporting you as a matter obligation to you as good citizens. You have a right to be supported in distress. You have even more fundamental right to be protected from fear and attack in the first place. The number one duty of Government is to safeguard the lives and property of the citizenry.” Although he commended the Federal Government and Armed Forces for rising to the insurgency, Shettima asked the government to redouble its efforts to save the state. He added: “Our Armed Forces have also, during the Civil War, successfully saved our country from dismemberment. Our Armed Forces that have outstandingly proven their capability in such difficult times can by the grace Allah defeat the Boko Haram insurgency with overwhelming federal reinforcement in all areas of their needs. “We strongly appeal to the Federal Government to redouble its present efforts so that the nation will be a historic witness to speedy containment of the Boko Haram insurgency. The Borno State Government will continue to do whatever it can to compliment the constitutional roles of the Federal Government in

this battle of ours. “Let me reassure the good people of Borno State that measures have been taken by the Federal Government based on information available to us as Government. With these steps and our combined efforts as State Government and resilient people, we shall overcome this tribulation. We must be very forth coming with useful information on what we hear or see because our safety start with what we tell not what we keep or bury.” The governor said he would do his best to mobilize the people to overcome Boko Haram threats. He added: “As Government which is holding the sacred mandate of the people, we will remain supportive of the civilian JTF as we have been. “Our support for the military, police and other security agencies is that of a shared battle against the forces of darkness. We shall accelerate our focus on jobs creation to discourage idleness and criminality. We shall speed up ongoing infrastructures to deliver on our promises to make Borno a better place, a remodeled State, a great home we will all be proud of. Borno is our home. “This is why I returned home amidst rumored fears held by some residents on possible attacks on Maiduguri. I cut short my official trip and returned home so we can be together as we have always been in trying to overcome the threat before us. I am confident that together we can overcome this challenge. “Our condition cannot be permanent, no condition, ever

they surrender. “All their so-called land to surface missiles have been destroyed by the fighter jets. Once we regain the control of Bama, Nigerians will know the heavy casualties recorded by the insurgents and appreciate the nation’s military.”

...Shettima raises hope, says insurgency affects nine LGAs

HE Governor of Borno State, Alh. Kashim Shettima, yesterday admitted that Boko Haram insurgency has affected nine out of the 27 Local Government Areas in the state, representing one third. The worst hit areas are Gwoza, Damboa, Askira/ Uba, Marte, Chibok, Konduga, Dikwa and Bama. He begged the Federal Government to redouble its present efforts to curtail Boko Haram. He however said hope was not lost and vowed that the government will reclaim some of the towns and villages seized by the insurgents. Shettima, who made the disclosures in a state broadcast, said Borno State will survive the insurgency. He also said he would not abdicate his responsibility to the people of the state no matter the situation. He said: “Borno State has been facing this Boko Haram challenge since the four-day war of July 2009 in Maiduguri when the Boko Haram waged its major war on Borno’s soil. Having been defeated by our determined Armed Forces, insurgents resorted to Guerrilla warfare that has been raging on for the last four years. “At least one third of our local government areas have been affected by their attacks with different degrees of intensity and periodic occupation. “In recent days and weeks, we have come under renewed and augmented attacks, waged against all of us, by an armed minority that seeks to impose on us, a doctrine that

Yusuf ALLI, Managing Editor, Northern Operation is completely at variance with the religion of Islam which they claim to promote; a doctrine that negates the dignity and existence of humanity on earth, despite Allah’s decree in the glorious Quran, that He has dignified the human creature, prohibited unjust killings and made the religion of Islam that which does not sanction compulsion in a multi-faith society like ours. “Several innocent communities in Gwoza, Damboa, Askira/Uba, Marte, Chibok, Konduga, Dikwa and the most recent, Bama, have had young and old, amongst them children, weak old men and women, killed in cold blood, their homes destroyed and thousands forced to flee, with some trekking over hurtful distances to become refugees within and outside Borno State. “Our Capital City of Maiduguri is today facing a heavy influx of refugees from the local government areas in Borno. Borno citizens have been forced to take refuge in parts of Gombe and Adamawa States mainly on account of man’s inhumanity to fellow man in the gratuitous name of religion. These acts are absolutely condemnable in the strongest of terms. “Let me use this opportunity to once again, extend my deepest sympathy to the families of all those who lost their lives in these serial massacres that are designed to send Borno and its people into oblivion, but which will not succeed Insha Allah. I also

was. We can overcome this problem with the right attitude from the top to the bottom. Indeed we can.” Apart from unfolding health and food packages for those displaced, the governor said children whose parents have been killed by Boko Haram will be given access to Education from primary to the university. He said: “On access to education, Government has observed a high scale requirement of admissions into primary and secondary school especially from guardians who seek slots at orphanage schools in Maiduguri and Biu in particular, for orphans whose parents were killed as a result of the insurgency. “Consequently, a team of respected academics, school administrators and educationists will be inaugurated by me next week, with the mandate of coming up with State Primary and Secondary Schools for Special Citizens to be sited in Maiduguri and Biu for the time being. “The schools are to be designed to accommodate high capacity of pupils with modern boarding facilities. Every child admitted into that school is to be on full Government scholarship from basic to University Education. “Members of the public willing to make donations will be entertained to a ‘Adoption of child Education Programme’ though which kind citizens can adopt the education of a child, two or more, through well organised system that can be monitored by every sponsor who must be entitled to all academic and attitudinal record of an adoptee.”

THE NATION

NEWS 57

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2014

Allegation against me frivolous, unfounded, says Ihejirika

HE immediate past Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen Azubuike Ihejika has described the allegation of sponsorship of the Boko Haram sect leveled against him by Dr. Stephen Davis as frivolous and unfounded. According to him, it was meant to divert the attention of the country and its security agencies from the challenges posed by the sect. Speaking with journalists at the National Defence College, Abuja on Friday, Ihejirika warned against giving undue attention to what he called frivolous and baseless accusations. According to him, such allegation would have been dismissed if it were to have been made in a developed country like the United States or the United Kingdom. The insurgents, he said, were exploiting the country's diverse ethnic, religious and other fault lines to wage war against the nation, adding that the war has now taken a media dimension. He stated that some people considered his handling of the counter insurgency campaign high handed, during his tenure as Chief of Army Staff, but said he owed such people no apologies. Said he: "If this accusation was made in a country like US or UK, it would not be discussed for one hour because they would wave it aside; but they are exploiting our traditional fault lines , a multi-religious multi ethnic, multi-cultural and young democracy, so what they have tried to do is aimed at achieving what they could not achieve… "I have chosen to do this because we cannot allow national security to be toyed with; the need for security awareness in spite of the effort I put in at time and the effort being put by the current leadership of the Armed Forces, the need for security

Gbade OGUNWALE, Assistant Editor, Abuja awareness still persists. "I want to urge all Nigerians to join hands to support Mr. President and members of the Armed Forces in their onerous task to rid this country of terrorism. "I want to further advise that baseless, unfounded and frivolous allegations like this have the capacity of diverting our attention, away from the main problem. "Nigeria must exist before you can hold a single political office and there is no compromise in the effort to have a peaceful and united Nigeria. Therefore, I have no apologies at all whatsoever to those who thought I was high handed. "I used to explain to them that the Nigerian Army is not high handed, but every Army makes a lot of efforts to ensure that its troops operate within the rule of engagement". The ex-Army Chief said the Nigerian Army under his leadership recruited 9000 soldiers in 2013 to beef up the strength of the military and to monitor the borders more effectively. He urged Nigerians to avoid utterances that could bring down the morale of Nigerian troops, a situation which he warned, could be dangerous. According to him, the allegation made against him by Davis should have been a subject of discuss if the citizenry had a better knowledge of the strategy and tactics employed by terrorists; and that if politics in the country was mature enough. He maintained that the terrorists were waging a media warfare to achieve what they have not been able to achieve through violence. "That we are where we are today is a lesson to us. The les-

son is that the terrorists are not sleeping; what they cannot achieve through bombing they want to achieve through media warfare.

has denied hiring Aus tralian man,Dr Stephen Davis as a Boko Haram negotiator. It also said it is not clear yet on his alleged status as acting as a Boko Haram negotiator on behalf of the Federal Government. The Coordinator of the National Information Centre, Mike Omeri who made the position of the Federal Government known on the issue in Abuja yesterday said it does not have any plan of prosecuting any Nigerian for now following the various allegation made by Stephen Davis. Stephen Davis has insisted that former governor of Borno State, Ali Modu Sheriff and former Chief of Army Staff, General Onyeabo Azubuike Ihejirika are Boko Haram sponsors. He also accused an unnamed senior official of the Central Bank of Nigeria as well as a man based in Cairo, Egypt whom he claimed operates as Boko Haram’s bagman as major players in the funding and continued existence of the deadly Islamist sect. Dr Davis who said he did not want to mention the name of the CBN official as this may affect investigation by Nigeria’s security service stated that his allegations

were informed by discussions he had with several Boko Haram field commanders over a long period of time. But Omeri insisted yesterday that the Federal Government has not hired anybody to negotiate on its behalf with the Boko Haram sect. “For now, the Federal Government of Nigeria have not appointed anyone to negotiate on it behalf with the Boko Haram sect, anytime it decides to do so, the Federal Government will make it known to the public” “On the various allegations made by the alleged negotiator, the Federal Government is still investigating it, whatever should be done rightly will be done but there is no plan to probe any Nigerian for now”he said On the taking over of Gwoza and Bama by the Boko Haram sect, Omeri said Bama and Gwoza still remains part of Nigeria. “Bama and Gwoza still remains part of Nigeria, the Federal Government will not cease any part of its territory to any group as troops are still on ground in Borno state and are capable of defending the state no matter the situation”he said He however said he cannot confirm if 21 local government have been taken over by the

stated. Ihejirika said he was unruffled by the attention given to the allegation because of his belief that "we are yet to

come to terms with the motives of the terrorists and their desire to bring this nation down".

