The Nation September 21, 2014

Newspaper of the Year

FG, Red Cross, Boko Haram negotiate release of 30 Chibok Schoolgirls

Ebola: Confusion over schools resumption NUT insists on strike –Page 7 Niger reschedules resumption FCT bars pupils with malaria

–Page 3

Sect kills 40 in fresh Borno, Cameroun attacks acks

Nigeria’s widest circulating newspaper

Vol.09, No. 2978

TRUTH IN DEFENCE OF FREEDOM

SUNDAY

SEPTEMBER 21, 2014

N200.00

Taraba Assembly raises medical panel to probe Suntai’s health –Page 3

As lawmakers move to impeach gov

Mark, first term govs set to return in trade-off 2015: No automatic tickets for other PDP Senators, Reps –Page 3 Northern leaders: Jonathan’s sole candidacy undemocratic ENDANGERED PDP SENATORS

Oshiomhole joins APC presidential race –Page 5

•Ekweremadu (Enugu)

•Gemade (Benue)

•Nwagwu (Ebonyi)

•Etok (Akwa-Ibom)

As part of the fall-out from the concession to state governors that secured President Goodluck Jonathan an automatic ticket for the 2015 presidential contest, a number of the party’s senators may not return after this tenure as their seats are being targeted by governors. These are some of the endangered legislators.

Number of aspirants grows as Buhari, Atiku, Okorocha, Saraki battle for slot

Jonathan at Synagogue, promises probe –Page 4

•Nwaogwu (Abia)

•Pwajok (Plateau)

•Zannah (Borno)

•Manager (Delta)

Church condoles with South Africa, victims’ families To meet govs over buildings collapse

SUPPLY CRISIS HITS NEW 64-PAGE E-PASSPORT

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THE NATION ON SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2014

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CAPTURED

Belgian claiming to be king's daughter passes DNA test hurdle

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BELGIAN sculptor got a boost at the weekend in efforts to prove she is the natural daughter of former king Albert II, after a paternity test ruled out her legal father.

Delphine Boel has been at the centre of a long-running saga in her efforts to prove she is the child of exmonarch Albert, and her first aim was to show that Jacques Boel, from a wealthy industrial family, was not her real father.

"Jacques Boel thought it was time for him too to know the truth," his lawyer Theodora Baum said in an RTBF television report. "Accordingly, he arranged a DNA test which showed that he is not Delphine's father."

The results will be submitted this week to the court where Delphine Boel launched proceedings last year in an effort to prove that Albert II is her real father.

Delphine Boel bears a distinct likeness to Albert II but he has consistently refused to acknowledge her as his daughter.

He enjoyed legal immunity when on the throne but after his abdication in July 2013, this lapsed, opening the way for Delphine Boel to begin proceedings in court.

Jacques Boel's lawyer Baum was quoted as saying that his client "no longer opposed Delphine Boel's" challenge to his paternity.

Her mother is Baroness Sybille de Selys Longchamps who, according to a 1999 book, had an affair with Albert in the 1960s before he became king.

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HE shooting ended in 1970 in Nigeria's fratricidal war, but the war, it is now becoming increasingly obvious has not quite ended. Indeed, the civil war is continuing by other subterranean means, with prejudices and parochialism ossifying along ethnic and regional lines.

Many signs corroborate this conclusion, but none is so poignant as the quarrelsome one-minute silence observed in honour of civil war hero, the controversial Brig-Gen Benjamin 'Black Scorpion' Adekunle, last Tuesday. House of Representatives Majority Leader, Mulikat Adeola-Akande, had briefed the House on the passing of the civil war icon, and had requested a minute silence in his honour. Two Igbo lawmakers, Arua Arunsi and Udo Oluchi Ibeji from Abia State, had objected to the call and denounced the late general. We were not afforded the details of the denunciation, but before the minute silence was eventually observed, Hon. Ibeji was reported to have roared: "I do not care whether he is alive or dead."

Gen Adekunle, it will be recalled, died on Saturday, September 13 at the age of 78. During the civil war, he

Survivor

Lindiwe Ndwandwe, a 33-year-old South African woman, who spent five days under the rubble of a collapsed building belonging to the Synagogue Church of All Nations, before she was rescued, cries near the rubble, in Lagos, Nigeria‌ yesterday.

Photo: AP

BAROMETER sunday@thenationonlineng.net

Reps' minute silence for Benjamin Adekunle: alas, civil war never ended became the most colourful, outspoken and controversial war commander, and was famously reported to have said he owed no apology to anyone for fighting the war so ruthlessly. He had a war to win, he said, a war he reiterated he did not start. Even though more detailed accounts of the war exonerated him of matching his words with action, and was even said to have cared for Igbo captives during the war, he was considered by many Igbo, if not most, to be a war criminal.

The war ended some 44 years ago, but apparently the wound has not healed. It began in 1967 more profoundly as a North versus East conflict; but after it ended, it has more essentially transmogrified into a Southeast versus Southwest competition, an insidious competition that predated the civil war, going back as

far as the 1950s. Given the Ibeji/Arunsi outburst, not to say its distinctive and alarming sectional undertone, the East-West conflict that has seemed to simmer for decades may witness a recrudescence sometime in the near future. The fault lines have remained, the passion has not cooled, the bitterness has endured, much of it, as the latest Chinua Achebe book proved, fuelled by misinformation, misperception and enduring ethnic mistrust and misunderstanding.

It is perhaps apposite that the minute silence controversy has reopened a wound many thought had healed.

Now, we know all is not well. When Emeka Ojukwu died in 2011 also at the age of 78, Nigeria united in grief at the life and time of the leader of the secessionist struggle, with the Senate

devoting an entire session in his honour. Many saw the rebel leader as a flawed but colourful hero, and others

TB Joshua and the Synagogue Church tragedy

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HE problem is not simply that a six-floor guesthouse collapsed on the premises of the Synagogue Church of All Nations in Lagos, as tragic as that was in terms of the human toll and in terms of its spiritual significance. What many see as worrisome in the tragedy is the reaction of the church leadership. Not only did church leaders initially bar rescue agencies from promptly responding to the tragedy as they should and according to the powers conferred on them by law, they also began to assemble a whole architecture of stories and theories about the causes of the collapse. The church response, much more than the mere act of the collapsed build-

ing, is certain to drag the church into unnecessary controversy, cause it a lot of pain, lower it in the esteem of the people, and possibly attract some lawsuits.

Almost certain, too, is that the tragedy, and especially the church response to it, will compel governments everywhere in Nigeria where religious enclaves are located to revisit laws governing the operations of religious settlements. Building regulations are now bound to be more strictly enforced, and governments may be set to look into the books of these enclaves to establish how appropriately they conform to financial rules and regulations. The governments are now less likely to

accept the state-within-state idea.

Above all, given the rather curious theories advanced by Pastor Joshua himself to explain the building collapse, his religious credentials are bound to be more closely scrutinised by a sceptical and cynical public. They will question his doctrine, flinch at his definition and understanding of truth, blanch in horror at his apparent lack of courage in the face of crisis, and warily view his humanity. With about 86 deaths from the building collapse, neither the Synagogue Church nor Pastor Joshua himself will remain the same after this sad incident.

considered him brilliant, eloquent and a natural leader. Yet others described him as undisciplined, paranoid and more superficial than profound. But all were united in admiration of a man who acted in consonance with his belief, a man upon whom was thrust the collective burden and destiny of the Igbo at a time when a leader of his talent and accomplishment was needed. If he had not offered himself, argued some historians, the contradictions of the time and the exigencies of the national turmoil that overwhelmed the country in the middle and late sixties would have produced someone like him.

Given the freshness of the mistrust between the West and East, as evidenced by the minute silence controversy and rousingly inflammatory books that plumbed ethnic conflicts afresh, it seems that urgent and conscious efforts are required to resolve the differences that plague ethnic amity and subvert political competition in Nigeria. Whether the Goodluck Jonathan government can be the agent to summon the discipline and wisdom to resolve these enduring differences is another thing entirely, especially given the fact that his presidency has seemed to harness these differences for private ends and even promote them for his own political objectives.

Historians may fail to agree on the scope of Brig-Gen Adekunle's contributions to the prosecution of the 19671970 civil war, and in fact there is nothing that says they must agree.

But there can be no question that, in spite of his many flaws, he was perhaps the most colourful, charismatic and effective war commander Nigeria has produced. That alone, notwithstanding which side of the divide he brought his unusual and unquenchable military gifts, merits him more than a minute silence in both chambers of the parliament. If the lecherous and larcenous Sani Abacha could have a military barracks named after him, it is in fact time to honour the Black Scorpion very substantially.

By ADEKUNLE ADE-ADELEYE

THE NATION ON SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 21, 2014

S

ENATE President David Mark is in the frame for a record fourth term in the Senate as a reward for his ‘loyalty’ to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP),party sources hinted yesterday in Abuja.

Several first term governors of the party and some other principal officers of the National Assembly also stand a good chance of benefitting from a trade off with the party leaders.

The party is determined to whip into line erring party members and punish those a source labeled ‘rebellious’ members.

Such ‘rebels’ in the Senate and House of Representatives will,thus, not have their current tickets renewed for next year’s election ,it was gathered.

The party has decided against renewing their nomination following the unanimous endorsement of President Goodluck Jonathan for a second term by PDP leaders.

All PDP Senators and Representatives will,accordingly,be

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2015: Mark, first term govs to return in trade off FROM: Yusuf Alli, Managing Editor, Northern Operation

screened with a view to weeding out the ‘rebels’, party sources said yesterday.

Senate President Mark and some principal officers as well as some first term governors will be rewarded with automatic tickets for their ‘loyalty’.

It was gathered that party’s leadership is under pressure to retain its present power sharing formula agreed in 2011.

Also, Governor Sule Lamido of Jigawa State said yesterday that he had never declared interest in the presidential race and there was no question of stepping down.

A high-ranking PDP source, who spoke in confidence, said: “The party will not give auto-

matic ticket to all Senators and House of Representatives. What applied to Jonathan is not across the board.

“Besides performance benchmark, loyalty counts in politics. Some outgoing Senators and members of the House of Representatives were disloyal to the party; they were not committed to the ideals of the ruling party.

“Some members of the National Assembly also disrespected the Office of the President and frustrated budget presentation and laudable programmes of the party.”

The ‘rebels’, abandoned the mandate given to them by the people,the source said, and added: “this is not a question of

vengeance but we will promote discipline and ensure that the right candidates are selected.

“We will not look for robots but we will get the best who believe in quality legislative business.”

Responding to a question, the source said: “The President of the Senate, Chief David Mark and some principal officers in the National Assembly may get automatic ticket if they want to come back. Some party leaders are already making a strong case for these leaders.

“I think there is a strong push for Mark to return as the President of the Senate We will also address local issues surrounding the ticket for some of these leaders in their states.

“We have issues with some principal officers of the House, they should forget returning on the platform of the PDP.” The source added that the party may return to its power sharing formula which was designed in 2011.

“If the leaders retain the power sharing formula of 2011, the South-West may produce the next Speaker of the House of Representatives.

“We want a formula that will appeal to all the six geopolitical zones. There was a distortion since June 2011 and the party is still carrying the burden about.

Meanwhile, Governor Lamido said he never nursed any aspiration for the Office of the President,much less stepping down for President Goodluck Jonathan.

“I have never declared interest in the presidential election. Maybe you should remind me when you and I discussed my declaration and aspiration,” he said in an interview .

“I could not have stepped down for an office I did not seek.”

The governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Umaru Kyari also

gave more insights before boarding a flight to Saudi Arabia for this year’s Hajj.

Kyari said: “He has never told anybody that he was going to contest. That is why they are urging him to contest.

“It is not correct to say he has stepped down for the President because he has never told anybody that he will contest for the presidency in 2015. But it is true that based on his excellent performance, some people were urging him to contest.

“When the South-South, South-West, South-East, NorthCentral, North-East endorsed President Goodluck Jonathan, they had their reasons. But in the North-West, Jigawa State said he has not fulfilled election promises he made in 2011.

“To support the President in 2011, he promised to construct an airport in the state; put a water scheme in Dutse; water works and irrigation project Auyo Valley project, a dual carriage way from Gaya to Jigawa State; and to assist the state in the area of desert encroachment “The Federal Government has not fulfilled all these promises, that was why we said Jigawa should be counted out of the President’s endorsement by the North-West for 2015 poll.

“Even Governor Sule Lamido’s friends in the PDP have spoken to Jonathan that his grouses are genuine and based on the promises.”

FG, Red Cross negotiate release of 30 Chibok School girls

•Sect’s reps say girls not raped, not used as sex slaves

A •From left: Gov. Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom; PDP chieftain, Chief Bode George; Vice President Nnamadi Sambo; President Goodluck Jonathan and PDP National Chairman, Alhaji Adamu Muazu, at the South-west rally of The Peoples Democratic Party in Lagos yesterday.

Taraba Assembly raises panel to investigate Suntai’s health

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HE stage seems to be set for the determination of the fate of Governor Danbaba Suntai of Taraba State as chief executive officer of the state.

The State House of Assembly yesterday constituted a fiveman medical team to investigate his “true state of health” following the October 25, 2012 plane crash involving him and some of his personal aides.

Suntai has been in and out of hospitals in Nigeria, Germany , United States of America and the United Kingdom since then, and unable to resume work.

He is just back from a medical trip abroad.

His political associates say he is physically and mentally well to return to his post but other

Tarabans do not share the view.

The state is sharply divided about his state of health with some suggesting that his deputy, Alhaji Garba Umar should assume the office substantively.

Umar is hardly allowed to see Suntai by the governor’s supporters.

However, House Speaker Josiah Sabo Kente, said in a statement yesterday in Jalingo that the medical panel was constituted following a unanimous demand by members of the state’s executive council.

The commissioners and advisers had, before Suntai’s return from the United Kingdom last week, written to the lawmakers to constitute a medical panel to ascertain the “mental and physical condition of the gover-

nor” with a view to determining whether he is capable of steering the affairs of the state.

The move is seen by many as a step to drop the ailing governor for Umar ahead of the PDP’s governorship primaries.

Umar has indicated interest to run for the 2015 governorship poll and his posters have flooded the state.

The five-man medial panel has Prof. B.B Shehu as Chairman, with Dr. Inusa Samaila, Prof. Peter Alabi, Dr. Shehu Sule and Dr. Ahmed Kara as members.

Kara is personal physician to the governor.

The Speaker said: “consequent upon the receipt of the resolution by the Taraba State Executive Council after its meet-

cent months.

Cameroun’s army responded, and two of the militants were killed and a Camerounian soldier injured, state-run Cameroun Radio Television reported late on Friday.

“Two hours later, the terrorist group again attacked the village of Ganse, also close to Mokolo, and killed four civilians.”

Officials in the defence ministry said yesterday they had been informed of the clashes and were seeking to confirm the details.

More than 40,000 people have fled to Cameroun to escape Boko Haram attacks in northern Nigeria, according to the U.N. refugee agency UNHCR, leaving behind few but the elderly and the disabled in their vil-

ing on September 10, 2014, evoking the provision of section 189 (1) (b) and 189 (4) of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) which requested me to appoint a medical panel to verify the health condition of Governor Danbaba Suntai, I hereby constitute the medical team.”

Suntai’s camp says the Speaker’s decision is an illegality since the commissioners and advisers appointed by Umar and the issue of the governor’s health were being challenged in court.

Suntai, who was seen by President Goodluck Jonathan last Tuesday, has remained in Abuja and it is not clear when he would be coming to Jalingo -the Taraba state capital.

Umar has not seen his principal since his (Suntai’s) return.

Boko Haram kills four Camerounians in cross-border attack

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OUR civilians have been killed in northern Cameroun in a cross-border attack by Boko Haram terrorists, state radio said yesterday.

Boko Haram struck in the early evening on Thursday in the village of Assighassia near the city of Mokolo. It is the latest of its incursions into the hilly side of neighbouring Cameroun in re-

lages across the border.

But once over the border they are still not safe and UNHCR is seeking to transfer many of them to a refugee camp further from the frontier at Minawao.

Foncha Ngeh, a businessman based in Cameroun’s northern hub of Maroua, said that hundreds of people were fleeing from isolated border villages in Cameroon.

FRESH move to secure freedom for some of the over 200 school girls abducted in Chibok, Borno State,

by Boko Haram in April, is underway.

The Federal Government and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) have opened discussion with the sect for the release of the girls, according to agency reports yesterday.

The girls, contrary to fears in many quarters, are also said not to have been raped or used as sex slaves.

The terror group is seeking the release of at least 30 of its members imprisoned by government in exchange for some of the girls, reports said The three parties have met up to four times on the issue within the last one month.

“The two Boko Haram negotiators assured the ICRC and government negotiators that the girls were never raped, were never used as sex slaves and were never sexually assaulted,” one report quoted a source as saying. Boko Haram and Nigeria haven’t been able to see eye-toeye regarding the number of girls to be exchanged for the 30 prisoners.

“They were only ready to release one to one, which the government was not going to accept,” the source said.

Boko Haram submitted a list with the names of 30 members who were either convicted or awaiting trial on terror offences.

The sect has expressed a willingness for a swap with the ICRC at an undisclosed location, according to the source. But there was disagreement on some terms, including the number of girls involved in the swap.

Boko Haram had insisted on an even swap – 30 girls for the 30 commanders – but the government refused, according to the source.

Another hurdle in the talks was Boko Haram’s insistence on

meeting the imprisoned 30 members involved in the swap, but they only had contact with six at their detention centre, the source said.

The six prisoners include Kabiru Sokoto, a senior Boko Haram commander convicted in December 2013 of terror charges related to the deadly Christmas Day bombing of a church in the town of Madallah in 2011.

“ICRC couldn’t find where the remaining 24 were being detained,” the source said.

The Boko Haram negotiators said they would get back to the government after consulting with superiors.

ICRC sources declined to comment.

Previous effort, to negotiate with Boko Haram for the girls’ release failed.

The last was by the Australian priest, Stephen Davies who returned to his country in frustration after several weeks in the country.

The Federal Government denied engaging him Davies sparked controversy when he said prominent politicians and government officials were aiding and abetting the sect.

Former Borno State Governor, Alhaji Ali Modu Sheriff and the immediate past Chief of Army Staff, General Azubuike Ihejirika who were insinuated as backers of the sect strongly denied the allegation.

The Directorate of State Service (DSS) declared Ihejirika innocent of the allegation but said it was investigating Sheriff who, a few days after, was spotted with President Goodluck Jonathan during a visit to neighbouring Chad to discuss the Boko Haram menace with President Idris Deby.

The Presidency, reacting to criticism, said Sheriff, was not part of the President’s entourage and that he was only at the Ndjamena Airport to receive the President having arrived that country earlier.

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THE NATION ON SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 21, 2014

NEWS

Jonathan at Synagogue, promises probe •To meet with governors over building collapse

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O check incessant building collapse, President Goodluck Jonathan, yesterday said he would soon call a meeting of all the 36 state governors in order to take policy decisions on raising high rise buildings in the country.

The policy decisions, he said, will prevent use of defective structures in buildings, strengthening regulations concerning high rise buildings, among others.

He spoke in Lagos at the scene of the collapsed sixstorey building belonging to the Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN), situated in Ikotun, where about 84 persons were said to have died and many others sustained various degrees of injury.

Describing the situation as “very sad story and very sad incident”, he expressed condolences to the Church

From Augustine Ehikioya, Abuja

members, the Head of the Church, Prophet T. B. Joshua and those who lost their dear ones in the incident.

He also condoled with the South African people and the President, Jacob Zuma, whom he said he had already spoken with to extend the nation’s condolences.

He said: “Today when I arrive Lagos, my first port of call was where a six storey building collapsed and 80 people confirmed dead, about 131 people were injured.

“It is a very sad story, very sad incident to us and the international community because most of the people that died in that building collapse were not Nigerians, in fact a majority of them are South Africans.

“I spoke to the President

of South Africa, Jacob Zuma to first express our own sentiments and condolences to the President and people of that country.”

On the collapse of the church, Prophet T B Joshua, alleged that the collapse of the building was caused by an attack on the Church and that it wasý beyond the allegation of structural defects.

He had alleged that a plane circulated four times before the build suddenly collapsed at exactly 12.44 pm.

The South African High Commissioner to Nigeria, Lulu Mnguni, was reported to have said that there could be more than 84 South Africans who died in the incident.

President Jonathan yesterday also assured the Oba of Lagos, His Royal Highness, Oba Rilwan Babatunde Osuolale Aremu

Akiolu I, ýthat the Federal Government would not relent in its infrastructural development programmes, maintenance of peace and security in the country.ý Jonathan, who defied the heavy down pour in Lagos, spoke at the Palace of the Oba of Lagos while on a courtesy visit to Oba Akiolu 1, before attending the scheduled South-West zonal rally of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at the Tafawa Belewa Square, yesterday.

He expressed gratitude to the Oba and His Council of Chiefs for the warm reception always accorded him each time he was in the palace, noting that royal fathers are custodians of land and the nation, and that he would not be in Lagos without coming to pay homage to the Oba to receive royal blessings and prayers.

According to him, Lagos

State is key to the economy of Nigeria and assured that the Federal government was committed to ensuring that nothing negative happens to the state.

He recalled that this informed the reason why the Government rose to the challenge against the spread of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in the state in partnership with the Governor, Babatunde Fashola.

He thanked the Oba of Lagos on how he has been rendering service to the State and nation as Oba and while he was in service as a police officer.

He said: “I thank you for the warm reception you always give to me each time I had been here, I can’t even remember how many times.

“We thank you for the service you have been rendering right from when you were in service as a police officer, and now as the Oba of Lagos.

“We must make sure that we don’t have anything that will affect the economy of Lagos. We assure you that we will continue to do our best in infrastructure development of the country and maintenance of peace and security in the country,” he said He told the Oba that he was in the state for the PDP South-West unity rally meant to bring together the members of the partyý together, adding that he will still come for campaign in future.

He said: “We are here for unity rally, we are not here for campaign but we will still come. We are here to bring the members of the party in the South-West together.

“First, before we go, we came to tell you that we are in your domain and kingdom. We need your royal prayers and blessings because you (traditional rulers) are the owners of the land.”

Responding, Oba of Lagos, Oba Akiolu who noted that leadership is given to anybody by the Almighty God, prayed that God will be with President Jonathan and protect him to realise his vision for the country.

He urged for free and credible election in Lagos and Nigeria during the 2015 general stressing that God knows what is best for the country.

The Oba who expressed his special love for President Jonathan said, “I have special love for Mr. President.

Leadership is bestowed on any person by the Almighty God. God put you in that positioný.”

“God will be with you, God will not abandon you,” he said Despite the current security challenges, he said: “God will bring it to an end” as he advised that there should be special policies for handling security issues.

He assured the president that God would assist him as he appealed to him to ýcontinue doing whatever he needs to do for Lagos state, not minding politics.

One week after, Joshua condoles with victims

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•From left: South African Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr Lulu Mnguni; General Overseer, Synagogue Church Of All Nations (SCOAN), Pastor T.B. JOSHUA; President Goodluck Jonathan and the Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Mrs Adejoke Adefulire during visit of the president to the scene of the Scoan collapse building in Lagos yesterday.

PHOTO: NAN

HE Synagogue, Church Of All Nations yesterday in a statement condoled with the Government and people of South Africa over last week’s tragedy at its premises.

In a statement it said, “Our prayer for you is that God’s presence in your hearts and

lives would more than supply their absence. We need no more to make us strong than to have Christ’s presence with our spirits. We at The Synagogue, Church Of All Nations believe that when the believer dies, he is delivered out of trouble.”

Automatic ticket for Jonathan negates tenets of democracy -ACF chieftain

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leader of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), Mr. Anthony Sani is appalled by the decision of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to grant automatic second term ticket to President Goodluck Jonathan.

Sani says the development shows lack of internal democracy in the nation’s political parties, with another strong voice from the North, Dr. Junaid Mohammed saying Nigeria’s democracy will be a joke, unless the PDP as a party is destroyed.

Sani, former spokesman of the ACF, said in an interview that zoning of political offices in the country died in 2011 after the North was denied the Presidency slot.

He said: “The automatic ticket given to President Jonathan by PDP demonstrates the wisdom of those who say there is no internal democracy in the political parties in Nigeria.

Democracy is the ultimate loser. That is why some people

•Says zoning is dead, poll possible in Adamawa, Borno, Yobe •Junaid Mohammed: Nigeria’s democracy, a joke if PDP is not destroyed FROM: Yusuf Alli, Managing Editor, Northern Operation Abdulgafar Alabelewe, Kaduna

believe our democracy is being redefined.

“You may wish to note that democracy may differ in forms. But when it comes to its three elements of liberty, justice and common decency, democracy is the same.

“So those who wish to redefine the three elements of democracy under home grown can as well reinvent the wheel or redefine the truth.”

He said the purported trade- off between the PDP governors and the President to insulate the governors from probe by the EFCC was disturbing.

His words: “More distressing, there are reports that the PDP governors and the president had a deal that the president would disallow the EFCC from looking into their files after leaving office in

exchange for the endorsement.

“I do not want to believe the reports because corruption is the most singular thing that stands on the way of the efforts at socioeconomic development of this country.

“Corruption has distorted societal values, it has redefined our sense of justice and it has outsourced employment as well as stealing empowerment, stealing the opportunity and stealing the future of young Nigerians.

“That is why the government and public spirited Nigerians must resolve to fight corruption to a stand still for public good.”

Sani said since zoning is dead, Northern candidates should canvass for votes on merit and not “on the basis of the fact that they are Northerners.”

“They will be expected to go round the country and convince Nigerians why they

are eminently qualified and better the incumbent whose performance is on the table.

“I therefore plead with the media that since the South espoused politics of zoning and morally black mailed the North into accepting it during the 1994-1995 constitutions confab, and it was the same South which said it should be killed when it was time for the North in 2011, politics of zoning should be dead and buried for good.”

Asked if INEC should postpone poll in the NorthEast because of insurgency, he said: “If there could be election in Afghanistan, in Pakistan and in Iraq, there is no reason why the elections should be postponed in Nigeria because of Boko Haram.”

In a separate interview, Dr. Junaid Mohammed said the automatic ticket for President Jonathan was aimed at disenfranchising other PDP members who might be interested in the race.

“The issue at stake is not just a PDP internal affair.

Because what is at stake is that, whether we like it or not, PDP is the predominant party in Nigeria, and whatever they do, right or wrong will affect other aspect of our national life,” he said.

“In a very straight forward manner, this is very unhealthy for the Nigerian democracy. Firstly, there are certain principles which govern democracy. First, it is in anchored in the rule of law; if there is no rule of law, there cannot be democracy.

Secondly, the will of the people freely and openly expressed, this must be supreme and it must be permanently respected. Also, in a democracy, the majority will always have their way, but the minority within the party or within the polity must always have their say.

“The idea that, one man or a group of people, whether they are in the National Working Committee or the Board of Trustees or the PDP

Governors or whatever can sit down and in a very arbitrary manner declare a candidate of a party bypassing the constitution of the party, the constitution of the country and the electoral law of the country is nothing but a complete outrage.

“In fairness the PDP has never claimed to be a democratic party, so, if they do certain undemocratic things, we ought not to be surprised, but what they are doing now has surpassed even their terrible lousy standards. Because what they are doing now is that, they don’t believe in democracy, they have no respect for their own constitution.”

When asked what he thinks Nigerians can do, he said, Nigerians should react by any means possible. “I have no doubt in my mind that, Nigeria’s democracy will be a joke, unless the PDP as a party is not destroyed. I repeat, there will be no democracy in the country unless the PDP is destroyed.”

THE NATION ON SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 21, 2014

Supply crisis hits new 64-page e-passport

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HE recently launched 64page e-Passport is not readily available for procurement by Nigerians, two months after.

The document was launched

by President Goodluck Jonathan with fanfare at the presidential Villa Council Chambers on July 30 ostensibly to ease travelling by citizens, but investigation across the country has shown that it might take some time for it to be available.

The president had at the launch in July said among others that his priority was how to make Nigerians abroad get their passports with ease as well as make the Nigerian Immigration Services (NIS) function effectively as they encounter visitors that come into the country.

However, visits by The Nation reporters to some NIS offices show that the 64-page e-passport idea seems a mirage.

Some journalists who recently filled the online application and selected the 64-page booklet as their choice were bluntly told to go and re-fill the form, and select the 32page booklet.

A senior immigration officer said this was because “we don’t have the 64-page in our offices.”

According to the official, “We’re often surprised at some of you journalists. Instead of you to go and find out where the 64-page document is you come here wanting to have them. Sorry o, we don’t have them in our office.

“I, as an immigration official, have never sighted one. I don’t know if you can go to our Oga at the top to get one; but as far as our office here in Lagos in concerned, I am sure we have never issued a single copy since the launch,” he added, before walking off to avoid answering more questions.

The journalists were left with no choice than to accept the 32page e-passport.

The situation is not better at the Ikoyi, Alausa and FESTAC passport offices.

Senior immigrations officers there said: “We don’t have the new 64-page e-passport,” as if they had all rehearsed the phrase.

The president, among others, said passport pages are increased from 32 to 64 to cater for frequent travellers that change their passports almost every other month because of limited pages for visas. He urged NIS officials and all Nigerians to protect the integrity of the passport by ensuring that it cannot be easily faked and to as well conform to international best practices.

At the Ikoyi office, a senior immigration officer said: “You would recall during the launch that the president told Nigerians that the new 64-page e-passport is specifically designed for frequent travellers as well as businessmen as it has better conformity with international best practices.

“Well, what I can say is that it seems the 64-page is available but not for everyone. I don’t know if we have it in Ikoyi. But I am sure we have never issued it to anyone, big or small, in Ikoyi unless a magic happens overnight.

“I got to know that anyone applying for it has to write a letter of request. But he or she must be a heavy-traveller and then, apply to any Passport Control Officer (PCO), who will have to thoroughly check your former or old passport to ascertain if you have travelled many times in one year and if you’ve almost used up all your pages. Seriously, that’s the much I know. But till date, we are yet to issue 64-page to anyone in Ikoyi.”

An official at the FESTAC passport office said: “What the president acknowledged as being a novel idea in Abuja, we are yet to see to admire in FESTAC

By Joke Kujenya (Lagos), Ernest Nwokolo (Abeokuta), Precious Dikewoha (Port Harcourt), Gbenga Omokhunu (Abuja) and Friday Otabor (Benin)

Office. Some of us have even speculated that it could be some kind of experimental exercise. But here, we are not giving anyone as far as I know.

“I overheard someone in our production section saying that they’ve had just eight booklets so far. But when I know for sure is that what Abuja head office is still supplying us consistently are the 32-page booklets.”

Asked how much the 64page passport costs, he said: “I don’t know specifically, but I hear it is between N28, 000 and N30,000. The new price for the 32page is now between N15,000 and N17, 000 and if you want it within two days, you can add just N3, 000 to hasten things up.

“As for the 64-page passport, the question on our lips is: who would issue it and when?”

An immigration officer in Edo State said the Benin office issued its first 64-page passport only last Monday and that was after verification that the owner is a frequent traveller.

“It is not issued to anybody obtaining an international passport for the first time,” he said.

In Rivers State, the PRO, NIS, Abang Bisong, said the command has all the materials including the 64-page e-passport, but the only challenge is “we are waiting for the governor to launch it, first”.

At the NIS, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, an official said: “There are no materials for the 64-page e-Passport.

Investigation by The Nation revealed that over 50 persons who sat at the lobby as well as scores of others that filled the passport unit office were either making first application for the standard 32pages or applying for renewal of the expired ones.

It was further gathered that occasional travellers or first time applicants cannot go for the 64page e-passport not because of legal restrictions but on account of the fact that they are unlikely to exhaust the 32-page standard passport.

Mr. Felix Kuti, Ogun State command PRO, told The Nation that cost of purchasing the epassport is uniform across the federation which could be ascertained on the NIS website, adding that baring network and system failure, any eligible Nigerian can apply for e-passport and obtain same within 24 hours.

When the NIS Headquarters Public Relations Officer, Mr. Chukwuemeka Obua, was contacted on phone, he said :”The major challenge is that the outstations are yet to apply to Abuja for their stock.”

He added: “As at the time it was launched on July 30th and formally took off on August 1st, there were only a few copies in stock. But within a few weeks, more copies were printed and brought to the NIS Abuja command.”

Obua also added that both the new 32-page and 64-page epassports have been enhanced with security features that should be treated with utmost confidentiality and that with all things being equal an average applicant should pick his or her booklet in 72hours.

On the cost of each, Obua said applicants between ages 16 and 59, are to pay N20,000. But when bank commission and courier charges of N2,500 are deducted, each applicant is to pay N15, 000.

Aside this, he said the NIS is not experiencing shortage of the 64page booklets.

NEWS

5

Ogoni monarch escapes death •Palace, cars riddled with bullets T •Youth shot dead by rampaging gunmen

HE traditional ruler (Mene Bua Baa) of Taabaa-Ogoni in Khana Local Government Area of Rivers State, King Kabari Nule, narrowly escaped death yesterday, with his palace and cars riddled with bullets. His palace was invaded by over 50 gunmen.

An innocent youth of the community, whose identity could not be ascertained as at press time was, however, unlucky, as he was gunned down by the rampaging gunmen and he died on the spot.

Indigenes and residents of Taabaa are now living in fear and called on the newly-posted Rivers Commissioner of Police, Dan Bature, and his men, to apprehend the gun-wielding youths and prosecute them, to serve as a deterrent

From Bisi Olaniyi, Port Harcourt

to others.

