The Nation September 14, 2014 by The Nation

THE NATION ON SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 14, 2014

HE fourth edition of the pro- Jonathan rally organised by Transformation Ambassadors of Nigeria (TAN) almost turned tragic yesterday in Minna, Niger State. A N10million podium on which eminent supporters including the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF),Chief Pius Anyim, Niger State Governor, Babangida Aliyu, Sokoto State Deputy Governor, Mukhtar Shagari and Kogi State Deputy Governor, Yomi Awoniyi, and several ministers were seated for the rally at the Trade Fair Complex unexpectedly gave way, sparking pandemonium. They scampered to safety. Several people were injured. Among them were the governor’s wife, Hajiya Jumai Babangida Aliyu, her protocol officer, Senatorelect for Niger East, Dr. Shem Zagbayi Nuhu, the state Director General of Protocol, Captain M. Baro, the Director General, Public Affairs, Alhaji Tanko Dada and security officials. Some of the injured were ferried by the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) ambulances to a private hospital and the Minna General Hospital. Some of the dignitaries and supporters saw the development as a bad omen and left the venue. As the crowd began to thin out, Governor Aliyu

Jonathan’s re-election rally: Anyim, Aliyu, Shagari escape death Jide Orintunsin, Minna

took the microphone and appealed to them to return. He asked them to regard the incidence as a sacrifice and sign of success and victory for President Jonathan. He blamed the collapse of the stand on the huge crowd. “The place was overcrowded by dignitaries, their security and protocol officers. That was why the podium caved in,” he said. The Senator representing the Federal Capital Territory, Mr. Gabriel Aduda, said the situation was brought about by the devil. “Whatever happened here, the devil is a liar. No weapon fashioned against us and Jonathan shall succeed. What happened was because the crowd was too much,” he said. Addressing the rally after a break, Information Minister, Labaran Maku, said that the entire North is set to retain President Goodluck Jonathan in Aso Rock next year. He dismissed Northerners opposed to a fresh mandate for the President as insignificant.

•Dignitaries injured as podium caves-in •North will vote Jonathan, says Maku He said such opponents were “just babbling,” adding that “everyone knows the North is ready to give the President a chance without quarrel or struggle. “Everyone knows that the power shift in Nigeria is eight years, it is only the Southsouth that has not been in power before. All, other zones in Nigeria have been in power. “So why should we say their son should not serve for eight years when others did? These are the people who are keeping our economy going; people who want national

unity and stability. “President Goodluck Jonathan is entitled to four more years and the North is ready to give it to him without quarrel or struggle. The North will vote for Jonathan in 2015 and wherever the North Central goes, that is the way Nigeria goes. North Central will vote for President Goodluck Jonathan in 2015 overwhelmingly.” Also speaking, the SGF said over 1.2 million people from the zone endorsed the President for another term. Governor Aliyu said that the administration has united

Nigeria and has been doing its best to resolve the security challenge in the country. He said:”People are planning to use insecurity as an issue against us. We know it is an issue, we are concerned about the devastation on a part of the nation but we are trying to ensure that insecurity is surmounted within the shortest time. “God has used President Jonathan to unite Nigeria and He would continue to use him to take this nation forward.” The rally organisers in a statement at the end of the event said the VIP stand col-

lapsed “due to overcrowding” as the aides of VIPs wanted to stay with their bosses. It said: “Some of the aides sustained minor injuries and were treated. The ceremony continued as the VIPs were relocated immediately to the rally podium and the function continued. “Before the ceremony ended the SGF and the Governor sent for situation report from the hospital on the injured and they came back that most of the affected people have been treated and discharged.” TAN Director of Communications, Dr. Udenta O. Udenta, described the incidence as unfortunate but noted that it did not diminish the ceremony.

I was the target of attack, TB Joshua alleges •17 dead, 119 injured

EAD of The Synagogue Church of All Nations, Prophet T B Joshua, yesterday declared that the collapse of a section of the church complex, which occurred Friday afternoon was beyond the allegation of structural defects. He said he may indeed have been the target of those behind the dastardly attack on the church. Speaking to journalists after a CCTV footage of events leading to the building collapse was shown to journalists at the church premises, yesterday, Joshua said the helicopter, which eyewitness swore was a military helicopter, had earlier begun circling around his prayer ground, where he usually retreats to for spiritual upliftment a few distance from the church location as early as 10am. Not paying much attention to it, he said, he left the site and headed for the church complex to freshen up, only to be notified that the plane had also stopped circulating and headed towards the location of the church. Not long after, he said, he also got a security report from his officials that a ‘plane’ was sighted hovering over one of the buildings in the complex. He said the ‘plane’ circulated four times before the building suddenly collapsed at exactly 12.44 pm. The video footage actually showed the plane hovering above the five-storey building said to be an accommodation facility, first at 11.30, and then four times within three minutes. The helicopter then came back

By Gboyega Alaka

again circled the building again and left. At exactly 12.44 when it looked like it was all over, the building suddenly came down, collapsing all at once. According to some officials of the church and eyewitnesses, the building collapse looked very much like chemicalised demolition and may yet be a new dimension in the terror onslaught that the country has found itself. Apologising for the hostile treatment said to have been meted out to the media on the day of the incident by church members and security operatives attached to the church, Joshua said the reason he did not make any official statement on Friday was because he did not want to create any panic or an impression that terrorists have invaded Lagos. He also said that the video footage was there to corroborate his point, while also declaring that if indeed it was a terrorist attack, the perpetrators are not likely to stop with Friday’s incident. Asked to comment on the number of casualties, the prophet simply said ‘rescue mission was still ongoing.’ One of the church officials, who craved anonymity, however, told this reporter that nearly all the people in the building had been pulled out and that “miraculously, nearly all survived”. One of the NEMA officials on site was, however, overheard saying that about 17 deaths had been recorded, with about 119 injured.

•The carcass of commercial buses after an accident on the Lagos Ibadan Express Road yesterday (Inset) footwears of some of the PHOTO: OLUSEGUN RAPHEAL victims.

EATH toll on the side of Boko Haram in the Konduga, Borno State battle has reached 200, it was gathered yesterday. Latest report on the clash in which soldiers repelled the sect’s advance on Maiduguri, the state capital, said a Boko Haram commander known only as Amir was among the dead. Also killed, according to Associated Press (AP), were a video camera man working for the sect, and a suicide bomber. The military is intensifying the air strikes on Bama, Gwoza, and Madagali axis in hot pursuit of the insurgents. Military sources said preliminary mop up of the Friday operation in Konduga indicated that the insurgents lost over 200 members. But only four soldiers were wounded in the three-hour encounters in Konduga. The claims could not be independently verified last night. It was also gathered that a large cache of arms was recovered from the fallen and fleeing insurgents in Konduga. These include three Hilux vehicles and one Buffalo, three General Purpose Machine guns, over 30 AK 47 rifles and

vKonduga battle: Boko Haram commander killed •Death toll reaches 200 •Air strikes continue as troops secure Konduga •30 AK 47 rifles, 3GPM guns, four vehicles recovered From Yusuf Alli, Managing Editor, Northern Operation and agency report

two global positioning systems. It was learnt that the military has adopted a “no retreat, no surrender” method against the insurgents. Konduga, sources said, has been fully secured by the troops who made headway on Friday with more military hardware including sophisticated jets and battle-inclined helicopters. The troops are said to be continuing their air strikes on the camps and cells of Boko Haram in Bama, Gwoza in Borno State and vulnerable points in Adamawa State. The source said: “The mopup operation has shown that more than 200 insurgents were killed in Konduga. Among those who fell in Konduga was one of the ace commanders of

the sect. “Four Nigerian soldiers were wounded in action. The entire area is still being combed for terrorists who may have escaped with bullet wounds. Morale of Nigerian troops remains very high, according to the military sources. “We have also recovered many arms and ammunition from the fallen and fleeing insurgents. Some of these are three Hilux and one Buffalo vehicles with mounted Antiaircraft guns, three General Purpose Machine guns, over 30 AK 47 rifles and two global positioning systems among other items. “We have decided to release some of the pictures only for the purpose of reassuring our compatriots that the military is capable and ready to defend them.” Another military source

also indicated that troops are making further inroads in Bama and Gwoza with air strikes. The second source said: “Troops have launched intense air strikes on Bama, Gwoza and all known cells and camps of the insurgents in that axis. Jet fighters are taking charge in Madagali, Gulak and other vulnerable towns and villages in Adamawa State. “Within the next few days, we will take over these towns. You see, these insurgents relocated to Gwoza because Sambisa Forest is no longer habitable in the rainy season like this. We will smoke them out wherever they are. “We know they will be plotting reprisals but we are more prepared for them than they would imagine. In fact, the air strikes have devastated and disorganised their rank and file.”

THE NATION ON SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 14, 2014

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Soyinka to Jonathan: Bring back N our honour OBEL Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, yesterday called for an international panel to probe all allegations made by the Australian negotiator, Reverend Stephen Davis about suspected sponsors of the Islamic sect, Boko Haram in Nigeria. The status or office of any accused should not matter in the probe, he said in a statement on the state of the nation. Davies, who recently met with Boko Haram leaders in the course of negotiating for the release of the over 200 school girls abducted by Boko Haram in Borno State, had insinuated that former Governor Ali Modu Sheriff and the immediate past Chief of Army Staff, General Azubuike Ihejirika were backing the sect. The duo separately denied the allegation, with the Department of State Security (DSS) categorically exonerating Ihejirika from any involvement with Boko Haram. It, however, said it was in-

vestigating Sheriff who, a few days later, was on the entourage of President Goodluck Jonathan in Chad. The presidency claimed, in reaction to criticism, that Sheriff was not on the entourage and that he was merely in Chad on a private visit and only went to the Ndjamena Airport to receive the president. Soyinka, in his statement entitled ‘The Wages of Impunity’, vouched for Davis’ integrity, having worked with him on the Niger Delta crisis in the past. “As I revealed in earlier statements, I have interacted with the late National Security Adviser, General Azazi, on occasion – among others. I am therefore compelled to warn that anything that Stephen Davis claims to have uncovered cannot be dismissed out of hand. It cannot be wished away by foulmouthed abuse and cheap attempts to impugn his integrity – that is an absolute waste of time and effort,” he said. He said the evidence

•Calls for international probe of Sheriff, Ihejirika against Sheriff is overwhelming and threw his weight behind Lagos lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN), and civic organisations to “go ahead and invoke the legal recourses available to him to force Sheriff’s prosecution.” He added: “The evidence in possession of security agencies - plus a number of diplomats in Nigeria - is overwhelming, and all that is left is to let the man face criminal persecution. It is certain he will also take many others down with him. “Regarding General Ihejirika, I have my own theories regarding how he may have come under Stephen Davis’ searchlight in the first place, ending up on his list of the inculpated. All I shall propose at this stage is that

an international panel be set up to examine all allegations, irrespective of status or office of any accused.” Soyinka deplored last week’s mimicking of the hashtag –BRING BACK OUR GIRLS – by President Jonathan’s supporters who erected BRINK BACK JONATHAN 2015 giant billboards in strategic parts of Abuja. The president ordered their removal in the face of severe criticism from home and abroad but an unimpressed Soyinka said yesterday that the damage has already been done and “the rot in a nation’s collective soul bared to the world. “The very possibility of such a desecration took the Nigerian nation several

notches down in human regard. It confirmed the very worst of what external observers have concluded and despaired of - a culture of civic callousness, a coarsening of sensibilities and, a general human disregard. “It affirmed the acceptance, even domination of lurid practices where children are often victims of unconscionable abuses including ritual sacrifices, sexual enslavement, and worse. Spurred by electoral desperation, a bunch of selfseeking morons and sycophants chose to plumb the abyss of self-degradation and drag the nation down to their level. It took us to a hitherto unprecedented low in ethical degeneration. The bets were placed on whose turn would it be to take the next potshots at innocent youths in captivity whose society and governance have failed them and blighted their existence?” He would not buy the explanation offered by the Presidency on the presence of Sheriff at the Ndjamena

meeting between President Jonathan and his host, President Idris Deby, and posed the following questions: How come it that a suspected affiliate of a deadly criminal gang, publicly under such ominous cloud, had the confidence to smuggle himself into the welcoming committee of another nation, and even appear in audience, to all appearance a cohost with the president of that nation? Where does the confidence arise in him that Jonathan would not snub him openly or, after the initial shock, pull his counterpart, his official host aside and say to him, “Listen, it’s him, or me.”? He said: “In the meantime however, as we twiddle our thumbs, wondering when and how this nightmare will end, and time rapidly runs out, I have only one admonition for the man to whom so much has been given, but who is now caught in the depressing spiral of diminishing returns: “Bring Back Our Honour.”

Sheriff not on Jonathan’s entourage to Chad, PDP insists

•Left, Vice Chairman, Ibadan Business School (IBS), Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN), Chairman, Prof. Oladapo Afolabi, President, Yinka Fasuyi and Board Member, Dr. Adebayo Jimoh at the media briefing on partnership between IBS and World Bank, held at Lagos Airport Hotel, Lagos at the weekend

Dickson blasts senator over disaffection with Jonathan

OVERNOR Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State has lifted the lid on the much speculated disaffection between him and President Goodluck Jonathan. He is blaming a Senator said to be close to the president for engineering the rift. Dickson also accused the senator whom he did not name of plotting to destabilise his government by misrepresenting him before the president. The governor, who was responding to questions at the just-concluded transparency briefing in Yenagoa at the weekend said some Abuja-based politicians from the state had made it their past time to spread rumour about his administration with a view to distracting the people, and creating confusion in the state. He, however, said that such politicians would not

•PDP says First Lady not hijacking it succeed in breaking up the relationship between him and the president, whose political son he claimed to be. He said: “I don’t dwell on rumour. If I listen to rumour, we will not be where we are today in this state. There are people who have appetite for rumour mongering and all they do is to spread small stories around without knowing that I am the president’s first son politically. “We don’t talk while we are working because it is our work that will speak for us. We are busy in the engine room and some people are abusing the work. Most of the rumour mongers want to reap where they did not sow. “In Imo State, and other non-PDP states, the senators assist the president, but in our own Bayelsa, it is not

like that. A senator (I won’t mention his name) claims to be living inside Mr. President’s bedroom. “But what has he done for the people? He is busy building houses and spreading rumour that there is hunger back home.” Meanwhile, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Bayelsa State has denied speculations that the First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, is in the process of hijacking the party machinery ahead of the 2016 governorship election. The party in a statement by its state Chairman, Col. Sam Inokoba (rtd), described the alleged moves as the handiwork of mischief makers. Inokoba referred to the state PDP as a formidable family adding that the report was designed to disrupt the

existing peace and cordial relationship between the first family and Governor Seriake Dickson. He said that Dickson has remained resolute in his commitment in promoting an allinclusive, peaceful and stable polity in the state. He said: “Governor Dickson remains the leader of the party and we are not aware of any plan of any person or group of persons to hijack the structure of the party from him. “There is cordial relationship between the president and the governor contrary to the report being orchestrated by some elements that do not mean well for the state.” To demonstrate its support for the president and the governor, he said the state leadership of the party recently passed a vote of confidence in Dickson and Jonathan.

HE Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday described the All Progressives Congress’ criticism of the alleged participation of Senator Ali Modu Sheriff at the recent meeting between President Goodluck Jonathan and President Idris Deby of Chad in Ndjamena as repulsive and utterly despicable. The PDP insisted, in a statement in Abuja, that the former Borno State governor was not part of the president’s entourage to that country. The presidency itself said during the week that Sheriff did not go to Chad with Jonathan. PDP’s National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh, in a statement yesterday in Abuja accused the APC of sponsoring fabrications in the media about the Jonathan-Sheriff rapport. “The refusal of the APC to shed its taste for lying, spreading of falsehood and attacks on individuals as means of achieving political control in spite of several counsels by well-meaning

From Gbade Ogunwale, Assistant Editor, Abuja

Nigerians,” he said. “Now that it has become incontrovertible that Senator Sheriff was not on the entourage of the president, we ask: was the APC release an issue of dishing out statements without cross-checking the facts or that of a desperate opposition party adopting the combination of lies, deceit and inciting of people as operational creed to hide its sinister agenda? “The APC has again displayed its lack of integrity and penchant for falsehood for which it has become repugnant to Nigerians. It is appalling that the opposition party has remained a camp of dishonest lot whose statements cannot be trusted. “We have before us individuals who most likely are used to concocting damaging stories even against their spouses and friends. This despicable trait must be dropped and should not transcend to fabricating destructive lies capable of tarnishing the image of our own dear nation.”

Boko Haram attacks market near Maiduguri

OKO Haram insurgents attacked a market some 20 kilometres from Maiduguri, the Borno State capital at the weekend as soldiers battled the sect in Konduga. The attack on Ngom village was apparently to distract the army from the Konduga battle in which about 200 insurgent reportedly lost their lives. Witnesses said about 50 gunmen on motorbikes stormed the weekly market in Ngom at about 1:00 pm on Friday and opened fire, they said. Agence France Presse (AFP) quoted a fleeing resident, Tanimu Goni, as saying “They (Boko Haram) came on motorcycles and opened fire

on the market. They killed many people.” Another trader, Nafiu Umarari, said: “They fired indiscriminately and killed a lot of people.” Neither witness gave a precise figure and there was no official word from the military The men said the insurgents seized vehicles and looted sacks of grain before fleeing but were pursued by a team of soldiers and civilian vigilantes from Maiduguri. “The soldiers and the civilian (vigilantes) succeeded in killing dozens of the Boko Haram fighters but many of them escaped into the bush,” Goni said in an account supported by Umarari.

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THE NATION ON SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 14, 2014

BENJAMIN ADEKUNLE 1936-2014

War hero Benjamin Adekunle dies at 78

NE of the country's most accomplished strategists and celebrated hero of the Nigerian Civil War, Brigadier General Benjamin Maja Adekunle died yesterday in the course of a protracted illness. The Black Scorpion, as he was affectionately called in recognition of his war exploits, was aged 78. News of his passing away was broken by his widow, Folake, in a text message yesterday. She wrote: "This is Folake Adekunle, GEB Adekunle's wife. I just want to inform u that GEN Adekunle died this morning." As news of his demise spread, prominent Nigerians including his colleagues in the army began paying tribute to his memory. President Goodluck Jonathan called him one of the most celebrated military commanders of his generation while former President Olusegun Obasanjo said his contribution during the civil war would not be forgotten in a hurry. For APC leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, he is a generalissimo and one of the most remarkable icons of Nigeria's military history. Senate President David Mark, a retired soldier described him as one man who fought vehemently to keep the nation untied. The President said Adekunle achieved national fame during the Nigerian civil war for his gallant leadership of the 3rd Marine Commandoes in the successful effort to defend the unity and territorial integrity of the country. His war heroics, President Jonathan added, made him easily one of the most celebrated military commanders of his generation, and have ensured that he will always be honoured and remembered as a valiant soldier who served his fatherland exceptionally well at a very trying time in its history. He enjoins the Adekunle family, friends, former military colleagues and all who mourn his passing to also give thanks to God for blessing the nation with fearless soldiers and patriots of his calibre who stand ready to lay down their lives for the peace, unity and progress of their country. President Jonathan prayed that God Almighty might comfort the grieving family and associates. Chief Obasanjo who was Adekunle's contemporary in the army said he was shocked by the development. Adekunle's exit, according to him, will leave a vacuum very difficult to fill. Obasanjo described the deceased as a "friend, colleague and course mate," adding that his contribution during the Civil War was no mean effort, which would also be remembered for long a time. He recalled that both of them trained together as young soldiers in Ghana. Obasanjo succeeded Adekunle at the 3rd Marine Commandoes during the war. Tinubu in a statement entitled 'General Benjamin Adekunle: The Generalissimo has fallen', said he was

*He's one of the most celebrated military commanders of his generation, says Jonathan *He can't be forgotten in a hurry -Obasanjo *He's a soldier's soldier -Tinubu By Dare Odufowokan, Assistant Editor/ Joe Agbro/Ernest Nwokolo/Onyedi Ojiabor

saddened by his demise. His words: "The Civil War Hero was a Soldier's Soldier. He was a man of valour and unimaginable bravery. Lionhearted and a leader of men. He served his Fatherland devotedly and without question when we most needed him. "Like most great men, he was greatly misunderstood. His flamboyant and outspoken nature made him a colourful character. However,

that never stopped him from emerging as one of the most remarkable icons in Nigeria's military history. "The "Black Scorpion" was a man of uncommon intelligence and fierce determination. On the battle field, he had no equal. He represented the best generation of our military personnel. The ones who refused to back down from any enemy; who put their very

existence on the line for our continued coexistence. "Of all of Gen. Adekunle's qualities, it is his loyalty to the flag that I most admire. He was a worthy ambassador of his people and a great example in service. He led from the front. "Let it be said of Gen. Adekunle: 'Here is a man who gave his country the best of his life.' May his warrior soul find rest. And I pray his wife family find the fortitude to bare the irreparable loss." Senate President David Mark said Adekunle was a success in all ramifications of his military career.

Mark, who retired from the army as brigadier-general like Adekunle recalled the role late Adekunle played during the Civil war, saying: "He led the Third Marine Commando Division with such great panache and determination and precision. "He was a father, a brother, a substantive army General and a patriotic Nigerian. We are pained at the news of his death." "Even in death, Nigerians will forever be grateful for the services Late Adekunle rendered for the nation's unity," Mark noted. He asked the Federal Government and the Oyo State Government to immortalize the late General as a morale booster to our service men who are placed in harm's way for us to have a peaceful nation.

It was all quiet at his Eric Moore Close, Surulere, Lagos residence yesterday after news of his death broke. When The Nation got to the modest bungalow, the few relatives gathered there said the widow was not in the right frame of mind to speak to journalists. "Yes, she is inside but she cannot attend to you now. Please bear with us, she is being attended to by her people," they said. When, The Nation put a call across to Mrs. Folake Adekunle on her mobile phone, she simply said: "it happened this morning (Saturday). He is dead. He died this morning. Sorry I cannot say more. I am still too shocked to say anything. Thank you." A male relative who said the family would meet soon on the burial arrangement. "The incident just happened. As you can see, not many people are aware yet. There are things we need to do first as a family. Those are the things we are doing now. We will talk to the press. Somebody will talk to the press but not now," he explained. General Adekunle had been ill for some time now. His condition degenerated so much mid last year that his son, Biodun ,had to go public for government and the army to come to his aid. He was born on June 26, 1936 in Kaduna to an Ogbomoso father and a Bachama (in Adamawa State) mother. He joined the army in 1957. He served as Aide-decamp to former Governor of the old Eastern Region, Dr. Akanu Ibiam. He was pioneer Commander of the 3rd Marine Commando during the war and was compulsorily retired from the army in 1974.

I was his shoe shine boy -Uduaghan • Front view of Benjamin Adekunle’s deserted residence in Surulere, Lagos yesterday. INSET: Late Adekunle

PHOTO: OLUSEGUN RAPHAEL

Aregbesola commiserates with Adekunle family T

HE Osun State Governor, Rauf Aregbesola, has commiserated with the family of the Nigeria's civil war hero, Brig. Gen. Benjamin Adekunle (retd), popularly known as Black Scorpion who died yesterday in Lagos. In a statement by his Director, Bureau of Communication and Strategy, Mr. Semiu Okanlawon, the governor said the death of Adekunle has closed a long chapter in the history of the nation as it relates to the Nigerian civil war.

From Adesoji Adeniyi, Osogbo

Aregbesola said Adekunle played a crucial role in the civil war that almost liquidated the Nigerian nationhood. The governor noted that irrespective of what some people might believe or not believe about the deceased, Adekunle played a vital role in making sure Nigeria remained a united country. He said: "We receive with

heavy heart the death of one of Nigeria's finest soldiers who fought for the unity of his country. No doubt, he was a soldier of soldiers and commander of men. He distinguished himself in his chosen profession both at home and abroad. "Adekunle led the Third Marine Commando Division during the civil war with such great courage and determination. Up till today, his war exploits in the

command of the Third Marine remains a subject of discussion across Nigeria and beyond. "The history of postindependent Nigeria and the crises that threatened the young nation's existence will be incomplete without a chapter for this courageous soldier. "We, the government and people of Osun, convey our heartfelt condolences to the immediate and extended families of Adekunle, and the government and people of Oyo State. We pray that God repose his gentle soul in paradise."

He was dedicated, patriotic, says Soun of Ogbomoso

HE Soun of Ogbomoso land, Oba Jimoh Ajagungbade III, has described the late Gen Benjamin Adekunle, who died yesterday as a patriotic, dedicated and upright Nigerian who fought tirelessly and victoriously to ensure the unity of the country.

By Bode Durojaiye

According to the monarch, "Nigerians and indeed the people Ogbomoso would forever remember the brave soldier and dogged fighter for his uncompromising love for his fatherland."

The late war hero held the traditional title of Asipa of Ogbomoso land from where he hailed. When our reporter visited the town yesterday, the people wore mournful look as cross section of them were seen in groups discussing the death of the man most of them described as a "gallant warrior".

One of the residents and a community leader, Dapo Atanda, a lawyer lamented that the name of the gallant soldier was omitted from national merit awards of the country. He regretted that despite Adekunle's selfless service to the country, he was never accorded any honour let alone appreciated for his unprecedented gallantry.

ELTA State Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, has disclosed that he was the late war hero’s shoe shine boy in Sapele during the Nigerian Civil War. The governor had in an interview in 2012 told an online p u b l i c a t i o n , www.todaysnigeria.com: "My father was Chief Edmund Dudu Uduaghan. He died some years back. He was a policeman for several years. He retired as Inspector after 33 years in the Police Force and became a chief of the Warri kingdom. "I remember an incident during the Nigerian Civil War when the Biafran soldiers occupied part of Midwest. All the policemen sent their families home. Because when the Biafran soldiers come, the first place they capture is the police station. They were there for some weeks until the federal soldiers came to liberate Sapele. Since the whole family had gone to the village, I was the only one living with him in the barracks. "Opposite where we were staying was the Inspectors' House which Brigadier-Gen. Benjamin Adekunle took over and was staying there. For the few days he stayed there, he would bring his boots out and I would go and pick it and clean it and shine it, because he said he loved the way I used to shine my father's shoes."

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THE NATION ON SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 14, 2014

BENJAMIN ADEKUNLE 1936 - 2014

WAS born in Kaduna on the 26th of June I936, the fifth in a line of six children born by Amina Theodora to a polygamous husband, Thomas Adekunle. My father, a native of Ogbomoso, was domiciled in Kaduna as early as 1908. He had met my mother in her hometown Numan, during one of his sojourns to the Adamawa Province and married her in 1919. She was a member of the Bachama Tribe, an ethnic group noted for their fighting abilities. As one of the earliest converts to Christianity in her area, my mother was a staunch Christian. She succeeded in converting my father Thomas to Christianity in the course of their courtship and we were raised as Anglicans. According to the legend repeatedly narrated to me by elderly female relations during my childhood, the circumstances surrounding my early entry into the world were somewhat portentous. They said I overstayed my time in my mother’s womb by two months. Moreover, I am reported to have vacated this comfortable abode only after a series of local birth attendants had exhausted their entire repertoire of childbirth skills. These tales meant little to me at the time, but their chief significance was the special attention it secured for me from my family, particularly from my mother. Both my father and grandfather served in the colonial army. My father later entered the carpentry trade where he made a sufficiently good living to fend for his large family of two wives (he later married a second wife, Christianity non-withstanding), a dozen children and numerous relatives. We all lived in the sprawling house that he built in the Kaduna Township. By 1945, at age nine, I had enough of both school and my unsatisfactory home life. The death of my father in this year strengthened my resolve to take matters into my own hands. I resolved to leave home and look for someone to serve, in exchange for educational support. On the chosen night, I gathered my few belongings and ran away from my brother’s home. After several days on the streets, I found my way to one Reverend Ayiogu whom I persuaded to employ me as a domestic servant at the rate of one Shilling and six pence a month. With the assistance of the police, my elder brother soon traced me to my new living quarters. However, all entreaties, commands, cajolery and threats directed at me by the police officers, relations, and the Reverend to return with my brother fell on deaf ears; with Reverend Ayiogu I would remain or vanish again. From this period, the influences to which I was exposed were more stabilizing. The Reverend proved to be a decent man and I lived with him for two years. By 1947, I came under the protection of a new Master. Under his guidance, I earned a scholarship to Dekina Primary School in Kwara State. My new Master was an extraordinary man though unimposing in appearance. In all the years I spent in the home of Mr. Quinni, a native of Ugep and employee of the Igala Native Authority, he never once raised his voice in anger. He was scrupulously just in his dealings with all persons around him. He was gifted with a formidable intellect, which was brought to bear in every situation. I was fascinated by his ability to win any argument by rigorous analysis. By the time he reached his conclusion, the parties present had little option but to agree, regardless of their own initial positions or whether his conclusion, conflicted with their own interests. It was for this reason that his polygamous home was calm, stable, and peaceful. Mr. Quinni taught me the strength in meekness, the honour in humility, and the dignity in labor. If I have not always succeeded in exhibiting these qualities, he blessed me with the ability to appreciate and esteem them in others. Under his influence, I thrived at my new school (Dekina Primary School) to the extent that my progress caught the attention of the Head Master, Mr.

My personal recollections of the war, by Benjamin Adekunle By Benjamin Adekunle

Dokpong. Among my schoolmates at Dekina was the one time Director of the Nigerian Twelve Corps Service, Colonel Ahmadu Ali, who is still a friend. I passed the entrance examination to Okene Middle School in 1951and left Dekina with many happy memories. After my primary education, my relatives in Idah attempted to reassert their claims over me. According to their plans, I was to stop my schooling and be apprenticed in the family trade of carpentry. Needless to say, I vehemently resisted this plan as my years with Mr. Quinni had the effect of drilling in me, a powerful thirst and respect for western education. My stubbornness on this point served to severe all pretense of supervision over my welfare by my guardians. It was now clear to all that I was on my own. I was given to understand that I should expect no support from them. I steeled my mind to fend for myself, to plough a lonely furrow and take life as it came. Fortunately, for me those were the days of free education. To Okene Middle School I went. I met other interesting characters such as Mr. Bolujoko whom we had nicknamed ‘the black horse of Okene Rock.’ Though an almost fanatical disciplinarian, Mr. Bolujoko like my former Master, possessed the ability to inspire the best in anyone and nurture the person’s more positive qualities. Despotic though he was, he personified to his students the modernized and educated man. In addition to academic development, Mr. Bolujoko took great interest in the spiritual development of his students. My Military Career I enlisted in tile Nigerian Army in 1957 immediately after I finished my school certificate examination. The idea of beginning ‘life’ at once, without the suspense and irritating interlude of University strongly appealed to me, a young man without the luxurious backdrop of a solicitous family. Large or small, I had already proved my physical mettle on a thousand occasions; why not I reasoned, fight for a worthy cause - in the service of my fatherland? With the images of the confident giants of 1945 in my head, I departed for Lagos after my final examination and found my way to the Apapa cantonment. The first hurdle in my chosen career was the stiff entrance examination. At the succeeding interview, numerous white-headed expatriate military officers gave me the grilling of my life. The Nigerian army was then in its infancy and placed every conceivable impediment to dissuade aspirants from making the army a career. These obstacles did not daunt me. We were then made to undergo physical exercises. I found these exercises hilarious. I was given size 12 boots (I take a size 6); and oversized clothing. For a joke, I put them on and appeared at the venue to the vast amusement of the other boys. Notwithstanding my deficiency in size, the Army accepted me. Reflecting on Africa’s propensity for coups in the post-independence era, I sometimes felt that it could be traced to some extent, to the feelings of indispensability that was nurtured in cadets at this stage of our training. Time without number, the importance of our roles in shaping the future of our nations was impressed on the minds of young military officers. This was not done with any sinister motive, but certainly, the orientation we were given was capable of sowing seeds of the ‘messiah complex’ in some of the cadets that passed through the institution. Also of some significance I believe, were subconscious feelings of competitiveness among the officers. If former course mates could successfully execute a coup

in their countries, who wanted to be caught lagging? On January 15, 1966, Nzeogwu implemented his coup. In my opinion, there was a domino effect on the rest of Africa following the one in Nigeria. The day of reckoning, which separated the boys from the men soon arrived. Though I had immersed myself in the world of the institution and had given my all, I was as nervous as hell. I had never before failed any task I set out to achieve, but there was no telling what the results of this selection board would be. The waiting period was a period of severe anxiety for me. To my profound relief, I passed this selection and the board recommended me for Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst, England (RMAS). We (the successful cadets) went wild with joy. For the rest of our stay at Teshie, we conducted ourselves with licentiousness that would have been unthinkable only a few weeks before. Britain Prior to Sandhurst, cadets were sent to Mons Officer Cadet School in the UK for a period of three months. The objective of the Mons training was to separate cadets for either a long or a short training course. The older cadets were sent on the short course, while the younger or more able cadets were sent to Sandhurst. The Mons training was to be my first experience outside my native country and nothing in my interactions with expatriates in Africa prepared me for the culture shock I experienced in those first few months in Britain. The first shock was the freezing cold. However, this was a condition that I could and did adapt to. What was harder to adapt to was the overt and covert racism that infected the entire British society. There are several facets of racism: first, the conviction that blacks were innately inferior to whites and secondly, an intolerance for blacks who failed to conform to a restricted num-

ber of stereotypes. From my observations, there were two acceptable ‘African Types’; the ‘funny’ African who grinned incessantly and was incapable of taking offense and secondly, the ‘ignorant’ African, who understood nothing, appreciated his own ignorance, and was profoundly grateful for whatever attention was bestowed on him by the all knowing Whites. The examination period arrived and again, I was filled with anxiety about my chances of success given the sour relationship between the instructors and myself. Other Nigerian officers who were contemporaries at Mons were Chukuka, Idiaja, Nnadi, Obasanjo and Adegoke. Once again, my fears promise to be unfounded. I passed the Mons examination and was confirmed for Sandhurst in January of 1959. I considered my selection for the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst to be an honour and a privilege. To my mind, Sandhurst was the best military institution in the World. Not all the Mons graduates were so privileged for example, while Adegoke, Idiaja, and Chakuka and I was selected, Obasanjo was not. He finished at Mons and returned home. In later years, I attributed some of the actions of my former course mates in the national arena, especially with regard to their colleagues, to the need to assuage feelings of inferiority which many have sprung from having been publicly adjudged and labeled inadequate in the midst of their cohorts. I was at Sandhurst for two years (1959 and 1961) and registered for the course with three hundred odd cadets. In addition to the physical training, officers where imbued with a thorough academic grounding in the art of warfare. The ultimate purpose of our training was to produce not the stereotype officer, but the dynamic officer. Character development was an integral part of the course and this was brought home to me in the first week.

Before I left Sandhurst, our College Commander invited me for an interview. He examined me closely about my ‘unorthodox’ political positions, my views on his institution, and my opinions of the training that I had just completed. In our final report, Sandhurst cadets were required to make a selfassessment of their officer qualities, which was then graded by their instructor. My final report and grade contained some of the two familiar complaints about my ‘attitude’. Since the report had already been written (and passed me, notwithstanding) I felt at liberty to give the Commander an unedited piece of my mind on every subject he raised. Far from being satisfied with my responses and desirous I think, of modifying my views, he suggested an extension of the ‘interview’ over dinner. We talked far into the night, and I conveyed my amazement that an institution would teach a course which mutilated the pride and self worth of some of the cadets and yet expect no reaction. On the whole however, I enjoyed the period at Sandburst. The skills I picked up, particularly on the ‘Tactics’ course, (my favorite ), were to prove invaluable to me in later life. My encounter with British military institutions did not end there. Two further courses were arranged for me in accordance with my selection. The first was at the School of Infantry at Warminster, and the second was at the School of the Tactical Wing. And so ended my military training in Britain. My first unit was the first Queen’s Own Nigerian Regiment based in Enugu. At this time, a good number of the senior officers were British, though there was a sprinkling of Nigerian officers and one Cameroonian, (Captain Malinga), whose awe of the British officers was a source of constant amusement. Regimental life lived entirely up to my expectations. I was appointed the platoon commander of ‘C’ Company under the command of then Major Ogundipe. My main duty was to assist in training the troops. They were a mixed breed but those of Bachama extraction, (my mother’s ethnic group), impressed me more than the others. There were quite a number of them in my platoon. After a few months, we were posted to thc Republic of the Congo en masse, under the auspices of the United Nations, to quell the growing unrest there. The antecedents of the political turmoil in the Republic of Congo as is in much of Africa, could be traced to its colonial period. Congo was a colony of Belgium and its capital Leopoldville (now Kinshasa) was named after Leopold II of Belgium. The Congo was rich with precious minerals such as diamonds. Uranium was abundant in the Congoin fact, the first atomic weapons were developed with uranium from the Congo. The burning crisis for which troops were posted to the Congo involved the power struggles between the old colonial powers, Congolese nationalists and later, Congolese stooges of the Colonial powers. Municipal elections had already taken place in 1957; nationalists organized pre-independence elections after serious agitation in January 1959. Patrice Lumumba’s Congolese National Movement emerged as the winner of the May 1960 elections. Lumumba became Prime Minister and on June 30, 1960 the Independent Republic of Congo was proclaimed. Violence within the Congo intensified soon after independence, and the political situation was complicated by the attempted secession of the mineral- rich province of Katanga in July. The Katangan Premier was funded and supported by Belgium. Lumumba invited the United Nations into the conflict and the UN demanded the withdrawal of Belgian forces from the country. Peacekeeping forces were then sent into the Congo with a mandate to restore order to the Congo and the Katangan province. Patrice Lumumba was murdered •Continued on page 76

NDLEA arrests computer merchant with cocaine By Kelvin Osa Okunbor

EW days after the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) issued a warning on NigeriaBrazil route, officials of the antinarcotic agency have apprehended a 50-year-old computer merchant with 16.09kg of cocaine on arrival from Brazil. The suspect was arrested at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) Lagos during the inward screening of Etihad passengers. The drug was concealed in 15 hand bags inside his luggage. The estimated street value of the seized drug is N150million. According to the NDLEA commander at the Lagos airport, Hamza Umar, the suspect travelled with a Cameroonian passport under the name Nana Njamen Theophile. “Investigation later revealed he hails from Anambra State with the name Okafor Godswill. The case is currently under investigation,” Umar stated. The suspect in his statement said that he was given $6,000 to bring the drug to Nigeria. “I attended Boys Secondary School Nnewi, Anambra State. I sell computer accessories at Onitsha. I am married with two children. “I needed money to pay my bills and there was no help. I agreed to bring the drug into Nigeria for $6,000,” the 50-yearold explained.

Akingbade leads IJGSOSA

HE Lagos and environs branch of Ijebu-Jesa Grammar School Old Students Association (IJGSOSA) has elected Mr. Johnson Akingbade as its chairman ahead of its golden anniversary celebration. It also ratified the tenure of other officers to assist him in the tasks ahead. Those ratified were Prince Supo Atobatele as Publicity Secretary; Mr. Muyiwa Akande as Secretary and Mrs. Adun AkinyemiAnimashaun as treasurer. Akingbade promised utmost best for the alma mater and solicited for the support and co-operation of the entire membership of the branch in fulfilling the mission. The next meeting of the branch holds next Saturday at Plot 22 Lateef Salami Street (off Murtala Mohammed International Airport Rd, Ajao Estate by 2pm.

Book on Suswam for presentation

THE NATION ON SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 14, 2014

NEWS

book titled “Suswam: Politics and Governance in Benue. An Insider’s Account” written by Dr Cletus Akwaya, Special Adviser on Media and Public Affairs to the Benue State Governor will be presented on Tuesday, September 23rd. Vice President Namadi Sambo wrote the foreword of the book, which will be presented by 10am at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre, Abuja. President Goodluck Jonathan will be the guest of honour while Sambo, Senator David Mark and Speaker Aminu Tambuwal will be the special guests of honour.

Obasanjo visits wounded son in Jos

ORMER President Olusegun Obasanjo yesterday stormed Jos, the Plateau State capital, at about 5:45pm to visit his son Lt. Col. Adegboye Obasanjo. Col. Obasanjo was said to have been wounded during a bloody battle between Boko Haram insurgents and troops in Adamawa State where scores of government forces were allegedly killed by the terrorists. Col. Obasanjo is believed to be receiving treatment at an undisclosed medical centre in Jos since the incidence.

From Yusufu Aminu Idegu, Jos

Though the visit of the former president was not disclosed, the traffic congestion and heavy security presence along his route from Jos Airport to Obasanjo’s guest house located at Wase Close Jos drew public attention. It was later discovered that the heavy security build up was occasioned by Obasanjo’s private visit to his wounded son. It was learnt that the former president was re-

ceived at the Yakubu Gowon Airport Jos by the Deputy Governor Ambassador Ignatius Longjan, Gbong Gwom Jos His Majesty Da Jecob Gyang Buba and other security chiefs, including the Commander of the Special Task Force on Jos crisis, Major General David Eniete; Commissioner of Police and the Director of SSS. From the airport, the former president and the deputy governor and other security chiefs drove straight to Obasanjo’s guest house along Wase close where his

son was said to be waiting for his father. Col. Adegboye was said to be recovering fast from the gunshot wounds he sustained during the fight against terrorists. Sources said the soldier is eager to rejoin his colleagues on the battle field in the next few days. As at the time of filling this report, the former President, his son, Buba, Longjan and security chiefs are said to be holding a closed door meeting at Obasanjo’s private guest house in Jos.

• L-R: Chairman Amuwo Odofin Local Government, Ayodele Adewale; Acting Dean School of Management National Open University, Prof. Kayode Oguntuwase; Chairman Conference 57, Akeem Sulaiman and guest speaker,Prof. Alaba Adenuga during a workshop on security re-engineering, grassroots awareness and information management for key functionaries and stakeholders In the 57 Local Government /Council Development Areas of Lagos… at the weekend in Lagos . PHOTO: MUYIWA HASSAN

FG committed to citizens’ access to power -Nebo

HE federal government has expressed its determination towards maximising access of consumers to electricity. The Minister of Power and Energy, Prof Chinedu Nebo, gave this indication in Jos yesterday at the induguration of the Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC). He assured that the ministry will continue to give policy direction framework that will accelerate access of citizens to electricity supply. Nebo, who was repre-

From Yusufu Aminu Idegu, Jos

sented by Director of Power Reforms in the ministry, Mrs. Bola Laditan, said: “The ministry of power and energy has as part of its plans to collaborate with state governments to establish state ministries of power and energy in order to achieve its goals.” She said: “The electricity regulating commission will be working within a five year strategic plan aimed at improve power supply and dis-

tribution to consumers. “Government will not rest until it achieves its goal of efficient electricity supply to customers.” Plateau State governor, Jonah Jang, said: “Distribution of power supply will not be effective without the required regulatory frame work.” He advised the Ministry of Power and Energy to make available pre-paid meters to all consumers. Jang, who was represented by the Commissioner

for Water Resources and Energy, Mr. Idi Waziri, said the government is already working with a private organisation to construct a power plant at Shimankar in Shendam council of the state. The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Jos Electricity Distribution Company (JED), Mr. Mete Baysal, said: “We are obligated to provide the best service and are committed to the improvement of service delivery and to have quality, clean and uninterrupted power supply.”

WAEC adopts biometrics for private candidates

HE West African Examination Council (WAEC) is using the encrypted biometrics code for private candidates sitting for the Nov/Dec 2014 examination. The device, which captures the biometric feature of candidates, is encrypted with a response code that will be on the certificates issued to every candidate to mitigate impersonation and cheating. The examination body has also acquired scanners to screen candidates for the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) while also providing hand sanitisers, face

From: Grace Obike, Abuja

masks and gloves for supervisors to protect them against infection. The Head of National Office WAEC Nigeria, Charles Eguridu, disclosed these at the weekend in Abuja during inspection tour of some examination centres by the management team. He said: “Because of Ebola, we are going around and carrying out sample scanning of people going in to write the exams so that our candidates are not unduly exposed to any dan-

ger. “We want to assure Nigerians that the West African Examination Council (WAEC) as a responsible body will do what it takes to ensure the safety of our candidates.” Eguridu added that the body has introduced what he called the “walk-in candidates”, explaining “by this we are saying that anybody can write WAEC examination even when you did not register during the period of registration. “All you need is to walk into our nearest office, pay the prescribe fee and write the exams.

Chairman of WAEC Nigeria and chief federal government nominee, Bar. Daniel Nwaezioke, said that WAEC has taken proactive steps to ensure the safety of the candidates who are going to write the exams. “WEAC has been doing very well in the monitoring of exams. The council is always a step or two ahead of the candidates in terms of cheating and malpractice and I am considering a time when our exams will be malpractice- free. WAEC is working towards that,” he stated.

60 get training, grants in Lagos

VER 60 participants from all subdivisions of Ikorodu in Lagos have benefitted from a skill acquisition workshop organised by a chieftain of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Adeniyi Anifowoshe. The beneficiaries learnt skills in Information and Communica-

tion Technology (ICT), soap making, disinfectant making, bead making, hat making and tailoring, among others. Anifowose, also the Field Coordinator Concerned Youth Alliance said the scheme was the first phase to enroll 500 Ikorodu youths in a skill acquisition mentoring tenured programme

through an outsourcing skill development model with certified experts. According to him: “My team in partnership with our partners has started the process of selecting certified hands on experts, such as masons, tailors, barbers, wielders, chefs, bakers, electricians, carpenters and others in this

genre. “Our strategy is to place the 500 subscribing youths under certified experts for the required time frame needed for them to acquire the hands on skills.” Ten of the outstanding beneficiaries received a seed capital of N100, 000 for take-off while the others went away with N25, 000.