•Widower and General Overseer of The Gospel Faith Mission International (GOFAMINT) Pastor Elijah Abina (middle); flanked by his deputy, Pastor, Prof. Samuel Ewuola (left) and the Provost, West Africa Theological Seminary (WATS), Rev. Dr. Gary Maxey (right) at the wake of Matron Felicia Abina who died in London hospital after a brief illness at the age of 75. PHOTOS: Adejo DAVID.

DSS: it’s wicked to associate ex-Army chief with sect •Agency invites ex-Borno governor Sheriff for questioning

HE Department of State Security has risen in de fence of the immediate past Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Azubuike Ihejirika (rtd), saying it's uncharitable and wicked for anyone to associate him with sponsorship of the Boko Haram insurgency. Spokesperson of the DSS, Ms. Marilyn Ogar, who addressed journalists at the Service's headquarters in Abuja on Friday, also said the former Borno State Governor, Ali Modu Sheriff has been invited for questioning. An Australian hostage ne-

...FG disowns Australian negotiator Stephen Davis HE Federal Government

"War is no longer fought in the traditional three dimension of air, land and sea; we have clearly seen the fourth dimension of warfare", he

Boko Haram sect as being alleged by some Nigerians. On the abducted Chibok girls, Omeri said the release of the girls still remains paramount to the Federal Government as their abduction still remains a source of concern to the Federal Government.

Gbade Ogunwale, Assistant Editor, Abuja gotiator, Dr. Stephen Davis, had, in a cable media interview last week, fingered Ihejirika and Sheriff as some of the major sponsors of Boko Haram. Dr. Davis was hired by President Goodluck Jonathan to help negotiate the release of the over 200 Chibok school girls abducted by Boko Haram since April 14. The girls are still in the sect's captivity. Ms. Ogar said: " I want to say here that it is absolutely uncharitable for us as Nigerians to reward somebody who laid down his life in pursuing the same people. "For us to accept that he is associated with the same sect whose activities he, together with this Service, succeeded in bringing the activities of the sect to a halt in Kano, Okene and other places; pursuing them down to the Sambisa Forest. "And to accept that the same man was sponsoring Boko Haram is wicked and uncharitable. We should not allow

people to use our liberal nature to perpetrate all sort of evils in our society". On ex Governor Sheriff, Ogar said: "He had been invited here twice in the past. The Service has invited him again. There is nothing that this service has done in investigation in the past that we have not informed the public". Ogar, however, did not state the time and date that the ex Governor is being expected. The DSS similarly picked holes in Davis' statements, as they relate to the relationship between an unnamed Central Bank of Nigeria official and three of the suspects in the April 14 Nyanya blast. Davis had stated: "The CBN official who handles the funding is an uncle to three of those arrested in connection with the Nyanya bombings. The boys lived with him. "They were arrested by the SSS after the bombings but they do not seem to have interrogated about their uncle in CBN. Or if they have given up infor-

mation about their uncle then the SSS has not moved against them". But Ogar said none of the six suspects being held by the Service is related to another by blood. "In other words, none is a cousin or nephew to any other, and only two of the suspects, namely Yau Saidu and Ana's Isah have ever lived together at the makeshift clinic called Kishi Clinic; operated by Rufai Abubakar Tsiga, a co-mastermind of the bomb blast who is still at large", she stated. Although they had already been paraded in July, Ogar, again, paraded the six Nyanya bombing suspects who all denied relationship, blood or otherwise, with the unnamed CBN official. According to her, the Australian negotiator did not source his information from the DSS. "This statement is imperative to clarify some information in the media to the contrary", she concluded.

Boko Haram: We will win the battle, says DHQ

OR the umpteenth time, the Defence Headquar ters yesterday assured that the nation's military will win the battle against Boko Haram insurgency. It also said it was aware that the nation's reputation was at stake, not only the military. It advised Nigerians not to lose hope or be disenchanted in any form. The DHQ in a statement through the Director of Defence Information, Maj-Gen. Chris Olukolade, said everything will be done to protect the nation's sovereignty and territorial integrity. The DHQ's statement was against the backdrop of apprehensions by the United States and the international community on the dangers of Boko Haram seizure of some major towns in Borno State. The US through its Assistant Secretary for African Affairs, Ambassador Linda Thomas-

Yusuf ALLI, Managing Editor, Northern Operation Greenfield, said it was troubled by the capture of Bama and some towns in Borno and Yobe states. But the DHQ said there was no cause for alarm because the military was on top of the situation. The statement said: "In the light of the current challenges in the counter-terrorism efforts in the North-East which has understandably elicited a sense of apprehension among citizens and even foreign allies, the DHQ wishes to reiterate the pledge and commitment it made while briefing the Joint Committee on Defence of the National Assembly to the effect that everything will be done to reverse the situation and defeat the rampaging terrorists. "While welcoming all the concerns shown by Nigerians

and a section of the international community following the increased menace and activities of terrorists, it is necessary to reassure all that the Nigerian Armed Forces is more than ever determined and committed to the defence of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Nigeria, regardless of any odd." It pleaded with Nigerians not to either lose hope or be disenchanted with the development in Bama and other places. The statement added: "It is not only the pride and reputation of the military that is at stake but that of the entire nation. "We therefore urge our citizens not to lose hope or be disenchanted but to remain steadfast and supportive of the military as all steps are being taken to ensure the success of the counter-insurgency operations, especially at this crucial time when our sovereignty is

being challenged. "With this in mind, it is important to reiterate that the Nigerian military is fully conscious of its obligations to the Nigerian state and remains willing and ready to perform its duties with utmost diligence." It however assured that the war against insurgency will be won by troops. "Therefore, what the military requires at this critical period in the nation’s history is not pillories but continued support from all stakeholders and comity of nations. "Indeed, this is not the time to despair or shift blames. Rather it calls for concerted effort by all and sundry to stop the agents of darkness who seek to destroy our country and civilization. On its part, the Nigerian military as a fighting force, assures Nigerians once again that this battle will be won," it said.

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58 NEWS

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2014

Hajj: Medview Airlines to air lift 5,303 pilgrims to Saudi Arabia

S part of preparations for this year’s Muslim pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia, one of the designated carriers : Medview Airlines disclosed yesterday that it would air lift over 5,303 pilgrims to the Holy Land. Two Boeing 767-300 ER aircrafts have arrived the country for the exercise. The exercise will commence today from the Ilorin International Airport, where the Boeing 767 - 300 ER aircraft acquired by the airline has been positioned. The 5,303 Muslim pilgrims to be air lifted by Medview Airlines are part of the 15,000 pilgrims participating in the annual exercise . Pilgrims designated to be air lifted by Medview Airlines are those from the South West, South - South and

Begins direct air lift to Medina today Kelvin OSA OKUNBOR

South - Eastern zones of the country . The pilgrims from South West include those from: Osun, Ogun, Oyo, Edo, Ekiti, Ondo States as well as the Armed Forces. Confirming the development in an interview, the Managing Director, MedView Airline, Alhaji Muneer Bankole said the exercise would commence today from Ilorin International Airport . He explained that pilgrims from the South-west except Lagos; Osun, Ogun, Oyo, Edo, Ekiti and Ondo States and Armed Forces would be airlifted from the Lagos Airport while the South-south and South-east passengers

Boko Haram serves notice of planned invasion of Maiduguri

N unusual mode of warning by Boko Haram has sparked a massive evacuation of occupants of Giwa and Maimalari military barracks in Maiduguri. The sect flooded the city with fliers warning of an impending invasion. Most of the soldiers deployed to Borno State for the anti-terror campaign reside in the barracks,some with their families. The online publication –First Africa News –reported yesterday that families of the soldiers have vacated the barracks on account of the threat. The fliers were written in the Hausa language. They claimed that the invasion will be personally led by the Boko Haram leader, Abubakar Shekau. The United States has expressed fears that Maiduguri may be attacked by the sect following its seizure of Bama,about 72 kilometers from the state capital. Assistant Secretary for African Affairs Linda ThomasGreenfield said on Thursday that his country was “ very troubled by the apparent capture of Bama and the prospects for an attack on and in Maiduguri, which would impose a tremendous toll on the civilian population,” The sect has been moving from its Sambisa fortress to the southern part of the state,seizing towns and villages on its route. Two weeks ago,Boko Haram proclaimed the town of Gwoza, a “caliphate under Islamic law.”