A source in Taabaa said: “The gunmen entered into Taabaa, shot sporadically and killed one youth, as they moved to the palace of the traditional ruler, where they riddled his palace and his cars with bullets.

“It looked like an assassination attempt, but the gunmen narrowly missed the traditional ruler. A young man was badly injured in the palace. Other occupants of the palace and residents of Taabaa had to scamper to safety out-

side the community.”

The Deputy Speaker of the Rivers House of Assembly, Leyii Kwanee, who is an indigene of Taabaa, when contacted on phone, condemned the invasion of the peaceful community and noted that if the trend was not quickly halted, it would portend danger, ahead of the 2015 elections.

Kwanee, who represents Khana constituency 2, described the incident as “very disturbing,” and urged the commissioner of police to see the ugly development as a test case, for which thorough and immediate investigations must be ensured, to identify

the gunmen and their sponsors, who he said must be prosecuted.

The deputy speaker also admonished the newly-inaugurated Caretaker Chairman of Khana LG council, Gordon Tornwe, to complement the police’s efforts, in order to quickly unravel the mystery behind the invasion.

The Rivers Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Muhammad Kidaya Ahmad, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), was contacted for his reaction to the invasion and if any arrest had been made, but his line was not available.

•Former Vice President and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Atiku Abubakar, Mrs Obioma Igwe and her daughter during the former Vice President’s condolence visit to the Igwe family over the death of Dimgba Igwe in Lagos…yesterday

2015: Oshiomhole to vie for APC presidential ticket •Number of aspirants increase as Buhari, Atiku, Okorocha, Kwankwaso, Saraki battle for slot

G

OVERNOR Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State is warming up to join the 2015 presidential race.

He is expected to slug it out with former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, Senator Bukola Saraki, Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso (Kano), and Governor Rochas Okorocha (Imo) as well as former military Head of State, General Muhammadu Buhari for the ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Gen. Buhari and Senator Bukola Saraki, are yet to officially declare their interest in the contest.

More members of the party may show interest in due course, according to party sources.

Governor Oshiomhole, it was gathered, has already completed consultations at home and abroad on his aspiration.

He was in the United Kingdom and the United States of America (USA) recently as part of the consul-

FROM: Yusuf Alli, Managing Editor, Northern Operation

tations.

He is said to have received encouragement to join the race from friends, including foreigners who have followed his switch from labour to politics and governance.

His backers are convinced that Oshiomhole stands a good chance of making it to Aso Rock Villa since the PDP has conceded its own ticket slot to President Goodluck Jonathan from the Southsouth.

They are of the view that the choice of Oshiomhole might serve as a counter-balancing force to Jonathan in the zone should the APC concede the slot to the Southsouth.

But there is a snag: the recent election of Chief John Odigie-Oyegun from the same zone as the party’s National Chairman.

A source familiar with the development said Oshiomhole has been “look-

ing at the larger picture and not geopolitical calculation.”

“The comrade governor, is considering the need for a leader to salvage the nation rather than any other calculation,” the source said.

“This is why he has been meeting with leaders at home and abroad on his aspiration and how to rescue the nation. He has concluded consultations and he is of the strong opinion that he should vie for the office.

“The governor is interested in the presidential race.

He will make his intention known soon. As a former labour leader, he believes he has a bigger constituency to lead the APC to victory in 2015 if he gets the ticket.

“The governor will make a declaration as soon as the APC releases the guidelines in line with INEC’s timetable.”

The governor’s Special Adviser on Media, Prince Kassim Afegbua, confirmed the interest of his boss in the Presidency.

He said: “This has always been our interest because some of us would not want the Comrade Governor to squander his enormous political capital across the country without giving a shot at the highest office in the land.

He has tremendous courage, brilliance and capacity to contend with developmental issues in the country; ingredients that are presently needed to provide problemsolving leadership at the center.

“Give it to this great former Labour leader that he is one Nigerian who believes so much in the unity of the country and is ready to go to any length to preserve that unity.

“Nigerians need a leader like Comrade Oshiomhole at this time to galvanize all the centrifugal and centripetal forces into a national aspiration to lift the country from its present prostrate state to some kind of Olympian height in a clear headed attempt to earn our cherished position amongst nations of the world.”

He added, “He will wait for the party to blow the whistle but he will test his presidential participation through the primaries. It will be our hope that the members of the APC consider him worthy of this noble cause in the build-up to the 2015 elections. To answer your question, yes, he will contest.”

6

THE NATION ON SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 21, 2014

NEWS

Adefarati’s son urges support for APC From Damisi Ojo, Akure

A

House of Representatives aspirant in Akoko South East/West Federal Constituency in Ondo State, Otunba Adegboyega Adefarati, has urged supporters of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to work assiduously for the success of the party in the 2015 general elections.

Addressing his supporters in the two local government areas in the constituency during the inauguration of his campaign team in Iwaro, the aspirant, who is the son of a former governor of the state, late Chief Adebayo Adefarati, enjoined them to unite and remain focused in order to guarantee victory for the party in 2015.

Promising to uplift the constituency if he is elected next year, Adefarati further noted that his passion for participating in politics is to serve the people by ensuring that they enjoy the dividends of democracy.

Responding on behalf of the coordinators of Adefarati’s campaign group, a former Woman Leader in the local government, Mrs. Ruth Ogbonlaye, assured the aspirant that the group will ensure his success at the 2015 polls.

She said: “This is the time for you to win because you have paid your dues politically, coupled with your good pedigree. You are also a consistent, reliable and dependable leader.”

Why National Confab was convened,

by Jonathan P

RESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan yesterday gave reasons for the convocation of the National Conference by his administration.

Speaking at the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) unity rally South-West zone, held at the Tafawa Balewa Square, Lagos, Jonathan said that the National conference was to facilitate collective rebuilding ýof the country by Nigerians for Nigerians.

He assured that the Federal Government and the Peoples Democratic Party will work together to actualise the content of the Confab report.

He urged the zone to ensure that they sent those whose preoccupation will not be fighting government as their representatives to the National Assembly, otherwise the nation will not go anywhere.

Jonathan said: “When

From Augustine Ehikioya, Abuja

you’re in Lagos, you’re almost in Nigeria because this is one state where almost every part of the country is well represented. When you come to the South West rally, it’s like addressing the entire country, of course, this state and neighbouring states, because of the economic activities control major economic activities and this is a place we hold dear to us.”

“And when we come to Lagos State, we continue to promise people of our transformational leadership of this government, we promiseýd that we will transform Nigeria, we promise that we will make changes and we promised that we will never do bad.

“And for us to do that, we need all Nigerians to work

with us and that’s one of the reasons we set up the National conference because the idea is to tap the brains ýof all Nigerians, we went all the corners of the country gathered all the people, youths, men and women, labour leaders and all others to come and contribute for that.”

He went on: “The idea is that by the time we take that document to implement, we will be rebuilding Nigeria based on the thinking of Nigerians for Nigerians.”

Jonathan expressed gratitude to the South West people for their support and commitment to the National conference, which he said afforded them the opportunity to ventilate their thinking and interest.

He said: “And let me specially thank the people of the

South-West, because this is the South-West zonal rally for your commitment and your robust support for the National conference.”

“In the first place, the man who led the team, went round the country to drew the map for the conference is Sen. Femi Okurounmu, your own son.

You donated him to us, he played a very wonderful role.”

“During the national conference, one of your son, Prof.

Bolaji Akinyemi was the Vice Chairman, of course you all know the commitment and believes of the South-Westerners in terms ýreforming this country. So, I believe that the document that will come out will reflect the thinking and interest of the people of this zone.”

“And we promise you that we will work with the National Assembly to make sure that we actualise the content of that report.”

Osun call circular for 2015 budget ready for collection From Adesoji Adeniyi, Osogbo

T

HE Special Adviser to Osun State governor on Budget and Economic Planning, Mr. Bade Adesina, has said that the 2015 Budget call circular for Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) in the state is ready for collection.

Speaking in a statement issued by the Permanent Secretary, Budget and Economic Planning, Mr. Segun Olorunsogo, he called on heads of the MDAs to collect the call circular from the Office of Budget and Economic Planning, Finance in Osogbo, the state capital.

While imploring all the MDAs to adhere strictly to the instructions in the call circular for the formulation of the 2015 budget, the governor’s aide further enjoined them to ensure thoroughness and transparency in the preparation of the 2015 budget.

According to him, budget preparation and formulation is a serious exercise which should be accorded the deserved seriousness and attention.

Ajimobi’s wife for Oyo bread exhibition From Tayo Johnson, Ibadan

T

HE wife of the Oyo State Governor, Mrs. Florence Ajimobi, will on October 1, declare open the second Oyo bread exhibition organised by Exquisito Confectioneries.

The exhibition tagged The Bread Connoiseurs, will be held at the Pentorise Event Centre, Bodija.

According to the Chief Executive Officer of Exquisito Confectioners, Deola Layade, Ajimobi will also at the occasion unveil a bread magazine.

Top comedian, Gbenga Adeyinka, will anchor the event.

•Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, SAN (2 nd right); Commissioner for the Environment, Mr. Tunji Bello (right); Managing Director, Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), Mr. Ola Oresanya (left) and Managing Director, Sterling Bank, Mr. Yemi Adeola (2nd left) during the 6th Street Sweepers’ Workshop with the theme, ‘Let’s keep Our Environment Clean at all Times’ organised by LAWMA at the Onikan Stadium, Lagos…yesterday

PDP planning to unleash mayhem in Osun, APC alleges

T

HE Osun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has raised the alarm over an alleged plot by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to unleash mayhem in the state and make it ungovernable.

The party made this allegation in Osogbo, the state capital, citing what it called “intelligence reports received from insider sources within the PDP.” According to the APC, the PDP leadership in the state is

allegedly mobilising youths, who would be transported to Abuja to protest the victory of Governor Rauf Aregbesola in the August 9 governorship election.

The planned protest, the party further alleged, is aimed at denouncing the yet-to-besubstantiated allegation that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) allegedly connived with the governor and the APC to “rig” the August 9 election.

According to the APC, the

underlying theme of the Abuja protest by the PDP is to “expose the fact that INEC gave the election to the APC to prevent President Goodluck Jonathan from winning the 2015 presidential election.”

The APC alleged that the first phase of the alleged plot is to hire 10 buses that will convey young men and women to Abuja to protest Aregbesola’s victory. “The youths are allegedly being motivated with N10 million to participate,” APC claimed.

After the Abuja protest, APC sources alleged that its leaders and supporters would be attacked by thugs in a sustained reign of terror that will destroy lives and properties.

While calling on the people of the state to brace up and protect themselves and their properties from PDP hirelings, the APC also advised the PDP that no amount of violence, illegal plots and political shenanigan could overturn the people’s verdict of August 9.

Meanwhile the APC has indicated that it would commence a supplementary membership registration drive from Monday, October 22 in all the 332 wards of the state.

Lagos assures investors of sustained infrastructural development

T

HE Lagos State Government has assured investors and partners of the state government that the ongoing infrastructural projects would not stop when the tenure of the present administration expires next year.

Commissioner for Finance, Mr. Ayo Gbeleyi, gave the assurance at the 2014 Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the N275billion Debt Issuance Program organised by the Ministry of Finance, Dept Management Office in Lagos.

Gbeleyi, who said the government was making steady progress with the support of the bond holders, noted that infrastructural development

By Miriam Ekene-Okoro

in the state would not have been possible with the payment of taxes and transfers alone.

He said the state government is determined to continue to follow examples in developed countries all over the world by prudently using debt to finance infrastructure to achieve optimal results.

While allaying fears that the ongoing development in the state will suffer a setback after the tenure of Governor Babatunde Fashola’s administration, Gbeleyi further stressed that structures have been put in place to ensure that

the next administration build on the achievements of the present government.

He said: “As we go into the elections, we trust that the new administration will come up with new actions and financial strategies that will include fresh bond issuance programs to fund development projects in the state.

“There is a framework of legislation and existing laws under which the bond is managed, so it would be sustained.

We have put on ground existing legal structures to ensure that the next administration use this platform to drive its development plans.”

“The monies that have

been raised in the series of bonds so far have been prudently applied to projects that would turn the lives of the residents around. We have gained the confidence of the investors.

We had a N275bn bond issuance program approved by the Securities Exchange Commission (SEC).

“Late last year, we issued the last tranche of that bond and that marks the closure of that particular program. Most of our bonds were oversubscribed. For last year, it was 139 per cent subscribed which shows the confidence reposed in this administration by the investors and the global rating agencies.”

2015: PDP has nothing to offer Lagosians, says Hamzat

By Miriam Ekene-Okoro

T

HE Lagos State Commissioner for Works and governorship aspirant on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr. Kadri Obafemi Hamzat, has dismissed the chances of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in next year’s governorship election in the state.

Hamzat made this remark at Lagos Island during the continuation of his meet-the-people tour of local governments in the state.

He said: “Since being in power at the centre from 1999, what meaningful thing have they done for the people of the country? Nothing! So, they are just salivating of ruling Lagos, but Lagosians have rejected them before and they will continue to reject them” The tour is a sensitisation and awareness program geared towards declaring his intention to run for the office of governor.

He explained that a mega city state like Lagos needs someone with experience and knowledge of governance to ensure continuity of the people-oriented policies of the present administration.

Hamzat also stressed the need to always ensure that round pegs are put in round holes, adding that this will bring the desired hope of excellence in governance.

He added, “No matter how much knowledge he has, a carpenter can never do the work of a plumber. Lagos needs a man with experience and knowledge of governance”.

The foremost aspirant stated that he has the needed experience and knowledge of governance of the state which distinguishes from the other aspirants.

APC stakeholders endorse Ajimobi, Ogunniran

M

AJOR stakeholders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) under the aegis of the Oyo Youth Forum have endorsed the second term ambition of the Oyo State Governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi.

At a sensitisation and mobilisation rally held in Ibadan, the state capital, the youth group also expressed its support to the House of Representatives aspirant in Egbeda/ Ona Ara Federal Constituency, Mr. Adewale Ogunniran, while calling on the people of the state to vote massively for the APC in the 2015 general elections.

The rally, which witnessed a high turnout of party leaders and members, was also graced by the leading lights of Ogunniran’s campaign group, Ogunniran Adewale Movement (O.A.M), who described the aspirant as the best of all the aspirants in the APC. The journalist-turned-politician, they argued, possess the track record and the capacity to deliver the federal constituency to APC, in addition to providing the dividends of democracy to the people when elected.

Speaking at the occasion, the chairman of the local council, Mr. Ismaila Olatunde Akanni, called on the people of the state to vote for continuity by voting for Ajimobi in next year’s governorship election, while Ogunniran on his part, said the governor deserves to be reelected due to what he described as “his unequal and unparalleled achievements.”

THE NATION ON SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 21, 2014

NEWS

7

Ebola: Confusion over schools’ reopening

W

HAT shape will the reopening of private and primary schools for the 2014/2015 session take when the schools fling open their gates tomorrow?

The situation remains uncertain for now in many states of the federation,24 hours to go,with the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT) insisting that it is not prepared to expose its members to the Ebola disease.

Some states including Ogun and Oyo have rescheduled resumption until after the Eid el Kabir.

But Lagos, Anambra, Enugu and Cross River States as well as the authorities of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have given schools in their domain to re-open, although with a caveat in Abuja:students with malaria should be sent back home.

Governor Raji Fashola of Lagos State said on Friday that there is no reason for government to delay resumption after the last suspected case of the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in the state has been cleared.

The state government also announced on Friday that it has distributed thermoscans, a scientific instrument used to measure body temperature to its 1007 Ebola Focal Officers in public primary schools and deployed 668 Ebola Focal Officers in its public secondary schools as part of the measures to deal with the disease.

The governor told worshippers at the Government Secretariat Central Mosque, Alausa, where he observed Jumat Prayers that the development implied that the state was now Ebola free and that it was safe enough for schools to resume tomorrow.

His Special Adviser Public Health, Dr. Yewande Adeshina,said at a separate forum that the Ebola Focal Officers will be responsible for sur-

•NUT insists on strike •Niger reschedules resumption •No admission for pupils with malaria in FCT

By Gbenga Omokhunu,Abuja/ Nichola Kanu,Calabar/Kolade Adeyemi,Kano,Abdulgafar Alabelewe,Kaduna/Chrs Oji,Enugu/Nwanosike,Awka and Adegunle Olugbamila

veillance and health monitoring of the disease in each school and interface between Schools and Primary Healthcare Center if the need to refer students arises.

Mrs. Adeshina noted that the thermoscan were procured by the state government for use of schools in order to check vital signs of students especially body temperature which can signal the commencement of fever.

She added that government also planned to provide public schools which are not connected to the State water supply with water stressing that gloves and liquid soaps for hand washing have also been procured to aid personal and environmental hygiene.

The Chairman of the NUT in the state,Mr. Adesegun Raheem,however said that teachers would only report for work tomorrow if preventive materials to reduce the risk of contracting Ebola are provided.

“We actually spoke with the government and we reminded them of the meeting they had with the Minister of Education on the safety requirements and preventive gadgets that must be put in place in our schools,before schools resume.If those things are there,we will resume,” he said on Channels Television on Friday.

He admitted that government had already contacted him and briefed him that some of

the gadgets had been distributed.

He said the union has dispatched a delegation to go and confirm the government’s claim.

“If they (gadgets) are distributed and are in their actual number,in the normal quantity,then we would call the head office to inform them and they will give us the goahead to actually resume,” Raheem added.

The Principal, King’s College, Lagos, Mr Oladele Olapeju, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that all is set for the resumption of academic activities in the college tomorrow as all necessary facilities have been put in place.

He said the college management had organised a sensitisation exercise for the teachers on how to check the spread of the disease, in line with government’s directive.

The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) administration warned teachers in the territory not to admit any child with high temperature or symptoms of malaria.

Any such child, it said ,should be sent home for treatment and certified free of malaria before admission.

The FCT Education Secretary, Malam Kabiru Usman announced the measure yes-

terday during the distribution of Ebola Prevention/sanitary items to FCT School Principals and head teachers.

Each school was received a cartoon of hand sanitizer, liquid disinfectants and hand gloves while posters on direction of proper use of the items are also presented to school authorities.

1, 264 schools are expected to get the preventive equipment Usman said the secretariat has enough of these items to last till the end of the year while in January more would be procured if need be.

Besides,no fewer than 2, 500 Primary and Secondary school teachers have been trained in the FCT on how to handle suspected cases of Ebola in schools.

The NUT in Anambra State said yesterday that teachers would not hesitate to resume for work tomorrow provided items like liquid soap, thermoscans , sanitizers and hand gloves are made available by government.

The state NUT Chairman ,Mr. Ifeanyi Offodile said government was also working on non-functioning boreholes in schools and the state would concult with the national secretariat to determine its next line of action.

“Teachers and school chil-

dren are vulnerable and we do not want them to take risks unnecessarily that will endanger their lives,” Offodile said.

Education Commissioner Kate Omenugha said all the necessary items are available and was confident that all nonfunctioning boreholes would have been repaired by tomorrow.

She said:”We are proactive, we started with the primary schools because they are the people more vulnerable, what we are doing now is a scale up” “We had called a stakeholders’ meeting some weeks back and four days ago another one was equally held . I am telling you now that Anambra is ready for schools resumption on Monday,” Omenugha said.

Her Enugu State counterpart,Mr. Christopher Okoro, said all the required items are also been made available to schools in the state by government.

He also said teachers have been trained to build their “capacity in the recommended strategies for EVD prevention which includes prompt surveillance with a view to detecting early symptoms of the disease and pro-actively taking steps to establish contact with the Ministry of Education for professional intervention.”

The training was facilitated by government and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

A committee has been set up to go round schools to monitor compliance with

government’s directive on hand washing .

Staekeholders in Cross River are divided on resumption of schools.

While Education Commisioner Offiong Offiong says the schools are ready, parents do not think so.

Offiong said: “For us we are actually ready for reopening on Monday. Following the last meeting we had with the Hon Minister of Education ,I commenced negotiations immediately with the Commissioner for Health.

“They (Federal authorities) appointed two key trainers to work with us. We came up with a training manual and we divided the state into six zones viz Ogoja, Obudu, Ikom, Ugep, Akampka and Calabar. We started with training and sensitization in Calabar. We are going to conclude in all the centres today (Friday). We have sensitized a cross section of stakeholders in the education sector and even interested members of the society.

“So far, over 6000 participants have been trained and sensitized. In addition to this we recognize that some of our schools may not have running taps as well as constant supply of water. So we have also made provision for tanks. As I am talking to you we are disbursing monies to principals and head teachers to but tanks with taps to enable them have water to sustain regular handwashing for students and staff. This is just a short term measure.

Eight killed, 24 injured in Kebbi crisis

K

AMBA town, a border town to Niger and Benin Republic, in Dandi Local Government Area of Kebbi State, was thrown into turmoil in the early hours of today after the killing of about eight people allegedly by some policemen, with 24 others reportedly hospitalised as a result of injuries sustained during the fracas.

The crisis, according to eyewitness account, was triggered after a man suspected to be a ritualist suspected to have kidnapped a five year old girl a two weeks ago, was spotted in the town by some vigilant people who reportedly mobilised and arrested the man believed to be a Niger Republic citizen.

Reports claim that the man was later handed over to the police in the town, but the people, mainly the youths having recalled similar experience when alleged criminals from neighbouring countries after being apprehended by the vigilant group and handed over to the police but were later released by the police.

A large number of youths were said to have stormed the police station to demand that the suspect be made to face the full wrath of the law.

However, this action was said to have infuriated the Di-

From Khadijat Saidu, Birnin Kebbi

visional Police Officer (DPO) in charge of the station treated according to the law and not the other way round, who allegedly ordered his men to disperse the crowd.

Acting on this directive, the police allegedly shot into the crowd, which resulted into the death of eight people, while 24 others sustained serious injuries.

When The Nation visited Kamba General Hospital where the injured were receiving treatment, some of them were seen in their pool of blood, while a few others had their intestines in the open, even as another victim was shot at his private part.

The DPO, The Nation further gathered, has allegedly fled the town as a result of the incident.

When contacted, the new commissioner of Police of the state, Mr. Ishaku Baura who assumed duties last week, declined comment. Efforts to reach the Police spokesman also proved abortive, as he has been transferred out of the state., while a new PPRO is yet to be appointed.

Meanwhile, the chairman of the local government, Alhaji Umar Yakubu Kamba, has appealed for calm, while assuring that the crisis would be brought under control as soon as possible.

• Oba of Lagos, His Royal Majesty, Oba Rilwan Akinolu I (left) with the Emir of Kano, His Royal Highness, Muhammadu Sanusi II (right) during his thank you visit to the Oba of Lagos at his Iga Idunganran Palace, Lagos, yesterday

Auditor General clears Oronsanye of N123b fraud

F

RESH facts emerged at the weekend that the office of the Auditor General of the Federation may have distanced itself from a report alleging that the Auditor General’s report indicted the former Head of Service, Mr. Steve Oronsanye of N123billion fraud.

It would be recalled that a report by an online medium had alleged that the Auditor General’s report found Oronsanye culpable of N123billion fraud.

However, in a full page disclaimer published in some selected dailies at the weekend, the Auditor General frowned at what he described

By Ibrahim Apekhade Yusuf

as malicious and character assassinating publications.

“With rude shock and disbelief, our attention was drawn to an online publication by Premium Times of September 15, 2014, with the misleading caption: “Investigation: Auditor General’s Report indicts Ex-Head of Service, Oronsanye, for N123billion fraud.”

“Paragraph 5 of the said publication alleged that the Auditor-General submitted an audit report, which indicted an ex-Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mr. Stephen Oronsanye for N123billion fraud without

corresponding action from the government.

“A similar story was also published on page 12 of ThisDay of Tuesday, September 16, 2014 and on page 5 of Daily Trust of Wednesday, September 17, 2014. These publications, in all ramifications are an embodiment of mischief and misrepresentation of facts of the matter.

“In the light of this ugly development, the Office of the Auditor General for the Federation totally and vehemently dissociates itself from the malicious and character assassinating publications by Premium Times, ThisDay and Daily Trust and also con-

demns its intention,” the disclaimer reads in part.

As at press time, efforts to reach Oronsaye for comments were futile. But a source close to the former Head of Service confided in The Nation that he may be considering a legal redress.

The source further hinted that the malicious publication may have been sponsored by those opposed to the Bill for the establishment of the Nigeria Financial Intelligence Centre (NFIC), an initiative being supported by the former Head of Service in his capacity as Chairman, Presidential Committee on the Financial Action Task Force.

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THE NATION ON SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2014

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THE NATION ON SUNDAY SEPTMEBR 21, 2014

•Jonathan fter much subterfuge about his predictable desire for a second term, President Goodluck Jonathan emerged from windy backdoor politicking on Thursday with an automatic ticket to seek re-election in 2015 on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The unanimous but 'forced' decision of the National Executive Committee (NEC) has foreclosed the aspiration of any other member of the party for the plum job.

A relieved and elated Jonathan said: "The events of yesterday, starting with BoT meeting last night and what has just happened today, with the various motions adopting me as sole candidate of the party have really humbled me.

Let me specially thank our governors that initiated that action, let me thank members of BoT, let me thank the Senate President and members of the National Assembly, let me appreciate the PDP women for their position and the NEC, because no matter what anybody does, without the NEC, you will be on your own. Adopting me as the sole candidate of the party has humbled me; I am totally overwhelmed. When the governors came up in a jointly signed paper, though House of Representatives started it, governors' intervention was like an atomic bomb. I commend all departments of the NEC. I am so overwhelmed that I lack words to express myself. I leave it for another day. For today, for you to have that kind of confidence, I am extremely challenged. It means that whatever we had done in the past three years, we'll triple it. That is the only way Nigerians will appreciate it. I promise I will not disappoint you."

ON A FAMILIAR TERRAIN The automatic adoption of Jonathan as the PDP's candidate is not new. He is on a familiar historical second term terrain which his predecessors treaded. In 1983, exPresident Shehu Shagari secured a

A

•Muazu

•Aliyu

•Akpabio

•Lamido

Jonathan's 2015 ticket: The intrigues and fall-out

The race for the 2015 presidential poll kicked off in earnest on Thursday with the automatic ticket bestowed on President Goodluck Jonathan by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). In this piece, MANAGING EDITOR, NORTHERN OPERATION, YUSUF ALLI, examines the intrigues and probes if Jonathan will have the last laugh. similar mandate with landslide victory through a disputed poll conducted by the defunct Federal Electoral Commission which was headed by the late Justice Victor Ovie-Whiskey. It was the turn of ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo in 2003 to follow the same path in 2003 in a poll coordinated by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of the late Prof.

Abel Guobadia. Each second term aspiration attracted much controversy and desperation by the incumbent.

WHY GOVERNORS WERE FORCED TO CONCEDE TO JONATHAN Prior to Thursday, Jonathan and his strategists had embarked on compulsory pulse-feeling rallies in the six geopolitical zones through the humongous Transformation Ambassadors of Nigeria (TAN). The rallies, including the near tragic one in Minna, turned out to be sycophantic outings to pledge loyalty to the president rather than avenues for truly gauging the mood of Nigerians.

One of those coordinating the rallies had been under investigation for allegedly buying a three-million pounds house in the UK. He saw the rallies as the last straw to cling to for

survival. It was such a costly adventure that some ministers scampered to their parastatals to raise funds. At a point, a minister blurted out: "These TAN boys are making fortunes, yet they are pretending to be committed to the president's re-election bid."

Unknown to many, Jonathan's strategists opted for the automatic ticket as a bait to hoodwink PDP governors.

According to findings, security reports; the fear of backlash from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and survival instincts made the PDP governors, led by their chairman, Chief Godswill Akpabio, to moot the idea of automatic ticket for the President.

Although the smokescreen used to brainwash members of the NWC, BOT and the NEC was the need to "keep the PDP united to confront the opposition in 2015," it was gathered that the President's strategists felt there was no point going through the same heated primaries of 2011 which almost polarized the party along North-South dichotomy. The foot soldiers reasoned that the fierce primaries might "demean the President before the electorate and the opposition will capitalize on issues from presidential aspirants."

According to a reliable source, the

first stage of the automatic ticket started in early 2013 and it was about the taming of the likely presidential aspirants in the party, especially those from the North. There were a lot of security monitoring of some of the aspirants and they were confronted. Before then Governors Godswill Akpabio, Sule Lamido, Speaker Aminu Tambuwal, Babangida Aliyu, Isa Yuguda, Ibrahim Shema were rumoured to either have presidential or vice presidential ambitions.

But the source said a "one-on-one" engagement method was used by the president to blackmail, lobby, or railroad them from the race. The source added: "Among the aspirants, at a stage Akpabio and Babangida Aliyu lost favour in the presidency and they had to retrace their steps. As for Shema, he gained an advantage by warming himself into the heart of the president.

Today, his cousin sits atop a moneyspinning agency courtesy of the president's magnanimity. The pressure was so much on Akpabio and that through the Secretary to Akwa Ibom Government, Udom Emmanuel, on January 11, 2014 he had to come clean in a statement on his aspiration. The statement said: "For the avoidance of

doubt, we wish to state in clear and unambiguous terms that Governor Godswill Akpabio is not interested in, and is not nursing any presidential or vice-presidential ambition. Akpabio had been known as "The Promise Keeper" because he was known to always keep his word and he had expressed it at several times that he had no presidential or vice-presidential ambition. Dr Goodluck Jonathan; his wife, Patience; the Governors' Forum; the Peoples Democratic Party and Nigerians should discountenance the evil conspiracy and campaign of lies and falsehood."

The zonal rallies of the Transformation Ambassadors of Nigeria (TAN) were allegedly used by the coordinating governors to set agenda for the consensus option. Once satisfied that no governor was opposed to the re-election bid, the coast was free for the adoption.

But the automatic ticket was not without some conditions from the governors, members of the National Assembly and the Board of Trustees. A Senator, who is a NEC member, said: "The governors gave some conditions.

These include automatic re-election slot for all first term governors; Senatorial ticket for second term governors aspiring to go to the Senate; and prevailing on the EFCC to be softer on any second term governor with issues. The same conditions may apply to "loyal" members of the Senate and House of Representatives. For instance, the President of the Senate, David Mark is interested in coming back to the Senate and he wants to retain the office."

On his part, a former Deputy National Chairman of the PDP, Alhaji Shuaibu Oyedokun, told a national daily that Jonathan was given three conditions. Oyedokun said: He said: "What we have asked him to do are not difficult and he has promised to do them. We have asked that he should make sure that peace returns to all parts of the country. We also asked him to

•Contd. on page 10

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NEWS REVIEW

THE NATION ON SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2014

The intrigues and fall-out •Contd. from page 9

ensure that he should implement the party's manifesto, which he also said he would do. Then, we insisted that the transformation agenda must be implemented to the benefit of all the sections of our country in accordance with the PDP constitution."

THE AFTERMATH: CAN JONATHAN WIN RE-ELECTION? With the automatic ticket handy, there are still apprehensions in Jonathan's camp on the next stage of the battle ahead. These fears border on the possibility of the governors walking the talk or living up to their decision to give Jonathan a second term ticket; the unpredictable mindset of the North as reflected recently by the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF); the formidable nature of the opposition, especially the All Progressives Congress (APC); and the perception of the President's performance by Nigerians.

MOTION FROM WRONG PRISM? Contrary to their posturing, not all PDP governors are really keen on Jonathan's re-election but they only accepted the inevitable. Right from the mover of the motion of the automatic ticket, Governor Babangida Aliyu of Niger State it was apparent that the game might still be a hide and seek one.

The same Aliyu stirred the hornet's nest when he put a political burden on Jonathan by claiming that he signed an agreement in 2011 to serve only one term in office. He has not produced any shred of evidence till date. Aliyu had also in November 2013 alleged that the presidency had bribed about 400 prominent Northerners to support Jonathan in his alleged bid for reelection in 2015. He claimed that he would make the list public as soon as he obtained it.

But a former Political Adviser to the President, Ahmed Gulak, quickly fired back. Gulak said: "Nigerians should be able to know Aliyu Babangida for who he is. He is reckless with speech and fond of trying to malign the President.

They should just ignore him for always trying to play to the gallery.

"I think that the Niger State Governor is rubbishing the high office which he occupies and should learn to respect his office. Not done, the same Aliyu went to Jigawa State where he praised Governor Sule Lamido to high heavens as qualified for higher service, a suggestion which drew much applause during the flag-off of the 2014 Hajj Operation at the N13 billion new Dutse International Airport at Fanisau village, Dutse. Aliyu, who is also the chair of the Northern Governor's Forum, said: "I've heard about what you have been doing and I have come to see it for myself. All I can say is that you should be prepared for higher service.

"Barely some days after, the same governor through his Chief Press Secretary, Israel Ebije, denied endorsing Lamido for the presidency in 2015. He said: "I did not opt for him. I only wished Governor Lamido well in whatever endeavour of his choice after the completion of his governorship tenure.

I did not say what some papers allegedly published and it is not for me to tell anybody to vie for political office.

After all we have a President…unless there is any reason to which there is none presently. What I told him was to prepare for greater responsibilities.

A member of the PDP NEC said: "We all watched in bewilderment as Aliyu was blowing his usual grammar as if he meant it. We all knew that he is consistently inconsistent. I will not be surprised if he sings a new tune if the game changes tomorrow. So, if you judge by the pronouncement of the Niger State Governor, the automatic endorsement has a faulty start. He moved the motion to pledge his loyalty and not based on political calculations."