MEND dismisses threat to bomb Lagos judges, relatives From Bisi Olaniyi, Port Harcourt

HE Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) has described the threat by an unknown militant group to bomb Lagos judges and their relatives as empty. It described the group claiming to be MEND as imposters that should not be taken seriously. In an online statement yesterday by its spokesperson, MEND declared that there was nobody bearing ‘Commander Wilberforce’ in the authentic group. It said: “MEND wishes to dissociate itself from an impostor and self-acclaimed ‘Commander’ of MEND, going by the name of ‘Commander Wilberforce,’ who claimed to speak for MEND, by issuing threat of possible attacks on Lagos judges. “This threat was circulated in some sections of the media on Friday, 12 September, 2014. “As far as we know, this person (‘Commander Wilberforce’) does not exist and there is no collaboration of any sort with this imaginary individual, as claimed in the misleading statement. “MEND strongly urges the media to disregard any such statement, as it did not emanate from MEND. “The MEND has not and will never threaten any judicial institution, for carrying out its duties.” In the threat, ‘Commander Wilberforce’ accused some of the judges of the Lagos High Court of not signing letters of administration for ‘MEND’s late members’ estates. The judicial officers were given 12 days to issue the letters or be bombed along with their relatives. ‘ C o m m a n d e r Wilberforce’ also accused the judges of continually failing to sign the letters of administration, many years after they had been approved and published. ‘ C o m m a n d e r Wilberforce’ also threatened to publish in coming weeks, the names and addresses of all the probate judges.

Onolememen for Ambrose Alli’s lecture

HE Minister of Works, Mike Onolememen, will on September 26 deliver the 2014 Professor Ambrose Alli distinguished leadership lecture in Benin City, the Edo State capital. The theme of the lecture packaged by Visionary Leadership Services, a non-political organisation, is: Infrastructure, good governance and challenge of nation-building. Venue is the auditorium of the Bishop Kelly Pastoral Centre, Airport Road. The lecture series, according to VLS President, Joseph Anetor, is designed to champion the cause of responsible leadership, transparency and accountability in governance as well as to raise the consciousness of Nigerians to understand the purpose of leadership, which is selfless service.

THE NATION ON SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 14, 2014

NEWS

Onolememen stresses use of pedestrian bridge

Ex-UNIBEN VC renews call for funding private varsity From Osagie Otabor, Benin

From Osagie Otabor, Benin

ORMER ViceChancellor of the University of Benin, Professor Andrew Onokerhoraye has called for an amendment to any law shutting out privately owned universities from gaining access to government intervention funds. He spoke at the opening of a two-day stakeholders' forum to deliberate on the way forward for varsity education. Prof. Onokerhoraye who identified poor funding as a critical challenge facing private universities, said government agencies ought to contribute to the development of private universities because the public universities were currently stressed out. The former UNIBEN boss who is currently the ProChancellor and Chairman, Governing Council of the Western Delta University, Oghara, noted that both public and private universities have the same mandate of providing skilled manpower for the economy.

Group kicks over Oghiadomhe's senatorial ambition From OSemwengie Ben Ogbemudia, Benin

social group, 'Safe Afenmai Group' has condemned the purported senatorial ambition of the immediate past Chief of Staff to President Goodluck Jonathan, Chief Mike Oghiadomhe, as he is yet to officially declare his interest for elective offices in the Edo North Senatorial on any platform ahead of the 2015 general elections. In a release made available to The Nation in Benin City, the state capital, the initiator and leader of the group, Mr. Blessing Agbomhere, warned that any political party that is desirous of winning any senatorial election must avoid fielding the former presidential aide, who allegedly achieved little for his people while at the corridors of power. Accusing Oghiadomhe of lobbying Edo State political leaders and courting traditional rulers, Agbomhere said: "While we await his declaration, which we are ready to resist, we will refute and rebuke him with every weapon of our intellectual arsenal."

Defectors plan mass return to Edo APC

chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in ward 10, Ugbegun in Esan Central local government area of Edo state, Comrade Mathew Emiohe, yesterday said those who hitherto had left the party owing to the fallout in the party congresses have concluded arrangement to return to the ruling APC. Emiohe, who spoke in Benin City, the state capital, said the visible transformation recorded by the administration of Comrade Adams Oshiomhole in the last six years across coupled the result of the grassroots mobilization and support for the party has informed the decision of members who had long left the APC to return back and build the party.

â&#x20AC;˘L-R: Prof. Victor Uwaifo, Chief Igbinedion, Mrs Olufunso Amosun, Senator Chris Ngige and other well wishers during the church service

Boundary dispute: We won't cede any part of Edo to Delta -Oshiomhole

DO state government has vowed not to surrender any part of its territory to neighbouring states. The state governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole represented by the Deputy Governor, Dr. Pius Egberanmwen Odubu made the declaration at Orogho Community in Orhionmwon Local Government Area following the recent skirmishes

From OSemwengie Ben Ogbemudia, Benin

between the community and Seplat Oil Company where over six persons were shot. Odubu who was in the company of the Chairman of Orhionmwon Local Government Council, Chief Roland Ibierutomwen and other government functionaries was received at

the palace of Orogho H.R.H. Patrick Akenzua. While addressing members of the community, Odubu said boundary matter is being handled by the state government even as he appealed to the youths of the eschew violence, assuring that the conflict would finally be laid to rest. He also urged the security officers at Seplat Oil Company

to exercise maximum restraint and minimise force in handling conflict situation, stressing that the right to freedom of association and free speech is constitutionally guaranteed. However, Commander, 4 Brigade Nigerian Army, Brigadier General Okwudili Fidelis Azinta and Commander, 19 Battalion, Lt. Col. F.S Etin, said nobody was shot during the fracas.

Delta community protest excessive bills, epileptic power supply

U G H E L L I community and its environs embarked on a mass protest along the East/ West Road in Ughelli, Ughelli Local Government Area of Delta State against Benin Electricity Distribution Company BEDC in charge of Edo, Delta, Ekiti and Ondo States over excessive estimated bills, epileptic supply

From Polycarp Orosevwotu, Ughelli

and unsual disconnection, calling on the Federal Government to revoke the company's license. The protest, which lasted for hours with placards calling on the federal government to take over the Benin zone electricity company from the Benin

Electricity Distribution Company lamented over what consumers are suffering in the hands of their suppliers, saying that they cannot be working and paying all they earn for electricity supply. One of the protesters, Mrs. Mary Akpofuare who spoke to journalists during the protest said that the Edo Electricity

Distribution Company, BEDC, is not rendering any service that is commensurate to what they are collecting from their consumers in Ughelli community and its environs, saying that they have not seen where someone has a meter and still be paying estimated bills of between seven and eight thousand naira monthly.

Bayelsa criticises contractors, threatens to revoke three contracts

AYELSA state government has begun the process of revoking contracts of three errant contractors at the ongoing new National Youth Service Corps Orientation Camp project in Kaiama, Kolokuma/ Opokuma Local Government Area. The state Commissioner for Works and Infrastructural Development, Mr. Lawrence Ehwrudjakpo, threatened to cancel the contracts after his weekly inspection of some

From OSemwengie Ben Ogbemudia, Benin

projects in the state. He, however, failed to reveal the identities of the contractors. Ehwrudjakpo was disappointed at the slow pace and quality of work executed by the contractors and warned that the government might be compelled to revoke the contracts. He said: "I have directed the affected three contractors to see

me urgently because we cannot continue to wait for people who don't want to grow and do what is right. "If they don't sit up, we will have no choice but to revoke the contracts and give them to people who are ready to work." Ehwrudjakpo, who was satisfied with the pace of work at some of the projects, urged the contractors to ensure early completion of their projects. He said the administration of Governor Seriake Dickson was desirous to deliver the

projects on time, to bring succour to the people of the various communities where the projects are sited. Reacting to the issue of blacklisting some contractors, one of the workers, who spoke on condition of anonymity, assured the commissioner that they were ready to execute quality and standard job. The three companies were said to be the core contractors of the two-storey building of three hostel blocks in the new orientation camp.

Rivers PDP zoning: Group to stop Wike's rally

s the issue of zoning continues to raise dust in Rivers State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), party stakeholders in Orashi region of the state, have said that any attempt by the party to hold rally for the Minister of State for Education, Chief Nyesom Wike, in the region would be resisted.

From Clarice Azuatalam, Port Harcourt

The spokesman for the PDP stakeholders in Orashi, Barr Nngeri Goodhead Goodliffe who stated this in Port Harcourt, the state capital over the weekend also described the plan to foist Wike on Orashi

people as illegal. Goodliffe also vowed that the people of Orashi would not allow the rally being planned to hold in the community today to welcome Wike back from Abuja by the party state executive because it is against the constitution of their party. The Orashi PDP

stakeholders expressed disappointment with the Rivers state PDP Chairman, Chief Felix Obua who is also their kinsman, saying that he has made things difficult for them especially with his attempt to impose a candidate on them ahead of the 2015 election.

INISTER of Works, Arch. Mike Onolememen has urged students of the Federal Polytechnic, Auchi, to always use the pedestrian bridge built across the Benin-Abuja express way. The construction of a pedestrian bridge in front of the polytechnic has been a major demand of staff and students of the polytechnic to help check road accidents on the highway Onolememen warned that students who failed to use the pedestrian would be responsible for any accident that might result on the road occasioned by the dualisation of the Benin-Abuja road. He spoke at the inaugurationxxx of the pedestrian bridge at Auchi in Estako West Local Government Area. The Minister noted that incidents of hit and run driver at the school gate would be completely eliminated. Other projects inaugurated by the Minister were the Weppa River Bridge, Bridge over Okio River and EkperiFugar Road off Auchi Polytechnic-EkperiAgenebode Road.

Two persons shot in Edo community clash From OSemwengie Ben Ogbemudia, Benin

HE Edo State Peace and Conflict Resolution Committee has condemned the shooting of two youths in Oka-bere Community in Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Area of Edo State, recently. The Chairman of the Committee, Chief Eduwu Ekhator while speaking with journalists in his office in Benin City, yesterday, noted that his committee had no knowledge of what transpired in the community, however assured that investigation has commenced to ensure peaceful resolution of the crisis. Ekhator advised those responsible for the attack to surrender themselves to the police instead of being evasive as they should not expect to escape justice after committing such atrocious crime.

Missing youths resurface as Ijaw, Itsekiri resolve rift

HE atmosphere of tension that started gathering over Warri metropolis last week, following the disappearance of five OgbeIjoh youths, has been rolled off with the reappearance of the missing persons. The people of Ogbe-Ijoh community in Warri SouthWest council area of Delta state, as well as the Ijaw Youths Council (IYC), had in separate statements, issued a seven-day ultimatum to Itsekiri youths to produce their missing brothers, as well as valuables running into millions of naira lost to an ambush laid on a group of Ogbe-Ijoh commissaries in Warri last Monday.

Sanusi to Kwankwaso: Dismiss public officials engaged in drugs From Kolade Adeyemi, Kano

HE Emir of Kano, Muhammad Sanusi II, yesterday urged the state government to prosecute and dismiss any public officer engaging in hard and illicit drugs. He explained such stiff measures become necessary to instill morality into public officers. Sanusi said the measures will further deter those involved in drug abuse and peddling in the state. The Kano Emirate Council, the monarch said, will not hesitate to dethrone any traditional leader found involved in drugs to demonstrate the seriousness with which the anti-drug war is being pursued in the state. The Emir gave the advice during the distribution of empowerment packages to batches 1-3 of inmates of Kiru Reformatory Institute, Kano sponsored for skills acquisition at the Industrial Training Fund (ITF) centre in Kano. Sanusi, who noted with dismay that most of those involved in drug abuse in Kano are youths, assured that the Emirate Council would continue to work with government and other relevant authorities to check the negative trend. He appealed to the government to enact a law that will curtail the rampant cases of divorce in the state, pointing out that the number of broken homes and the attendant consequences in the society are appalling. “Government should come up with legislation, including imprisonment against those who divorce their wives arbitrarily, without genuine reasons - those who refuse to accord women their rights to education, health and secure living,” the Emir stated. He also tasked the government to impose stiff penalties on people who remove their children from school under the pretext of giving their hands away in marriage, stressing that whoever abuses the rights of his wife and children must be punished summarily to deter others. Governor Rabi’u Kwankwaso explained that the 129 inmates of the reformatory institute were sponsored for various skills acquisition programmes to enable them become self-reliant and reintegrated into the society as respectable people whose talents could be exploited for socioeconomic development.

APC mourns death of scribe in Kwara

THE NATION ON SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 14, 2014

NEWS

HOUSANDS of members of the All P r o g r e s s i v e s Congress(APC) in Kwara State yesterday mourned the death of the party’s secretary, Prince Yemi Afolayan. Afolayan was elected as the chairman of his local government, Isin and member of the House of Assembly. He was later appointed Special Adviser on Political Matters to former Governor Bukola Saraki. He was secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) before he defected and held the same office in the APC. He was over 60 years old.

Kano establishes three cancer screening centres A

PPARENTLY worried by the increasing rate of cervical cancer in Nigeria, the Kano State government has established three cancer screening centres in the state. The state governor, Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso, disclosed this during the symbolic launch of the centres, donation of drugs and medical consumables to people suffering from sickle cell disease in Kano and graduation of 2,200 Traditional Birth Attendants trained by the state government. Medical experts have described cervical cancer as the

From Kolade Adeyemi, Kano

most common female cancer in developing countries, with approximately 500,000 new cases and 250,000 deaths occurring each year. Around the world, a woman is said to die of cervical cancer every two minutes. In Nigeria, it is the second most common cancer affecting women and the most common female genital cancer constituting a major cause of mortality among the country’s females in their most productive years. The establishment of the cervical cancer screening cen-

tres in each of the three senatorial zones of the state, Kwankwaso said, is to ensure early detection and treatment of the disease as part of broad efforts to safeguard the health of women, particularly those in the rural areas. He disclosed that the state government spent N8 million to establish the centres at the Murtala Muhammad Specialist Hospital, Gwarzo General Hospital and Wudil General Hospital, while also calling on development partners to assist the state government through the provision of more facilities and capacity building. Addressing the Traditional

Birth Attendants (TBA), the governor revealed that N30 million was spent on their training in cognisance of the role they play in child delivery, explaining that each of the 2,200 TBA will be given free delivery kits by the government. He thanked donor agencies like the United Nation Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the World Health Organisation (WHO) and nongovernmental organisations for supporting the state government to achieve its health policies and programmes, while also calling for the sustenance of the partnership.

Pilgrimage, car for Bible quiz winners From Faith Yahaya, Abuja

O encourage peace amongst Christians and the nation in general, Victory International Institute of Theology (VIIT) in collaboration with Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) is set to organise a Bible memorisation and quiz competition in all the 36 states of the federation. Speaking in Abuja on the competition, the former Director General of National Mathematical Centre (NMC), Prof. Sam Ale, said that the knowledge of the word of God is key to living. Ale disclosed that winners in the children category will win a full all-expenses paid trip to the holy land with their parents, while adults will win same trip without parent, brand new car and other prizes. He added, “Many young people don’t know the word of God today and that is why they are faced with different challenges. They are not able to memorise many scripture verses, yet knowing the word of God and reciting them every time is key to living. It is exciting to constantly quote the word of God.” The first phase of the contest will take place in all accessible states of the federation on the 4th and 5th of October, 2014, while the second phase, which is the grand finale, will be held in Abuja.

‘Let’s unite to fight insurgency’ From Kolade Adeyemi, Kano

•Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso of Kano State (seated 4th from left) with APC leaders from various states during a visit at the government house, Kano at the weekend.

‘Plot to unseat Mark will fail’

N elder statesman and a prominent Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain in Benue State, Chief David Attah, has expressed confidence that the purported fifth term bid of the Senate President, David Mark, would be successful. Reacting to comments in a national daily credited to Chief Mike Onoja, a former Permanent Secretary with the Federal Ministry of Defence, that Mark’s bid to return to the senate will not be smooth sailing due to lack

From Uja Emmanuel, Makurdi

of support from the Idoma people, Attah said Onoja’s bid to unseat Mark will fail. The PDP chieftain, who was the former chief press secretary to the late Head of State, Gen. Sani Abacha, Attah while speaking with journalists in Makurdi, the Benue State capital, said while Onoja reserves the legitimate right to contest election to the senate, he added that the former permanent secretary may

not achieve his ambition in view of what he described as “special political circumstances and exigencies of the moment.” Attah said: “Onoja has the legitimate aspiration to contest the election to the senate, but I am of the view that the political circumstances and the exigencies of the moment are heavily stacked against him.” He noted further, “At the moment, David Mark by virtue of his position as the Senate President and third

most powerful Nigerian in the current political dispensation represents the voice of Idoma people. For the Idoma people to shop for another person to replace him at this material time will be tantamount to embarking on a political suicide mission.” He added that Mark’s 15 years of service in the senate has not only conferred respect on the Idoma nation, it has also brought stability in the leadership of the senate and the nation’s body polity as a whole.

Minister counsels journalists on professionalism

N order to assist in the development of the nation, journalists have been charged to uphold the basic ethics of the profession. Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Senator Bala Mohammed, gave the advice during the inauguration ceremony of the new executive members of the FCT Press Corps. He remarked that no nation could effectively grow without a mutual partnership between journalists and those in positions of authority. The minister, therefore, called for closer collabora-

From Gbenga Omokhunu, Abuja

tion between members of the FCT Press Corps and the FCT Administration in order to achieve the Transformation Agenda of President Goodluck Jonathan in the territory. Recalling his days as a reporter and News Editor, he said he is aware of the numerous challenges facing the journalism profession, but however urged journalists in the country to show objectivity and sense of responsibility in carrying out their duties.

The minister paid tribute to Jonathan for his high regard for the pen profession by appointing journalists and giving them sensitive positions in his cabinet, which has changed the face of leadership in the country. He also commended the out-going executive members for their maturity in handling the affairs of the Press Corps, as well as the robust relationship they have built between the FCT Administration and the Corps. Mohammed urged the incoming executive members to emulate the leadership style of the Sam Ogbueifu’s

administration. He challenged the outgoing chairman to take up higher responsibility by joining the services of the FCT Administration. In his address, the Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Abuja Council, Comrade Chucks Ehirim, commended the minister for his close relationship with journalists and his contributions to the journalism profession. The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Muhammad Adoke, also witnessed the occasion.

HE Deputy Governor of Zamfara State, Malam Ibrahim Wakkala, yesterday charged northern elites to bury their religious, political and ideological differences to fight the insurgency in the region. Wakkala, who spoke in Kano during the 6th anniversary and lecture presentation of the Dandalin Siyasa On-Line Forum, called on political, religious and opinion leaders from the north to brace up to the challenges of insecurity facing the region. The theme of the lecture was democracy and economy: A Northern challenge. “I will like to call on the northern elite and politicians alike for us to come back to our senses and realise that certainly, this is not the North left to us by the founding fathers of the northern Nigeria. “As we all know, our sages like the Sarduana of Sokoto, Sir Ahmadu Bello and the Prime Minister, Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, of blessed memories, paid dearly with their lives for championing the cause of the region. “We must do all we can do keep their dreams alive. Recent happenings in some of our geopolitical zones do not portray a promising future. “If things are to continue unabated, the future is obviously bleak, not just for the present crop of people but also the future generations,” Wakkala warned. “We owe our forefathers and the great heroes of our region a duty to sustain their visions and legacies so that their sacrifices will not be in vain,” he stressed. The deputy governor pointed out that something must be done urgently to address the security challenges ravaging the north.

THE NATION ON SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 14, 2014

NEWS

Group canvasses support for Atiku

Lawmaker advocates collective effort on mass literacy

From Damisi Ojo, Akure

From Tayo Johnson, Ibadan

member of the Oyo State of Assembly, Hon. Murphy AdigunHammed, has advocated for collective efforts towards achieving the objective of mass literacy in the country. Addressing journalists on Friday in Ibadan, the state capital, the lawmaker underscored the importance of education to nation building and growth, adding that “no nation can develop beyond the level of education of her citizens.” He also advocated for synergy of government at all levels in achieving mass literacy by year 2020 as specified by the United Nations Educational and Scientific Cultural Organisation (UNESCO). “Various state governments are doing one thing or the other to achieve the target of the United Nations, but we must synergise our efforts towards the realisation of mass literacy. We must forget political or religious affiliations and concentrate on getting to the promised land of mass literacy to all Nigerians irrespective of their locations,” he noted. Enumerating his achievements particularly in the area of education, Adigun Hammed said: “As a member of the House of Assembly, I have built more than 40 classrooms and obtained approval for primary and secondary schools across my constituency. I have also provided cars and motorcycles for the ministry of education to monitor teachers and students in my area of coverage.” While calling on other government officials to show commitment to education in their various areas, the lawmaker equally urged publicspirited individuals as well as corporate organisations to partner government in the development of the education sector.

Osun indigenes urge Aregbesola on development From Damisi Ojo, Akure

NDIGENES of Ilobu-Osun in Irepodun local government area of Osun State living in Ondo State have urged Governor Rauf Aregbesola to provide infrastructures for the development of the community. They also rejoiced with the governor and the people of the state for the victory recorded in the August 21 governorship election, describing it as well deserved. The group noted that the victory signified the determination of the people of the state to sustain the development that has taken place in Osun in the last three years. It further urged the governor to redouble his efforts by bringing more development to all nooks and crannies of the state, particularly Ilobu council area. While pleading with the governor to immediately commence the construction of the main bridge leading to the local government council, the group also called for the citing of a state-owned tertiary institution in the area.

•Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, SAN (right) presenting a souvenir of the State’s seal to the Unilever’s Global Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Paul Polman (left) during his courtesy visit to the governor at the Lagos House, Ikeja… at the weekend

Dignitaries pay tributes to Agagu at first year remembrance

ORMER President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, on Friday, led other dignitaries to extol the virtues of the late Ondo State Governor, Dr. Olusegun Agagu, at a remembrance service and lecture to mark the first anniversary of the latter’s death. At the memorial service held at the Chapel of Resurrection, University of Ibadan and a lecture at the International Conference Centre (ICC) of the institution, Obasanjo and other dignitaries, including former President of Botswana, Festus Gontebanye Mogae; Speaker, House of Representatives, Hon. Aminu Tambuwal and business mogul, Oba Otudeko, described the deceased as a great man who left indelible legacies on the sands of time. The former president recalled that Agagu was one of his ministers who dedicated his public service life to humanity during his tenure as a minister and later as governor.

From Bisi Oladele and Tayo Johnson, Ibadan

He said: “His death was an unexpected happening; if I had ministers that served loyally and conscientiously, Olusegun Agagu was one of them, although when I wanted to hang on him as minister, he saw it as a greater service to humanity. We are here to celebrate the achievements and the great work he left behind.” Speaking on the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD), Obasanjo described the virus as an issue of great magnitude that African governments must tackle quickly. In his keynote address, former President of Botswana, Festus Gontebanye Mogae, who was represented by the country’s Deputy Ambassador to Nigeria, Myon Bouang, said it was difficult to pay tribute to a titan like the late Agagu, describing him as a strong and principled man with a tenacity of purpose. He said: “His professional

and academic achievements cannot be over-emphasised. When he was the Minister of Power and Steel, he increased power generation from 1425 megawatts to more than 4000 megawatts. When he was governor in Ondo State, more than 1,200 kilometres of roads were tarred, while he also constructed more than 1,200 blocks of classrooms and 203 standard basic health centres.” Also extolling Agagu’s virtues, Tambuwal stated that the deceased had the ability to successfully develop the environment and the people. Represented by Chief Olusola Oke, the Speaker said: “Transparency in governance and the parameter set out in this aspect were the guiding principles of Agagu in governance. The people of Ondo State will continue to remember him. “He opened the state to the coastal city and education regained its lost glory during his time as governor. Under

him, teachers were trained and retrained. He developed the state’s rural areas; he did not run a government of hypocrisy and self personal praises. Agagu planted a seed that is yet to germinate by providing a good legacy for the upcoming generation.” The deceased’s wife, Mrs. Olufunke Agagu, sobbed profusely as dignitaries poured encomiums on her late husband. Earlier at the memorial thanksgiving service, the presiding cleric, Rev. G. L Lasebikan, said Nigeria has lost a dear one who is irreplaceable. In his vote of thanks, son of the deceased, Feyi Agagu, thanked the guests for their love and support, while promising that the family will continue to sustain the legacies left behind by their father. The Olusegun Agagu Foundation was also launched at the event for which over N20 million was generated.

2015: South-West monarchs, PDP leaders plan summit for Jonathan

REPARATIONS for President Goodluck Jonathan’s return to power in 2015 have continued to gain momentum, amid plans by some South-West leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to mobilise traditional rulers in the zone in support of the president A summit of South-West traditional rulers at the instance of the newly formed Egbe Iyipada Yoruba led by a PDP chieftain, Chief Olabode George, has

been scheduled to this effect. Proposal for the summit was prepared by the group during its just concluded meeting in Abuja. Members of the group had held a meeting with the president on the planned summit of South-West traditional rulers scheduled to hold at the Oduduwa Hall of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife next week. Already, PDP South-West elders had passed a resolution

urging Jonathan to declare his interest in the presidential election, based on what they described as his good account of stewardship. In addition, the Egbe Iyipada Yoruba is also organising a musical concert designed specifically to mobilise support for Jonathan ahead of the 2015 presidential election. The concert has been slated for the Tafawa Balewa Square in Lagos. The new found romance

between the south-west PDP leaders and President Jonathan, according to Chief Bode George, was meant to ensure the return of the zone to the main stream of governance by 2015, as part of moves to end Yoruba marginalisation in the federal cabinet. The leaders also resolved to close ranks and also strengthen the PDP machinery in the zone ahead of the 2015 polls.

Judiciary staff union threatens strike over financial autonomy

HE Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN), Southwest zone, has expressed its dissatisfaction over its lack of financial autonomy. Failure to address this anomaly, the union says, would compel it to embark on an indefinite strike. Deputy President of the union, Prince Samuel Adesina Adesanya, made this known on Friday at a press

From Tayo Johnson, Ibadan

conference organised at the premises of the Oyo State High Court in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital. The union further urged the government to put an end to the delay in the allocation and release of funds to the judicial arm of government through the National Judiciary Commission (NJC). Adesanya maintained

that the judicial arm of government should not be treated as a civil service system, as the state government does not employ nor pay their salary. While warning that the judiciary should not be treated as an extension of executive arm of government, he linked the alleged corruption in the judiciary to the lack of financial autonomy which deprives its staff of enjoying

some benefits like official cars, good offices and other incentives. He disclosed that the Federal High Court in Abuja has ruled on January 13, 2014 that the state government must ensure the financial autonomy for the state judiciary, adding that it was against this backdrop that a memorandum of understanding was signed on August 30, 2014 between the union and the government.

group, Movement for Better Governance (MBG), has thrown its support behind the presidential aspiration of former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC). The socio-political group with members cutting across the 18 local government areas of Ondo State said Atiku has good manifestoes and programmes that would uplift the living standard of the people of the country. A communiqué issued after its emergency meeting in Akure, the state capital, and signed by its Coordinator, Prince Dapo Adepoju, described the ex-vice president as a detribalised nationalist, who is adequately prepared to occupy the exalted office of the president. While describing the presidential aspirant as a tested administrator and experienced politician, who has the blueprint to tackle the challenges of terrorism, corruption and other social vices in the country. MBG lamented the spate of terrorism occasioned by the Boko Haram insurgency, stressing that the present administration of President Goodluck Jonathan has no solution to the insecurity challenges in spite of the huge allocations budgeted for the defence sector.

2015: Oyo council boss tasks OPC on peaceful election From Tayo Johnson, Ibadan

N an effort to ensure a peaceful election in Oyo State in 2015, the Ibadan North West Local Government has tasked the two factions of Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC) to promote peace and forestall violence in the state. The event tagged Ajumose Odua Day, an initiative of the council boss, Hon. Wasiu Olatunbosun, is aimed at uniting both factions for the purpose of working for the success of the current administration in next year’s governorship election. Speaking in his opening remarks at the council’s secretariat, Olatunbosun alleged that some politicians were exploiting the group to settle their political differences and also achieve their political goals and interests. “Before now, politicians made use of the OPC as thugs; this is because each faction is supporting different political parties, which often leads to conflicts. So, the motive behind this event is to bring together both factions of OPC led by Otunba Gani Adams and Fredrick Fasheun with the Traditional Medical Council of this state to openly support Ajimobi,” he declared. In his address, a leader of the Gani Adams-led faction, Comrade Oyedele Akin, said both factions have agreed to work together and support the local government boss and Governor Abiola Ajimobi to return for a second term in 2015.

THE NATION ON SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 14, 2014

NEWS

•The Jonathan campaign billboard that parodied the #BringBackOurGirls campaign

HE dancing obscenity of Shekau and his gang of psychopaths and child abductors, taunting the world, mocking the BRING BACK OUR GIRLS campaign on internet, finally met its match in Nigeria to inaugurate the week of September 11 – most appropriately. Shekau’s danse macabre was surpassed by the unfurling of a political campaign banner that defiled an entry point into Nigeria’s capital of Abuja. That banner read: BRING BACK JONATHAN 2015. President Jonathan has since disowned all knowledge or complicity in the outrage but, the damage has been done, the rot in a nation’s collective soul bared to the world. The very possibility of such a desecration took the Nigerian nation several notches down in human regard. It confirmed the very worst of what external observers have concluded and despaired of a culture of civic callousness, a coarsening of sensibilities and, a general human disregard. It affirmed the acceptance, even domination of lurid practices where children are often victims of unconscionable abuses including ritual sacrifices, sexual enslavement, and worse. Spurred by electoral desperation, a bunch of self-seeking morons and sycophants chose to plumb the abyss of self-degradation and drag the nation down to their level. It took us to a hitherto unprecedented low in ethical degeneration. The bets were placed on whose turn would it be to take the next potshots at innocent youths in captivity whose society and governance have failed them and blighted their existence? Would the Chibok girls now provide standup comic material for the latest staple of Nigerian escapist diet? Would we now move to a new export commodity in the entertainment industry named perhaps “Taunt the Victims”? As if to confirm all the such surmises, an ex-governor, Sheriff, notorious throughout the nation – including within security circles as affirmed in their formal dossiers as prime suspect in the sponsorship league of the scourge named

The wages of impunity By Wole Soyinka

Boko Haram, was presented to the world as a presidential traveling companion. And the speculation became: was the culture of impunity finally receiving endorsement as a governance yardstick? Again, Goodluck Jonathan swung into a plausible explanation: it was Mr. Sheriff who, as friend of the host President Idris Deby, had traveled ahead to Chad to receive Jonathan as part of President Deby’s welcome entourage. What, however does this say of any president? How come it that a suspected affiliate of a deadly criminal gang, publicly under such ominous cloud, had the confidence to smuggle himself into the welcoming committee of another nation, and even appear in audience, to all appearance a co-host with the president of that nation? Where does the confidence arise in him that Jonathan would not snub him openly or, after the initial shock, pull his counterpart, his official host aside and say to him, “Listen, it’s him, or me.”? So impunity now transcends boundaries, no matter how heinous the alleged offence? The Nigerian president however appeared totally at ease. What the nation witnessed in the photoop was an affirmation of a governance principle, the revelation of a decided frame of mind – with precedents galore. Goodluck Jonathan has brought back into limelight more political reprobates - thus attested in criminal courts of law and/or police investigations - than any other Head of State since the nation’s independence. It has become a reflex. Those who stuck up the obscene banner in Abuja had accurately read Jonathan right as a Bring-back president. They have deduced perhaps that he sees “bringing back” as a virtue, even an ideology, as the corner stone of governance, irrespective of what is being brought back. No one quarrels about bringing back whatever

the nation once had and now sorely needs – for instance, electricity and other elusive items like security, the rule of law etc. etc. The list is interminable. The nature of what is being brought back is thus what raises the disquieting questions. It is time to ask the question: if Ebola were to be eradicated tomorrow, would this government attempt to bring it back? Well, while awaiting the Chibok girls, and in that very connection, there is at least an individual whom the nation needs to bring back, and urgently. His name is Stephen Davis, the erstwhile negotiator in the oft aborted efforts to actually bring back the girls. Nigeria needs him back – no, not back to the physical nation space itself, but to a Nigerian induced forum, convoked anywhere that will guarantee his safety and can bring others to join him. I know Stephen Davis, I worked in the background with him during efforts to resolve the insurrection in the Delta region under President Shehu Yar’Adua. I have not been involved in his recent labours for a number of reasons. The most basic is that my threshold for confronting evil across a table is not as high as his - thanks, perhaps, to his priestly calling. From the very outset, in several lectures and other public statements, I have advocated one response and one response only to the earliest, still putative depredations of Boko Haram and have decried any proceeding that smacked of appeasement. There was a time to act – several times when firm, decisive action, was indicated. There are certain steps which, when taken, place an aggressor beyond the pale of humanity, when we must learn to accept that not all who walk on two legs belong to the community of humans – I view Boko Haram in that light. It is no comfort to watch events demonstrate again and again that one is proved to be right.

Thus, it would be inaccurate to say that I have been detached from the Boko Haram affliction – very much the contrary. As I revealed in earlier statements, I have interacted with the late National Security Adviser, General Azazi, on occasion – among others. I am therefore compelled to warn that anything that Stephen Davis claims to have uncovered cannot be dismissed out of hand. It cannot be wished away by foulmouthed abuse and cheap attempts to impugn his integrity – that is an absolute waste of time and effort. Of the complicity of ex-Governor Sheriff in the parturition of Boko Haram, I have no doubt whatsoever, and I believe that the evidence is overwhelming. Femi Falana can safely assume that he has my full backing – and that of a number of civic organisations - if he is compelled to go ahead and invoke the legal recourses available to him to force Sheriff’s prosecution. The evidence in possession of Security Agencies - plus a number of diplomats in Nigeria - is overwhelming, and all that is left is to let the man face criminal persecution. It is certain he will also take many others down with him. Regarding General Ihejirika, I have my own theories regarding how he may have come under Stephen Davis’ searchlight in the first place, ending up on his list of the inculpated. All I shall propose at this stage is that an international panel be set up to examine all allegations, irrespective of status or office of any accused. The unleashing of a viperous cult like Boko Haram on peaceful citizens qualifies as a crime against humanity, and deserves that very dimension in its resolution. If a people must survive, the reign of impunity must end. Truth – in all available detail - is in the interest, not only of Nigeria, the sub-region and the continent, but of the interna-

tional community whose aid we so belatedly moved to seek. From very early beginnings, we warned against the mouthing of empty pride to stem a tide that was assuredly moving to inundate the nation but were dismissed as alarmists. We warned that the nation had moved into a state of war, and that its people must be mobilised accordingly – the warnings were disregarded, even as slaughter surmounted slaughter, entire communities wiped out, and the battle began to strike into the very heart of governance, but all we obtained in return was moaning, whining and hand-wringing up and down the rungs of leadership and governance. But enough of recriminations - at least for now. Later, there must be full accounting. Finally, Stephen Davis also mentions a Boko Haram financier within the Nigerian Central Bank. Independently we are able to give backing to that claim, even to the extent of naming the individual. In the process of our enquiries, we solicited the help of a foreign embassy whose government, we learnt, was actually on the same trail, thanks to its independent investigation into some money laundering that involved the Central Bank. That name, we confidently learnt, has also been passed on to President Jonathan. When he is ready to abandon his accommodating policy towards the implicated, even the criminalised, an attitude that owes so much to reelection desperation, when he moves from a passive “letting the law to take its course” to galvanising the law to take its course, we shall gladly supply that name. In the meantime however, as we twiddle our thumbs, wondering when and how this nightmare will end, and time rapidly runs out, I have only one admonition for the man to whom so much has been given, but who is now caught in the depressing spiral of diminishing returns: “Bring Back Our Honour.”

Ropo Sekoni

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Femi Orebe Page 16

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2014

Presidential counterfeit tunjade@yahoo.co.uk 08054503906 (sms only)

#BringBackOurGirls #BringBackGoodluck2015. We can do with more creative lying

UT for the fact that President Goodluck Jonathan has a doctorate, one might have been tempted to believe that some people that he thinks are his friends are enemies who, unknown to him do not mean well for his administration. But, given at least his academic attainments, one cannot say that. For me therefore, the president knows perfectly well what he is doing. And that is why it baffles me that some Nigerians have not understood the Jonathan administration more than three years after it came on board, and barely a few months to another general election. Last week, specifically on September 10, the government shocked not just Nigerians but the international community as well, when it disowned the #BringBackGoodluck 2015 billboards and those behind them. The president’s special assistant on media, Dr. Reuben Abati, said President Jonathan was not aware of the highly insensitive posters, which were a clear parody of the #BringBackOurGirls hash tag. Abati said they ‘were put up without his knowledge or approval.’ He added that “The President assures all Nigerians and the international community that his administration remains fully engaged with efforts to rescue the abducted girls and that he will not knowingly promote any actions that will fly in the face of the seriousness of their plight and the anguish of their families”. Apparently this repudiation was informed by last week’s Washington Post editorial which was highly critical of the offensive posters. This is the second time that the president would be moved to act by external forces on the Chibok girls. The first time was when Malala Yousafzai made him to invite the parents of the girls to Aso Rock. One should be worried that a president who has the retinue of staff that President Jonathan has, that must have had cause to traverse the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) many times before the Washington Post editorial, would claim not to have seen those billboards. This newspaper, lest we forget, published the picture of the billboard sometime ago. Let’s even admit that the president did not see the posters, what of his numerous aides? None of them saw the billboards too, despite that they had been there for more than two weeks before the presidential order to dismantle them? Lying could not have been more disingenuous. Our consolation however lies in the fact that two people cannot lose from lying: if the person being told lies does not know he is being lied to, at least the liar sure knows that he is lying. However, those who are rejoicing over the president’s order for the dismantling of the billboards nationwide should wait until they are removed. The same president ordered that his supporters behind the Transformation Ambassadors of Nigeria (TAN) should suspend rallies in his honour on account of the outbreak of Ebola in the country. They did not heed the order. As a matter of fact, some of his ministers almost danced themselves lame at the rallies while they were heavily protected by security agents. Is the president not aware of that

Journalists on ‘marble’

defiance of his order too? It is gratifying however that some Nigerians saw through the half truth, at best, and regarded the president’s order for the dismantling of the billboards as an afterthought. Regrettably, some others commended him for ordering their removal. I wonder why we are always eager to commend anything in this country. Here was a thing no one should ever have contemplated in the first place, given the sad episode that the abduction of the Chibok school girls represents in our history. Why on earth would anyone make a pun on that? The fact that such a costly pun was made on behalf of the country’s First Citizen makes matters worse. Without doubt, the many years of military interregnum have done a lot to our psyche such that many of us do not even seem to know that some things are bad and that what is bad can never have any other name; it is bad. # B r i n g B a c k O u r G i r l s ; #BringBackGoodluck2015, how are they related? The matter becomes the more nauseating when it is realised that it was the president’s senior special assistant on public affairs, Dr. Doyin Okupe, who came up with the #BringBackGoodluck2015, in a tweet in August. He was immediately criticised. But this did not deter those who wanted to perpetually look good in the eyes of the president from adopting it as, again, on August 30, a group campaigning for his reelection tweeted: “There is no vacancy in Aso Rock [the president’s residence] we want Goodluck Jonathan again #NigeriansDemand #BringBackJonathan2015 … for continuity.” The message was re-tweeted several times without any objection from President Jonathan. Against the backdrop of my arguments so far, can the president sincerely swear that he never saw those billboards? And that none of his aides did? Can he swear that in their cocktail circuits they never lauded the imitation over the clinking of glasses and while exchanging banters, as one of his highly imaginative campaign slogans? And talking about imaginativeness or creativity, this is something that has always been lacking in our governments, particularly successive central governments,

“President Jonathan and his supporters should understand that if there is anything Nigerians want brought back now, it is the Chibok girls. If it is not #BringBackOurGirls, it cannot be the same as #BringBackOurGirls. The counterfeit can only attract our indignation, which is what #BringBackGoodluck 2015 has done. It is a big irritant. Nigerians sure know the difference between good luck and Goodluck”

despite our heavy investments in feeding, accommodating and pampering the officials. They always bore us by making us travel the same road again and again. Thank God for the discerning in the country, the real thorns in President Jonathan’s government’s flesh. But for them, the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftains could have turned all of us into morons the way they reduce everything to wall clock joke. I have had cause to caution a few weeks back that if we are not careful, the PDP would reduce the country to its base standards by its words and deeds. Have Nigerians realised that neither the party nor its government is talking about removal of fuel subsidy again. Just a few months back, they gave the impression that the country would have collapsed by now if fuel subsidy was not removed. But any Nigerian who thinks the party has dropped the idea must be a big fool. At worst, it would wait till after the election before removing the so-called subsidy. If it took the government about six months to attempt to remove subsidy in 2012, it would take it less than half that period to do it this time again, after the elections, considering the huge resources that would be committed to the 2015 polls. It is a pain that the government is keeping in the cooler for Nigerians till after the elections when, at least President Jonathan would have had nothing to lose again. That, for me, is one of the consequences we would face if we make the mistake of bringing back Jonathan or the PDP. Anyway, if indeed President Jonathan never saw the billboards, only God knows how many potentially damaging things would have been shielded from him. I am aware that many of Nigeria’s rulers are usually held captive by their aides. But I have always maintained that they (rulers) apparently want it so because after shielding them from reality, the aides then feed them with lies and at best, half truths, singing their praise when what they deserve at the point in time are knocks and carpeting. All said, President Jonathan and his supporters should understand that if there is anything Nigerians want brought back now, it is the Chibok girls. If it is not #BringBackOurGirls, it cannot be the same as #BringBackOurGirls. The counterfeit can only attract our indignation, which is what #BringBackGoodluck 2015 has done. It is a big irritant. Nigerians sure know the difference between good luck and Goodluck.

CHIBOK GIRLS. STILL IN LIMBO. SINCE APRIL 15.

N 1997, Motoring Editor of the defunct Daily Times Newspaper, Olaniyi Ogundare died in Paris in an autocrash while test driving a new product of Peugeot Automobile. On the first anniversary of his death, Peugeot Automobile Nigeria Limited (PAN) published a remembrance advert in which the management paid tributes to the Ogundare. “In your professional duties, you were transparently honest, open-minded, trust worthy, appreciative and upright. Although you are gone, the legacy of your goodwill and credibility lingers on for which we are proud.” PAN stated. In a piece I wrote titled The Victory in Death published in the newsletter of Journalists for Christ in 1998, I noted that the question journalists mourning Ogundare should ask themselves is whether a good testimony like the one written about the late Motoring Editor could be written about them by their employers, colleagues and those they report if they die on duty? Penultimate Sunday, I was reminded of the above article following tributes pouring in on the sudden death of the Vice Chairman of the The Sun Newspapers Pastor Dimgba Igwe who was killed by a hit and run driver while jogging around his residence. The tributes speak volumes of the kind of journalist, the ace writer, publisher, author, biographer and pastor was and will be remembered as. The key words I found in the in the tributes which is worthy of emulation for every journalist includes consummate professional, distinguished editor and columnist, quiet and diligent worker, reformer, writer with fecund imagination, cerebral and fearless Journalist and renowned media administrator. Others are, trail blazer, worthy role model, thoroughbred journalist, sensitive to national cohesion and development, refined journalist, God fearing, passionate and painstaking and journalist with the Midas touch. President Goodluck Jonathan aptly sums up the whole essence of Igwe’s personal and professional accomplishments. “ Dimgba Igwe put his God-given abilities to the best possible use in a very purposeful life that was wholly devoted to the defence of truth and the public interest, as well as the promotion of the highest standards of his chosen profession of journalism.” Last Thursday, I was the Chairman at the third memorial lecture in honour of a young lady, Ngozi Agbo, nee Nwozor who left her imprint on the sands of journalism through editing the Campus Life pages in The Nation. Members of the University of Lagos Press Club which organised the event never met the deceased but said what they have read, heard and seen about the Campus Life convinced them that Ngozi is a journalist that should forever be celebrated for the good work she did in raising a new generation of campus journalists nationwide. “You stood in the gap to ensure that our generation is not hopeless by choosing to spend the bulk your time in making us stars in a distressed generation. You opened our eyes to possibilities of a better Nigeria and gave us opportunities to learn and interact with one another through CAMPUSLIFE avenue. “With songs of praises to God, we remember you with streams of joy flowing in our hearts because we are the evidence that you once graced this surface earth and we will continue to be the change agents that you taught us to be,” Philip Okorodudu a graduate of the Delta State University wrote in the tribute published in the UNILAG Gong launched at the memorial lecture. What kind of person will you be remembered as? The option is yours.