It had earlier in December 2013 attacked the Composite Group Air Force Base in Maiduguri,firing with Rocket Propelled Grenade Launchers before troops rallied to repel the terrorists. Three months later –March 2014 –the rebels returned to the city but this time their target was Giwa Barracks. The attack was also repelled.

would be airlifted from PortHarcourt and Enugu Airports respectively. He said, “We are using at the moment, four airports and we are picking the Eastern people from Enugu, southsouth from Port Harcourt and Ondo, Ekiti from Ilorin and other parts of the south-west from Lagos, bringing the business to the doors of the people from their states and exposing a new trend to their comforts. We are taking 5,303 passengers in all except other cities outside the West African countries, which we do support. “We are flying direct to Medina, which is 100 per cent fulfillment of our commitment to our pilgrims. So, what this means is that we are taking away the stress where pilgrims would be dropped in Jeddah and they would be using buses to carry them to Medina thereby exposing them to risks for about six to eight hours on the road. So, we drop them directly in Medina. We have fulfilled that now in the last two years and they are very happy about that.” Two Boeing 757 -300 extended range aircraft belonging to Med-View Airline yesterday arrived the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, MMIA, Lagos .

Jonathan appoints Presidential panel to study 2014 National Conference report

RESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan yesterday constituted a Presidential Committee to study and draw up Implementation Strategy for the 2014 National Conference report. Jonathan received the final report of the National Conference headed by Justice Idris Kutigi,last month. The committee which is headed by the by AttorneyGeneral of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Adoke ,is to start work immediately. Other committee members,according to the Assistant Director (Press) in the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Oise D. Johnson, are:Transport Minister Idris A. Umar; Mallam Bashir Yuguda, Minister of State for Finance;Aviation Minister Osita Chidoka; Olajumoke Akinjide, Minister of State for Federal Capital Territory;Works Minister Mike Onolememen.

Augustine EHIKIOYA, Abuja Secretary to the Government of the Federation,Chief Anyim Pius Anyim, will serve as secretary of the committee. It is mandated study the Report of the 2014 National Conference, articulate the recommendations therein, develop appropriate strategies for its implementation, and advise Government on all matters necessary for the effective implementation of the Report.

war chest. Atlas Mara said yesterday it was buying a 20.9 percent stake in UBN from Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCOM), taking its holding to 29.9 percent. UBN has 340 branches across Nigeria and had about $6.3 billion of assets, $3.1 billion in deposits and $1.3 billion in equity at the end of June. Atlas Mara said it purchased the stake at about book value. UBN was established as Colonial Bank in 1917, and from 1925 until the 1970s was owned by Barclays, the British

Soldiers' tactical maneouver: Oversighting military is sensitive-Reps

HE National Assembly must deploy an effec tive means of tracking budgetary allocations to the armed forces if the insurgency in parts of the country is to be curbed, members of the House of Representatives have said. Minority Leader in the House, Mr. Femi Gbajabiamila believes that the National Assembly may not have taken its oversight duty of the military seriously. House spokesman,Mallam Zakari Mohammed blamed administrations that came after the Shehu Shagari in 1983 for the emerging decadence in the security sector. Gbajabiamila says it is now imperative, given the current security situation in the country, that the National Assembly should be creative in tracking budgeted allocation to the military to ensure proper utilization. The lawmakers were asked if the National Assembly has not failed the nation on account of its inability to ensure that monies allocated for

Dele ANOFI, Abuja

defence purposes are well utilized. The military had complained about inadequate and obsolete equipment . The situation is believed to be responsible for the 'tactical maneuver' of Nigerian soldiers to Cameroon while confronting the Boko Haram in the North East. The Minority Leader said: "Quiet honestly I have no answer. You are right that the National Assembly may have dropped the ball and failed somewhat in its oversight of the military. "Oversight function is one area of our legislative work that we need to take more serious as we can now see what can happen when we are not thorough". The House spokesman, in his response,said there is a limit to what the National Assembly can do in scrutinizing the workings of the military. His words: "I believe that

what we are witnessing now is a strong sign of the neglect of the military over time. What I mean by over time is that for instance, we heard that the last time an Alpha jet was bought was in the 1980s during the civilian administration President Shehu Shagari. "Since then none has been bought. "These are the challenges and when we rub minds with the Service Chiefs, these issues came up. As leaders in our rights, what we feel we can do is to find how to proffer solutions to these problems. "This is not to say that money that have been appropriated are not well used. Yes, to some extent, there may be issues of abuses here and there but the National Assembly is finding ways of how to track these money. "But don't forget that if not for the insurgency that is rocking our country now, Defence vote is usually considered as not auditable.”

Fed Govt committed to fighting Boko Haram, says Mark

ENATE President David Mark has reassured Ni gerians that the Federal Government is committed to fighting Boko Haram among other criminal activities in the country. Mark urged Nigerians to cooperate with security agencies to overcome the security chal-

Bob Diamond’s Africa bank buys stake in Union Bank TLAS Mara, the African investment vehicle of former Barclays boss Bob Diamond, has lifted its stake in Union Bank of Nigeria to almost 30 percent with a $270 million investment. It is the investment outfit’s biggest deal to date. It marks the third significant acquisition by Atlas Mara, set up last year by Diamond and Africa-based entrepreneur Ashish Thakkar with a goal to become Africa’s leading bank. It raised $300 million last month to add to its acquisition

•Imo State governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha (left) and Esama of Benin, Chief Gabriel Igbinedion at a thanksgiving mass for Chief Oyegun

bank that Diamond led before being ousted under a cloud two years ago. UBN’s market capitalisation is about $850 million. “This is a very significant acquisition ... we will have a significant stake in a key Nigerian bank and we will also have established strategic market positions in three of Africa’s leading economic communities: the Southern Africa Development Community, the East Africa Community and Economic Community of West African States,” Diamond said in a statement.

lenge. He gave the assurance in Abuja at the inauguration of the Board of Trustees (BOT) and Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Association of Licenced Private Security Practitioners of Nigeria (ALPSPN). ALPSPN is regulated by the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC). Mark advised security operatives to shun rivalry and tackle the security challenge facing the country. The lawmaker who was represented by Dr. Peter Keshi said: “It is time for action and this is the appropriate time to together fight insurgence to a still. We should not let anything hinder us. Nigerians must remain one united entity and we must remain one indivisible nation. “It is important that we act immediately. We must ensure that the Association of Licensed Private Security Practitioners of Nigeria (ALPSPN) is constitutionally recognized. “Push it at the National As-

sembly and I will give it an accelerated hearing when the time comes. We must get a law establishing it to avoid crisis in the future. “Federal Government is very committed in keeping Nigeria one, government is committed in fighting insurgence (Boko Haram) and all other forms of criminalities. This is the time for inter-agency collaboration and not competition within security agencies. Minister of Interior, Comrade Abba Moro urged the private security to always work with security operatives to end insurgency. He said they should be provided with more sophisticated equipment to further assist government. Moro, who was represented by the Director of Paramilitary, assured the association of government support when needed. Commandant General (CG) of NSCDC, Dr. Ade Abolurin pointed out that it is lack of Knowledge that makes security agencies fight each other

for superiority. Abolurin said what is expected of the private security outfit is to intelligent gathering and keeping government aware of happenings across the country. Abolurin condemned the incident that occurred last week in Lagos where some police men threatened to kill him on duty. His words: “Men of this private security outfit are not gatemen neither are they just ordinary security men. Boko Haram is the current security challenge we as a country face now and Nigeria and Nigerians need you now more than any other time to respond and fight. You should encourage synergy. “We as security agencies should not be fighting each other. It is lack of knowledge that makes us fight. What you read about me lastweek on the pages of newspapers is real. But I thank God that I am alive. We should not always blame government.