CAN GOVERNORS DELIVER THEIR STATES TO JONATHAN? Besides the South-South and SouthEast governors and ministers who had been securing their zones for the President for 2015, the game is still dicey

•Mimiko

•Yuguda in the remaining 25 states and the FCT, especially the North. Apart from Governors Lamido and Shema who seem to have cult followership, none of the PDP governors or ministers from the North can boast of delivering their states to Jonathan in 2011. Checks revealed that some PDP governors and ministers are fast losing out in Kogi, Benue, Niger, Bauchi, Adamawa, Sokoto, Taraba, Kebbi, Kaduna, Plateau, Nasarawa, Kano, Zamfara, Kwara, Yobe, Borno.

Investigation revealed that the President might be saved in some of these states by other influential political forces. The examples abound. A former Chief of Army Staff, Gen. T.Y. Danjuma holds the forte firmly in Taraba State ahead of the acting Governor, Garba Umar; Vice President Namadi Sambo is striving to consolidate in Kaduna for his protege, Governor Ramalan Yero; and only ex-Heads of State, Ibrahim Babangida and Abdulsalami Abubakar, ex-Governor Abdulkadir Kure and some Emirs control the political machinery in Niger State. PDP barely managed to win a senatorial poll a few weeks ago in Niger State. In Nasarawa, in spite of the noise from the Minister of Information, Labaran Maku, the political terrain is a straightforward battle between Governor Tanko AlMakura and Senator Solomon Ewuga/ ex-Governor Aliyu Doma axis of the PDP. In Plateau, the manner in which Governor Jonah Jang manages his succession plan will make or mar the fate of PDP in the state. Jang, no doubt, is on the edge. Acting Governor of Adamawa State, Umaru Fintiri, by reneging on the agreement not to contest for governorship poll in 2015 has angered stakeholders in the state who may opt for protest votes during the governorship and presidential elections. Fintiri may be Jonathan's albatross if unchecked on time.

The shutting down of schools for

eight months in a year has affected the rating of Gabriel Suswam but the President of the Senate, Chief David Mark is pulling the strings to salvage the situation. The crisis of confidence between Senator Gbemisola Saraki and some political chieftains has caused a major setback for PDP in Kwara State.

With Senator Saraki almost on her way out of PDP again, the APC might have an easy ride in 2015 in the state. Though the Minister of National Planning, Dr. Suleiman Abubakar is proving to be an arbiter to reunite the party, he is coming at the last minute with a strong support from his benefactor, Hajiya Muinat Bola Shagaya. At worst, the Minister can lead PDP to secure about 25 to 30 per cent of the votes.

The one-man show in Kogi State

by Governor Idris Wada is making some PDP stalwarts to look for succour in other parties, especially the APC. Rated has a "political boy" of Aso Rock, Wada runs an exclusive party structure which has alienated some stakeholders. The President's friends like oil magnate, Chief Jide Omokore; Senator Smart Adeyemi; and apolitical admirer, Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation, Mohammed Bello Adoke (SAN) can mop up the situation for Jonathan. But a stitch in time saves nine. APC has gained more mileage in the state.

In Bauchi State, the suppressed cold war between the National Chairman of the PDP, Alhaji Adamu Muazu and Governor Isa Yuguda might still rear its head to the benefit of the opposition.

Adding to the burden is the gubernatorial ambition of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Senator Bala Mohammed. The troika will definitely battle for the soul of Bauchi PDP unless there is a rapid intervention from the Presidency.

A highly-placed source said: "Jonathan can make it in some states in North-Central, North-West and North-East if he plays the game right.

What the PDP is banking on now is to take the votes of the minority and Christians in the three regions for granted but the joker might not work.

The people of Southern Kaduna are aggrieved because they are being killed like fowls and they are also marginalized in the state. No amount of Christian or minority agenda you take to them that can make them to vote for PDP in 2015.

Even from Jigawa State, there are discordant tunes. Governor Lamido, who spoke with our correspondent at about 12.12 am on Saturday, merely said: "I have never declared interest in the presidential election. Maybe you should remind me when you and I discussed my declaration and aspiration." His Chief Press Secretary, Umaru Kyari who spoke with our correspondent before boarding a flight to Saudi Arabia for Hajj, echoed the same lines like his boss but with a caveat. Kyari said: Kyari said: "Governor Sule Lamido has never told anybody that he is going to contest.

That is why they are urging him to contest.

"It is not correct to say he has stepped down for the President because he has never told anybody that he will contest for the presidency in 2015. But it is true that based on his excellent performance, some people were urging him to contest.

"When the South-South, SouthWest, South-East, North-Central, NorthEast endorsed President Goodluck Jonathan, they had their reasons. But in the North-West, Jigawa State said he has not fulfilled election promises he made in 2011.To support the President in 2011, he promised to construct an airport in the state; put a water scheme in Dutse; water works and irrigation project Auyo Valley project, a dual carriage way from Gaya to Jigawa State; and to assist the state in the area of desert encroachment "The Federal Government has not

fulfilled all these promises, that was why we said Jigawa should be counted out of the President's endorsement by the North-West for 2015 poll. Even Governor Sule Lamido's friends in the PDP have spoken to Jonathan that his grouses are genuine based on the promises."

The persistent insurgency in the North-East, especially Adamawa, Borno, and Yobe, has made the President's electoral chances slimmer in the zone.

HOW WILL JONATHAN SURVIVE NORTHERN MINDSET? In spite of the fact that Jonathan's strategists tend to underplay the North as a game-changer in 2015, the region will certainly play a significant role in determining his fate. According to the Post-AFIS number of registered voters in the country released by INEC last week, out of 70, 383, 427, the North accounts for 39, 636977 voters whereas the South has 29,853, 822. The FCT accommodates 892, 628 voters. The drum beats from the North through the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) shows that the people of the region are unhappy with Jonathan and they may vent their spleen at the 2015 poll. The ACF National Chairman, ex-IGP Ibrahim Coomasie said since the advent of the Boko Haram uprising in 2009, the region has witnessed a speedy descent into anarchy. The insurgency and insecurity situation we are faced with in the north is such that we have never imagined would happen to Arewa that we all grew up to know, to love and to cherish. The Arewa that was bequeathed to us by our forefathers is no longer the same. Today the entire northern region is under siege. "The North is being attacked from all angles and from all fields. As we gather here today to discuss, let us not lose sight of the fact that there is a Federal Government whose responsibility it is to protect the lives and safeguard the properties of every citizen of this country. What we are witnessing today is a complete reversal of that role. The government of the day under the leadership of President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has woefully failed to protect us." The Presidency has also courted the Northern Elders Council(NEC) to tackle the ACF but it is obvious even to the sponsoring presidency that the council is a lame duck.

JONATHAN AND THE SOUTHWEST The recent loss of Osun State has created a cautious optimism for Jonathan and his strategies on the President's chances in the South-West in 2015. While trying to woo Governor Olusegun Mimiko back to PDP, the ruling party is trying to take advantage of realignment of forces in Oyo and Ogun States to improve its electoral fortunes. The only challenge all the parties are facing in the South-West is the "sophistication" of the electorates in the zone.

WAITING ON APC As the last card Jonathan and PDP may invest in the presidential primaries of the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC). Aware of the heavyweight aspirants in the party, it was gathered that the PDP is already scheming to infiltrate the rank and file of the opposition to gain an advantage.

A top source said: "There is no way we can be blind to events in APC. By adopting Jonathan wholesale, we have created obstacles for the opposition on how it will wriggle itself out to elect a candidate. We are foreseeing crisis in the opposition on the choice of its candidate."

With incumbency factor, enormous resources at his disposal, and knitted PDP in his kitty, Jonathan remains the candidate to beat in 2015.

But he has great hurdles ahead to cross.

These obstacles are certainly beyond what the cash being thrown about by 150 pro-Jonathan groups can buy. The time for score card has come, the judgment day is here.

THE NATION ON SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2014

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THE NATION ON SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2014

Ropo Sekoni

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Page 14

Femi Orebe Page 16

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2014

The Synagogue tragedy tunjade@yahoo.co.uk 08054503906 (sms only)

With 80 people dead in a single incident, maybe govt will now do something on building collapse

P

ROPHET T.B. Joshua of The Synagogue, Church Of All Nations (SCOAN), is many things to many people. To some, particularly his faithful abroad, he is a powerful man of God. The rate at which people troop to his church from all parts of the world, including the civilised world, has made some people to liken him to a prophet who is without honour in his own country. This conclusion derives from the fact that many Nigerians do not see Prophet Joshua as a spectacular man of God; that is if they even believe he is one at all.

Even many Christian leaders avoid him like the plague, whether they are of the orthodox churches or the Pentecostal ones. So, in a sense, Prophet Joshua is in a world of his own.

A good example of this is the seizure of Nigeria’s $9.3m in South Africa, meant for an arms deal which the Federal Government claimed was genuine transaction. While the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has been vocal in defending its president, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, who owns the plane in which the arms money was transported to South Africa, its voice is yet to be heard on the Synagogue tragedy. I guess this is because Prophet Joshua is not a CAN member.

But what happened transcends membership of association; it was all about human lives, a reason for which I thought CAN should have at least commiserated with the families of the departed. I guess that, in spite of their professed Christianity, they would be saying in their hearts, ‘serves him right. Why didn’t he foresee the disaster or avert it’? This should not be the spirit. Anyway, it is for this reason of ‘my Christianity is holier than yours’ that I have always shied away from writing about Prophet Joshua and his Synagogue. For me, faith is a personal thing and people should have the right to believe what they want to believe.

That was my position, at least until Friday, September 12, when the guest house that was under construction for the church’s foreign guests collapsed in Lagos. With the kind of casualties recorded from the disaster, about 80 people dead and over a hundred injured, it would amount to criminal silence not to comment on the way some of our religious houses do things . Quite expectedly, when such disasters occur, people blame them on everything and everyone else, but themselves. That was why Prophet Joshua missed the point when he blamed the collapse of the guest house on a strange aircraft that had hovered over the place shortly before the building collapsed. Even if we are to believe his theory, that would not be the starting point to address the issue. It is not even a question of whether the materials used on the site were of good quality, or sub-standard. The most appropriate place to start is whether he had permission to build the kind of edifice he was constructing before disaster struck.

Perhaps the first time I would have commented on The Synagogue was a few weeks back when it was reported that some Ebola victims from outside the country might be considering going there for healing. As a matter of fact,

•Prophet Joshua some accounts had it that Patrick Sawyer, the man who brought the disease into Nigeria on July 20, had Prophet Joshua on his mind for healing and was probably Synagogue-bound. It was good that the Lagos State government saw the looming catastrophe if such visits had been encouraged and promptly intervened to persuade Prophet Joshua against receiving such visitors. Mercifully, the prophet saw reason with the government and announced to Ebola victims who might be contemplating visiting The Synagogue that he would rather come to their respective countries to pray for, or with them. I am ready to work with you. I love my country and I will be ready to work with you.

Even if it is a rumour, there is need to secure our environment to ensure that it is safe, he had told the government delegation. What a big relief to those of us with little faith and of this perverse generation! Isn’t our generation perverse indeed?

But Prophet Joshua’s Synagogue is not alone in this impunity of building without permit. Many of the Pentecostal churches are probably culpable of the same lawlessness, or some other kinds. Last year, some of the workers in a Pentecostal church attacked some Ogun State tax officials who had gone to the premises of a nursery school located within their church premises to demand that the school pay its tax obligation of less than N2million. The school is a commercial venture but, rather than pay the tax, which was years in arrears, some of the overzealous workers pounced on the tax officials, beat them black and blue and even detained some of them. The matter was apparently swept under the carpet when the founder and leader of the church apologised to the state government.

One does not know where these church leaders got their example from. Jesus Christ, our model as Christians even paid tax.

“Give unto Caesar what is Caesar’s and unto God what is God’s”, he had preached. But most of these churches, in spite of their being stupendously rich, do not want to pay anything into government’s coffers. And many governments do not want to confront them apparently for fear of political or whatever backlash. The same reason Prophet Joshua’s church was still opened for service the Sunday after the incident, in spite of the calamity caused by a building he never obtained permission to build. It is surprising

“Nigeria sure needs martyrs, but those who died in a collapsed building that did not have a valid building plan cannot qualify for martyrs as The Synagogue and Prophet Joshua would want us to believe. That is akin to Boko Haram insurgents committing murder and encouraging others to do same in order to make Al-Jannah”

that most of these church leaders see themselves as being above the law. Otherwise, why would men of God embark on construction works without relevant permit?

Prophet Joshua even tried; at least he got approval to build a three-storey building, the problem was that he unilaterally changed his mind to make it six! Some of his colleagues would not even tell government that they are embarking on any building project, not to talk of obtaining the requisite papers for it.

Unfortunately for us, The Synagogue disaster has been internationalised because many South Africans were victims and that country, quite unlike Nigeria, cares for its citizens. As a matter of fact, in spite of the cordial relations between both countries, there is disagreement on the number of South Africans killed in that tragedy. The belated claim by the Lagos State government about the collapsed building, and even the main church auditorium not having the requisite papers would be a big embarrassment to the outside world that in Nigeria, anything goes.

This is the same government that would mark for demolition kiosks and small buildings not having the requisite papers, even in the remotest parts of the state, such that one would be wondering whether the state’s officials are omnipresent. So, no official of the state government saw that Prophet Joshua was biting more than he was legally permitted to chew until tragedy struck on September 12?

Obviously, the matter boils down to the point I have consistently made in the last three or so weeks, that we do so many wrong things for political expediency.

It’s like many of our governments are ready to stoop to the base standards of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), for political reasons. An ordinary phone call to Nigeria from South Africa if the story of the $9.3million arms deal had been otherwise, was enough to kill the matter. Afterall, how many arms deals had been swept under the carpet in the country? This would be difficult in South Africa because of the relatively high level of development of structures in that country. It is therefore good news that Zuma, in spite of our fears that he is not any shade better than our own rulers here, did not allow his country’s laws to be trampled upon by a lawless ‘giant’.

Even if the South Africans release the money eventually, the point has been made and Nigeria has been sufficiently embarrassed as a lawless country. This would not be new to the outside world though; but it would have reinforced that belief.

All said, buildings have been collapsing in the country killing one person, 10 or 16 people, etc. After the initial threats by the governments, the matter dies down only for the same process to repeat itself when the next building comes down. Maybe now that at least 80 have died in a singular incident, 80 lives gone would spur our governments to view the matter with the seriousness that it deserves. My heart goes out to the relatives of the dead. I wish the injured quick recovery and pray that the dead rest in peace.

Nigeria sure needs martyrs, but those who died in a collapsed building that did not have a valid building plan cannot qualify for martyrs as The Synagogue and Prophet Joshua would want us to believe.

That is akin to Boko Haram insurgents committing murder and encouraging others to do same in order to make Al-Jannah.

CHIBOK GIRLS. STILL IN LIMBO. SINCE APRIL 15.

Borno’s economy under the yoke of Boko Haram

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By Ali Inuwa

COUPLE of years ago, Alhaji Mohammad Asheikh, 52, used to be a major transporter in Gamboru, headquarters of Gamboru-Ngala Local Government Area (LGA) of Borno.

His company — Gamboru Transport Company – then had about 15 trucks in its fleet.

However, Asheikh is now a pauper living on charity, as his once-thriving business has collapsed; thanks to the Boko Haram insurgency.

Recounting his ordeal, Asheikh said that his business nosedived after suspected Boko Haram insurgents launched several attacks on his vehicles on different routes.

“I used to be a major transporter in Gamboru; I had about 15 vehicles, mostly trailers and articulated lorries.

“Unfortunately, I lost everything within a very short time to Boko Haram attacks,’’ he said.

Asheikh said: “It all started in November 2013 when I lost three trailers conveying goods from Kano to Maiduguri during an attack in Benishiekh, the headquarters of Kaga LGA. “The trailers were destroyed in an early morning attack by the insurgents, who also killed the drivers.’’

He said that he lost another trailer in December 2013 in another attack within the same vicinity in Benisheikh.

“When the November attacks occurred, we asked our drivers to hold on for a while but as soon as they started operation in December, one of my trailers was attacked again in Benisheikh,’’ he moaned.

Asheikh said that he lost three other vehicles in a row in Mafa in January 2014.

“In January this year, I lost three articulated vehicles conveying cement to the Republic of Cameroun during an attack in Mafa, headquarters of Mafa LGA. “I also suffered another huge loss in May when I lost three trailers at the Ngala park,’’ he said, adding: “The trailers were burnt while they were loading cows for transportation to the southern part of the country.

“As it is now, I have lost everything but I thank God that I am still alive,’’ he added.

Asheikh, who is currently taking refuge in a friend’s house in Maiduguri, said that he had been surviving on the goodwill of his friends and former associates.

He, however, noted that a number of people similarly had a harrowing experience as a result of the insurgency.

“So many people have lost their means of livelihood to the insurgency; we believe that the whole thing is a trial from God and it will end one day,’’ he said.

Sharing similar sentiments, Alhaji Bello Maduganari, the Chairman of the Maiduguri chapter of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), said that several members of the union suffered a similar fate.

He specifically said that the Boko Haram violence had destroyed the livelihood of over 1, 000 members of the union in the last few years.

“We lost over 50 members between January 2013 and August 2014, due to attacks on major roads by the insurgents.

“Besides, more than 1,000 commercial vehicles were destroyed during the Boko Haram attacks,’’ he said, adding: “In Bama alone, over 200 commercial vehicles were destroyed.’’

Maduganari, however, noted that the situation was not different in other places like Damboa, Konduga, Mafa, Dikwa and Marte, among others.

“We have large number of members who are now unemployed, as their vehicles were destroyed in the attacks.

“At present, most of them have nothing to do because they have lost their means of livelihood,’’ he added.

The NURTW leader said that some of the union members had resorted to begging, all in a desperate need to eke out a living.

“In all honesty, the situation is quite terrible but we thank the state government for providing occasional aid for our members, particularly during festivities.”

• Inuwa is of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)

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THE NATION ON SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 21, 2014

COMMENT

Confab: Opening its political balance sheet (4) The Yoruba factor: Towards the next confab

Yoruba citizens and their leaders who are sincerely committed to the cause of regionalism need to know that there need not be shortcuts to any place worth going

W

HAT should have ended as a Nigerian problem has been given a Yoruba flavour by residual forces in Afenifere who have made burnishing the image of the recent conference their responsibility. Of all the nationalities with representatives at the conference, it is largely the Yoruba (through a select group of its elders at the conference) that has since the end of the conference made the conference look like a Yoruba issue.

Historically, the Yoruba have been in the forefront of the struggle for functional and sustainable federalism in the country. This was made possible by the insight and vision of Chief Obafemi Awolowo, who was prescient enough to know that no multinational state is likely to avoid political instability and economic stagnation without adopting a federal system of government that allows each nationality to refine its culture while cooperating with other nationalities in the union to build a formidable nation-wide economy and polity.

More recently, NADECO leaders made convocation of a sovereign national conference to demilitarise and re-federalise Nigeria an integral part of the struggle for restoration of the mandate given to Chief MKO Abiola at the end of the 1993 presidential election which was later annulled by General Ibrahim Babangida. In a sense, if the Yoruba appear to cry more than the bereaved with respect to the recent national conference, Yoruba elders (particularly residual Afenifere forces) who complain about opposition to the Yoruba demand for a return to regionalism are not completely out of order for feeling the failure of the national conference more than any other nationality involved, including the Niger Delta nationalities whose resources are still denied to them as much as they have been before the conference.

Now that the euphoria and the remorse over the recent conference seem to be dying down, it is

appropriate to use this page to have a dialogue with Yoruba people across age and class about some of the things that need to be done if a majority of Yoruba people in Nigeria want to have a national conference that can bring federalism back to the country. If it was not clear before, it has now become clear that the Yoruba region was not adequately prepared for the last conference. Such lapse should be avoided next time.

First, at a time that Yoruba political and cultural leaders should have been busy consulting and mobilising the Yoruba population, they were pre-occupied with two initiatives that turned out to be counterproductive. The first wrong initiative was that those in charge of political control of the Yoruba region based their assessment of President Jonathan’s sudden decision to organise a national dialogue on what he stood to gain from doing so, with very little consideration for what the Yoruba could do to take advantage of President Jonathan’s sudden conversion from “nothing-is-wrong with the 1999 Constitution” to the imperative tore-launch Nigeria a few months to another presidential election. Even though APC’s view that the conference was a distraction that was not likely to yield any progress in the struggle for federalism finally turned out to be prescient, the party could have encouraged its leadership in the Yoruba region to assist citizens to prepare for the conference, rather than leaving the space of mobilisation to a handful of Yoruba elders who, for obvious reasons, preferred the top-down approach of working with PDP leaders to direct consultation with Yoruba people. The choice by Yoruba elders not to mobilise the population was not necessarily for lack of electoral value on their part. It must have to do with the rapport the group had gained with the presidency during the planning stage of the conference.

Secondly, Yoruba elders who virtually took over the initiative of the Yoruba Assembly hitherto under the leadership of General Alani Akinrinade by establishing a top-down initiative first in Ijebu and later in Ibadan, left the people behind in their negotiations (on behalf of Yoruba

people) for a Southern Position with selected leaders from the Southeast and South-south. By giving the impression of a consensual southern position on how to re-federalise Nigeria, such Yoruba leaders also gave the impression that the Yoruba saw the conference as a platform to antagonize the North, to the extent that the support of Northcentral states for devolution at the 2005 conference virtually disappeared in 2014. There is no better way to illustrate this than the tone and content of the position paper of the North (as a monolith) at the conference.

In addition, by choosing to negotiate on behalf of Yoruba people without any mandate, Yoruba elders in favour of the conference ignored the people of Lagos Island in particular and Lagos State in general in the bid for regionalism. Assuming that most of Lagos State: Badagry, Epe, Ikeja, and Ikorodu were part of old Western Region, they forgot that Lagos Island had a separate status of its own for almost 80 years and might need to be assured that joining the Yoruba region would not be to their disadvantage. Even places like Badagry, Epe, Ikeja, and Ikorodu have been with Lagos State for too long for any serious group negotiating for a new federal system to take their consent for granted on matters of self-determination.

But reducing the failure of the conference to achieve more than cosmetic re-federalisation to lack of cooperation between residual Afenifere forces (now in PDP) and APC leaders misses the big point about lack of preparation on the part of the Yoruba for the last conference. Asking for federalism in a country that has been unitary for over 30 years requires more than reconciling two ideologically opposed groups, PDP and APC. If Yoruba people sincerely desire a federal system that is based on regionalism, there is a need for a better strategy than just scheming with Igbos and Ijaws in the name of southern solidarity. It is important to realise that what is good for Igbos and Ijaws with respect to federalism may not necessarily be good for the Yoruba, and vice versa.

First, Yoruba citizens who genuinely want a

federal Nigeria need to create a third force that is distinct from the two major political parties that currently house most Yoruba voters: APC and PDP. The third force should not be a political party but a political movement that is devoted to the struggle for re-federalisation of Nigeria, just as NADECO struggled against military dictatorship without kowtowing to NRC or SDP. From the start, the movement should be a bottom-up initiative. It should be an organisation that spends its energy on mobilising Yoruba citizens on the subject of what type of Nigerian Union the region wants to be a part of. It must be a movement that has every sub-ethnic group of the Yoruba in its leadership cadre, with such members not having immediate interest in political power under the present dispensation of unitary Nigeria.

Part of the tasks before the movement is aggressive re-education of every region of Nigeria on the benefits of federalism. No section should be treated as irredeemably glued to keeping Nigeria as it is. There is no doubt that the North is favoured by the present and unitary arrangement, but it is not true that most northerners are benefiting from the way Nigeria is structured today. It will be the responsibility of the movement to reeducate individual northerners, easterners, and south-southerners on how federalism can improve their opportunities in life, especially in Africa that is being modernised more by globalisation than by efforts of individual nations.

There is so much for Yoruba federalists to learn from the Scotland experience. Even if the Scotland vote turns out to be No, the point has been made that the political structure of the United Kingdom can no longer be the same. This has been borne out by the promise by the British Prime Minister and leaders of other major parties in the UK during the last days of campaign for and against Independence vote for Scotland that more powers will be devolved to Scotland and other nations within the United Kingdom in the event of a No vote. It took Scotland over 300 years to reach this point.

Yoruba citizens and their leaders who are sincerely committed to the cause of regionalism need to know that there need not be shortcuts to any place worth going. Many Yoruba leaders took the shortcut to reach their goals at the last conference. We should now stop crying over spilt milk and look ahead to another conference, if regionalism is our goal in a federal union.

COMMENT

THE NATION ON SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 21, 2014

15

The Soyinka challenge Nobel laureate joins those who want Stephen Davis’ claims on Boko Haram alleged sponsors probed

P

ROFESSOR Wole Soyinka is no doubt a respectable voice of conscience and courage in the country. In this era of dearth of men of honour, he remains a shining light. So, when he speaks, the nation listens, because he is not given to frivolity.

Soyinka, 1986 Nobel laureate in literature issued a statement titled: ‘The wages of impunity’ in which he corroborated earlier accusations by an Australian negotiator, Stephen Davis, that an unnamed top official of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) was among top sponsors of the Boko Haram sect in Nigeria.

Davis, in his widely publicised image battering interview also named former Governor Ali Modu Sheriff of Borno State and Lt.-Gen Azubuike Ihejirika, retired Chief of Army Staff, as two of the major sponsors of Boko Haram. Soyinka calls for immediate arraignment and international probe of the two men.

The Nobel laureate has every reason to believe Davis whom he claimed he had worked with in the background ‘during efforts to resolve the insurrection in the Delta region under President Shehu Yar’Adua.’ He cautioned that the government should not dismiss, out of hand, Davis’ claims, saying such ‘cannot be wished away by foul-mouthed abuse and cheap attempts to impugn his integrity’ which in the end might turn to ‘an absolute waste of time and effort.’

The outrageous thing is that Soyinka’s confirmation of Davis’ allegations, especially on the identities of the top CBN official and others that are allegedly funding terrorism has been treated with official levity despite the fact that their names are, according to the

T

ODAY, we are lamenting the departure of our best friend, Justice, who has been our beloved one for many decades. There is no official record of his family or his age, because of changing the office from Bharat to Hindustan and ultimately to India. He will be credited for his contribution to the nation especially for using precious language and advocating for economic equality such as it was my mistake, please forgive me, I am so sorry, pardon me, can I help you, and it is my pleasure.

Justice followed and lived by straightforward and good financial policies (e.g., don’t take or give any bribe; and don’t misuse public fund or property). And also

T

HE Nigerian constitution says it in the relevant section as regards tenure of elected officers, that all election must hold after every four years to allow the electorate have the opportunity to elect another set of their elected representatives.

The recent war against insurgents in the country has been threatening the very corporate existence of this country, hence the fear in some quarters that the country is not in the right position to hold another election.

Nobel laureate, already on the table of the president. He disclosed his willingness to share the names of the suspects with President Goodluck Jonathan when he is ready to “abandon his accommodating policy towards the implicated, even the criminalised, an attitude that owes so much to re-election desperation.” This is a plausible approach when dealing with a president that has been less than sincere in stemming the Boko Haram tide in the country.

It is very clear though that the presidency has made a mockery of this scandalous mess by refusing to respond to Soyinka’s widely reported epistle in the media. What could have informed the graveyard silence of the presidency and the apex bank in the nation over an issue that is threatening her corporate existence? Why should the nation’s custodian/regulator of her financial policy pretend not to be aware of the grievous allegation against it that is already generating hullabaloo in the public domain? In this particular instance, could we rightly conclude that this criminal silence means consent?

We cannot just fathom a scenario where such

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

weighty allegations bordering on terrorism sponsorship coming from an outstanding statesman like Soyinka will be shamelessly swept under the carpet by a government that wants the world to take its professed battle against Boko Haram serious. The CBN is too pivotal an institution to be involved in the funding of Boko Haram’s criminal attempt to bring down the country. We cannot just afford to turn the other way except the riddle behind these allegations is convincingly resolved. The sanctity of the nation’s sovereignty is non-negotiable.

It is a good thing that a non-governmental organisation, Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), is taking the matter up with the CBN. The apex bank has been given 14 days ultimatum to address the issues levelled against it. In this era of Freedom of Information (FOI) Act, it cannot discountenance the ultimatum. The president too needs to say something on this issue.

The prevailing culture of shameful silence by the presidency and the CBN over Soyinka’s weighty accusations cannot continue sine die; that is why we are calling on the two sides concerned to come out and explain what they know about the matter. Is it true that the president is aiding and abetting the alleged criminal sponsors of Boko Haram because of his ambition to seek re-election in 2015? Could this be the reason why the CBN has turned itself into a lame duck apex financial institution?

Of course, Nigerians deserve to know and are definitely waiting anxiously to hear from the two powerful institutions of state - the presidency and the CBN.

LETTER

Justice is no more with us

he developed honest plan and philosophy (e.g., don’t exploit the poor; and the strong must serve the weak).

His body began to decline speedily when ancient socio-ethos and ethic of India seem to change from corruption-free land to quick service policy of using easy tips method. His wife’s, Love, reports of taking money for just a signature in application; wealth became medium for winning election; and developmental projects are only in file. This gave another additional fac-

tor for the immediate deterioration of his health.

Justice’s foundation was shaken when ‘Have’ and ‘Have-Not’ increased in every towns and villages. He thinks that rich by getting material benefits deprives even the qualified candidates. It further reduced him when his own son’s, Genuine, points were rejected in the meeting and was dropped from the leadership position. Even Justice lost the will to live as he found that the number of religious places is becoming a profes-

sional businesses centre; and few hippocratic spiritual leaders getting better treatment than the godly people. Further, his mother, Righteous, informed that she was now witnessing only small trade like wall between religious and secular leadership style.

Justice’s heart was beating fast when his daughter, Mercy, could not defend her civic rights from a muscle and money power.

She told him that wealthy people often override the decision of the meeting,

since they are the main donors of the colony, where Mercy lived.

At last, Justice gave up courage and the will to live after he realised that the dogs owned by many rich Christians are getting better facilities than handicapped relatives of the said dog owner. While he showed that washing soap and polish used for cleaning the vehicle owned by the elite are more costly than the daily wages of a poor widow who lives in that vehicle owners’ house as maid servant. Therefore, ultimately, Justice gave his last breath. In his mortal, Justice was heralded by all

All elections must hold next year

The recent victory by our armed forces in curtailing the menace of these insurgents has rekindled our hope that the war against the insurgents would be surmountable, with vigour and determination on the part of our political leaders, by ensuring that all the needed support is given to our armed forces to bring to an end the stupidity going on in the north east of this country by some miscreants and rag tag army who do not want the unity of this country and its

democratic development.

The recent comment by some political leaders on the possibility of holding an election at this period of an ongoing war in some parts of the country should be seen as divisionary and uncalled for.

Some countries like Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iraq that were faced with serious security challenges like us were able to conduct successful elections widely accepted by the international communities, and the electorate came out en-mass to cast their votes

without any fear of these terrorists who issued warning to them to steer clear of polling booths.

It behoves on the part of the government to put all necessary measure in place to assure the citizens of their security before, during and after the election.

The current war against insurgency should be seen as collective efforts by the government to ensure the protection of lives and properties of its citizenry.

Nigerians look forward

to electing leaders who would bring the muchneeded democracy to them, and also afford the electorate elect or refuse to elect those that did not meet their expectations while in office.

We believe the coming election in 2015 will offer the current democracy an opportunity for the electorate to re-elect those that made positive impact on their lives when they were in office.

The independent national electoral commission

his kith and kin.

He is survived by his five renounced cousins, who always opposed his views. And they are still working in the country and saying I don’t know, I am busy, mind your business, I am your boss and come tomorrow & bring some gift.

According to his father’s, Truth, word, only a few people attended the funeral service, since no one knows when he departed from us. However, on the funeral day, his dad requested the entire participants ‘if we love and remember him, kindly pass this news to his other friends also.’

Yumri Taipodia (INEC) has been assuring the nation of its determination to conduct a credible, free and fair election in the country that would be acceptable by Nigerians and the international communities.

We hope that as we approach the 2015 elections, our politicians would place the interest of the country at heart by conducting themselves in civilised manner to ensure Nigerians elect leaders that would make the nation to develop and grow.

Bala Nayashi No 1 Yashi Areas Lokoja.

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16

COMMENT

THE NATION ON SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2014

Periscoping the ideal APC presidential candidate (1) Given the fact that corruption is our greatest problem in Nigeria, one that even pushed Boko Haram to what it has now become, Gen Buhari’s integrity should count positively for his candidacy.

J

USTIFYING its tag as truly macabre, this past week showed, unambiguously, that PDP will stop at nothing to bring Nigeria down with it. Nigerians woke up early in the week to read about the PDP governorship aspirant in whose account $50,000 was allegedly found –how the godfathers must be missing Mr Ibori; soon after, it was the turn of a Judge of the U.S Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, Justice Charles R. Norgle, to cause the eminent PDP Southwest poster boy, Buruji Kashamu, the total indignity of having to waste money on a newspaper advert just to tell Nigerians that he will ‘fight till he gets justice’.

Judge Norgle had refused Kasamu’s motion to be acquitted in an earlier indictment of importing drugs to the U.S, but rather held that should Kasamu ever come to the U.S, voluntarily or not, he could be put on trial in the Federal District Court in Chicago.

You would have thought that was enough for one week of what the APC has appropriately described as PDP’s ‘series of global ridicule to which it has subjected Nigeria and her people’.

Then popped up the mother of all ridicules, when a plane allegedly bought for evangelism was, instead, converted to laundering money , ferrying $9.3 million dollars to South Africa, accompanied by two Nigerians and an Israeli contractor. The

money has since been ordered seized by the South African Assets Forfeiture Unit.