THE NATION ON SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 14, 2014

COMMENT

Confab: Opening its political balance sheet (3) Lessons towards the next conference The decision to appoint delegates (instead of allowing communities to elect their own representatives) also prevented delegates from being enriched conceptually by constituents

E observed last week on this page that the recent national conference has missed the opportunity to create new principles towards a constitution capable of restructuring the country into a functional and sustainable federal democracy. And the reason for the failure cannot be put mainly at the foot of the delegates, as many of the lessons emanating from the conference pertain more to preconference activities than to what delegates did or did not do at the conference. The conference lacked the kind of conceptual preparation needed to make delegates achieve more than they had. On matters that pertain to administration and governance, delegates were able to make many important game-changing suggestions. It is thus not surprising that President Jonathan has quickly chosen to set up an Implementation Committee to look at the Conference report. There is no doubt that there are many recommendations that deserve to be implemented regarding how to improve the way ministries and agencies are administered. But on issues that are unmistakably political, such as resource sovereignty and establishing new relationships between two principal levels of government in a federal system, many things were done too hurriedly and haphazardly on the part of the convener and planners of the conference. The timing of the conference (less than one year before the general election) and the decision to pay delegates from the federal purse must have created budgetary constraints that put a lot of pressure on delegates to complete their deliberations, without having the opportunity to consult citizens at large. If the national assembly has been working at amending the 1999 Constitution for the past three years, then it must have been unrealistic in the context of the culture of project manage-

ment in Nigeria to expect a national conference to do a thorough job within four months. Correspondingly, watching the budget on allowances to delegates would not have arisen if their communities had been allowed to send them to the conference on community errands to be compensated for in whatever way the communities deem appropriate. The decision to appoint delegates (instead of allowing communities to elect their own representatives) also prevented delegates from being enriched conceptually by constituents. Citizens generally saw the conference as government’s attempt to implement a top-down initiative about a project that citizens believe requires inevitably a bottom-up approach. Citizens were not mobilised as matters were left in the hands of leaders appointed for them by the convener. Even though many of the delegates from various parts of the country would have had no problem getting elected to represent their communities at the conference, the fact of the matter is that there was no such bond or contract between communities and delegates. Delegates went to the conference without the authority of communities and were thus not bound to consult before accepting any resolution about how citizens at the community level would prefer Nigeria to be structured. The decision to ignore citizens’ calls for a referendum during town meetings organised by the Okurounmu Committee put a nail on the coffin of the option to create a two-way flow between delegates and citizens. The same template: “Only government leaders and their appointees know best what is good for citizens” was used to prepare for the conference. By rejecting the option of referendum, the president knowingly or unknowingly gave the impression that the conference was not about citizens’ desire, thus creating a gulf between delegates and communi-

ties. In modern times, referendum appears to be a sine qua non of constitution making. For example, any effort to re-invent Canada, the United Kingdom, and Spain involved letting the people express themselves through a referendum. It does not follow that allowing a referendum would lead to disintegration. Canadians had voted in the past to reject calls for independence for Quebec. Apart from respecting people’s choice, referendum allows government leaders to know how citizens feel about their country. Spain is at present pushing its neo-centralist approach to prevent Catalonia from having a referendum on the basis of the country’s constitutional position that secession is illegal. Repressing people’s desires on the basis of what the constitution allows does not always give such constitutions long life. In addition, allowing the people of Catalonia to organise a referendum does not automatically mean they will choose independence. The world is now too modern for central governments to prevent citizens from airing their views on important issues. It is the recognition by Britain’s central government of the value of people’s choice that has allowed it to encourage Scotland to hold a referendum on its future relationship with the rest of the United Kingdom. When the referendum takes place, it may or may not go the way the SNP wants. Any government that is afraid of referendum must have something to hide or something that it is gaining by shutting the people up. Furthermore, opting for selection (over election) of delegates reinforced the view that the conference was not for citizens. This choice also made delegates vulnerable to a large extent. Delegates had no backing by their communities and were thus not accountable to anybody outside the group that made their selection possible. Consequently, invoking the mantra of Nigeria’s indissolubility and indivisibility at the begin-

ning of the conference could not have been resisted by delegates as hamstringing them from making maximum demands that would have unearthed the political unconscious of communities with respect to Nigeria’s federal system and thus made negotiations meaningful among competing interests on re-structuring or re-inventing Nigeria. It is therefore too late for delegates from any region to complain about other regions blocking them at the conference. Regional rivalry should have been anticipated when delegates accepted to participate at a conference where the option to problematise Nigeria had been closed ahead of conference deliberations. Leaving delegates to deliberate without the benefit of knowing the true feelings of citizens at the community level left the important issues of how to re-federalise Nigeria solely in the hands of appointed delegates. It also gave the communities and citizens no role, as communities had no power to re-call or ask delegates to return home if and when conference resolutions or recommendations were perceived to be adverse to the interest of specific communities, states, or regions. Finally, series of meetings among self-appointed leaders of various sections of southern Nigeria before the conference did not help to advance the cause of re-federalising the country in its post-military era. Southern pre-conference meetings and the various position papers produced at such fora gave the impression that the country was already divided into two: North versus South on the issue of federalism. After advertising the Southern Position at the conference in advance of the conference, what was left for the North to do: come to the conference to accept the choice of self-appointed southern leaders or bow out of the Nigerian federation with gratitude? Realising that the gains from de-federalisation of Nigeria by successions of military dictators from the North would have been thrown away if northern delegates had welcomed the call by some Yoruba delegates for return to regionalism, should it have surprised anybody that the North came to block the call for regionalism, as some Yoruba elders have claimed? To be continued

THE NATION ON SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 14, 2014

COMMENT

A suspicious order The attempt to compel INEC to award printing of ballot papers to the Mint could compromise the 2015 election

RESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan’s directive that the printing of ballot papers for next year’s general elections be handled by the Nigerian Security Printing and Minting Company (NSPMC) apears curious. He instructed that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) should ensure that the expertise of the Mint be tapped to build up internal capacity in handling such sensitive materials. No sooner was the directive issued than the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, made the move to sell the idea to INEC. He went to the commission and got its chairman, Professor Attahiru Jega, to give his consent. This could be a landmine that would haunt the 2015 elections. The CBN boss then dissolved the NSPMC management committee, with its managing director and the two executive directors forced to retire and new ones appointed. Mr. Joseph Ugbo, an engineer, is the new managing director, while a former special assistant to the CBN governor, Mr. Umar Masanawa, is the new executive director, finance and strategy. With the CBN governor himself an appointee of the president as chairman of the Mint’s board, the takeover is total, thus making the president’s directive curious. While acknowledging that the President and others who advocate that such printing jobs should be handled in the country by the foremost security printing firm in order to combat the scourge of unemployment and build up the national pride is not totally misplaced, the danger should be noted as outweighing the benefits. Elections have always led to combats and instability in the system. It sometimes leads to overthrow of presumably democratically elected governments. They have sometimes portrayed Nigeria as a country where anything goes. The 2007 elections, for example, led to an outcry not only nationally, but

HEN Jigawa State was created in 1991 with other states in the country, much was expected from the infant state to achieve the progress to the delight of the founding fathers of the state. The state was credited with past administrators who did their best to ensure development was evenly spread to all nooks and crannies of the state. When Governor Sule Lamido assumed the leadership of state in 2007, the state was in the news as a state where the then governor ruled it from outside the country or being a state that imported various items that had

The Ribadu debacle

AVE you seen the deceit President Goodluck Jonathan and the PDP have come to personify? Nuhu Ribadu is their latest trophy. They promised him the party’s ticket, and by extension, the Governor’s Lodge. Now they have thoroughly rubbished him, they have exposed Ribadu as an opportunist, how he’ll live with that is left for him to fashion out. But one thing is certain, he has been wounded and from now on, very few will attach any importance to whatever he says or does. Anyone investing any trust in the president and his band in the PDP does so at his or her own risk. By Simon Oladapo, Ogbomoso, Oyo State.

internationally. All the external observers indicated that the elections fell below even national standards. Everything that could go wrong went wrong. Materials were in short supply, logistics was a nightmare, and officials perverted the process. The sincerity of the Federal Government has been called to question in recent times. In the Ekiti and Osun elections that showed that the electoral commission could have turned a new leaf, the security forces showed that they take instructions from the Commander-in-Chief. Now that the president wants the Mint to print sensitive materials, the integrity question is being raised to another level. Can a company fully owned by the Federal Government, whose board and management are appointed by the president be trusted with faithfully producing ballot papers? And, where it does, would it be seen as having done so? It is unfortunate that the president’s directive is a clear detraction from the powers of the commission as derived from the constitution, the Electoral Act and INEC Act. The process of electoral reform that produced the 2010 Electoral Act was largely informed by a quest for an independent electoral commission. By the Act, the commission is believed to be more politically and financially independent than it was previously. But, by now deciding to issue directives to the

TRUTH IN DEFENCE OF FREEDOM

•Editor Festus Eriye •Deputy Editor Olayinka Oyegbile •Associate Editors Taiwo Ogundipe Sam Egburonu

•Managing Director/ Editor-in-Chief Victor Ifijeh •Chairman, Editorial Board Sam Omatseye •General Editor Adekunle Ade-Adeleye

commission, the president is acting ultra vires the provisions of these laws. If the president is allowed to get away with this action, he could begin to aggrandise his power more than envisaged by the extant laws. Had the Mint performed optimally and above board over the years, the order might not have been so suspect. In 2012, about N2 billion was said to have been stolen. Some old officials of the Mint have been taking their turns to answer to charges at the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). Some officials of the CBN were also alleged to have received slush funds from Securency International Pty of Australia. The maladministration of the Mint has, over the years, led to steady decline in performance. There was an 85 per cent decline in its Profit After Tax between 2009 and 2012 and a N215millin loss last year. We call on INEC to resist this attempt to hijack its powers. Professor Jega and his team owe the nation a duty to ensure that the reforms are given effect. It is patriotic to expect that capital flight is halted. South African firms should not be encouraged to continually attract profit from Nigerian government parastatals. But this is the way to go in the future when confidence has been fully reposed in the commission. By then, INEC could establish good relationship with the Mint. By then, the management would have been tested, the competence would have been demonstrated and integrity would have been established. Before the hope of all Nigerians could be invested in the Mint, it ought to be tested in by-elections. The general elections include the presidential, governorship, Senatorial, House of Representatives and House of Assembly polls. It is too heavy to place all these on a wobbling company. This is one situation that calls for disregard of a presidential order in the country’s interest.

LETTER

Lamido’s stride in Jigawa no direct impact on the ordinary people of the state. The state that is blessed with resources to transform the state in the whole northern part of the country, did not utilise its full potential until the current regime of Governor Sule Lamido came to power. Many Nigerian past leaders were in past invited to inaugurate one project or another. What they saw with the transformation of Jigawa State under Gov. Sule Lamido with prudent management of resources made them to praise his efforts and called on other

N advanced democracies and in modern trend of politicking in civilised nations of the world, it has become a norm for politicians seeking public office through election to submit themselves to public debates during which voters get to know them better before election. However, this is not the case in our country today, where impunity, undue strong belief in money politics and lately, the newly introduced poverty-induced stomach politics through which voters are being enticed by rice and salt all in a bid to make them have a temporary satisfaction and relief from hunger as against a long term satisfaction to be

states in the country to emulate his qualities of bringing the much needed development to their people. The development of Jigawa State under the administration of Gov. Sule Lamido could be likened to the kind of transformation going on in Lagos and Kano states, hence the call by some people in the country that other states that are not performing optimally should send their team of expert to states like Jigawa and Kano and study how development with little resources that they receive from federation account and

the internal generated revenue should be used for the overall development of their people who elected them into offices. We know of many states in the country that receive higher allocation from federation accounts and with buoyant IGR and yet the development in their states is not anything to write about. Gov. Sule Lamido two term in office has been able to turn around the socio-economic status of the entire Jigawa State that made the entire people of Jigawa State to be proud and be associated the administration of

Gov. Sule Lamido laudable infrastructure development he is able to bequeath the people of the state. The celebration marking the creation of any state created is done to show case the giant stride recorded while in office. The good people of Jigawa State would continue to remember the administration of Gov. Sule Lamido because it’s the only state in the country which always celebrates the creation of the states with the inauguration of various projects that have touched the lives of the ordinary people of the state. The airport which was constructed by the administra-

tion of Gov. Sule Lamido has been described as of the best airport in the country and this prompted the national hajj commission to flag off this year’s hajj pilgrims to Saudi Arabia. The physical development and other strides noticed in Jigawa State was made possible by the focus, visionary purposeful leadership exhibited by Gov. Lamido in leaving enduring legacy for the people to remember him after office. We hope other states in the country would live up to expectation of their people by providing them with dividend of democracy like what we witness now going on in Jigawa State. Bala Nayashi No 1 Yashi Area Lokoja

Ban candidates who run from public debates derived from good governance that will in the end provide them with adequate food through election of the right candidate for public office, encourage and embolden our politicians to run away from public debates, forgetting that public debate is a necessary and an important tool and medium that will enable the electorate to know the level of preparedness, suitability, seriousness and eligibility of party candidates who aspire to hold any political office beginning with the presidency down to councillorship. It would be recalled that during a much-awaited TV

public debate that was organised for all the governorship candidates in Osun State for the July 30, 2014 election, only the candidate for the All Progressives Congress (APC) was seated at the public debate for the crucial election with all other contenders disappointingly not present. It is high time all politicians embraced the use of public debate as a veritable public opinion tool that will ultimately guide the electorate in choosing right candidates for public offices as this is a stepping stone towards achievement of purposeful, serious and good governance

in our country. Any public office seeker who has no skeleton in the cupboard should not be afraid in subjecting himself or herself to public debate and since all the processes that lead to electing any public office holder in an election enjoy the funding of public funds and not that of political parties and their candidates, any candidate seeking any elective office in a country that shies away from public debate or radio phone-in programme for purpose of election should be disqualified from contesting in the election for which the public debate or a radio

programme has been organised in the first place. There is need for immediate enactment of a law by the National Assembly or an act by state assemblies that will back up a last-minute disqualification of any candidate who shuns preelection public debate or radio-phone-in programme in this country commencing with the forthcoming 2015 elections in our country. Odunayo Joseph Publicity Secretary, Lagos/Ogun Branch of Okun Dev. Association odunayo_joseph2006@yahoo.com

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THE NATION ON SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2014

COMMENT

Chief Pius Olu Akinyelure: A breath of fresh air in the APC Chief Pius Olu Akinyelure’s address at the APC’s Southwest Congress was an exhilarating reaction to PDP’s highhandedness

T is gratifying that Chief Tom Ikimi and former Borno State governor, Modu Sheriff, have self-evicted from the APC after failing dismally to manoeuvre themselves into positions from where they could very easily have purloined the party in the foreseeable future. It would, most probably, have been the most grievous strategic error for any political party to commit: allowing anybody half as egocentric and self-loving as Tom Ikimi to ever emerge its Chairman. I had first met him as a swashbuckling Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Architecture student at the 1969/ 70 National Convention of Nigerian Students which was held at the University of Ibadan and none of his exaggerated idea of himself then has left him. But today is about Chief Akinyelure and the APC, not on our friend, the ‘Scourge of June Twelvers’, as the inimitable Olatunji Dare described him. The good news of their exit was, however, vitiated by what has become APC’s recent, uncharacteristic tepid, if not outrightly timid, responses to PDP’s serial shenanigans which make you feel like the party is beginning to underrate its capacity to shock the PDP at the 2015 presidential election, which I know it can win. In a collaborative study we are working on, we have discovered that the APC can very well win the 2015 Presidential Election with enough hard work and creativity. This is quite possible with a good, targeted and extensive publicity, not the lies we currently see daily on television standing obvious Nigerian realities on the head, but of the solid achievements of the APC governments

in all parts of the country, especially in education, healthcare delivery, welfare of the elderly, the environment and massive infrastructure procurement any of which no PDP state can compare except, may be, in solitary Akwa Ibom; coupled with strategically thinking through pragmatic programmes that will reflate the Nigerian economy and take it away from the IMF/World Bank paradigm we are currently stagnated with. I speak here of targeted, implementable and measurable, poverty-reducing policies that will resonate with the Nigerian people, not the big names the PDP is parading, romancing and deceiving the likes of Ribadu at will. These are programmes, not fraudulently collated bios of job-seeking Nigerian youth they have coyly converted to those they claim endorsed their candidate. On the contrary, these will be well considered policies that will create jobs, reduce corruption and expand our infrastructure base. With such policies firmly in place, an APC government at the federal level will, rapidly and sustainably, increase the national income and can successfully lift as many as 20million Nigerians out of poverty within its first four years in office. If the party’s reaction to the PDP’s highhandedness had been chilling, not so the exhilarating address by Chief Pius Olu Akinyelure, National Vice Chairman (Southwest), at the Southwest Congress of the party, held at Ibadan on Thursday, September 4, 2015. The highly impactful address is, for space constraints, reproduced below, mutatis mutandis.

Happy reading: 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, Chief Obafemi 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-energise 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) which 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 as we have today in the annals of our history. 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. 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. In Ekiti for instance, we witnessed, not only the monetisation of votes and the blatant institutionalisation of violence but much more – 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 hordes of 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 waged campaigns based on developmental issues like the environment, culture, economy, tourism, education and human capital and infrastructural development, while the PDP based its campaign on appeal to banal instincts and corruption, based on the puerile propaganda of momentary and opportunistic patronisation of market women and artisans. This is reprehensible. Permit me to use this opportunity to commend the resilience of millions of our supporters in the South West for their calmness in the face of naked brute force, provocation and state induced assaults by the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP). I also wish to commend our leaders for their vigilance and resolute, iron cast determination to defend the core principles of democracy as well as their resolve not to resort to violence. I commend the governments of 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 opponents who have regressed Nigeria to a state of stupor. The entire country is today faced with monumental challenges arising from poverty, want and penury. The manufacturing companies are facing an all time economic low. Less than half of the population has access to electricity; living standards are the same today as they were in 1970, and nearly 100 million Nigerians live on less than $1 dollar a day. There is massive unemployment, with over 50% of our youth out of work. And 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 members of our great party and Nigerians, in general, to wrestle Nigeria from these vampires. Time is running out. We must act fast and decisively. And to strengthen the party, we must: Realise the need for us to make sacrifices for the party and build new alliances, develop a vision and philosophy our people can relate to and associate with: one that addresses current needs, provides hope and abundance for all. APC must have local cells alongside the ward structure that will become a meaningful platform of, and for citizens’ engagement. Our politics must be accompanied by clarity of message about what we stand for. We must create a movement that will put light at the end of this long, dark tunnel and make our people the pilot of their own destiny, so that Nigeria can reclaim her lost glory at home and in the comity of nations. 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 a social movement. We need to start doing and playing politics of ideology and values, walking in the footpath of the Avatar – Chief Obafemi Awolowo – so that our politics can once again generate genuine momentum for progressive change.

Those WAEC Results? Ehn now, Nigeria is only reaping what it sowed! (2) Our own Generation W, where you and I are, has been a disgrace to our Generation V parents because we are not teaching our Generation X children those values they taught us which preach hard work, good sense and kindness

AST week, dear reader, we presented the thesis that the woes we are experiencing in our public educational structures in the country right now can be traced right down to the mostly negative learning experiences of the average Nigerian child in childhood and at the public primary school level. We also agreed that those who are largely in charge of the affairs of our toddlers at this level really do not see themselves as parents to the large mass of pupils looking pityingly up to them for good management of all that concern them, the pupils that is, not the officials. So, in a round-about sort of way, the failure of the primary school level is in turn caused by the failure of the parental gene in us and the public officials charged with looking after the young ‘uns. Yes, reader, each of the organs in charge of running public primary level education – UBE, UBEC, SUPEB, electricity and water companies, etc., — are manned by people who also double as parents in their spare time. Like other Nigerians, however, it is presumed that their children mostly do not attend the schools they themselves administer or use their own products. In other words, they send their own children to public schools abroad, at public expense, and starve their charges at home. This is how it comes about that teachers are not paid; required materials are not provided for teachers and pupils to work with,

classrooms and school environments are uninspiring, homes are in darkness, and the primary school experience is better forgotten for the child. In other words, these are parents who do what is good for their own children and kick other people’s children into the culvert. The result is that children’s imaginations are not awakened and teachers’ resolves are weakened. Parental failure at this most tender level is also pronounced in the way many parents believe that money can bring up children better than them. So, they do all in their power to play heroes and heroines to their children by throwing the stuff (mostly ill-gotten too) at their kids until life teaches them another lesson: that parenting means spending time and love, not money and power. There have been reports of rich parents buying houses for their wards to accommodate them while in their out-of-town schools. There are children on more than two hundred thousand Naira monthly allowance from parents. There are parents also who have rushed to their children’s schools to ‘deal’ with teachers who dared to beat their children. I do believe that the best parent in this world may not have a kobo to his name; while the richest man in the world (whoever he is) can be made poor by the incapacitating poverty of his child. Children’s imaginations need to be wakened up very early to grasp concepts, learn facts and generate ideas right from birth, by giving them at-

tention, teaching them to read and reading to them, talking to them, etc. These are best done at home and in the primary school. This is the way to prepare them to develop the nation tomorrow. Impatient parents are not doing these; how then do we expect unpaid primary school teachers to do them? Nurturing a child is a team effort involving the entire society. Parents are expected to set values that the entire family will follow: no stealing, work hard and do not take advantage of anyone lesser than you. Parents are not teaching these values today because they themselves steal, do not work and take advantage of the rest of the society. They hope however that the schools will rectify their failures. Teachers are supposed to build on what already exists in the child as home values or start afresh: no stealing, work hard and do not take advantage of anyone lesser than you. However, those ones are too busy wrestling with poverty, due to unpaid emoluments, to inculcate those values. The society – elders, police, religious bodies – are supposed to build on what the home and school have already imparted: no stealing, work hard and do not take advantage of anyone lesser than you. Unfortunately, though, even those ones are looking the other way now because everyone is stealing, is not working hard, and is taking advantage of everyone else. This is exactly why the world is round. This weak foundation is what most

children who attend Nigerian public schools carry into secondary school and forward into life. Unfortunately, this success-crazed world we are running is interested only in success stories; it is not interested in going back to fix where mistakes have been made. So, rather than endeavouring to rebuild the entire road of education, we all prefer to fix potholes. We fix examinations. Will that school, principal, parent, teacher, etc., which or who has not assisted a child or a class perpetrate some exam malpractice or the other in common entrance, WAEC or JAMB examinations please stand up for recognition? Let’s see: one, two, three … THREE? Oh dear! A case of ‘all have sinned …’ eh? All these just go to prove the parental failure theory: show me a child, so says an adage, and I will show you what the parents are. By the time a child is eighteen, in the western world which we are so assiduously copying, a child is shown how to earn respect from the world by teaching him to earn his pocket money, no matter how rich the parents are. Here, we teach a culture of shortcuts. Our own Generation W, where you and I are, has been a disgrace to our Generation V parents because we are not teaching our Generation X children those values they taught us which preach hard work, good sense and kindness. I predict that the Generation Y children of this Generation X will be worse than them, because of our failures. Don’t let us even go near Generation Z.

Every generation is supposed to improve on the previous one. In the western world, where Nigerians run to for holidays, sneezing check-ups and other sundry matters such as hiding stolen money, each generation has built on the successes of the previous one while managing to minimize their errors. Around here, each generation appears to be more interested in taking public recklessness to the most abominably higher level than the last. In short, this generation is teaching its young ones how to make things worse and worse than they meet them. The result is this chaotic society we are all complaining about. I keep wondering what many parents will tell their children that they have been able to contribute to the world. Let’s see now, I imagine it will go something like this: I was appointed into this X position, and… em, I managed to send you and your brother and your mother overseas to school and live there, you know, so that you would have quality education, not like what we have here. You are really lucky, eh?! There is a lot wrong with education today that will need a great deal to cure, but educating parents in how to teach their children is a good start. If parents stop misusing their positions and instead concentrate on teaching children responsibility, we may get somewhere. More money may then be available to spend on the Nigerian classroom and its teachers; children may learn something before leaving primary school. Then parents and school authorities may be less inclined to cheat in examinations, and there will definitely be less tears, hues and cries to reap when results are released. Let us try it; it just may work.

THE NATION ON SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2014

COMMENT

(82) Ribadu’s defection, corruption and the unending disappearance of productive, modernising political elites in our country (2) The thing that is coming is so strange that it has a head and also wears a hat. Chinua Achebe, Arrow of God

HE year was 1971. With my friend Professor Femi Osofisan, I was a graduate student resident of the Tafawa Balewa Postgraduate Hall at the University of Ibadan. Of course neither Femi nor I was then a professor. As a matter of fact, neither of us was remotely close to completing our Ph D studies for at that point, we were both preparing to go abroad to advance our doctoral studies, he to the University of Paris (Sorbonne) and myself to New York University. For this reason, that year at Balewa Hall was for us like a temporary holiday from academic studies of the most rigorous kind. He wrote plays and had them staged; I wrote reviews of books and theatre performances and literary journalism for the newspapers; and we both continued to act in stage plays and television dramas. And we read, we devoured newspapers. And this is the point that I wish to highlight in this journey down memory lane to that year at Balewa Hall. For it was this daily activity of going to the newspaper vendors’ stalls in front of our Hall that drew the attention of Osofisan and myself to what must strike every single Nigerian now as an astonishing fact. This is the fact that people would stop by these stalls, take which papers they wanted to buy, and leave the monies for the often absent vendors in the absolute certainty that no one would steal the monies. Balewa Hall is at the junction where the roads leading to Sultan Bello, Kuti, Azikiwe and Independence Halls converged and so the daily traffic that went past our Hall was great. But we never heard of anyone having ever stolen a kobo from the monies left for absent newspaper vendors. Corruption was not unknown then, but it was nowhere close to the pandemic social and economic contagion that it has become in our country in about the last four decades. I have said over and over again in this column that for the most part, I write the column with youthful Nigerians under the age of 50 as my main audience. Nigerians of my generation and those older are also welcome to the column and indeed, I often do get email responses to what I write in the column from elderly compatriots, women and men. But for the most part, it is the young that I think about, together with the future that we will leave for them. This is why I am starting this conclusion of the series that began with last week’s essay with this account of the relative low level and manageable scale of corruption in our country in my youth more than forty years ago. It is the great social tragedy, the great moral and political burden of members of my generation that are still alive and that are men and women of conscience, decency and compassion to see their country, their society descend into levels of corrup-

•Nnamdi Azikiwe

•Obafemi Awolowo

•Ahmadu Bello

•Aminu Kano

tion, rot and decadence that we could never have imagined and that cause unspeakable degrees of poverty, suffering and insecurity among most of our peoples, all this in a land flowing with vast wealth. Among the multiple and diverse areas of our collective national life that I could use to illustrate this social tragedy, I choose only one - the infrastructures, practices and realities of our educational system. Nigerians under 50 may find this hard to believe or even comprehend now, but in my youth, examination malpractices were very, very rare. And when they happened they were severely punished. There were many poorly trained teachers in the primary and secondary schools, but they were for the most part very aware of their deficiencies and took every step necessary to improve themselves professionally. In the universities, standards of instruction, learning and research were very high and we took great pride in the fact that degrees from Nigerian tertiary institutions were respected all over the world. Today, all of these accomplishments that set us firmly on the road to an equable and well adjusted modernity are in total shambles, consumed by and in an ethos in which corruption reigns with a sovereign power that has eaten deep into every sphere and level of society. Exam malpractices are so rife that they are like an epidemic of cultural and intellectual ete, leprosy. Hundreds of thousands of primary and secondary schoolteachers with certification as highly trained professionals are in reality barely literate. Moreover, they tend to be militantly opposed to retraining and self-improvement - as Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State found to his cost in the state’s last governorship elections. Our universities are so poorly ranked now that they not only rank lowly among the universities of the world but also among universities in Africa. The list goes on and on. And since the median age for Nigeria is only 19, this means that this dreadfully dispiriting list of rot and corruption at all levels of our society is all that the great majority of the living generations of Nigerians have ever known. From this fact, I extrapolate this sobering observation: as those of us of the genera-

tions that have known a Nigeria that was very different from the rot, the corruption that is now drowning our society watch for signs of what the future portends for us, we seem like the perfect example for the witty, laughable but deeply sardonic saying from Chinua Achebe’s Arrow of God that serves as the epigraph to this piece: “The thing that is coming is so strange that it has a head and also wears a hat”. For those of us who have known and experienced a Nigeria that was not among the ranks of the most corrupt societies of the world, a Nigeria in which, at Balewa Hall at the University of Ibadan in 1971, you could leave monies for absent newspaper vendors and no one would steal the monies, we should reflect on what lessons we can extrapolate from that period and pass on to the generations of our younger compatriots. That is a huge task that is, quite frankly, beyond the scope of this series of only two essays. In place of such a comprehensive review, I wish to end this series with only one example that I deem of extraordinary importance. This is the fact that we did have politicians, we did have significant factions among our ruling class political parties that made it a crucial aspect of their electoral manifestos and their policies and actions in governance to contain corruption lest it completely derail the requirements of economic and social development and the public good. This will no doubt seem like pure fantasy to most Nigerians under 50, but it is a sadly forgotten or even buried aspect of our political history. Let me draw the attention of the reader, especially the young reader, to some salient facts. The three main ruling class parties of the First Republic, the NPC, the NCNC and the AG, were all very efficient in the management of their budgets as ruling parties in the regions and in the centre. At the Crown Agents in London in which the greater portions of their surpluses were banked, they maintained considerable reserves which were not stolen or looted by any political leader or chieftain. If, as an indigene of any of the regions, you got a scholarship to any Nigerian or foreign in-

stitution, you received your stipends in a timely fashion. All the regions were in a sort of healthy competition for growth and development of their peoples and this helped to severely curtail any impulses or temptations for looting public coffers. Above all else is this crucial fact: all these parties had within them sizeable factions of productive, modernizing elites that put regional or public interests far above personal selfaggrandizement. Even the NPC which was the most conservative of these parties had many such politicians at the helm of its affairs, for the NPC was not so much against modernization per se as it was against modernization that was too rapid and that was dominated by the South and Christianity. Perhaps the most interesting case of all is that of the combined impact of the AG and its leader, the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo, on the political economy of capitalist modernity and modernization in our country. To put this case in a nutshell, Chief Awolowo amassed great personal fortune as a lawyer and businessman; at the same time, he zealously pursued economic and social programmes that benefitted the poor and the marginalised. He did not see one as the opposite of the other: great personal wealth; and policies and programmes that were welfarist or social democratic. Of especial significance was the fact that Awolowo took this stance into the innermost sanctum of his Party’s moral, ideological and political struggles. He knew those who were with him and those who were against him on this all-important issue of the distribution of the social surplus between the haves and the have-nots. Moreover, he formulated his political alliances outside the Western Region and his own Party around this distinction between those that merely wished to enrich and aggrandize themselves and those who were for both selfenrichment and the interests of the poor and the disenfranchised. It is true that outside the Western Region, Awolowo was mostly seen as a Yoruba leader. Nonetheless, in virtually all the other regions

of the country and among the diverse ethnic communities of the land, it was also known that he had deep quarrels with politicians in his own Party and in the other Parties that were for only their own self-enrichment. This was why he was the bellwether, the catalyst for all the productive, modernising political elites of the First Republic. At any rate, his significance for the present discussion is this: party politics in the modern world for Awolowo was not only about differences of ethnicity, region and religion, each party or politician representing his or her own part of the country; party politics for Awo was also about redistribution of wealth between the haves and the have-nots across the length and breadth of the land. I was not and I am not now an “Awoist”. None of the ruling class parties in our country has ever moved close enough to my vision of consistent and principled progressive politics for me to feel inclined to join any of them. My concluding focus on Awolowo has one reason and one reason only and this can be put in the form of three questions. One: In the last four decades, have you, dear reader, seen, heard or read about major, bitter differences among our politicians and political parties that are primarily based on how to distribute our national wealth between the haves and the have-nots? Two: Are the emerging battle lines for the 2015 general elections not almost exclusively about where the Presidency will go? Three: Have you ever read the Preamble to the 1990 Constitution that states quite clearly that wealth accumulation and income redistribution cannot be simultaneously pursued in our country at its present stage of (mal)development? Self-enrichment reigns supreme now, with systemic and miasmic corruption as its enabling, fructifying environment. Nigeria was not always like this. Armed with knowledge of our political history, we may yet be able to carry out reforms before it is too late. Biodun Jeyifo bjeyifo@fas.harvard.edu

THE NATION ON SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2014

COMMENT

…And they say Jonathan is clueless; really? T

HE last time I travelled, by road, to Abakaliki, the Ebonyi state capital, one thing rang through my mind –the claim that President Goodluck Jonathan was clueless. Having driven on those roads through Lokoja from Abuja, down to Enugu and up to Abakaliki, I said to me, ‘if this is what it takes to be clueless, perhaps, we need more clueless persons at the helm of affairs in our country’. And all over us, we see every day, signs that the “clueless” leader is indeed, full of clues on how to alter trends for the good of Nigeria and Nigerians. I still remember his words upon inauguration as President in 2011. He said to us: “Nigeria…shall be a nation where positive change will continue to take place, for the good of our people. The time for lamentation is over. This is the era of transformation. This is the time for action”. Indeed, I am happy that I am witness to change in my country. This change is driven by a leader who has chosen to do things differently. From road to rail and air travel, down to a sustainable economy, power and job creation, to drastically reducing the food import bill, Jonathan is making an impact which disappoints his clueless-mantra critics. And then, I look back and remember that the accolades and tributes poured out on late Prof. Dora Akunyili, former NAFDAC boss, were because she chose to do things differently and left such a huge impact on us. Jonathan is, to my mind, driving on the same road Prof. Dora drove. Change is the only thing that makes impact on societies. Focusing on his promise, Jonathan has made so much impact in the lives of Nigerians that summarising the effects of his transformative performance in a few paragraphs would be like summarising the Holy Book in a page. To my mind, his impact on electoral reforms which has restored a high level of confidence in the electoral system come tops for me. Most other things about our progress take off from a credible electoral system. With him as the Captain of ‘MV Nigeriana,’ Jonathan has touched the power sector so radically that Nigerians now look forward to October, which his administration has promised to be a date for Nigerians with constant power supply. This promise, made by Prof. Chinedu Nebo, Jonathan’s Energy minister is a direct outcome of investments, direct and indirect, made in the sector including the unbundling of PHCN, privatisation of power plants and even funding of gas-to-power projects. Just a few days ago, his wife declared that Nigeria’s women have never had it so good in government. Indeed, by appointing more women into government, and handing them

AST week, we drew the attention of Nigerians to a gaffe by former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, while speaking at a gathering of All Progressives Congress (APC) faithful in Owerri, Imo state. A repeat of the details of our submissions in that article is not necessary here but the synopsis was that if Atiku is that wonderful, he should first make his native state, Adamawa, work better before coming to Imo to fan the amber of discord among the people. The same week, another prominent Nigerian, Prince Arthur Eze, came all the way from his native Anambra State to pass a no-holdsbarred verdict on Abia State. Prince Eze, according to a newspaper report, had, at an event hosted by the Abia State government, lambasted the current administration for running it down. “Abia stinks” was how the only newspaper that reported the matter put it. The significance of this sole franchise to report Eze’s outburst will emerge in the course of this article but it is worth mentioning, at the moment, that though the circumstances are not entirely the same, Eze like Atiku was sowing the seed of discord among the good people of Abia State. Since that pronouncement, I have kept tab on the newspapers to see reactions to it, both from within and outside Abia State, and my findings are quite interesting. The only reactions are coming from individuals and groups known to be critical of the current administration in the state and which merely keyed into the Arthur Eze diatribe. Incidentally, those – individuals and groups—that have reacted so far are not domiciled in the state. And interestingly but not unexpectedly, their only medium of expression is the same newspaper that solely reported the Eze outburst. Yet, Eze had wondered whether there are no longer courageous men and women in Abia that could come out to condemn Governor Theodore Orji and his administration. So, the

•Jonathan By Segun Oyepitan

very sensitive positions, Jonathan has reversed the trend and gave women more voice in the governance of the country. Never in the history of Nigeria has women been at the helm of affairs in the third arm of government. This was a radical departure from the past. Looking at his credentials in the aviation sector, one can only say wow! Indeed, the transformation train had a stopover at the nation’s airports, on its way to the railway stations. Rail transport is revitalised just as much as our airports have moved away from being mere glorified aircraft parking lots. The transformation train touch in the nation’s educational sector has been phenomenal. With more access created for tertiary education with the approval and take off of more federal universities, granting of operational licences for private universities, upgrade of unity schools and improvement in study aid and teacher training, Jonathan showed how important education is to the transformation of Nigerians. His stride in creating Almajiri schools in the north of Nigeria, have been severally lauded and epochal. Further, there is no way one would reel out accomplishments of the Jonathan first era in government without talking of how better our roads have become. From Sokoto to Rivers, Nigeria’s federal highways have become much better than they were five years ago. These are observable facts. Countless bridges have been

built across places where roads had been impassable. The second bridge over River Niger, may stand out a one of his loudest statements on infrastructure development. Perhaps, the biggest statement of Jonathan’s transformation of the agric sector is the disclosure, by Minister Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, that Nigeria’s food import bill has reduced by N415.6 billion. He said Nigeria’s food import bill dropped by over N400bn ($2.55bn) to N684.7bn ($4.35bn) by December 2013 from N1.1tn ($6.9bn) in 2009, the Federal Government has said. This is direct consequence of measures taken by the Jonathan administration to revive, revamp and recreate the agric sector. Obviously, with about N415billion being redirected to other economic activities, Nigeria is standing somewhere on the positive index. With Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the Jonathan administration has re-engineered financial management in the country, plugging loophole through which Nigeria hitherto lost revenue that are now channelled to the transformation of the people’s lives. Statistics show that Nigeria has become the favoured destination of investors coming into Africa recording the highest investment of $8.4billion (around 930 billion). Government’s target is to attract $20 billion worth of foreign investments in three years. With the World Economic Forum on Africa successfully hosted in Abuja by the Jonathan administration, investors are tumbling over themselves to cut a piece of the Nigerian pie with multi-billion dollars investments. Multinationals, which had hitherto avoided Nigeria on stereotypes, have found in the country an opening for safe and profitable investment. Besides, the listing of Nigeria the Government Bond Index-Emerging Markets (GBIEM) became a masterstroke. Before that in 2011, the Nigerian economy, based on an International Monetary Fund (IMF) forecast, was expected to witness 5.9 percent GDP growth but figures from the Federal Bureau of Statistics in Nigeria showed that by third quarter of 2011 the GDP growth stood at 7.3 percent. Added to that, the recent rebasing of the Nigerian GDP,

Abia: The Arthur Eze puzzle By Ethelbert Okere

question is, why have Abians not made a song and dance of what Eze said? Why does it seem that they have decided to ignore Eze? And why is it that no other newspaper (apart from the one owned by the immediate past governor of the state) reported both the Eze comment and subsequent reactions? The answers are not difficult to fathom. The Abia political elite, which Prince Eze was most probably addressing, is far too sophisticated to see his comment as worthy of drawing its members into a needless quarrel among themselves or between it (or a section of it) and the governor. The reason for this is further that the Abia elite is so much conversant with the matter of Abia that it might have felt that it does not need an Arthur Eze to remind them of it. Before Eze went to Abia, Abia leaders had ways of making their feelings known to the governor and even though some of them might not be 100 per cent pleased with him, they might not believe that an outsider has a larger interest in the state than they do. Governor Orji might not have lined the streets of Abia with gold but because the nature of his administration is such that brings both the leaders and the people closer, they already knew more than what Eze was trying to school them on. They might have their fears and worries but they also know the constraints faced by their state. I have said severally before that the thing that sets the administration of T .A Orji aside is that it has succeeded in making Abia the only state in the South East geo-political zone where members of the political elite work on one page with the governor. Abia is the only state in the South East (at least ) where you

could find a senator, the minister representing the state, top party hierarchy etc sit at the high table with the governor at an event. In order states, the members of the political elite have been chased away, either by design or default, leaving the governors to deal only with the people they can mesmerize. I was a keen watcher of the administration before Orji’s and I can state without any equivocation that the type of synergy that currently exists among members of the political elite in the state was hardly there. This is significant because though “firing” (electricity) and “watering” (potable water) is good, the major ingredient for developing any political entity, such as a state, is harmony among members of the political class. Differently put, political scientists have affirmed that over seventy percent of the content of governance is made up of intangibles; things (like law and order, political harmony etc) that cannot be seen or touched ( like road, electricity, hospital etc) but which form the very basis upon which the tangibles can be conceived and executed. This is what Governor Orji has given Abia State in no small measure. This is not the forum to tabulate what Orji has done in terms of physical infrastructure; just as it is not our responsibility to do so. But it is sufficient to mention that no matter how bad the situation in Abia might be, it does not warrant the type of brashness which Prince Eze employed. At best it was a hyperbole but essentially Eze’s assertion was too ordinary to come from a fellow of his standing. “Stinking” is an expression one would have expected from an implacable political rival of Governor Orji and who is not ready to concede anything. Is Prince

ranks Nigeria among top economic hubs in the world and even surpassing South Africa on the continent. Like Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Nigeria’s Finance minister and Coordinating Minister for the Economy would say “We do not want anyone to be poor. We want to do away with poverty”. That is Jonathan’s mandate for which is vigorously working. Revitalisation of the economy also led to the creation of the Subsidy Re-Investment Programme which had added impetus to infrastructure development across the country. Nigerians are sure better for it. All these efforts have added up to create more job opportunities for Nigeria’s youth. Jobs have been created in the agric sector, transport sector, housing sector, aviation sector, power sector etc with opportunities for further human resource development. Sure-P alone, has ensure the placement of over 5000 youths in a scheme which sees government paying each of them not less than N30,000 monthly in its internship programme. If the truth be sincerely told, all will attest to the fact that Jonathan’s touch on Nigeria has been massively positive. The fact that some of his transformative actions are “intangible” and are not immediately felt, does not vitiate the other fact that a few more years ahead, Nigerians would look back with pride. I believe it was for this reason that former military President, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida, addressing journalists in Minna during his last birthday celebration, spoke of how pleased, all former leaders of the country are with Jonathan’s performance. Babangida said they all have been there before and know what it means, and takes, to lead Nigeria and to deliver on promises. He summarised that “we appreciate what he is doing”. No better mark could a leader score when both the high and low sign off positively on his performance chart. A leader who achieves such positive appraisal by his predecessors, cannot, in real sincerity of the heart, be said not to have touched lives. But I am not surprised. The leaders who transformed Singapore, China, Korea and even those who turned Dubai from a desert in the early 1980’s to a centre of focus on trade, commerce, leisure etc, were all resisted by elements in their country who were beneficiaries of status quo. There were even blacks who opposed Martin Luther King Jnr. It is normal because change is a painful process for the bourgeois. Yet, one thing is clear, this Jonathan sure knows the clues to the nation’s socio-political and infrastructural development unless cluelessness has taken a different meaning in the political lexicon of his opponents! Arthur Eze, Eze N’Ukpo, Ozo Igbo Ndu, a political rival to T.A Orji? No, in the strict sense of it but there is a familial relationship between him, Eze, and one of Orji’s worst critics today; a situation that tempts anybody to believe that Eze’s hit at Orji is part of the fight between the governor and the fellow in question. I am referring to His Excellency, Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu, Governor T.A Orji’s immediate predecessor. Eze is an uncle to Governor Kalu’s wife and though it is difficult to say that Eze was merely echoing Kalu and his camp, it remains a puzzle that Eze could find liberty in so berating a governor of a state in Igboland where he, Eze, belongs to the topmost echelon in the political establishment; and who is therefore expected to shun the market place approach to resolving issues of politics and governance among people of the Igbo nation. Even when we disregard the fact that Kalu and Eze are in-laws, the rift between the former and Governor Orji has become such that every well meaning Igbo leader has become worried and wishing that the matter be resolved without further delay. Prince Eze might have meant well for the people of Abia State but his posturing and timing of his utterances make even the worst critic of Governor Orji to conclude that he is taking sides with Dr. Kalu. Since the Abia incident, Dr. Kalu’s newspaper has published at least four follow-up articles and news reports, all amplifying the views expressed by the Anambra prince. I have written more than a dozen articles on the KaluOrji rift, all soliciting for a stoppage. The present intervention is informed by the desire, after seeing that Prince Arthur Eze’s outing in Abia is a negation of the quest by several Igbo leaders for a truce. But it is not late for Prince Eze. As a highly influential Igbo leader (Ozo Igbo Ndu), he should return to Abia to do what is expected of a leader of his standing.

THE NATION ON SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 14, 2014

‘People should checkmate their leaders, call them to order ‘ PAGES 21

•Kwankwaso

•Buhari

Why we rejected Omisore in Osun Badmus

Uncertainty over Uduaghan’s succession plan PAGE 24

PAGE 22

•Atiku

2015: Meet Jonathan’s opponent S

INCE August 21, 2014 when the National Executive Council (NEC) of All Progressives Congress (APC) held its first official meeting and made formal declarations on when and how the party would pick its presidential candidate for the 2015 election, the battle for the ticket has gathered momentum. Leading aspirants are already fine-tuning their strategies. At the end of the meeting, the National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, had told newsmen that the party has resolved to hold its primaries in October and in so doing, has adopted what he described as ‘Modified Direct Primary Model.’ According to him, the primaries would be staggered and would involve elected officials of the party from across all the local government areas of the country, the 36 states of the federation and Abuja and those aspiring for governorship, national and state assemblies, and local council seats.