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NEWS 59

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 6,, 2014

HE All Progressives Congress (APC) yesterday called for the immediate dissolution of the Osun State Governorship Election Tribunal. It asked that a fresh one be constituted with a view to engendering the confidence of the public in the work of the tribunal. National Publicity Secretary of the APC , Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said in a statement in Benin that the party’s position was necessitated by the reported removal of the Chairman of the Tribunal, Justice I.M. Bako, on the basis of a petition written by some people. ‘’According to the information at our disposal, the

APC calls for dissolution of Osun Governorship Election Tribunal PDP used one of the candidates in the Aug. 9th gubernatorial election in the state to orchestrate the removal of the Tribunal Chairman, whom the party (PDP) considered not pliable enough for the achievement of its evil machination,” APC said. It added: “Therefore, this removal is unacceptable to us, because it suggests that some dark forces are teleguiding the proceedings of the Tribunal - a development that is inimical to the

fair delivery of justice. ‘’When we got this information about a week ago, we did not lend it much credence, believing that the judiciary will not pander to the PDP or any party whatsoever in the execution of its Constitutional duties. But when we read the published report on Friday that the Chairman of the Tribunal has been removed, we were very worried. ‘’While our confidence in the judiciary remains un-

shaken, we believe this important arm of government must be shielded from political interference in the interest of justice, and in order for the citizenry not to lose confidence in it.’’ APC accused the PDP of desperately seeking to barge into the Government House in Osogbo through the back door by engaging in irresponsible manipulation of facts since it lost the election last month. ‘’The most glaring has been

the attempt by the PDP to deceive the public over the reason why INEC suspended two of its staffers over the Osun election. While these men were actually suspended for trying to rig the election in favour of the PDP, the PDP has put out a shameful lie that they were suspended for manipulating the election result from two lo-

•From left: The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Alhaji Aminu Waziri Tambuwal (left), Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State (middle) and Prof. Emeritus Olu Akinkugbe (right) during a courtesy call by Tambuwal to the Governor's Office in Ibadan .. yesterday KITI State Governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi, has called on the Federal Government to declare a national emergency on the nation’s education sector. ment have roles to play in ressaid the country risks losing for the examination made five The governor, who spoke cuing the country from losing many potentials to illiteracy credits (including English and against the backdrop of the its pride of place in the comity if proper attention is not acMathematics) was quite worpoor performance of students of nations. corded the education sector. risome, adding that the soluin the recently released reHe stressed that until attenGovernor Fayemi told tion would require a multi – sults of the West African Setion is paid to developing members of the committee, level approach. nior Certificate Examination, human resources, the country led by the Chairman, Hon While urging the commitduring a courtesy visit to his would not get right many of Aminu Sulaiman, that a situtee to look into the mass failoffice by members of the the things that can fast-track ation, where only 31.28 perure, Dr. Fayemi added that House of Representatives its development. cent of the candidates that sat parents, teachers and governCommittee on education, Recalling the effort of his administration in revamping the sector in Ekiti State, the HE Ataoja Royal famiistration. Governor said the present adlies assured the governor of their lies, comprising the four The royal families, which inministration had vigorously support for his government. ruling houses in Osogbo, clude Matanmi, Sogbo, pursued the education transThe royal families also lauded the state capital, have comOlahanmi and Olajomo, in a conformation agenda that was the Governor Aregbesola-led mended the state governor, Mr gratulatory message to the govmisinterpreted by some administration for the various Rauf Aregbesola for the develernor, described Mr. people. He, however, added developmental projects across opmental projects by his adminAregbesola’s re-election as a that no investment is too much the state, especially the state capimanifestation of the acceptabilin the education of the tal. ity of the current administration younger generation. They also hailed the deputy in the state. Fayemi stressed that govgovernor, Mrs Grace Titilayo In a communiqué issued after ernment owes it a duty to do Laoye Tomori and other indithe general meeting of the rulwhat is right, and not what is genes of Osogbo in the adminising houses at Gbaemu’s compopular, even as he noted that tration of governor Aregbesola pound, signed by Alhaji Nasiru Nigeria ranks last in many for being good ambassadors of Oyeniyi Oyedijo, the royal famihuman development indices the town. of the United Nations. Fayemi said: “We have a strong passion here for Education, and in the last four years we have religiously pursued our agenda even though the agenda was not so popular. We owe it a duty to do what is right, not what is popular. If care is not taken, we risk losing many things to illiteracy in view of the recently released SSCE result”, he said. In his remarks, Hon. Sulaiman explained that the committee was in the state on an inspection tour of some federal institutions but decided to pay a courtesy call on the Governor whom he described as “a pride to the generation of those who believe in democracy.”

Fayemi urges FG to declare emergency in education sector

Royal families hail Aregbesola

2x1

cal governments to favour the APC,”the APC said. APC said that in view of the clear desperation by the rejected candidate of the PDP in the Aug. 9th polls, all APC members and supporters in particular and the entire good people of Osun in general must remain vigilant in order to frustrate the undisguised attempt by the enemies of progress and antidemocratic forces to thwart the will of the people of the state, which they expressed on Aug. 9th despite all acts of intimidation and harassment.

Mimiko launches Health Scheme

NDO State Governor, Dr Olusegun Mimiko, yesterday, launched the Agbebiye Health Initiative to cater for pregnant women in the state and ensure safe delivery. Speaking at the launch of the initiative in Akure, the state capital, Governor Mimiko said the initiative would ensure reduction of maternal death in the state and provide for the health needs of pregnant women across the state. The initiative, Mimiko said was borne out of the need to ensure safe delivery for all pregnant women in order to achieve zero maternal death in the state. According to the governor, medical personnel would, through the initiative, collaborate with traditional birth attendants and faith-based organizations (mission homes) for efficient healthcare delivery for women in the state. He disclosed that the state government would provide health centres in all the

Damisi OJO,Akure

nooks and crannies of the state to cater for all pregnant women, adding that “henceforth all pregnant women are expected to be referred to the Agbebiye centres across the state.” He said: “A total of 618 pregnant women were referred to health facilities within six months by the 137 traditional birth centres with 362 deliveries, of which there was no maternal death recorded and only one percent of neonatal death. There were four sets of twins, two sets of triplets and a quadruplet delivered in the facilities as a result of this initiative.” Mimiko said the initiative commenced about six months ago and was piloted in Akure South Local Government Area of the state, saying, “the partnership of the state government with the traditional birth attendants and faith-based organizations is expected to further boost our healthcare delivery system in the state.”

Ogun 2015: Stop dropping Jonathan, Muazu’s names, group tells Bankole

socio-political group, the Ogun Youth Mandate (OYM), has urged the former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Dimeji Bankole, to stop dropping the names of President Goodluck Jonathan and the National Chairman, Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu, over his governorship ambition. The group spoke against the backdrop of reports that during his visit to the Ogun State PDP Secretariat Thursday, Bankole allegedly told the meeting that President Jonathan asked him to join the race. In a statement issued yesterday in Abeokuta, by the State Coordinator, Comrade Tunde Shodiya, the group said, “Nothing could be farther from the truth, as all efforts by Bankole to see the President over his ambition have met a brick wall. Besides, the two leaders are gentlemen who would not lend themselves to anything that would subvert due process and the Rule of Law.” On Bankole’s call for party members to close rank, the group said there was no divi-

Kunle AKINRINADE

sion within the party. “Much as we note that Bankole and his ilk have eaten their words by recognising the authentic State Exco which they earlier sought to undo, we take serious exception to the import of his comments which suggest that there is some form of division within the party. “The truth is the division only exists in the minds of Bankole and his co-travellers. The party is a united front and one indivisible family. All that is needed is for the like of Bankole and his associates to purge themselves of the imaginary division they seek to create because of their selfish interest.” The group noted that Bankole’s statements that his recent visits to the party secretariat were coming after the last one in 2007 and that he has been going round since he returned from the United States a few months ago was “a confirmation that he had since abandoned the party and only came back because of his governorship ambition. It is, in fact, an indictment of humongous proportion”.

AGSI old students meet

The quarterly alumni meeting of the 72/76 set of the Anglican Grammar School, Igbara-Oke (AGSI), Ondo State, will hold on September 13. The venue is the residence of Mr. and Mrs. E.D. Owolabi, Plot 5, Block XX1, D.O. Fagunwa Street, Ijapo Estate, Akure, the Ondo State capital. The time is 12.noon.

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MALLAM Nuhu Ribadu’s ambition to succeed the impeached Admiral Murtala Nyako as Adamawa State governor ended in an anti-climax yesterday. The pioneer chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (INEC) and seven other aspirants from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) stepped down after a marathon meeting with Senate President David Mark and the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party in Abuja. Others out of the race are:Auwal Tukur; Aliyu Idi Hong, Andrawus Sawa; James Barka; Gen. Aliyu Kama; Markus Gundiri and Abubakar Girei. Their exit now leaves the field open for Acting Governor Umaru Fintiri,former Presidential adviser Ahmed Gulak,Dr.Ahmed Modibbo,Dr.Umar Ardo,Brigadier General Buba Marwa and Jerry Kudmisi,all of whom will be taking part in today’s primaries. The party’s hierarchy had to intervene in the face of a bitter struggle for the ticket by the aspirants. The party leaders convinced eight of the aspirants to allow Fintiri who,as Speaker,presided at Nyako’s impeachment,to complete the former governor’s tenure. Gulak, Marwa, Modibbo, Ardo, and Kumdisi however refused to forgo their aspirations.. It was agreed at the closeddoor meeting that they will not be allowed to contest for the position in 2015. The meeting also agreed that only those who stepped down yesterday could contest for the party’s governorship election ticket in 2015. Adamawa Central which is yet to produce will be favoured. All losers in today’s primaries are required to support the party’s flag bearer in the October 11 election. Chairman of PDP in Adamawa State,Chief Joel Madaki told reporters at the end of the meeting that none of the aspirants was “forced to step down.” “ Those who stepped down did so voluntarily in order to