All these are only a small fraction of PDP’s corruption ridden government and it is the more reason Corruption should be a key subject of APC’s campaign to tackle this government. Nigeria had never been this corrupt. It is for this reason I focus today on who the ideal APC Presidential candidate should be. I hereby invite interested Nigerians to send me their views in not more than 800 words.

Below are the views of Abiodun Ayodele, a young Nigerian publisher, who has a good grasp of strategy.

Under the title: APC AND THE 2015 PRESIDENCY, he wrote: “Can APC win the 2015 Presidential election?

Yes. Can APC lose the 2015 Presidency, in spite of, having the potential to win it? Yes. The 2015 Presidency is in APC’s hands to win or lose, and hardwork or lack of it, as well as creativity or lack of it will determine which way.

The APC national hierarchy as presently constituted is in good hands with the Chairman, Chief Oyegun and his Deputy, Chief Segun Oni being former state governors. Lai Mohammed a lawyer with impressive thinking and writing ability is also there but has the team demonstrated the capacity to pros-

ecute the 2015 elections to victory?

So far, not convincingly.

The Chairman says APC is ‘maturely engaging President Jonathan but what does this mean or amount to with the President? Is it a compromised silence to hurt the interest of APC in 2015 or a lack of capacity to prosecute the 2015 presidential election to victory?

Either way, it is unthinkable that APC, and the Nigerian people especially, would be happy to allow President Jonathan continue in office beyond 2015. Why would a grossly incompetent leadership be allowed to continue to drag Nigeria further down in corruption, visionlessness, poverty, and the daily loss of thousands of innocent citizens in all manner of untamed conflicts?

The Oyegun team’s ‘silence’ has given fillip to the PDP to monopolise the airwaves like a colossus. They now daily insult the Nigerian people on television networks with their huge lies of achieving so much in office! The PDP now confidently deceives the people to believe that there is no person more capable than Jonathan for 2015 and, in truth, who will blame them for making these wild claims when the nearest opposition party seems to be taking a nap?

(Apologies to Sabela Addide of The Punch newspaper) WHO SHOULD FLY THE APC FLAG? The simple answer to this poser is that evidences of previous electoral contests affirm that the most acceptable of APC’s likely candidates, and who can surely win, even massively, is General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd).

Why General Muhammadu Buhari?

The truth is that here is an honest man who is also known for honesty of purpose, and to date, no Nigerian has come up against him with any shred of a shady financial deal in all the positions of responsibility he has held in the country.

The APC hierarchy can do a simple arithmetic to confirm this assertion or what did AC, and later A C N candidates in the presidential elections of 2007, and 2011 score against him?

General Muhammadu Buhari’s major electoral weakness has been his weak campaigns that were characterized by very poor publicity of his personal qualities and his unalloyed commitment to the public good, which he continues to demonstrate by drawing attention to how people in government have turned themselves to ‘authority stealing’. (apologies to late Fela Anikulapo-Kuti).

Most Nigerian youth are not aware that General Muhammadu Buhari was once a Nigerian Head of State and that he neither stole public funds, increased the price of petrol , nor allowed corruption to thrive in government, unlike what currently obtains in all the three tiers of government.

General Buhari has the personal weakness of always keeping quiet over damaging allegations against him, and, his campaign teams, over the years, have not been hard working. The campaign teams have, instead, always tended to conclude, naively, after losing an election that the general is probably not wanted by Nigerians and so would always be rigged out by PDP. They say these things only to hide their laziness and inability to put all

material facts about General Buhari in the public domain to secure him the people’s vote. A Redeemed Church pastor friend that voted for General Buhari in the 2011 election told me he adjudged him the only candidate deserving of his vote at that election. I have also been privileged to listen to a top company executive after the 2011 poll complain of Nigerians’ folly in electing the current president. He said he voted General Buhari. These two people are Yoruba. Others I have met told me they voted General Buhari at the 2011 poll. No wonder he scored nearly 10% of Lagos votes in 2011 in spite of literally not campaigning here in the South. Any greater evidence of Buhari’s electoral acceptability? General Buhari can partner with persons like Professor Utomi, Governor Okorocha, Femi Falana (SAN), Prof. Akin Oyebode, or a notable Company Chief Executive or academician and the team would be more than convincing to win”.

As my own little contribution, for now, let me add that I think the general’s campaigns had lacked adequate funding and his overall logistics suffered thereby; weaknesses which an APC well-funded, issues-based campaign should effortlessly cure. For instance the CPC was primed to have won at least two or three additional states in the governorship election in 2011 but for lack of funds and inadequate logistics.

Given the fact that corruption is our greatest problem in Nigeria, one that even pushed Boko Haram to what it has now become, Gen Buhari’s integrity should count positively for his candidacy. .

Lessons from the Scotland vote

Successive governments have had to keep a vice-like grip on the people’s throats lest they unwittingly let fall or vomit what is in their minds; so referendums are not allowed, and sovereign national conferences are not allowed

S

OMETIME ago, I carelessly walked into an argument over the then on-going national conference. To counter the vociferous opinion that that confab was the real thing, I made it out, at the shrillest point of my voice, that the conference would not achieve much, if anything.

For one thing, I said, it was not sovereign; for another, everything about it looked too controlled, so the thorniest parts of our national existence would not be so easily resolved. Then, there was too much close monitoring that did not allow too much good old plain speaking which the state of our national affairs desired and demanded. Most importantly, it was a duplication of the jobs of the national assembly members. Neither party was ready to acquiesce to the other; so the parties settled on not leaving an inch to the other in anything. From thence, I watched as people got into passions nationally over some of the topics and concluded that these people were merely taking their lungs out of the cupboard for some good ol’ airing and exercise. Nothing would be agreed on, like my argument.

My negativism notwithstanding, I still felt some kind of let-down when the conference reports seemed to have been tossed to the serving ministers to go and study for possible implementation. I just thought, come now, these things deserve a little more respect than that. I mean, they deserve to be hoisted, mounted and made to

sit on some national shelves so that we can all gaze at them for a while.

During their sit-ins, they will of course gather some dust and become venerable. They can even grow to become tomes. After a while, we can beat the dust off and give the tomes over to another panel to examine and then…

Who knows? But to give those consecrated things to serving ministers straight off …?

Come now, you and I know that most, if not all, the serving ministers are politicians or wards of politicians representing and even serving different interests. Most importantly, they are loyal to their pockets and their boss, the president. No problem in that, but that’s where the problem is.

We all know that the president, like the ones before him, is not inclined to rocking the Nigerian boat. I think it has something to do with the size of that boat. Any boat that can take one hundred and sixty million people or so is a serious boat that should not be rocked lightly. Seriously, though, in matters like this, when the boat will be rocked, it will, particularly when the wind gets violently wild, and it is best not to wait for that time.

That is what Scotland did, or is it Britain now? It perceived that the winds were turning the seas rather frothy in Scotland and interpreted the movements to be some disquiet growing in the land. Rather than appoint people to go and sit in some place and decide in their own wisdom

(or lack of it thereof) on some of the grievances, it simply initiated some steps that culminated in the vote for independence last week. Britain asked the people of Scotland to decide once and for all whether they wanted to stop being part of the union with Britain, Wales, etc. Not too surprisingly, the people voted no to independence.

We have so many things to learn from that exercise. First and foremost, it is time that Nigerians learnt to stop being afraid of the results when the masses are asked to speak their mind.

There has been a morbid fear in the land from the colonial governorship periods right down through the military and democratic eras that if Nigerians are left to speak their minds, the sky would fall or the world would end. Therefore, successive governments have had to keep a vice-like grip on the people’s throats lest they unwittingly let fall or vomit what is in their minds. Referendums are not allowed. Sovereign national conferences are not allowed. In that hostile environment, how can truth be allowed to surface?

When you read through comments on national news in cyberspace, you’ll find the truth about the country: that people are not at all comfortable with the way things are; that there are people still debating whether the country should break up or simply adopt regionalism, etc. These are signs of disquiet that the confab did not settle and which the country is appearing to sweep under the carpet.

Instead of addressing such things, the leaders have taken to frothing and lathering up the embers of religion

to divide the nation till you don’t know whether Nigerians are worshipping God or worshipping religion.

So, Nigeria has found itself waddling along on a series of lies, untruths and falsities in all spheres, cooking up census figures, national statistics, national data, scuttling projects and figures aimed at national development, etc. We quite forget though that no group of people can be controlled forever. Somewhere along the curve, something always gives: Hitler heaved, Stalin heaved, Lenin heaved, Myanmar is heaving … Ever heard of that aphorism, No condition is permanent? Well, it’s true.

We need to learn to respect when conditions demand changes. Not all changes need to be violent but one thing is sure: chance and fate will not be subject to the plowman’s vice.

Nigeria’s present structure has been felt by many to be problematic and nearly not controllable. Reason dictates that part of the problem may arise from how the country is constituted and the over-centralisation of the nation’s affairs. Yet there is some reluctance to face either problem.

The leaders should consider that Nigerians are already used to absorbing each other’s poisons – just look at the merry-go-round of stereotypes – so they would probably be reluctant to part with each other should a referendum be conducted. Let them hope that will count for something. Nevertheless, the privilege to choose must be open, simple and unambiguous. It will not do to continue to force people to stay glued together unhappily until they break out in violence. The Scot-

land vote went without violence; so can our own affairs.

State affairs need to be simplified to allow everyone’s participation. Just look at the simplicity of the referendum for an independent Scotland: Yes or No. That simplicity not only allowed most of those concerned to participate, it allowed the results to be unambiguously clear to everyone. In Nigeria, people are deliberately kept out of national affairs by state refusal to educate them or make them at the least literate in even their indigenous languages. Now, can anyone tell me how many indigenous newspapers are published in Nigeria? Very few; papers that is, not people. That means more than eighty per cent of Nigeria’s illiterate community, which is more than half of the country, do not know what is going on, cannot contribute to what is going on, and do not understand the complexities of what is going on in the country. To make any meaningful progress, we need to simplify things for these people and for everyone’s sake.

Even more importantly, the simplicity of that exercise should teach us too that voting can be made simple, is not a do-or-die affair, and is not supposed to choke the very existence out of Nigerians. Voting should be a matter of yes, we want this person or no, we abhor this person for this position. That not only gives respect to the electorate, it also respects the heart of the democratic process. More importantly, it makes clearer the reason for electing anyone at all: to take decisions on the behalf of the community.

THE NATION ON SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2014

COMMENT

17

(83) Nigerians below the age of 50 and “the end of the world as we know it” syndrome Out of relative obscurity, every generation must discover its mission and either fulfill or betray it.

Frantz Fanon, The Wretched of the Earth

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IGERIANS below the age of 50. Without any deliberate intention on my part, this has become a phrase that I often use in this column. In the series that preceded this week’s essay and ended last week, I went into great detail on the ramifications of that phrase for our country’s future. I gave many facts, anecdotes and figures to try to prove to “Nigerians below the age of 50” that far from being one of the most corruptionridden nations on the planet, our country once experienced a period when corruption existed on a fairly low, manageable scale in our society. In other essays in the seven years since the column has been running, first under a slightly different name in The Guardian and now in The Nation, I have used this phrase, “Nigerians below the age of 50” with reference to other indications of the unending downward spiral in the quality of life for the great majority of Nigerians, with a corresponding decline in the moral and spiritual health of the nation, all of this in about the last four decades and half when an overwhelming majority of Nigerians alive now were either toddlers or were not yet born. In this week’s essay, I would like to now subject this phrase and the ways in which I have used it to a critical review.

In the first place, I would like to strongly assert that in most societies of the world and virtually throughout recorded history, nearly every generation has felt that things are not what they used to be, that values are in decline and that restorative actions have to be taken to salvage the sustaining and enduring aspects of the outer and inner lives of the collectivity. This phenomenon is what I call in the title of this piece, “the end of the world as we know it” syndrome. This syndrome or idea is a perennial one in the arts, literature and culture of all the societies of the world. As an idea, it pervades the social fabric depicted in the two great novels of Chinua Achebe, Things Fall Apart and Arrow of God. In the former, which is set in the 19th century, I was once startled to read an observation of Okonkwo’s maternal uncle, Uchendu, that stated that the generation of Okonkwo was a generation of “stay-athome” provincials that no longer travelled as constantly and as widely as his generation and that of Okonkwo’s father did. Indeed, the phrase, “the end of the world” hardly ever means the literal, physical end of time, history and experience; what it really nearly always means is “the end

•Lagos State Governor, Raji Fashola and former Speaker Dimeji Bankole... members of the same generation

of the world as we, members of a particular generation, know it”.

Without knowing it, have I been using this phrase, “Nigerians below the age of 50” that is so ubiquitous in my column in the tradition of the other phrase, “the end of the world as we know it”?

Perhaps, but I would argue that only very minimally so. There are some modes of behavior, some standards of comportment that were prevalent in my youth that I no longer see in the behavior and values of young people nowadays that I rather wish were still around. That’s about it. Definitely, I hope that my readers have not, consciously or unconsciously, been reading my use of the phrase, “Nigerians below 50” as a conservative tool with which to align the ways of today’s youth to the ways of my own youth. As I have always pointed out many times in this column, I write for the most part for “Nigerians below the age of 50” with a view to communicating to them my desperate hope that if things were once much better in our country, they could be better again, or indeed be much better than anything my generation ever experienced.

One of the most important points that I wish to put across in this review of my use of this phrase, “Nigerians below 50”, is the fact that generational differences don’t mean much to me, they don’t occupy a privileged place in my thought. For me, the differences that have been used to cause a lot of harm in our country and our world are not differences between generational cohorts.

Rather the differences that have

been used to prevent human progress and happiness in our country and across the world are those based on race, gender, ethnicity, religion, geopolitical region and especially, class and access to social power. In this regard, let me state clearly that it is not the fact of difference (or differences) in itself that cause lack of progress and unhappiness; rather it is the use, the manipulation of difference and/or differences that we have to contend with. Indeed, we can safely assert that generational differences as a cause of the crises that we currently face in this country is relatively very unimportant. The proof of this is the degree of cooperation across the generations within the political class in our country in colossal acts of looting, wastage and mismanagement that have become well known all over the world. At one stage not too long ago, there used to be talk of our need for a “new breed” of politicians. Well, the “new breed” came and they were in many respects as bad if not worse than the “old breed”.

And indeed, one fundamental fact of human life and political reality is that within each and every generation there are good and rotten apples.

Think of the following concrete illustration of this assertion: Chris Uba, Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi, Dimeji Bankole, Raji Fashola, Nasir El Rufai and Modu Sheriff all belong to the same generational cohort! Chris Uba’s blatant godfatherism is so crude, so intellectually backward and politically retrograde that it often causes great embarrassment to

his own political party, the PDP; Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi is one of the few shining lights of reform in the present political order.

Dimeji Bankole speaks heavily and sometimes with affectation with an Oxbridge accent, but he was one of the worst and most wasteful Speakers of the House of Representatives we have ever had; Raji Fashola is quite easily the most able technocratic governor we have had in the country since 1999. And finally, Modu Sheriff and Nasir El Rufai. Sheriff, like Chris Uba, knows no distinction between lawfulness and lawlessness in governance; consequently, he has moved quite easily and effortlessly from one desperate and monstrous political brinksmanship to another. By contrast, El Rufai is doing everything he possibly can to prove to himself and to the country that a politician can break away and turn a new leaf from the worst parts of himself and his political comrades.

There is one sense in which my use of the phrase, “Nigerians below the age of 50” could legitimately be said to have distinct and perhaps even intentional generational connotations and this is the sense in which I place great value in conversations within and across generations. In concrete terms, often when I write in this column about prevalent realities, values and practices in the country when we were young, I try as much as I can not to be sentimental, not to be selfrighteous on behalf of my generation. Indeed, in my mind, I think and hope that I am also address-

ing members of my generation who are still alive and who care about where the country is headed. The justification for this concern is that I fear very much that nostalgia and sentimentality dominate the ways in which members of my generation speak about the past amongst themselves and to members of the younger generations. “Ah, when King’s College was still King’s College”! “At U.I. of those days we used to have our rooms cleaned and our clothes laundered for us”! “The roads and bridges that used to be built by the old Public Works Department (PWD) are so much better than the roads that contractors build now”. “In those days, you could travel across the length and breadth of the country without fear of encountering any armed robbers on your journey”. “Do you know that there was a time in this country when electricity supply was not erratic?” These are all literally true, but the mode of their evocation completely decontextualizes them from the social relations of production that made them possible in the first place, especially relations of paternalism and inequality.

My greatest concern in my use of the phrase, “Nigerians below the age of 50” is thus that we should leave out nostalgia and sentimentality in the conversations we are having within and across the generations. It is perhaps symbolic of the argument that I am making here that History as a subject is no loner taught in many of our schools.

For it is history, the passage from one period or epoch to another, that I have in mind when I use the phrase I have been reflecting upon in this essay. I am not entirely sure that we have moved from one era to another between the time of my youth and the present moment of my late or senescent adulthood. History is not the mere passage of time; it often simultaneously involves an advance and a retrogression - as in the phrase one step forward, two steps backward. At any rate, when I write to “Nigerians below the age of 50”, my hope is that what I write about will give them a bit of historical information or knowledge that will empower them. History also paradoxically sometimes involves one step backward and three steps forward. That pattern of historical change and dynamism always entails the empowerment of youthful generations with important lessons of history. Thus, I remain completely open to the possibility that out of the ranks of “Nigerians below the age of 50” there might arise the agents of this particular form of historical transcendence.

Biodun Jeyifo bjeyifo@fas.harvard.edu

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THE NATION ON SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2014

COMMENT

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IGERIA’S civil war hero, Brigadier Benjamin Maja Adekunle, alias “Black Scorpion” died in Lagos, on Saturday 13, September, this year aged, 78 years. May his gallant soul rest in peace. Amen.

Typical of Nigeria’s opportunistic class, crocodile tears and absurd tributes will, and indeed have started, be pouring in torrents to the departed professional soldier and gentleman officer, nationalist and self-effacing hero.

Genuine heartfelt condolences will be far and in between for the late retired Brigadier (Not Brigadier – General in his time in the Army) Adekunle.

For a deserving citizen who had contributed so much to keep Nigeria a united country, clear the Lagos port during the self-inflicted, through government planlessness, congestion of the early 1970s, among other patriotic deeds, who was shamefully ignored, out of envy, pettiness and fickleness by successive governments, it is too late to now shed crocodile tears / pour hackneyed tributes to the “Black Scorpion.”

In my rejoinder to a former Sunday Punch newspaper editor’s jaundiced and unfair comments on another nationalist, former Federal Minister, prodigy and ebullient politician, the late Adegoke Adelabu, alias “Penkelemesi”, published in The Punch newspaper issue on Wednesday, 14 November, 2007 (page 13), I wrote inter alia: “Due to reasons that we all know very well, Adelabu and other nationalists in his hue (Adekunle Fajuyi, Aminu Kano, Eyo Ita, Adaka Boro, Mbonu Ojike, Benjamin Adekunle etc) are deprived of history’s fair treatment by an ungrateful country”. That was my comment on Nigeria’s ingratitude to Benjamin Adekunle seven years ago when he was still alive.

In choosing a title for this tribute, I struggled with the above, “Don’t cry for Him Nigeria” and “Don’t Cry for Me, Nigeria”, a variant of the 1970’s chart buster, “Don’t Cry For Me Argentina”, dedicated to Isabella, the late wife of the also late Argentinian dictator, General Peron. Why did I drop the Peron variant? One, Adekunle never begged Nigeria to honour or mourn him and unlike the Perons, Adekunle was a patriot and complete Nigerian, if one considers the fact that his father, Thomas Adekunle, was Yoruba, mother, Amina Theodora, a Bachama from Adamawa and first wife, Comfort Akie Wilcox, from

Don’t cry now Nigeria

By Lekan Alabi

Bonny.

In my formative (teenage) years, Benjamin Adekunle was one of my heroes. Others were my late paternal grandmother, Mama Asmau Odunola, woman leader of the now defunct NCNC in Ibadan, under Adegoke Adelabu, Adelabu himself, Obafemi Awolowo, Samuel Ladoke Akintola, Alimi Adesokan, Muhammad Ali, Pele, Wole Soyinka, Emeka Odumegwu Ojukwu and Yusuf Olatunji a.k.a “Baba L’Egba”. As seasons fell on themselves, the portfolio of my heroes/ role models grew, and may still grow when individuals display talent, integrity, patriotism and fairness.

The Nigeria / Biafra civil war (1967 to Jan. 1970) threw up Brigadier Adekunle as a professional soldier, strategist and myth. I soaked up his warfare fame and made known to him, through letters, as I did to Professor Wole Soyinka, while an untried political prisoner at the Kaduna Prison in 1967, courtesy of the retired General Yakubu Gowon – led Federal Military Government, my admiration of his (Adekunle) war exploits.

In 1983, when I became a press secretary to the then governor of old Oyo State (present Oyo and Osun States) the late Chief Bola Ige and also to three military successors of his (retired Major-General Oladayo Popoola, retired Brigadier –General Adetunji Olurin and the late Brigadier-General Sasaneia Oresanya), the paths of the late Brigadier Adekunle and my humbleself crossed.

Of our encounters, I recall here his courtesy visit to me in July 1999, sequel to my appointment as the Managing Director of Sketch Press Limited, Ibadan by the then newly – sworn in Alliance for Democracy (AD) governors of Oyo, Ogun, Ondo, Osun and Ekiti States. Before their election as governors though, Odua Investment Company Limited, owned by the five states named above, had been saddled by the five former military administrators of the states to oversee the affairs of Sketch. I was seconded from

ODU’A in 1998, where I was the substantive Senior Manager, Corporate Affairs, to run the affairs of Sketch, pro bono, as Coordinator. Later, ODU’A conducted interviews for a new management for Sketch and I handed over to the new Managing Director, Mr. Biodun Oduwole.

But with the advent of civilian governments in Nigeria in May 1999, ODU’A states inclusive, the five governors of ODU’A states, as explained earlier, sacked the Sketch Board and Management, and asked me to take over the newspaper company’s affairs again – also pro bono. It was during my second coming, as it were, in the capacity as acting Managing Director of Sketch that the late Brigadier Adekunle sent his Personal Assistant to me to deliver his congratulatory message and book an appointment for a courtesy visit. On the chosen day of the visit; my guest in keeping with military tradition arrived the now defunct Sketch Press Limited on Oba Adebimpe Road, Dugbe, Ibadan, some minutes earlier than the appointed time.

I, with my management team, received him at the gate and led him to the MD’s office on the last floor of the three – storey building. Protocol over, he asked me to tell him the circumstances that led to my appointment an the Coordinator of the Sketch Press Limited .

I narrated the story to him and as I was about rounding off, he asked “Mr Coordinator, do you have a letter of appointment as the acting Managing Director of the Sketch from the governors?”

I replied in the negative, as I was verbally appointed by the governors without even any mention of an allowance to me!

Brigadier Adekunle shook his head and bellowed that I should head the following day of his visit, to Governor Lam Adesina of Oyo State (the overseer governor’ of the Sketch Press Limited, to obtain a “formal letter of authority (appointment.”

He told me his advice was based on his “bitter experience” as the emergency manager (actually Military Commandant) of the

Lagos port, Apapa, from where he was unceremoniously eased out, after cleaning the port (Cement armanda) congestion.

Thank God, I heeded Brigadier Adekunle’s advice to demand and obtain a formal letter of appointment, among other, words of wisdom (advice, if your prefer) that he gave freely to me.

Sometime last year, his wife visited the late Aare Musulumi of Yoruba land, Alhaji Abdul Azeez Arisekola Alao, at his Oluwo, Ibadan home. I was present. She complained to Aare that her husband’s ONLY plot of land on one of the Oyo State Government’s Reserved Areas (GRA) in Ibadan, was about to be acquired or taken over. True to his kind nature, Alhaji Arisekola promised to make enquires about Mrs. Adekunle’s allegation.

He did and when Mrs. Adekunle visited the Aare again early this year on the land matter, I was also present.

Alhaji Arisekola Alao had intervened on the late Brigadier Adekunle’s behalf on the premise that “heroes/patriots like Adekunle should not be made to suffer over a plot of land which was legally acquired by him”.

May the patriotic and kind souls of Alhaji Alao and Brigadier Adekunle rest in peace.

Amen. In concluding this tribute, I admonish political leaders and public officers to honour our heroes/patriots in their lifetime. Please put an end to the insultive posthumous ‘oju aye’ (belated and filthy) awards / tributes.

A word for our youth, please borrow the I can – do attitude of the late Brigadier Adekunle, who as a nine-year old in 1945, upon the death of his father, “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. “He ran away from his brother’s home, roamed the streets for several days before finding his way to the home of one Reverend Ayiogu whom he persuaded to employ him (Adekunle) as a domestic servant on a salary of one shilling and six pence a month.

Please don’t cry now Nigeria for Adekunle. It is too late. May the great soul of this great soldier and selfless nationalist rest in peace. Amen.

•Oloye Alabi is Aare Alaasa Olubadan of Ibadanland

Enugu 2015 and Chime’s belated ‘stomach infrastructure’

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LTHOUGH Governor Sullivan Chime swore to an oath of office to do good to all manner of people without discrimination, the consequences of the gross neglect of the lower cadre by his administration will be glaring by the time it elapses in May 2015.

In the past seven years and four months, the administration has through its various programmes demonstrated that it has no place for the middle class or the less privileged in the state.

From imposition of multiple taxation and illegal levies to the incessant arrest and torture of people by Enugu State Waste Management Authority, ESWAMA, events in Chime’s elitist government of seven years and four months do not portray him as a leader who has not shown faith and care for the people he was meant to provide for their welfare.

It is a common saying in Enugu State that Chime and his Chief of Staff, Mrs. Ifeoma Nwobodo, have succeeded in making the people of the state poorer than they met them in 2007. In order to conserve funds to build their personal empire, Chime and Nwobodo made sure that there is no new recruitment into the state civil service while the civil servants in the state have continued to cry out against poor salary scale approved by the governor. The governor had cleverly adopted the N18,000 minimum wage as the benchmark for calculating workers salary in spite of protests by the labour union. As a result, civil servants on Grade Level 01 Step 15, which is the lowest cadre earn below N16,000 after tax and other deductions. The labour leaders said Enugu pays the least salary in the country and in the entire West Africa, thus making civil service very unattractive to young graduates just as the state remained the very poor in national development index.

Parents of students of Enugu State University of Science and Technology, (ESUT), and the Institute of Management and Technology, (IMT), Enugu have been groaning over high school fees charged by the two institutions, following the decision of Chime to withdraw financial support to them. This has compounded the economic and security situation in the state as many who could not afford the high tuition

By Nnaji Nwobodo

fees have dropped out of school and resorted to self-help, which includes armed robbery, kidnapping and thuggery.

Apart from the mass recruitment of teachers carried out by the government a few years back in response to public outcry against shortage of teachers in the school system, Chime did not regard job creation as part of his developmental agenda. While no job was created by the administration, ironically, Chime, through his revenue agencies, largely seen as dubious and corrupt, descended on the selfemployed who engaged in petty trading and other medium and small scale businesses to eke a living by imposing unaffordable levies and taxations.

For instance, small business operators are forced to pay as much as N24,000 by ESWAMA as annual sanitation levy even when total cost of goods in such shops are less than that amount. Those who cannot afford the amount are arrested and detained in an illegal cell created by the agency. Before a detainee is released, the exorbitant sanitation fee must be coughed out in addition to a fine of not less than N10,000.

Human rights organisations had raised several issues concerning the inhuman treatments being meted out to Enugu residents by the ESWAMA operatives. In April this year, a 17-year-old student, Chidiebere Ede, was gruesomely murdered by an ESWAMA enforcement team for allegedly dumping refuse without bagging it. The boy was beaten to death and thrown out of their moving bus. Although the Enugu State Police Command arrested three staff of the agency, the matter was later swept under the carpet, thus further emboldening the thugs hired by the agency to terrorize the people under the guise of revenue generation for sanitation services that are in most cases not rendered.

In Enugu today, traders run out or lock up their shops regularly for fear of revenue collectors who charge all manner of fees thus paralyzing economic activities. There are different revenue agents parading the streets and terrorizing the residents particularly within the state capital. They include those from ESWAMA,

Board of Internal Revenue, Enugu Capital Territory Development Authority, Enugu Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Transport, Ministry of Agriculture, various urban local governments and others whose only identity is their reflective jackets. Some mount roadblocks on the federal highways demanding different kinds of emblems from motorists. Even when such documents had been obtained from other states they are usually rejected thereby constituting serious difficulties for transporters. The Chime government closes its ears to series of complaints regarding the activities of these hoodlums as if there is no government in the state.

While those doing petty trading are crying out loud against multiple taxation and levies, the Chime government went a step further to impoverish Enugu people by engaging in demolition of shops under the guise of recovering the original master plan of Enugu capital city. No fewer than 10,000 shops had been demolished since Chime came to power in 2007, while over 20,000 traders had been displaced without any alternative provided by the government. The Old Park traders had their shops demolished while those doing their businesses on the streets were banished to make way for road construction. In some instances, the roads were abandoned after shops on the roads were demolished.

The civil servants are the worst hit in the government’s anti-people programmes. Some people regard Chime’s insensitivity to the plights of the ordinary citizens as an economic warfare against the masses to keep them under perpetual bondage and make them subservient to his leadership style.

A director on level 16 in Enugu State civil service, which is the highest paid, earns N91,000, including all allowances, while a director on middle grade for about three years earns N87,000 as take-home pay and he is not entitled to a vehicle and accommodation. The President, International Solidarity for Peace and Human Rights Initiative and former Chairman of Civil Liberties Organisation in Enugu State, Comrade Osmond Ugwu declared recently: “Enugu is the least paid in the entire country and in the whole of Africa; apart from the condition of service being the poorest, the condi-

tion under which civil servants work is most dehumanizing. They don’t have tools with which they work. Even those in the other sectors, teachers and medical sector are suffering the same thing. That is why those in the medical and teaching profession have been protesting and threatening.

“The most worrisome of it is that they are denied their basic fundamental rights of expression, assembly and agitation which are the hallmark of democratic practice in the world. Enugu State is therefore as dictatorial as military dictatorship. The fundamental rights of the workers are being violated and they are in penury and that has invariably affected the entire population of the state because it is the workers that feed other sectors of the state.

However, having realised the consequences of neglecting the people’s welfare, especially with the experience from the recent Ekiti State governorship election where incumbent Governor Kayode Fayemi failed to secure a mandate for a second term on allegation of his not being “man of the people”, there is serious fear in Chime’s camp that anti-people’s policies since the past seven years could jeopardize his ambition to instal his successor as well as his plan to join the 2015 senate after his current tenure. He was said to have summoned members of his kitchen cabinet shortly after the Ekiti election where they reflected on the dangers of neglecting the people.

An insider said that Chime, Nwobodo and other members of the cabinet then resolved to change their leadership style and embrace what they called “Stomach Infrastructure” in order to win the support of the people at the grassroots level. Chime who is aspiring to occupy the Enugu West senatorial seat, currently occupied by the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, is currently distributing computers to some secondary schools as part of his campaigns to snatch the senatorial seat from Ekweremadu who had over the years empowered millions of youths in various local government areas of the state through the scholarship and bursary scheme of the Ikeoha Foundation.

• Nwobodo wrote from Ogui, Enugu

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THE NATION ON SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 21, 2014

2015: SouthWest PDP in dilemma

2015: Jega in troubled waters PAGE 21

PAGES 20

Ndokwa, Ika and new Delta 2015 calculations PAGE 24

Taraba 2015: Suntai’s return deepens intrigues, power play The intense jostling for the Taraba State governorship seat in 2015 has taken a new dimension with last week’s unexpected return of ailing Governor Danbaba Suntai, reports Remi Adelowo

H

IS return to the country a few days ago after months of medical treatment in the United Kingdom was as shocking and unexpected as the plane crash that almost claimed his life on August 25, 2012.

For the Taraba State governor, Danbaba Suntai, his immediate family and close associates, the experience of last two years is life literally spent in wilderness, as the ailing governor continue his battle to stay alive and kicking.

From the National Hospital, Abuja where he was first admitted on October 11, 2012 after the plane crash and later to Germany and the United States and much recently to the UK to get the best medical care, Suntai appears not to be giving up in his determination to stand on his feet one again and in good health.

But the journey so far has been rather tortuous. A closer look at Suntai on his latest return at the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport, Abuja and at a private residence in the highbrow Asokoro area where he was driven to in a long convoy from the airport penultimate Saturday was a man still obviously far off from regaining sound health.

Looking palpably lost even with the presence of his wife, Hauwa and close associates, Suntai inaudibly muttered some words in response to enquiries from some journalists present. He looked distant, while his motion on the sofa seemed programmed.

Suntai’s return, predictably, is raising the political temperature in Taraba as political gladiators in the state gear up for next year’s governorship election.

And contrary to claims that Suntai’s return was not tied to the forthcoming governorship primaries of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) scheduled for November 29, sources alleged that there is indeed a grand plot by Suntai’s political associates to leverage on the governor’s return to ‘influence’ events that would shape the outcome of the primaries.

Why details of how the plot would be executed remains hazy, The Nation gathered that those behind the governor’s return to the country had envisaged that the PDP governorship primary would take place in late October, but the new date as announced

by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh, has allegedly compelled them to go back to the drawing board.

The stakes are, no doubt, high. The Suntai’s camp is allegedly determined to install one of its own as governor come 2015, even as the acting governor is also believed to be interested in assuming the position in an elected and substantive capacity in 2015.

And in stopping Umar, who sources say has consolidated his grip on the levers of government in the last two years; Suntai’s camp is leaving nothing to chance.