Following All Progressives Congress’ resolve to hold its presidential primaries in October this year, ahead 2015 elections, Sam Egburonu and Sunday Oguntola report on the chances and odds facing the leading aspirants Since then, leading aspirants for APC’s ticket, some of who have been oiling their mechinaries descreetly, have come out in the open to prepare for the battle and to modify their approaches in line with the new realities. So far, the major aspirants that have been identified include former military Head of State, retired Major-General Muhammadu Buhari, former civilian Vice-President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso of Kano State and the publisher of Leadership newspaper, Sam Nda-Isaiah. Muhammadu Buhari: General Muhammadu Buhari (Rtd), one of the foremost aspirants, is not a new comer to Nigerian politics and power game. A former military Head of State, who ruled the country between December 31, 1983 to August 27, 1985,

he has played active partisan politics since his retirement from the army and had contested presidential elections in 2003, 2007 and 2011. Born December 17, 1947, Buhari, from Daura in Katsina State, first came into national prominence when he became the Federal Commissioner (Minister) of Petroleum and Natural Resources in 1976 under the then military government of General Olusegun Obasanjo. After his retirement from the army, following the 1985 coup that eased him out of power, he served as the Chairman of Petroleum Trust Fund under the military government of the late General Sani Abacha. His interest in the power game in Nigeria did not end with the termination of military rule as he has partici-

pated fully in partisan politics since the return to democracy in 1999. In the 2003 Presidential Election, he flew the flag of the then All Nigeria People’s Party (ANPP) and lost to People’s Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, the then President Olusegun Obasanjo. On December 18, 2006, he emerged the consensus presidential candidate of ANPP for the 2007 election. This time, his major opponent was his fellow Katstina State indigene, Alhaji Umaru Yar ‘Adua, who flew PDP’s flag. He also lost to the PDP candidate following a very controversial election result that awarded 70 percent of the votes to PDP and 18 percent to Buhari’s ANPP. The intrigues that followed the development, especially ANPP’s later resolve to join the government of

Yar’Adua, which Buhari opposed vehemently, may have contributed to his eventual defection in March 2010 from ANPP to the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), a political party he had helped to found. So, in the 2011 Presidential Election, Buhari flew the flag of CPC in the election that PDP again won. Today, following the historic merger that brought many progressive political parties together in the All Progressives Congress (APC), Buhari is set to contest for the ticket of the leading opposition party in the 2015 election. The arguments for Buhari Buhari is one of the few politicians in Nigeria today whose followers and supporters exhibit the kind of passion and deep reverence enjoyed by foremost nationalists and First Republic political leaders. Why? When he served as the military Head of State, Buhari and his

•Continued on Page 20

THE NATION ON SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 14, 2014

POLITICS

•Continued from Page 19 equally hard-faced second- in- command, the late General Tunde Idiagbon, made history as some of the most disciplined military leaders in Nigeria. Their regime paid serious attention to indiscipline and corruption. Till date, many of his supporters say he has what it takes to stamp out corruption in Nigeria. The odds against him Just like his admirers love and support Buhari with passion, those who oppose his emergence as Nigeria’s president are equally passionate as they adduce several reasons why he lacks national appeal. One of the major allegations or fears widely expressed by his opponents is the accusation that he may be unable to separate his deep religious sentiments as from his office as elected president of Nigeria. This is a major obstacle his campaign managers would need to handle carfully, given the current sentiments on the role and position of religion in Nigerian politics. Our investigation shows that even if Buhari gets his party’s ticket, his stand on religion and governance is one area he would need to work very hard on if he expects to win the presidential election. Another major challenge Buhari may face is lack of widespread political structure. Insiders say aside the North where he enjoys considerable popularity, it is doubtful if Buhari can stand the other major contestants in the other geopolitical zones for the party’s ticket. Even more important is his acceptability during the presidential election proper. The questions his opponents are asking are how acceptable is Buhari in the South-East, North Central and South-South where Jonathan comes from? In the states that make up these states, can he win the required votes for APC? Closely linked to his image, which is also constantly attacked by corrupt, rich Nigerians afraid of his return, is his financial muscle. Given the adopted model that requires grassroots reach, the fear is that Buhari may be disadvantaged as he cannot successfully approach corrupt super rich Nigerians for financial assistant. Atiku Abubakar: If it is only down to experiences in electioneering, former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, should effortlessly get the presidential ticket of the All Progressive Congress (APC). But experience is never enough, many political pundits will say. To fly the presidential flag of the leading opposition party will demand far much bigger credentials. In 1993, Atiku had the first shot at the presidency. It was in the defunct Social Democratic Party (SDP). His opponents in the party’s presidential primary in Jos were the late Chief Moshood Kashimawo Abiola and Ambassador Baba Gana Kingibe. He stepped down for the late Abiola to put a stop to Kingibe’s moving train. The Turaki, propelled by his mentor, the late Shehu Yar’Adua, had demanded for the running mate’s slot. They had banked on the vastness of the Peoples Democratic Movement (PDM) to pull through. But Abiola settled for Kingibe who was considered more popular and acceptable in view of his endorsement by 14 state chairmen of the party. Atiku licked his wounds and remained prepared for the slightest political opportunity. It took another five years before it came coming. This time, he opted for the governorship slot of his home state, Adamawa. He won convincingly before giving up his mandate to pick up the vice presidency slot when former President Olusegun Obasanjo offered it. Obasanjo, insiders say, left the administration for Atiku in his first term, allowing the former Customs officer to consolidate power. When he sought reelection in 2003, he found to his chagrin that Atiku had become the new power broker. He swallowed his pride and practically begged his vice to be reelected. But the duo fell out, leading to a gale of accusations and counter-accusations. At the end, Atiku literarily became a political leper in the administration where he once wielded the biggest influence. He fought tooth and nails, winning sensationally in courts. All charges of corruption and dereliction of duty against him in court were won with amazing ease. But his reputation suffered a serious dip. The governors, who prompted him to contest against Obasanjo before the general elections, were not there again. When he contested the 2007 presidential election against the late President Musa Yar’Adua on the platform of the defunct Action Congress (AC), he lost heavily. He later decamped to the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) where he contested the presidential pri-

Chances, odds before APC presidential aspirants

•Nda-Isaiah mary against Dr. Goodluck Jonathan in 2011 and lost again. The arguments for Atiku So, in terms of electoral experience, Atiku is no pushover in the APC. Only Buhari could boast of his records. But his admirers say Atiku may in fact be ahead having won elections as a civilian governor and Vice President. This electioneering experience is a major strength of Atiku, who has announced his intention to seek the presidency again in 2015. Pundits believe he is tested and proven. It is widely accepted that when it comes to the nitty-gritty of presidential campaigns, Atiku is not a small fry. He has garnered experiences in his last abortive four attempts, which many believe will serve him well now. Widespread structure and national appeal He is a strong grassroots mobiliser with national appeal. The PDM, which he inherited from the late General Shehu Musa Yar’Adua, has remained somehow formidable. Atiku has found an impressive knack of keeping his close associates and supporters. Many of them say under no circumstances will they ditch him for anything or anybody. They point to his ever open arms and generous hands for their unflinching support. Atiku, according to them, is a pleasant, charming personality who remains a friend in all weathers. Under his watch, the PDM, which was just a political team, has even grown into a registered party with members across religious and tribal divides. It is today the longest-serving political structure in the country. Though leading members like Chief Tony Anenih and Dapo Sarumi have joined the PDP, the fulcrum of the structure stands still to a very large extent. In 2011, Atiku staved off intense competitions from the likes of former military President, General Ibrahim Babangida, former National Security Adviser (NSA) and current Defence Minister, General Aliyu Gusua and Senator Bukola Saraki to emerge the Adamu Ciroma-led Northern Political Leaders Forum (NPLF) preferred candidate. His emergence lends credence to his appeal as the northern leaders realised. Financial muscle Atiku is also fiercely popular and boasts of a large war-chest to prosecute a presidential race where money is expected to play a big role. His supporters believe that in terms of finances, only Atiku has the means among all the APC aspirants to match the PDP and its much-expected candidate, President Jonathan, kobo for kobo. Since Jonathan’s campaign has been largely anchored on incentives for voters, Atiku’s supporters argue that the APC needs a money bag like him to give the PDP a run for their monies. They say he has the ability, the connections and the support of the rich in the society across the country and can therefore easily raise billions of Naira for the political battle. Battle-readiness The Turaki is one of the few over-prepared political office holders in Nigeria. Everyone knows he has an undying passion to rule and has articulated his programmes in several fora. To his supporters, this is an advantage that should work in his favour. They argue that it is sharp departure from the practice of having untested and unwilling national leaders. But much more important to them is the fact

that he is one of the few aspirants in the APC that could withstand whatever persecution or backlashes will be unleashed by the Presidency. Jonathan, they believe, will set state apparatus against whoever the party chooses to intimidate and shape everyone to submission. On his part, Atiku believes his chances couldn’t have been better. A statement by his Media Office said: “Atiku’s chances have never been better, given the climate of democracy and freedom in the APC.” The odds against him But no aspirant is without odds and challenges. Atiku seems to have more than a fair share of them. His critics believe he cannot be trusted with the APC’s ticket going by his antecedents. Atiku left the defunct AC in 2007 after flying its presidential ticket for an unceremonious return to the PDP. He just returned to the APC last year after spearheading the formation of the New PDP following an acrimonious national convention at the Eagles Square in Abuja. What is the guarantee that Atiku will not defect again or even trade away the APC’s presidential ticket, many of them wonder. His multiple defections, many believe, have made him a marked man wherever he goes, especially in the APC where the leadership might be suspicious of his loyalty. For many pundits, Atiku is just in the party to get the presidential ticket, failing which he would return to his original base, the PDP. So, can the APC leaders trust Atiku? Will they see him as a power-desperado or a faithful party member? Can they entrust the party’s structure to a man whose knacks for jumping political parties is well known? Where is PDM? The fact that Atiku joined the APC without the PDM also raises suspicion. It was learnt that many APC leaders are wary that Atiku’s heart is not fully in the party. They wonder why he did not bring his political structure to the party. APC’s National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu came to the alliance with five states from the South-West, including Edo while Buhari’s Congress for Progressive Change(CPC) joined with Nasarawa State and some federal legislators. To party faithful, those are the real leaders for whom credit for the solidity of APC must go. Outsiders like Atiku are just opportunists ready to prey where they did not sow, they insist. Had he been a good party leader, he should have decreed the PDM’s members and structure into his new political base. So, for them he is holding back and does not deserve the party’s presidential ticket. Zoned out of the race? Many also believe that the APC has already zoned Atiku out of the contest. By picking the National Chairman from the South South and the National Secretary from the North East, they said that APC has effectively blocked Atiku’s chances of emerging its presidential candidate. The party has not confirmed this and Atiku believes there was no such zoning in place. He remains committed to his passion of ruling Nigeria. He is a cat with nine lives, a veteran presidential aspirant and an incurable optimist. It will certainly take a lot to edge him out of the race for the APC’s presidential ticket. But can he

get it? Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso of Kano State is considered as another Presidential aspirant in APC. Recently, 36 members of the Kano State House of Assembly declared him eligible to contest the presidential elections in 2015. The lawmakers said they believed he was the only person able to salvage Nigeria. Deputy Majority Leader of the House, Yusuf Babangida, who spoke on their behalf at a press conference in Kano, said: “Nigeria is getting fragile and fragile by the day; with poor infrastructure, corruption that is becoming a tool in scooping the nation treasury, impunity, (and a) lack of correct hands at the helm of the affairs to settle (the isuues). We are gradually slipping into a serious deepblue-sea. “Therefore, it is our belief that Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso is the leader Nigeria is yearning for; who will confront the delicate situation and solve them without any serious hitches.” This open support was complimented by the endorsement of the governor’s ambition by the Elders’ Committee of APC in Kano State. The committee in a communiqué signed by Ambassador Kabiru Rabi’u and Comrade Saleh Jili after a meeting said their endorsement was in consideration of present “regrettable and avoidable situation” of leadership Nigeria has found itself under the PDP. These open declarations have confirmed long-held speculation that Kwankwaso is going for the topmost job. When late August, Buhari and Kwankwaso held some series of close door meetings with chieftains of APC in the NorthWest on the choice of presidential candidate, some had speculated that Kwankwaso would step down for Buhari. One of the meetings convened by the National Vice-Chairman of the APC in the zone, Inuwa Abdulkadir, was attended by Buhari , Governors Aliyu Magatakarda Wammako of Sokoto State, Kwankwaso and Abdulaziz Yari of Zamfara. But sources say such meetings may not have succeeded in stopping Kwankwaso’s resolve to seek the ticket as he has commenced intense mobilisation. The arguments for Kwankwaso The serving governor of the highly populated Kano State is a very experienced politician who began as an active student union leader. He joined active partisan politics in the aborted Second Republic when he contested elections to the House of Representatives and became the Deputy Speaker. He belonged to the People’s Front faction of Social Democratic Party ( SDP). Kwankwaso was first elected governor of Kano State in 1999 and served up to 2003 when he lost his reelection bid. He however got re- elected into that office in 2011 and has remained in office till today. An astute and grassroots politician, Kwankwaso reportedly enjoys tremendous support in his Kano base notwithstanding passionate opposition from his rivals. The odds before him Kwankwaso’s acceptability in the south, vis-a-vis that of PDP’s expected flag bearer is the major issue APC may study carefully before handing over the ticket to the dynamic governor. Sam Nda-Isaiah Sam Nda-Isaiah, the author of ‘Nigeria: Full Disclosure,’ columnist and founder of Leadership Newspapers Group, is about the earliest presidential aspirant to announce his intention ahead 2015. Although considered a new comer by many, Nda-Isaiah has been part of the progressive family for some time. Born May 1, 1962, he was one of the people that founded The Buhari Organisation (TBO), an organisation designed to promote Buhari’s presidential ambition during the ANPP days. He was also a founding member of CPC and had remained in the fold now in APC. Although considered youthful enough to appeal to that segment, his financial war chest and control of any formidable political structure may constitute challenges ahead. Others aspirants on the way Beside these four aspirants, some names, including top leaders that have not formally joined APC and the race are being mentioned. So, it is obvious that within this month of September, so much would happen at the political scene to determine who would finally fly the APC flag.

THE NATION ON SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 14, 2014 OU were a member of the just – concluded National Conference. From the proceedings and opinions expressed by many delegates based on geo-political interests and ethnic leanings, do you still think Nigeria can remain a united and indivisible entity? Ours is a country of many and diverse people. With the kind of characters that inhabit it, it then means that leadership is key; leadership is the primary moving force here. Our diversity can be of immense help and advantage if properly harnessed, if well tapped to help move the nation forward. That is why I said leadership is key. It is the basis upon which the nation stands. There is no country like Nigeria on planet earth; there is none and I can say it clear and loud anywhere. It is a nation properly and adequately endowed with everything. But we have to do a lot more to make it work, to make it a better place to be able to equip it as the best place on planet earth. May be we are the way we are because we did not fight; we did not shed blood before we got our independence. May be this is why we do not indeed value what we have. We have come a long way together as a nation, as a people. Experience, they say is the best teacher. Our own situation has not been the worst. But having passed through a civil war, and survived, I think we are now matured enough to navigate ourselves and our affairs to be a strong, virile and powerful nation. But in all these let me still make it clear again, that leadership is what we need to get everything together in one place and achieve the best that we need. What then is the problem, is it leadership or followership or both? Both. Both the leadership and the followership. There will be no leader, without followers. But leadership is key, because in our society, it is not everybody that is educated. So, when they see somebody as a role model, somebody they can close their eyes and follow, somebody they feel cannot betray them, Nigerians will follow that sort of person. Those committed and patriot leaders are not easy to come by and that is the bitter truth. This is not only in Nigeria but in many other countries of the world. If you plant a seed and it grows, and it bears so many fruits, the leader therefore is that first seed that will produce those fruits. That is why leaders are very, very few but we have to be sure of what and how they lead. Therefore even the followerships have to be conscious of the kind of leaders they pick to run their affairs. In all these, how do the people themselves control or monitor the recklessness of their leaders in terms of corruption, in terms of their propensity to cheat and all that? It is the people themselves who can do that. It is the people who are in the position to checkmate their leaders and call them to order. People say governors are corrupt in Nigeria. Everywhere, even at the national conference, the same sentiments were openly expressed by delegates. But I know that even from the days of military regime, how many military officers out of the lot in government were soldiers. You had the military governor, you had commissioners and other civilians in the government. All the civilians are from that state, from that community. A good number of them reported to their people. What did they do? Even as a military governor, you did not sign cheques. The governor could only make approvals, only based on due process. Who was even the person to write the memo for him to approve? Is it not the same civil servants, the same civilians, commissioners? So, it is a societal thing. It is our own attitude to governance, to leadership, to what belongs to all of us and we all are in it together. And it is the people that can adequately check the excesses of their

POLITICS

•Alamieyeseigha

‘People should checkmate their leaders, call them to order’ Diepriye Alamieyeseigha, a former governor of Bayelsa State, was a member of the just-concluded National Conference where far-reaching recommendations were made to move Nigeria forward. In this interview with Edozie Udeze in Asaba, Delta State, he bared his mind on a number of burning national issues. Excerpts. leaders. It is the same people who can check this tendency to be corrupt. Yes, they should be the ones to do it. A thief is a thief anywhere. But it can be moderated. I can also tell you my own experience. The most corrupt people in our society are the civil servants. They are everything. You go to an office, your file can not go from one table to the other or from one department to the other, unless something exchanges hands. Unless you see the man in-charge, your file cannot see the light of the day. And if he knows you are not going to give him money, he will not stay in the office. Corruption therefore is in so many places, in so many styles and guises. It is everywhere. You recommended the creation of more states when the ones we have find it difficult to operate in many ways. Do we really need more states at this stage in national affairs? That is the leadership problem I am talking about. The recommendation is the conference decision. Being a conference decision I am bound by the conference. But we all have our own individual opinions about the creation of new states. Yet, having served as a governor in Bayelsa State, I know the importance of states. Bayelsa State where I was a governor, was part of Rivers State. Until I became a governor, it was the same situation. So, the state capital, Yenagoa was one long tiny road, real tiny road, not good at all, not even good for a bicycle to pedal on. It was not even properly tarred, it was very terrible. There was no tertiary institution in the state. The entire state had only one filling

station with two dilapidated pumps. The governor, at the time I was sworn in, I had no place to stay. This was in 1999, don’t forget. The military I took over from didn’t make provisions for a deputy governor. So, he had an office and a place where Col. Anthony Ukpo when he was governor of Rivers State erected temporarily. This was a local government chairman’s house, a real temporary place. That was where he was staying. I remember when the first military administrator, Navy Commodore Ayeni, was sworn-in, I also contributed at that time to give him some comfort. Indeed there was no bed for him to even sleep on at night. We then bought a foam for him to sleep on. That was in Yenagoa. He had to stay in a small house then. So, you can see the advantage of the creation of new states. Today, if you go to Bayelsa State many things have changed, the level of infrastructural development is amazing. It is the glory of all land and the people can see the difference. People who need these new states like we did before now, can definitely agitate for their own new states. The creation of new states, brings develop nearer to the people and they can feel a big sense of belonging. If Bayelsa State was not created, where do you think Yenagoa will be today? Today, we have two universities more from the what we didn’t have in 1999. We also have schools of health technology, we have a polytechnic and other smaller institutions. If someone had told me in my life time that I would drive to my own village, I wouldn’t have believed it. In fact I would tell you, you’re suffering from malaria. Today, everything is better. People from all corners of the world come to Bayelsa,

especially the state capital Yenagoa, to have all sorts of social and economic programmes. The roads are better now, the streets are more organised than ever before. Given the amount of revenue given to the governors of the South-South region, do you think they’ve been able to justify the money in terms of development and job creations? Let us look at the issue of road construction. The amount of money needed to construct, for instance, a hundred kilometer of roads in the Niger Delta area can be used to tar almost three times that size in the North. Every part of the North, the construction of roads is easy. In fact, you can construct one straight road up North in less than a year, given the terrain of the place. But you cannot do that, say in Bayelsa due to the porosity of the terrain and the soil. The soil is so porous and there are swamps everywhere. You can have a bulldozer that can run through a road in the North within a few months. But there in Bayelsa you have to take time to do soil sample, to ensure that the construction does not even begin during the rainy season. That in itself proves a bit of headache to the terrain and the state of road construction. There is no Niger Delta state where you do not spend billions of Naira just to construct roads alone. It is usually a very large project and it takes a lot of the revenue of the state. You go there today you see roads that took time to build due to the rains that fall almost nonstop and other issues that affect them. Sometimes when such issues come up you have to delay and come back to review the project. People do not even see the cost implications of such situations and what it takes us to have one road properly done. Even due to the environmental degradation, the cost of developing the Niger Delta areas have become increasingly huge and capital intensive. You will therefore agree with me that the governors of Niger Delta are doing their best, given the nature of the environment where they operate, the amount of infrastructures to put in place to make the area more habitable for the people. If you are in government, of course, you have to serve your people and that is what the governors are doing right now. And above all, you want to be remembered well when you leave office. What will you do with the money, where will you take it to? Will you not still remain in the place among your people when your tenure expires? From what is on ground now, do you think President Goodluck Jonathan has any chance of returning to the office next year? Oh, let me tell you, there is no President in Nigeria who has done half of what Jonathan has been able to do. Look at the transformation agenda. See the jobs he has created. Today, Nigeria is the largest economy in Africa. You know what that means? The man is a very humble person, unassuming, well focused and does not like to be distracted. May be he learnt from me while he was my deputy. But that seems to be working against him, for in Nigeria, people want you to showcase what you have done to prove to them that you are working. I think that is what the president needs to do more often. By next year, who is the person to challenge him? I want to know. Go everywhere, people are asking where is the opposition? And Jonathan is waxing stronger in terms of popularity and performances and reaching out to the people. By next presidential election, you’ll see what I am telling you. For now, the opposition is yet to be noticed in Nigerian political terrain just because PDP is still the party to beat. We are already on ground everywhere in Nigeria while others are still trying to gather themselves together. So, Jonathan is still the candidate to beat, given the situation and what he has been able to do while in office. Even TAN has been doing a wonderful job to ensure that the people are very conscious of what the president is doing to make Nigeria a better place.

THE NATION ON SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 14, 2014

POLITICS

OW would you assess the performance of INEC in the August 9, 2014 gubernatorial election here in Osun State? Well, as far as I am concerned, INEC did a good job with that crucial election. Before now, I used to think the 1993 June 12 election of Chief MKO Abiola is the best election we ever had; now I think the Osun election is better in many ways. I cannot find any aspect of the election where INEC failed. I went out that day and saw things for myself. The INEC officials were effective, the youth corps members were thorough and everybody followed instructions. So, it was a very commendable exercise. I wouldn’t know if there are any other hidden issues, but with the things we saw, INEC performed. I believe in Jega and he has proven that he is honest and reliable. You can imagine, immediately after the election, he came out to say the overmilitarisation of the state is not good and shouldn’t be repeated anywhere else in the interest of democracy. That is Jega for you. He is not like all these political jobbers who will not be able to do the right thing when given national assignments. But the huge military presence in Ekiti election was repeated in Osun State, what is your take on this? I think Mr. President was misinformed into deploying so much military personnel into Osun for the election. We heard him explaining that it was necessary to forestall violence; who are those who wanted to cause violence here in Osun? They said there were some area boys, who are they? There was nothing like that in Osun. The people wanted to vote. They wanted to be able to elect their own leaders. That was all. Nobody wanted to fight or burn houses. We don’t play politics like that in Osun State. The election proved that to the whole world. I have no problem with Mr. President’s decision to protect the people but my problem is with those who gave him a wrong impression. Did you see where any of those alleged boys was arrested before, during and even after the election? Jonathan was misled and I am sure he knows better now. He acted like a leader. No leader will take security for granted. But there were allegations that the APC under Governor Aregbesola wanted to unleash terror on the state? Well, I just told you what happened. It is left for you to believe me or not. I live here in Osogbo. For the past three years of Aregbesola as governor, he has been preaching peace. He is not the type of politician who will destroy

be- •Badmus cause

‘Why we rejected Omisore in Osun’ Frontline industrialist and elder statesman, Chief Tunde Badmus, speaks with Dare Odufowokan, Assistant Editor, on the last August 9, 2014 governorship election in Osun State and why the people of the state are comfortable with Governor Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola. He also shed more light on recent political happenings in the country. Excerpts he wants power. Remember, when Aregbesola came into governance, he introduced the Omoluabi slogan. And when Omisore started campaigning, he said “Eniyan Iyi”, meaning Osun people are gentlemen. So, if both parties claimed to be gentlemen, where then were we expecting the thuggery and violence. In spite of all that, Aregbesola was re-elected. Will you say the result reflected the wishes of the people of Osun? Look, let me tell you this, I don’t belong to any of the political parties. I am not a politician. I’m an elder statesman. So, I am not supporting any of the parties but the result reflected the wishes of those who didn’t sell their conscience. In every election, people will vote differently, but I want to tell you that Aregbesola should have gotten more votes if people were not induced with money and other things. A lot of people s o l d their

conscience. It was a tough election but the people of Osun made up their mind to return Aregbesola because of his performance in office. A lot of people were also disenfranchised in many ways. Aregbesola reaped where he had sown. He came into Osun to transform the state. And he did that for four years. There is no single family in Osun that has not benefitted from his government. Quote me anywhere. So when election came and he said he wanted another term, everybody agreed. That is the basis for his victory over the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Iyiola Omisore. This is the reason why Osun people didn’t vote for PDP and Omisore. With this victory, Aregbesola made history as the first person to get re-elected by Osun people as governor. What do you make of this as someone who has been around since the creation of the state? Well, Osun people are educated and enlightened. They are no fools. Aregbesola got reelection because he performed. Osun people are watching every politician. Whatever you do, they will pay you back. Oyinlola in his first two years, people loved him because he was focused and performing. But when he lost focus, the people turned their back on him. If he had continued being focused, the people would vote for him. He lost popularity and he didn’t get the votes of the people. It all depends on the performance of the person. If you do well, they will return you, if you don’t, they will show you the way out. You said you are not a politician. What then is your involvement in the politics of the state? I am an indigene of Osun State and I have huge investments here. It is my notion that there must be peace and good gov-

ernance in the state. It is my view right from the era of the June 12 crisis that there must be peace in every state capital and the federal capital territory and Lagos for business to thrive in Nigeria. So, my involvement is to ensure peace and good governance. I am not a party man. But I always support good governments. My support for Aregbesola is because of his good initiative that is helping the state and securing my investments. Good and bad things happen in the capitals first before moving to other parts of the state or country. I am a poultry farmer. I need peace for my workers and others to perform. I know what I lost during the June 12 crisis when there was curfew in the town. Before then, I never wanted to do anything with politicians. But that incident taught me to be an underground player in politics. I became an intermediary so as to ensure peace and protect my investments. But there was this rumor of your arrest during the election. What actually happened? Well, the issue to me is not anything big. The rumour emanated from one of the major aspirants who mistakenly sent the message to my own phone too. I don’t deserve such treatment from anyone, talk less from this person. He didn’t know my number was part of the ones he sent the thing to. I have assisted this person on occasions monetarily and with influence. It is sad that he did that. When the youths came here to say I must refute the story, I decided to move round the city, I didn’t see anybody to say you are wanted. On Friday, I prayed in the mosque. I was not arrested. On Election Day proper, I trekked 13km to go and vote. I was not molested in any way. Maybe that was the plan of this candidate to embarrass me. We thank God it didn’t happen. People around here wanted to use the federal might to intimidate their political opponents which is against the policies of this Jonathan administration. I was not arrested. And I thank the people of Osun State for their concern when they heard the rumour. There were talks about the agricultural project your company is into with the Osun State Government. What is it really about? The project is a Public Private Participation (PPP) effort put together by three partners, namely Osun State Government, TUNS Farms and Poultry Association of Nigeria, Osun State chapter. The poultry association represents the farmers in the project. The government provided money for feeds that the chicks will eat. TUNS Farm provided day-old chicks. Then the farmers are to get the poultry farms. The government appointed scheme manager whose role is to access the farmers to be sure they have ready infrastructures. It is the scheme manager who will write to TUNS farm to release chicks and feeds to the farmers. The farms are inspected daily by the scheme manager. When the

birds are ready for calling, the scheme manager gathers them all for the ready markets. We have seen a situation where farmers made a profit of about N240 million. One farmer made about N15million profit since we started. That is to tell you the rate of the success of the project. The question I ask is if there has been any agricultural project that has been this successful since the creation of Osun? This is a project that has made TUNS the number two producer of broiler meat in Nigeria. And the government investment is being paid back. As we speak, the government has withdrawn about fifty percent of its investment into the project. So, in the next one or two years now, the government will not have a kobo in this scheme. The government protected its investment by employing a scheme manager. So, it is a hugely successful project that has created about 7,000 jobs both direct and indirect. We have about 300 farms involved in this project. And where is the market for this huge monthly production? There are ready markets for the birds when they are grown. That is why the school feeding project, O’meal came up. The school children project takes about 10 percent of the birds monthly. The remaining 90 percent is sold with about 40 percent going to KFC nationwide. Another 30 percent goes to Shoprite while the balance goes to the oil companies across the country. The ready market is made possible by the certification of TUNS Farm by international audit. The Osun State Government is benefitting hugely in the area of improved IGR. The farmers are paying special taxes to the coffers of the government as a result of this project. The government also provided money to farmers to start the programme. It is a brilliant effort by Ogbeni and he found ready partners in us. We had to give the guarantee. Today, the Poultry Association of Osun is the richest in the country. Aregbesola has been able to help the farmers and at the same time, protect government money. This project has made about 300 people millionaires. This is one project that you can see its product everywhere. It is not like other projects that cannot be felt by the people. You were a leading socialite in Lagos before now. What informed your decision to relocate to Osogbo? Yorubas say it is when you are young that you can dance ‘palongo’. I am an elder now. The body also requires that I go easy. It was in those days one can go from King Sunny Ade’s party to Sikiru Ayinde Barrister’s show and end up at Ebenezer Obey’s club. I am now more at home with the people of my community. It is also important that one should familiarise with his people. This is one of the reasons the people love Aregbesola. He is a grassroots person. He is a friend of everybody. Go out there in the street and you will see why he won the last election. You are the Asiwaju Musulumi of Nigeria. You recently lost the Aare Musulumi Alao Arisekola. How would you remember him? That was one man who touched my life in many ways. Whatever lifestyle I am leading today, I learnt from him. He is an exemplary man who would never disagree with anybody whatever the case may be. He is one man who preaches peace and unity. His leadership of the Muslims in the South-West was God sent and a lot of us learnt from him. He is one man who used his resources to support Islam and humanity immensely. I really felt bad about his death because I related very closely with him. I learnt a lot from him and I will always remember him.

THE NATION ON SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 14, 2014

POLITICS

Osoba vs Amosun: Another intervention

N the face-off between Governor Ibikunle Amosun and Chief Segun Osoba, I am making another intervention. Chief Olusegun Osoba is a man with impressive professional and political profiles. Osoba is one man that should be proud of his accomplishments in life. He was elected on two different occasions as governor of Ogun State, first from January 1992 until November 1993 on the platform of Social Democratic Party (SDP) when Sani Abacha of blessed memory sent all civilian governors packing. After the return to democracy in 1999, he was re-elected as governor on the platform of Alliance for Democracy (AD), holding office between May 1999 and May 2003. Osoba is one of the elders of the All Progressives Congress (APC). Chief Osoba who obtained a Diploma in Journalism at the University of Lagos under sponsorship of the International Press Institute in 1965, rose through the ranks in Daily Times to later become the Editor and Managing Director of the Daily Times of Nigeria. Osoba has the singular honour of being the turn-around media guru, having attained the height of turning around three major newspapers from losses to profitability, namely: The Nigerian Herald, Ilorin (1974-77), The Sketch in Ibadan (1979-1983) and the Daily Times Group (1984-1989). He holds the National Honours of the Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON) and was a member of the National Conference 2014. With this enviable profile and at 76, one expects Chief Osoba to be playing the role of an elder statesman, helping in nation-building with his wealth of experience in commerce and politics. I am sure the dissolved National Conference (2014) must have benefitted tremendously from his political astuteness. Aside from this, Chief Osoba’s visibility overwhelms the social space, sometimes he attends some of these social functions with his wife, Beere Aderinsola, and sometimes, he attends unaccompanied. And because of his relationship with the media, his photographs receive lavish display in strategic pages of major Nigerian newspapers. I suspect that it is this media indulgence and fraternity that is responsible for Osoba’s recent imperial attitude whereby he now acts like an ancient emperor who can determine the fate of every man that contradicts or questions his majestic proclamations. At the moment, the man Osoba is in a bitter political rivalry with the governor of Ogun State, Senator Ibikunle Amosun. It is always difficult to know what causes cold war among politicians, but these two are said to be fighting over the composition and control of their party (APC) State Exco. In any advanced democratic society, Amosun should be an asset to any political party because of his performance and achievements in less than four years as governor. But the Osobas of this world are presenting a performing Amosun to us as a villain and liability who is worth nothing politically. It is strange that a man during whose tenure Ogun State witnessed revolutionary transformation is being treated with such contempt and disrespect simply because he (Osoba) is a party leader. Nigerian politics inheres some contradictions and paradoxes that can quake sane nations. I had visited states like Ekiti, Osun, Ogun and Oyo and I have seen the fantastic jobs the governors have done. This was why I am yet to get over the mysterious defeat of my friend, Kayode Fayemi despite his amazing performance in Ekiti. But his case, as shocking as it was, falls into an explicable index of interparty competition and intrigues. But why should a performing governor like Ibikunle Amosun, loved by the people of the state for his revolutionary strides, lose an election to whosoever just because an Osoba (an APC Chieftain for that matter) feels his personal political interest should

The Chime experiment in Enugu

•Osoba

•Amosun By Dapo Thomas

override the collective interest of the state? According to Senator Gbenga Obadara, a staunch member of the Osoba’s “Matagbamole” group; “except justice is done, if we did not get the required justice, definitely, we will take our fate into our hands”. Pray, what justice do the people of the state need than for the government they elected into office to deliver to them the basic goods that can help alleviate the horrible social condition they have found themselves in, which is what Amosun is doing. But according to Osoba and his associates, justice is all about the promotion of the interest of the “Matagbamole” group, an insignificant group of self-seeking politicians that seek succour from the misery of others. The Osoba electoral cum political mystique may have been deliberately raised to a mythical pedestal by his associates and followers in a way that will guarantee the constancy of favours and capital exploitation. Amosun seems to be aware of this, otherwise who was he referring to when he said in his interview: “Well, the money is not there to be shared. The money is there to the extent that those for capital projects will go for capital projects and those for recurrent will go for recurrent. I was not elected to be sharing money for politicians but to provide basic infrastructure for the masses”. Agreed that as a two-time governor of the state, Osoba has a sizeable political structure that the incumbent governor could use as an added advantage to his own political machine, but must Osoba behave and talk as if the whole of Ogun State is a conquered territory that is under his (Osoba) imperial jurisdiction? Osoba should know that Egbaland alone does not constitute Ogun State. We have the Yewa and the Ijebu as two other major components that also have a say in the matter. Even at that, I know that Prince Bola Ajibola, Olusegun Obasanjo and even Amosun himself are very strong Owu sons with considerable influence in Egbaland that can translate into political victory for Amosun. I wish to comment on the Lagos model that my friend Segun Ayobolu is canvassing for as a political solution to resolve the impasse. The Lagos model collapsed in Lagos even before it took off. Why should Segun then be canvassing for a template that was rendered dead on arrival? The idea was mooted when it became obvious that most of the projects Asiwaju Bola Tinubu slated for execution during his tenure could not be achieved in eight years because of distractions coming from party matters, political mobilization, Obasanjo’s petty fogging and opposition calumny.

In a genuine move to avoid a replay of such a situation, and to achieve a balancing between political management and governmental administration, BRF, believed then to be apolitical, was to focus on governmental administration while Tinubu, a master political strategist, was to handle political management. But not too long, what was meant to achieve perfect political understanding and relationship between a political godfather and his “apolitical” godson was invariably derailed. If it did not work in Lagos, it can never work in Ogun. Unlike BRF, Ibikunle Amosun is a politician with strong political pedigree and structure, which had assisted him in his electoral victories, including his election into the Senate and even as the governor of Ogun State. Asking Amosun to accept the so-called Lagos model in order to pacify a sulking elder politician, is like asking him to supervise the funeral ceremony of his political career. Like Osoba, Amosun is a very strong politician in Ogun State, and therefore, any political solution or arrangement to normalise things between these two people must not give undue advantage to one simply because he claims to be a godfather. Has Amosun admitted that Osoba is his godfather? Yes, Osoba may be elderly and as he claimed, old enough to be Amosun’s father, but it is this kind of intolerance by the elders that expose them to acts of disrespect and dishonour by their so-called children. In an interview he granted few weeks ago, Amosun avoided the word “godfather” when talking about his relationship with Osoba. “Chief Osoba is my leader and whatever happens, he remains my leader. There is no contest about that...” The governor has nothing to lose if he makes a final overture to his “leader” (and he should do so in the open) because in politics, competitors and rivals should relentlessly and constructively pursue the path of peace through negotiations and compromises that can reinforce and consolidate their control of power. But it appears Amosun’s fate has been sealed with imperialistic finality. Hear the almighty Osoba: “Not even the intervention from traditional rulers nor the national leadership who might suggest harmonization of the exco in any format would make me change my stance. I would not even accept their apology or the governor’s”. What Osoba seems to have forgotten is that there is the real Almighty GOD who seals every man’s fate, including Osoba’s without consulting us. He determines who rises and who falls, not Osoba and his group.

NE problem that human beings have is knowing when to apply the break. Many keep shadow-boxing when there is no more cause for it. Others who adopt the posture of dancers, keep twisting and swirling long after the music had stopped. Yet others, in position of power continue swearing to bring adversaries to their knees even when such opponents had been captured and tied up. This is the situation in Enugu State where the governor, Sullivan Chime, has vowed to keep fighting now and after he would have been eased out of office next year. He is not satisfied with adopting the posture of the alpha and omega in the state’s public affairs, but has continued to work towards seizing the political levers and keeping them in his custody for the forseeable future. This is a pity. As I was writing this, the scripture about what it would profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his soul just came to my mind. Until he was elected the governor-elect of the state in 2007, Chime was irrelevant in and to the politics of the state. Whether as an adviser to former Governor Chimaroke Nnamani or Commissioner for Justice, no one reckoned with him. However, out of that relative obscurity, he was fished out and placed on the throne. Rather than realize that he did not attain the height by his power or might, he has been running the state like a fiefdom, warning the people that, although his predecessor’s yoke might have been considered heavy, he would worsen the situation. No sooner he assumed office than Chime made it an obsession to consign his predecessor to the rubbish bin of history. He sought to cut Chimaroke to size and obtained the support of those who had felt that the former governor was indeed highhanded while in office. But, it did not take long before he showed his hands. He stared stumbling from one controversy to another. Only last year, his estranged wife, Clara, cried out that she was being kept in detention in the Government House. The matter attracted the attention of the National Human Rights Commission. The only positive development from the situation was that the young lady regained her freedom, even if the governor sought to tag her as unstable. Governor Chime is considered an emperor by those who work with him. He would not just wrestle to the ground anyone considered a threat to an imaginary political future, but would seek to push such persons beneath the ground, politically. The turn of events in recent times has shown that the situation in the state deserves more than cursory attention by political analysts and activists. It is unfortunate that the governor had to remove a loyal and dependable deputy who he considered a threat to his plans to keep the state in his stranglehold. He has also set the machinery in motion to ensure that he emerges a Senator next year. For a man who succeeded in bating cancer to continue in office, this could be shortchanging the people. It is no secret that Governor Chime has been battling illhealth since he assumed office as governor in 2007. On occasions, he collapsed; at other times, he disappeared from the radar. I do not subscribe to making a joke with anyone’s state of health as we are all susceptible to one frailty or the other, especially after crossing the golden year mark. However, after managing to keep the office for two full terms, Chime must be challenging his Chi to a duel if he thinks he could move to the centre to hold his senatorial district to ransom. Anyone could entreat the good Lord for healing and certainly, Chime now has the means to avail himself the best medical science could offer him at such times, but, our country deserves the best of lawmakers who could pay ful attention to the tasks at hand. It could not be said that there are no competent persons in Chime’s senatorial district who could represent the people in the Upper Legislative Chamber. After May, 2014, the Enugu State governor should just thank God and roll back into private life The governor is best advised to support the return of the current crop of Senators from the state who have been very visible. Many other states are represented by sleeping men and women. Ike Ekweremadu who recently bagged a doctorate degree in Law ys the Deputy Senate President and enjoys the respect of his colleagues and the general public for the way he has carried himself. Also, Ayogu Eze who represents Enugu North has held critical positions in the chamber and has a good knowledge of and viewpoint on important national issues. As we glide towards 2015, after 16 years of running a quasi0democracy, we should spare enough time to examine the character and personalities of those running the system. Chime deserves to retire. Going forward, all emperors and potentates should be made to quit the scene.

THE NATION ON SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 14, 2014

POLITICS

DELTA 2015 GOVERNORSHIP I

S Mr. Anthony Chucks Obuh the anointed candidate of Delta State Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, for the 2015 governorship ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)? This is the big question many members of the party and people of the SouthSouth state have been trying to find an answer to just few weeks after Obuh, who until recently, was the Permanent Secretary, Government House and Protocol, indicated interest to succeed Uduaghan in 2015. A close and trusted ally of the governor, Obuh was a career civil servant who served under Uduaghan, first as a director while the former was the Secretary to the State Government during the James Ibori-led administration. Following Uduaghan’s election as governor in 2007, Obuh was redeployed to the Government House as a Permanent Secretary in charge of protocol, with many sources describing him as, arguably, the most powerful among the governor’s principal aides. Prior to Obuh’s entry into the governorship race, there have been speculations over Uduaghan’s likely preference as his successor, even as names of his alleged ‘anointed’ candidate keep changing in rapid succession. As these speculations festered, the governor kept a studied silence. Sources told The Nation that not even his close aides could read his mind or body language on where he stands on the issue. But with Obuh joining the race, it appears that the governor may have played his trump card. While he has not openly endorsed Obuh, all indications point to the fact that the former Permanent Secretary is his alleged first choice as the next governor of Delta State. The clearest indication yet that the governor is positively disposed to Obuh’s ambition emerged during the governorship aspirant’s courtesy visit to the country home of elder statesman, Chief Edwin Clark, in Burutu Local Government Area of the state some days ago to intimate him of his governorship ambition, as about five serving commissioners in the state accompanied him on the visit. Would the commissioners have accompanied Obuh without the governor’s express approval? “Not likely”, replied a source who is a top PDP member in the state, adding, “forget all the public posturing of some governors that God and party members would determine who succeeds them in office. The truth is, like most governors serving their second term, Uduaghan, barring any unforeseen development, has made up his mind on who would be his successor in 2015.” And could that would-be successor be Anthony Obuh, the 53 years old retired PS, who hails from Agbor in Delta North, the zone that is yet to produce the state governor since its creation in 1991? For prominent Itsekiri leader, Chief Emami Ayiri and the Majority Leader, Delta State House of Assembly, Hon Monday Egbuya, Obuh is the governorin-waiting. Speaking at a meeting hosted at the residence of PDP chairmanship candidate for Uvwie Local Government, Henry Baro recently, Ayiri informed members of Delta United for Tony Obuh, a group fronting for Obuh’s governorship aspiration that he has been directed allegedly by the governor to inform the gathering that Obuh is his (Uduaghan) anointed candidate for 2015. “I am speaking with authority,” Ayiri declared emphatically and for emphasis, he added, “It is Uduaghan that sent me. He asked me to deliver the message that it is Tony Obuh that will be elected as governor of Delta State come 2015.”

•Obuh

•Ochei

Uncertainty over Uduaghan’s succession plan The alleged support for the governorship ambition of Anthony Obuh, a retired Permanent Secretary by the Delta State Governor, Emmanuel Uduaghan, is raising dust within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state, reports Assistant Editor, Remi Adelowo

•Okowa

This declaration by Ayiri, who is a close associate of the governor, is causing apprehension among the deluge of other governorship aspirants in the PDP, sources have revealed. The grouse of these aspirants and their supporters is that the governor’s alleged plan to impose Obuh may spell doom for the party at the 2015 general elections, most particularly the re-election chances of President Goodluck Jonathan. The fear of imposition, sources say, may have also informed the comments by Chief E.K Clark, who told Obuh recently that while he regards the governorship aspirant as “his son who is welcome in

•Okubor

his home anytime,” no attempts should be made to impose anybody as Uduaghan’s successor. He was quoted thus: “I told the governor that the era of imposition is gone; the era of endorsement is gone; let us do it in such a way that at the end of your tenure, if you want something else, you can be sure of my support and you will be the first civilian governor that we will give a farewell party and you will leave gloriously.” Recalling his close links with Agbor where Obuh hails from, the Ijaw leader however added that he will not unilaterally endorse any aspirant, while urging

all the aspirants to go to the field and solicit for the support of all stakeholders. Ochei, Okowa dig deep; Okubor may withdraw If Uduaghan sticks to Obuh, the chances of other prominent governorship aspirants including the former Speaker of the House of Assembly, Engr. Victor Ochei; Senator representing Delta North in the National Assembly, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa; Chief of Staff to the governor, Dr. Festus Okubor and former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Elder Godsday Orubebe, to mention but a few may be hanging in the balance. Long before Obuh’s declaration for the race, Ochei, Okowa and Orubebe had embarked on consultations among PDP stakeholders, in addition to soliciting for the support of traditional rulers, opinion leaders, women and youth groups. Speaking with The Nation, Ochei debunked speculations that he has withdrawn from the race. “Withdraw for who and why,” he asked. “I am still very much in the race and would pursue it till the very end. In the last few months, I’ve been consulting and the response I have received so far has been very positive,” he declared with a tinge of confidence. On his part, Okowa is also forging ahead with his campaign in his quest to pick the PDP governorship ticket. One of his media aides who spoke to our correspondent on the condition of anonymity said the medical doctor turned politician has gone so far in his preparations for the PDP primary that the option of withdrawal from the race now or later is completely ruled out. He said, “Withdrawing from the governorship race is not an option for Senator Okowa. He is in the race to win.” The same cannot however be said of Okubor, who is said to be wary of confronting the governor headlong in the race for the PDP ticket. A source close to him disclosed that the Chief of Staff may step down from the race if it becomes crystal clear that the governor will not back down on his alleged support for Obuh. Crisis brews in Delta PDP That Obuh’s governorship ambition is threatening the fragile peace in Delta PDP is like stating the obvious. Discontent among party members is running wild, The Nation has reliably gathered. Expressing his fears on what this development portends for the party, one of its stalwarts who asked not to be quoted said last week: “There will be an implosion in the party if Obuh is imposed as the governorship candidate. Of course many people are keeping quiet today but deep inside of them, they are not happy.” Asked to confirm if, indeed, Obuh is the governor’s anointed candidate, the source replied, “Well, it appears so. This is one man who is not a PDP member as far as I am concerned. He just resigned as a Permanent Secretary just a few weeks ago. I am afraid that the road to acrimony and disunity in Delta PDP is being prepared by our leaders and I fear that the end of this drama may not be palatable.” Some members of the state cabinet, particularly those who were propelled into the political scene by Uduaghan’s predecessor, James Ibori, are said to be watching the unfolding development with caution. One of them told The Nation, “I won’t say much but this is not looking good. The governor has not told anyone that Obuh is his choice. But I believe that very soon, he would call us and tell us his position. But until then, I will reserve my comments.” With the governorship primaries just a few weeks away, the realities on ground clearly indicate that its outcome in Delta PDP would not be short of drama and controversies.