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2014

Adamawa guber race: Why Ribadu, seven others stepped down Augustine EHIKIOYA, Abuja wait to contest for the position in 2015.” Alhaji Gulak described the outcome of the meeting as fantastic. “We met as family members of PDP.Even before coming here all the aspirants in Adamawa had unanimously resolved that after the primaries, in a free, fair primaries, anybody that emerges will get our support.” “At this meeting, the number of the aspirants has been drastically reduced to six, which is manageable. I am contesting, Gen. Marwa is contesting, Ahmed Modibbo is contesting, Dr. Umar Ardo is contesting, Hon. Jerry Kumdisi is contesting, and Acting Governor Fintiri is contesting.” “And we have resolved to go into the primaries without rancour, without acrimony and to come out of it as peaceful co-existing members.” “And at the end of it all, anybody that emerges, we will all queue behind him. And if I emerge as the candidate, they will all queue behind me. It is going to be a family affair and there will be no losers.” On his chances of getting the ticket as Ribadu and others are now out of the race, he said: “Nuhu Ribadu or not, you know, I prepared for this election. Even, if 14 of us are going into this election, I am confident of my ability, of my capability, of my mobilization, of my sensitization ,that the delegates will select me.” Aliyu Idi Hong, one of those that withdrew said: “Peace-building, negotiation, give-and-take, everything went well. We have been given a caveat and one thing we have succeeded in extracting from this meeting is that whoever is going to contest and if he happens to win as a governor, he will not have the right to contest the 2015 election.” “Some of us think that our aspiration, our ambition, our vision for Adamawa is a long

2015: PDP zones governorship ticket to Adamawa central

HE national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party has zoned the party’s Adamawa State 2015 governorship ticket to the state’s Central Senatorial District. The National Secretary of the party, Prof. Adewale Oladipo, made the revelation on Friday while briefing reporters on update on the upcoming October 11 governorship by-election in the state. Oladipo explained that Mallam Nuhu Ribadu and the other seven contestants that withdrew from the race would be eligible to contest the Adamawa 2015 governorship election.

term and more articulate vision and not a stop-gap six months aspiration.” “For that reason, we saw it is wiser that if you are going to do something to change the fortune of Adamawa, you need a longer period of time. So, we decided that it is not wise for you to go into this aspiration for six months.”

2015: Atiku to declare presidential bid Sept 24

ORMER Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, the Turaki Adamawa is expected declare his interest to contest next year’s presidential election. He will first seek to clinch the ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC), in the 2015 presidential elections. According a press release, Atiku will be making the declaration on Wednesday, the 24 of this month. His campaign will be co-coordinated by Professor Babalola Borishade, a former aviation minister. Speaking on his proposed declaration, Atiku said: ”This is not about me, it is about our young people. It is about Ni-

gerians. It is their future, not the past. It is about reforming government, securing the people and reconciling the nation,” He said 2015 was spe-

cial and a potential turning point in Nigeria’s history and that the country needed to seize the moment, to give every Nigerian a chance to help

HE All Progressive Congress (APC) Elders Committee in Kano State yesterday rose from a special meeting with a resolve to drum up support for the 2015 presidential project of Kano State Governor, Engr. Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso, citing his landmark achievements in Civil Service and politics. In a Communiqué issued after the meeting and signed by Ambassador Kabiru Rabi’u and Comrade Saleh, the APC elders held that going by the credible performance of Kwankwaso in the service to the country, the time was ripe

rest at the hearing of the panel in Yola. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports the order followed Ari’s alleged failure to honour the invitation by the panel to appear before it in person. The former SSG was invited by the panel to answer allegation made against him by the Executive Chairman of Adamawa Board of Internal Revenue, Alhaji Abubakar Tuta.

redefine Nigeria as a place for them and their children to prosper and feel safe. He said a change was needed and he was ready to lead that change.

Indicted persons in Nasarawa killings won't go unpunished, says Almakura

OVERNOR Tanko AlMakura of Nasarawa State yesterday vowed to bring to justice all persons indicted by the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into the ethnic clashes that claimed the lives of scores of security personnel last year. Emerging from a meeting

Augustine EHIKIOYA, Abuja with President Goodluck Jonathan at the Presidential Villa Abuja, the governor told reporters that government was doing everything possible to ensure lasting peace in the state. The Police are already inves-

Kano APC elders endorse Kwankwaso for presidency

Panel orders arrest of ex-Adamawa SSG HE Judicial Panel of Inquiry set up by Adamawa State Acting Governor, Alhaji Ahmadu Fintiri, to probe the administration of former Governor Murtala Nyako, on Thursday ordered the arrest of Mr. Kobis Ari. Ari is the former Secretary to the State Government under the Nyako administration. The Chairman of the panel, Justice Bobboi Umar, ordered the issuance of warrant of ar-

Presidency and the party have accepted that the aspiration for the PDP nomination for 2015 will be strictly for contestants from Adamawa Central. It is not negotiable.” “So most of us from Adamawa Central have agreed to this position and about eight of us have with-

•Director of the Architectural Service Department of the Federal Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban development, Arc. Sani Gidado (2nd right); President of the Nigerian Institute of Architects, Arc. Waheed Niyi Brimmo (right) with Mr Mahesh Asnani, Managing Director, Emel Group, at the Emel International Pavilion at Archibuilt 2014 in Abuja.

Gbade OGUNWALE, Assistant Editor, Abuja He explained further that whoever wins the October 11 election among the six aspirants in the race, including Acting Governor Umar Fintiri, would not be eligible to seek the party’s ticket in the 2015. The eventual winner will vacate the seat on May 29, 2015. According to Oladipo, the eight aspirants agreed to withdraw from the contest based on arrangement brokered by the party’s leadership. The party scribe said the N11 million nomination fees which they paid to the party, remained valid for the 2015 contest.

He went on: “Two, we have also been able to have on record, that whoever is going to emerge as governor will not contest in 2015 and it has also been unanimously agreed that because Adamawa Central has not been able to produce governor of the state before, it is on record that the

drawn from the race. We are going to remain members of the party and we are going to contest in 2015 because it will give us the opportunity to make that transformation that we want to change Adamawa into.” He stated Those who attended the meeting included the PDP National Vice Chairman, Uche Secondus, Special Adviser to the President on Political Affairs, Rufai Alkali,Governor Ibrahim Dankwambo of Gombe and Governor Isa Yuguda of Bauchi.

KOLADE ADEYEMI, Kano and From Osagie Otabor, Benin for him to be given the opportunity to oversee the affairs of Nigeria. The communiqué reads: “The present regrettable and avoidable situation in which Nigeria is today has made the state’s All Progressive Congress Elders Committee to meet and discuss the current leadership situation of the country. It is very clear that the present incompetent leadership of the country cannot get us out of the present serious problem. “In view of the above, the country needs a better and more dynamic leader. That leader must have the following qualities: honesty, commitment, vision, strong character, experience, ability to communicate, courage and confidence, integrity, transparency and more importantly, a team player. “APC Elders Committee considers it necessary to invite

the Kano State Governor, Engr. Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso to contest the presidential election come 2015 because he possesses most of the qualities mentioned above.” The APC Elders further stated that Kwankwaso, a water engineer and Fellow of Nigerian Society of Engineers, apart from making a mark in politics, was a reputable civil servant who has served Kano state and Nigeria diligently in his area of specialization as a principal engineer before his entry into politics. Meanwhile another group, the Southern Mandate has urged former military Head of State and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), General Muhammad Buhari, to support the presidential aspiration of Kano State Governor, Rabiu Kwankwaso. The group pleaded with General Buhari not to contest the 2015 presidential election but to support a candidate that would take the country to the promise land.

tigating the criminal aspect of the report, he said. This is with a view to prosecuting all those indicted. He described the resurgence of crisis in the state as unfortunate, but declined to speak on the alleged fresh attempt by the members of the State House of Assembly to impeach him. He merely dismissed it as speculative. He said that he would not speak on what was not real and that he would cross the bridge whenever he gets there. The governor said that his visit to the President was to update him on the security situation in the state. On steps being taken to end ethnic crisis in the state, he said, “We found it very necessary to invite all stakeholders for what we called peace summit because we have come to realize that the issue of security should not be left on the hands of government security operatives alone.” “Already the government of Nasarawa State has an initiative of community based resolution mechanism which will bring all stakeholders together to discuss mutual interest especially as it affects security. We believe that where you have the participation of all, you find it easy to solve the problem and we will have lessen the burden and responsibility of when to take care of the situation.”