From the moment Umar stepped into his boss’ shoes albeit in an acting capacity, some members of Suntai’s camp have not given him a breathing space.

The animosity against the acting governor heightened following Suntai’s first return to the country from the United States some last year, with some of his associates making strident calls on Umar to immediately handover to the ailing governor because in their words, “he (Suntai) is fit enough to assume his position.”

Leading this agitation for Umar to step down is Senator Emmanuel Bwacha representing Taraba South in the National Assembly.

Mid last year, Bwacha, while addressing journalists on the position of some National Assembly members who backed the House of Assembly resolution that Umar should continue to act as governor, the senator accused Umar of plotting to overthrow his boss, a claim aides of the acting governor vehemently denied.

Describing as “ridiculous” the decision of his colleagues, Bwacha added, “The deputy governor”, he begins in his obvious lack of recognition of Umar’s constitutionally recognised position, “had forgotten so soon how Governor Suntai “picked him from nowhere and made him his deputy.”

In veiled reference to the religious configuration of the state where the Christian are said to be in majority, Bwacha noted, “If Suntai had liked at the time, he would have brought a Christian to be his deputy and heavens wouldn’t have fallen because it wasn’t an election. This man did not run election with him (Suntai), he just brought him, sent his name to the House of Assembly and he was confirmed.”

•Continued on Page 25

•Suntai

20

THE NATION ON SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 21, 2014

POLITICS

2015: South-West PDP in dilemma Barely five months to 2015 general election, leaders of South-West People’s Democratic Party (PDP) are sharply divided over the recent suspension of Chief Ishola Filani as the zonal chairman, reports Assistant Editor, Dare Odufowokan

•Adamu Muazu: PDP National Chairman

I

N spite of unending calls by the national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on its members nationwide to commence earnest preparation towards the 2015 general elections, the South-West zonal chapter of the ruling party appears to be slipping deeper into crisis by the day.

Currently, the PDP in the zone is enmeshed in a leadership crisis that has pitched the current Zonal chairman against some prominent chieftains of the party within the zone. All efforts, including moves by the national leadership, to douse the fire ignited by the fresh wave of disagreements, according to party sources, have proven abortive.

The implication of the situation is that the party, which is seeking to build on its victory at the Ekiti gubernatorial election by winning more state come 2015, is left without a leadership ahead of the forthcoming elections.

“As we speak, the party in the SouthWest is in disarray. Chief Ishola Filani has been rejected by prominent party leaders across the states of the zone. This is not something anybody can wish away.

It is a development that calls for serious concern,” a chieftain of the party in Ogun State said.

Asked if the recent report that the issues involved have been resolved is untrue, the chieftain, a former party chairman, said “it will not do our party any good to pretend that all is well. The issues involved are deep. The issues are about transparency and openness as we approach 2015. There is need to dig deep into the issues and lay them to rest. It is not enough for some people to say all is well, carry on,” he added.

Signs of trouble emerged within the party last week when Filani was suspended by the members of the executive committee of the South-West

•Filani PDP in Ibadan, on September 3. He was subsequently ordered to leave office and stop parading himself as the vice chairman of the party in the zone.

But the situation turned awry when a group within the party on Wednesday dismissed the suspension of Filani and his team from office. The group under the aegis of South-West Peoples Democratic Party Leadership Forum, which met in Abuja, called on the National Working Committee of PDP to dismiss the suspension.

Amidst condemnation by prominent leaders opposed to Filani, the South-West PDP leaders said their intervention in the crisis was geared towards discouraging any form of crisis within the party with the 2015 general elections fast approaching. The PDP leaders, during a meeting which lasted more than five hours, dismissed the suspension of Filani, saying that the action was illegal.

The leader of the group, Chief Olabode George, said those who suspended Filani lacked the power to do so, because the constitution of the PDP stipulates that only the National Executive Council of PDP had such power.

He said moreover, those who suspended the PDP South-West caretaker Chairman failed to explore the normal channel of effecting such action since they did not lodge a formal complaint against him before announcing his suspension.

“The suspension of Filani by members of the committee was not good at this point in time because it was capable of breaking the fragile peace in the South-West arm of the party.

For peace to reign in the South-West PDP, Filani should be allowed to continue in office as his suspension may affect the chances of the PDP in the coming general election in the zone, where the opposition group had been in strong contention,’ George opined.

The South-West PDP elders appealed to the PDP national secretariat to call those

•Bode George behind the suspension of Filani to order while prevailing on them to sheath their swords.

Also speaking on the issue, the PDP Chairman in Ondo State, Ebenezer Alade, said all South-West chairmen of the party were shocked by the report of the suspension of Filani. He said the committee members who claimed to have removed Filani from office did not carry them along in taking their action.

He also affirmed that members of the commitee did not file any complaint before the party and had not indicated at any point in time that the suspended chairman did any wrong before taking the action.

But those opposed to Filani are not letting go of their decision as according to them, he remains suspended by the committee.

“Chief Ishola Filani, has been running a one-man show and has not carried the members along in the running, finance and other statutory issues of the zone.

“It was in the light of the above that the meeting passed a vote of no confidence on the chairman, Chief Ishola Filani. For the smooth running of the zone, the meeting appointed Lanre Orimoloye – the Zonal Treasurer – to act in his place and Ayo Olowofoyeku, the Zonal Ex-Officio from Osun State to Act as the Zonal Treasurer. The communique was signed by the 13 members present at the meeting,” a source told The Nation.

It was gathered that among zonal executive members opposed to the return of Filani are the Secretary, Chief Adepegba Otemolu; the Women Leader, Chief Wunmi Osinroluke-Euba; the Financial Secretary, Otunba Banji Obasanmi and the Publicity Secretary, Waheed Lawal.

It would be recalled that barely a year ago, precisely on May 13, 2014, Justice Okon Abang of a Federal High Court in Lagos gave respite to the crisis ridden party in the zone when he reinstated members of the Zonal

Caretaker Committee led by Filani.

Justice Abang, while delivering judgment in a suit filed by the 17 caretaker committee members, held that the plaintiffs could remain in office until a valid congress was held.

The caretaker committee members had earlier resigned their positions to contest in the rescheduled South-West zonal congress of the PDP, which eventually failed to hold. Amidst opposition to their return to office, the members had asked the court to hold that they remained the valid caretaker committee members of the party in the zone by virtue of a court order, which held that “PDP cannot appoint any other persons to replace them.”

In his judgment, Justice Abang held that the plaintiffs can remain in office until a valid congress is held and also directed the PDP to recognise them as the valid officers in the Southwest.

The plaintiffs back then were Ishola Filani (Ekiti State); Chief Pegba Otemolu (Ogun State), Adedeji Doherty (Lagos State), Rasak Adekonla Akanni (Oyo State), Bolaji Jeje (Lagos State), Orimolade Olanrewaju (Ondo State), Olawunmi Oshinmoluke Yuba (Ogun State) and Banji Obasanmi (Ekiti State).

Others are Shola Oludipe (Ondo State), Lawal Waheed Olatunde (Oyo State), Emmanuel Oladejo (Oyo State), Olalekan Abubakar (Lagos State), Seun Adesanya (Ogun State), Semiu Babatunde (Ogun State), Prince Tope Ademiluyi (Ekiti State), Tunde Olowofoyeku (Osun State) and Prince Omoniyi Alo (Ondo State).

Today, these erstwhile co-travelers are now divided into two opposing factions in a fierce power struggle that is threatening the very existence of the ruling party in the South-West zone, and it appears there is no respite in sight this time around

THE NATION ON SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 21, 2014

POLITICS

21

•Jega

2015: Jega in troubled waters H

IS critics say he is no longer the neutral arbiter that he was when he emerged on the political scene as the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). Consequently, there is an upsurge in the number of those calling on Professor Attahiru Jega to resign his position ahead of the 2015 general election.

Tension again heightened recently when it was alleged that he is out to cheat for the North in the coming presidential ballot following the announcement by the commission that it plans to create more polling units in some parts of the country for the elections in February 2015.

In the days that followed the announcement, the media was agog with reports of protests and planned protests by different bodies, stakeholders and even individuals against the alleged allocation of more polling units to the northern geo-political zones to the detriment of their southern counterparts.

But in all these, the former Vice Chancellor of Bayero University, Kano, says he is not guilty as charged. Rather, he alleges that the raging criticisms are machinations of dubious politicians who are scared of his commission’s determination to ensure an even playing field in the looming 2015 political contest.

However, in spite of the many efforts of the commission and Jega to set the records straight concerning the disputed creation of polling units, there appears to be no respite for Jega as the call for his resignation thickens rather than abate.

The Nation learnt that the severity of the call may not be unconnected with the fact that the INEC boss may have lost the confidence of the leadership of the ruling party and the Presidency following recent suspicion that he may not be a willing tool in the hands of the party during the 2015 general election.

“Jega’s troubles are not just because he incited the south with the allocation of more polling units to the north. It is more because he has infuriated some power brokers within the ruling party and the presidency with his recent actions that suggests that he may not be un-bias during the forthcoming election.

Assistant Editor, Dare Odufowokan, reports that more stakeholders, angered by recent creation of additional polling booths, are seeking the ouster of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Chairman, Prof Attahiru Jega His unending criticism of some federal government directives and actions during the Ekiti and Osun states governorship elections left much to be desired of a man who has enjoyed tremendous support from the ruling party in the discharge of his job.

“There is growing suspicion that he may either be pandering towards the opposition or listening to the advice of some ethnic propagandists. It is in the light of all these that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), as well as the presidency, are cautious about speaking for him again,” a chieftain of the PDP told The Nation.

As if to lend credence to the fear that the ruling party may no longer be comfortable with the ways of Jega, the ongoing outcry over the planned creation of more polling units was started about three weeks ago by the South East PDP when, after a meeting in Enugu, leaders of the party in the zone, accused Jega of plotting to rig for the north in 2015.

As if taking a cue from the South-East PDP, the Southern Nigeria Peoples Assembly (SNPA), eminent personalities like Edwin Clark, former Vice President, Alex Ekwueme, and Senator Femi Okurounmu as members, went to town with condemnations of the INEC boss.

“With the voodoo and arbitrary allocation of polling units, the people of Southern Nigeria and indeed the Southern Nigerian Peoples Assembly, view this invidious act as a script crafted for Jega to implement, in continuation of the well-known hegemonic agenda, by the enemies of our hard-won democracy.

“The people of Southern Nigeria are not only appalled, but also strongly reject Jega’s claims and averment, whatever persuasions may have motivated this callous, insensitive, desperate, oppressive and inconsonant decision to give the North a clear political advantage over the South, contrary to the reality on ground.

“If this concocted manipulation of polling units is his clever design to give undue political advantage to the North, having in mind the 2015 presidential election, we wish to remind him that he has failed in his decrepit mission,” the

group said.

Former Anambra State Governor, Chukwuemeka Ezeife, a pro-Jonathan campaigner, said Jega’s plan is akin to a coup against the Igbo in particular and the South in general.

“The South as a whole has taken a position that Jega must go and we are not changing our mind on that. By the action of Jega, the 2015 election has been rigged in favour of some people, against President Goodluck Jonathan.

How can the North-West have over 8,000 new polling units and the entire South-East gets a mere 1,000 units, the same figure for Zamfara and the FCT (Federal Capital Territory). That is impossible,” Ezeife argued.

In his reaction to the ongoing debate over the fate of the INEC helmsman, the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC), called on President Goodluck Jonathan and Senate President David Mark to immediately sack Jega, for what it called an alleged plot to destabilise Nigeria.

“The proposal by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to create additional polling units in which Northern Nigeria is allocated more than 21,000, while Southern Nigeria is allocated just slightly above 8, 000 is a well thought out political coup to perpetually give Northern Nigeria a political advantage over Southern Nigeria in national elections with the 2015 elections in mind and to deliberately cause instability in the country ahead of the 2015 elections.

“It is common knowledge that in Nigeria, the more polling units that is allocated to a particular area automatically results in more voting population whether the population exists or not. The case of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) with less voting population having more polling units than the whole of South-East is a clear case in point. Also, is Professor Jega telling Nigerians that the North-West has more or equal voting population with the whole of Southern Nigeria?

“Furthermore, the arrogant posture of Prof.

Jega in responding to the call for his resignation by the leaders of Southern Nigeria clearly shows

that he is carrying out an orchestrated agenda by vested interest in the North to destabilise the country and the Jonathan administration ahead of the 2015 elections,” it said.

The South-West Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) also dismissed the new polling units by INEC which they described as bogus and unrealistic. The two party said the creation of additional 30, 000 polling units across the federation for the 2015 general election by INEC was heavily skewed in favour of the north.

The party said the reasons INEC offered for creating additional constituencies ran against logic and so untenable. The Commission, according to the party, has now portrayed itself as compromising its integrity by taking a pro-north stance on electoral matters ahead of the 2015 general election.

The group, led by Chief Olabode George, lamented that the revision of polling units recently done by INEC reflected that while the entire north now has 72 percent of the polling units in the entire federation, the entire southern Nigeria was allotted a paltry 28 percent.

Putting up a spirited defense, Jega countered at a press conference in Abuja on Wednesday, September 10, that he is not a religious or ethnic jingoist, saying the plan is borne out of need rather than politics. He insisted that the new units would not give political advantage to any zone.

His words: “INEC’s decision to re-configure the structure of polling units and create additional ones is driven by our collective aspirations as Nigerians to reform and improve upon the electoral process for free, fair, peaceful and credible elections next year and beyond.

“There is no sectional or parochial agenda in this decision and there will never be any such agenda under this commission.

“They know my antecedents. I am not a religious jingoist. It is only those who do not want progress, who are accusing us. Nigeria must move forward. We must not allow our fear to imprison us.”

Though it is left to be seen how those angling for Jega’s removal would achieve their intentions given the fact that his position is a tenured appointment that cannot easily be revoked, the days ahead promise to be stormy ones for the University don turned electoral umpire.

22

THE NATION ON SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 21, 2014

POLITICS

Y

OUR last NEC meeting appears to be your last before you step aside, looking back at the time you served, what would you consider your major achievement?

We started building a political party from the scratch. When I came on board as chairman of the party in 2004, I was given only the certificate of registration of the party and nothing more. So, we started scouting for members. Two years later, in 2006, there was election, we scouted for candidates and at the same time continued to build structures. We pushed it on to 2009 when I was reelected until now. So, I can say the major achievement in the party is that we have built a major party, structurewise, that is without rancour. My tenure for 10 years and eights months was without quarrel like in other parties. For instance, there is a party that has over 36 intra-party cases, but we don’t have that here. We have tried as much as possible to raise the image and tempo of our party. So, today, Nigerians know the party and its leadership. Along the line, we produced a governor, senators, house of representatives members and state assembly members, local government chairmen, ambassador and director general. But all these were not easy for a political party that didn’t have the resources. However, it was because of the integrity of the leadership of the party that made most politicians come to the party to contest for election and they are still coming in now. So, the major achievement is that we now have a major political party that is ready to blossom and this will start after the convention when we have a new leadership. We have provided the infrastructure which is ready to go. I hope and pray that my successors will see the potentials that I have put on ground. Many people are calling that they want to come to the party because they believe this is a party they will get justice and not suffer imposition. In our party, we operate strictly by our constitution and guidelines before you emerge as candidate.

These are the things we have put in place and we are happy for it.

By its formation and composition, Labour Party is seen as a socialist inclined party. Would you say the party has lived up to that expectation?

That is correct. I am not ashamed of saying that Labour Party was formed on behalf of the Nigerian workers as a whole by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) under the former chairman, Adams Oshiomhole. Then, the party was registered as party for social democrats. And I think the intent of registering the party was to give the Nigerian workers a voice and opportunity to contest elections where they are popular. So, of course, that will give you an idea that the party was formed on a very strong ideology which is the ideal of social democracy. If you look at the logo of all other parties in Nigeria, only the Labour Party has a human face to its own logo. Some have dog, others have monkey, broom, umbrella, etc. but we have a father, wife and a child, a family, as our logo. There must be nexus between democracy, governance and the people. So everything we are doing, if we don’t anchor it on the people, we might not be right.

So, our party has its mission and vision as articulated in its manifesto and constitution. We are social democrats. We are not so much concerned that the rich are getting richer. We are concerned and bother that while all these thing are happening, the poor must leave poverty, that is the point of departure between Labour Party and others.

With the spate of rumoured defections, involving the Ondo State governor, yourself and Joshua Dariye, who has declared his defec-

•Nwanyanwu

‘I hope my successors will see potentials I have put on ground’ Chief Dan Nwanyanwu is the out-going National Chairman of the Labour Party. In this interview with some reporters, he gives account of his tenure for 10 years and eights months. Associate Editor, Sam Egburonu reports tion, doesn’t this signal the fizzling out of Labour Party?

We had a National Executive Council meeting a few days ago. Governor Mimiko was there. I am not aware that governors of other political parties can attend NEC meetings of other political parties. At least as at that day that Dr. Mimiko came, he was still a member of the Labour Party. As at this morning I was with him, he was still a member of LP, so that settles the issue of Governor Mimiko. As for Dan Nwanyanwu, I started building this party since 2004, I have put time and resources, denied myself things and privileges that ought to get to me as right. But that didn’t bother me because I was bothered for the people of Nigeria, offering them a platform to ventilate their beliefs and ideology. I started that and I have done it for 10 years and eight months. My tenure expired in December 2013, the NEC in its wisdom invoked the provision of the constitution which allows it to extend the national convention to a later date if for any reason whatsoever the convention cannot be held as at when due. So they shifted the convention by nine months and pleaded with me to accept it, including Gov. Mimiko. I reluctantly accepted. The reason was that they wanted me to oversee the Ekiti and Osun elections. The NEC were planning a coup to arrive at the same situation so that I will prosecute the primaries and elections so that convention will come after Feburary/ March next year.

So, that was why the first early statement I made was that I won’t be available, hence pulling the carpet from under their feet. If I had gone through the normal procedure of the NEC meeting, they would have taken me back again, and I can tell you that majority of the NEC members felt very bad that I was stepping down. But there must be a time a man will look back. Constitutionally, I have no encumbrance to continue in office, the leadership of the LP from wards to states and national headquarters, have no time limit. You can be elected as many times as the people want you to be there. But this is not my

fathers estate. I refused to accept the third term offer to contest and I came to the inevitable conclusion that this is my time to go. So when people say I want to go and that I want to follow Dr. Mimiko to go, these are statements made due to gross ignorance, maybe malice. You cannot say a man that has been national chairman of a political party for over ten years, stepping aside for younger ones to come in is decamping. That is a stupid thing for anybody to say. Check the history of Nigeria’s political party, no national chairman has stayed for ten years and eight months. So, you can see that I am a democrat, I am not leaving because I am going some where else but you must also know that this game is dynamic.

Politics is dynamic, things move fast.

As I am talking to you now , I am leaving because I have done my best and I felt it is my time to leave.

If you look at political parties in Nigeria today, they are plagued by crisis. What, in your estimation, are the reasons for political crisis in Nigeria?

So many reasons can be adduced for such intractable issues in political parties, ranging from greed, selfishness, bad leadership, lack of openness and transparency. It is both from the leadership and followership. When a leadership is transparent, open and honest, those being led will know. They won’t disturb you. Nobody has disturbed me here. I am the only chairman of a political party with government that is not on salary or allowances, honorarium or any sort of penny whatsoever for the ten years that I have been here. I know some that get up to 40 to 50 million Naira a month, another one gets about 15 million Naira in a month from government and so on and so forth. But I don’t get a kobo. If you run through the accounts of the party, you will never see Dan Nwanyanwu’s name as having signed for any amount in the party throughout the time I served. Most people ask me how I survived and the answer is simple. I said at the floor of the national conference when I was making contribution on the topic of

political parties, I am a professional in politics not a professional politician. The difference is that a professional in politics is somebody who has something doing, a means of livelihood but decided to get into politics to add value.

But a professional politician is that person whose life is dependent solely on politics and any attempt to touch it the person will kill.

National conference tried to offer some answers to the defection malaise.

What should be done to curtail the spate of such defections?

We have taken care of that at the confab. The national confab came to the conclusion that we will not stop people from defecting when you are in office, but when you are defecting, you must drop the mandate and go. That is cast on stone right now, even though it has not become effective now. I am not in a position to hold anybody who plans to defect from LP. It is free entry and free exit. But one thing I say authoritatively is that this party has offended no one.

LP is like the Catholic Church. People leave the Catholic Church everyday to Pentecostal but if you go for morning mass at 6 o’clock and you are five minutes late, you will not find seat to sit in Church. That is what LP is and hoping to become. We are not building a party that is in a hurry to produce the president of Nigeria. That is not to say that if we have the opportunity today and we have the structures as per the candidate and the capacities we will not give it a shot. We are building our party from bottom up, not for somebody to just come in and say because he has money we should give him our presidential ticket. I always laugh at some of these fringe parties that are clowning around and clog the ballot papers in the guise of contesting presidential election. It is a mockery for a party to go into a presidential election and at the end of the day get 1000 votes. That is not the kind of thing we are trying to do here, we are trying to build a party that can become a household name and people will understand what it represents. So, some years down the line, when you put up a presidential candidate, Nigerians will

say yes we know the party is ready.

So people can move in or move out, we can’t stop them. I can decide now to go and form a new party, nobody can stop me but it has not changed the concept and belief of a political party. I will not comment on those who want to leave our party, time will tell whether they will leave or not.

Going by your response, it does appear that LP will not contest 2015.

Will your party therefore support a candidate of another party?

It is not correct to say that I said we will not run in 2015. You are anticipating me and that is speculative.

As somebody who has some knowledge of elections in Nigeria, presidential election in Nigeria is not for small boys. I have been saying this since 2007. You must have the capacity.

People ask me why do we have to talk about money, but we do have to talk about money in politics. That is not to say that everything is money, but at least the basics, like movement, mobilisation, membership and so on can’t be compromised. In the last election in Ekiti, some parties paid 15,000 to 20,000 Naira per agent, unlike in 2007 where 2000 Naira was paid.

So that is the reality on ground.

Don’t get me wrong. I am not saying a poor man cannot be president.

A poor man can be president of Nigeria but he must have backers who believe, have trust in his person, after all, no rich man has ever become president of Nigeria. They only become richer when they get into office. So, let nobody get me wrong that this is a labour man talking about money in this way. I am a realist. I don’t pretend, atleast I have been in this job for over a decade, so I know what I am talking about.

Why is it that the party has problems penetrating other regions of the country besides South-West?

On the issue of the party not making inroads outside the southwest, it is not correct. It is not easy to build a party. It is easy to penetrate a region like the South-West because they are more ideologically correct politically than the South-East. I am from the South-East.

How do you mean?

In the South-West, they don’t look at who you are, they want to know what you are made of. They ask questions about whether they can trust the person not what the person has put on the table. In the South-West, politics is not the run of the mill.

What of the complaints of the stomach infrastructure phenomenon arising from the Ekiti and Osun elections?

No, you are coming to the finished product. You were asking me why LP have not moved. It is possible that you may not win election but you are on ground. PDP, APC and LP are on ground in Ekiti. But somebody must win, it doesn’t mean they are not on ground. That is what also happened in Osun. So the type of politics they play in the South-West, left behind by Pa Obafemi Awolowo, is not the same in the South-East. There are things we overlook in the South-East which can’t be overlooked in the SouthWest as a matter of priority.

So in the South-West, I have been there, I know them, I can say it that they are more ideologically correct politically than any part of Nigeria.

So, that is the difficulty in selling the party in other parts of the country as easily as we did it in the South-West.

But we have made in roads.

Anambra has accepted us, we are very strong in Edo, Plateau and some others states. But we have to do this gradually. So by the time we get some other governors just as we have done in Ondo, people will say they want us to come and replicate what we have done, and the gospel will spread.

THE NATION ON SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 21, 2014

POLITICS

23

Ambode’s uncommon leadership qualities T

HE race is on. The short distance dash to Alausa is getting more intriguing by the day. More than ever before, the good people of the Centre of Excellence, indeed several discerning Nigerians are curious to find out who clinches the governorship baton from the incumbent Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN) in Nigeria’s never-ending political relay. So, what are the salient reasons for this interest?

Firstly, Lagos is a microcosm of Nigeria. It presents a panoramic spectrum of different people of diverse ethnic, social, cultural, religious and political backgrounds. The second reason is that the distinguished Nigerian fondly referred to as BRF, who came in more like a political tenderfoot back in 2007 has done so well in different sectors of the state’s affairs (infrastructural development, health, transport, agriculture, education and environmental protection) that his successor must be someone wellgrounded in the science and art of governance. Therefore, only the best is good enough for the economic nerve centre of the country called Nigeria.

Also, the expectation is that the governorship tussle is going to be a twohorse race between the APC and the PDP; with the latter vowing to turn the apple cart in its favour this time around. As several candidates jostle to be the flagbearer of the APC, one name that keeps recurring with increasing fervour is Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode. He is a public finance management expert of no mean repute. As the Chief Executive Officer of Brandsmiths Consulting Limited – a public finance and management-consulting firm, he is well equipped with deep knowledge of the Nigerian public sector, especially Lagos State. What more, he is a former Accountant General of the state, serving in that capacity between 2006 and 2012.

He has also served in several other capacities, including Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Finance, Auditor General for Local Government and across all cadres of Lagos State’s civil service for a total of 27 years before his voluntary retirement in 2012.The millionnaira question is: what is Ambode bringing to the Lagos table should he be given the opportunity of governing the state?

So far, the intra-party opposition to his emergence as the preferred candidate could be seen as normal in any democratic setting. For many critical watchers of the Lagos polity, he must possess some unique leadership qualities that elicit envy. After all, in a field of play, we attack only the man with the ball!

The cannon of selfless service If there is one unique ingredient of quality leadership that is grossly missing from the pot pourri of our nation’s socio-political life today, it has to be that of selfless service. Simply put, selfless service has become one big lost virtue.

For instance, when President Umar Yar’Adua (of blessed memory) attempted to promote the unfailing mantra of servant- leadership in our body polity years back, many took it with a pinch of salt. They could not simply bring themselves to the situation where they would have to serve other people without some strings attached.

And this is not just about our political sphere. No. Right from the family unit, through our places of work, educational and religious institutions people are no more ready to show unconditional love for others. Seeking the common good is now the exception rather than the rule. Our sweat is now measured in princely price. But why has this come to stay?

The real worry here is that our society cannot enjoy any form of sustainable economic development, social har-

•Ambode

By Akintola Ademola

mony and cohesion or real transformative leadership if the self cannot be sacrificed for the state.

Setting forth at dawn Ambode has over the years amply demonstrated the cannons of the exemplary leadership we all desire. People like that are both born and made. Imbued with the raw talents of being a beacon in the dark, they only get better with the requisite strict moral upbringing at the family level, even in the absence of his late father.

According to Adeniji Kazeem in his foreword to ‘The Art of Selfless Service’, a book on Akinwumi Ambode, school life experience at Federal Government College, Warri, “was clearly a defining period for him and it largely moulded him into the person he is today.

Akinwunmi says Warri taught him the importance of integrity, imbibing the wholeness of honesty, dignity, discipline, diligence and selfless service.”

Astute management of men and materials With his tremendous wealth of experience, especially in the highly demanding and delicate field of financial matters, Ambode would bring accountability and prudence to Lagos governance. Having traversed such important related sectors as the Auditor-General of several local council areas and known the nitty-gritty of the state’s financial transactions as the Accountant-General and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Finance, he is well grounded to ensure realistic management of men and materials.

Ambode’s administration is expected to formulate and implement policies and programmes that are peopleoriented, and have value for money.

Thereby, the internally generated revenue profile would continue to increase and more money would be made available to improve on the quality of life of residents of Lagos. The first port of call should be: a. Youth empowerment and skills acquisition Good enough, Ambode already has in place the much- lauded La Roche Leadership Foundation. As one seen through the prism of a role model, ‘both in character and in learning’, efforts should include the boosting of small and medium scale enterprises. Expectedly, the dream of the current state government to boost

electric power generation would be upgraded and more skills acquisition centres established to act as catalysts for the SMEs. b. Sound education delivery Ambode’s love for sound and solid education is obvious.”Akin is an alumnus of Wharton Business School Advance Management Programme, Cranfield School of Management, Cranfield, England, the Institute of Management Development Lausanne, Switzerland, INSEAD Singapore and the Harvard Kennedy School of Government, Boston, USA. He holds a Masters degree in Accounting (Financial Management) and a B.Sc. degree in Accounting from the University of Lagos, he is a Hubert Humphrey Fellow in Accounting and Finance from Boston University, Boston Massachusetts, United States. He is also a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN).”

Ambode’s administration, when it comes to light would similarly establish more high-grade primary and secondary schools, equip them with state-of-the art learning materials; laboratory equipment and relevant reference publications in most modern e-libraries and employ qualified teachers to deliver the requisite knowledge. c. People-friendly policies and programmes Expectations are high from the good people of Lagos State that the man with the midas touch would see the need to provide low-cost houses, more clinics in the face of wide-spreading Ebola virus Disease, EVD; inner access roads and water-based transport system to reduce the daily stress they experience. He cannot afford to fail them. d. Entertainment industry for social peace and economic progress As reflected in the book : “Another passion Akin has is his love for entertainment and the Nigerian entertainment industry. He believes that the entertainment industry can be a powerful voice to drive positive change in the society and economy.” This would certainly be a plus for his administration.

More so now, that Nollywood has become the second fastest growing of the film industry in the world, contributing immensely to the county’s economy according to the recent rebasing by the NBS. Add that to our flourishing music scene making the much-desired impact and inroad into other continents.

While more talented youths stand to be financially empowered, the government would rake in a lot of patronage for its tourism sector. In a salient manner, the entertainment field would also serve as an effective vehicle to promote social cohesion, peace and indeed, enduring prosperity.

The man the governorship cap fits Ambode stands on the brink of history to take over the baton of leadership excellence from the resourceful and indefatigable Gov. Babatunde Raji Fashola, BRF. One only hopes and fervently too that his political party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) would ensure, as usual that the best candidate for the plum job emerges, devoid of undue sentiments and internal rancour. He fits the bill as a square peg in a square hole.

•Ademola wrote from Lagos

Oritsejafor, resign now?

I

F Dr. Goodluck Jonathan is the president of Nigeria, the one who decides what must happen to the nation, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor is the president and leader of the Christian community in the country. Like Jonathan, he came to the office fully prepared. He had served in different capacities in both the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria and Christian Association of Nigeria. He is expected to be one of the best prepared for the assignment, but, alas, as some feared, he has been an unmitigated disaster on the dais.

The mistake that the Warri-born, Idahosa-trained pastor made was to think all it takes to lead Nigerian Christians is to show some flash and acquire some mannerism. His founding of the Word of Life church did little in educating him on finesse, subtlety, and diplomacy needed to preside over a community as vibrant and diverse as the Christian fold, and relate with leaders of other faiths.

The CAN President needs to realize the need to draw the line between being an ethnic champion, a protégé of the big man in Abuja and providing purposeful leadership that would position Nigerians well at such a time as we are.

But, why am I so concerned about the flamboyant pastor today? The news that his aircraft was involved in a botched attempt to either launder $9.3 million (about N150 million) or smuggle in arms from South Africa has further given heathens the impetus to pour invectives on Christians in Nigeria. They have seized the airwaves contending that the god that Christian leaders of our age worship is mammon, rather that the living God-the father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Is this the ultimate culmination of the prosperity message that has replaced the salvation call?

When the news first broke, while I understood that it could be true, I was willing to give the benefit of the doubt. I did not know that the Pastor was also involved in aviation business. By the way, did he register that aircraft for commercial purpose? Was it not presented as a tool for evangelism? Is this an indication as to what other “evangelists’” who gleefully purchased such machines may be doing with them? The church’s Public Relations Officer should go beyond dodgy answers to crucial questions and demonstrate that he is indeed a purveyour of the Truth that the Lord Jesus is and eternally stands for. When did the CAN President establish his business? Who are the owners (beyond the I hold residual interest in Eagle Air)? Has the business been remitting its tax as required of all businesses operating in Nigeria or did he present it as a vehicle for evangelism to dodge payments?

Money reigns and rules the country. It also controls many church leaders and is beginning to seize the spirit of believers. With leaders who think more of cultural affinity and where their bread is buttered, how would the church rise to faithfully combat the anti-Christ raging in the North East now? We need to pray, but who are the leaders of worship and how sincere are they?

The cleansing of the Nigerian state must start from the church. Genuine believers should rise and pray that the Kingdom of God should come to the Body of Christ in the country first. As we take time to pray that God will take control of the processes leading to the 2015 general elections, we have a duty to pray that the altar of God be consecrated. In many places, the altar has been desecrated. The leaders worship the Lord with their lips, but their hearts are far from him.

At the moment, I can think of no better means of starting the fumigation of the House of God than Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor stepping down. It will serve both him and the Christian community better. He would then have time to actually seek the face of God, and there would be a fresh breath of air in the Church.

What Nigeria needs now are true prophets of God who could say: Thus says the Lord. Men who, like the Apostles of old, evidently stand in the Presence of God and could command fire at the altar as Elijah did. We need prophets who could speak truth to power and not those corroded and compromised by those in and around the corridors of power. To find the way out of the Nigerian wilderness, we need those who do not seek to grope their ways out of the wilderness or, worse still, lead the people to and keep them in the wilderness. We need those who know God and are his oracles. We need those who have walked with the Most High and have his testimony that they are blameless.

During the military era when another set of leaders took charge of CAN, they stood up to power and their impact was felt. Materialism meant nothing to them and they were steadfast. Leaders of the church must rise now before it is too late, realizing that God’s judgment shall start from the House of God.