THE NATION ON SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 14, 2014

POLITICS

DELTA 2015 GOVERNORSHIP

‘I’m on divine mission to serve my people’

OU have declared interest to govern Delta State in 2015. What is your vision for the state? My vision is inspired by the passion to serve and uplift the people of Delta State to greater height. It is a clear goal that seeks to harness the huge potentials and capabilities in human and material resources available in the state and ensure all inclusive development; job creation, poverty reduction, huge investment in agriculture, education, health and to re-orientate the mind-set of our people, creating conducive environment for industry and commerce to thrive, creating opportunity for the youths and ensuring a decent and quality life for all. Our actions will be guided by total commitment to the will of God and service to our people. The pursuit of this goal requires clear strategy and vision and we are certain that we have the requisite experience, zeal and commitment to actualise these set objectives. We understand the magnitude of the work to be done and are sufficiently equipped to take Delta to the next level. A lot of grounds need to be covered; we need to catch up and excel in a very short time. Our youths cannot wait any longer; every community in Delta State must feel the impact of governance. We recognize government as a continuum and therefore intend to consolidate on the efforts of the previous and the present administration in the state. I have offered myself for service and will provide the model of governance that will be people centered. Everyone’s contribution is welcome. There will be a special office to coordinate the contributions of Deltans in the Diaspora and harness their skills and expertise in some critical areas of development because we cannot do it alone. We will also need the collaboration and cooperation of other states in Nigeria, especially our neighbouring states as well as the strong support of the federal government and the international development partners. We will exploit our contacts and networks within the federal government and among the international development partners to the advantage of the state. Aspirants always claim they will offer people-centred programmes if elected into office. Please, do explain your concept of peoplecentred governance model? If elected to serve, our government shall be a government of equal opportunity for all Delta citizens. Our programmes and policies will be people centered and will be anchored on the concept of mass participation, accountability, community development and values built on hard work, integrity and private enterprise, setting the bench mark for transparency and accountability in governance. We shall promote effective grassroots administration at local government level and ensure that government presence is felt in every community. A new framework for local government – community partnerships in service delivery shall be evolved where every town union will be required to prepare annual budgets and government will provide matching grants to fund part of the town’s budget to execute major developmental projects/ social services and ensure security. We shall encourage the participation of traditional rulers in governance by constituting Traditional Ruler Advisory Council whose duty shall be to advice government on matters bothering on community security, development and culture. We will ensure effective representation of women, youths and other disadvantaged groups in all activities of government. Our administration shall strive to improve on the 30 percent minimum representation of women as recommended by the Beijing Declaration while ensuring that merit and competence will guide all appointments. We shall be guided by fairness, equity and justice in the distribution of government appointments and infrastructural developments across the state. We believe in the unity of our state but also recognise the diversities in terms of need. Nevertheless, our government will display a sense of balance and fairness in the distribution of government programmes and projects. The Emmanuel Uduaghan administration key programme has been ‘Delta Beyond Oil.’ Does that strike you as a good policy worth

Dr Ngozi Juliet Olejeme, from the Delta North Senatorial District, where the ruling PDP has zoned its governorship ticket, has continued to attract attention both because she is a lone female aspirant for a ticket that already has over 10 male aspirants and because of her promises. In this interview with some newsmen, she explains her vision and agenda, reports Sam Egburonu

•Olejeme sustaining? Yes, very key; ‘Delta Beyond Oil’ is a programme that must of necessity be encouraged and sustained for the good of our state. One way to do this is to embark on large scale agricultural farms to employ thousands of workers directly and create tens of thousands of jobs indirectly. This will be achieved by training and facilitating Youths Agricultural Entrepreneurial Model, which will encourage the youths to invest in agriculture as a business. We shall also provide agricultural credit support schemes to farmers as well as provide agricultural credit, farm tools, fertilizers and improved seedlings. We shall also empower our farmers’ cooperative societies through facilitation of sustainable food production and processing, support for strategic food preservation and farm settlement development. Under our Agricultural Master Plan, we will divide our state into three agricultural zones, each producing products it has comparative advantage. We will, as a matter of fact, invest in aquaculture because we are upbeat on making Delta State the highest fish producing state in the country. Education has had its more than fair share of national crisis – one industrial action to another, what is your plan for education in Delta State if given the opportunity to be governor? Education is very strategic to the overall development of any state and building sustainable education requires aggressive investment. We will establish model schools in all local government councils; refurbish primary schools; rehabilitate and maintain existing schools and libraries; provide school furniture/equipment, teaching materials, curriculum review/entrepreneurial and vocational training, functional scholarship system; and enhanced tertiary education. We will improve the welfare of our teachers by providing incentives and training to encourage productivity while setting performance assessment method to entrench effective service delivery.

How would you want to confront the challenges in the health sector? We will pursue a public healthcare system that will cater for the health needs of every Delta State citizen. This will be achieved by training of healthcare providers in our primary health care facilities in every community in the state. We will also embark on expansion of primary health-care programmes; improvement of secondary healthcare; strengthening of the marine ambulance and emergency medical services; and improvement of medical personnel welfare. We will introduce comprehensive health insurance cover for every Deltan. This will be achieved by the introduction of community-based health insurance that will cater for the healthcare needs of the rural poor. We will build and equip at least two international hospitals in partnership with the private sector, which will be centres of excellence in medicine. This is in our bid to ensure that we promote medical tourism. We will strengthen our healthcare system by ensuring enforcement of healthcare delivery standards at all times. Also, we shall provide free medical care to every pregnant woman in Delta State. Our overall goal is to reduce maternal death and minimize the effects of disease, disability and to promote a healthier population which will in turn provide economic and social benefits for the state. No doubt, Delta State is one of the flash points in terms of security challenge. What would be you strategy? Our strategy would be to effectively address the menace of armed crimes and kidnapping. Without this, sustainable investment and development cannot take place. We shall embark on a sustained campaign to dissuade people from taking to the life of crime and criminality. We shall create job opportunities for the youths as a tool for crime reduction and prevention. New models of community policing shall be initiated where local governments and communities are expected to set up security structures in

their domain to monitor crime and report same to the relevant authorities. Apart from government providing equipment and support to the police and other security agencies, corporate organisation in the state shall be encouraged to do same. Internal policing schemes and intelligence network will be encouraged at community level. One of the promises you have reportedly made to Deltans is urban renewal. What do you mean by that and how do you intend to achieve it? You see a huge number of our population live in the urban area; therefore we have a new plan for our cities and towns. This includes massive investment in infrastructure and enhanced service to restore order, cure decays seen in most of our urban centres. Pursuant to this, we will build new cities and create conducive environment for investors. In the first phase, we shall focus on Asaba mega city, Warri, Ughelli, Agbor, Sapele, Ogwashi-Ukwu and Burutu, among others. The development and implementation of the master plan is considered very important as it will help to ensure that our cities are properly planed. This includes massive urban roads and street rehabilitation, public parks and recreational grounds, water and sewage systems. More so, new face of Delta (recreation centres, schools, parking facilities), sanitation and environmental beautification shall be given urgent attention. Besides, we have plan to make massive investment in oil and gas by being the first state to build a refinery. We seek to answer an oil producing state in the real sense of it by designing a model of partnership with the private sector that will accrue benefit from oil and gas to our people. In doing this, we will create industrial cluster in Asaba and Warri to encourage manufacturing. It will be provided with incentives that will encourage investors, industrialisation and removal of the bottlenecks in their ability to compete and create more jobs. Industrial layout for 3,000 Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to create at lease 300,000 jobs with electricity initially provided by the state government and ultimately linked to the national grid. Information Communication Technology (ICT) will be given a huge boost as we intend to establish ICT village where youths would be trained on how to develop software and other ICT services. We will initiate a social security system that would cater for the elderly and widows by paying them life supporting stipends to enable them live their life without much suffering. Above all, we shall embark on the provision of affordable mass housing schemes; facilitation of a liberalised mortgage system and new/satellite town development. Our goal is to deliver 6000 units of housing annually. We will also undertake aggressive road rehabilitation in all local government areas; construction of new roads and bridges, construction of coastal roads to open up every part of the state. We will establish Delta State Road Management Agency that will be responsible for the rehabilitation of rural and urban roads in the three senatorial districts of the state. This will open up the rural areas to the bulk of the people of the state who are farmers to evacuate their agricultural produce to the market. Youth empowerment and employment should be the benchmark for measuring the success of government. We will adopt innovative strategies in tackling youth unemployment. We will open up Delta for investment by creating conducive environment and giving incentives for local and international investors to invest in oil and gas, manufacturing, service industry and agriculture thereby creating employment opportunity for our youths. Already, we have identified some areas we have comparative advantage and will set in motion strategies that are effective to accomplish maximum success. Also sport development is one area that Delta has shown a lot of potentials. We will pursue vigorously various sports development programmes to discover and nurture talents that will represent the state in national and international competitions. We will encourage grassroots and school sports development.

26 POLITICS

THE NATION ON SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2014

ripples Lamai to battle Obende for Edo North Senate seat

•Lamai

•Obende

Umar ‘desperate’ for Danjuma’s support

•Umar

•Danjuma

Shema not giving up onVP slot

Uncertainty over Gemade’s return to Senate •Shema

•Suswam

Bauchi 2015: Suleiman Nazif ambition fizzles

•Gemade

•Gadi

•Nazif

34 GLAMOUR

THE NATION ON SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2014

THE NATION ON SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 14, 2014

MAGAZINE 43

44 MAGAZINE

THE NATION ON SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 14, 2014

Raising a voice for the Nigerian girl With Temilolu Okeowo temilolu@girlsclub.org.ng 07086620576 (sms only) Please visit my blog www.temiloluokeowo.wordpress.com for more inspiring articles. Twitter@temiloluokeowo

THE NATION ON SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 14, 2014

New WOMAN/BRIDALS

Bridals

•Sweet Potatoes

Five foods for

glowing skin

•Ugwu

on your wedding day •Avocado

•Tomatoes

•Dark Chocolate

Nafisat weds Faheem •The Couple

THE NATION ON SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 14, 2014

ETCETERA

SUNNY SIDE

Cartoons

By Olubanwo Fagbemi

POLITICKLE

deewalebf@yahoo.com 08060343214 (SMS only)

Samba memoirs Chapter Two: In Patamares

CHEEK BY JOWL

OH, LIFE!

THE GReggs

EVENTUALLY, I settle into a rhythm. The day begins around 6 a.m. (10 a.m. Nigerian time) when I knock out travelogue pieces on the computer at the hotel lobby to send back home via internet facilities. I follow with a World Cup match on T.V., a walk on the beach or an outing at the city centre as the occasion demands. After picking up World Cup match tickets at the impressive Iguatemi Shopping Centre and generally doing the mall on the third day despite the language wall, I yearn for more of the city. I register for a bus tour for a ‘negligible’ sum of R$50 at this stage of financial naivety. An open top, doubledecker bus pulls up the next day at the Patamares bus shelter for the anticipated tour of the city. I board and the young tour guide, David Santon, tags me. It’s the practice, he says, so that we know you are with us. Where are you from? Nigeria. Are you here for the World Cup? Yes, I’m a journalist and I love football. Want to come up the roof top for a better view? Oh yes, would love that. I climb up and find a disinterested teenage boy to the left with a middle-aged man in front of him, his dad perhaps. To the right sits a girl, and a couple in front. Except for the mixed-race pair, the rest are Caucasian. On our way now, the coastline to the left and the city silhouette to the right. Oh, that’s a beautiful ‘sun, sea and sand’ moment. Click! And the sculptures at the roundabout; odd, but striking. Click! Click! This. Click! That. Click! We’ve stopped. Where is this? The famous Mercado Modelo, an arts and craft paradise, says David in announcing a 40-minute exploratory break. It’s an exploitation centre for the wide-eyed tourist, I can tell. I buy a tee-shirt or two all the same. As advised by David, I take the elevator, or Elevador Lacerda, from the Cidade Baixa, or Lower City, to Cidade Alta, or Upper City, arriving at Praça Thomé de Souza, a square named after Brazil’s first Governor-General. Mindful of not being left behind, I hardly venture far, but manage to encounter a women society dancing to the beat of African drums. I return to base after taking pictures of the bay below spotting the iconic Mercado. For all my care, I nearly miss my bus as I mistake it for another parked nearby. Why? There are too many white faces on board. Turns out we have picked up more tourists for the second leg of the tour. I shrug and get on. We soon stop for ice cream at ‘the best ice cream parlour in all of Salvador’. Big deal. I get down to stretch my legs, and overhear American English tinged with Caribbean accent. I see the speaker, a bespectacled black youth with short dreads, and go over to talk. The Fountain clan from the Bahamas, featuring my newest friend, William, his uncle, Julian, another uncle, Alex, and cousin, Jacob, come around. They are on the same trip, and I’m on the usual end of questioning: where are you from? Nigeria. Oh, the Super Eagles. Why aren’t you with them? I’m after Salvador’s story, I say. A new thread opens, handled by Julian. Why are blacks always treated this way? They are marginalised. Salvador is left to crumble at the expense of Sao Paolo, Rio de Janeiro and others because the blacks are mostly here. I sympathise. Like me, my black brothers do not care much for ice cream. It’s for white folks, says Julian, a straight-talking tennis coach who ‘can swim, scuba-diva, surf, and play basketball and football’. We gel. I’m invited over to their front seat area and the rest of the tour meshes into a historical cum philosophical inquisition of Black endeavour. I get down before them, high-fiving all in the realisation that we may never meet again. Peace, brothers.

•The Fountains

Jokes Humour Between Six and a Half-dozen A MEMBER of the National Senate known for his hot temper and biting wit, exploded one day in mid-session and began to shout. “Half of this Senate is made up of cowards and corrupt politicians!” All the other Senators demanded that the angry member withdraw his statement, or be removed from the remainder of the session. After a long pause, the angry member acquiesced. “All right,” he said, “I withdraw what I said. Half of this Senate is not made up of cowards and corrupt politicians!” Three Tough Mice THREE mice are at a bar, having drinks, talking about how tough they are. The first mouse slams down a shot of liquor and says, “Let me tell you how tough I am. “I spot a trap and go for the bait. When it snaps, I snatch the bar and bench press it 20 or so times and before it can close I’m off!” and he tosses down another shot of

his drink. The second mouse slams down a shot and says, “You think that’s tough? When I find a pile of hard coconuts, I crush it and devour it like it’s biscuit.” With that he throws down another shot and slams his shot glass on the bar. The first two are staring at the third mouse now, waiting to see what he has to say for himself. The third mouse gulps his drink, throws down his glass and heads for the door. His pals look at each other, then at him and say, “Hey, where are you going?” The third mouse says, “I haven’t got time for this rubbish. I need to get home and chase the cat!” Eating Colours OVER dinner, a mother explained the health benefits of a colourful meal to her family. “The more colours, the more variety of nutrients,” she said. Pointing to the food, she asked, “How many different colours do you see?” “Six,” said her daughter. “Seven if you count the burned parts.” •Adapted from the Internet

Writer ’s Fountain OR more colourful his notes of shopping bills, maternity wards writing: Imagine a writing with vibrant and lovers’ gossip into a classic. He found little phrases, stunning images and a surprise nuggets of stories everywhere and each one in every line – a writing with freshness of presented a fresh fragment of perception. perception, in other words. But how can you Here’s an idea for generating stories through achieve that? observation. Go into a shop and stop to look As every serious writer, you must keep a hard at whatever is in front of you. You must notebook handy. Or blank file cards. A famous not only see but also hear, smell and, if possible, writer used tens of notebooks to record the touch and taste it. Then describe what you trivia of his wanderings in the streets. He turned perceived as if it had never seen it before. The results are often remarkable. Mosquito cost: You can also take a fresh view of some •Of more than 3,500 species of mosquitoes, ordinary experiences and add conflict to them the Anopheles quadrimaculatus, Culex such that each incident becomes, in itself, a tiny pipiens and Aedes aegypti (Asian tiger story. And each story might be used as a symbol mosquito) are among the most common. The within a greater story to sum up the mood or Anopheles is a malaria carrier, and the other theme of the narrative. Any trivial thing can be two are known to spread various forms of made vivid and reminiscent of some deeper encephalitis. meaning if we look upon it with the non•A mosquito can drink up to three times its judgmental eyes of a child. It’s the trick of weight in blood but it would take about 1.2 making the familiar unfamiliar. million bites to drain all the blood from the So, wander anywhere. Stop at random. human body. Disengage your critical mind. Look, hear, •We say mosquitoes “bite”, but they don’t smell, feel or even taste what you perceive. Note have teeth. The females “bite” with a long, down your immediate thoughts, and then the pointed mouthpart called a proboscis. They imaginative places your thoughts lead you to. use the serrated proboscis to pierce the skin You’ll hardly again be short of fresh vivid and locate a capillary, then draw blood. perceptions to inspire your stories.

THE NATION ON SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2014

MSME Fund: who really benefits? •Aganga

Page 58, 59

-- Page 53

‘Rebased economy can drive foreign direct investment’ • Olawale-Cole

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'We place high premium on staff' Page 62

• Okafor

Amnesty is yielding results, says envoy

•From left: Executive Commissioner (Legal and Enforcement), Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Mrs. Sa'adatu Bello; SEC Director General, Ms Arunma Oteh; Executive Director (Corporate Services), Rt. Hon. Zakawanu Garba, and Chairman, 10years Capital Market Plan committee, Dr. Dotun Suleiman, at the 3rd quarter Capital market (CMC) meeting in Lagos..recently.

By Amidu Arije

HE Nigerian Ambassador to Poland, Dr Samuel Jimba, has said that the Presidential Amnesty Programme on Niger Delta militants is yielding results as over 20 militants graduated from the school of Maritime in Poland. The ambassador, who disclosed this during his presentation at the graduation ceremony of over 20 Niger-Delta youths sponsored for maritime training and courses at the Gydania Maritime University in Poland under the Amnesty programme, said the programme was significant to the transformation agenda of the government. He said the efforts and resources being deployed by the Office of the Special Adviser to the President on Niger-Delta, and Chairman, Presidential Amnesty Programme, Hon. Kingsley Kuku, in empowering Nigerian youths particularly to acquire qualitative skills and trainings towards strengthening Nigeria’s critical economic sectors such as the maritime industry would enable the country to compete favourably on the global stage. “The administration of President Jonathan resolved early in its term to provide opportunities for Nigerians to be major players in the development process. Consequently, it was decided by the president that one of the major highlights of the transformation agenda would be to reform the maritime sector in Nigeria,” he said.

FERMA begins work on 70 per cent Nigerians have access Kaduna bypass T to water – FG T

From Frank Ikpefan, Abuja

HE federal government has revealed that 70 per cent of Nigerians have access to clean and safe water. The government also said it was committed to increasing the number of citizens with access to clean and safe water. Minister of Water Resources, Mrs. Sarah Ochekpe, said this at the just concluded 2014 World Water Week held in Stockholm, Sweden. Ochekpe, in a statement

From Frank Ikpefan, Abuja

by the ministry’s Deputy Director (Press), said the government had begun plans to use the available water resources in the country for hydropower. According to her, hydro produces one of the cleanest sources of energy and it is affordable. She noted that Nigeria recognises the importance of

energy in spurring development. Ochekpe said in the statement: “Nigeria has not reached the stage where we have to ration water between energy and agriculture. “It is on this basis that government is working with states and the private sector to ensure that appropriate arrangements are put in place for the most efficient use of

our water for multipurpose needs including power generation. “The determination of the federal government is to ensure that 100 per cent of Nigerians have access to clean and safe water as against the 70 per cent that currently have.” According to the Minister, the federal government was striving to enhance the quality of lives of Nigeria through the construction of dams that would increase the nation’s power generation capacity.

Institute tasks FG on employment for youths

S a way to reduce poverty in the country, the federal government has been told to provide employment for the youths. This would also remove them from the streets as well as being used for other negative tendencies such as insurgency. The President of the InLANS are in the offing by the Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers (CIS) to establish working relationship with the Nigeria Commodity Exchange (NCX), formerly Abuja Securities and Commodity Exchange plc. As a prelude, top officials of the CIS led by the past president, Mr. Mike Itegboje, and the current first vice president, Mr. Oluwaseyi Abe, led a courtesy visit to the management of NCX at the weekend.

stitute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators of Nigeria (ICSAN), Dr. Suleyman Ndanusa, made the call while briefing newsmen in Abuja on the 38th Annual Conference and Dinner of the body billed to hold Tuesday, September 16 and Wednesday 17, 2014 at Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos. According to Ndanusa,

the conference had three subthemes- “Shareholders Activism: Any Added Value to Governance?, “Governance and Security: the Cost of Doing Business in Nigeria” and “Corporate Compliance: the Role of the Chartered Secretary”. He said the provision of jobs would reduce the insecurity in the country.

The ICSAN boss said the Gross Domestic Products {GDP} of the country should put smiles on the faces of Nigerians in what, he described as “happinomics”. He stressed the need for impact assessment of government policies, pointing out that the country did not lack good policies but implementation.

Stockbrokers partner NSE on commodity exchange The visit, aimed at creating a symbiotic relationship is to enable the CIS key into the vision of NCX, particularly in the areas of capacity building and certification programmes that would reinforce the growth and development of the Nigerian Capital Market. Explaining the key objectives of the historic visit, Itegboje said it would enable CIS to provide a mutually beneficial relationship with

NCX through training and certification of commodity brokers, securities and investment professionals. He also noted that by the visit, CIS would be able to support the NCX in the areas of manpower for the certification, development of requisite syllabus and structured examination programmes of international standard and continuous training of commodity brokers and NCX staff in line with the global best practices which is consistent with the on-

going transformation of the institute. Responding, the Group Head, Operations, NCX, Mr. Benson Lawal, who thanked the CIS team for the visit said the Commodity Exchange would be willing to partner with the CIS on the training of the CIS professional Diploma in Securities and Investment. Lawal noted that CIS should evolve a strategy of adopting the already trained 300 commodity brokers into the collaboration.

HE Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA) has commenced the repair of a washed out session of the Eastern bypass near Sabon Tasha in Kaduna. The failed session of the bypass caused a building collapse and the death of an eightyear-old girl recently. The Managing Director, FERMA, Engr. Gabriel Amuchi, who led a team of officials to the scene, said the collapse of the three cell culvert occurred as a result of excessive rainfall which caused an extension of the culvert to cave in.

He said FERMA was collaborating with Kaduna State government in order to reinstate the collapsed culvert. FERMA in a statement in Abuja said the collapsed culvert which threatens the carriage way will be completed within a month. The Director, Civil Engineering in the Federal Ministry of Works, Kaduna State, Engr. Muhammad Badamasi, said both the Kaduna State Governor and the Commissioner of Works have visited the scene of the incident. He assured that appropriate measures will be taken to address the problem.

‘Town hall meetings important for socio-economic development’

HE window of town hall meetings to bring about evolution for democratic dividend, socioeconomic crystallisation in the society by corporate bodies and policy makers are lacking in all facets of Nigerian life. This was the submission of Sir Chief Simon Asite, an executive member of Warri Chambers of Commerce, Mines, Industries and Agriculture, in his office in Effurun, Delta State, while speaking to journalists recently. Asite, who is also a member of the Nigeria Institute of Marketers, noted the massive disconnect of governance from the common man who is supposed to be the main stakeholder in his ward. According to him, their

By Frank Akatakpo, Warri

board of directors, management and staff are far from their primary stakeholders in communities they are generating huge profile for their multinational home country benefits. He said even the nationalised companies such as Seplat petroleum Development Company Ltd is yet to sign GMOU in their OML26 and 36 respectively with their primary landlords. However, Asite mentioned a few instances where town hall meetings were held by three governors: Delta, Edo, and Bayelsa states, which were publicly televised but declined the hastiness of their conduct when discussion on issues were not conclusive and fruitful and beneficiary to the common man.

THE NATION ON SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 14, 2014

BUSINESS

MSME Fund: Who really benefits? T

HE Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Development Fund (MSMEDF) was initiated by the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN. The disbursement of the fund was part of the CBN’s 8th annual MSME Finance Conference and Entrepreneurship Awards in Abuja. With the theme, ‘MSME Financing in Nigeria: Past, Present and Future,’ the annual event which attracted major stakeholders in the financial system promised to bridge the funding gap in MSME. Speaking at the occasion, President Goodluck Jonathan said that the federal government in order to complement the efforts of CBN would establish a wholesale Development Finance Institution (DFI) to provide long-term funds for industrial development. He said that the proposed institution was part of measures to enhance the contribution of MSMEs to the country’s economic growth and development. He said: “The DFI will provide long-term finance spanning up to 15 years for relevant entrepreneurs and industrialists, especially people involved in tree crop production. MSMEs are recognised all over the world as engine of growth in any development-oriented economy.” He reiterated that the contribution of MSMEs to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) globally averages about 47 per cent, and that shows clearly the importance of MSMEs to any economy. According to Jonathan, “from the report of Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), there are about 17.3 million SMEs in Nigeria. However, this is quite small compared to countries like Indonesia that is slightly more than us in terms of population, but they have about 40 million. He added that as Africa’s largest economy with excellent prospects of becoming one of the world’s 20 largest economies by 2020, the challenges confronting MSMEs in the country must be addressed frontally. The president admitted that government was aware that besides limited access to finance, MSMEs in the country are also confronted by poor infrastructure, especially power, among other challenges. He, however, said that federal government was investing heavily on critical infrastructure such as electricity, road, among others, to promote job creation and inclusive growth. Out of the N220Billion MSME Fund, non-economic activities such as grants to Micro-Finance Banks (MFBs), training of MSME’s, research, monitoring and evaluation and capacity building will get N22billion, which is 10% of this fund. While 90%, which amounts to N198billion, will go for economic activities. Already, a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) consisting of the federal government and the Central Bank is slated to manage the fund. They will lend this fund to the Micro Finance Banks and Finance Houses at the rate of 9% and the Micro finance bank has a

The president has launched the disbursement of the N220 billion Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Fund (MSMEDF) initiated by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). The question in the minds of most Nigerians is: how many Nigerians would benefit from this fund? Bukola Afolabi reports

•Can the MSME funds revitalise ailing sectors like the textile industries?

margin of 5% lending. The Central Bank of Nigeria recently disbursed N220billion to state governments for onward release to operators of Medium and Small Enterprises (MSMEs). The MSMEs Development Fund was distributed to the state governors on behalf of their states by President Jonathan. With a share of N500million, which was received by Delta State Governor, Emmanuel Uduaghan, and N260million for Akwa Ibom State, the two states topped the chart as the highest recipients. Also speaking at the occasion the Governor of CBN, Godwin Emefiele, said that the CBN initiated the MSMEs fund as an innovative way of improving their access to finance; shoring up their potential for job creation and enabling them reduce poverty within the country. According to him, “In view of the fact that cost and access to credit continue to be inhibiting factors to the survival and growth of many MSMEs in Nigeria, the CBN would be working with relevant stakeholders to encourage venture capital companies and business angels to fund MSMEs.” He also assured that the CBN would be committing considerable human, material and financial resources to monitoring both the disbursement and utilisation of the funds. Meanwhile, the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce and Industry Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA) has criticised the exclusion of

•Aganga

notable umbrella bodies of the Organised Private Sector (OPS) as members of the CBN’s N220 Billion Micro Small & Medium Enterprises Development Fund (MSMEDF). In its state of the nation press briefing in Lagos, NACCIMA’s national president, Badaru Abubakar, counselled that the CBN should review the guidelines and include the OPS in the Steering Committee for effective administration and management of the fund, with a view to enhancing private sector collaboration with the apex bank, stressing that it would improve access to finance to genuine MSME operators in the

country. However, the body commended the government for the recently constituted Presidential Advisory Council for the Fund, which includes seasoned businessmen from the Organised Private Sector(OPS). “We believe that the technocrats from the public and private sectors will bring their expertise to bear in ensuring the effective delivery of the objectives of the fund as desired in the overall interest of the economy,” he said. Also, the stakeholders said the disbursement process would be marred if it was done through state-controlled micro finance institutions as presently

arranged. Mr Philemon Akusu, an industrialist, said, “Such development would be surely inimical to the process of fast tracking the industrialisation of the country going by the attitudes of state-controlled institutions.” According to him, “Micro-finance institutions across the states were the creation of state governments to misappropriate funds.” The CBN did agree to engage micro-finance banks (MFBs) with good track records and strong financial base for the disbursement of the funds. It said Participating Financial Institutions (PFIs) included nongovernmental organisations (NGOs) and micro-finance institutions, which would be able to access funding at an interest rate of nine per cent per annum. According to stakeholders, the funds would be lent to other entities with a spread of up to six percentage points per annum. The scheme is expected to provide liquidity to PFIs on a maximum three-year tenure, with most institutions limited to N5 million or N10 million. It, however, added that national micro finance institutions would be able to access up to N1 billion. Mr Praise Emeka, Chief Executive Officer of Praz Finance Nig. Ltd, said most intervention funds of the government that followed this module had failed. Emeka explained that the CBN must learn to trust other arms of government saddled with the responsibility to carry out such tasks. “You are witnesses to the lack

THE NATION ON SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 14, 2014 of corporate governance and transparency in the country’s finance sector.” The economic question to be asked is: Would the goal of this fund be achieved given our current economic atmosphere? We will answer this question from two perspectives viz; Rate of lending and output prospects. The government has celebrated a single digit fund to the SMEs and MSMEs, but this has not been achieved before and it’s clear that this might not be achieved in the nearest future. Analysts posit that a single digit interest rate is pertinent for the survival of MSMEs. Secondly, the output prospects of our GDP have exhibited that the services sector is structurally positioned to transform the economy, going by its 53% contribution to the GDP growth in the last rebasing. At the recent inauguration of the National Council on Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME), President Jonathan directed that the N220 billion Fund being provided by the CBN be easily accessible by qualified MSMEs. To realise this, the president stressed the need to develop a detailed Financing Value Chain Intervention strategy for MSMEs. According to him, “Our commitment is to meet the aspirations of our people and in doing so, ensuring rapid economic development, benefitting all our citizens, North, South, East, or West. “Our focus will remain to build an economy that works for all Nigerians, and the MSME Council we inaugurate today is essential to achieving this goal. “The growth of MSMEs is one that is very important in any nation that aspires towards self-sufficiency. MSMEs are the innovators, the wealth creators, as well as employment generators. Every MSME today has the potential of growing to the large corporation of tomorrow, and that is why we are now backing the initiative with the creation of this Council. “The N220 billion MSME fund provided by the Central Bank, which I launched a few weeks ago for small businesses, will begin to address access to finance for small businesses, and Nigeria Enterprise Development Programme (NEDEP) will play a role in ensuring that MSMEs in the country are bankable and viable enough to access these funds, as well as other MSME funds available. “An urgent priority I expect this Council to take up, is the development of a detailed Financing Value Chain Intervention strategy for MSMEs, so as to address the difficulties put in the way of small businesses in their strive to access finance,” the president said. President Jonathan again reassured that all the 774 local government areas in the country would be covered as the MSMEs have become a central part of national policy. He spoke further: “This coordination will extend to the state level, for which State MSME Councils have already been instituted in 10 states, and it is my hope that MSME structures will become operational in all 36 States and the FCT before long. “These councils are chaired by the state governors and will directly report to the National Council. “We have successfully taken the federal government’s support for MSMEs to all Nigerians by decentralising Small and Medium Scale Enterprises Development

Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) from only 13 States, to all 36 States of Nigeria and FCT in just five months. “We have also identified, and are supporting at least one product in all 774 local governments in Nigeria based on each local government’s areas of competitive and comparative advantage. “This Council shall have the mandate to develop, support, and grow small businesses in Nigeria. To underline the importance of this Council, I have asked the vice president to chair the council, because of its strategic importance on small business development and the economy of the country at large. “A National Technical Implementation Committee will be chaired by the Honourable Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment to serve the National Council on MSMEs and fasttrack the implementation of its mandate. “If each of these businesses employs one more person, we would create over 17 million extra jobs, which would indeed be a revolution in Nigeria’s job markets. This is the unexplored power of small businesses.” He lauded the Council members for heeding the call to national service and urged them to expand the frontiers of their thoughts and ideas in order to succeed on the assignment. Speaking, Vice President Namadi Sambo, who heads the Council, noted that Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) have been known all over the world to be the engine room for growth in any economy. However, he assured that the Council will not fail in the national assignment. Also speaking, the Minister of Trade and Investment, Olusegun Aganga, said that the inauguration of the Council is a game changer that will boost the Nigerian economy in the long run. According to him, “Three out of four people employed in this country are from this sector, but we have never, in the history of his country, treated the micro, small and medium enterprises as a sector. “As a result, they have had to grow on their own. A country where you have about 17 to 20 million SMEs, and only 8% of them have access to finance from recognised institutions, it means that the system has not supported them in anyway. “A country where you have SMEs and their cost of production is very high, there is no market access, no organisation, everyone does SME in one way or the other. That was the situation we had in the country. “This is a game changer, what we are doing today is saying, first of all, let’s get organised, which is about developing institutional framework to focus only on that sector, bringing together all federal and state government-related agencies and development institutions, to get her as members of that council to address the problems of SMEs, we put them into seven pillars, these are cross cutting measures.” On the Council are Benue State governor, Gabriel Suswam, representing the North Central; Ramalan Yero (Kaduna) North West, Ibrahim Dankwambo (Gombe) for North East, Ibikunle Amosun (Ogun) for South West, Theodore Orji (Abia) for South East and Sarieke Dickson (Bayelsa) for South South.

BUSINESS

•From left: Financial Secretary, CMSA, Mr. Adekunle Soyibo, Vice Chairman, CMSA, Mrs. Yinka Edu, Chairman, CMSA, Mr. Uche Val Obi and Representative of Social/Welfare Secretary, Capital Market Solicitors Association, Miss Ogochukwu Okafor at the press briefing on the forthcoming 2014 Business luncheon of the Association in Lagos…recently

•From left: Vice President, Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators of Nigeria (ICSAN), Dr. Nat Ofo, President/Chairman of Council, Dr. Suleyman Ndanusa and the Registrar/ Chief Executive of ICSAN, Mr. Dele Togunde, at a press briefing in Abuja…recently

Corporation invests $300m in Dangote Cement I

NVESTMENT Corporation of Dubai (ICD), the main investment arm of the Emirate of Dubai has acquired 243,500 million units of Dangote Cement Plc sold by Dangote Industries Limited for $300 million (about N48 billion). The sale and purchase of the shares were executed by Meristem Securities Limited, a dealing member of the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) while Guaranty Trust Bank Plc, acted as the banker. Dangote Cement, which is listed on the Nigeria Stock Exchange, forms part of the Dangote Group, a diversified conglomerate of African businesses, founded and controlled by internationally renowned Nigerian business leader Aliko Dangote. Under the terms of the agreement, which was signed at a ceremony in Dubai attended by HE Mohammed Ibrahim Al Shaibani, Executive Director and CEO of the Investment of Corporation of Dubai and Alhaji Aliko Dangote, President and CE of Dangote Industries Limited, ICD agreed to invest $300m (about N48 billion) to acquire a minority interest. Dangote Cement, which has in recent years achieved significant revenue growth and industry-leading margins, has market capitalization of approximately $23bn. This places the company, in value terms, above industry heavyweights such as Anhui, CRH and Heidelberg, and leaves it second in value only to the recently merged Lafarge/Holcim. The company has ambitious expansion plans to grow its capacity from the current levels of c.35 MTA to more than 60 MTA by 2018, both domestically and across the continent, in order to capitalize on long term structural economic growth. Domestically this will allow the

…Meristem Securities, GTBank acted as broker and banker to transaction company to maintain and grow its market leading position (currently 62 percent) in Africa’s largest economy (Nigerian GDP is expected to grow by 6.6 percent -7.3 percent per year between 2014 and 2018.) The non-domestic expansion, of c.19 MTA across 12 other countries, leverages the Company’s industry and operational expertise whilst also targeting clear market inefficiencies. The plan is already taking shape in the commissioning of plants in South Africa earlier in the year with plans to commission plants in Senegal, Zambia, Cameroon and Sierra Leone before the end of the year. The transaction represents a landmark for ICD being its first major investment in the high growth African continent and is aligned with one of its key strategic goals to pursue diversification. Commenting on the deal, HE Mohammed Ibrahim Al Shaibani, stated: “We believe Sub-Saharan Africa, and particularly Nigeria, provides fantastic long term investment opportunities. In this case, Dangote Cement provides some excellent investment credentials, being a highly profitable, well capitalized and efficiently run organization, with a market leading position in the largest African economy and very well positioned to access and act on growth opportunities across the continent. Consequently, we are very pleased to be given the opportunity to invest and participate in its future growth potential.” The deal serves to further bolster the Company’s register with

large, institutional investors, consistent with previous minority share sales, and demonstrates the increasing appetite for international capital in high quality African assets such as Dangote Cement. Commenting on the transaction, Aliko Dangote, Chairman of Dangote Cement PLC, said: “We are pleased to welcome such a prestigious investor as the Investment Corporation of Dubai to our growing list of international, blue-chip shareholders. They share our vision of Africa that will grow to become an economic powerhouse in the coming decades as its people rise to become prosperous members of the global economy.” “Our products may be simple bags of cement but millions of Africans will use them to build a continent that is rich in opportunities for entrepreneurs and investors, like ICD, who support them.” ICD’s investment complements the already strong business and commercial ties between Dubai and both Nigeria and Sub-Saharan Africa. This interest is further reflected in ICD being the forum title partner of the 2nd Africa Global Business Forum, taking place on October 1st and 2nd in Atlantis, The Palm Dubai. The 2 day forum, which is organised by Dubai Chamber under the patronage of His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, will serve as an ideal platform exploring new business partnerships and opportunities between Africa and Dubai and the rest of the world.

THE NATION ON SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 14, 2014

BUSINESS

S there any connection between this year’s theme and the recent Gross Domestic Product (GDP) rebasing of the economy? We were guided by the GDP rebasing of the economy in choosing our theme for the fair. With the rebased GDP of $510 billion, it is now clear that Nigeria is the largest economy in Africa and 26th in the world. That means that in Africa we are a force to reckon with and cannot be ignored no matter what our challenges are. Our potentials as the biggest economy in our continent and also as an emerging economy make us a beautiful bride for investors from across the globe to tap into. Our potentials have the ability to grow in geometric proportion if our infrastructure like roads, electricity, security and generally the business environment is improved on and given the needed attention. Unfortunately, we have, as a nation, over the years given too much attention to oil and gas sector neglecting the solid mineral sector and indeed, other non oil sectors of the economy leaving them unexploited. It is clear that if we take care of these indices, we can double our GDP figure. Foreign and local investors know for sure that they will never go wrong with investment in this country because the return on investment is amazing and not comparable to most countries. How much contribution will the forthcoming Lagos International Trade Fair make on the Nigerian economy? The Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) have staged the Lagos International Trade Fair in the last 28 years. Prior to this, the fair was handled by the Federal Government. The forthcoming fair will hold between November 7 and 16, and we have chosen the theme: ‘Promoting Nigerian Economy as a Preferred Investment Destination.’ It is so coincidental that President Goodluck Jonathan recently spoke in the United States on what the country is doing to create an enabling environment that will make the nation a preferred investment destination. So, all we are doing is to support the Federal Government in its quest to make Nigeria a bigger economy. Last year, we had several participants from China, India, Pakistan, Jordan, the European Union, Hong Kong, Indonesia,

‘Rebased economy can drive foreign direct investment’ Chief Micheal Olawale-Cole is Vice President and Chairman, Trade Promotion Board of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry. In this interview with Okwy Iroegbu-Chikezie, speaks on the socio-economic benefits of the new GDP growth rate, among others Cameroon, Ghana and other countries in Africa. This year, we expect to have a lot more. From our records we already have exhibitors from the Asian Tigers and we all know how they have grown and are still growing. So it will be a worthwhile event for Nigerian businesses to be part of it. How many exhibitors are you expecting at the fair? One thing is clear; we already have over 150,000 exhibitors. This number is huge in terms of prospects for investments and business relations. It will present opportunity for people to buy and sell, go into partnerships, network, and look at areas available for business. When you have people coming from 15 to 20 countries, you know what value they can create in a particular economy. For instance as at July 30, over 20 countries have shown interest in participating and 15 of them have already booked spaces. These countries cut across Europe, the Americas, Asia and other parts of the world. Every day we get enquires and confirmations. Last year alone, we had about 100, 000 exhibitors. What difference are you bringing to the table this year? This year, we have tried to look at areas we did not do too in the previous editions. At the end of every trade fair, we do a survey to know the feedback from investors and participants so as to make sure that of the following year better. One of the things we saw last year was the need for us to have our own tents, which we have bought and are on the way

here from China. This is a major step in the right direction. Also, over the years, we have studied the movement of the people at the fair and we have observed that we need to improve on our traffic management of people at this year’s fair. We are putting some security officers in place to ensure that this is achieved. Again, we •Olawale-Cole are looking at improving our power supply, which has made us to put in place more generators to ensure we have constant power supply. As for security, we are not taking anything for granted as we are trying to install CCTV cameras at the fair ground. To this end, we are bringing in an expert company that specialises in CCTV. After the fair, they will give us a detailed report and also make available to us the film that will show all the activities for the ten days. These are some of the things we have tried to build into this year’s programme. The ambition of the chamber is that we should do it better every year. That is the only way we can continue to sustain the interest of not only the foreigners who come in but also local entrepreneurs. The Ebola disease scare is now a major

source of concern in the country. How do you think this will impact on the fair? What measures are you taking against people coming from countries where there is already an outbreak of the disease? The joy here for us as a chamber and for the nation in general is that people coming in will be examined at the airports and other border entries across the country. Again, people going out of the country too will be examined. That alone is a major step in the right direction. It cannot be said that there is an Ebola epidemic in Nigeria. It is so unfortunate that somebody sneaked in with the disease and died here while infecting a few hardworking Nigerians. But you know, it didn’t break out from here.

‘Proposed sale of Mainstreet bank illegal’ Mr. Jean Missinhoun, Senior Partner of Intangis Holdings, a USbased financial and investment company which is at the centre of controversy concerning the proposed sale of Mainstreet Bank by the Assets Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON), in an exclusive online interview with Ibrahim Apekhade Yusuf, gives fresh insights on the planned sale of Mainstreet Bank

•Missinhoun

OW long do you think this case would last? We are fully focused on the action against AMCON at the Supreme Court of the State of New York. The Purchase and Assumption Agreement (PAA), deposed to in June 2012 to the International Court of Arbitration in Paris and revealed by the financial agency Ecofin, raises serious doubts about the legality of the liquidation of Afribank and subsequent transfer of its assets to Mainstreet Bank. This transaction concluded in Nigeria between 5 and 8 August 2011 is illegal and the PAA evidences this. We feel vindicated after the sentence of the International Court of Arbitration that Afribank’s shareholders and creditors have been stripped of their rights. If AMCON manages to sell Mainstreet

Bank after having organised Afribank’s liquidation and the transfer of its assets without ensuring proper reporting of the bank’s books, we would be dealing with a huge scandal. The banking group would be jeopardised, its customers endangered and its historic shareholders and creditors would suffer irreversible damages. Intangis Holdings cannot believe that Nigerian authorities would tolerate such actions in contradiction to the requirement for transparency and good governance. Why has this taken the company many years to articulate its views and marshal out its defence, since 2011, even when VCP wanted to acquire Afribank? We referred the matter to the International Court of Arbitration in Paris, on 29 April 2011, which issued a decision in September 2013 took the view that Mainstreet Bank was party to the contract between Intangis Holdings and Afribank. AMCON was not party to the arbitration. On July 1, 2014 Intangis Holdings filed a complaint for damages for tortuous interference with contract against AMCON the Supreme Court of the State of New York to assert its rights. The Purchase and Assumption Agreement (PAA) confirms that Afribank’s liquidation and transfer of its assets to Mainstreet Bank are illegal, a serious offense under US law. What does the company really want?

Value of its shares in the old Afribank, to revive the “dead” Afribank. The Purchase and Assumption Agreement (PAA) confirms that the liquidation of Afribank and transfer of its assets to Mainstreet Bank are illegal. Mainstreet Bank has no assets but liabilities that Intangis Holdings estimated at US $1.4 billion. Intangis Holdings filed a complaint for damages for tortuous interference with contract against AMCON in the Supreme Court of the State of New York on July 1, 2014 to assert its rights. AMCON is claiming ignorance of any deal with your company and that it acquired a ‘dead’ bank, which had lost all its value, including your holdings in the bank. What do you have to say? Just a fact: at the time AMCON invested in its share capital, Afribank’s total asset was US $ 3Billion. The International Arbitration in Paris issued a decision in our favour in September 2013 and took the view that Mainstreet Bank was party to the contract between Intangis Holdings and Afribank. The decision is definitive and legally binding on Mainstreet Bank. Are you saying that these can be published in the papers while the case is in court? The Purchase and Assumption Agreement (PAA), deposed to in June 2012 to the International Court of Arbitration, was revealed by the financial agency, Ecofin. The transaction concluded in 2011 is illegal and the PAA evidences this. This truncated and undated document has missing pages. The document requested by the International Arbitration in Paris was intended to explain the liquidation of Afribank and trans-

fer of its assets to Mainstreet Bank. However, it has produced no evidence of transfer of assets nor evaluation of liabilities. Why has Intangis not considered it appropriate to join the CBN, NDIC, institutions that declared the banks insolvent and handled their liquidations respectively in the suite? Intangis Holdings does not comment on ongoing legal proceedings. We only note that Afribank’s liquidation and transfer of its assets to Mainstreet Bank was completed between 5 and 8 August 2011 without notice to Afribank’s shareholders and creditors. Have you tried out-of-court settlement and what happened? This is no longer the issue. A complaint was filed on July 1, 2014 for damages for tortuous interference against AMCON in the Supreme Court of the State of New York. Compliance, governance and transparency in business are universal. What gives the confidence that the court will issue an injunction, preventing the ongoing sale of the bank, considering the fact that AMCON seems not bothered by any court case? We are confident that justice will ultimately be served no matter what AMCON may say or think. It must be emphasised that Mainstreet’s sale was delayed even though AMCON had previously set itself a deadline on September 15. Now it says the sale will happen before October 31. This is both lending credibility to our advocacy and an admission of difficulty by AMCON. How do you intend to carry this out, get the injunction, then come to Nigeria court to enforce or does the law or judgment bind on AMCON automatically? The liquidation of Afribank and transfer of its assets to Mainstreet Bank are illegal. Mainstreet Bank has no assets but liabilities on its balance sheet. Afribank’s shareholders and creditors have been stripped of their rights. It is reasonable to expect that these shareholders and creditors will come forward.