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THE NATION, SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2014

Robbers kill woman in Calabar

Oru resigns as UCTH board chairman n Nicholas KALU, Calabar n

HE Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Dr Steve Oru, yesterday announced his resignation as the chairman of the board of the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital (UCTH). Speaking with reporters after a meeting of the board in Calabar, he said his decision was due to his recent appointment as a minister. He said, "My duties as a minister of the Federal Republic are quite much and I will not say I will have the capacity to manage my responsibility at that level and be chairman of UCTH." He thanked members of the board for putting in their best while he served. "You were devoted and committed in pursuit of excellence," he said, and urged that his leaving should not deter them in anyway. He announced that a member of the board, Prof Stanley Okolo, would take over as acting chairman. The Chief Medical Director of UCTH, Dr Thomas Agan, congratulated Oru on his appointment, describing him as a man of integrity.

First Ijaw youth summit set to hold HE first edition of the Ijaw Youth Council World Summit, scheduled to hold at the Petroleum Training Institute (PTI), Effurun, Warri, Delta State, between September 9 and11, 2014, will be declared open by President Goodluck Jonathan. This was disclosed by the organizers of the summit, expected to host over 1000 delegates, including youths, government officials, community and religious leaders and various stakeholders from the Niger Delta. Themed ‘Partnering for Prosperity and Sustainable Development’, the summit will bring the youths, leaders and stakeholders of the Niger Delta together to discuss topical issues aimed at harmonizing the position of the youths and their communities, providing sustainable and secured tenancy and improving the lives of the people in the region. According to the President, Ijaw Youth Council, Comrade Udengs Eradiri, the event is special because it reflects the fact that it is time for a more non-confrontational approach that will give stakeholders a platform for engagement and discussion aimed at addressing the various challenges confronting the Niger Delta region. “This is coming from the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) to reflect two major reasons: the first being that the Ijaw Youth Council believes it is time for a more non-confrontational approach that will give stakeholders a platform for engagement and discussion aimed at addressing these various challenges.’’

n Nicholas KALU, Calabar n

•Former governor of Akwa Ibom State, Chief Victor Attah (r) in a warm embrace with former governor of Edo State, Chief Lucky Igbinedion, at a grand reception for Chief Attah by Ibibio ethnic group in Uyo...yesterday

Ebola: 403 under watch in Rivers –Health Minister n Rosemary NWISI, Port Harcourt n HE Minister of Health, Professor Onyebuchi Chukwu, has said that the spread of the deadly Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) would be checked, in River State as was done in Lagos State. The Minister made the vow yesterday in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, after a tour of the quarantine centre at Oduoha in Emuoha Local Government Area of the state and the National Centre for Disease Control Laboratory at the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH). He was accompanied by the Minister of State for Health. Prof. Chukwu, who described the facilities at the centres as world class and expressed gratitude to the state government, the Ebola Emergency operation team, international agencies, especially the World Health Oragization (WHO), Doctors Without Borders, the Untied

•Says Rivers Ebola treatment Centre is World class States Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (USCDC) and volunteers for the good job they are doing in the state. “WE have visited everywhere; it is world class all through. We were at the State treatment centre, it is world class and the personnel there are in very high spirit. They are happy with what has been provided for them to work with. They are doing very well. “Everybody in the team is experienced and good at their job. We are impressed with what we’ve seen,” he said. Giving the statistics of the disease in the state, the Minister said 403 persons are currently under surveillance, and that there were four confirmed cases, two of which have already died. He listed the dead as Dr. Ikechukwu Sam Enemuo, a medical doctor and the woman who shared a hospital ward

with late Enemuo at the Good Heart Hospital where he died. The widow of the late doctor and his sister are receiving treatment at the Lagos and Rivers quarantine centres respectively. Chukwu said there was the likelihood that more persons would come down with the disease in Rivers State, following their primary contacts with the deceased victims, but assured that the team in the state is ready to successfully manage them if such happens. “As of now, the number of people that have come forward and registered as contacts to the victims of the virus stands at 403. This number, however, is nothing, because we also gathered a similar number in Lagos, where we have discharged 320 who never had any contact after the 21 days observation. Such scenario is also likely to happen here in Port Harcourt.

Oyegun celebrates birthday with thanksgiving HE National Chairman of the All Progressive Congress, Chief John Oyegun, yesterday, narrated how God used former Governor of Kwara State, Bukola Saraki, to save him from getting involved in a motor accident in Niger State. Chief Oyegun said two of his aides were still recuperating at the hospital. Oyegun disclosed this in Benin City at a special thanksgiving mass, organised to celebrate his 75th birthday. He said he was to travel by road to Niger State to attend the campaign rally for the Niger East senatorial election, but was stopped by Senator Saraki. According to him, "I am celebrating God's goodness in my life. God has

n Osagie OTABOR, Benin n been so good to me. As I was going with my entourage to Minna to campaign, Saraki called that I should join him on a flight when we get to Ilorin. "My car was later involved in an accident. God prevented me from going on the road. My orderlies are still in the hospital." Speaking at a reception for the birthday celebration, Oyegun said the APC would win the Niger East senatorial election and go ahead to retake Adamawa State in the forthcoming governorship election. Chief Oyegun urged APC members to join hands and fight together until

victory is achieved in 2015. Speaking at the event, the Governor of Osun State, Rauf Aregbesola, thanked Oyegun for standing with him during the Osun State gubernatorial election and urged him to repeat the same feat at next year's general elections. Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole, stated that the APC, under the leadership of Oyegun, would become the ruling party of Africa's most populous country. The Chairman of Progressive Governors' Forum, Rochas Okorocha, described Oyegun as the political John the Baptist that would bring change to the country.

Delta 2015: Stop using my name, Uduaghan’s to campaign, Clark warns guber aspirant HE country home of Chief E. K. Clark, Kiagbado, Burutu Local Government Area, was set agog last Thursday, when Mr Anthony Chuks Obuh was a guest to officially inform the Ijaw leader of his intention to succeed Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan as the Governor of Delta State. Chief Clark, in response to the request of Mr Obuh that he be an adopted son, said inasmuch as the responsibility of choosing the flag bearer of PDP remains the exclusive preserve of the people, he would take him as a son who has shown un-

ARE-DEVIL armed robbers struck yesterday morning along Egerton Street in Calabar, killing a woman. The deceased, said to be a fish seller, was shot in the wee hours of the morning in the Bay side vicinity, where a Bakassi chief was killed by suspected assassins a couple of weeks ago. According to an eye witness, the robbers numbering about 10, stormed the area close to the Presbyterian Church and robbed about five houses. One of the victims, simply identified as Joseph, said there have been repeated armed robbery attacks in the last few weeks. He said the robbers were armed with guns and machetes. Another resident of the area said, "The once peaceful Bayside is no longer safe. Armed robbers have taken over the whole area, stealing and maiming. It has become a daily occurrence here. We don't have police patrol here. We are now at the mercy of the thieves."

•Says Obuh is my son

n Segun AJIBOYE n common trait of humility and wide knowledge of the mechanism of governance. The former federal commissioner of information said the ‘‘excitable citation of Mr Obuh on my role in government, especially on income tax reforms in 1972, has shown he is a man with great experience. I don’t know where he was in 1972, but this is the best citation ever said about me. What you said today is far more than necessary to give me awards.’’

He said he has strong attachments with Agbor people, notably the Late Vincent Egbarin, Sir Fortune Ebie, Late Dr. G.O. Orewa and Dr. Cairo Ojougboh. ‘‘I am close to your people. The father of your Agbor monarch was my friend and the present Dein is close to me. I am happy the Queen Mother is here. Dr. Cairo Ojougboh is my son and I am happy to accept you as my son. This house is yours. Feel free to come here anytime.’’ Chief Clark, while noting that he was not going to unilaterally endorse any aspirant, warned politicians

seeking elective offices to desist from dragging either his name or that of the state governor, Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan, into their ambitions. Earlier, Mr. Obuh in his speech amidst periodic spontaneous applaud due to his in depth knowledge of the intricacies of governance said his decision to contest the governorship position was not borne of ethnic consideration. ‘‘I am here for you to accept me as your son who is willing and capable of promoting and projecting the ideas that have made a centre-piece.’’

Dickson commended over nonindigene policy n Innocent DURU n AYELSA State Governor, Hon. Serika Dickson, has been commended for his inclusive policy for non-indigenes in the state. The National President of New Destiny Fellowship of Churches in Nigeria, Bishop Lucky Nwikue Aroh, eulogized the governor yesterday during the just concluded National Conference and Celebration of Bishops / Apostles, held in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital. Speaking after the conference, Bishop Aroh said Governor Dickson is one of the few governors initiating policies that respect all tribes and ethnic groups living in their states. : “The Governor is a humanitarian and a God fearing man who does not look at tribes or ethnicities in caring for the masses. He is so generous to everybody that he even included non Bayelsans into his 2014 pilgrim visit to Jerusalem. “Apart from that the non indigenes in the state are living happily without any harassment. The most important thing is that he also includes them in his numerous policies and programmes. The almighty God has taken his records of all the things he has done for the non indigenes in the state and will reward him accordingly,” he said.