24

THE NATION ON SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 21, 2014

POLITICS

Ndokwa, Ika and new Delta 2015 calculations The race for Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan’s A successor in Delta State is taking more dramatic SABA, the Delta State capital, is a placid place. Driving down the dual carriage way from the new airport you cannot escape its quiet ambience. The only trace of underlying excitement – a pointer to the fact that events that may redefine the power equation in the state are imminent – are the row of freshly-minted billboards advertising the 2015 ambitions of a string of well-known politicians.

Notable among them are some like former Speaker of the House of Assembly, Victor Ochei, Dr. Ngozi Olejeme, chairperson of the board of the National Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) and Senator Ifeanyi Okowa who used to be Secretary to the State Government (SSG), among others.

One thing common to these aspirants is that they are all from the Delta North senatorial district. One or two used to be considered frontrunners in the race to take over the gubernatorial seat next year. Today, that is no longer the case. First, Ochei lost his powerful perch as Speaker to 2015 power play. It remains to be seen if the likes of Okowa have also lost whatever momentum they had at one stage.

What is not in dispute is that among the political elite the consensus is that power is shifting to the Delta North, given that the Central and South senatorial zones had had bites of the cherry. On the surface it seems like a straightforward matter. But in reality it is not so simple given that the area in question is home to at least three distinct nationilities – each staking a claim to the seat.

THE CASE FOR NDOKWA Delta North is made up of nine local government areas broken down as follows: Aniocha North and South; Ika North-East and South; Oshimili North and South; Ndokwa East, Ndokwa West and Ukwuani. Put differently the Aniocha, Ika and Oshimili peoples have two councils each, while Ndokwa has three. In terms of spatial spread the landmass of Ndokwa is almost equal to that of these three other nations put together.

Initially, when discussions and consultations started regarding the direction of the power equation for 2015 and beyond, most actors in the political class were of the view that the Ndokwa nation be given the chance to produce Uduaghan’s successor for several reasons.

By geographical positioning it is the only ethnic nationality that shares boundaries with Delta Central, Delta South and Delta North. It also shares a lot of cultural similarities with the Ijaws, Itsekiris a n d Urhobos w i t h whom they used to belong t o the

•Uduaghan

turns, reports Ifi Ntiejum

old Delta Province.

This latter fact is said to have made the Urhobos, Ijaws, Itsekiris and Isoko to be comfortable with the Ndokwa aspiration. The Urhobos have been particularly vocal about this.

It is also significant that Ndokwa is a major contributor to the national economy because of her oil and gas reserves. Nigeria Agip Oil Company has a major gas plant and power facility located in the Kwale/Okpai axis. Ironically, an area from which these rich natural resources flow remains one of the poorest and most underdeveloped in the entire state.

To get a sense of how the Ndokwa have been excluded from exercising power at the highest level in the state, one only needs to look at the picture of those who have governed the state and the outlook becomes very stark.

The highest position an Ndokwa man has ever held is that of senator through Senator Patrick Osakwe. Ndokwa also occupied the position of speaker briefly through Hon. Olise Imegwu. But then Martins Okonta and Sam Obi who later became Acting Governor in the days of the annulment were also speakers. They are both from Ika. The Aniocha/Oshimili axis through Victor Ochei and the incumbent, Peter Onwusanya, have equally occupied the seat of Speaker.

The Aniocha/Oshimili people through Chief Nosike Ikpo have also been in the Senate. The incumbent Senator, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, is Ika. No Ndokwa man has ever been a Deputy Governor from t h e days

when the region used to be called Mid-West.

None has even acted for a day! The same cannot be said for others parts of the zone.

John Edozien w a s Deputy Gov-

ernor in the old Bendel/Delta period. He is from Aniocha/Oshimili just like another former occupant of that office, Benjamin Elue. Simeon Ebonka who has also held that office is Ika. Very instructive is the fact that the first Premier of the defunct Mid-West Region was Chief Dennis Osadebey from Aniocha/Oshimili.

This dramatic picture of marginalization, more than anything else, is what is propelling those who are pushing the case for Ndokwa to produce the next governor. It was an argument that seemed to have seduced the political class up till now with many preferring the area as destination of the governorship.

In fact those familiar with the unfolding intrigues in the run-up to next year’s polls – especially in the ruling Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) – suggest that the Urhobos are dead set against the ambitions of Aniocha and Oshimili aspirants given that the state chairman of the party, Chief Peter Nwaoboshi, looks like a shoo-in for senatorial ticket.

THE OBUH CARD So what has changed in the race at this time?

Aside the so-called ‘frontrunners’, many who have been pushing the Ndokwa cause have been jolted by the unscripted entry into the picture of the former Permanent Secretary, Government House, Anthony Obuh.

He was until early September a civil servant with no known political ambitions. But suddenly he has been traipsing around the state – with his promoters claiming he is the anointed candidate of Governor Uduaghan. So far the incumbent has not come out to openly back anyone – only encouraging all aspirants to sell themselves.

But as one senior politician said to me recently, in politics you only need to read the signals. He pointed to what he called the governor’s “body language” which seemed to suggest that he may have settled on Obuh. Some have even said the man wouldn’t have resigned his position to run for office if he had not been encouraged to do so.

Indeed, many have pointed out that some of the most vocal boosters of the former Permanent Secretary are persons known to be close to the governor. When Itsekiri businessman and politician, Ayiri Emami, convened the first meeting to push Obuh it sent out the signal that Uduaghan was behind the arrangement. Although the governor has denied backing anyone, Emami openly declared that “Uduaghan told me” Obuh was the man. The rest of the state is left to read between the lines.

Again, many with their fingers on the pulse of high wire political intrigues in the state say former Governor James Ibori who still retains significant influence in the wheeling and dealing is opposed to the Obuh project.

He was known to be an enthusiastic backer of Dr. Okowa’s aspirations.

Indeed, those in the know say that the former governor has told close associates that instead of backing the unfolding scenario, he would rather support efforts

by First Lady, Patience Jonathan, to install Olejeme as the nation’s first elected woman governor.

IS OBUH A DONE DEAL? Some have suggested that the Obuh thing is just propaganda or a gimmick; a move to neutralize the likes of Okowa who is from Ika like him. Others have said it is the governor’s way of juggling so many balls in the air, in the way that no one can guess where he’s headed.

That may or may not be the case. What is clear, however, is the sudden appear-

ance of Obuh in the race is not only generating suspicion, it has triggered intense resentment. Moreso when all those like Chief Ighoyota Amori, Senior Political Adviser to the Governor and some state cabinet members who have going from place to place with Obuh are the governor’s men.

This list which is already circulating on social media gives a breakdown of the structure supposedly supporting the Obuh project.

PROJECT OBUH 2015 - CAMPAIGN STRUCTURE Chief (Barr) Fred Majemite- Director General DELTA SOUTH SENATORIAL DISTRICT Federal Constituency Supervisory Coordinators ISOKO. Comrade Ovuozourie Macaulay WARRI. Dr. Joseph Otumara BURUTU. Rt. Hon Funkekeme Solomon PATANI/BOMADI. Rt. Hon. Nicholas Mutu DELTA CENTRAL SENATORIAL DISTRICT Federal Constituency Supervisory Coordinators Ugh. North/Ugh. South/Udu. Dr. Chris oghenechovwe Okpe/Sapele/Uvwie Fed. Const. Hon. Evelyn Oboro Ethiope Fed. Constituency. Chief (Mrs) Faith Majemite DELTA NORTH SENATORIAL DISTRICT Federal Constituency Supervisory Coordinators L. G. A. Coordinator(s) Ika. Fed. Constituency. Dr. Philip Ukuada Aniocha/Oshimili Fed. Const. Dr. Tony Nwaka Ndokwa Fed. Constituency. Hon. Ossai N. Ossai L. G. A. COORDINATORS SOUTH 1. Bomadi. Chief Mike Seikegba/David Ekerekosu 2. Burutu. Hon. Daniel Yingi/ Tito Zuokumor /Edomegben Godwin 3. Patani. Dr. Chris Ekiyor 4. Isoko North. Hon. Emma Edevor/ Hon. Philip Adheke 5. Isoko South. Hon. Joel Onovwakpor/ Hon. Johnson Erijo 6. Warri South Dr. Joseph Otumara 7. Warri S/West. Hon. Dan Mayuku/ Chief Frank Omare/ Fanti Waraya (Ms) 8. Warri North. Chief Francis Omatseye/ Mr. Joe Tanga CENTRAL 1. UGHELLI North Egbo Jaro/ Ominimini/Macpherson Igbedi/ Bar. George Ushere 2. UGHELLI South Gospower Muemuifo/ Omonemu Edewor/ Taleb Tebite/ Vote Edijala 3. OKPE. Chief Sherrif Oborevwori/Hon Efe Uko/Hon.Engr. AlexEyamike/Blessing Oborevwori.

4. UDU. Chief Egbetama (Beeland)/Ernest Mereh/Andrew Gbise 5. SAPELE Hon. Monday Igbuya/ Ayenidejor/Ejaife Odebala 6. UVWIE Hon. Efe Ofobruku/Igbrakpata Solomon 7. ETHIOPE EAST Chief Onoriode Sunday/Onoriode Ishegbe/Ken Okpara 8. ETHIOPE WEST. Mr. Solomon Golley/ Igbakpa/Nani Onogba.

NORTH L. G. A. COORDINATORs 1. ANIOCHA SOUTH: Chief Ejiofor/ Angela Nwaka/ Emma Sorokwu 2. ANIOCHA NORTH : Mr Jaunty Okwudi/ Emeka Oheagbuna/ Chris Kjokwemeni 3. OSHIMILI SOUTH: Rt. Hon. Peter Onwusanya/Hon. Monu Olarewaju/Barr.

Edwin Obusom.

4. OSHIMILI NORTH: Dr. Austin Obidi.

5. IKA NORTH EAST: Barr. Nwugo Frank/ Mr. Edwin Ojo 6. IKA SOUTH: Mrs Cordelia Onyia/ Paul Ebedi 7. NDOKWA WEST: Barr. Ergo Okwaji/ Azuka Azaka /Azuka Agbidi 8. NDOKWA EAST: Dr. Olise Imegu/ Mr Ebifa Ijomah/ Austin Ogbolu/Barr. Adigwe/ Nkechi Chukwura/Charles Okaroh 9. UKWUANI: Hon. Dr. Alphonsus Ojo/ Dr. Leo Esegbue/Barr. Benedicta Osakwunih.

It should be pointed out that the commitment of these individuals to the Obuh project •Continued on Page 68

THE NATION ON SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 21, 2014

M

ANY people just know you as Engineer Dave Umahi, a rich contractor and politician. Is that all about you?

Well, when you say that a man is rich - there is one adage that says ‘the rich also cry’. I think what a man should pray for is the grace of God because when you say a man is rich, he is rich in what? It is when a man is rich in grace that I consider him rich. Because if you are rich and not happy, your environment is not proper, or people around you are suffering, are you really rich?

How would you describe your relationship with Governor Martin Elechi?

It is that of friendliness and mutual understanding. Ever since Chief Martin Elechi came in as the governor of Ebonyi State in 2007 , I have been admiring his wisdom. I cherish his wisdom, experience and forthrightness in handling of state affairs. Suffice to say that fate brought us together. I think the score he gave to me as a party Chairman was A-plus and it is something I must cherish all through my life. For such a man to say to you, you have done well, and again for such a man to ask you to be his deputy is the height of honour. And that is the way I look at it. So far, the relationship has been very wonderful. Yes, but we are not unmindful of the devices of darkness that want to manipulate this existing cordial relationship.

I know people have been working hard to tarnish my image and also to cause problems between us, but the governor is a child of God. The secret of the governor as a man who has built a house for God has brought the hands of God upon him and his administration. When you see a man who has the hand of God around him, nobody would be able defeat him in the battle of life.

Some people say you are not in the best of relationship with the governor?

It is a very dangerous thing to say. And again, the man has been a blessing to me.

He has respected me so much and made the office of the Deputy Governor to be strong and relevant. I don’t see me having any problem with him because my heart is pure before him and before God. The important thing is, let not any of the rumours be the truth. I am a child of destiny. And there is nothing anybody can do about it because the just shall live by faith. So sometimes you want to destroy me because you want to rise but you can never truncate my destiny. My destiny is on course because I am a child of destiny.

And there is nothing anybody can do about it. The place God wants me to get to, I must get to the place but I must continue to be loyal to the governor and continue to have him and everything associated with him. The rest is in the hands of God

•Continued from Page 19 Suggesting ways out of the ‘impasse’, the Senator said: “The way out of the situation, except if the deputy governor has refused that he is no longer the deputy governor; the way out is simple: the deputy governor was a deputy governor when he was brought in.

“Your principal has returned; you revert to your position of a deputy governor. But the deputy governor is refusing to revert back to his position as deputy governor. He wants to assert himself. What sort of heartlessness is this? He can’t be patient for God’s sake? Has he forgotten so soon how he joined the governor?

“Why is the deputy governor refusing to accept the position he was before. Must he be substantive governor before he begins to act?

“Suntai doesn’t necessarily want to come around and start jumping around as if he wants to play football. He can delegate power to his deputy to represent him anywhere. What are Nigerians talking about?”

Bwacha’s outbursts are understandable, says a federal lawmaker in the state who spoke to our correspondent last week. “The senator wants to succeed Suntai in 2015. Before the governor’s plane crash, the senator had been positioned as the heir apparent. But with Umar taking over, the political equation as regards 2015 was completely altered.”

The federal lawmaker further alleged that Bwacha, Suntai’s wife and a few close aides of the ailing governor “masterminded his (Suntai) return last week even when it was obvious that the man not strong enough to return to work.”

But speaking to The Nation on the telephone

POLITICS

Politicians want to cause problem between Elechi and I - Umahi Deputy Governor of Ebonyi State, David Umahi, struts the business and political terrain like a colossus. Though he is yet to make his intentions known, many believe he is one of those amply ready for the 2015 governorship race in the state. In this interview with reporters in Abakaliki, he expresses his views on the presidential ambition of President Goodluck Jonathan and reveals his relationship with the state governor, Chief Martin Elechi, his stewardship as the former state chairman of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and other issues.

Ogochukwu Anioke was there. Excerpts but I don’t foresee any disagreement. I don’t foresee any misunderstanding because I am praying very hard that the truth will stand.

The administration, of which you are an integral part, would soon come to a halt and many people are saying that it handled too many projects beyond its capabilities?

No project is beyond the capability of this administration; it cannot be beyond, because all these things, like the governor do say, are needed by the state; we are in a hurry to develop. Is it the water project which is there to give a final blow to the Guinea worm outbreak we had suffered as a state? Is it the pilot schools or university? Is it the health sector?

•Umahi

Is it the International Market? There are so many things we need to do to catch up with others. So, the governor has laid the foundation and the foundation is irreversible. It takes God to send another Joshua to build on the foundation he has laid; so there is nothing wrong with all our projects. Our heads are very high and I can assure you that before the administration terminates, you will see most of these projects fully and totally completed and put into use.

As former PDP Chairman in the state, it is obvious you know the political arena very well. What would be your advice to all those who want to run for governorship come 2015

Taraba power play

•Boroffice

on Suntai’s presence and what that portends for the running of government activities, the Senior Special Assistant on Media to the acting governor, Aaron Atimas said: “In the first place, there has never been a competition between Govenor Suntai and the acting governor. Suntai remains the boss.

“Both of them swore to the constitution and are aware of what needs to be done in a situation like this. The acting governor did not just assume his current position. Section 189 of the Nigerian Constitution explicitly stipulates what must be done if a sitting governor is indisposed for a certain period of time.

“Two third of the state executive council must transmit a letter to the Speaker of the House of

•Bwacha Assembly advising him to constitute a medical panel to determine the true state health of the governor. The outcome of the panel’s findings would determine if the governor retains his seat or leaves.

What is simply happening is lack of understanding of the Constitution and struggle for power.”

When contacted on the telephone, the SSA (Media) to Suntai, Mr. Sylvanus Giwa, declined to speak on the issue. He said tersely: “I am not making any comment for now.”

Umar in pole position for PDP ticket While the acting governor remains mum on his 2015 ambition, strong indications have emerged that he would contest the PDP governorship ticket in November.

25

in the state?

My advice would be in line with what the former governor, Sam Egwu, said. He said we should have the God-factor in our political dealings. I believe you are not supposed to run down another person to sell your own credentials because if you do, that also becomes part of your credentials in the sphere of life. The fitness of another candidate does not add to your credentials. When you meet people, tell them what you can do for the state; tell them what you have done so far with the positions you held before seeking another one. Tell them how much you love the state. For example, if you had a contract in the state, how did you perform? What are the investments you have put in place to show the people? Who and who did you pay their school fees for? Who and who have you empowered? These and many more are the indices to measure a man’s love for his people. At the end of the day, it is only one person and that person is the person God has ordained. My advice is let us play the game of politics with the fear of God because leadership is in the hands of God and He gives it to whomever he wills.

What are your views about President Goodluck Jonathan’s ambition in the forthcoming general election?

You see, it was God that said, it is hard to kick against the bricks; God brings people to either judge a nation or help the nation; so Jonathan is God’s project. He is a pencil in the hands of God. So, what do you do as a wise son? It is to look at the direction of your father. Ebonyi is looking at the direction of God because the hand of God is upon this nation. It is a very difficult assignment. But God looks at the heart. That is why God brought Jonathan to transform this nation and he has done a good job. Forget about politics; in all these gang-ups and all these funny things that are happening, only the counsel of the Lord shall stand. Because God has heard the prayers of his people and he is on course to redeem this country through the hands of Jonathan. And, don’t forget, anywhere there is Jonathan, there must be a David.

As the predecessor to the PDP Chairman in the state, how do you assess the performance of the chairman?

I think the present Chairman has done more than I did when I was the PDP chairman. I am impressed by the show of maturity displayed by the State Working Committee under the leadership of Prince Ugorji AmaOti. Losing and winning a seat is not the job of the party. PDP lost those seats because we had crisis and don’t forget we lost those seats at the time I was pulling out. It is not entirely under the present leadership. So you can call it 50-50.

And if the current political equation remains in place in the next two months, sources say the acting governor remains the man to beat for the PDP governorship ticket.

In the last one year, Umar has been slowly but steadily consolidating his hold on power to the consternation of critics. Sources say he has not only won the confidence of members of the state House of Assembly, his loyalists are also firmly in control of the PDP structures across the state.

The incumbency factor, a potent weapon in the struggle for power in Nigerian politics, sources say, has been leveraged on by the acting governor who, in addition to his performance which many stakeholders in the state describe as satisfactory, is also in the good books of the Presidency and the national leadership of the PDP on account of how he has reportedly steered Taraba away from crisis since the Suntai health challenge began.

Religious factor Not a few political opponents of the acting governor are banking on the religious configuration in Taraba with Christian believed to be in the majority to stop Umar, a Muslim, from being elected as governor in 2015.

But a source, a PDP chieftain in the state who is also a Christian, argued that Taraba, being a predominantly civil service state, the acting governor with incumbency powers, remains the frontrunner if he decides in a governorship race.

The big question is: would all of these factors come in handy for Umar in the 2015 governorship election or would the Suntai’s camp stop him in his tracks? Time obviously would tell.

THE NATION ON SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 21, 2014

ETCETERA

50

SUNNY SIDE

Cartoons

By Olubanwo Fagbemi

POLITICKLE

deewalebf@yahoo.com 08060343214 (SMS only)

Samba memoirs

CHEEK BY JOWL

OH, LIFE!

THE GReggs

Chapter Three: Friend today, gone tomorrow INDEED, my acquaintances, nearly all remarkable in background and ambition, come and go. From Australia separately arrive football-mad women Susan and Debbie, the latter Zimbabwe-born. Scratching her sleep-deprived body as she speaks, one intends to cover 11 (Brazilian) cities while the other is ‘doing six cities’.

Antoine Niaman, Jean Heggan and Loul Gomis, three jolly friends with West African roots from France, know how to rock the Mundial. Vive la France! I salute the trio at breakfast and before and after their constant traipses through the variegated city. Casually, they drop the circumstances around their not-so-casual meeting with former Colombia international star and World Cup icon Carlos Valderama at the airport with pictures to prove. They had been to Sao Paolo and after Salvador, Rio de Janeiro lay in the line of conquest.

Have you ever been to Sao Paolo? Antoine poses to me on a mission impossible to change dollars into the local currency, Real (R$) during yet another public holiday. It’s a very dangerous place. I have, of course, encountered ‘the city that never stops’ without a hitch, even if I am yet to breach the airport gates, but I don’t doubt the rough reputation. How can I, with a head full of stories about the Brazilian hub most likened to Lagos in all its seedy glory?

There, at the international airport for the first time, Rilwan Agbada, a hotel manager, was robbed of the carry-on luggage that contained an entry stamp-rich international passport and educational certificates by, as he suspected at the time, a co-traveller of Nigerian descent. Luckily, Rilwan’s passport surfaced on the black market and was bought off the fiend by middlemen who traced his relatives through the surname.

After nearly two weeks in Salvador without encountering a Nigerian, I one afternoon run into Rilwan and instantly find comfort in my kind far from home.

Walking to Praça da Sé, a major square that also serves a bus terminus after yet another tour of Pelourinho, I notice a sign reading ‘Irawo Hotel’ above a doorway.

Nigerian? It can’t be, I think, as I walk on.

Three days later, it is my first point of call. Ignoring the discouraging sign of a Brazilian receptionist, I finally discover Nigerians and the mouth-watering prospect of Nigerian food when Rilwan answers atop the stairs. A plate of tasty white rice and stew afterwards, I return to the lobby to find a bearded, smallish black man talking with Rilwan.

Meet Joe Hornet, a Jamaican investor in the Brazilian hospitality sector who retired at 40 from the United States of America university teaching system. Why? Because I can. Then the football fan in the 60 year-old takes over. What’s up with your Super Eagles? You can do so much better. That man in the middle, Mikel, what is he doing upfield? He hardly scores. He scores like, a goal every other year.

The last time he scored, the whole stadium was cheering him. Seriously, Nigeria should be champions if they can get their acts together.

Hmmn, I can’t agree more. Hey, can I take your picture? Sure. Head corked to one side, and then the other, he says, arms folded across his chest: make yourself happy. Click, click, I go.

The next day, Rilwan introduces me to his father-in-law and the Nigerian embassy’s liaison officer in Salvador, Wale Misbah Akanni. He invites me to take a room at his children’s hotel at the reduced rate I crave, but not after questioning my financial handicap. I am self-sponsored, I explain for the umpteenth time.

Alhaji Akanni segues. Have I been to Casa Nigeria?

The Nigeria House is locked up because of the peculiar Nigerian problem of paucity of funds. It sounds to me, as he speaks, as paucity of prioritising by the Nigerian government. As events and hosting go, it doesn’t get bigger than a Brazilian World Cup for any country interested in cultural exposition, not when, especially, the cultural houses of Benin and Angola – smaller African countries with less prominent cultural ties to Brazil – milk the occasion.

Antoine, Jean and Loul

Jokes Humour Poor Eliza AFTER a long and serious operation, Eliza ended up in a coma. Try as they might, the doctors just couldn’t bring her out of it. When her husband Raphael came into the intensive care unit to see her, the doctors gave him the bad news.

“We just can’t wake her. It doesn’t look good, I’m afraid,” the doctor told Raphael in a sombre voice.

Raphael looked at Eliza and with a soft trembling voice said, “But doctor, she’s so young. She’s only 45.”

Eliza opened one weak eye. “37,” she said.

Indian Chief AN AUSTRALIAN travel writer touring Canada was checking out of the Hilton. As he paid his bill, the manager, asked, “By the way, what’s with the Red Indian chief sitting in the lobby? He’s been there ever since I arrived.”

“Oh that’s ‘Big Chief Forget-me-not’,” said the manager. “The hotel is built on an Indian reservation, and part of the agreement

is to allow the chief free use of the premises for the rest of his life. He is known as ‘Big Chief Forget-me Not’ because of his phenomenal memory. He is 92 and can remember the slightest detail of his life.”

The travel writer took this in, and as he was waiting for his cab decided to put the chief’s memory to the test. “‘ello, mate!” said the Aussie, receiving only a slight nod in return. “What did you have for breakfast on your 21st birthday?”

“Eggs,” said the chief without looking up.

Indeed, the Aussie was impressed.

He went off on his travel writing itinerary, right across to the east coast and back, telling others of Big Chief Forget-me-not’s great memory. But one local noted that ‘How’ was a more appropriate greeting for an Indian chief than ‘’ello mate.’

On his return to the Hilton six months later, the Australian was surprised to see ‘Big Chief Forget-me-not’ still sitting in the lobby, whittling away on a stick.

“How!” said the Aussie.

“Boiled,” said the Chief.

•Adapted from the Internet

Writer ’s Fountain ow to create real Interview them for a job characters: How can you create a A more resourceful way is to pretend that character so real that your readers will think your characters are applying for a job at your they’ve known that person all their lives? company. Interview them. Present difficult One way is to clip pictures of your kind of questions. The answers they give might characters from magazines, stick them around surprise you. They’ll also provide bits and your wall and talk to them. Soon, they’ll be pieces of dialogue you can work into your as real as your neighbours, especially when stories. But an even better way to write a story you can get them to talk back to you. with real characters is to get to know them Hopefully, they’ll seem real to your readers from the inside and then drop them into too. challenging situations.

How can you do that? Find someone you Mosquito cost: •Female mosquitoes can lay up to 300 eggs know intimately and build your story around at a time. The eggs are usually deposited in that person. Who do you know intimately? clusters called rafts on the surface of stagnant Yourself, of course. But be careful. Agents sigh water, or they are laid in areas that flood when they read a novel that’s openly autoregularly. Eggs can hatch in as little as an biographical. It’s the sign of a novice writer. inch of standing water. Females will lay eggs Instead, think of people who know you very up to three times before they die. well – your spouse, partner, closest friend – •Mosquitoes spend their first 10 days in and ask them, “How would I act in this given water. Water is necessary for the eggs to hatch situation?” into larvae, called wigglers. Wigglers feed They might reply, “You would do this”. It on organic matter in stagnant water and will probably be the last thing you’d have breathe oxygen from the surface. They thought of. At once, you’ll learn some painful develop into pupae, which do not feed and truths about yourself. More importantly, are partially encased in cocoons. Over several you’ll discover your character. It’s you, yet days, the pupae change into adult mosquitoes. not you.

H

THE NATION ON SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2014

•Mashi

Page 58, 59

-- Page 53

Jonathan’s continuity culture: NEXIM Bank example

Tax evasion: Law court to the rescue • Jonathan

Page 60

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‘We promote a culture of respect’ • Oyetan

Page 62

‘Nigerian ship owners deserve a better deal’

How to make Nigeria’s capital market competitive—Onyema T T

HE nation’s capital market has the potential to become a world class exchange, the Chief Executive Officer, Nigerian Stock Exchange, Mr. Oscar Onyema, has said.

Onyema made this declaration in his keynote address at the 2014 Annual Business Luncheon of the Association of the Capital Market Solicitors Association, tagged: ‘Transformation of the Nigerian Stock Exchange into a world class exchange.’

According to him, stable and consistent policies are key ingredients that could attract more companies, investors and ensure that Nigeria’s capital market remains highly competitive.

He said, “To attract more companies to list, and to attract and retain a larger pool of investors, at the minimum, we must ensure that we maintain stable and consistent policy regimes, uphold fair and orderly markets based on just and equitable principles that will generate and preserve issuer and investor confidence in our markets.

“We realise that to attract more companies to list, we must partner with policy makers to take full advantage of developmental initiatives which require massive capital; for instance, sectorwide policies calling for

Stories by Ibrahim Apekhade Yusuf

recapitalisation of and consolidation by operators, and other privatisation/ commercialisation programmes in sectors such as telecommunication, extractive industries and so on.”

Onyema, who said the NSE had started work on a new medium-term strategic direction, covering the 20142019 corporate strategic plan, with clearly outlined objectives up to 2019, explained that the strategy had the aim of increasing the Exchange’s footprint in Africa and internationally, by creating a market platform that was compelling for domestic and global issuers and investors.

In terms of capital market development, the Exchange is committed to the integration of African exchanges and, thus, plays an active role in the West African Capital Markets Integration programme, Onyema said.

Speaking further, he said, “The value propositions for integration are large consumer base of over 290 million people with significant domestic savings and investing potential facilitation of momentous growth in the markets, which will empower the region to remain relevant in attracting investment flows, by creating a much larger mar-

ket for local and international businesses; and opportunity for a deeper pool to raise capital for local companies.”

To achieve the growth envisioned, he said strong intermediaries, especially the broker/dealers, were needed in the market.

He explained that this influenced it to develop minimum operating standards for the dealing member community.

“These standards coupled with the (Security and Exchange Commission) SEC’s minimum capital requirements will force bigger and better run intermediaries to emerge in the Nigerian capital market,” he said.

He added that the regulators had encouraged the Association of Stockbroking Houses of Nigeria to act as an information clearing house and to form five working groups to drive implementation of all aspects of the NSE minimum operating standards.

In terms of competitiveness, Onyema, who said the world had woken up to the reality that its fastest-growing markets are emerging from the African continent, with Nigeria as one of the top performers, said maintaining a high level of attractiveness was vital to the growth of the market.

He said, “The Nigerian

capital market, and indeed our business, will always be impacted by shifting investor demands. Achieving competitiveness and enhancing the NSE’s value proposition are important to our success in the short term and beyond, but safe-guarding our market and maintaining a high level of attractiveness with a strong regulatory framework, are critical to our objectives.”

He called on the CMSA to join the Exchange in “playing a pivotal role as the industry evolves its regulatory framework to the highest standards on the globe.”

Justifying the need for the forum, Chairman, CMSA, Mr. Uche Obi, explained that the goal of the business luncheon, which is the main networking event of the CMSA, was to give stakeholders - especially those driving the vision to develop the market - a chance to further develop their ideas.

He said, “Members have the opportunity of listening to the views of subject matter experts, business regulators, business leaders, operators, and other players in the Nigerian capital market on topical issues of general interest.

The themes and faculties are carefully selected to foster the cross fertilisation of ideas from the diverse backgrounds and experiences of the participants.”

•From left: Chief Executive Officer, Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), Mr. Oscar Onyema, Chairman, Capital Market Solicitors Association (CMSA), Mr. Uche Val Obi and Chairman, Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Dr. Suleyman Ndanusa at the 2014 Capital Market Solicitors Association Annual Business Luncheon held in Lagos…recently

O Mr. Temisanren Raymond Omatseye, former Director-General, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), he is convinced that majority of Nigerian ship owners have suffered a lot of privations more than they are willing to admit, hence he holds the view and very strongly too that there is need for a paradigm shift.

Omatseye who is currently vying for the position of President, Indigenous Ship Owners’ Association of Nigeria (NISA), the umbrella industry association of vessel owners, observed that there is a lot of misconception about what the average ship owner does.

“In the view people who are not well-informed about the Nigerian ship owners, the belief is that the Nigerian ship owners come on board to steal products and they are the ones providing these vessels that are being used to do these illegal activities. So what we are trying to do is to clean up the system.

It starts by saying this is who we are, what you are doing is affecting our business; it doesn’t allow people to do business with us. So let us clean up ourselves, once we do that we will continue to get our businesses moving,” he emphasised.

Expatiating, the maritime expert said: “There is also the issue of security. The Nigerian Navy also wants to help us. So we are going to register our vessels with the Navy and have a direct line of communication between the Navy and the ship owners. Once any of our vessels are being attacked, the vessel owner knowing the exact location will send a message to the Navy, and the Navy will automatically pick that place and go and engage and try to save that vessel. But if you are not a member, we are not going to protect you.”

Of concern to Omatseye is also the problem of finance and opening up businesses for ship owners. “There is no reason why an average Nigerian ship owner should not have the best of everything. With my links in Singapore, in Korea, in South Africa and in America, we hope to open channels in Brazil, in India, and we will see how we are going to get the Nigerian ship owners to come together and raise IPO’s to buy vessels through the new SME windows being created by the government.”

Pressed further, he said: “Ship owners are facing challenges in securing contract of afreightment. I have always said this, that a man who does not have cash flow cannot run a successful business. What is happening is that the businesses that should naturally be given to Nigerians who are capable of doing them, are being given to foreign ship owners who are not domiciling the money in Nigeria but rather taking it away as capital flight.

So, that is the major challenge Nigerian ship owners are facing.”

“Already, I am discussing with the Nigeria Stock Exchange.

I am also trying to see how we can get the Nigerian Navy to shut down on illegal trawlers and then bring foreign partners to work on Nigerian ship trawlers. I want to get government to take over KLT II, and make it a seafood hub/depot where all trawlers come. So from there people come and buy their fish.

Because the problems trawler owners are facing is their bunkers, so we are going to create a fuel station, why because any time you come and buy fish we fuel you, so that you don’t have to carry cash. Because ship owners that are not able to get to their bunkers are forced to give their masters cash. So when they get out there, pirates knowing that the guys have cash, steal the cash, beat them up and take their fishes as well. We know what the problems are, so we will engage government to see how they will assist us in curbing this menace.”

On what ship owners stand to gain under his administration, the University of Wales and London School of Economics trained-graduate reiterated that: “The first thing I would do is to bring all Nigerian ship owners irrespective of the ownership they have whether it’s offshore vessels, fishing trawlers, tankers and what not, under one umbrella. Now, within that one umbrella, we can now operate. All ship owners irrespective of who they are must speak with one voice. There must be a unity of purpose because we are all buying the bunkers from the same place and sourcing our seafarers from the same place.