THE NATION ON SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2014

How graduate internship programme boosts employability A MONG the different measures being adopted by the federal government to address the growing challenge of youths’ unemployment across the country in recent times, the Graduate Internship Scheme (GIS), which is a Social Safety Net (SSN) intervention and a component of Community Services, Women and Youth Empowerment Project (CSWYE) of the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme (SURE-P), in the view of analysts, has made a lot of difference. Reason: Unlike other past attempts at improving youth employment, it does appear that the GIS has recorded some modest success thus far. The scheme, which was launched in October, 2012 to create opportunity for graduates to be attached to firms/ organisations, where they can work for a year and enjoy a monthly stipend of N30,000 with a Group Life and Accident Insurance. Such interns can use the opportunity to gain working experience and enhance their employability skills. Interestingly, the project has commenced registration of such firms and interns and over 181,800 beneficiaries have been registered. This is beyond the threshold of 50,000 allotted for the scheme in any given year while deployment of such beneficiaries/ interns has commenced. The eligibility criteria for graduates are that they must be citizens of Nigeria (with a valid ID); must not be more than 40 years of age at the time of joining the scheme (birth certificate or statutory declaration of age is a compulsory requirement); they must be holders of degree and/ or HND; must register and submit a Curriculum Vitae resume online at www.wyesurep.gov.ng; must make available all original documents for sighting when reporting to their respective employers and they must have completed the mandatory NYSC or have been exempted by the corps. To be eligible for the programme, firms/employers must be registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission or relevant government agencies and other relevant professional bodies as the case may apply; interested firms/ employers must provide evidence of Value Added Tax (VAT) registration and tax clearance certificate; such firm/employer must register online at www.wyesurep.gov.ng and fill the appropriate form; they must be prepared to provide a mentoring plan for each intern, detailing specific activities to which the intern would be engaged; must be able to engage interns for a period of one year and must prove that they are economically viable and engaged in legitimate businesses with audited accounts over the last two years. One sector that has significantly keyed into the GIS programme of the federal government is the Information and Communication Technology sec-

Ibrahim Apekhade Yusuf and Nduka Chiejina in this report capture the experience of some beneficiaries of the federal government Graduate Internship Scheme (GIS) aimed at building the skills set of graduates, among others tor just as state governments and private corporate organisations are scrambling to take on these interns. In a chat with The Nation, Datech, an indigenous ICT firm which provides infrastructure for telecom companies, designs and deploys fibre networks for various clients and individuals, says it has trained several interns who are now “able to handle sites independently and also helped in our expansion by developing more teams which in-turn help us reduce handover times of sites to our clients.” Bala Ayegba Shuaibu, Chief Operating Officer (COO) at Datech Lagos, stated that “as a firm which began operations three years ago, we have been able to partner in taking graduates who we train to suit our needs. The staff at the GIS office have been of immense help to us while we were taking graduates, they have been able to come around for verification just to ensure the firm exists and the graduates show up at work.” So far, Datech, he said, has engaged four interns from the GIS programme and one of them has been offered permanent employment while the other three should be employed once they end their internship programme. With regards to the stipends, government, he said: “pays the interns once we submit their time-sheets and as a policy in our firm we match what government pays.” Bala Ayegba Shuaibu noted that there are bad eggs in the system. According to him, “We had an instance where an Intern suggested that he wouldn’t come to work but we would sign his time-sheets and we share what government was paying him. We rebuffed that and reported the case to the GIS office which in-turn decided on how to handle the matter. Youths should be willing to learn,” he said. The firm, he said, would recommend the programme, “especially to start-ups as this will reduce the amount of wages you pay, hence giving you some free funds to use for other things. Using interns had reduced our wages by over 41.7 per cent and this had made us invest in other important areas in our firm.” Professor Manny Aniebonam, President/CEO, Afrihub Nigeria Ltd, one of the firms in Abuja that has engaged interns under the GIS programme, stated that “one thing the finance minister has done which is very good is the launching of the GIS. For me and anybody coming from outside, when you look at it critically, it is a give-and-take kind of programme, because as an employer of labour you are going to be mentoring these kids, these unemployed youths. You know what, when you think that government will be paying N25, 000 every month and then you can now do what we do here at AfriHub, by paying additional N25, 000 making it N50, 000, which at least

is enough for the graduate who are unemployed to start life.” He, however, noted that the main thing about the programme is that it gives hope. The programme, he said, “is not about money but that it gives hope to that unemployed graduate to get him or her off the street. Instead of the young woman of 20-30 years to roam the street of Abuja every night looking for, you know what, or for men to sleep with, now she is engaged. By the time she is finishing on Friday, she is tired.” He narrated a story of how an intern broke down in tears on receiving his first ever salary. According to Prof. Aniebonam, “Two years ago, I was in my office and there was a day we paid salaries, and somebody was in front of my door crying, hitting his head on the wall, and I asked why he was crying. I was told this guy studied computer science and for seven years, he had never worked and he just earned his first salary in AfriHub, and he was overwhelmed that he was paid his first salary. So, you know, he broke down, crying and thanking God, saying, so this is my first salary.” The mission of AfriHub, he said: “is to give back to the society, to give back using our professional skills acquired outside the country, meaning turning the brain drain of those years into brain gain and to do that we organised ourselves into twelve different groups of professional disciplines, health, education, ICT, agriculture, investment, tourism and so on. All of these we call developmental forum and there are chairpersons in each one of the forums.” Comfort Idoko, a 2013 intern with AfriHub Computers, Ltd. Abuja, lectured students in software and in the process developed teaching skills and fine-tuned her skills on software development. Like Idoko, Chinedu Onuegbu,

also a 2013 intern of AfriHub Computers Ltd, Abuja who was involved in the software class, said he now “reads more, so he learns more every day.” Ese Egerega, Deputy Managing Director, AfriHub Computers Ltd, Abuja, said they have “three energetic interns who are ever ready to learn. They work like any other staff of AfriHub and make their contribution to the success of the company. I believe that at the end of their training, I may retain them.” Echoing similar sentiments, Ayodeji Rex Abitogun, Lead Consultant at Management Edge Ltd., Abuja, said: “The two interns we have are adding value to the functions of the office and we have a chance to dispense our corporate social responsibility. With the rate of commitment of the interns and the training they are receiving, I believe they will do well anywhere they find themselves. We may even consider retaining them.” One of the states that have requested for about 500 ICT/Computer Science graduates from the GIS office is Sokoto State, to prepare her students for the examinations next year. According to Dr. Mohammed Ali Inname, Special Adviser to the Sokoto State Governor on ICT: “In today’s world, there is hardly much that is done without the computer; it is the common factor in government, communication, banking and other ventures.” He said: “This scheme will not only equip the teachers and students with ICT knowledge, but it will also boost the educational system and bring about jobs and wealth creation in the state as well as open the state to international communities. Agribusiness and tourism in the state will be improved as products and services will be marketed via ICT.” Spokesman for the GIS programme, Suleiman Haruna, confirmed that his office is currently inundated with requests by states for ICT and Computer Science graduates with the desire to retain the interns, but he said the office and supervising ministry of finance was working to meet the demands as employment generation was a key component of the transformation agenda of the federal government.

Duke, others charge women on skills acquisition By Adeola Ogunlade

IFE of the former Governor of Cross River, Mrs. Onari Duke, has called on Nigeria women to tap into their natural creative talents to succeed in their chosen profession. Duke said this at the 2014 Women in Business and Leadership Summit organised by GLEEDH Foundation in Lagos recently. The programme, tagged: ‘Women Transforming Communities, Developing Economics’ brought together hundreds of women from the public and private sectors, government functionaries, small business owners, educationists, civil society groups, media experts. According to her, there are immense opportunities for women who can tap into their natural skills, acumen, talents and experience in the development of our country. “We have women in government who should see themselves as role models and are serving the people not because they are women but because they have the skill, experience and expertise needed for the position,” she said. Also speaking, the special Adviser to the Ogun State Governor on Millennium Development Goals, Mrs. Hamsfat AbiolaCostello, said that women can make a lot of changes in public sector if they are committed to service. She cited countries such as China, India, Japan and other world powers who invested so much in the development of their public service and have attained greater level of success. Earlier in her opening speech, the Chief Executive Officer, Centre For African Culture and Development (CEFACD), Professor Sophie Oluwole, challenged Nigerian women to be actively engaged in governance at all levels. In his welcome address, Africa Director, GLEEHD, Dayo Israel, said that the summit is aimed at addressing the importance of networking within professional fields and focus on the role of women in developing, transforming and sustaining Africa’s economies and communities.

•From left: Mrs. Onari Duke, Comrade Ayo Adewale, Mrs. Haffsat Abiola-Costello and Mrs. Kate Banjoko at the summit organised by GLEEDH Foundation in Lagos…recently.

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2014

Strengthening reportage of s l r i g d n a n e m wo

â&#x20AC;˘Dapo Olorunyomi

To enhance reportage of women and girls' issues in the Nigerian media, the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism (WSCIJ) with the fiscal backing of the Netherlands Embassy teamed up to impart into over 30 journalists from print and broadcast media, vital knowledge-base required to dig deep and unearth can't-resist-by-editors' stories that would make the issues of the under-reported set of people, impactful to an average reader. Joke Kujenya, who was among the participants, reports

THE NATION ON SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2014

•Keshi

•Duke

•Balogun

The new faces in the culture house

VERY eight years when new changes are usually made in the Federal Ministry of Tourism, Culture and National Orientation to relieve out-going directors of their positions, series of controversies and backbiting normally follow such move. It is as if such changes do not make for the progress of the culture sector. But be that as it may, culture workers must have one thing or the other to say to either condemn or praise or even carpet the minister’s choice of directors to fill the vacant positions. This year’s exercise was not different. Last week, three new directors were appointed by the Minister of Tourism and Culture, Chief Edem Duke, to replace the outing-going ones in three parastatals. They include the National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC), National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism Studies (NIHOTOURS) and Centre for Black and African Arts and Civilisation (CBAAC). Of the all three appointments, the strangest and most surprising, in the reckoning of close culture observers and stakeholders, is that of NIHOTOUR, where Ms Chika Balogun has been made to hold fort. Balogun, until her appointment, was a Special Assistant to Duke, a position many feel and still believe is not big enough to warrant such a big appointment. Part of the argument, however, is that Balogun has no such pedigree to handle the hospitality sector with the kind of strong presence it deserves at this critical era in Nigeria. Most critics stretched the argument further to say that the last assignment. Balogun handled for the minister in far away United States of America was a big flop. The assignment had to do with the cultural extravaganza which held at the Kennedy Centre in Washington DC, USA, last month. In coordinating that woeful outing Balogun could not display enough dexterity and knowledge expected of a texted technocrat. “Now, that she is to handle a more virile and potent parastatal that is also the main regulatory agency for Nigerian hotels, what are we to expect?” asked one culture worker who does not want to be named. Although a master’s degree holder from the University of Kent, Great Britain and a member of many local and international professional bodies, it is yet to be seen where her professional acumen has been so tested

There have been changes in the Culture and Tourism Ministry where three new directors have been appointed to man affairs of the Centre for Black and African Arts and Civilization (CBAAC), National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC) and National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism Studies (NIHOTOUR). All the appointments have been criticized for one reason or the other. Edozie Udeze examines these changes and what they mean for the sector and verified. However, those who know her closely attest that she is a team leader, very proficient in management and mentoring. “In fact, we can say she is a leadership expert,” Okeke Uzor, an artist who knows her professional antecedents, said. Part of the resume of Balogun says that she is a philanthropist, a great traveller, consummate reader and mentor. “If she can bring all these to bear in her style of management, her professional approach in running the affairs of NIHOTOUR and more, I suppose she will end up a huge success,” Uzor surmised. As for Mrs. Dayo Keshi who took over the helm at NCAC, criticisms have begun to mount on why she should be made to head that number one parastatal in the ministry. Keshi, 61, retired from the Federal Civil Service last year after reaching the mandatory age of 60 years. Until her retirement, she was a director in the Cultural Industry and Heritage, an arm of the Ministry of Culture. She served in the sector for 31 years. But the grouse of many people is that Duke should have looked beyond personal sentiments and favour to appoint people with the renewed zeal and capacity to serve and deliver; people who still possess the youthful energy to put things in their proper perspectives. To have recalled a retired top notch of the ministry to handle such an important segment of the sector, some critics argued, does not speak well of the seriousness and commitment of the ministry. It is usually better to make people who are more vibrant to come in to help move the ministry beyond the mundane. Agreeing, Kechi may be a well-tested technocrat with the necessary exposure that is relevant in some ways, one

of the critics asked. “what of the carriage in terms of energy and competence at this stage in her career? All these should have informed Duke’s decision in reaching out to these people.” However, a close source revealed that the strong undercurrent in the whole exercise is that Duke needed to have his own people in those positions. Of course, those who are in one way or the other amenable to him, those who are indeed his closest allies and would be better for him to operate with. But how does this stop him from looking far afield to get better placed loyalists who stand better chances of improving the lot of the Culture and Tourism sector? For too long the ministry has tottered between life and death, between progress and retrogression, with a only a few of its parastatals and agencies doing well to lift the sector above water. Even when the yearly allocation which is nothing to write home about, that comes its way often does not go into the proper channel. In a way, this is a ministry that is supposed to chart a new way for the reorientation of the people of Nigeria. So much needs to be done yet the politics of making those positive issues happen often pre-occupies the attention of top players and policy-makers. Now, appointed to succeed Professor Tunde Babawale at CBAAC is Chief Ferdinand Anikwe. There is no doubt that Babawale left an imprint that is indelible on the sand of times. Having been the helmsman at the Enugu State Ministry of Culture and Chieftaincy Matters for so long, it is hoped that Anikwe can perform to keep CBAAC on its toes. But CBAAC, as it is widely known, is basically a research and academic centre where programmes are devised and executed to conform with its

statutory ideals. Now how capable is Anikwe having been coming basically from the background that is bereft of researches and world outreach? How much can he do to retain and lubricate and maintain the numerous contacts made to get CBAAC go beyond a mere gimmick? Is he capable of making the world and indeed Africa see CBAAC as a centre meant to project African cultures beyond Nigeria? There are too many questions. But the truth of the matter is that until recently CBAAC was a mere glorified outfit. But then Babawale and his team brought their own personal and collective drive, energy and zeal to make it attain international position. This is what Anikwe has to continue to do if the politics of trying to keep CBAAC down by the powers that be can allow him and his team perform. CBAAC is an intellectually-engaging centre, well-removed from the masquerade background where Anikwe was better known. Anikwe constituted the best masquerade assemblage in Enugu that has won more laurels at the Abuja Carnival than any other states. This is no mean achievement as far as the issue of culture in Nigeria is concerned. However, that is a different ball game entirely. CBAAC needs deep and concerted brainstorming to make it remain relevant, topical and useful. A team meant to keep CBAAC alive has to be alive itself, giving life to cultural matters that touch on the nerves of the people. As a pan-African agency, Anikwe should live the life of a Pan-African director, a director not limited to local issues. CBAAC is for the whole world where the Black Africans are domiciled. The way and manner the new regime keeps them in the picture is a tall order for Anikwe. CBAAC should not be made to slide back to what it was before Babawale took over. If that happens, then it will become the worst thing that has ever happened to African cultural renaissance for which CBAAC has been cut out to do. Over all, it is hoped that the new changes will usher in meaningful era to give a new phase and face to the culture sector. Tourism needs to be renewed. Directors need to live up to the expectations of the people in whatever they do. This is the time to do so, leaving all petty politicking behind for the sake of the people and the stakeholders.

THE NATION ON SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 14, 2014

The silent industrial revolution

EBERE WABARA

WORDSWORTH I 08055001948

ewabara@yahoo.com

Affront to, not ‘on’

ATIONAL MIRROR front and inside pages of September 11 welcome us today: “Again, Mark assures on state creation” Who did he assure? “…but fails woefully (abysmally) in giving concrete evidences of such claims.” “NAHCO, last week, flagged off (began) the airlift of pilgrims….” “It is an affront on (to) this nation for a foreigner to come out with….” “Man charged to court for (with) rape” “Banks survive regulatory stress t e s t amidst (amid) tense corporate governance challenges” (BUSINESS WEEK, September 8) “More than 4.3 million Nigerians ported to our network shortly after the flag off (sic) (inauguration) of the Mobile Number Portability….” (Source: as above) THE NATION ON SUNDAY COMMENT (EDITORIAL) of September 7 displayed grammatical hypocrisy: “The president should call the group to order for double standards (standard) and flouting our laws” “In times like this” Either in times like these or a time like this THISDAY, Saturday, September 6 edition, contained copious errors right from its front page: “Ebola: After assessing threat, FG re-opens (reopens) schools September 22” “Rangers’ boss picks holes on 3SC” I also pick my own holes in (not on) this headline. “TIME Magazine commends Nigeria over (for/ on) containment” “…was the outcome of the series of meeting (meetings)” “Assure (Assure Nigerians) Boko Haram will be defeated” “The source said further that…are (were) now firmly in control of the military.” Ebola scare in Delta as FMC cordons-off (cordons off) emergency ward” “…the population of the estate has increased considerable (considerably) Finally from THISDAY under review: “Heat free (Heat-free) curls” SATURDAY INDEPENDENT of September 6 circulated a potpourri of misapprehensions: “Jonathan’s administration is been (being) sabotaged, says cleric” “Irri community seeks for support” Yank off ‘for’ Wrong: electioneering campaign; Right: electioneering or campaign

“Keshi clamours for Nigerians (Nigerians’) support” (SPORTINGLIFE, September 4) National Mirror of September 4 disseminated a few solecisms starting with this banner: “CNS indicts major oil companies in (for/on) oil theft” NATIONAL MIRROR Editorial of September 4 ignited some lexical crises: “…that the police was (were) supporting the impeached speaker of the House….” “…at the expense of majority (the majority) of other members of the House” “He said the police cannot (could not) be dragged into the mess….” “Underfunding, bane to (of) poly education” Still on National Mirror under focus: “…incessant strikes actions….” Education Today: incessant strikes “Truancy among professors and other senior academic staff often percolate (percolates) down the academic hierarchy….” “Modibbo meets delegates, promises all inclusive (all-inclusive) government” “Obiazor relishes Super Eagles (Eagles’) call-up” “Group insists PDP, APC should pick Christian (Christians) as flag bearers” “We express these fears, knowing fully well the nature of ….” This amounts to ill-treatment of the English language. Right: knowing full well. “…believed to have the largest oil bloc (highest number of oil blocks) in Africa….” “Rather, it rehashed old consciousness already canvassed….” (THE NATION ON SUNDAY COMMENT, August 31) You cannot rehash new consciousness Wrong: last minute change; Right: last-minute change “…is seeking to govern Kwara State under the PDP ticket” Politics: on the PDP ticket “The Nigerian bond market hitherto an exclusive preserve of blue-chip companies have (has)….” P O L I T I C A L ECONOMY of August comes next: “Jitters in Nigeria as Italy (Italian) prosecutors open probe into Malabu Oil deal” “What is good for the goose can’t be bad for the gander. “ I do not understand the use of ‘good’ and ‘bad’ instead of ‘sauce’ in this instance. “…but LifeStyle will not hesitate to remind you about (sic) one of the qualifying criterion for this jam-

boree…” Singular: criterion plural: criteria. And, ‘remind you of…’ “An alleged hike in school fees has created a row between the management and the Parents Association (PTA) of….” PTA means Parent-Teacher Association. “The donation of vehicles and communication gadgets provide a good beginning.” The donation… provides. “Fear of robbers keep lawyers away from courts” Fear of robbers keeps…. FEEDBACK Please note that English is one-one standard English. There is NOT a separate language for the surveyor, the engineer, another for the lawyer, another for the bank manager, another for the Town Clerk, another still for the candidates at an examination in English, hence writing “firstly”, “secondly, e.g Secondly, one of your contributors to that edition should have said… “thirdly”, etc, in the 21st century, is considered bad solecism. Let’s ask, Will Nigeria Be the Death of English? In modern English, it is “First”, “Second”,” Third”,etc. “Specie”, meaning “coined money” or “money in coin”, has no plural form. Some idioms break the rules of grammar but they cannot be tampered with as they are fixed by usage. For example, “twice”, like “thrice”, is very old-fashioned but “think twice” (cannot be changed to “think two times”); “once or twice”; “Once bitten, twice shy” (NOT “two times shy”). Another note: In modern usage, “all hands on deck” is construed as meaning “Everyone should be on duty” while “All hands to the pump” is construed as meaning “Everyone should help”. “Strike action” still survives as an archaism in the dictionary. “Industrial action”, or “strike”, is the preferred term. There is no “traditional wedding” but traditional marriage”. The traditional marriage is Africa’s conventional or native marriage whereby the groom pays bride price to the parents of the bride. I repeat, “at about”, “about” is preferred in modern English. E,g. I will call for you about nine o’clock (NOT “at about nine o’clock”). More power to your elbow! (Bayo Oguntunase/Language activist / Adoro62@yahoo.co.uk)

N an interview published in the August 30, 2014 edition of some national newspapers, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, Governor of Ogun State, spoke about the danger that the growing army of unemployed youths pose to the country. The Governor should know. While superintending over a state like Ogun with 22 public and private tertiary institutions, and many more still under construction, Senator Amosun estimated that there must be about half a million unemployed graduates presently living in the state. The natural follow-up question is what the Governor is doing in the area of job creation. While the Amosun administration has directly and indirectly created over 50,000 jobs through employment in the public service, helping small scale entrepreneurs with soft loans to develop, sponsoring skill acquisition programme for youths, empowering traders to gain access to cheap funds and creating opportunities in agriculture for young graduates, it has also pursued with vigour one of its five cardinal programmes, which is Increased Agricultural Production leading to Industrialisation. In achieving the objective behind the industrialization programme, the Amosun administration deliberately set out to profit from the state’s contiguity to Lagos, the commercial capital of the country and the border it shares with Republic of Benin, which by inference made it a gateway to the over 300 millionpopulation in the West African sub-region. The strategy therefore is to attract multi-national industries, both those already existing in the country but have expansion plans and those that are just coming into the country afresh. The state has abundant land resources, 16,432 square kilometers, available for industrial, commercial, agricultural and property development. This is a key factor that an investor will actually consider in deciding on a location for his new industry. More than that, the state government has equally liberalized the process of acquiring land, particularly for industrial, commercial and agricultural purposes. Add this to the fact that though industries located in Ogun State have easy access to the air and sea ports in Lagos, the state also boasts of having 84 percent of the strategic Lagos-Ibadan Expressway which is a link between Lagos and the rest of Nigeria, located within its territory. The numerous tertiary institutions in the state also provide a ready pool of skilled workers to in-

•Amosun By Yusuph Olaniyonu dustrialists. All these advantages have been harnessed by the Amosun Administration to create a bi-annual Investors’ Forum through which it shifts the focus of investors from across the world to investment potentials in the state and the benefits the state government offer. In addition, the state government has invested heavily in upgrading the infrastructure in the state. The emerging road network in Ogun State is comparable to the ones in many developed countries. The security system is so good that it is reassuring that one’s investment is secured in this environment, despite the challenge that its multiborder nature ought to pose. The result is that in the last three years, the state has become the industrial hub of Nigeria. The popular question in the investment community about Nigeria now is not ‘who is in Ogun State’ but ‘who is not in Ogun State’. With 47 multi-national industries having opened shop in the state in the last three years, Ogun State is now the industrial capital of Nigeria. According to Otunba Abimbola Ashiru, who handles the Commerce and Industry portfolio in the state, the new industries have altogether invested in excess of $8 billion in the state. The new manufacturing plants that have commenced production in Ogun State belong to the biggest industrial concerns in the world. These include May & Baker, Lafarge Wapco, Nestle,

Procter and Gamble, Dangote Cement, among others. In the next few weeks, ten new industries, including Olams and Apple & Pears, will also join the train, as they are set to commission their industries. In fact, in the last three years, President Goodluck Jonathan had visited Ogun State three times to commission big industries. Today, Ogun state is the cement capital of Africa. With an annual total of 13 million metric tons of cement produced by Lafarge Wapco and Dangote Cement from their plants located in the state, (same as the total national production figure for South Africa), the state can rightly claim that appellation. While commissioning the Procter & Gamble Industry in Agbara, the largest American investment in Nigeria outside the oil sector, President Jonathan declared Ogun State as the most industrialized state in the country. Also, while commissioning the WEMPCO Steel Company Limited in Ibafo, the President praised the Amosun administration for creating the enabling atmosphere for industries to be trooping into the state. He added that in the nearest future, there will not be a single person who is willing to work but cannot get a job in Ogun State. The President’s testimony brings us back to the plan of the Amosun administration to systematically tackle the problem of unemployment among the youths, thereby laying a solid foundation for the socio-economic development of the state. •Olaniyonu is Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Ogun State

THE NATION ON SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2014

OSCEF has always alleged northern Christians are marginalised. What are some of these marginalisations? Also, are there documents or evidence to prove these? All NOSCEF did was to highlight the overwhelming body of evidence provided by various independent bodies and organisations. I would refer you to the observations made by the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) in their 2014 Annual Report. The report recognisesd that "Christian leaders in the northern states protest northern state governments' discrimination against Christians in the denial of applications to build or repair places of worship, access to education and state-run media, representation in government bodies, and government employment." The USCIRF's findings also correspond with the conclusions of the report produced in 2012 by the Presidential Committee on the Security Challenges in the Northeast. The committee alleged neglect and a lack of concern by some state governments in the North towards Christian minorities, including a disregard for their legitimate rights and demands. They acknowledged some Northern state governments had deliberately denied the issuance of Certificates of Occupancy to churches and prevented the teaching of Christian Religious Studies in schools alongside Islamic Religious Studies. Their report also found evidence to suggest politicians had set up private militias in the run-up to the 2003 general elections to intimidate political opponents and voters. It alleged that, following the elections, and having achieved their primary purpose, the politicians cut their ties to these militias who then gravitated towards religious extremism and groups such as Boko Haram. In addition, in a December 2013 report, "'Leave Everything to God': Accountability for Inter-Communal Violence in Plateau and Kaduna States" Human Rights Watch analysed the pattern of violence that has engulfed the two aforementioned states since 2010. The report documented how a lack of accountability for communal violence and mass murder had led to preventable cycles of violence and reprisal killings in those states. Are you pleased with the anti-terror war? I am not sure how anyone could be 'pleased' with the Federal and State Government's continuing war against Boko Haram's brand of terrorism. I am certainly not 'pleased' that an anti-terror war is necessary. Am I pleased that children continue to be kidnapped and murdered? No. Am I pleased that whole communities, particularly communities with significant Christian populations in Adamawa, Borno, and Yobe have been forced to leave behind their homes, business and belong-

‘2015 elections will be peaceful’ Elder Olaiya Phillips is the chairman of Northern States Christian Elders Forum (NOSCEF). He spoke with Sunday Oguntola on the numerous challenges facing Christians in the North and the raging terror war. Excerpts: ings? No. Am I pleased there has not been a day that has gone by this year, that the report of yet another horrific attack has occurred against innocent civilians across Northern Nigeria? No. The only benefit I can see is that the Nigerian public is now more aware than ever of the atrocious crimes committed by Boko Haram against innocent Nigerians of all religions and the persistent discrimination that Northern Christians face on a daily basis. We cannot ignore their evil brand of Islamic extremism any longer. Nigeria must face up to this task, defeat Boko Haram and end the discrimination of minorities. Boko Haram seems to be making serious strides lately, even declaring a caliphate in some parts of the north. Why do you think the sect appears unbeatable? Boko Haram is not unbeatable and I haven't heard anyone other than their supporters and sympathisers suggest otherwise. The rise of Boko Haram must be placed in a wider historical context of the organisation. When President Goodluck Jonathan introduced the State of Emergency following a wave of Boko Haram attacks at the end of 2011, the military succeeded in suppressing the group's activity. You will remember that at the time the group was able to commit terrorist atrocities in

HE prelate of the Methodist Church of Nigeria, His Eminence, Dr. Samuel Uche, has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct free and fair election in 2015. Addressing reporters in Lagos at the anniversary of his one year in office, Uche said Prof. Attahiru Jega must defend the constitution rather than allowing the will of individuals who want to sub-

•Phillips

major cities across the north of the country, including Abuja, Bauchi, Damaturu, Kano, Gombe, Jos and Yola. Following the military surge, the group'0s activities were limited to the three most North-Eastern States in which they operate to this day. But then Boko Haram changed strategy. Instead of large scale attack on urban centres, they began attacking remote communities in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe. They focused on communities that were home to populations of Christians and moderate

Muslims in their attempt to convert or kill those who did not agree with their extremist beliefs. Despite the military's early successes they were unprepared to cope with Boko Haram's hitand- run tactics and have since struggled to mount a successful counter insurgency campaign. This is part of a wider phenomenon of global Islamic terrorists employing vicious and horrendous methods to slaughter innocent people who refuse to yield to their doctrine. Boko Haram, Al Shabab, the Islamic State and the Taliban - this is a

global problem that threatens the security of many, if not all nations. How soon will NOSCEF be in a position to recommend certified candidates for elections? NOSCEF was formed to provide a strong voice and powerful vehicle for the Northern Christian community and their support for the values of justice, equality and fairness. It has become increasingly apparent to both NOSCEF and our members that there are very few politicians who are willing to speak up for the Northern Christian community or the values we believe in. For years, NOSCEF has been increasingly vocal in drawing the nation's - and in particular both State and National level politicians' - attention to the increasing discrimination and victimisation of the Northern Christian community. Yet hardly a word has been uttered on the subject on the floors of both Houses of the National Assembly. The mere mention of the blatant political persecution of the Christian community in States such as Adamawa, Borno or Yobe is met with disregard and contempt from the Governors' spokespeople. We have come to the realisation, that although we can give our community a voice, we cannot make our politicians listen. We will therefore

NEWS

2015: Be impartial, Uche begs Jega By Musa Odoshimokhe

vert the electoral process to prevail. He said: “Jega should be fair; he should not be bought over by any party. The police and soldiers should not be bought over. “They should know that the constitution is above any personal interest and should defend it.”

Uche cautioned politicians against uncivilised conducts, noting that the level of decorum they display will determine the outcome of the polls. The cleric condemned acts that contradict the position of the Bible, saying that those who divorce and commit adultery were not good example of what Christianity stands for. He said: “At the conference

we held, we condemned gay marriage, homosexuality and lesbianism. “Any minister that divorces should be ready to be excommunicated. We don’t tolerate polygamy. “Church leaders who commit adultery are wolves in sheep clothing, church leaders committing adultery is condemnable.”

Osun election: We didn’t collect money from anybody-PFN

HE Osun State chapter of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), did not collect money from anybody before, during and after the just-concluded gubernatorial election, its chairman, Rev. Olasunmbo Ige, has declared. He made the declaration at a meeting of all the chapters of the body in the South West in Osogbo last week. Ige, who delivered a sermon at the meeting urging members of the body to return to the message of the second coming of Christ said: “We thank God that the election has come and gone.

“We want to categorically state that we did not collect money from the Osun State government because we don’t joke with our integrity. “We are committed to the message of the cross and we will not allow anybody to drag our name in the mud.” About 50 delegates from the region attended the meeting, which considered how the body can be more relevant to nation-building. The National Vice Chairman South West PFN, Bishop Reuben Oke, enjoined members to work towards the progress of the country and the church. Oke noted that the PFN

cannot make any impact if there is disunity among members, noting that the success of the church lies in unity. “Our strength lies in the unity of purpose and cooperation among ourselves. We cannot overemphasise the unity of the body,” he reiterated. Oke added: “We are in a strategic period in the history of our country. This is the time for us to close rank and come together with a heart of oneness. “This is the time for us to build our nation and work towards the progress of the church and Nigerians in general.”

The Chairman of the Lagos Chapter, Bishop Sola Ore, urged the leadership of the body to begin to focus on grassroots pastors whom he noted have been very active in the PFN. “There is a need to begin to look at how the PFN can be blessings to churches that are small and growing so that they will be encouraged to continue to participate in the activities of the body. “Many members of the PFN want to know how the PFN will be a blessing to them. That is what we should be working on in the years to come,” he counselled.

be actively supporting candidates of various political parties in 2015 who will finally stand up for the Northern Christian community. Should religion determine who rules Nigeria come 2015? I am sure many NOSCEF members will have a preference on who they want to vote for next year, we encourage all our members to join us in supporting political parties and candidates that will speak up for our community and demonstrate a commitment to our organisation's values of justice, equality and fairness. The presidential candidate who is best able to do this will be receiving NOCSEF's support. Do you fear that Christianity might be wiped out in the north in no distant time going by the insurgency? Abubakar Shekau, the leader and spokesperson of Boko Haram, has consistently stated that the group's primary target is the Christian community. In addition, the group has been actively encouraging other Muslims to join their campaign of violence against Christians in their local communities. Boko Haram's crimes - and the surge of refugees they have created - have spread a wave of instability across Northern Nigeria and the country as a whole. Tensions have risen within communities - from East to West, from the North, slowly creeping South - as extremists answer their call to join their campaign of jihad. Approximately six months ago, NOSCEF members in Taraba State - more than 500kms from the violence in the NorthEast - began to raise concerns following the arrival of a sudden and unprecedented influx of people from outside the region who gave the appearance of cattle herders. Unlike the cattle herders they are accustomed to, this new group travelled without family, arrived outside of the normal seasonal movements and were armed with sophisticated weaponry. Shortly after their arrival, attacks against Christians increased. Since January this year there have been numerous reports of violence in Taraba State against the Christian population at the hands of heavily armed Islamic extremists. Hundreds of members of that Christian community have been murdered and thousands more forced from their homes. The Islamist extremists destroyed their villages, their farms and their churches. While the nation's current focus is quite rightly on vile criminals such as Boko Haram and the disgusting atrocities they commit, we must not underestimate how much danger a sectarian conflict across Northern Nigeria poses. Religious minorities can no longer suffer while their rights are violated. NOSCEF cannot remain silent while Northern Christians endure persecution. We must bring an end to the persecutions of Northern Christians before our community is consigned to the pages of history.

THE NATION ON SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2014

WORSHIP COLUMN

Prayer in the foundation of Aladura churches (3)

UR daily Bread: Give us today bread for the coming day. (Matt 6:11) Let’s look at some explanations of this: 1. The bread has been identified with the bread of the last Supper. 2. The bread has been identified with the spiritual food of the word of God. 3. The bread has been taken to stand for Jesus Himself. Jesus called himself the bread of life. (John 6:33-35.) 4. It has been taken as bread of the heavenly kingdom. Luke 14:15, “Blessed is anyone who will eat bread in the kingdom of God.” Essentially this was a prayer that God will supply us with the things we need for the coming day. When we see that this is a simple petition for our everyday needs, certain tremendous truths emerge from it. 1. It tells us that God cares for our bodies. We do well to remember that God is interested in our bodies. 2. Teaches us to pray for our daily bread, for bread for the coming day. It teaches us to live one day at a time, and not to worry and be anxious about the distant and the unknown future. 3. This petition gives God his proper place. It admits that it is from God we receive the food, which is necessary to support life. All living things come from God. Our food, therefore, is the direct gift of God. 4. This petition very wisely reminds us of how prayer works. It reminds us that prayer and Work go hand in hand and that when we pray we must go on to work to make our prayers come true. Prayer, like faith, without works is dead. When we pray this petition, we are recognizing two basic truths - that without God we can do nothing, and that without our effort and co-operation God can do nothing for us. 5. Jesus taught us Give US our daily bread and not Give ME my daily bread. The problem of the world is not the supply

By Elder Professor Joseph Otubu

of Life’s essentials; it is the distribution of them. It is a prayer, which we can help God to answer by giving to others who are less fortunate than we are. This prayer is not only a prayer that we may receive our daily bread; it is also a prayer that we may share our daily bread with others. Forgiveness Human and Divine. When we come to see what sin really is, we come to see that it is a universal disease in which we are all involved. Outward respectability in the sight of others and inward sinfulness in the sight of God may well go hand in hand. This is a petition of the Lord’s Prayer, which we all need to pray. Of all the petitions of the Lord’s Prayer, this is the most frightening. ‘Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.’ The literal meaning is: ‘Forgive us our sins in proportion as we forgive those who have sinned against us.’ In verses 14 and 15, Jesus says that if we forgive others, God will forgive us; but if we refuse to forgive, God will refuse to forgive us. It is quite clear that if we pray this petition with an unhealed breach, an unsettled quarrel in our lives, we are asking God not to forgive us. Forgiveness, like Peace, is one and indivisible. Human forgiveness and divine forgiveness are inextricably intertwined. Our forgiveness for one another and God’s forgiveness of us cannot be separated. If we remembered what we are doing when we take this petition on our lips, there would be times when we would not dare to pray it. If we have not put things right with our neighbors, we cannot put things right with God. If we are to have this Chris-

tian forgiveness in our lives, three things are necessary. 1. We must learn to understand. There is always a reason why people do things. A person may treat us with suspicion or dislike, may be they have been misinformed about something we have said or done. Forgiveness would be much easier for us if we tried to understand before we allowed ourselves to condemn. 2. We must learn to forget. As long as we brood upon a snub or an insult, there is no hope that we will forgive. “I can’t forget what so-and-so did to me” these are dangerous sayings, because we can in the end make it humanly impossible for us to forget. We can print the memory indelibly upon our minds. Nothing but the cleansing spirit of Christ can take from these memories of ours the old bitterness that we must forget.3. We must learn to Love. We have seen that Christian love, agape, is that unconquerable benevolence, that undefeatable goodwill, which will never seek anything but the highest good of others, no matter what they do to us, and no matter how they treat us. That love can come to us only when Christ, who is that love, comes to dwell within our hearts - and he cannot come unless we invite him. To be forgiven we must forgive, and that is a condition of forgiveness, which only the power of Christ can enable us to fulfill. Being part of the sermon delivered by Otubu PhD (London), Dip. Theology (Ibadan), the General Evangelist of Motailatu Church Cherubim and Seraphim Worldwide under the leadership of: His Most Eminence, Baba Aladura (Dr) Motailatu Akinadewo Primate, Founder and Supreme Head, MCCSW at the 50th anniversary of the church in Lekki Lagos.

NEWS

Living Faith By Dr. David Oyedepo

Walking in financial dominion! (2)

AST week, I showed you some platforms on which you can walk in financial dominion. This week, I will show you some examples of great lovers of God in scriptures, who walked in financial dominion. Some of them are: •ABRAHAM, the father of Faith Abraham was said to be a friend of God. Note that love is the cord of friendship. Abraham was reported to be very rich (Genesis 13:2). The Bible says:…Abraham was old, and the Lord had blessed Abraham in all things (Genesis 24:1). •DAVID, a man after God’s own heart That is, a man with a heart for God (1 Samuel 13:14). David once testified: …Because I have set my affection to the house of my God, I have of mine own proper good, of gold and silver, which I have given to the house of my God…(1 Chronicles 29:3). Every true lover of God enjoys his own proper good of gold and silver. •JOB, the God-addict Job was so much in love with God that he once said: Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him…(Job 13:15). We saw how much Job walked in financial dominion. The Bible records that he was the greatest of all men in the East (Job 1:1-3,8). •Solomon, the celebrated lover The Bible records that Solomon loved the Lord. He proved his love by offering to God a 1000 burnt offerings, which brought him into realms of financial dominion (1Kings 3:13). Note, no one can empower himself for financial dominion. Until God empowers us, we are utterly powerless. The story of one J.C. Penny validates this fact. J. C. Penny was an

outstanding American entrepreneur. He owned J. C. Penny network of shopping malls across North America. But more importantly, he was a believer and a tither. However, at a point, he felt the volume of his tithe was becoming too much. Then he began to rationalize what he paid. Subsequently, his business began to go down, until he went bankrupt. But by the mercies of God, he was able to retrace his steps, and began to tithe his way back up. As a result, he supernaturally came out of his ordeal. He recovered his business back and enjoyed financial fortune, until he departed to be with the Lord. But Why does God bless His People? God blesses us so that we can be a blessing to His Kingdom, and to the world around us. That is why: •God will not bless anyone beyond his commitment to promoting His Kingdom (Matt. 6:33; Hag. 1:3-14). The story of John D. Rockefeller applies here. Rockefeller became a tither from the first pay cheque he received, till he went to be with the Lord at age 93. It was also reported that at one time, He gave a whooping sum of 140 million Dollars towards a university project of his church. No wonder, Rockefeller grew to be the first American billionaire in history! •God will not bless any man beyond his commitment to blessing the needy around him, because he that giveth to the poor shall not lack (Job 29:4-12). •God will not bless anyone beyond his commitment to impacting the nations with his fortune, because He has ordained every seed of Abraham to be a blessing to all the families of the earth. Therefore, start building a global dream of your financial fortune in Christ

(Deut. 15:6; Deut. 28:12). Giving Priorities In The Covenant •Tithing: This is the capital demand for access to an open heaven, as it is the master key to a world of financial fortune (Malachi 3:10). Financial dominion is impossible without tithing. •Worship offering: We are admonished not to come into God’s presence emptyhanded (Deuteronomy 16:1617). •Kingdom promotion givings: Matthew 6:33; Haggai 1:3-14. •Giving to biological parents: Genesis 27:3/ 25-29; Exodus 20:12. •Giving to spiritual parents: Ephesians 6:1-2; 1 Corinthians 4:15. •Giving to the poor: Giving to the needy around us is a platform that empowers us for financial dominion (Job 29:4-12; Proverbs 28:27; Proverbs 19:17). •Giving for the common good: Genesis 22:17-18; Luke 10:30-36. •Giving to the ministers of the Word: There are blessings that accrue to us, when we give to men and women of God, who minister to our spiritual needs (Galatians 6:6-8; Luke 8:1-3; 1Corinthians 9:11; Romans 15:27). Friend, the power to walk in financial dominion is available, if you are born again. You get born again by confessing your sins and accepting Jesus as your Saviour and Lord. If you are set for it, please say this prayer: “Lord Jesus, I come to You today. I am a sinner. Forgive me of my sins. Cleanse me with Your precious Blood. Today, I accept You as my Lord and Saviour. Thank You Jesus! Now I know I am born again!” I will be with you next week! I invite you to come and fellowship with us at the Faith Tabernacle, Canaan Land, Ota, the covenant home of Winners. We have four services on Sundays, holding at 6:00 a.m., 7:50 a.m., 9:40 a.m. and 11.30 a.m. respectively. I know this teaching has blessed you. Write and share your testimony with me through: Faith Tabernacle, Canaan Land, Ota, P.M.B. 21688, Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria; or call 7747546-8; or E-mail: feedback@lfcww.org

NEWS

‘Teachers in mission schools need training’

• General Secretary of Bible Society of Nigeria (BSN) Rev. Dare Ajiboye, reading the Bible to declare open this year's Marathon Bible Reading organised by BSN recently. To his left is the Church Public Relations Manager, Mr. Samuel Sanusi

‘We must pray against terror attacks in South West’

HE entire South-West has been urged to pray against incursion of rising terrorism in the country. Prophetess Irapade Obisanya of Cherubim & Seraphim Unification

Church of Nigeria (Agbala Iwosan) Abule-Egba, Lagos made this call last week. Obisanya, who is on a 21– day trance, said that Nigerians of Yoruba extraction must pray seriously against the plan to attack their region.

According to her, the insurgents are planning to kill more people than they have done in South West soonest. The prophetess called for a nine-day fasting and prayer to avert the calamitous agenda.

EACHERS in mission schools must be trained and equipped well to raise godly children. This was the submission of the Principal of Christ the Redeemers College, Pastor Antoinette Omo-Osagie, at a breakfast meeting with parents. Teachers in mission schools, she said, must be retrained in the content of the Curriculum to enhance the performances of students. She attributed the recent dismal national performance in the WAEC examinations to lack of adequate training and motivation for teachers. According to OmoOsagie: “We should stop blaming students for poor performance rather the school authorities should look inward and organise workshop and

training for teachers. “If teachers were properly trained, they would be able to teach the students with right materials.” She said that teachers must also be professionally qualified and competent in their subjects to make the right impacts. The school head explained that due to different assimilation levels among the students, the College has introduced elearning (tablet) for the students. She said that book applica-

tions, past questions and national curriculum are in the tablet to enhance learning. She noted that there is no child that is not familiar with laptop or computer, we She advised parents to cooperate with the school management to bring out the best from the students while advising them against mounting pressure on their wards. The mandate of the school, she stated, is to raise godly children that will lead by examples.

Singles of Purpose meet

HE interdenominational outreach, Singles of Purpose will hold a special service for singles and couples today. The summit takes place at Lamborghini Event Centre be-

fore the 3rd Roundabout in Lekki Lagos. Time is 3pm-7pm. The host pastor, Solomon Ojigiri, said the summit will address practical issues affecting relationships from a biblical perspective.