NEWS

THE NATION, SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2014

600 coal miners die waiting for N pension in Enugu

O fewer than 600 pensioners of the Nigerian Coal Corporation (NCC) have died as a result of starvation and illnesses resulting from non-payment of their pension allowances. According to the Chairman of the corporation’s chapter of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners, Comrade Gregory Eze, the pensioners, who he said were being owed 52 months arrears of pension, can no longer take care of their medical bills, as well as take care of their family needs. While lamenting the trend, Eze said the most agonizing of the pensioners’ plight was their ejection from their secretariat of the union,

n Chris OJI, Enugu n situated at 29 Okpara Avenue, Enugu. The building was said to have been bought by the Enugu State government from the Ministry of Mines and Steel Development, the parent body of the NCC. The retired coal miners, numbering about 1200, and mostly illiterates lamented that they spent all their productive years working for the development of the country,

and regretted their being treated as dry grasses by the authorities. While demanding that the Enugu State government should, as a matter of compassion, give the union members an alternative office accommodation their operations, they also urged President Goodluck Jonathan to prevail on the Ministry of Mines and Power to clear the outstanding 52 months of their pension. The retired coal miners also raised the issue of their quarters,

which they said were about to be sold, arguing that the ownership of the quarters was supposed to be transferred to them on the basis of monetization. According to Eze, “Parastatals under the ministry in other places like Aladja, Okaba, Ankpa and some other locations have all their quarters monetized to the retirees occupying them. That is yet to be implemented in Enugu.” The coal corporation pensioners asked President Jonathan to dis-

suade the ministry or whatever agency from going ahead to advertise for the sales of the quarters. “We do not have the wherewithal to match the purchasing power of the politicians. If this is allowed to take place, it means we would be rendered homeless. “We appeal that the quarters be monetized to us. Apart from monetizing the quarters, the government can graciously concede the quarters to us as compensation, having labored and spent productive and active years of our lives in the service of our fatherland. Many of us have lived there for more than 40 years, “pleaded the pensioners.

Group lauds Obi over WASSCE result HE performance of the candidates in Anambra State in the last West African School Certificate Examination has continued to elicit joy among the people of the state and various groups. In a release made available to the press by the Education Awareness and Support Organization (EASO) and signed by its President, Dr. Ambrose Onodunma, the group said it was commendable development that Anambra State, from a state where education had fallen to the lowest level, suddenly picked up to the point that the State took the first position in both WASSCE and NECO examinations in 2013, as well as the 2014 WASSCE examination. The group commended all those that contributed to the sterling performance, especially the former Governor of the State, Mr. Peter Obi. "While commending everybody that contributed to the improved performance of Anambra State in external examinations, we must mention the former Governor of the State, Mr. Peter Obi, because it was his courageous return of schools to the missionaries that is doing the trick. He not only returned schools, but continued to fund both tutorial and non- tutorial staff. He also provided over N8 million for the rehabilitation of returned and public schools."

Former Anambra SSG joins race n Nwanosike ONU, Awka n for senate ORMER Secretary to the Anambra State Government (SSG) under the administration of Dr. Chinwoke Mbadinuju and one-time state chairman of the defunct Social Democratic Party (SDP), Victor Osita Ezenwa, has declared his ambition to contest the Anambra Central senatorial seat. He is to vie on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) with five other aspirants. The other aspirants are Hon Uche Ekwunife currently, representing Anaocha, Njikoka, Dunukofia federal constituency; Chief Kodilichukwu Okelekwe; Lady Christy Okoye and Senator Annie Okonkwo among others in the PDP. Others in the race are Chief Victor Umeh of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and the current holder of the seat, Senator Chris Ngige of the All Progressives Congress (APC). Briefing reporters yesterday at Orofia, Abagana in Njikoka Local Government Area, Ezenwa said he had thrown his hat in the ring to give his people the things that had eluded them in the past. However, he said that what he needed was a level playing ground in the PDP during the primaries, adding that his intention was to empower the helpless people in the area. He said that the race would be a tough one between the APC, PDP and APGA because of the political heavy weights that come from the zone.

FRSC wants motorists to maintain lane discipline HE Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), on Thursday, urged drivers plying all routes in the country to maintain lane discipline in order to reduce road accidents. The FRSC Assistant Corps Marshal, Mr Nseobong Akpabio, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Onitsha, Anambra State, that ``motorists are allowed to use speed lane only when overtaking.'' Akpabio, who is the Zonal Commander in charge of Edo, Delta and Anambra, said that after overtaking any vehicle, the driver must immediately return to the slow lane. ``Each motorist must maintain permissible speed limit on roads as the Corps frowns at lane indiscipline among motorists. ``If all drivers maintain lane discipline, heavy duty vehicles and other vehicles which break down on the roads will not cause any hazard to other road users. ``We want to inform the public that the Corps is determined to ensure sustained enforcement on all routes in order to reduce avoidable road crashes.''

•Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State (left), his deputy, Prof. Amos Utuama (SAN), during the funeral service in honor of Mr. Sunny Ofili in Asaba.

Fire guts Owerri main market RADERS at the popular Owerri Shopping Plaza at Ekeukwu Main Market in Owerri, the Imo State capital were all tears yesterday, following a midnight fire that gutted their shops. The fire, which started around 7.30pm, destroyed goods estimated at over N10m. Among the items destroyed by the fire are Laptops, wrappers, cosmetics, stationeries and mobile phones among others. According to an eyewitness accounts, the fire started after a loud explosion, suspected to have come from wrong electrical connection.

...destroys goods worth N10m n Okodili NDIDI, Owerri n Eyewitnesses’ accounts say that the efforts of the fire fighters who responded to the call to put out the fire were hampered by the police team who shot sporadically into the air to deter hoodlums from looting the shops. Assistant Chief of the Fire Service, Mr. Oliver Odenobi , said his men were already battling the inferno when the tear gas was shot in the air. He said that the quick response by the men of the Fire Service was as result of the distress calls from concerned

Nigerians. He urged the public to always inform them on time whenever there is a fire outbreak, noting that men of the fire service are not magicians and cannot know about a fire emergency unless they are informed on time. When contacted, the Imo State Police Public Relation Officer (PPRO), Mr. Andrew Enwerem, confirmed the incident, adding that police officers at the scene assisted in stopping the fire. He said that investigation was on to unravel the course of the fire, and appealed to members of the public to volunteer information that could assist the Police.

Ohanaeze demands N3trn reparation for Igbo RESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan has been asked to pay a sum of N400 billion to each of the states in the south east as reparation for the Igbos in the country. The Ohanaeze Ndigbo National Committee on Reparation for Igbos in Nigeria made the call during its general meeting, held in Lagos yesterday. The group also requested same for Delta State. In a communiqué signed by the Chairman, Chief Mbazulike Amaechi, President of Ohanaeze in Lagos State, Chief Fabian Onwughalu and other key members of the body, the

n Innocent DURU n committee explained that the demand is justified and will not go away until justice is done. It regretted that past administrations in the country have continued to gloss over “this open wound on Igbos, in spite of panels set up in the past to find closure to this national stain.” It added that the, “Oputa Panel was set up in 1999 to resolve this issue yet the report has over the past 15 years been gathering dust. When General Murtala Mohammed took over power, he recommended the establishment of a new Federal

City in the Eastern Nigeria in the 70s, all with the view of correcting the gross indolence in dispensing the nation’ s strategic resources to benefit massively dislocated Igbo people. “In recent times, the Niger Delta militancy has been rewarded with massive infusion of federal resources to correct the criminal exploitation of the mineral resources in the Niger Delta, resulting in horrendous environmental damages in the area. “The Federal Government has waded into the mayhem created by the Boko Haram insurgency in the North East of Nigeria, with yet again

massive resources as intervention measures to lift the suffering masses of the region.” Wondering why the request has been ignored for so long, the group said: “If all these have been done by the Federal Government for other regions, why is the Igbo’s case different. “We have communicated our demand to President Goodluck Jonathan and duly communicated same to the Senate President and the Speaker of the Federal House of Representatives. We will adopt all legal means nationally and internationally to receive this legitimate demand.”