“So, when we come on board, one of our mandates would be to find ways and means of how a maritime administrator can support the ship owners to meet international standards and how we can create the contract for Nigerian ship owners to get enough cash flow to get the kind of internationally acceptable vessels that would make a maritime administrator not come after him,” he stressed.

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THE NATION ON SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 21, 2014

BUSINESS

•Acting Executive Chairman of FIRS, Alhaji Kabir Mashi

•Chief Justice of the Federation, Aloma Mariam Mukhtar

•Skyline of Lagos Business District

Tax evasion: Law court to the rescue T

HE law holds the aces. This appears to be the conviction of the management and board of the Federal Inland Revenue Services (FIRS) in its quest to get as many corporate bodies into the tax net.

Interestingly, things seem to be working in FIRS’ favour.

Law court to the rescue Recently, it was reported that the Federal Inland Revenue Services (FIRS) has received a court order to seal the Ewekoro Power Plant (EPP), located in Lagos, for failure to pay its outstanding tax liabilities totalling N114 million.

Mr. Wahab Gbadamosi, Head, Communications and Liaison Department, said a Federal High Court, sitting in Abeokuta, Ogun State handed down the order following “a suit by the Federal Inland Revenue Service, (FIRS) and a prayer that a bench warrant be issued by the Federal High Court, for the arrest of the key officials of the company who evaded arrest.”

According to Gbadamosi, “the court gave the order after series of adjournments occasioned by the refusal of the company’s officials to appear in court in the case brought against it by the Service.”

The seal-up exercise, he said, “was carried out by the court bailiffs, with a combined team of the FIRS officials and officers of the Lagos State Police Command.”

Earlier, the FIRS, he said, “had approached the court to compel the company to meet its tax obligations but the company neither appeared nor was represented in the court prompting multiple adjournments.”

According to the FIRS spokesman, “dissatisfied with the company`s conduct, the court issued a bench warrant to compel appearance which the officials of the company equally evaded necessitating the sealing

Federal Inland Revenue Services (FIRS) ups the ante on tax recovery via courts. A new regime of judicial activism and exercise of legal powers is at work in Nigeria as federal law bodies take on recalcitrant taxpayers, reports Assistant Editor Nduka Chiejina of the company’s premises.”

Justice P.F. Olayiwola was said to have then ruled on FIRS motion on notice “that an order for interim forfeiture of property of corporate head office of Ewekoro Power Plant situate at Victoria House, 35/37, Isheri Road, Aguda Ogba area, Ikeja, Lagos State, pending final liquidation of the tax liability of about N114,000,000 (One hundred and fourteen million naira) only is herby granted.

That an order for interim forfeiture of property of Ewekoro Power Plant situate at 3rd floor, Topaz floor, All Seasons Plaza, 24 Lateef Jakande Road, Agidingbi, Ikeja, Lagos State pending final liquidation of the tax liability of N114,000,000 (One hundred and fourteen million naira) only is hereby granted.”

The water was first tested when Peniel Apartments Limited decided to challenge Section 31 of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) powers to appoint an agent for the purposes of tax recovery. It was one test though that the property cum hospitality concern didn’t bargain for.

Section 31 (1 to 3) of the FIRS Establishment Act 2007 states: “The Service may by notice in writing appoint any person to be the agent of a taxable person if the circumstances provide in sub-section (2) of this section makes it expedient to do so. The agent appointed under sub-section (1) of this section may be required to pay any tax payable by the taxable person from any money which may be held by the agent of the taxable person.

Where the agent referred to in subsection (2) of this section defaults, the tax shall recovered from him.’’

Notwithstanding this express provision on the powers of the Service, Peniel Apartments Limited

asked a Federal High Court to challenge the FIRS decision to appoint an agent to recover Paniel Apartments outstanding tax liabilities.

The Federal High Court Sitting in Lagos on hearing both parties ordered Peniel Apartments Limited, to pay more than N89.2 million as tax liabilities to the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS).

Delivering judgment in the case brought by Peniel Apartments against the FIRS, Justice Musa Kurya said that the Service’s action under the law was valid and in accordance with the provisions of the relevant status.

Peniel Apartments Limited had through an originating motion filed on September 27, 2013 challenged FIRS’ decision of appointing Standard Chartered Bank of Nigeria Limited as an agent of the company (Peniel Apartments Limited) for the recovery of the outstanding tax liabilities of N89, 268, 346:50.

The tax liabilities comprised of Companies Income Tax of N44, 212, 344:73 for 2002 to 2012, Value Added Tax of N32, 605, 819:78 for 2005 to 2009, Education Tax of N10, 472, 351:52 for 2007 to 2011 and Withholding Tax of N1, 977, 830:47 for 2005 to 2009.

After due consideration of the arguments from both parties, Kurya ruled that “from the foregoing, I am of the view that the applicants’ application fails for lack of merit and it is hereby struck out. “Consequently, judgment is hereby entered in favour of the second respondent (Standard Charted Bank of Nigeria Limited) against the Applicants. It is hereby also declared that the 1st Respondent (FIRS) action under the law is valid and in accordance with the provisions of the law. The whole Appli-

cant is hereby struck out with no cost.”

Peniel Apartments also challenged the Acting Executive Chairman of FIRS, Alhaji Kabir Mashi’s, powers to issue the recovery letter dated August 12, 2013 alleging that the company refused to pay the agreed liabilities.

The company, pursuant to Order 34, Rule 5 (1) of the Federal High Court (Civil Procedure) Rules 2009 and section 77(2) (C) of the Companies Income Tax Act (CITA) C21 LFN 2004 prayed the court for the following: “To declare the decision of the FIRS as contained in the cited Ag. Chairman FIRS’s letter of appointment of the bank as the agent for recovery of the tax liabilities of the company as “usurpation of the power of the Board of 1st Respondent, is ultra vires, null and void ab initio and of no effect whatsoever.”

For an Order to “remove for the purpose of being quashed and quashing the decision’’ contained in the FIRS’s letter of 12th August, 2013.

For an Order of injunction restraining the FIRS and the Bank “whether by themselves, their servants and/or agents from implementing or further implementing or giving any effect or further effect whatsoever’’ to the FIRS’s decision as contained in the letter dated 12th August 2013.

In the alternative to the second prayer, an Order “setting aside the said decision’’ of the FIRS “of 12th August 2013 Ref No. FIRS/TISED/ DESPU/PA/074N, purportedly appointing the second Respondent as collecting Agent for the purpose of recovering the outstanding liabilities of the Applicant pursuant to Section 49 of the Companies Income Tax Act, Cap C21, Laws of the Federa-

tion of Nigeria, 2004’’ and for other orders the court may deem to make in the circumstance of the case.

The tax agency on its part, filed a counter affidavit, a written address to the effect that Section 31 of the Federal Inland Revenue Service Establishment Act, 2007 empowers the Acting Executive Chairman of FIRS to appoint any person as an agent of a taxable person to pay any tax payable by the taxable person.

It posited that Section 31 of the FIRS Act provides an avenue for an aggrieved party to ventilate grievances in tax disputes of which the applicant has not explored and exhausted the option before heading for the Federal High court.

The Service maintained that the Respondent formulated only one issue for determination by the court, that is, “whether the Acting Chairman has acted within his power under the Federal Inland Revenue Service Act’’ which he answered in the affirmative relying on the Judgment of Justice I.N Buba, delivered on March 3, 2013 in suit No FHC/ L/CS/630/2013, NNPC Vs. TAT and 3 others.

Interestingly, the court in determining the matter found from the oral submissions and written processes of the parties “the Applicant owing as they have not paid their taxes. The first Respondent as the Acting Executive Chairman has the responsibility of executing the policy and administering the CITA, VAT and the Federal Inland Revenue Service Act. That the Acting Executive Chairman, Federal Inland Revenue Service letter dated August 12, 2013 was written when it became obvious that the Applicant has neglected, failed and or refused to pay the reconciled and agreed liabilities for many years.

That by the written letter dated August 12, 2013 Acting Executive Chairman was not acting ultra vires his powers.’’

From the proceedings, it has become obvious that the powers of the FIRS being exercised through the Executive Chairman or the Acting

THE NATION ON SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 21, 2014 Executive Chairman of the Service which is a Judicial Precedent was exercised rightly.

The FIRS relying on this decision believes that it would serve as a guide on the particular status to rely on and in FIRS correspondences to taxpayers and other stakeholders for future exercise of the Power of Substitution seeing that the FIRS Act, 2007 provides for the administering of the other tax laws including CITA. Importantly too, the decision of the court is expected to bring positive developments to the nation’s tax laws, its entire tax administration and the tax case laws.

The FIRS is not only focusing on prosecution of cases but had ratcheted up the ante in tax investigations and enforcement of taxes that are due to the Federation.

This was evident after several notifications and meetings recently, the FIRS peered into the operations of a steel group: PARCO Enterprises, over its refusal to open its books to and provide FIRS with requested documents for tax audit. Deploying some of its latest audit tools to identify tax evaders, officers of the FIRS, carried out enforcement on the company.

One of such audit tools is the risk engine tool for identification of tax evaders or non-compliant taxpayers.

Companies flagged by such tools are either subject to tax audit or tax investigation.

One of such companies flagged off by the FIRS risk engine is Parco Enterprises, Nigeria Limited, with associated interests and companies in steel, fertilizer, chemicals, foundries and mines, with a trans-Nigerian reach.

In line with its statutory mandate and the provisions of Sections 58 and 60 of the Companies Income Tax Act (Cap. 21 LFN 2004) and Sections 26 and 27 of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (Establishment) Act 2007 (FIRSEA), FIRS commenced investigation via a letter dated 22 April 2014 requesting for a pre-audit meeting which held on April 30, 2014.

Further requests to provide accounting and other business records requested of them repeatedly by FIRS, in June were not granted. Consequently, the FIRS Management pursuant to the powers vested on it

by Section 36 of the FIRSEA approved an enforcement action as a result of the company’s failure to oblige FIRS with requested documents and to open up its books for audit.

The enforcement exercise was carried out by FIRS recently at the office of the company at 1, Commercial Road, Eleganza Plaza, Apapa, Lagos State where documents and accounting records of the company were retrieved for audit purposes.

Recently also, the FIRS carried out a Tax collection enforcement exercise in Abuja on the A Group Properties Limited for failing to meet its tax obligations. During the exercise, the Chief Security Officer of the company was arrested for preventing officials of the tax agency from gaining entry in to the business premises of the company.

Officials of the FIRS authority made the arrest after several notices were served on the company for failure to file returns as required by relevant tax laws.

Those quizzed include the Admin Manager of the company and the Chief Security Officer of the Company while the company’s Auditor was invited over for questioning.

The FIRS team, alleged that the Service served three notices on the company, on March 16, 2013, July 25, 2013 and the last notice on February 12, 2014 without response.

The tax agency noted that the Group has about six related companies and that four of the companies are registered with the Service but

without fulfilling their tax obligations. Two of the companies were yet to have any records with the FIRS and she alleged that those with records have grossly understated their turnover and Value Added Tax (VAT) deductions.

The enforcement exercises on Parco Enterprises, A Class Properties testify to the renewed determination of the FIRS to improve tax revenue collection with a special focus on the non-oil revenue sources.

Also, the FIRS secured a judgment debt of N1.82 billion against Air Nigeria Development Ltd. The judgment debt followed an order of the Federal High Court sitting in Lagos which directed the Air Nigeria Development Ltd to pay more than N1.82 billion as tax liabilities to the service.

Delivering judgment in the case brought by the FIRS, Justice Musa Kurya said that the facts deposed in the affidavit to support the claim by the service was neither “Controversial nor contradicted.”

The service had through the writ of summons, brought under the undefended list supported by a 41 paragraph affidavit deposed

by Apena Kolawole, a staff of the FIRS, prayed the court to order Air Nigeria to pay the outstanding tax liabilities.

Tax refund The Lagos Division of the Tax Appeal Tribunal (TAT) recently dismissed an appeal filed by the Botro Marine and Oil Services Limited (BMOSL) seeking the refund of more than N135, 39 million against the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS).

Ruling on the appeal, the TAT presided by its Chairman, Mr. Kayode Sofola (SAN), said the BMOSL failed to provide sufficient documentary evidence to demonstrate the over payment of their tax liabilities.

The BMOSL, an oil servicing company was audited and assessed to tax, with a demand on them to pay their outstanding tax liabilities. But, aggrieved by the FIRS assessment and demand notices, BMOSL filed an appeal claiming to have overpaid taxes to the sum of N24, 146, 299 and 654, 406.35 dollars (N111, 249, 079.5).

Sofola delivery ruling on the matter said: “We have carefully studied and analysed all the submissions of both parties on the issues raised and the reliefs sought by the appellant. As a result of our consideration of the issues, we hereby dismiss the appeal on the grounds that the appellant has failed to provide any relevant documentary evidence to justify the claimed refund of N24, 146, 299:00 (Twenty-Four Million, One Hundred and Forty Six Thousand, Two Hundred and Ninety-Nine Naira). While the other refund of $654, 406:35 (Six Hundred and Fifty-Four Thousand, Four Hundred and Six Dollars, Thirty-Five Cents) sought by the appellant has been granted by the respondent, as shown in Exhibit 1g, paragraphs 7 and 8. Accordingly, the respondent cannot be ordered to refund the two sums as stated above. The appeal hereby fails.”

The crux of the Appellant’s case was that its overall input VAT exceeded its output VAT as envisaged under Section 16 of the VAT Act. Section 16 (1) (a) and (b) of the Act which states that: “A taxable person shall, on rendering a return under subsection (1) of Section 15 of this Act- if the output tax exceeds the input tax, remit the excess to the Board or if the input tax exceeds the output tax, be entitled to a refund of the excess tax from the Board on production of such documents as the Board may, from time to time, require.”

BUSINESS

59

•From left: Dr. Christopher Kolade, Director-General, Securities & Exchange Commission, Ms Arunma Oteh and Executive Commissioner (Corporate Services) SEC, Zakawanu Garuba at a public forum in Lagos…recently

•From left: Dual Vocational Training(DVT) Project Coordinator, Kehinde Awoyele, Head of Admin, Delegation of German Industry and Commerce in Nigeria, Mrs. Titilayo Ogunesan, Director, ITF/ISTC Lagos, Abimbola and Senior German expert in Mechanics, Mr. Horst Schmidt at the end of the Training of Trainers session for industrial mechanics, in Lagos…recently

Communities, Chevron at daggers drawn over ous confrontation to Chevron NigeEMBERS of the Gbaramatu, Egbema and Ogulagha leadership tussle rian Limited operations within the three kingdoms in a dimension and

M

Coastal Communities Front have issued a 21 days ultimatum to Chevron Nigeria Limited to stop all contracts, award/dealings with the communities’ former Chairman, George Timinimi, henceforth.

In a resolution signed by Barrister Mala, Isaac Gbenewei, Frank Keniye, Profit Omula, Barry Mulade, Tom Abanara, Timi David, Darlignton Agbede, Major Atigba, Cmrd Friday Ugedi, Henry Agediga, Clement Komboye, Capt. Alex Yelemu, Goddy Miebi and Robinson Weimiegbe on behalf of the communities made available to The Nation, the communities warned the oil major to either adhere to the ultimatum or be ready for a disruption of its activities within the three communities.

According to the resolution, members of the communities noted that they “have issued a 21-day ultimatum to Chevron to stop all contracts, award/dealings with our former Chairman, Hon. George Timinimi, who had held position of leadership in the last 11years.

Members of the communities also resolved that within 21 days, should Chevron Nigeria Limited refuse to adhere to this modest advice they “should vacate all locations/installations within the three Ijaw kingdoms aforementioned that are responsible for about 65 per cent of total Chevron oil production in its onshore and offshore facilities in Nigeria.”

According to the resolution, “the authorities of the Gbaramatu, Egbema Ogulagha Coastal Communities Front is a body that came into being in the year 2000 to, among other things, mediate between Chevron Nigeria Limited and the people of Gbaramatu, Egbema and Ogulagha Clans of Warri South-West, Warri North and Burutu in matters of employment, job placement and contracts emanating from Chevron Nigeria Limited off shore operations to

From Nduka Chiejina (Assistant Editor), Abuja

host communities. This is with a view to creating a peaceful and convivial atmosphere that would engender a smooth and crisis-free operation for Chevron’s offshore oil prospecting activities.”

The communities said they are a viable link between Chevron Nigeria Limited and the host communities, playing the crucial role of ensuring a peaceful atmosphere between Chevron Nigerian Limited and the host communities.

“It is also inexcusable that Chevron Nigeria limited which is the immediate beneficiary of the mediating and peace brokering activities of the Gbaramatu, Egbema and Ogulagha Coastal Communities Front has closed its eyes to our plight.

“Furthermore, that Chevron Nigeria Limited should forthwith stop the routing of all allocation of contract, job placement and employment and other benefits due to the host communities of Gbaramatu, Egbema and Ogulagha through the George Timinimi-led executive.”

They therefore warned that the members of the Gbaramatu, Egbema, Ogulagha Coastal Communities shall not hesitate to embark on seri-

magnitude unheard of with all its attendant consequences should they continue to accord recognition and patronage to the George Timinimi led executive.

They said that the three oil producing communities were “constrained to cry out for all to hear that its executive led by George Timinimi which was inaugurated to govern its affairs since the year 2003 is still in office 11 years (eleven years) after it came into being.

“We, the members of the Gbaramutu, Egbema and Ogulagha Coastal Communities Front have times without number prevailed on the George Timinimi-led executive to step aside so that a new executive be put in place but they have refused to relinquish their position.

“We have consequently written several letters to the Governor of Delta State, Chevron Nigeria Limited, Director General of the Directorate of State Security Service (DSS), Inspector General of Police (IGP) and all the security formation in Delta State intimating them of the looming danger which the refusal of the executive to relinquish office portends to the peace and security of the riverside communities of Delta State.”

Ebola management duty of all, says institute

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RESIDENT/Chairman of Council of the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators of Nigeria (ICSAN), Dr. Suleyman Ndanusa, has said that the Ebola virus was not only the duty of governments to tackle but required the efforts of everybody to forestall any outbreak of the dreaded disease.

Ndanusa spoke over the weekend at the 38th Annual Conference of the institute held in Lagos.

Tagged: ‘Nigeria of Tomorrow:

By Biodun Thomas-Davis

The Challenge of Growth, Security and Governance’, it drew participants from all walks of life.

While commending the efforts of both the federal and state governments, especially Lagos, for their various measures at combating the killer disease, and other health professionals some of who had laid down their lives to combat the virus, the ICSAN boss said the disease has almost robbed people of the love and unity that exist among them.

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THE NATION ON SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 21, 2014

BUSINESS

Expert tasks organisations on background check

Jonathan’s continuity culture: O NEXIM Bank example

By Ibrahim Apekhade Yusuf

A

KEY yardstick in reappointing Mr. Orya, according to the finance ministry, is his acumen in transforming NEXIM bank from a bank with over N10 billion non-performing loan liability in August 2009 to an institution with a capacity to provide about $39.5 billion in financial intervention and guarantees to support non-oil export activities in the country.

“In 2009, the loans’ portfolio of the bank was about N14.6 billion, out of which about 72 per cent was non-performing, with about N10.03billion, or 69.05 per cent classified lost, in line with the prudential guidelines of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN,” the ministry said.

The ministry said apart from declaring profits to its shareholders consistently for the past four years, NEXIM bank also provided support that created over 24,000 direct jobs capable of generating estimated foreign exchange of $320.12 million annually to the Nigerian economy.

The reappointment of Orya underscores once more President Goodluck Jonathan’s belief in continuity as a way of driving home his transformation agenda. Before Orya were the likes of Dr Paul Orhii as the NAFDAC DG, Dr Kabir Kabo Usman, Director General of the Centre for Management Development, CDC, as well as Olusegun Aganga, Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment. One clear inference of these reappointments is the ingenuity of those reappointed in the discharge of their duties which is the hallmark of the Jonathan transformation agenda. One good term, it is said, deserves another.

Talking about NEXIM bank, the observation by the finance ministry is a tip of the iceberg of the giant strides of the bank’s board led by Roberts Orya. It was to the board’s credit that NEXIM bank in 2010 undertook a corporate transformation exercise on strategy, risk management and corporate governance, financial performance, operations, organisation and people, with assistance from KPMG Professional Services. This is aimed at initiating policies that will make Nigeria’s economy robust.

Nigeria hitherto was tagged a mono-economic state. It is against this backdrop that the bank’s board initiated a master-plan to diversify the nation’s economy. Today, there is a silver lining in the nation’s economy following the sustained diversification and encouragement to the non-oil sector by NEXIM bank. This led to the birth of the Project Spring which led to the re-definition of the bank’s mission, vision and objectives, to channel its resources into the development of manufacturing, agro-processing, solid minerals and services which have high employment and foreign exchange earning potentialities.

NEXIM bank also initiated a five-year strategic plan that defines market penetration action plans, robust corporate governance and risk management architecture/frameworks to improve visibility and project the bank’s image. They involved organising actionwide key performance indices and scorecards to enhance monitoring of the bank’s operations and its shareholders, redesign policies to ensure efficiency, initiate ITtansformation project, reduce redundancies and ensure adequate controls.

The bank under Orya has been complementing commercial banks and other development financial institutions by focusing on unserved markets globally. It did this by adopting an optimal operating model with a robust structure and structured market-facing departments along the key target sectors of manufacturing, agro-processing, solid minerals and services.

The bank also achieved a cumulative loan recovery of N1.96b. This enabled the creation of a remedial management department. Its multiplier effect includes the reduction of the ratio of NPL from 72% in August 2009 to 14.95% as at April 2014. The management also initiated Enterprise Risk Management Framework to take care of all risk-related issues.

NEXIM bank also adopted a performance–driven organisational culture which has led to strong shareholders’ support through fresh capital injection, as well as in-

President Goodluck Jonathan on August 18 2014 renewed the tenure of Mr. Roberts Orya, the Managing Director of the Nigerian ExportImport Bank, NEXIM, for a fresh five-year term. The re-appointment is with effect from 17th August 2014. Uchenna Nwoko Dibia reviews the development

•Jonathan stitutional support through supervisory and regulatory oversight and guidance from the CBN and Federal Ministry of Finance. This increased the bank’s capacity to support the growth of the non-oil exports and complement the export credit support of commercial banks.

It has not also rested in its oars in improving its human resources capacity to ensure maximum output. This led to the bank’s engagement of skilled and motivated personnel such as chief risk officer, internal auditor, head remedial management, head strategic planning and head, corporate communications.

To attract and avail concessionary lines of credits, NEXIM bank re-established partnerships with other export credit agencies and multilateral financial institutions. Hence, over $80m has been attracted as investment by way of commercial lines of credit from the African Export-Import Bank (Afrexim), Exim India and ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development (EBID).

NEXIM bank also obtained an approval for a loan of US$200m from African Development Bank, backed by the sovereign guarantee of the federal government. The bank also has strong transactional relationships with the United States Export-Import Bank (US EXIM), the Guarantee Fund for Private Investments in West Africa (GARI Fund) and the Africa Biofuels and Renewable Energy Company (ABREC), while it has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Industrial Development Corporation of South Africa. NEXIM also has credit insurance agency collaboration with the Islamic Corporation for Insurance of Investment and Export Credits, a division of the Islamic Development Bank.

The bank also partners the Borderless Alliance, a private sector-led partnership in collaboration with USAID/West African Trade Hub and other stakeholders, to promote regional integration and seamless trade in West Africa by addressing the problem of non-tariff barriers through policy advocacy. The alliance operates a border information centre, which provides pertinent information to assist exporters and also acts as a collation centre for trade data to support evidence-based research and policy advocacy.

In the entertainment industry, NEXIM bank has intervened with lending commitments of about N1billion in the industry’s various value chains in the last three years. This is aimed at addressing issues regarding the establishment of credible structures, attract investment in the development of content and facilitate improvement in production standards, distribution, marketing and exhibition standards.

In the built industry, the bank commissioned EXIM India to undertake a study to review the industry and recommend best financing programmes in line with global best practices. It also sponsored capacity building programmes and film festivals such as Zuma Film Festival, BOBTV African Film and TV Programmes Expo, Eko International Film Festival, Nigeria Music Video Awards, Nigerian Copyright Commission’s Stakeholders’ Forum on Review of the Copyright Law It also sponsored the Nigerian Pavilions at Cannes International Film Festival, France, in partnership with the Nigerian Film Corporation and DISCOP Africa, South Africa to showcase Nigeria’s creative talent and attract investment capital and partnerships.

NEXIM also collaborated with the Federal Ministry of Culture and National Orientation on the first National Policy Dialogue on the Development of the Creative/Entertainment Industries in Nigeria, British Council on Creative Industry Expo and Mapping of the Industry and also engaged in policy dialogues with development partners, relevant regulatory and statutory institutions in the entertainment value-chain on ways of improving industry structures on issues relating to access to finance, monetising intellectual property/copyrights and risk mitigating instruments.

It also initiated the establishment of a transnational shipping company in collaboration with the organised private sector associations in west and central Africa in partnership with the Federation of West African Chambers of Commerce and Industries and Transimex S. A Cameroun to mitigate current non-tariff barriers and high logistical costs that hinder intraregional trade and competitiveness of Nigerian manufactured exports regionally.

The Sealink Project is essentially a public private partnership initiative and the private placement for the raising of US$60 million. The offer is being handled by FBN Capital, Nigeria (Issuing House) and SGI, Benin Republic. The initiative is endorsed by the ECOWAS Commission with technical support by the African Development Bank, the Directorate of Technical Cooperation in Africa, Maritime Organisation of West and Central Africa (MOWCA) and the Nigerian Shippers’ Council, amongst others.

The bank’s transformation has led to increase in the demand for its products and services, leading to huge amount of pipeline projects under processing. The bank therefore requires significant increase in its capital to perform more, considering the recent rebasing, which placed Nigeria as the largest economy in Africa with a GDP of $510bn. There is also need to provide the Seed Funds to enhance some of the bank’s activities viz the Political Risk Fund to support its export credit insurance service; the Interstate Road Transit Scheme to mitigate non-tariff barriers in cargo movement by road transport within the ECOWAS region, and rediscounting and refinancing facility designed as an interbank window to liquefy the books of commercial banks, lower the cost of credit to exporters and boost the intervention of commercial banks to the export sector.

It is deducible that NEXIM bank is among the whirligigs that play key roles in realising Jonathan’s transformation agenda. Among others are the introduction of the ECOWAS Trade Support Facility to improve the current trade level of less than 12% and deepening the volume of recorded/formal trade within the subregion, and to foster the implementation of the government’s trade policy and regional integration policies like the ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme. Other goals of the ETSF are to facilitate formal trade within the ECOWAS sub-region, deepen intra-regional payment system, increase Nigeria’s trade flows within ECOWAS, broaden trade and market access for Nigerian goods and services •Dibia is a public affairs analyst based in Lagos

NE way to guide against the growing wave of fraud and other related crimes in organisations is through careful screening of prospective staff ahead of their final engagement by the potential employer, Mr. Kola Olugbodi, Managing Director, Background Check International (BCI), has said.

Olugbodi, whose firm runs background checks for interested companies, said it was high time companies made it a matter of policy to audit their new and old staff to forestall incidence of theft among other misdemeanour.

“I wish to appeal to corporate organisations not to be in haste to employ staff without conducting thorough background screenings as such hasty decision would expose both the tangible and intangible resources of the organisation to fraud and abuse,” he said.

Justifying the need for background screening, Olugboidi said the appeal is apt particularly in the face of fraud and other unethical behaviours that are now prevalent in corporate organisations across the country.

“Many organisations crying foul of fraud and other unethical behaviours that are eroding their brand values would not have experienced such if proper background check had been done before employing staff who eventually carried out this dastardly acts.”

According to him, BCI ventured into background checking business in 2005 after realising the enormous benefits it will confer on the country as well as corporate organisations in the area of human resources management. The company believes that incidences of in-house fraud and unethical behaviours would be reduced if not eliminated completely if employees are properly screened and profiled before being given employment.

“Our superior offering of quality service delivery in educational qualification, professional certification, criminal record check, client background check, risk assessment report and several other areas is uncommon.

We have been able to expose corporate organisations to the dangers of employing staff without proper verification,” he added Olugbodi explained that Background Check International has over the years raised the bar of transparency and integrity in corporate governance and strategically positioned to chart the way forward to stem fraudulent practices that hinder organisational growth.

“At BCI, the values of our brand are anchored on integrity and trust, placing value on people, adaptability, competence and professional, teamwork and creativity, which overtime has helped to create value for not only its customers but also stakeholders as well,” he pointed out.

He advised corporate organisations to take precaution before committing themselves to staff by carrying out background check rather than wasting time and resources after dubious staff employed casually without thorough screening had duped them.

Forum tasks bursars on improving varsity finances

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FFECTIVE management of Internal Generated Revenue (IGR) with a view to improving service delivery formed the fulcrum of discussion at the recently concluded quarterly meeting of the Association of Bursars of Nigerian Universities.

Chairman of the association, Alhaji Yahaya Hassan, said the meeting availed members the opportunity to meet minds, exchange ideas, gain new knowledge on best practices in managing financial affairs of the university system in the country.

Hassan, who spoke at the meeting held at Kogi State University, Anyigba, noted that the theme of the meeting, “the emerging role of university bursars”, was chosen with these objectives in mind. He said current development in the accountancy profession, like the introduction of International Public Sector Accounting Standard (IPSAS) and the increasing demand for high quality services in the university system in the face of dwindling resources, calls for a radical paradigm shift from the traditional reactive approach to a strategic proactive approach in the university financial planning and management.

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HAT is the role, if any, of a leasing company in a start up?

One of the biggest expenditures that a business owner can expect to have, whether they are just starting out or working to expand their operation, will be for equipment. Every business needs some form of equipment to operate and buying them outright can seriously reduce your profit margin to almost nothing.

The Rosabon Operating Lease, if you may, is our most popular product being that it removes risk for our clients, they get tax benefits, their balance sheets look better because this cost is treated as an operating expense instead of a debt and most of all it helps our customers achieve their expansion goal so they can divert their resources to the core of the business.

As a lease fully maintained by Rosabon, we stick with our customers throughout the entire process flow; from acquisition of equipment, through maintenance to disposal. This product provides financing of high value equipment for corporate bodies. As a foremost leasing firm in Nigeria and regardless of client’s equipment need or requirement, we guarantee a wide range and specialised functional equipment that cuts across marine, lifting, earthmoving and heavy duty equipment. Operating leases are suitable for businesses that constantly upgrade vehicles and equipment for reasons such as rapid obsolescence.

Who are your target markets?

Our services are tailored to cut across diverse clientele such as SMEs, corporate organisations, employees of organisations and individuals.

What is your key selling point?

Over the years, our strength and unique selling point has been how we utilise our products to help our customers plan financially for the future, the satisfaction and trust they have in us, the speed with which we close transactions and the convenience which we offer our customers. Our interest rates are highly competitive and one of the best in our industry. In our quest to continually deliver excellent service, we have constantly improved on our processes and have succeeded in eliminating the bottle necks that have come to be associated with transactions in the financial services sector in Nigeria.

Also, the board and management staff of the company is purely people with astute integrity and vast experience in the financial industry.

What industry partnerships do you have?

Rosabon has a strong relationship with key organisations that include Abbey Building Society, UBA Plc, Linkage Assurance, ELAN, NEM Insurance, to mention but a few.

What assets are viable for leasing by a company like yours?

We undertake the provision of full or partial operating lease services and equipment such as vehicles, forklifts, barges, house boats, cranes, fuel barges, vessels, construction equipment’s etc. with the accompanying maintenance, insurance, fuelling, management

‘How SMEs can source N capital for business’

Nigeria, others for Business Forum

Mr. Chukwuma Ochonogor, Managing Director/Chief Executive, Rosabon Financial Services, a financial services institution with core interest in small and medium scale enterprises, LPO financing, equipment leasing, fleet management, among others, in this interview with Tonia Diyan gives useful suggestions on SME financing

•Ochonogor

(manpower) or any combination of these components as may be preferred or indicated by our clients. We also offer financing options for consumer lease products such as household equipment’s and technical gadgets (laptops, smart phones, tabs) etc.

Security of funds is a major concern for the average Nigerian customer. How do you manage your customers’ expectations regarding this?

Rosabon has been in business for over 21 years and all through the period of the crisis in the financial sector in Nigeria and globally, we have experienced growth and improvement in terms of product and revenue wise all through the years.

Our process improvement, product improvement and customer satisfaction have been constant elements throughout this entire period.

What is the Rosabon Earning Plan all about?

Rosabon Earning Plan (REAP) is a financial planning tool that helps our customers save towards a financial goal such as acquisition of property, cars, vacation and tuition etc.

Also attached to this product is the benefit of easy access to emergency loans to the tune of 130% for any of the above stated goals. It involves the equal monthly placement of an agreed sum of money by the customer to the organisation for a certain period of time. The customer receives the principal plus interest at the end or expiration of the agreed duration. The product is targeted at the financial sectors which include

the employees that work in banks, insurance companies, finance houses etc. Also, the employees of private organisations such as the multinationals, telecommunications etc., civil servants and people that work in government agencies. With the placement plan as a collateral, the loans come at a lower rate than what is obtainable elsewhere bearing in mind that the individual is already an existing customer.

I’ve heard quite a lot about RWIN. Can you tell us more about the Rosabon Win-Big-Monthly Note?