THE NATION ON SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 14, 2014

HE carefully packaged untruths that vividly characterised the campaigns of the Peoples Democratic Party in the August 9 governorship election in Osun State are yet to find obscurity. Anyone who thought the blow of defeat dealt this bumbling and blustering behemoth at the polls was all that would be required to exorcise the goblins of its spectacular misrepresentations was surely mistaken. The largely discredited candidate of the party, himself a sworn enemy of truth, Senator Iyiola Omisore, is now before the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal with a tome of conjured claims. Any conscious observer of happenings within the Osun PDP will readily agree that beginning from the time Senator Omisore indicated interest in flying the flag of the party as its governorship candidate, all through to the time the questionable primary in which he emerged winner was held, one fact remained constant – this Ife prince and his claque were always tinkering with the narrative of fact. Odourising every corner with the sweet fragrance of slush fund, they confected and sustained a misleading narrative of their general acceptability and popularity. Take a look at the Osun PDP: virtually all the big guns with electoral value who observed that Omisore’s candidacy would circumscribe the fortunes of the party were either shoved out of the party or intimidated into silence. In his various horse-trading with Aso Rock and the Wadata House, Omisore dazzled them with the false narrative of his wide-spread acceptability and solid popularity. Not knowing any better themselves, or hamstrung by their own 2015 goal, the presidency and the national leadership of the party accepted the fictitious narrative of the devious candidate, believing unquestioningly his meretricious claim that he is resplendently attired as against the glaring fact of

Osun PDP grand narrative of untruth By Jide Oyelami

his nakedness. With some contrived chutzpa, he swanked that he alone could bottle the genie that is the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola. Thenceforth, Omisore and those who have always subscribed to the Churchillian worldview that the Princess of truth is so delicate that she requires a bodyguard of wounding lies went out on the hustings in a blaze of fantastic untruths. As it was in their party during the horse-trading, the thrust of their campaign was an invented narrative of nonperformance, corruption, religious crisis, et cetera, against Ogbeni Aregbesola. Boondoggles of wicked and unsupportable claims against the governor were blazed across the state and all over acquiescent media platforms. Everywhere the disorderly campaign train of Omisore went to in the State, they ensured that Aregbesola’s widely acclaimed performance was discredited – not with verifiable facts and arresting logic but with an ostentatious chronicle of belittling dishonesties. Listening to their hopeless sound bites and the overconfidence they projected, you would be forgiven if you thought PDP would rout APC. Their narrative projected the false image of a widely beloved candidate. It requires no special expertise to be convinced that the PDP-Omisore campaign for the Abere seat was deeply rooted in and inflexibly sustained by depressing falsehood, deceitful promises, and mind-boggling denial of the truth and credible narrative of development that each household in Osun now benefits from and bears eloquent testimony to. In a bid to totally mislead the electorate, the Omisore crowd plumbed a new depth in infamy. Not

having any useful connection with the ordinary people, Omisore’s minders put their paymaster on the stage for a farcical show that further foregrounded their falsehearted posturing. On a particular day he rode on a bike to craftily prove that he is of the ordinary people (famously known as Okada); on another day he tortured his innards with popcorns; and on yet another day a full-scale assault was directed at his insides with those two corns he masticated with the ferocity of a baddie. Do the ordinary people he deigned to identify with eat two corns at the same time on each hand? For the discerning folks, the image of a would-be governor eating with both hands was graphically telling. The electorate noted that, learnt from it, and rejected him with their votes. The Election Day was not without its bizarre share of the grand artifice that Omisore is comfortably habituated to. It is generally known that the Election Day particularly was one hell of a day for many members and supporters of the APC. They were not only callously disenfranchised; a number of them were harried and grievously inconvenienced. But not one PDP fellow was in any way known to suffer the same invidious fate. Strangely today, the grandiose narrative of the Omisore in-group and his out-of-luck hack writers is that it was their members who were horribly treated on Election Day by the same security agents their Abuja leaders lent to unprofessional uses. This, they noise about in their hoary voices, negatively affected their ‘bright’ chances at the polls. In their devious mouths is a new narrative that now projects them as the wronged – the hapless victim, the modern doppelganger of the Shakespearean Shylock, more

sinned against than sinning. It is this same lie-suffused narrative that still defines their post-election actions. They have submitted a bulky petition of contrived truths and imagined grievances before the Election Petition Tribunal. They want to retrieve, according to them, their ‘stolen mandate’. This party of questionable minds is even incapable of truthfully reporting the fact of its operations. It has six lawyers who are Senior Advocate of Nigeria in its legal team, yet it tells the public, matterof-factly, that it has nine. When it filed a motion for inspection of electoral materials, it went to town to say it has filed a case. So engrossed are the Osun PDP in their new narrative of lies and victimhood that they cannot even feign virtue. All of the evils that they perpetrated against the APC and the people of Osun generally before and during the election are the claims that form the fundaments of their petition before the Election Petition Tribunal. Similarly, the story of the two INEC Electoral Officers (EOs) that the PDP blazed all over the media is in furtherance of their morbid projection of their new narrative that favourably depicts them as the victim of the ‘wrongful conducts’ of the APC. The fact of the matter is that the two EOs for Obokun and Osogbo LGAs were acting in cahoots with the PDP, which suddenly left them in the lurch. Seeing that the hatchet job they commissioned the two EOs to do in their favour on Election Day had suffered irreversible setback, they flipped the case against them, mendaciously saying that the EOs sought to rig for the APC. The PDP spawned a new narrative of it being the one at the receiving end of the unlawful behaviours of the EOs.

The now-suspended Osogbo EO had before the Election Day been acting the script of the PDP without disguising his partisanship. For example, he was known to have refused many registered voters their Permanent Voter Card (PVC) once he suspects they have sympathy for APC. He would tell them to come another day. This sabotage was checked through the intervention of some APC leaders who reported him to his seniors. He was also the same officer who refused to give the APC agents their identification tags on Friday, the day slated for the collection. When he would release the tags, it was on Election Day and he only gave out 67 instead of 227. Again, some APC leaders had to report him to his superiors before he let go of the cards. The icing on the cake of his illegal behaviour was when he refused to produce the Form EC8C meant for recording the results from the wards in Osogbo LGA. It would take a complaint from the APC and a query from his superior before the EO unwillingly produced the Form. The fact is that this EO was doing the bid of the PDP leaders who had bought his conscience and had instructed him to use a different Form EC8C, which would contain different results showing high votes for the PDP. If any party complained and supported their grouse against the criminal actions of the EO with concrete evidence, it was the APC. Not the PDP. Yet, it is the same PDP which never had any complaints against the EO that is now about town with an improbable narrative stating that the EO worked to rig for the APC. By the same token, the PDP was in an unholy alliance with the Obokun LGA EO. On the Friday preceding the Election Day, some observant APC

youths intercepted a Hilux van loaded with ballot papers. In company with another man whose name was given as Ismaila Taofik, the two were handed over to policemen who took them to the State CID at Osogbo. Curiously, it was to a PDP arrowhead from Ile-Ife, Prof Oladipo Oladapo, that the two men were released. No charges were registered against them; those who released them said they acted on ‘order from above’. But then the APC petitioned INEC on the matter, asking for thorough investigation. That EO and his companion were simply taking the ballot papers to the house of a PDP bigwig before they were discovered. It is assaulting, therefore, to hear the clangour of the PDP disowning this EO and claiming he, like his Osogbo counterpart, aided the APC in rigging the election they (the PDP) were sure to win. The indisputable point remains that the blatantly false, extremely provocative, and utterly preposterous narrative of the PDP is meant to serve as a cover for the devilish blitzkrieg it is hoping to carry out with its lie-riddled petition before the Tribunal. It will not argue its case with facts and logic. The party will twist facts. The narrative of untruth it is fervently circulating is its only logic. For the record, the Osun PDP is not a victim of any wrongdoings. It fielded an unsellable candidate. It ran a lie-based campaign. The majority of the electorate found its claims to be illusory. And so the PDP and its discredited candidate were soundly rejected. Another round of rejection awaits them at the Election Petition Tribunal where they are now staging a new farce. Oyelami writes from Gbongan, Osun State.

Kwara 2015: Season of ‘Ahmed for second term’ endorsements

HEAD of the 2015 general elections, the support for and acceptance of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kwara state are soaring. The acceptability and popularity of APC are also rubbing off on the incumbent Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed. Day by day, groups, women organisations and individuals are accordingly rooting for another term in office for the governor. These days, the governor’s office is always inundated with people pledging their support to the governor they claim has been a ‘loyal’ party man. Though the APC has ruled out automatic ticket for any of its candidates in the 2015 elections, this, however, is a season of gale of endorsements and support for the governor. Recently, the people of Ifelodun local government area of the state and members of Joint Motorcycle Riders Association in the 16 local government areas joined the growing league of people demanding for another term in office for Governor Ahmed. The people are also pledging their continued

From Adekunle Jimoh, Ilorin

loyalty and support for the former governor of the state, Senator Bukola Saraki, for his leadership qualities. They hailed the senator representing Kwara Central district and a leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state for “pulling us out of the torn and tattered umbrella of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).” Chairman, Elders Forum of Ifeldun local government, where Governor Ahmed hails from, Alhaji Kola Yusuf, told reporters yesterday in Ilorin, the state capital, that PDP has become rudderless. Alhaji Yusuf who was surrounded by political appointees and office holders from the council added that: “We people of Ifelodun plead with the leadership of our party APC and other party members in the state to give the incumbent governor a second term to enable him continue with the good work which he has embarked upon all over the state even with the small quantum of funds at his disposal. “Our current governor has

managed to stabilise his administration in the current difficult financial situation, removing him now for mere change will be counterproductive to the entire state machinery of government. “As an illustrious son of the local government, Governor Ahmed has already displayed sufficient proof that given a second chance he is capable of further initiatives that will have more positive impact on the lives of Kwarans. “Governor Ahmed has demonstrated beyond all reasonable doubt that he is a loyal party man who is willing to listen to his superiors and take their advice in the development strategy of the state. For the past three and half years in office he has refused to rock the boat but has concentrated his energies in developing the state as a good team player. “We have witnessed in the past how some governors turned themselves into terror groups at the expense of their sponsors, thereby throwing the state into confusion in their selfish bid to turn the table against their sponsors.” Led by their chairman, Alhaji Abdulraheem Akanbi, the Okada riders, who came in large number to Government

House, Ilorin promised the governor and the APC leader in the state, Senator Bukola Saraki, to ensure election victory for the party In 2015. The commercial motorcycle operators also commended the current state government for creating a conducive environment to carry out their daily business, against the ban on the operation in some other states of the federation due to bad eggs among the operators. They, however, solicited government’s assistance in the provision of revolving loans as a form of empowerment for members, adding that some of them are educated to take government appointments. They also commended the present state government on its development efforts such as road and school construction, renovation and equipping of five general hospitals, provision of potable water, and employment generation, as well as efforts on security of lives and properties. In his response, Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed called on commercial motorcycle operators in the state to be security conscious and provide

useful information to security agencies, saying they are closer to various types of people in the society due to the nature of their job. The governor, who said security is everybody’s concern, added that only duly registered okada operators would be allowed to operate in the state to ensure security and identify bad eggs. He also told them to organise themselves into associations in order to enjoy benefits of government, saying government would only support them with loans through cooperative groups. Also, the state chapter of the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) led by its chair, Kazeem Adekanye, said over one million youths in the state have unanimously endorsed him for a second term in office. Adekanye attributed the endorsement of the governor for a second term to his achievements in the area of youth empowerment and employment. He said “I have the mandate of the over 1million teeming youths of the state to commend your administration for the excellent work you have done or initiated for the overall development of the state es-

pecially in the area of youth empowerment/employment through the KWABES, QuickWin, Entrepreneurship Scheme, payment of bursary and provision of scholarship to the students and direct youth employment into the state civil service which has seen to the empowerment of 10,000 youths.” The women folk under the auspices of the National Council of Women Societies (NCWS) has also solidarised with the governor. The President of NCWS in Kwara State, Hajia Barakat Atunse, said that “without bein rhetorical, sir, your shared prosperity project contents is having far reaching positive effect on Kwarans. It is devolving and trickling down to the door steps of all Kwarans regardless of political colouration or inclination. “The project touches on employment, education, health, socio-economic transformation, water, energy, road, etc.” Hajia Atunse pledged the commitment and support of the women folk to the state government in improving the well-being of the women in the State.

THE NATION ON SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 14, 2014

Egypt Journalists on hunger strike over protest law

'Islamic State' is a slur on our faith, say leading Muslims

MAMS call on David Cameron and others to stop using phrase which they say gives credibility to a terrorist organisation. The prime minister and media should stop legitimising the terror group rampaging through Syria and Iraq by describing it as Islamic State, according to a coalition of imams and organisations representing British Muslims. Use of the jihadis' preferred title, they argue today, gives credibility to the Sunni militants and slurs the Islamic faith. Signatories to a letter to David Cameron, including Sughra Ahmed, president of the Islamic Society of Britain, admit that UK Muslims need to do more to dissuade their young men from being misled into taking part in the group's "hatred and poison". "We shall take every opportunity to continue to say clearly and loudly 'not in our name' and 'not for our faith,' " they write. The letter's authors also call for the prime minister to reassess his own language. Cameron, in common with other senior politicians, has repeatedly made reference to the Islamic State, including during a Commons debate earlier this month. Signatories including Mohammed Abbasi, from the Association of British Muslims, and Amjad Malik QC, president of the Association of Muslim Lawyers, write: "We do not believe the terror group responsible should be given the credence and standing they seek by styling themselves Islamic State. It is neither Islamic, nor is it a state. "The group has no standing with faithful Muslims, nor among the international community of nations. It clearly will never accept the obligations that any legitimate state has, including the responsibility to protect citizens and uphold human rights. "So we believe the media, civic society and governments should refuse to legitimise these ludicrous caliphate fantasies by accepting or propagating this name. "We propose that 'UnIslamic State' (UIS) could be an accurate and fair alternative name to describe this group and its agenda – and we will begin to call it that." The intervention marks an intensification of a campaign by prominent British Muslims to deter young men from seeking adventure with the militants. It follows a recent decision by Muslim leaders to issue a fatwa condemning British jihadis. Six senior Islamic scholars endorsed the fatwa last month, describing Britons allied to Islamic State (Isis) cells as "heretics" and prohibiting would-be jihadists from joining the "oppressive and tyrannical" group in Iraq and Syria. It is feared that as many as 500 Britons have travelled to Syria or Iraq since 2011 to join the group and its affiliates. In a letter seen by the Observer, the signatories add: "We believe that it would send a powerful message in Britain and around the world if you would join us, as our prime minister, in leading a national debate to seek a suitable alternative way to refer to this group and further challenge its legitimacy and influence. "This could be especially powerful because everybody at home and abroad can see that you are being asked to do so by British Muslims themselves who want to be clear about why this group is so vehemently rejected”.

HE head of egypt's journalists union says he has notified the country's top prosecutor that 10 journalists have gone on hunger strike against a restrictive protest law imposed last year. Diaa rashwan said saturday that he sent an official notification to hisham barakat about the hunger strike, which will take place in the syndicate's headquarters in downtown cairo. Dozens of prisoners have been joining an ongoing hunger strike against the contested law, which bans demonstrations without a permit and toughens penalties on violators. Tens of thousands of people, mainly supporters of ousted islamist president mohammed morsi, were detained after his overthrow last summer. Some have been charged under the protest law.

•The late Reeva Steenkamp

Oscar Pistorius: Minister says verdict is ‘disappointing’ A A SOUTH African minister has said the acquittal of athlete Oscar Pistorius of murdering his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp is “extremely disappointing”. Minister of Basic Education Angie Motshekga told the BBC she thought the judgement was "based on technicalities, not on facts". Ms Steenkamp's parents have also said "justice was not served". Judge Thokozile Masipa found Pistorius guilty of the lesser charge of culpable homicide. She said the state had failed to prove Pistorius intended to kill. Ms Motshekga, who is also president of the governing ANC women's league, said she believed ordinary women in the country will now not feel that the law protects them. She said that she found Pistorius' version of events implausible and added she hoped the state would appeal against the verdict. South Africa's prosecuting authority has said it will wait until after sentencing to decide whether to appeal. Pistorius faces up to 15 years in jail, although the judge could suspend the sentence or only impose a fine. 'Not justice for Reeva' June and Barry Steenkamp have also told NBC News of their "disbelief" that the court had believed Pistorius's version of events.

Pistorius has been allowed bail ahead of sentencing on 13 October. Judge Masipa said the athlete had acted "negligently" when he shot his girlfriend through a toilet door, but in the "belief that there was an intruder". The Paralympic sprinter had strenuously denied murdering Ms Steenkamp after a row on Valentine's Day last year, saying he shot her by mistake. But in the interview with NBC, June Steenkamp said: "This verdict is not justice for Reeva. "I just want the truth. He shot through the door and I can't believe that they believe it was an accident." There is a perception here that most crime is committed by poor black people targeting the white middle classes or the wealthy elite. Cue "white fear" - a phrase used to refer to the rich white "haves" in society who live behind high walls, afraid of the intruder who may come in the night. It was the threat of this intruder that apparently gripped Pistorius with fear on that tragic morning. In a country where domestic violence is a serious problem, it is not surprising that many hoped this case would be an impetus for change in the laws protecting women. It was never proven that this was a case of domestic abuse but this did not stop political parties and women's

organisations from using Ms Steenkamp as the face of the vulnerable woman - failed by her country and the system. Outside court, one protester told me: "Women always lose." Did Reeva Steenkamp get justice? Earlier, Arnold Pistorius, the athlete's uncle, said the family was "deeply grateful" to the judge for finding him not guilty of murder but added that there were "no victors in this," he added. "Our hearts still go out for her family and friends," he said. The athlete was also found guilty on a charge of negligently handling a firearm that went off in a restaurant. He was acquitted of another charge of firing a gun in public, through the sunroof of a car, and of a charge of illegal possession of ammunition in the home where he killed Ms Steenkamp. Despite the conviction, the International Paralympic Committee said Pistorius would be allowed to compete in future events. Director of media and communications Craig Spence told BBC Radio 5 Live: "Oscar's done a great deal for the Paralympic movement. He's been an inspiration to millions, but obviously his priority now is to see what the judge decides. "If he wishes to resume his athletics career then we wouldn't step in his way. We would allow him to compete again in the future."

Uganda on alert over 'foiled al-Shabab plot'

HE authorities in Uganda have uncovered a terrorist cell which they believe was planning an imminent attack, the US embassy in Kampala says. It said the cell belonged to Somali Islamist group al-Shabab, but this has yet to be confirmed by Ugandan police. The embassy earlier warned US citizens in the capital to stay at home during a police operation to uncover the cell. Ugandan police say they have increased security in public places across Kampala, and made several arrests. Earlier this week, the US embassy warned of possible revenge attacks against US targets by al-Shabab in response to the US air strike that killed

the group's leader Ahmed Abdi Godane on 2 September. 'Stay at home' "We're increasing patrols in the city, major towns and other vulnerable places," police spokesman Fred Enanga told reporters on Saturday. In addition to making several arrests, the police said they had seized explosive materials. The suspects are believed to be foreigners, says the BBC 's Catherine Byaruhanga. The US embassy urged US citizens "to stay at home or proceed to a safe location" while the Ugandan authorities were conducting operations against a suspected al-Shabab terrorist cell in Kampala, in a message on its website. It said it was not aware of specific

targets but that security had been increased at key sites, including Entebbe international airport. Al-Shabab has vowed to retaliate for the killing of Godane. The Islamist group, which wants to overthrow the UN-backed government in Somalia, has since named Ahmad Umar as the new leader. The group was behind twin blasts targeting a rugby ground and Ethiopian restaurant in Kampala that killed 76 football fans watching the World Cup final in July 2010. At the time, the then-leader Ahmed Abdi Godane said the attack was retribution for Uganda's deployment of troops as part of the African Union joint force to help Somalia combat al-Shabab militants.

Scottish independence: Thousands of Orange Order supporters march through Edinburgh

ROUND 15,000 Orange Order supporters and 110 Orange Lodge bands have taken to the streets of Edinburgh to show support for the union ahead of next week’s Scottish independence referendum. Thousands of spectators were also in attendance at the “Proud to be British” rally, which set off past some of the Scottish capital’s most famous landmarks including the Parliament building and the Palace of Holyrood from its starting point in Edinburgh’s Meadows. Police said the march passed peacefully through the city after some fears the presence of the deeply divisive group could provoke violence. “We would like to express our sincere thanks to the public for their co-operation during what was a peaceful march,” Superintendent Phil O'Kane said. Orange Order Grand Chaplain Henry Williamson told supporters ahead of the rally: “Brothers and sisters, in a world of instability, a world of insecurity, a world of nuclear proliferation, of radical Islam, people look to the UK as a land of hope, a land of peace, of success and unity and an example of what they so desperately long for - unity not stupidity, unity not division, unity not separation, unity not them and us.” Edward Stevenson, grand master of the Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland, said: “Next year, as is a long held tradition, many of us will come over to Scotland for the annual Battle of the Boyne commemorations, and we very much hope that we will not require our passports.” There were a large number of Yes campaign supporters who were happy to see the controversial organisation backing the union so vocally. The official No campaign also refused to publicly support the event.

THE NATION ON SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2014

WORLD NEWS

•David Cameron

•Alex Salmond

•Queen Elizabeth LEX Salmond, a Scottish nationalist, has a dream. It is a that of passion for which he appears ready to use any arsenal at his disposal to make a reality. But, like many dreams which do not come to fruition, Salmond's may hit a brick wall. His dream is shared by many others. Earlier in the week, an opinion poll showed that Salmond and his likes stood a good chance of seeing their dream of an independent Scotland realised in their lifetime. This development saw the Pound Sterling falling, as a result of what analysts called "nervousness". The realisation of this dream means Scotland's divorce from its union with countries, such as Wales, England and North Ireland, which form the United Kingdom. But, as at the time of going to press, it did not look like Salmond's dream will come to reality next Thursday when Scotland is expected to hold a referendum to decide whether to remain with the UK or be independent. A new poll has shown that more people have backed out of the idea of an independent Scotland. The latest poll saw the Pound recovering from the initial fall. There are also new developments, which have shown that an independent Scotland has much to lose. The poll found 53 per cent of Scots would say No in next week's referendum on independence. The survey put the Yes camp on 47 per cent. The poll suggests that young Scots are not keen on independence - just 32 per cent of 16 to 24-year-olds said they would vote Yes. Oil to the rescue? Now, the music has changed and the dance steps have assumed a frightening and scary dimension. The major kernel upon which the likes of Salmon are pushing the independent Scotland project is that it has enough oil to turn out like Norway. But, people who should know have said Salmon and others are turning facts on their heads. Sir Ian Wood, who is regarded as the greatest authority on Scottish oil, said Salmon should not be taken serious. He has a supporter in the chief executives of British Petroleum and Shell. Wood, founder of Scotland's oil services firm Wood Group, accused the Salmon and those in his camp of misleading voters with "highly inaccurate forecasts, false promises and misleading information". British Petroleum's Bob Dudley and Shell's Ben van Beurden said Salmon lied by claiming North Sea oil, if augmented

Scotland: Is this the end of the United Kingdom? For 307 years, Scotland has found company in the United Kingdom. But, over the years, Scottish separatists started calling for independence. Next Thursday, the people will decide whether to go it alone or remain in the Union. If they choose independence, they stand to lose a lot, writes OLUKOREDE YISHAU by unexploited opportunities using relatively new techniques, could turn Scotland into the next Norway, which has become rich on its oil and gas revenues, and has built up investment funds of more than £460billion. Wood, Dudley and Beurden said an independent Scottish economy based on North Sea oil riches is a dream that cannot become a reality. BP said: "BP believes that the future prospects for the North Sea are best served by maintaining the existing capacity and integrity of the United Kingdom. "As a major investor in Scotland - now and into the future - BP believes that the future prospects for the North Sea are best served by maintaining the existing capacity and integrity of the United Kingdom." The chief executive of Standard Life, David Nish, said: "Standard Life has a long history in Scotland - a heritage of which we are very proud and we hope that this continues, but our responsibility is to protect the interests of our customers, our shareholders, our people and other stakeholders in our business." A Daily Mail report paints a picture which shows that the North Sea oil is not as presented by Salmond. The report reads: "The independent Office for Budget Responsibility shows oil revenues falling from £6.1billion in 201213 to just £3.5billion in 2018-19. Production is in steep decline having fallen by 7.8 per cent a year since it reached its peak 15 years ago in 1999. "Recent tax incentives introduced by Chancellor George Osborne have encouraged new investment and slowed the decline a little. "Nevertheless, the loss of oil production

and revenues has been a calamitous blow to the UK's gross domestic product, its balance of payments with the rest of the world and the public finances as a whole." Wood argued that the so-called N-56 report, which claims there could be another 21million barrels of oil in unconventional shale reserves, "is an insult to the Scottish people". More blame came for the separatists on Thursday. The Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) announced it will move from Edinburgh to London, if voters chose independence. This increases to three the number of banking giants that have indicated they will move to England if voters see sense in the separatists' agenda. It also emerged that shoppers in Scotland are likely to face higher prices in an independent country. RBS, which has been based in Scotland since its formation in 1727, said: "It would be necessary to re-domicile the bank's holding company if next Thursday's referendum ends the 307-year Union." The Lloyds Banking Group, which includes Halifax and Bank of Scotland with 16,000 members of staff in Scotland, may seek emergency Westminster legislation to help speed through a move to England. Clydesdale, which is Scotland's third bank, was also reported to be preparing to leave. Edinburgh-based Standard Life said it would partially move to England, putting up to 5,000 finance jobs at risk. But Salmond, who is the First Minister, described reports of banks leaving Scotland as "nonsense" and "scaremongering". Whatever he thinks, Bank of England Governor Mark Carney added to separatists' injuries by warning

that Edinburgh would have to set aside around £130 billion to guarantee savers' deposits. Speaking before the Treasury Select Committee, Carney said the size of banking reserves was a key factor in determining a nation's credibility. The campaign to keep the union saw Prime Minister David Cameron making an emergency visit to Edinburgh. The leaders of the two other leading parties have also intervened. Salmond mocked the interventions by the three party leaders, declaring that "Team Scotland" would triumph over "Team Westminster". In Edinburg, Cameron told voters a 'Yes' vote could stall Britain's economic recovery - which is rated the strongest in the Western world. At a point in his speech, he nearly gave in to emotions. But, he composed himself before the tears rolled down his eyes. He was speaking about the 'heartbreak' he would feel if Scotland voted to break up the UK. He pleaded with voters not to use the poll to give the "effing Tories" a kick. Irreversible decision During a question-and-answer session at the Edinburgh headquarters of Scottish Widows, Cameron said that voters should understand that their decision will be irreversible. He said: "I hope (what) will really come across in the remaining part of this campaign is the scale of the decision that Scottish people will be taking in eight days' time. Sometimes because it is an election people can think it is like a general election. "You make a decision and five years later you can make another decision - if you are fed up with the effing Tories give

them a kick and then maybe we will think again. "This is totally different decision to a general election. This is a decision about not the next five years. It is a decision about the next century. "Sometimes people say to me why do you feel so strongly about it? After all coming to Scotland, here you are a Tory leader with one MP. Wouldn't your life be easier, wouldn't you be able to get a majority more easily if Scotland were to separate itself from the UK? "My answer to that is that I care far more about my country than I do about my party. I care hugely about this extraordinary country, this United Kingdom that we have built together. I would be heartbroken if this family of nations we have put together - and we have done such amazing things - was torn apart." Cameron warned that UK would not form a currency union with independent Scotland, adding that in case Scotland decides to use the Pound without UK's blessing, it would find itself in Panama's shoes. He also added that the intending country could run out of money. He said: "Financial institutions would move very rapidly from Scotland into other parts of the UK. Panama found that because you are not responsible for your currency, you can run out of it. So the short answer to Scotland being separate from the UK and using someone else's currency is that your financial institutions could leave and you could run out of money." Leader of the opposition Labour Party Ed Miliband toed Cameron's path. He told Labour voters and activists in Cumbernauld: "The values of the Scottish people have shone through in this referendum campaign, whatever side that they're on, the values of justice, of fairness and equality. "The questions for you are: how to achieve those values. I say that the best way to achieve those values is together not apart. I say: don't choose an irreversible separation; choose to stay together, on the basis of those values. Solidarity, social justice; together, not alone. From the head, from the heart, from the soul, vote no in this referendum and let's change Britain together." Miliband stayed in Scotland throughout the week to campaign against separation. Whether his campaign against separation and his stay would work is to be decided by Thursday. Let's wait …

THE NATION ON SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2014

ODAY, I write about the killing of a single black American teenager, Michael Brown. Given the number of wars and near-wars springing upon us, to focus on a single homicide in the small town of Ferguson, Missouri, seems an exercise in misplaced priorities. It is not. The shooting of this man-child was not merely the act of one human cruelly ending the life of another. The killing represents the lethal convergence of several misanthropic themes unique to the American neo-conservative worldview: (1.) White American supremacist belief, (2.) Intolerance of dissent to that belief, (3) The militarization of that intolerance as belief and (4.) The glorification of quick, extreme violence as the most trustworthy protector of supremacist ideals. The Ferguson incident should not be discounted as an isolated, localized event. The historic policy and psychological strands tracing through Ferguson also fuel the militarism of American foreign policy in far-flung places from the Middle East to Ukraine. The police officer’s actions in Ferguson were spawned in the same supremacist mire from which American warmongers spring forth to shower war on anyone opposing the expansion of American power and interests into domains where it traditionally lacked residence. As such, the Ferguson incident serves as a heuristic platform from which we can derive insight into American actions in the momentous affairs that may well shape the global political economy and how we live in it for years to come. The fatal encounter began last August when police officer Darren Wilson spotted Michael Brown and a friend jaywalking across a Ferguson street. Upon seeing the teens commit this minor pedestrian infraction, Wilson stopped them pursuant to an alleged law enforcement policy of zero tolerance for any offense. Brown evidently was not as suppliant as Wilson required. The teen did not beg Wilson to overlook his small indiscretion. Instead, the boy appeared too cocky, probably questioning why Wilson would bother himself and them for such a petty and commonplace thing. Edgy remarks were exchanged. Here is where things become clouded in the fog of conflicting versions. Wilson says Brown assaulted him, pushing him into the police car. There, Brown further accosted the officer in futile attempt to win the officer’s sidearm. Wilson said a shot was fired in the car. He managed to secure his weapon from Brown’s lunge. Fearing for his life, he started shooting at Brown. If true, this version would go far to exonerate the officer in the slaying. But the story makes little sense. First, why would Brown escalate a minor pedestrian stop into a life-and-death encounter? Snatching an officer’s weapon is the equivalent of rape; it is a street taboo that even the most hardened criminal dare not violate. For Brown to have done so would have made him, “armed and dangerous,” in a small town with a police force notorious for being on the rough and ready when it comes to Black suspects. He would have been inviting the full weight of the police force upon himself. He knew setting such a thing in motion could only end badly for him. Additionally, no trace of a bullet was found in the car. If the weapon discharged in the vehicle, there would be evidence. No such information has been forthcoming, most likely because no such evidence exists. Last, Wilson said he began shooting Brown because the teen was ominously rushing toward him. This is inconsistent with the prior allegation that Brown virtually tackled him in the car. For both to be true means Brown tackled him in the car, backed up many yards then charged at the armed policeman like a crazed bull. This scenario looms too odd to swallow as the milk of truth. The fog clears somewhat when account is taken of the shooting’s several eyewitnesses. Their versions are striking similar. None professes to know the specifics of what was done and said around the vehicle before the shooting. All testify shots were fired at a fleeing, unarmed Brown. A dozen shots were fired. Some missed. Most hit the intended target. According to an independent autopsy, the first landed shot caught Brown in the back of his right arm. Once hit, witnesses say, he stopped running. Brown thrust his arms in the air in the universal sign of surrender and went to his knees. This did not appease the policeman. He continued firing at the kneeling, unarmed youth until the fatal bullet pierced the teen’s skull. His face fell to the street, black skin met black asphalt as it has done so many times after an encounter with a White policeman who believed the black face had not given him due deference. Michael Brown and whatever future, family, children, aspirations, dreams and hopes he had died there under the summer sun. The police leaf his uncovered corpse in the street for several hours as a crude but poignant

WORLD NEWS

Ferguson: When will the past become itself? (Part one) Bigotry does not live unattended. It is in all instances accompanied by lies and blood.

•Police arrest a man as they disperse protesters in Ferguson, St Louis.

By Brian Browne reminder to the rest of the predominately black township of the fatal costs of a contumacious encounter with local law enforcement. The police miscalculated. Their mean tactics did not quiet the populace. It aroused them. Protests ensued. Sporadic rioting took place. As news spread of the incident, the protests grew bigger. Media coverage cast a mean light on the town and its police force. Accustomed to handling their Black populace in their own special way and unnerved by the intense media coverage, the police force overreacted. They donned the heavy military kit and camouflage and deployed the armored personal carriers and machine guns purchases at bargain prices from excess military stocks. For a small fraction of the true costs towns like Ferguson had armed their police forces to the teeth with military gear and weapons inappropriate to the legitimate law enforcement. For days, America was treated to the disquieting, incongruous spectacle of camouflaged, machine gun toting, clenched-jawed policemen, with Kentucky Fried Chicken and Macdonald’s in the background, marching down Main Street of a small town to disrupt Americans exercising their right to free speech and peaceful assembly and protest. It was a reminder that the more you arm your security forces, the more authoritarian they become. Those who are supposed to protect the public use the acquired arms to suppress the people. The police evolve to safeguard the interests of those who procure their weaponry instead of safeguarding the interests of democracy and justice. The Brown shooting was about maintaining social and racial order, to keeping certain people in their certain place. If justice were part of the officer’s calculation, he would likely not have stopped Brown and companion. Had Brown been a middle-aged White man, the stop likely would never have occurred. Brown likely stoked the policeman’s ire by raising this inconsistency of treatment. Had justice motivated the officer, he would not have fired at a fleeing, unarmed teen. Once the boy tossed his hands into the air in visible surrender, the shooting would have ceased, if justice were present. Again, this was about the maintenance of order, not about law and certainly not justice. Mercy and leniency had no function here. Fifty years ago, Brown and companion would not have dared talk snappily to the officer. Then the officer could have called them “nigger” and “boy.” Blacks were by law and custom inferior in all ways. The police or any White man needn’t reason to accost a black man. It was a White’s right to proffer and a Black’s obligation to accept mistreatment as his fate. A Black did not have to transgress. Being Black was transgression enough. Thus, a police officer could easily put a Black man in his lowly place and keep him there with a cold stare and a hand on his holster. Then something happened: the Civil Rights Movement. Although blackness was no longer a legal infirmity, Blacks were still despised by the conservative, reactionaries who populate at least half of White American society. However, the White reactionaries could no longer jail and degrade Blacks based solely on skin color. They could no longer publicly spout epithets like “jigaboo,” “monkey” and “coon.” However, this group was far from defeated. They would seek to reconstruct and preserve the pre-civil rights social and racial order to the extent possible.

Photo: AP

There would be a “counter reformist” backlash against civil rights. Noting that Blacks could no longer be maltreated simply for being themselves, reactionaries weaved a new inimical social mythology. No longer would Blacks be simply deemed inferior and dumb. We would become evil and criminally minded. No longer would we be ‘niggers, coons and tar babies.” We would become “thugs, hoodlums, and the criminal element.” Blacks were transformed from a dependent, inferior appendage of society into a societal pox to be contained. This backlash started immediately after legal racial equality was won via the Civil Rights Acts of the mid-sixties. The conservative backlash would gain full momentum during the Reagan presidency. It would carry through during the Bush terms and Clinton years. A White southerner, Clinton knowingly approved law enforcement measures that would sentence disproportionately large numbers of Black men to prison terms for nonviolent crimes. He did not care. He was disinterested in justice. No matter how many Blacks he seemed to befriend, Clinton had always been a true, reliable custodian of White order. He remained true to both color and form. Thus, what happened in Ferguson was inevitable. The police officer did not see Brown as a fellow human being. He saw the youth as felony incarnate. His black skin made him a crime in the offing; worst, it made him a crime already committed even in the lack of evidence of wrongdoing. Thus, the man felt no remorse or reticence unloading his weapon into the boy. The officer was imbued with such animus and fear that he created a chain of events in his mind vastly different from what others saw. In his mind, he was not merely protecting himself from inherent danger; he was protecting the social order from assault from its most egregious threat, Black criminal harm. So taken by this mindset, the officer discarded the reality of the day to create a fiction excusing him for killing the unarmed youth. The boy died because the officer superimposed his perception of social order on the factual dynamics of his encounter with Brown. As such, he not killed shot Brown, the officer shot dead the equality and justice heralded by the Civil Rights Movement. In that moment, the officer symbolically positioned himself as the successor assassin of Dr. King and all the doctor stood for. Peek at Western machinations in Ukraine. We can see how this mindset taints global order and justice. Russia is the remnant of the Soviet Union that America had dubbed an evil empire. America became the lone superpower upon the demise of the Soviet condominium at the end of the Cold War. Hawkish Americans seek a global order where America has no peer or rival. They seek an order where America dictates everything of importance. The same notion that makes them believe they are the sole architects of American society tends them to believe they are the masters of the entire planet. Nations that do not cohere to this belief are deemed repugnant. Putin and his resurgent Russia are blacklisted because they oppose the expansion of NATO to their doorstep. They have fought the Western-backed overthrown of an elected government in Ukraine. Supporting Ukrainian federalist rebels, Russia now thwarts Western expansionist plans. Russia has merely stood to defend its traditional sphere of influence and buffer zone against Western encroachment. Weighed against the precepts of geopolitical strategy, Russia has acted the wiser, adhering to a course

of prudent, restrained endeavor to achieve a limited end that maintains the geopolitical balance. The West is the flagrant actor trying to upend the status quo by threatening Russia’s western approach. However, the media paints Russia as the craven aggressor bent on retaking all of Eastern Europe when all it has done is protect its own backyard. Putin is now vilified as the world’s most dangerous leader. Yet, few stop to ask a simply question; If Putin harbored such grand megalomaniacal designs, wouldn’t he have unleashed them before now? The opportunity has always been there. No, something sparked the eastern Ukrainians to rebel and sparked Putin to help them. That something was the West’s insistence on the coup toppling the extant government in Kiev so that the West could supplant Russian influence in Ukraine. If Putin wanted all of Ukraine and venture farther westward, he would not have engineered the cease-fire between Kiev and the separatists. Strange, the cease-fire has a chance to end the civil war and to create a federal system all parties in Ukraine can tolerate. However, the West fulminates against the accord, hopes it does not work and seeks to undermine it. When the Ukrainian president said Russian troops were out of Ukraine, America countered that he was lying. The Ukrainian president has the most at stake; why would he fabricate away his own security? The truth is that America and its allies objectives are not peace and democratic stability in Ukraine. Their objective is to defeat Russia and teach it a lesson. Their objective is to impose their version of the geopolitical order in a place not traditionally within their sphere of interest. As such they are dangerous revisionists. Yet, they finance a media campaign painting Putin and Russia as stark villains in this drama. They seek to make Russia an outcast, a global pariah. As such, Putin and Russia, for simply maintaining their own, have become the “niggers of Europe.” Back to Ferguson. Attempting to justify the officer’s initial stop of Brown, the police published footage of someone stealing handful of inexpensive cigars for a local store. We were told the officer stopped Brown, fingering him as the perpetrator of the cigar caper. The dead victim gets turned into the villain. This tact is standard police procedure. However, there was a flaw in this approach. Further evidence revealed Officer Wilson had no idea of the cigar theft when he halted Brown. The police had blatantly lied. This was more than a case of the ends justifying the means. It was a case of the liars believing themselves to be righteousness personified. These people believe themselves more virtuous and of a higher calling than mere facts. Thus, they are duty bound to alter reality through fabrication to achieve their supremacist objective. In Ferguson, they lied about Wilson’s knowledge of the cigar heist just as Wilson prevaricated about the shot fired in his vehicle. On the international stage, Americans leaders of the same conservative ilk as the men of Ferguson would lie to world about weapons of mass destruction in Iraq and about the use of sarin gas by Assad’s government in Syria. These lies were made in the naked attempt to provoke American military into areas where no vital American interests were at stake. Now the same type of lies are being cast that Putin and Russia threaten European peace. Also that, with the horrid beheadings of two American captives, ISIL constitutes a grave threat to the American homeland that must be answered with a massive display of American force in Iraq and Syria. To bolster the flimsy case, American security estimates about ISIL’s troop strength escalated from 10,000 men to over 30,000 in just a few days after President Obama’s war speech. It was claimed ISIL is wealthy and thus can finance terror worldwide because it robbed banks in Iraq. However, the Iraqi government claims the large banks in Mosul were not touched. The reality is that ISIL’s bulk funding comes not from illegal withdrawals from Iraqi banks but from clandestine donations for regional governments allied to America. No matter how repugnant the murders have been, ISIL is no grave and present threat to American soil. The talk of imminent threat is to scare Americans into panting for war when recent experience counsels against bellicosity. However, the march to war serves the designs of conservative American thinkers. They wanted to establish a permanent base in Iraq from which to topple Syria and trouble Iran. They now inflate the ISIL threat to get their wish. To establish a world order in which they order the world, these people are willing to march room to room, city to city and country to country to spread war until all opposition is muted if not broken. To make the world safe for their brand of American democracy, they are willing to become lords over everyone and everything else. This is the plight of the self appointed angel. It is the 21st century version of the White Man’s Burden. More next week. 08060340825 (sms only)

THE NATION ON SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 14, 2014

Continued fron page 6

BENJAMIN ADEKUNLE 1936 - 2014 My personal recollections of the war,

in the subsequent violence (January 1961) and UN peacekeepers were mandated to use force to prevent civil war. In spite of the spirited efforts of the UN Secretarial-General, Hammarskjold (who lost his life in a suspicious plane crash during one his Congo peace trips), the violence continued unabated. Mobuto Sese Seko, then the head of the army, foisted himself on the country as President in November 1965, according to him, for a 5-year term in October 1966. He formally dismissed the Parliament and the new Prime Minister and established a Presidential form of government. The ‘five year term’ ran over three decades. Congo was a profoundly beautiful country though completely underdeveloped in physical terms. We were stationed in Leopoldville. Our first assignment was to fish out the murderers of about 15 Nigerians, who had been mutilated after their murder. It was hard going in that environment with very few roads, non-existent telecommunications system, and a perplexing language. With some hard work and the assistance of our intelligence system, the perpetrators were identified, tracked down and appropriately punished. The language barrier precluded extensive interactions with the Congolese people, but my overriding impression of their lives, was of intense suffering. The amenities of life- electricity, clean water, roads, hospitals, etc- were in very scarce supply and the level of hunger, disease, immorality, physical insecurity and crime in the society as a whole was pitiful. As far as I was concerned, Nigerians were incomparably better off. I was also struck by the rigidity of the informal ‘apartheid’ system prevalent in Congo: after my experiences in the U.K, I had grown to be somewhat hypersensitive and intolerant of all forms of racism. I noticed that unlike Nigeria, the two races were almost completely estranged - not only physically segregated, but with few avenues for interaction, such as sporting or social events, where the differences of skin color were temporarily forgotten. I watched the naughty bearing of the Congolese expatriates towards the owners of the land and their total subservience. The only relief available to the Congolese from the misery and deprivations they suffered appeared to be drinking, music and dancing. I would watch for hours as the Congolese men and women cast aside their cares and abandoned themselves to ‘Congo music.’ Just as I settled down to learn more about my environment in the Congo, I was bundled home to Enugu to become the first Army officer Aide-de-camp to Sir Francis Akanu Ibiam, the first Governor of the Eastern Region. Sir Francis Ibiam was a well respected Nigerian politician. An old boy of King’s College and a graduate of the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, he received a knighthood from the Queen in recognition of his accomplishments. He built Abiriba hospital, and served on several hospital boards. He had served on the Nigerian Legislative Council, between 1947 and 1952, on the Executive and Privy Councils between 1949 and 1959 and capped this with his appointment as Governor of Eastern Nigeria from 1960 to 1966. Sir Ibiam also chaired several Church Councils, including the World Council of Churches in 1961. Within a very short period, it became clear that we had ‘irreconcilable differences.’ The nature of my posting compelled me to spend a lot of time with the governor, and at very close quarters. I was with Dr. Ibiam on formal occasions, I was with him behind the scenes at his home, and I witnessed and contributed to the policy-making processes of the Eastern regional government on a day-to-day basis at the office. In many ways, Dr. Ibiam was a gentleman. However, there were several difficulties I had will the governor. The first was what I regarded as his religious rigidity. Like many persons I had come across, Dr. Ibiam was passionate almost to the point of fanaticism about matters of external religious observance - church going, prayers before meals etc. Secondly, the good Doctor’s treatment of his staff caused me to mull over the contradictions between what is preached as opposed to practice. I failed to understand why the Governor seemed unable to appreciate the connection between welfare, morale and productivity. Consequently, the working environment at the Governors office left much to be desired, characterized as it was by surliness, complaints and resentment. Our relationship was not improved by my blunt rejection of his attempts to compel me to conform to his religious practices. The most serious chasm concerned our professional duties. As the governor of a region,