THE NATION SATURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2014

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2014 TRUTH IN DEFENCE OF FREEDOM VOL.9, NO. 2961

TOMORROWPUNCHLINE IN THE NATION Beyond Ribadu himself, beyond the charisma and mystique that his work at the EFCC created around his personality in Nigeria and in the international community, and indeed beyond the moral implications, there is the crucial issue of what his defection to the ruling party says about the fundamental nature of our political elites in all the ruling class parties, especially the PDP and the APC but not excluding the other parties. —Biodun Jeyifo

recently did a piece in this column titled 'Development Democracy and its Discon tents' in which, I weighed in heavily on the side of the Ogun State governor, Senator IbikunleAmosun, in his running battle with the former governor, AremoOlusegunOsoba and some other politicians within the governing All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state. The reason for my position was simple. I had witnessed first- hand the phenomenal developmental strides achieved in diverse sectors in Ogun state under Amosun, a fact widely testified to within and outside the state. It was my view that, no matter the personal failings and weaknesses of Amosun as a mortal, he ought not to be distracted from his worthy service to the state for partisan political reasons. I argued that democracy could only promote progress and development when high achievers like Amosun are seen as assets to be supported rather than pulled down particularly by forces and tendencies within their own parties. I received scores of reactions to that piece. Some gave uncritical support to my rather harsh criticism of Amosun's opponents within the Ogun APC. It is not impossible that these were hard core and, thus possibly biased supporters of the governor. Some others, however, were of the view that I ought to have been more nuanced in my analysis. They reasoned that all the blame could not be laid at the door steps of Osoba if many other key politicians in the state's APC are equally at loggerheads with Amosun. Since then, the crisis in the Ogun APC has steadily deteriorated. Last weekend, Governor Amosun uncharacteristically granted extensive interviews to several national dailies. Before this he had given the impression of preferring to allow his undeniable achievements speak for him. While articulating the policy conceptualisation, implementation, challenges, projections and attainments of his administration, Amosun also spoke on his relationship with AremoOsoba. He affirmed that he would never fight Osoba whom he respects as his leader. This in itself is an indication of things not being well between the two. On his part, it is speculated strongly that AremoOsoba is set to launch a new political party, the Action Group, to thwart Amosun's re-election for a second term. Of course, the conflict between ex-office holders and incumbents, godfathers and godsons has been a recurrent feature of Nigerian politics since the first republic. The face- off between Chief ObafemiAwolowo as party leader of the Action Group (AG) and LadokeAkintola as Premier of the Western region resulted in the implosion of the party and ultimately the collapse of the first republic. There are indications, that despite Akintola's perceived perfidy, Awolowo with the benefit of hindsight wished the intraparty crisis had been handled differently. Thus, in the second republic, he insisted that

Osoba, Amosun and the Lagos model At the end of the day, Amosun and Osoba do not have to like each other. But it is in their mutual interest to work together or self-destruct separately

‘ •Amosun

•Osoba

the UPN governors must also double as the state chairmen and leaders of the party. He had come to realise through bitter experience that there must be a healthy balance between the desirability of party discipline and loyalty and respect for elected wielders of executive authority on the platform of the party. Should the crisis in the Ogun state APC have been allowed to degenerate to this level? Would this unsavoury situation have been averted through the adoption of the 'Lagos model'? And what is this model? In 2007, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu quit office after serving two terms. He was succeeded by Mr BabatundeRajiFashola (SAN) a focussed, nononsense technocrat. Not being a politician, Fashola had no political structure of his own. Of course, he could have used the immense powers and resources of his office to either hijack the existing structure or create one of his own. Several governors had successfully done this obliterating the political edifice of their predecessors and benefactors. Fashola chose a different course. He refused to be distracted by politics. He focussed in an unprec-

’

edented manner on governance leaving the time and energy consuming intricacies of politics to his predecessor. There thus evolved a healthy division of labour - the governor focussing on development, Tinubu managing the politics. Did BRF, through this attitude, not take an undue risk making his political future vulnerable to forces beyond his control? On the contrary, his spectacular performance made him an invaluable asset to the party. The defunct ACN could not have credibly and logically denied him a second term. Yet, Tinubu could also take tremendous credit not only for laying the foundation for BRF's attainments but also for the prescience of correctly identifying and assessing his successor's exceptional leadership qualities. Were things always rosy and smooth-going between Tinubu and Fahola? That would have been humanly impossible. But I believe that mutual respect, wisdom, tact and the overriding party and state interest were always the balancing factors. Could this model have been adopted in Ogun with Amosun focussing on governance

and Osoba managing the politics? The answer, unfortunately is no. Unlike BRF, Amosun already had a solid political structure before becoming governor. Amosun was an elected Senator between 2003 and 2007. His structure is acknowledged to have played a pivotal role in OtunbaGbenga Daniel's emergence as governor in 2003. He made a spirited bid for the office against OGD in 2007. His formidable political structure was a major, pragmatic consideration in Amosun'sbeing chosen to fly the ACN governorship ticket in 2011. The first problem was that Amosun had to play a delicate balancing act between his own political structure coming in from the ANPP and the existing ACN structure on the ground. Neither Osoba nor Amosun could have realistically abandoned control of the political terrain entirely to the other. It could not be a winwin situation for both. The second complication was Amosun's decision to adopt a technocratic approach to governance. Thus, his cabinet largely comprises technocrats rather than hard core politicians. Thus, his critics contend that at least five local government areas are not represented in his cabinet. Again, the sheer ambitious scale of the projects embarked upon by his administration has drastically reduced the funds available for political patronage. This may be good for governance but it is dangerous for politics. For, the implication is that disenchanted and demotivated politicians will readily gravitate towards Amosun's opponents either within the APC or in other parties. Amosun's media interviews indicate his confidence that he will win re-election on the basis of his impressive performance record. But then, why go into an election with a divided house? Yes, the governor is justified to be concerned and preoccupied about winning a second term to consolidate on his current efforts. But he also has a historic responsibility to do all in his power to bequeath to posterity a progressive party platform that is stronger and more cohesive than he met it. That is the best way to ensure that his legacy endures and is sustained beyond his personal tenure in office.At the end of the day, Amosun and Osoba do not have to like each other. But it is in their mutual interest to work together or self-destruct separately. Surely, it should not be impossible for Amosun to demonstrate respect for Osoba as his political leader not just in words but also in deeds. And AremoOsoba is politically mature and experienced enough to know that an incumbent governor also deserves a reasonable degree of respect and operational latitude. In the final analysis, the crises in the Ogun, Oyo and other chapters of the APC indicate the absence of an effective conflict monitoring, prevention and resolution mechanism within the party that must be addressed urgently.

Ade Ojeikere on Saturday talk2adeojeikere@yahoo.com

Good luck Eagles

RDINARILY, this column should have focused on Super Eagles’ game against Congo Brazzaville in Calabar today and the next tie against Bafana Bafana in Cape Town, South Africa on September 10. This column ought to have examined those picked for the two matches to find out if our coaches learnt anything from the Eagles’ World Cup outings in Brazil. I would also have looked at the propriety in asking Stephen Keshi to handle the team pro bono, as if we have not seen coaches renegotiate their contracts without leaving the team in limbo, like the Big Boss did until recently. I would have chastised goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama for choosing club over country with his laughable excuse for missing today’s game. In as much as the timing of Enyeama’s pullout was wrong, it also showed the goalkeeper as one who isn’t sure of how well the team would prosecute the two matches, given the impasse at the Glasshouse. I know that Enyeama must surely play for

his French side next weekend, because he dares not give any flimsy excuse to his coaches. Perhaps, the Eagles coaches should shut the door against Enyeama in subsequent matches to allow other goalkeepers gain confidence by manning the goalpost in his absence. What does family issues mean? He should be stripped of the Eagles captainship. Put simply, Enyeama dodged the two games. He should be left out completely in this campaign. Enyeama must be told that he got the European contract playing for Nigeria at international competitions. But would you blame Enyeama when those who held us hostage in Namibia and Brazil are being treated like kings? It is a pity that this needless feud at the Glasshouse has once again stopped the move to get the Eagles’ coaches and players to sign the Code of Conduct document that would clearly spell out the team’s dos and don’t. One is pained that we have a rudderless NFF as it were arising from this crisis, otherwise, we ought to be talking about confronting the Congolese with a larger number of

graduates from our junior national teams, not this vicious recycling of players who won’t be worth our while ahead of the 2018 World Cup. If we are not careful, a boy such as Kelechi Iheanacho won’t play for the Super Eagles due to his fast growth, especially with the type of coaches that we have in the team who can’t handle successful players plying their trade in bigger European clubs. It is only in a country like ours that Ihenancho isn’t in Calabar to destroy the Congolese today. The argument that the coaches should be given a freehand to pick their players is bunkum because we are seeing Iheanacho’s mates in other countries being integrated into their senior national teams. For instance, Neymar was in Lagos for the 2007 U-17 World Cup. Brazil didn’t get to the finals but Neymar was outstanding even as a substitute. Today, Neymar is a world class star while his contemporaries in the Golden Eaglets that finished as runners up haven’t been able to make the Super Eagles. Eagles’ coaches need to explain to us why Ihenanacho wasn’t considered for these

two games? He has been outstanding for Manchester City. He isn’t in the first 11 because of his age. This certainly isn’t the reason why the coaches left him out of this squad. Or is it? What a country. A polity where we strive to stand truth on its head, yet we expect such reforms to produce the desired changes. We seek to propagate personal interests above national issues, even if it means destroying all that we have gained in the past. Little wonder, the common phrase among our leaders when they get into such positions is “we will go back to the drawing board.” Hmm! I wonder what is left of this drawing board. It must be in tatters now with our jaded reforms meant to feed the interest of those who put them there. Since our celebrated second round appearance at the Mundial in 1994, our football has known no peace. Rather than face the task of ensuring that the business of a flawless participation of our athletes at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, the sports minister chose to direct the affairs of NFF that had barely 40 days left in its tenure. Why the minister was in such a hurry to install his man

•Continued on Page 8

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