•Adekunle

which embraced many different ethnic groups, my boss appeared to have some difficulty in appreciating that he owed each inhabitant of the region an equal obligation. It seemed to me that at every turn of policy- making, he favored members of his own tribal group. As a Nigerian of multi-ethnic parentage, born and raised outside my region of ‘origin,’ I found these exhibitions of ethnic chauvinism incomprehensible. At that point of my life, as far as I was concerned, a Nigerian was a Nigerian member of one nation with one destiny, and differences of origin were subordinate to the national identity. I considered this to be an unfortunate disposition for a Governor of a multi-tribal state, and felt it to be my duty to point out the dangers of our discrimination against non-Ibos by the Eastern Government. As time went on, my objections became less and less courteously expressed, and our discussions, louder and louder. Dr. Ibiam labeled me arrogant, rude as hell and unqualified to advise him politically. Naturally, I had a differing opinion. It got to the point that I was unable to bear the daily offense to my sensibilities. After one particularly unpleasant episode, I was sufficiently incensed to place my career in jeopardy. I left my posting without orders. I posted myself to Enugu later that year in 1961. Enugu was a town I was very fond of. It was at Enugu that I had met my wife to be, Comfort Akie Wilcox, a police woman, sister of Chief Harold Dappa Biriye, and the daughter of Chief Roland Dappa Wilcox, a Bonny Chief from one of the riverrine tribes of Eastern Nigeria. I used the opportunity of my stay in Enugu to perfect my Ibo speaking skill. As a boy, I had picked up Ibo from my neighbors in Idah. From Enugu, I went to Port Harcourt on a month’s extended leave. To my amusement, I was informed that the police was seeking me on the basis of certain allegations made against me by the Governor’s wife. I immediately reported myself to the police where the issue was clarified. Meanwhile, the Governor, as he was perfectly justified in doing, had fired off a smoking hot letter of complaint about my abandonment of post and disrespectful conduct in general. After a month in Port Harcourt, I reported to the Army Headquarters in Lagos to make my defense to (then) Lt. Colonel Gowon, the General Staff Officer (Grade 1), and it was to him I made my case. This act of insubordination was to delay my promotion by over a year - at the time I felt it was a fair price to pay for my peace of mind and liberation from an intolerable duty. I later discovered that my situation was not altogether unique; other Aide-De Camps attached to high ranking politicians experienced similarly poor relation with their bosses. ( Then) Second Lieutenant Obienu who had been attached to the Governor-General Azikiwe had lasted only 3 weeks before he terminated his posting in an equally unconventional fashion. India After my Captain to Major promotion examination, I was nominated for the State College in Wellington, India for a period of nine months in 1964. My exultation at being so distinguished by my superiors was tempered by recollections of my previous overseas experience. Yes, it was an honour to be offered the opportunity of a staff course, but who had the stomach for more con-

descension from the British officers who would be supervising training? My wife Comfort dismissed my concerns, insisting that the benefits to be gained by taking the course far outweighed the brief period of discomfort I would face. My reluctance evaporated, and I went, leaving her in Zaria expectant with our first child. Major Ifeajuna and I were in the second group to be sent to India. The first batch had included Nzeogwu and Olutoye. The course enabled officers to rise to Grade III Staff Officer. I knew both officers, but not intimately. It was the first time Ifeajuna and I had been at close quarters. Ifeajuna was a very interesting character, extremely well read and very politically conscious. I also had limited interaction with Nzeogwu, who had preceded us to Wellington. Nzeogwu has since been much vilified for his leading role in Nigeria’s first military coup. However, any officer (or, for that matter, civilian) who knew him could tell you that this man was a pure nationalist who burned within with the love of his country. Like myself, he gave scant regard to the place of origin of his countrymen having been born in Kaduna and raised in an era of nationalistic consciousness. He was sophisticated in his analysis of history and of political events in the country. I never became intimate with these officers as I had little interest in politics. Of greater interest to me, was building up military skills and contributing to national development in a purely military capacity. At Wellington India, I found another country of breathtaking beauty. The British Colonialists had been kind enough whilst pillaging and plundering India, to leave behind legacies of a more benevolent nature. Wellington was a very lovely city, with spacious and cool buildings, and an abundance of flowers, winding roads and undulating value. The solitude of the Staff College itself was ideal for studies, and nine months of studies really. My experiences in India confirmed my opinions about the evils of colonialism. The Indians were fortunate in that the British had left legacies that would survive generations yet unborn. Prelude to War Back in Nigeria, I was posted to the army Headquarters, where I remained until this fateful day of the January 1966 coup. At this juncture, it is worth examining the political situation in Nigeria prior to 1966. The first four years after independence was nearly of turmoil. One source of instability was the physical imbalance of the regions. A second source were the controversial census results of 1952 and 1962, which were perceived by many Nigerians as an attempt to legitimize the inequitable distribution of political power and other resources. It was on the basis of these census figures, that the northern region gained control of the federal legislature and other federal institutions. The high hopes that had attended independence had been rudely dashed by the conduct of the political class. While it was taken for granted in developed countries that the basis of elective governments was the will of the people, in Nigeria the by-words for our political leadership were refined tribalism, religious politics, treasury looting, egotism- and to hell with the people! The spark that led to Nigeria’s first coup was ignited in 1962 when Chief Akintola and the NDP split from Chief Awolowo’s Action Group. Akintola’s alliance with NPC completely destabilized the western region, as the power struggle between him and his erstwhile boss knew no boundaries. With the ill-advised trial and detention of Awolowo for treason by the Tafawa Balewa led government, it was only a matter of time before the region exploded. The elections of December 1964, in which Akintola and his allies ‘won,’ set off this explosion. The widespread rioting in the region, which followed the confirmation of the election results, should have been entirely predictable to a responsible government. However, rather than taking measures to defuse the situation, the Tafawa Balewa-led government escalated the crisis by declaring a state of emergence and flooding the region with troops. Then there were the charges of corruption among the political class- supported by the obscene displays of wealth by some members of the political class. I recoiled at the democracy that was being hatched for Nigeria and this disgust was pervasive. It is easy to forget that this was the background against which the military intervened. The idealistically led coup of 15th January, 1966 was the brain wave of patriotic officers of the

Nigerian army. Major C. K. Nzeogwu explained his motives on January 16 1966: Though well intended, the effects of this action on the Nigerian military was lamentable. The human losses were also grave, with the northern region suffering more deeply than other regions. The senior military officers killed in the January Coup were Brigadiers Samuel Ademulegun and Zakaria Maimalari. Also targeted and killed were Colonels Kure Mohamed and Ralph Shodeinde, with Lieutenant Colonels Yakubu Paul Arthur Unegbe (an Ibo officer), and Major Samuel Adegoke. Among the political leadership, not only was the Prime Minister, Tafawa Balewa killed but also the much loved Sardauna of Sokoto, Ahmadu Bello, Premier of the Northern region. S.C Akintola and Okotie-Eboh, leading symbols of the First Republic also perished. The primary ring leaders of the coup were Majors Nzeogwu, Ademoyega, Ifeajuna, Okafor, Chuk Nwuka, Onwuatuegwu and Obienu. After the initial national euphoria which followed the coup, it was not surprising that the northerners would begin to take a different view of events: the majority of the ring leaders were Ibo in origin, the Northerners had paid the highest price in terms of men and political power, and the entire ‘national’ operation had been executed on their soil. While Nzeogwu had successfully secured his area of operation in Kaduna, Major Ifeajuna and Capt. Nwobosi failed to secure Lagos and Ibadan. In the midst of the confusion, and the bungled execution by the coupists, the GOC of the Nigerian army, General Aguiyi Ironsi, intervened and outmaneuvered Major C.K Nzeogwu. Luckily for him, Lieutenant Colonel Ojukwu, Commander of the 5th Battalion in Kano, had been able to seize Kano Airport on behalf of the rallying military. Ironsi later appointed him Military Governor of the Eastern region. With the smell of blood choking our collective nostrils, the remnants of the Balewa government needed little persuasion to hand over the reigns of power to Army Commander-inChief, Major-General Ironsi. The new Head of State proceeded quickly to suspend the Constitution, dissolve all legislative bodies, ban political parties, and as an interim measure, formed a Federal Military Government. By January 18, 1966 he had announced the appointment of the Military Governors of all four Regions of the Federation: Lieutenant Colonel C. Odumegwu Ojukwu, East; Lieutenant Colonel F.A Fajuyi West; Lieutenant Colonel D.A. Ejoor, Midwest; Lieutenant Colonel Hassan Katsina, North. Ironsi made several serious political miscalculations. His handling of the coupists, who after all, had been mutineers, lacked directness, and betrayed insensitivity to the feelings of northern officers, who now felt vulnerable (and resentful). He also seemed to lack a full appreciation of the importance of taking steps to restore the espirit de corps in the military. However, it was a difficult situation and I did not envy him one bit. There were skirmishes between Northern troops and their Southern counterparts throughout the country. Some five months after the coup, Ironsi announced his intention to institute a Unitary government- another serious mistake. Predictably, this was misinterpreted by the northern elite as further proof of an Ibo plot to consolidate their hold on national political power. The abrupt termination of the Ironsi regime by a revolution by the ‘heirs apparent’ to Nigerian power politics should have surprised no one. It was an inevitable end and established later political patterns of Nigeria. The counter-coup masterminded by the senior northern officers in July 1966 reversed the political pendulum that had swung to the political advantage of the south. It re-established the status quo to domination of political power by the North, which they had held since 1966 and justified through irregular census figures. The Head of State was abducted in the company of Colonel F.A. Fajuyi, by a group of junior northern officers. (Months later, Major Usman Katsina finally confirmed that his abductors had assassinated him with the Western Governor). Thus began another traumatic period for the military. In Lagos, Kaduna, Ibadan, and Kano and throughout Nigeria (except the eastern region under the command of Lieutenant. Colonel C. Odumegwu Ojukwu), senior Ibo officers were rounded up- often by soldiers under their command and shot. •Excerpts from the book ‘The Nigeria – Biafra war letters: A Soldier’s story (Vol. 1) edited by General Adekunle’s son, Abiodun Adekunle

THE NATION ON SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 14, 2014

NEWS

Boko Haram: Youths condemn allegation against Ihejirika

Dimgba Igwe’s death: Orji condoles with wife, NGE From Ugochukwu Ugoji-Eke, Umuahia

BIA State Governor, Chief Theodore Orji, has condoled with Mrs. Oby Igwe, the wife of the late journalist, Dimgba Igwe, over his sudden death through a hit and run car driver last weekend in Lagos while observing his morning jogging exercise. The governor also condoled with the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) on the untimely death of their colleague, Igwe. In a letter to Mrs. Oby Dimgba Igwe, the widow of the late renowned journalist, the governor implored the widow to accept his heartfelt condolence for the unfortunate death of her husband. Orji stated that the late Igwe was a notable Abian and a good man who will be remembered for his serious journalistic commitments and astute managerial abilities within the media organisations where he served and carved a niche for himself as a media guru. In a similar vein, the Abia State governor also sent a condolence letter to the president of NGE, saying he received the news of the death of one of their members, Igwe, with utmost shock and sadness.

Ebonyi laments low IGP from LGAs From Ogochukwu Anioke, Abakaliki

BONYI State Government yesterday said the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) from the 13 local government areas of the state is poor despite revenue generation outlets available in different sectors of the economy. The state Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters, Hon. Celestine Nwali, said this at Onueke Motor Park in Ezza South Local Government Area while indugrating ten new buses procured by the council area for its mass transit scheme, Ezza Ezekuna Line Mass Transit, in the state. Nwali called on the council chairmen to find out ways of increasing their IGR instead of solely depending on allocations from the Federation Account for the execution of their projects. The commissioner, who applauded the chairman of Ezza South LGA, Chief Lazarus Ogbee, for the initiative, urged other council chairmen in the state to emulate such venture for the well-being of their people.

Anambra has changed for good -APA NAMBRA’S People Assembly has described the era of Mr. Peter Obi as the era of glorious development of Anambra State. In a release, signed by its president, Chief Cosmas Anichebe, the group said Obi singularly moved Anambra from a pariah state to an enviable status. They cited many projects he carried out in Anambra, especially the return of schools back to the church. Thanking him specifically for Anambra State coming first in WASSCE and NECO last year and this year, they prayed that his successor will keep the flag flying by following on his footsteps.

From Nwanosike Onu, Awka

•Some members at the General Assembly of Ohaneze Ndigbo Women wing during the executive council elections at Imeobi secretariat, Enugu…yesterday

MASSOB crisis deepens as group backs members’ suspension

S the crisis rocking the Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB), continues, Osisioma, Abia State region of the group, has declared their support to the leadership of the pro-Biafra group for suspending some of its ‘rebellious’ commanders. They said they were strongly in support of the group’s leadership’s decision because they acted in the overall interest of the group. The Osisioma Region Administrator, Chief Obi Anyaogu, who spoke to

From Sunny Nwankwo, Aba

newsmen through his Information Director, Mr. Ernest Iwejo, in Aba, the commercial nerve centre of the state, lauded the leader of the group, Chief Ralph Uwazuruike, for taking such a bold step, adding that the action would help to restore sanity in the group. According to Iwejo, “No group of person or individual is or will be higher than MASSOB, no matter the person(s) port-folio or will be allowed to drag the image of the group in the mud because of their self-

ish interests. “MASSOB is and will remain a non-violent group in its struggles and will not allow some persons to start politicising the activities of our group. “We are in total support of the suspension. No one can be higher than a group. We want to say that we are solidly behind the Ralph Uwazuruike-led leadership and will support him to the last. “We are urging Igbos at home and in Diaspora to support our leader in his struggle which is in the interest Ibos.” On the recent invitation

of Uwazuruike by Imo State Police Command, he described it as an attempt by some sponsored individuals to intimidate them, adding that no amount of intimidation will deter them from fighting what he described as “the Ibo man’s and not Uwazuruike or MASSOB’s cause”. Recall that some of the aggrieved commanders of the group had described their alleged suspension by Uwazuruike as “null and void,” accusing Uwazuruike of wickedness, insensitivity and politicising the activities of the group.

Igbo youths blast Sani over comments against Ekwueme

GBO Youth Movement has condemned Mallam Shehu Sani over what it described as his “unsuccessful attempt to rubbish national icon and former Vice President of Nigeria, Dr. Alex Ekwueme. Sani, according to the movement, had described the new polling booths that favoured the north over the south as “vendors of unsubstantiated allegations.” In a statement signed by the founder of the move-

ment, Evang. Elliot Uko,the youth movement described Sani’s comments against Ekwueme as “insulting,” asking: “Didn’t INEC announce new polling units? Didn’t these new polling units undeservedly favour the north against the south?” The group said, “Nobody is targeting Prof. Jega. Their actions are not only suspicious but frightening. Why change the goal post at this time,” adding, “The

mountain challenge of armed insurrection,” Sani alluded to is man made and deliberately sponsored. Nobody is” ‘whipping up unnecessary sectional sentiment’ against anybody. Jega’s actions are clearly suspicious and illogical. IYM particularly frowned at what it described as Sani’s “selective attack on Ekwueme,” alleging that it was “only designed to appease northerners even as Sani attempts to launch a

political carrier in the same north he has consistently abused in his early days, when he was obsessively desperate for media attention and relevance.” The statement also said “Mallam Shehu Sani should be told that there are other ways, one could re-launch himself within his constituency without abusing national icons. Singling out only Dr. Ekweme for attack says volumes about the real motive,” the statement said.

Community in Lagos mounts pressure on Jega, PDP

GBO community in Lagos State is poised for a showdown with the state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The group, through a coalition of Igbo leaders from the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has declared that a deputy governor slot is the condition for its support in 2015. The coalition is also demanding the immediate removal of the Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Attahiru Jega, over allocation of the 30, 000 new polling units across the country. The coalition, known as

From: Dele Anofi, Abuja

Goodluck Gaa Niru 2015, in a communiqué after its maiden national executive meeting, yesterday in Abuja described the allocation of polling units to the South-East as an injustice. “We seriously frown at the wicked plot of the INEC Chairman to shortchange Ndigbo through his introduction of 30, 000 polling units nationwide, allotting 21, 000 units for the north, with only 1, 000 units for the entire Igbo nation. We feel insulted that one of the legs of the tripod at independence could be so treated. “Consequently, we demand the immediate sack of

the INEC Chairman, Prof. Attairu Jega,” the coalition said. On the condition for supporting the aspirations of Lagos PDP in 2015, the group said the security of lives and properties of the Igbo people across the country is paramount to the success of PDP in 2015. Leader of the group, Kenneth Ibe-Kalu, while reading the communiqué, said, “Mr. President should know that it was the Igbo votes that gave him more than 25 percent votes outside the South-East zone. “We suffered untold hardship, leading to several mortalities, especially in the

north. Ahead of t he 2015 election, we call on President Goodluck Jonathan to ensure maximum security of Ndi’ Igbo outside Igbo land. “In view of the overwhelming population of Igbos in Lagos, estimated at 45 percent of the population figure, the unsurpassed positive contribution to the economic and general development of Lagos State, we demand the position of Deputy Governor come 2015 election in Lagos State. “We advise the PDP leadership to get a reputable Igbo son or daughter for the position; we believe this will be a winning strategy in the next gubernatorial election.”

ORE than six youth groups in the South-East yesterday condemned allegation that former Chief of Army Staff, General Azubuike Ihejirika, is one of the sponsors of Boko Haram. They described such allegation as an attempt by the peddlers to destroy Ndigbo. Among the groups that condemned the allegation yesterday were Igbo Youth Vanguard, Voice of East Movement, Ogene Ukwu Ndigbo, Movement for the Emancipation of Ndigbo, Amalgamation of Association of Eastern Youth and the Eastern Youth Solidarity Movement. In a statement yesterday in Onitsha, Anambra State, which was signed by Mazi Edenwachukwu Chukwudi and Comrade Echewodo Gregory on behalf of the groups, they described the allegation as frivolous. The statement was issued by the groups after their meeting yesterday.

Abia governor’s son, Chinedu, sues Sun newspaper From Ugochukwu Ugoji-Eke, Umuahia

NE of the sons of Abia State governor, Chinedu Theodore Orji, has sued The Sun Publishing company for libel and joined one of its staff, Ebere Wabara, claiming the sum of N5 billion as damages for a story written against him by the defendants. In a writ of summons filed at Ohafia High Court on his behalf by his lawyers led by Livy Uzoukwu (SAN), Chinedu, the first son of Governor Theodore Orji said the newspaper and the columnist labelled him a terrorist, arguing that the label is detrimental to his person and image, as he is not a terrorist. The summons reads in parts, “You do cause defence to be entered for you in an action at the suit of the claimant and take notice that in default of your so doing, the claimant may proceed therein, and judgment may be given in your absence. The defendants may file their defence personally or by legal practitioner and that claimant claims against the defendants severally and jointly, the sum of five billion naira as damages for libel. Speaking with The Nation in Umuahia, a member of the legal team for Orji’s son, Chief Chukwunyere Nwabuko, said the “libelous publication was contained on page 21 of the March 10, 2014 edition of The Sun, which read that ‘it is not a secret affair as his terrorist activities in the state are fully documented.” He further said that the presiding judge, Justice Anthony Chioma, had already granted an order for the defendant to be served out of jurisdiction, adding that the matter is coming up for hearing on September 22, 2014.

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SAWYERR

I, formerly known and addressed as Mrs. Sawyerr Olufunmilola Modinat, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Daramola Olufunmilola Modinat. All former documents remain valid. Lagos State government and general public should please take note.

UNAM

I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Mercy George Unam, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Mercy Ndubuisi Onyekwere. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note. CONFIRMATION OF NAME This is to notify the general public that GEROGE EKURI EJU NDIFON, GEORGE EJU NDIFON and EKURI EJU NDIFON refer to one and same person. All documents bearing the above names remain valid. General public should please take note.

OYEKANMI

I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Adedoyin Florence Oyekanmi, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Adedoyin Florence Amuda. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

GEORGE

I, formerly known and addressed as Eniola Omobusola George, now wish to be known and addressed as Eniola Omobusola Jekpe. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

KALU I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Joy N. Kalu, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Joy N. Ajoku. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note.

AGBOMABIWON

AGBO

AYEDOGBON

I formerly known and address as MISS OMOTAYO KOFOWOROLA AYEDOGBON, now wishes to be known and address as MRS OMOTAYO KOFOWOROLA ADEOYA. All former documents remain valid, the general public should please take note.

AMAECHI I,formerly known and addressed as Miss Amaechi Chinyere Princess, now wishes to be known and addressed as Mrs. Egenkika Chinyere Princess. All former documents remains valId. General public take note.

ALAGA

I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Balqees Anuoluwa Alaga, now wish to be known and addressed as Miss Balkisu Aduke Alaga. All former documents remain valid. First Registrar and general public should please take note.

AGOZIE

I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Patience Alfa Unekwu, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Patience Lawrence Kekong. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

I, formerly known and addressed as Yisa Ahmed Dayo, now wish to be known and addressed as Yisa Arogunmola Ahmed Adedayo. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

OMONIGHO

I, formerly known and addressed as Churchill George Omonigho, now wish to be known and addressed as Nelson Onoyowa. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

ADEDEJI

I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Adejumoke Adedeji, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Adejumoke Ogunbi. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

OGUNDEKO I, formerly known and addressed as Olaitan Opeyemi Ogundeko, now wish to be known and addressed as Olaitan Ogundeko Babafunmi. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

BASSEY

I, formerly known and addressed as Eyo, Ating Bassey, now wish to be known and addressed as Godswill Bassey. All former documents remain valid. NYSC and general public should please take note.

OLUWABIYI FAMILY

MOSAKU

ADEDOKUN

I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Aina, Olanike Felicia, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Ajilore, Olanike Felicia. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

YISA

I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Ahamefule, Chioma Christiana, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Ejinwa, Chioma Christiana. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

I formerly known and addressed as Miss Adedokun, Aminat Oluwumi now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Azeez, Aminat Oluwumi. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Oluokun Adewumi Esther, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Fagbolade Adewumi Esther. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

I, formerly known and addressed as Lawrence Agozie, now wish to be known and addressed as Lawrence Ezeka. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

BRITTO

I formerly known and addressed as Mosaku Ololade Rofiat now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Adebayo, Ololade Rofiat. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

ADEWOBI

I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Agnes Emmanuella Agbo, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Agnes Emmanuella Owhotu. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

We, formerly known and addressed as OSANYINBI FAMILY, now wish to be known and addressed as OLUWABIYI FAMILY. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

I, formerly known and addressed as Brotto Abisola Morenike, now wish to be known and addressed as Awilawi-Britto, Abisola Morenike. All former documents remain valid. NYSC and general public should please take note.

AJALA

I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Ajala, Temitope Aminat, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Akinderu, Temitope Aminat. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Gentry, Abiola Roseline, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Olayemi Roseline Abiola. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

I formerly known and addressed as Miss Ikeh, Patience Chinyere now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Usip Patience Chinyere U. All former documents remain valid. UNN, Mutual Benefit Assurance Plc., NYSC, WAEC and general public take note.

JOSEPH

GENTRY

I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Nasiru, Abimbola Evelyn, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Olaosebikan, Abimbola Evelyn. All former documents remain valid. Lagos State University and general public should please take note.

I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Lawal, Adijat Adeola, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Odejobi, Dorcas Adeola. All former documents remain valid. Lagos State Health Service Commission and general public should please take note.

FAMAKINWA

CHANGE OF NAME

THE NATION ON SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 14, 2014 CHANGE OF NAME CHANGE OF NAME

AHAMEFULE

OJIAKU

I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Onyinye Glenda Ojiaku, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Onyinye Glenda Atnadu Fajemi. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

AZEEZ

I, formerly known and addressed as Azeez Adewale Akeem, now wish to be known and addressed as Oderinde Adewale Samuel. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

ENYI

I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Enyi, Uzoamaka Susan, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Asemota Uzoamaka Susan. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

ABEJIDE

I, forrmerly known and addressed as Miss Abejide Bukola Monsurat now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Oladejo Bukola Monsurat . All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note.

UNEKWU

IBEBUIKE

I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Amarachi Patience Ibebuike, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Isaac Amarachi Patience. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

ABDULATEEF

MUSTAPHA

AMUSAN

JAMES

EKOHWO I formerly known and addressed as Miss EKOHWO DORIS OFUAFO, now wish to be known as Mrs. DORIS OFUAFO SAMUEL-ILAYA. All former documents remain valid. Delta State Polytechnic, Ogwuashukwu. general public please take note.

OGUEGBU

I formerly known and addressed as Miss OGUEGBU OBIANUJU EDITH, now wish to be known as Mrs. NWANKWO OBIANUJU EDITH IGWEBUIKE. All former documents remain valid general public please take note.

NWOKENKWO

I formerly known and addressed as Miss NWOKENKWO THERESA .C., now wish to be known as Mrs. HARMONY BENSON THERESA .C. All former documents remain valid general public please take note. CONFIRMATION OF NAME Engr. CLINTON .A. GEORGE, and Engr. TEINBO-OFORI CLINTON GEORGE IBIKIRI. Refers to one and the same person. Now wish to be known as Engr. TEINBO-OFORI CLINTON GEORGE IBIKIRI. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

MADU

I, formerly known and addressed as Abdulateef Mustapha Abiodun, now wish to be known and addressed as Mustapha Abdulateef Abiodun. All former documents remain valid. WAEC, JAMB and general public should please take note.

I, formerly known and addressed as MISS ONYINYE CHINENYE MADU, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS. ONYINYE CHINENYE OBIDIEGWU. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

DIKE

I, formerly known and addressed as MISS AKE FORTUNATE ONYINYECHI, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS. AKE FORTUNATE PRINCE. All former documents remain valid. Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) and general public should please take note.

I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Dike Rosemary Ijeoma, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Dominic Rosemary Ijeoma. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

AKERELE I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Titilayo Oluwatoyin Elizabeth Akerele, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Titilayo Oluwatoyin Elizabeth Akanmu. All former documents remain valid. Nigerian Copyright Commission and general public should please take note.

HASSAN

I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Hassan Tope Bunmi, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Fakunle, Tope Bunmi. All former documents remain valid. UNAD, NYSC and general public should please take note.

OKOYE

I, formerly known and addressed as Okoye, Chioma Maryam, now wish to be known and addressed as Izuakor, Chioma Maryam. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

EPPEH

I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Peremoboere Joy Eppeh, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Peremoboere Ime Ekang. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

UGBADE I, formerly known and addressed as Ugbade, Antonia Teyi, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Olatunji, Antonia Teyi. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

OMORAGBON

I,formerly known and addressed as Miss Omoragbon Moradi Esosa now wishes to be known and addressed as Mrs Olaniyan Moradi Esosa. All former documents remains valId.General public take note.

MADUIKE

I, formerly known and addressed as MISS LYNDA CHINASA MADUIKE, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS. CHINASA JUSTICE NNADI. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

AKE

ADELEKUN

I formerly known and addressed as MR TOPE TEMITOPE . Now wish to be known and addressed as MR AYOADE TEMITOPE ADELEKUN. All former documents remain valid.my bank and general public should please take note. CONFIRMATION OF NAME I ,Ani Maria Chidinma and Ani Happiness Chidinma refers to one and the same person but now wish to be known and addressed as Ani Happiness Chidinma .All former documents remain Valid.General public please take note.

ENUBUJE

I formerly known and addressed as Miss Enubuje Joan Chichi now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Liadi Joan Chichi. Michael Okpara. University of Agriculture, Umudike, NYSC and general public should please take note.

FRIDAY

I formerly known and refers to as Miss FRIDAY EBIPADEI, now wish to be known and addressed as Miss ISREAL EBIPADEI. All former documents remained valid. The general public should please take note.

DIM

I formerly known and refers to as Miss DIM CHIOMA JULIET, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. EZEKWE CHIOMA JULIET. All former documents remained valid. The general public should please take note.

ADIBE

I, formerly known and addressed as MISS ADIBE CHINENYE, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS. CHINENYE ESTHER OSONDU OKEKE. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

OREKOYA

I,formerly known and addressed as Orekoya Joseph Tomisin, now wishes to be known and addressed as Rex Joseph Tomisin. All former documents remains valId. General public take note.

TUKO

I formerly known and refers to as Miss NGOZI CHRISTOPHER TUKO, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. NGOZI GOLDEN GEORGE. All former documents remained valid. The general public should please take note.

MORITO

I formerly known and refers to as Miss SHADE BRIDGET MORITO, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. SHADE BRIDGET LASSEN. All former documents remained valid. The general public should please take note.

ADEJUMOBI

I formerly known and addressed as Miss Adejumobi Rachael Adebusayo now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Kolawole Rachael Adebusayo. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

ADEYEMI I formerly known and addressed as Miss Adeyemi Oluwakemi Abike now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. FamuyiwaSamuel Oluwakemi Abike. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

UKONU

I formerly known and address as Miss Ukonu Chika Michelle, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Vincent Chika Michelle. All former documents remain valid, Abia State University Uturu, NYSC and the general public should please take note.

NWOKORO

I, formerly known and address as Miss Kosarachi Joy Nwokoro, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Igwe Kosarachi Joy. All former documents remain valid. Abia State University, Uturu, NYSC and the general public should please take note.

KALU

I, formerly known and address as Miss Victoria Chidinma Kalu, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Victoria Chidinma Ugwumsinachi Israel. All former documents remain valid. nysc and the general public should please take note.

NDUKWE

I, formerly known and address as Miss Chidinma Joy Ndukwe, now wish to be known and addressed as Dr. Mrs. Chidinma Joy Eberechi Emmanuel. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note.

SILVER

I formerly known and address as Miss Iheohakara Uchechi Silver, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Azubuike Uchechi Silver. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note.

AGWU

I,formerly known and address as Miss Agwu Ngozi, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Blessing Chizam Eme Obike . All former documents remain valid. Local Government Education Authority (LGEA), ohafia, asubeb and general public should please take note.

ONYEGBUCHILEM

I,formerly known and addressed as MR. ONYEGBUCHILEM SHEDRACK, now wish to be known and addressed as MR. ACHIGBULAM SHEDRACK. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

ONYEGBUCHILEM

I, formerly known and addressed as MR. ONYEGBUCHILEM CHARLES, now wish to be known and addressed as MR. ACHIGBULAM CHARLES. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

ALUPOGUN I formerly known and refers to as Miss OLUBUSAYO OLAYINKA ALUPOGUN, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. OLUBUSAYO KAYODEABEGUNDE. All former documents remained valid. The general public should please take note.

ADENEKAN I,formerly known and addressed as Miss Adenekan Opeoluwa Ololade, now wishes to be known and addressed as Mrs. Oguntade Opeoluwa Ololade. All former documents remains valId. General public take note.

BALOGUN

I,formerly known and addressed as Mrs. Balogun Ewaoluwa Osaruwhense, now wishes to be known and addressed as Mrs. Alabi Ewaoluwa Osaruwhense. All former documents remains valId. General public take note. ADVERT: Simply produce your marriage certificate or sworn affidavit for a change of name publication, with just N4,500. The payment can be made through - FIRST BANK of Nigeria Plc. Account number - 2017220392 Account Name - VINTAGE PRESS LIMITED Scan the details of your advert and teller to gbengaodejide@yahoo.com orthenation.advert@gmail.com. For enquiry please contact: Gbenga on 08052720421, 08161675390, Emailgbengaodejide@yahoo.com or our offices nationwide. Note this! Change of name is now published every Sundays, all materials should reach us two days before publication.

SPORTS THE NATION ON SUNDAY

Golden Eaglets finally arrive Libreville

EXTRA

SEPTEMBER 14, 2014

Costa celebrates his third goal for Chelsea yesterday

OLDEN Eaglets of Nigeria have finally berthed in Libreville on Saturday ahead of their much anticipated Sunday's Final Round, First Leg 2015 African Under-17 Championship qualifier against their Gabonese counterparts.The team flew out of Lome at 3:10 pm and arrived safely in Libreville at 4:40pm local time(same time with Nigeria) on Saturday after their earlier schedule was truncated on Friday when players and accompanying officials were pulled out of Libreville-bound ASKY Airline flight on the orders of the Gabonese authority over fears of Ebola Virus Disease. It took the intervention of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) following a letter of protest by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) over the poor treatment of the Golden Eaglets' contingent for the Gabonese authorities to back down on their disingenuous decision which had actually started with late issuance of visa until Thursday. "At last we are in Libreville and by the grace of God we are playing our match tomorrow (Sunday) and we remain focus about getting the job done," affirmed Tayo Egbaiyelo, Golden Eaglets' secretary.

Martins on target again for Seattle

ORGOTTEN Super Eagles striker Obafemi Martins continued his rich vein of form in front of the net scoring the second goal in Seattle Sounders 3-2 win over Real Salt Lake in the MLS. Last week Martins scored a brace for Seattle Sounders and his goal in the victory of Real Salt Lake has now taken his season tally to 13 in 24 games with nine assists. Martins struck two minutes from the halftime whistle to put Sounders 2-1 up after Lamar Negeale drew them level. The five goal thriller was decided in Sounders favour by a late goal from Andy Rose, shortly after Real Salt Lake were reduced to ten men, following Nat Botcher's dismissal from the game.

Costa bags hat-trick in Chelsea win I

F Diego Costa had cost £320million, he'd still be worth it. What an introduction to English football the Spain international has made. He took his goal tally to seven in four games since arriving from Atletico Madrid for £32million deal with a hattrick against Swansea as Chelsea stayed top of the Barclays Premier League. Costa scored his first Chelsea hat-trick as they came from behind to beat Swansea and maintain their 100% start to the Premier League season. Swansea took the lead as John Terry turned a low cross

into his own net but Costa equalised just before halftime. Chelsea's dominance was rewarded when Costa converted a Cesc Fabregas pass. The Spain striker guided a low Ramires shot past Lukasz Fabianski and Loic Remy scored his first Blues goal before Jonjo Shelvey's late consolation. As Chelsea opened up a three-point gap at the top of the table, summer signings Costa and Fabregas offered further evidence of the extra edge they have added to a team that finished third last season. Costa, who passed a late fitness test on a hamstring injury suffered on

international duty with Spain, departed to a standing ovation after scoring his seventh goal in four games for the Blues. They carved out an early opening as Wayne Routledge found space in the area but could not control his volley. The Welsh team took a surprise lead via a slick passing move. Ki SungYeung opened up the Chelsea defence with a slide-rule pass and left-back Neil Taylor's low cross was diverted by Terry into his own net. Far from awakening Chelsea, the goal only served to increase Swansea's hunger. Bafetimbi Gomis, making his first start for the club in attack,

Man City deny Arsenal in thrilling draw

late header from defender Martin Demichelis secured Manchester City a share of the spoils at the Emirates Stadium as they drew 2-2 with Arsenal on Saturday. It was an entertaining clash as Arsenal came from behind to lead going into the closing stages before the Argentine ensured honours ended even in

north London. Danny Welbeck made his first start for Arsenal and started the game really brightly. The England striker almost opened his Gunners' account on 12 minutes when he raced through on goal and chipped Joe Hart, only to see the ball come back off the post. City slowly grew into the game and took the lead against the run of play through

Sergio Aguero on 28 minutes. Jesus Navas led the break down the right and he waited for Aguero to catch up, before sliding a ball into the box for the striker to sweep home. The visitors were a transformed outfit after taking the lead and Arsenal were thankful to Wojciech Szczesny for keeping out David Silva and Aguero before the interval.

AFCON QUALIFIERS

Disu slams NFF over Eagles poor show

AJUDEEN Disu, exinternational and current Sports Director with Surulere Local Government, has put the blame of Super Eagles' poor run in the ongoing African Cup of Nations RESULTS (AFCON) qualifiers on the ENGLAND doorstep of the crisis-ridden Arsenal 2 - 2 Man City Nigeria Football Federation Chelsea 4 - 2 Swansea City (NFF). Crystal Palace 0 - 0 Burnley The AFCON defending Spton 4 - 0 Newcastle champions have so far played Stoke 0 - 1 Leicester two matches, home to Congo Sunderland 2 - 2 Tottenham and away to South Africa and West Brom 0 - 2 Everton have only a point to show. Liverpool 0-1 Aston Villa Accoding to Disu, a member of the Flying Eagles team to

By Taiwo Alimi Mexico '83 the leadership crisis in the NFF has taken its toll on the senior national team, which culminated in the home loss. “I have played this game to the highest level and you have to understand that whenever there is crisis in the FA, it will affect the coach and players of the national team. Coaches and players may put on a bold face and say they are professionals but inside them they are human too and the stories emanating from the

boardroom can affect their performances.” The former Team Manager of Gateway FC was of the opinion that since a house in crisis cannot stand, he was not surprised that Eagles failed to fly in the matches against Congo and South Africa. “We are talking here about an FA parading two presidents and a divided board. They cannot work as a team. Some of them would even be wishing the team bad so that they can have something to use against the recognised board,” Disu added.

twice blasted wide before Routledge curled a shot from the corner of the penalty area narrowly wide. Chelsea improved as the half wore on and an equaliser arrived on the stroke of halftime when Costa fought off

his marker to meet a Fabregas corner and power home his header. The Blues began the second period on the front foot and it was no surprise to see their dominance rewarded with a second goal.

QUOTABLE “President Goodluck Jonathan lacks the courage to investigate and prosecute the accused, who are his friends. How can you prosecute a person who accompanies you on a high level security meeting to a foreign head of state?”

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2014 TRUTH IN DEFENCE OF FREEDOM VOL. 9, NO. 2970

- The All Progressives Congress (APC) accusing President Goodluck Jonathan for providing state cover for the alleged sponsor of Boko Haram, Senator Modu Sherif, who was recently photographed with the President during a state visit to Chad.

ENJAMIN Adekunle, more popularly known as the Black Scorpion, died yesterday at 78. In spite of the self-aggrandissing books written on the Nigerian Civil War by Olusegun Obasanjo, a former president and the officer who took over command of the Third Marine Commando in 1969 from the then Col. Adekunle, the Black Scorpion was and still probably remains the most acknowledged and applauded hero of the war. He was doubtless controversial, hated by the Igbo against whom he fought brutally and arguably unconventionally, and respected and distrusted in equal measure by the Nigerian side for which he gave his all. But no one, including officers who fought under him and were often made to squirm by his abrasive style and imperious manner, doubted his brilliance, courage, passion for the military, war, and Nigerian unity. His accomplishments were bound to cause him plenty of problems, heartaches and, as it turned out, early retirement. Unfortunately, he found no way to elude fate’s cruel and unrelenting pangs. His views during and after the war were unsparing, irreverent and pungent. They all point to his high intelligence and focus, assuming they could be purged of every hint of insubordination. He knew where he was going early in his life, and he virtually accomplished his goals. His views on the military and the country as a whole should in retrospect be of great use to us in these troubled times, if we are sensible enough to revisit them. Indeed, it is embarrassing that the same military nurtured by officers like Brig Adekunle has proved ineffective and disoriented in the face of the ongoing Boko Haram challenge. Had he not been weighed down by illness in his later years, it would have been interesting to find out what he thought of the Nigerian response to Boko Haram. I do not of course wish to join the unending controversy over Black Scorpion’s years in the Nigerian Army, and especially his command of the Third Marine Commando, a name he coined irreverently in place of the official 3rd Infantry Division. The controversy may never end, even as historians will continue to revisit the subject. Instead, I wish to recount the brief encounter I had with this officer whom I have come to respect and admire very profoundly,

For Benjamin Adekunle (1936-2014)

•Adekunle

far beyond his civil war exploits, far beyond his famous temper, and far beyond his courage, brusqueness , ruthlessness and even recklessness. Apart from being namesakes in a limited way, as a few of my readers would know, I share with him a much more profound admiration for Napoleon Bonaparte, whose life and war tactics I have studied. I have no doubt that had Brig Adekunle lived in Napoleonic times or in the formative years of empires anywhere, he would have been an empire builder himself. He had the courage, the vision, and the skill. But I admire him for far more than these. In 1996, as an editor, I had asked a colleague to go an interview him for a special civil war anniversary edition we were planning. My colleague took along with him a few past issues of our magazine as complimentary copies. He received the reporter well, but declined to give an interview. Rather, he chose to exchange banter with the reporter over a few drinks, spoke somewhat of the civil war years, and tongues and tension loosened by wine, showed the re-

porter bullet wounds on his body in order to put the lie to what some had glamorously described as his magical powers during the war. If your tactics were stupid, he pointed out sarcastically to the reporter, you would be ruined together with your troops. We of course went ahead with the civil war anniversary edition, even though Black Scorpion was of little help. But a few days later, after having read and digested some of the complimentary copies of the magazine given him, he gave me an unexpected phone call. “I have just read copies of your magazine,” he began tersely, perhaps not even knowing the identity of the person he was speaking with, “and I am shocked by the attention you guys give to language. It is mature and of a high quality, and I am impressed and proud that a Nigerian paper could pay such scrupulous attention to the use of English.” I wanted to cut in and ask who was on the line, but he gave no room, as perhaps was his style. His diction was solid, and it didn’t appear to me affected. He used words as frugally and

Civilian JTF, Boko Haram and the Michika/Madagali battles

DISTURBING indication of the crisis bedeviling the Nigerian military in the ongoing war in the north-eastern part of the country is the involvement in the war of the so-called Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) assisting soldiers in combating Boko Haram insurgency. Had their involvement been limited to scouting activities, serving as guides to troops in finding their bearing in the warren that a large part of the Northeast has become, both the reputation of the military and the scouts themselves could have been left untainted. But, out of desperation and without a thought for the implications, the federal and state governments have either encouraged the CJTF to raise the tempo of their involvement in the war to include bearing and using arms or to turn a blind eye to the now armed civilians who have neither been trained in warfare and its complex and variegated doctrines nor schooled in its rules of engagement. Now, alarmingly, the CJTF recruits have tasted blood; it will be difficult henceforth to determine just how far they will go during future challenges, be it in politics or war. At a point last week during the battles for Michika and Madagali, border towns between Borno and Adamawa States, Boko Haram insurgents reportedly ran out of ammunition. Curiously, said the reports, soldiers neither pursued the invaders nor arrested them on any significant scale. Instead, the CJTF pursued the insurgents and slaughtered between 80 to 100 Boko Haram militants. If the insurgents ran out of ammunition, then they were most likely killed in cold blood. Did soldiers knowingly turn

a blind eye? Or did they think it an inconvenience to pursue and arrest the militants, thereby conveniently leaving the reprisal killings, the crimes against humanity, the violation of the Geneva Convention squarely on the heads of the CJTF? Whatever the answers, a threshold has been reached, and notwithstanding the inordinate pressures under which Nigerian troops fight this war that threatens to embarrass them, answers must be provided and efforts made to tidy up what already looks like a messy war in the Northeast. What sets us apart as a country from insurgents and terrorists is our submission to and enamouredness of the rule of law in both peacetime and wartime, a virtue that was nearly undermined by uncoordinated military responses in a number of testy battlegrounds such as Baga, Borno State. The apparently undiscriminating CJTF, who do not appear to owe allegiance to any modern laws of war, and have operated openly in such big towns as Maiduguri itself, must not be allowed to carry out the kind of reprisal killings attributed to them in Madagali and Michika. The military must not give the impression they do not mind the CJTF carrying out the kind of unlawful killings international and domestic laws frown at. Either through CJTF or by any other intermediary, unlawful killings reduce us to the standards and abysmal records of terrorists and extremists. But the greatest fear is not just the breach-

ing of the laws of war, or of the excesses battlefield successes against Boko Haram insurgents might lead the CJTF to perpetrate, but how to cope with the future predilections of the vigilance groups who have now tasted blood. There will definitely be consequences for security, law enforcement and stability in the near future as a large body of young men seemed certain to be unleashed on the country after the war, men and vigilance groups for whom killing has become demystified but without any restraining leash of rules and regulations of war. The kind of killings that reportedly took place in Michika and Madagali by vigilance groups early last week must never be countenanced. It was a mistake to arm the civilian scouts; it will be a more egregious mistake to turn a blind eye to their atrocities, irrespective of how Boko Haram insurgents behave or whatever successes the insurgents might achieve. The tragedy of war in the Northeast is daunting enough in terms of its dislocating effects, killings and economic devastation; it will be catastrophic to complicate it with untrained and armed groups unleashed into the country’s uncertain future simply because they are invaluable now. And yes, we do have a choice, even the luxury, to determine how this war should be fought, and what standards we must uphold. Our humanity, not to say civilization, demands it.

appropriately as the US general, Douglas MacArthur, and his progression, cadence and erudition were truly striking. After saying a few more things, all complimentary and deeply analytical of the magazine, including its visuals and range of subjects, he summed up that the production of the magazine was exemplary, and he would be disposed perhaps next time to give us an interview if we gave him notice. Sensing a pause at last, I quickly asked him who was on the line. “Benjamin,” he said with a firmness and economy that gave insight into his character, and hung up, disallowing me the joy of appreciating his compliments . He was apparently not waiting to receive one, and would probably not have been touched by whatever I had to say. I have never ceased to be amazed. I knew he was intelligent to have, as it were, assembled the 35,000-strong Third Marine Commando from one or two battalions, and led it with aplomb and exampled doggedness, but I had no idea he was a wellread and well-spoken man, or that he paid such exquisite attention to the ornaments and fragrance of language. I confess that before then I had had the funny and unsubstantiated impression of soldiers in these parts as rakes and rambling men, an impression foolishly formed in spite of my study of great generals in history like Hannibal, Alexander the Great, Frederick the Great and a host of others. Notwithstanding the controversy that dogged his time in the army, I believe Brig Benjamin Adekunle was an authentic hero, perhaps as entertaining and unorthodox as MacArthur, a great officer, a brilliant soldier and cultured man. It is a pity that the politics that surrounded his exit from the army, which politics is still undermining many otherwise brilliant careers and subverting the cohesion and fighting ability of the Nigerian Army, was allowed to affect the recognition the country he fought so bravely to preserve should have given him. It is however doubtful whether most Nigerians under 30 years of age knew the Black Scorpion, let alone situate his achievements within the context of Nigerian unity and Nigeria’s military history, especially in the light of our desultory response to Boko Haram and the continuing ineffectiveness, if not impotence, of our national leadership . Sadly, even my own children have no recollection of the fiery general.

Bode George’s hyperbole

HERE will be no end to the silly and infantile ascription of divinity to President Goodluck Jonathan, even from unexpected quarters. A few days ago, a mawkish and inebriated Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, former Governor of Bayelsa State, thinking himself deep and philosophical enough, advised Governor Rotimi Amaechi to grovel before the president in order to propitiate him and his wife. After God, cooed Chief Alamieyeseigha, the president is next, and must not be provoked. It was apparent that, given the way public officials in Nigeria genuflect before the president, governors and other elected officials, the cult of worship and the shrine of political idolatry are flourishing in these parts. Though it is admittedly not out of character, Bode George, the fawning and fantasising former governor and top PDP chieftain, has described the name of the president as divine. Goodluck, he concluded in a newspaper interview, was doubtless a divine name on account of the successful completion of the national conference. There are probably many more top politicians and elected governors and councillors who ascribe divinity to their bosses, and consequently plant and water heretical thoughts in their leaders’ minds. There is apparently no telling just how low Nigerians will sink in subjugating themselves, or how far they will go in encouraging their leaders to act like God.

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