This product is a long-term offering fund placement product with a clean-up cycle of 30days. A unique feature of the product is that it is linked to a monthly promo/draw that gives the customer a chance to earn a certain amount of the minimum investment balance depending on the number of participants in the monthly pool. The customer is paid a certain amount as interest on monthly basis while the balance is locked in our promo; giving the customer a chance to win up to 600% in monetary value as first price and various consolation prices.

Tell us about the Rosabon Treasury Note (RTN) Simply put, our RTN is a tenorbased placement that enables our customer to get returns on their bulk investments which is a saving option for the future. It allows our customers to take interest generated as an income for the duration of the placement tenor while they still save their

money. Interest earned is highly competitive and is also negotiable. This comes with lots of flexibility and financial advisory services. The product is targeted at HNIs (self-employed individuals, employees of blue chip companies and the public sector), private institutions, private/public liability companies, insurance companies, cooperatives associations, NGOs, schools, churches, etc.

What strategic initiatives are in the pipeline?

Well, we are really focused on repositioning the Rosabon brand out there and creating more awareness and visibility for our products and financial planning services. Also, we are working on creating and capitalising on synergies with other businesses with similar goals and interests to make our products more accessible to the customer. We are looking for more ways to create more benefit and potential as well as reinforce the savings and spending culture in the lifestyle of the average Nigerian.

How broad is your customer base?

Our customers are spread all over the country and are approximately 10,000 and counting.

You’ve been in business for over 21 years. How has Rosabon FS been able to stay strong in a market riddled with emerging competition?

Over the years, we have achieved great feats by developing world class financial products that are suited to the prevailing business environment.

Our products have been designed to meet the diverse demands of our growing clientele. We use our financial products as financial tools to help Nigerians imbibe healthy savings and spending culture. We strive to offer a comprehensive range of services by continuously evaluating new financial products. Also, our growth over the years can be attributed to our strong emphasis on our Risk Management, going the extra mile, using measures such as credit bureau services, documentation control, KYC policy, transaction analysis through credit appraisal memorandum and litigation risk analysis, to mention a few, in ensuring all transactions are at a minimum risk.

Some people find it difficult to demarcate between a Finance House and a Microfinance Company. What is the major difference?

We would like to reiterate here that Rosabon Financial Services is not a micro-finance bank but a non-banking institution that acts as financial intermediary to facilitate bank-related financial services fully licensed by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

But our services are highly sophisticated and tailored to the needs that cut across every calibre of individual in our society, therein lies the difference.

IGERIAN Sovereign Authority and a number of high ranking African government dignitaries are billed to attend the 2nd Africa Global Business Forum scheduled to hold in Dubai from October 1st-2nd.

Held under the patronage of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE VicePresident and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, the Forum’s objective is to facilitate a high-level dialogue and advice on key strategic directives related to Africa’s economic outlook.

With Dubai becoming a significant investor across Africa and a base for fast-growing bilateral trade, the Forum will exemplify why the Emirate is growing as a hub for African entrepreneurs to access global markets. It will also define why it forms an international investor base for African operations.

The august event is expected to bring together over 500 highlevel decision makers including African Heads of State: HE Dr. Mulatu Teshome, President, Federal Republic of Ethiopia, HE John Dramani Mahama, President, Republic of Ghana, HE Paul Kagame, President, Republic of Rwanda, HE Macky Sall, President, Republic of Senegal.

Ministers and dignitaries: HE Patrick Achi, Minister of Economic Infrastructure, Republic of Ivory Coast, HE Amama Mbabazi, Prime Minister, Republic of Uganda, HE Osman Omer Ali Alshareef, Minister of Commerce, Republic of the Sudan, HE Cheick Mobido Diarra, Transitional Prime Minister of Mali, HE Festus Mogae, the Former President of the Republic of Botswana, HE Admiral Mohab Mohammad Hussein Mameesh, Chairman of Egypt’s General Authority for Economic Zone, North-West Gulf of Suez, Hon. Dr Richard Sezibera, Secretary General, East African Community (EAC), HE Kadré Désiré Ouédraogo, President of the Economic Community of West African States Commission (ECOWAS).

Prominent CEOs and Directors operating globally: 50 countries, including 22 based in sub-Saharan Africa and over 40 Nigerian CEOs currently represented.

Organisations include: Mastercard, Abax Corporate Services, Jones Lang Lasalle, Agility, Astral Aviation, Emerald Energy, Chellarams, Mohamed Hareb Al Otaiba Group Of Companies, Siemens, Ernst & Young, Microsoft, Sunbird Group, Jagal, The Carlyle Group, Ericsson, Haco Industries, Habiboil Limited.

HE Hamad Buamim, Dubai Chamber’s President /Chief Executive Officer pointed out that under the directions of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Dubai has become the main venue for UAE companies seeking to expand in promising African markets, stressing that Dubai Chamber’s plan to open more representative offices throughout Africa is a true reflection of its commitment to raise the competitiveness of the business community in Dubai.

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‘Endorsement of Jonathan is endorsement of corruption’

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HE National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has said plans by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) not to probe its erring governors for endorsing President Goodluck Jonathan for the 2015 election is an endorsement of corruption by the ruling party.

Addressing reporters yesterday at a rally to welcome members of the PDP who decamped to the APC at Ijora Badia in Lagos, the APC spokesman said the condition given by the governors was a challenge on the collective will of the people.

He said: “The governors

By Musa Odoshimokhe

gave President Jonathan a condition that the EFCC and ICPC should not go after them. This is a dangerous sign for the country. It shows that a continuation of the PDP government beyond 2015 will incapacitate the economy which is currently at its lowest ebb.”

While promising that the APC will give Nigeria a credible leadership that will transform the country in all sectors, the APC chieftain also commended the party’s elected governors for strictly adhering to the manifesto of the party which is basically the people’s welfare.

He said: “The APC boasts

nationwide support and our governors’ performance is excellent. The fact that people of Nigeria want a change is the reason why our party is waxing stronger and we will form the next government in 2015.

“The endorsement of Jonathan is the endorsement of corruption. The conditions attached to the endorsement that all the governors will have immunity outside office from being probed even when they are found wanting is a sad note for Nigeria,” he stated. Also speaking, APC chairman in Lagos State, Otunba Dele Ajomale, urged the new members to feel at home and work for the progress of the party.

Uzodimma to Ndigbo: Jonathan is committed to your security

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HAIRMAN of the Political Mobilisation Committee of Ohanaeze Ndi’Igbo, Senator Hope Uzodimma, has assured the Igbos in all parts of the country that President Goodluck Jonathan is committed to the security of their lives and property.

Speaking at a meeting of the apex Igbo socio-political body and Igbo leaders from the 19 northern states of the country in Abuja, Uzodimma urged the

From John Ofikhenua, Abuja

people to live without fear or molestation, as the president had put in place necessary security measures to protect them.

He urged them to live in peace with their neighbours and to always alert security agencies any time their security was threatened instead of resorting to self defense.

Uzodimma, who is the Chairman of the Senate Com-

mittee on Aviation, commended the entrepreneurial spirit of his kith and kin and urged them to continue to do legitimate businesses whereever they live.

He also renewed his call on all Igbo people at home and in the Diaspora to ensure that Jonathan is re-elected for another term as his administration had identified and brought about uncommon transformation of Nigeria.

Presbyterian Prelate condemns death sentence on soldiers

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HE Prelate and Moderator of the General Assembly of The Presbyterian Church of Nigeria, the Most Rev. Emele Uka, has condemned the recent death sentence by firing squad pronounced on 12 soldiers by the General Court Martial of the Army.

The soldiers were convicted for mutiny in Maiduguri, Borno State, during which they opened fire at a car conveying the then General Officer Commanding (GOC) of Division 7 of the Army, Major General Ahmadu Mohammed.

Professor Uka described the death sentence as

primitive, barbaric, ungodly, inhuman and a miscarriage of justice.

“The use of firing squads,” the Prelate said, “is inhuman and is being discarded the world over.

Although mutiny, or rebellion in any form, cannot be encouraged, applying the death sentence by firing squad in a case such as this is like killing a fly with a sledge-hammer.

“Besides, natural justice demands that the military authorities whose decision resulted in the alleged act of mutiny should have equally been disciplined.”

The Prelate asked President Goodluck

Jonathan as Commander-inChief of the Nigerian Army to commute the death sentences to prison terms and save the nation from further shedding of blood.

He also described as most despicable the recent beheading of American journalists, James Foley and Steven Sotloff as well as the British aid worker, David Haines by the terrorist group, Islamic State (ISIL).

He said the action of ISIL in Syria and Iraq, and that of Boko Haram in Nigeria, were a global jihadist agenda and called on world powers to come together to resist the move in the interest of world peace and security.

$9.5bn seizure: Group queries sincerity of Oritsejafor critics

A

GROUP, Christians and Muslims Youth Forum (CMYF) at the weekend queried the sincerity of critics of the President, Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, over the $9.5 million recently seized by the South African authority.

The CMYF National President, Yusuf Ibrahim, condemned how some individuals are hiding under the cover of the seizure to impugn on the integrity of the CAN president.

Speaking at a press conference in Abuja, Ibrahim pointed out that though the group’s investigation revealed that the seized private jet belongs to Oritsejafor, it has since been leased to a private

From Dele Anofi and Olugbenga Adanikin, Abuja

company.

He added: “As a peace advocacy organisation committed to fostering a harmonious and peaceful co-existence among Nigerians irrespective of ethnic, tribe or religious affiliation, we have witnessed a recent unfortunate development capable of jeopardising the peace that is being gradually restored.

“It is in line with this perspective that when the news of the $9.5 billion seized by the South African Authority broke, we took our time to investigate the matter especially as it was linked to a respected

gentleman in the person of Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, the CAN President.

“The questions therefore are: is it expected that Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor should have inspected the jet before it was used by the client? How would Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor have known that the luggage(s) of the client contains such amount of money? Can Pastor Ayo determine who his client should travel with when the jet is on lease?”

He said though National Assembly (NASS) has risen up to investigate the controversy, he called on Nigerians to exercise caution and patience by allowing the NASS to conduct its investigation.

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EBERE WABARA

WORDSWORTH 08055001948

ewabara@yahoo.com

Spirit of activism

O

NE thing is certain: people will not give up arguing about correct usage in English. Happily, the spirit of (language) activism is alive and well.

As a word-watcher (from the Word Watch School), how do you feel or react when you read: “…expired politicians, court jesters and political fuddy-duddies parade themselves as icons?”

(THE NATION ON SUNDAY EDITORIAL, August 31, 2014). Yes, “expired politicians” are dead politicians! Do the dead come back to parade on the political scene? Only in Nigeria!

Holy terror!

Another note: “sheathe” and “sheath” are both verbs in American English (AE); you can sheathe a knife, a cutlass and a sword, but, in practical terms, you can’t sheathe a machete!

“Mail”, meaning “letters, parcels, etc by post”, is an uncountable noun—it has no plural form. “Mails” is a piece of Nigerianism, Nigerian English (NE) or English made in Nigeria!

Evidences? “…but fails abysmally in giving concrete “evidences” (evidence) of such claims.”

“Evidence”, meaning “information that gives reason for believing something; proof “(e.g. in a law case), is an uncountable noun. It has no plural form. We correctly say or write: enough evidence, some evidence, a mass of evidence, a piece of evidence or pieces of evidence.

Standard-bearers or flag-bearers? “Group insists PDP, APC should pick Christians as “flagbearers” (standardbearers). In politics, music, etc, it is “standardbearer”, in games, sports, etc., it is “flag-bearer” or “torchbearer”.

“Know/Knowing full well” is Briticism while “Know/Knowing fully well” is an Americanism.

Work harder and keep watching, brother!

(Bayo Oguntunase/ Language Activist/ Adoro62@yahoo.co.uk) COLUMNIST’S ADDENDUM: Some dictionaries could be misleading. When I saw ‘evidences’ in one of the extracts published last week, I immediately knew that something was wrong with the word, as now pointed out. I told my son to check up the word in Oxford Advanced

Learner’s Dictionary (2010 Eighth Edition). We discovered that it was both countable and uncountable. Based on this, I allowed the entry to go! When Mr. Oguntunase intervened, I checked dictionaries and discovered that it was non-count!

In fact, Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English New Edition for Advanced Learners, 2013 Edition) declares categorically: “Evidence is an uncountable noun and has no plural form. Use a singular verb after it: Vital evidence was destroyed.”

The reaffirmation I get from this revelation is that it is not everything that is in some dictionaries that is correct! So, there is need to critically and selectively drink from the fountain of as many dictionaries as possible in order to be on the safe side. We must therefore develop circumspective and interrogative capacities in the use of language.

From last week: “…but fails woefully (abysmally) in giving concrete evidences (evidence) of such claims.”

(NATIONAL MIRROR, September 11) Do not say ‘true evidence’, but ‘reliable evidence’. (Longman) SUNDAY ADESINA (08029955388): You are right on ‘outright’ being both an adjective and adverb. ‘Outrightly’ is not just uncommon, but queer and unknown to standard etymological entries.

“Boko Haram peace talks reopens” Why the disagreement? This kind of ‘schoolboy howler’, in the words of Mr. Oguntunase, should not be seen in standard publications.

“CBN intervention bouys naira” Get it right: buoys.

“You must be matured and in love with jazz music.” (Lifestyle) Just ‘mature’.

The next three errors are from NTA Network News of September 18: “…who presided at the occasion.”

NTA correspondents should be refreshed: the preposition that goes before ‘occasion’ is ‘on’ (not ‘at’) “He said that the ministry intends (intended) to restore back….” ‘Restore back’ shows unintelligibility.

With ‘restore’, you can’t have ‘back’.

We shouldn’t use words we don’t understand their meanings (or implications). The English

language has evolved from the old period to the modern era.

So, journalists must avoid Anglo-Saxon expressions.

“Each of the stadia was provided with practicing pitch.” It is not the pitches that practise as implied in the statement.

Therefore, the sensible phrase ought to be ‘practice pitch.’ Lexical and semantic appropriateness demands this line of thought.

“Captain…wedded former Miss…in Lagos over the weekend with pomp and pageantry.”

‘Pomp and pageantry’ is not an accepted phrase.

The standard expression is ‘pomp and circumstance’ or ‘pomp and ceremony.’ It can simply be left as ‘pomp’.

If you don’t remember these forms, rephrase. At least, you can always recollect that the Nigerian creation (pomp and pageantry) is uneducated.

“Truely, Jos is a home of peace and tourism.”

Correct form: truly.

“This development is unlike in some states where education have (sic) died a natural death…”

(DAILY CHAMPION) Indeed, education has died in Champion House!

“Public affairs analysts of the most diverse persuasions are agreed on one thing: the world is at a crossroad (a/the crossroads).”

“It is therefore noteworthy that the AU has now seen the wisdom in pooling the resources of member-states together to prevent ugly incident (sic)….”

(NIGERIAN TRIBUNE, September 19) When resources are pooled, there is no need for ‘together’.

“The hopes of millions of our countrymen are centred around us.”

(THISDAY, September 19) ‘Centre’ admits ‘on’, ‘round,’ ‘upon’… never ‘around’.

“Unclaimed properties of accident victims” ‘Property’ in this context is non-count. It can only take the plural form if buildings and acres of land are involved—or for scientific references.

“Yes, Nigerians love to eat traditional meals with their bare fingers but that is not to say we can’t provide foreigners with cutleries.” (Tourism & Hospitality) ‘Cutlery’ is uncountable.

Wrong: very unique; Right: unique; Wrong: transport fare; Right: fare;

Ndokwa, Ika and new Delta 2015 calculations

•Continued from Page 24 has not been authenticated. It is also possible that those who are circulating it might be doing so for propaganda purposes.

Still these names are known to be close to the powers-that-be in the state.

For the PDP, the consequences of what is being perceived as a bid to ram a choice down people’s throats may be difficult to predict as no one knows how far the aggrieved are willing to go.

There are indications, for instance, that key movers of the Anioma Congress have been making moves to see President Goodluck Jonathan to argue that they don’t support Obuh. It is also said that a wealthy and well-known Asaba chief recently called a meeting where he resolved to back anyone else but Obuh.

Other aspirants who seem to be losing steam in the wake of the waves thrown up by the former Permanent Secretary are said to have been meeting to consider their options.

They are all said to be ready to fight to the bitter end. Observers don’t rule out defections and outright anti-party activities – developments that could be catastrophic for the PDP. Much of the antipathy towards Obuh has little or nothing to do with his qualities as a man or his abilities. Rather many are saying if indeed Uduaghan is backing him, he’s acknowledging a critical failing. Critics are asking why the governor couldn’t use the same system that threw him up to produce a successor.

Put bluntly they say any attempt to ram Obuh down their throats amounts to insulting the political class. One politician who requested anonymity asked rhetorically: “After working for 32 years as a politician can you retire to become a Permanent Secretary in the civil service? The reverse is what we’re being asked to accept.”

MANY QUESTIONS Most political players you speak with in the state readily acknowledge that it would be unrealistic to think that a state governor would not have key say in determining who succeeds him. What they are still struggling with is decoding the reasons why he may have settled on Obuh – if that is truly the case.

Some of have said he may be looking for someone of unquestioned loyalty. Obuh might fit the bill having worked with him as a director when the incumbent was SSG under Ibori. To have been plucked to play the role he did in Government House equally suggests someone who was trusted.

They also say – unflatteringly – that civil servants are quick to say ‘yes sir.’ Is the governor

•Ochei

•Okowa

looking for someone who would be pliable? The counter position is that the negative characterization of civil servants notwithstanding, available evidence shows that when roles are reversed, yesterday’s yes man could turn out to be a different person entirely.

A case in point is Abia State whose former Governor Orji Uzor Kalu plucked Chief T. A. Orji from the civil service to become Chief of State. He later anointed him his successor. The man who was once derided as a poodle is now locked in mortal political combat with his erstwhile godfather. Will today’s meek civil servant transform into a pliable governor? The jury is out.

Those who accept this scenario as possible argue that concerning the loyalty question there are too many imponderables. The governor must have assured himself that this is a risk he could take. But in making those moves has he reflected seriously on the potential cost?

Again, his defenders say Uduaghan is fairly confident of his political position.

So far attention has focused on the drama in the PDP race because the party presently has a vice-like grip on power in the state. That said, observers are warning that if the emotions and resentment rumbling under the surface are not well man-

aged, it could open the door for an unscripted victory for the opposition – just like what happened when the late Sir. Michael Otedola of the defunct National Republican Convention (NRC) defeated the late Professor Femi Agbalajobi of the much-fancied Social Democratic Party (SDP) to become Lagos State Governor under former President Ibrahim Babangida’s two-party arrangement. It all happened because of the deep rifts within the party that was perceived as being invincible then.

In politics a month is a lifetime. The aspirant who may seem like the flavor of the month now may have expired come October – opening the door for anyone in the army of aspirants queuing to succeed Uduaghan. In both the PDP and All Progressives Congress (APC) a long list of capable hands leaves the electorate spoilt for choice in the days ahead.

Aside the likes of Ochei, Okowa, Olejeme and Obuh who have been mentioned earlier, others to watch for are Professor Pat Utomi of the Pan-Atlantic University, Lagos, Chief Fidelis Tilije former Managing Director of Fortune Bank, Chief Godswill Obielum, a retired police chief, Charles Emetulu, Commissioner for Energy, Dr. Festus Okubor, Hon. Ndudi Elumelu, former Presidential Adviser, Professor Sylvester Monye, to name a few.

69

THE NATION ON SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2014

‘2015 elections will be peaceful’ W

AT are you biggest memories as you clock 50?

Actually, there are many major events in my life that are unforgettable. I could remember that I was struck with the spirit of death at the age of five and there was no hope that I could survive.

My parent lost hope, everyone lost hope. It was from one ritual house to another to ensure that I survive. But when my father discovered that it was clear that I will die because of the satanic attacks, he became worried about the whole thing.

My father himself also ran away from his hometown in 1930 because of the fear of death. So when he heard that his son was dying, he came back and took me to Sapale to watch over me. To God be the glory today I am alive.

Another remarkable thing is how I got born again. It was in the means of struggling with the spirit of death in 1976 that I gave my life to God. There was no hope that I will survive but with the ministry of Archbishop Idahosa, I was able to receive one of his books.

I read it and believe what he said in the book.

That was how I got my salvation. Unexpectedly I saw myself in the ministry doing the work of God. I started as an evangelist and later find myself as a pastor.

Today God has been doing a wonderful work through me and we have celebrated many testimonies through my ministry.

What were these childhood attacks all about?

The power of death was on me. To be specific, whenever good thing wanted to happen in my live, this spirit will reoccur. I find myself dying and waking up and at that point. I understand that my future was at stake. That mean I must die, I knew I will die and my father also knew I will die.

So while struggling with the strange spirit, I heard that Jesus can save. So I said if the power of God upon me can do this for me I will serve him all the days of my life. I discovered that Jesus can change all things and

T

HE Annual convention of the Jehovah’s Witnesses is to begin at the end of September. It holds for the next 12 weeks across the country.

The theme for this year’s programme is “Keep seeking first God’s kingdom!”

Nigeria plan to host 271 Conventions inside large Auditoriums in 30 cities. Worldwide, there are over 7,900,000

make a difference in my life.

So it is the fear to escape death that led me to Christ.

Though, there are different ways that God bring people to serve him, because in my family the whole thing was clear that men don’t survive but women can survive. As I am talking to you in my own generation I am the last man standing.

So, how has life been at 50?

I believe strongly that I am expecting another phase of my life because God is taking me somewhere. I have a lot of testimonies to share. I have been in this work for over three decades.

I got born again early enough and since then it has been one scenario and the other.

To God’s glory one of the things that really shocked my life was the proof that Jesus is real. When God met me and said ‘this is what I want you to do for me’, I wasn’t really interested.

When you see pastors in those days, you can hardly admire them. Even their parents cried for them.

So when it became clear that I will become a pastor, I struggled very hard to escape it. My father was never happy with me. In fact, it’s like telling my father to commit suicide. I came from a family background that valued education so much with wellplaced in the society. That his only son will now be somebody addressed as pastor was unthinkable.

It wasn’t easy but I thank God that at the end I answered the divine call.

When God called me in 19851986 that I was going to work in His vineyard as a deliverance minister, I cried.

But I said to myself this is not what God wants for me but God proved to me that power belongs to Him. Honestly, God proves to me that if He can use Apostle Peter he can use me. Today through my hands many have escaped death and through my hands different kinds of healing and miracles had taken place in the name of Jesus and not by my power.

Why did you protest the ultimatum given to President Jonathan by the

The Presiding Prelate of Bible Pattern Evangelical Mission, Port-Harcourt, Bishop Benjamin Solomon, clocked 50 recently. He spoke with Precious Dikewoha on his life, church and the nation. Excerpts Northern elders?

I protested because I don’t like seeing people playing politics of bitterness. When they made that statement, I said to myself if the northern elders can give such commands, it means they had hands in the abduction of the Chibok girls. They knew where they were kept. And to stop Jonathan from contesting is to ensure that he didn’t get to know the hideouts of the abducted girls.

With the assistance of America in the fight against insurgency, I know it will take them more time to achieve result because American have not done enough in fighting terrorism in Africa. They were in Iraq for many years, including other African countries without being able to achieve enough results.

It took them over ten years before they could get Bin Laden because I knew that it will take them time to achieve result here in Nigeria. What we need now is the cooperation of the Northern elders. A lot has been said against Jonathan due to the activities of the Boko Haram in the North.

There was a time when one of the northerners said if Jonathan will not contest in 2015 the issue of Boko Haram will be over.

I think the Federal government itself is not helping matters. They should have published the names of those sponsoring Boko Haram because that is the only way we could know the truth of this insurgency.

You supported the recent sack of resident doctors.

How do you feel now that they are back to work?

When you look at the state of the nation, you will discover that because of freedom of expression people are agitating for one thing or the other and also protesting for their rights. Look at how desperate people can be when

doctors went on strike without considering that the country is in need of their service with the outbreak of Ebola.

For me the Federal government shouldn’t have changed its mind on the sack directive.

I wanted them sacked for abandoning their duties at the critical time.

Look, you can’t hold the country to ransom for things that could cripple the nation. If you ask me I think the National Assembly has not tried enough to contain these incessant strikes.

I don’t think there is any developed country where health and education workers go on strike as it is in Nigeria. The National Assembly can put a stop to this strike by dialoguing with the Federal government while their operation is going on and not keeping the nation on standstill. It is only in Nigeria where education sector is being closed down for one year.

But this can be handled. I also think that why people are agitating for increased of welfare and other pays is because of the huge amount of money been taken home by public office holders.

So if a professor in the University cannot boast of N1million in two months and a House of the Assembly member gets N100 million in two months it is irritating.

People are not happy seeing those entrusted with their votes becoming millionaires overnight while they are living in misery.

NEWS

Jehovah’s Witnesses hold convention Witness in more than 113,000 Congregations.

For Lagos and Ogun residents, four large auditoriums are available at Ota, Badagy, Daluwon and Lekki. An estimated 6,000 will attend Ota Assembly Ground, each week for 12 successive weekends.

Moved by love and to make sure many enjoy the rich Bible-based programmes; personal, Printed Invitation is being extended to everyone in Lagos, Ogun, and indeed all conventions’ cities. The first of three-day events to be held in Ota will begin Friday September 26th at 8.20am. There is no

admission fee. Conventions of Jehovah’s Witnesses are supported entirely by voluntary donations.

Beginning Friday morning, the Convention highlights a connection between family values and the teaching of Jesus Christ. The programme will also examine how those words

•Apostle Solomon

In Rivers State, many believe that there will be deaths in 2015. What is the church doing to avert this looming calamity?

Right now, Churches in Nigeria are not sleeping. We are watchmen; I want to assure the people that 2015 elections will be peaceful.

The transition we are going into is going to take people unawares because many of those who are fighting as if Nigeria is their own property will not be alive see the election.

The church is seriously praying that those who want to cause problem in Rivers State will be crushed to death. Rivers State has been peaceful since I came to the state. And what happened in other states hardly happen here.

2015 elections will be peaceful because the

children of God have already prayed and decreed just like the powers of darkness is working harder to get innocent blood. So we are also awake to ensure that no blood is being made available for the agents of darkness.

To get victory is to always pray for Nigeria. God has revealed that any politician who wants to cause crisis or take human life for his or her selfish interest will die before the Election Day. This is a guarantee that there will be free and fair election in 2015. There are forces working against the peace of this country because they make their wealth through crisis.

So they are bent to ensure that the country does not have peace. Of course, the only solution is fasting and prayer.

of Jesus can be of special interest to families.

Speaking on what to expect at the convention, Afolabi Odeyemi, a Convention Spokesman, states, “People of many faiths pray for God’s kingdom. This Convention will explain what the kingdom is and how it can be a positive influence in our lives. A highlight of the programme will be the

keynote address on Friday morning, which will discuss how that Kingdom is benefiting people today. ...A core belief of Jehovah’s Witnesses, based on Biblical and historical evidence, is that Jesus Christ began to rule as the King of God’s Kingdom in 1914. The convention programme marks this year as the centennial of that event.”

70

THE NATION ON SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2014

WORSHIP

Flood of tributes for missionary, Ruth Elton, at 80

COLUMN

Living Faith

By Dr. David Oyedepo

Engaging the covenant for financial dominion!

L •Ruth Elton and well-wishers at the event Adesoji Adeniyi, Osogbo O distance was too long

N

for admirers of Mama Ruth Elton, a British born misionary, particularly those who have benefited from her generosity and benevolence, to be part of her 80th happy birthday. Guests came from all parts of the federation.

They particularly came from towns where Mama Ruth Elton had patiently served in spreading the gospel of the Lord - from Kogi to Ondo, Oyo and Osun states. The celebrator since she was three years old had been in Nigeria when she followed her missionary parents, Pa Sydney and Mama Hannah Elton, in July1937. Since she was introduced to the Christian faith by her parents and following the consequence of the latter rain revival of the early 50s, Mama Ruth’s passion was inspiring to others. She proved herself a worthy enthusiastic assistant to her parents in spreading the gospel in many parts of the country, particularly rural communities, where residents were yet to hear of the Word of the Lord.

The King’s Event Centre in Ilesa, Osun State, the venue of the thanksgiving service and reception, two Saturdays ago, was filled to capacity. Adorned in their best attire, the guests paid glowing tribute to the woman described by the preacher at the thanksgiving ceremony, Rev. Mike Oye, as smallish in stature but giant in faith.

The preacher said: “How to know the love of God is to be prepared to die to save lives. In God’s words, we are made to know ‘That he lays down his life for us live.’ So we too like Mama Ruth must be ready to lay ours too for others to live.

Ruth was raised by wonderful parents. They came to suffer, to teach, to help people, first class evangelists. Ruth was raised in an environment of love, she grew under parents who lived

by God’s principles.”

Speaking further, Rev. Oye said there was an urgent need to raise children in the fear of God just as Timothy’s parents in the Bible and Ruth’s parents had done. He said Mama Ruth’s parents emphasis was not on material values but promoting Christian standards. Chiding Christians, who laid back and doing nothing about the insurgency of the dreaded Islamic Boko Haram in the North Eastern part of the country, he said soldiers don’t sit, they go to fight, they suffer, and come back to shine after conquering the enemies.

“Boko Haram don’t sit they go to fight, soldiers don’t sit but must go and conquer. I pity those who say Boko Haram can’t come to them in other parts of the country before the rapture. They are coming, so it’s important to go out and win souls and help others. The problem with us is being disobedient to the Word of the Lord. This smallish woman (Mama Ruth) sitting here is a giant of faith, a lioness like David fighting and receiving wounds. One of the reasons why we are not making advances is fear of suffering and love of luxury. Even Jesus suffered. If there is any Christian not suffering for the faith, then something is wrong. Ruth Elton stands out in this regard. The Christians in the South are not talking and doing enough about evil of Boko Haram in the North.

We are not helping the Christians affected by this evil. It is not pentecostalism but holiness and impeccable character that will speak to people. If not for her patience and courage, Mama Ruth would have gone back to England thirty years ago. She faced great challenges, some of which even threatened her life.

So, as Christians, we are to endure persecution, suffering, difficulty.”

Sam Kputu, the International Director of the Calvary Ministries, said: “There are two ways to spend your life. You either waste or invest it. That life is wasted that is spent just on transient things and ephemeral glories. That life is invested that is spent fulfilling God’s eternal purpose, the redemption of nations. Sister Ruth Elton, like her parents before her, is an example of a life well invested.

Many servants of God in Nigeria today, as well as many churches and ministries, including ours, Calvary Ministries, are either direct or indirect fruits of the labours of the Eltons in this land.”

According to Emeka and Bade Nwankpa of the Intercessor For Nigeria: “The story of our lives cannot be told without the testimony of the immeasurable deposit that God made in us using Pa S. G. Elton of blessed memory. We, therefore, appreciate the Elton family more than words can describe.”

Pastor Dejo Akande of the Christ’s Ambassadors Evangelistic Team said: “The contact with Mama Elton encouraged the interest of CAET in missions that culminated in a series of mission trips to the Okene-Keton mission field, beginning from 1988. The trip exposed us to great

works Mama was doing over years, especially among the Ebiras, Bassa Komo people and others around the Middle Belt of the country.”

Also, Bishop Joel Ejingwon of the Gospel Assembly Intercontinental, Agasa-Okene, Kogi State asserted: “Mama, you have positively affected the lives of the entire Ebira nation and its environs through your passion for soul wining. Your labour for the kingdom gave birth to the church now known as the Gospel Assembly Intercontinental.”

Pastor J. B. Aladega of the Kingdom Gospel Mission declared: “Sweet mother, congratulations on your 80th birthday. You have been a great blessing to your generation. Your sacrificial life and dedication to the work of the kingdom is a challenge to us. You have been a seasoning salt and light to the world. You have been shining brightly, showing the glory of God wherever you are.”

According to President, Gospel Group, Oritamefa, Ibadan, Oyo State, Brother Yinka Olufayo: “Mama, having been born into mission by our late Papa and Mama S. G. Elton, missions colossus of note, you yourself have become mission incarnate by God’s grace and divine providence.”

The General Overseer, Gethsemane Prayer Ministries International and National Director, Nigeria Prays, Ibadan, Rev. Moses Aransiola, enthused: “The life and ministry of the Elton family was certainly a major influence that shaped the out look of Christianity in Nigeria from the 70s right through the 80s. It laid a strong foundation for and produced many ministries that are today blazing the trail of gospel advance both locally and internationally. Pastor S. G. Elton was a rally point for many of us on the campuses then and only eternity can reveal how much we have benefitted from the grace of God on the Elton family.”

Some of those present at the colourful event included the former deputy governor of Kogi State, Dr. Philip Salawu, Rev. Mathew Owojole from Kaduna State, Pastors Sarah and Olubi Johnson of the Scripture Pasture Christian Centre, Ibadan, Rt. Rev. Joel Ejingwon, who worked with Mama Ruth in Okene, Kogi State, Dr. Femi Soetan, the chairman of Planning Committee for Mama Ruth 80th birthday celebration, Pastor Tokunbo Salami and wife, Funmi and other eminent men and women of God.

AST week, I showed you some examples of great lovers of God in scriptures, who walked in financial dominion. Also, I taught on why God blesses His people. This week, I will be teaching on Engaging The Covenant For Financial Dominion.

The Bible says: But thou shalt remember the LORD thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day (Deuteronomy 8:18). From this scripture, we understand that God is the only true source of financial dominion. This is because, it is only God’s Blessings that make rich and add no sorrow (Proverbs 10:22).

In my crave to know the secret of Kingdom prosperity, on March 20-22, 1982, I went on a three-day fast, armed with my Bible and the books of Kenneth and Gloria Copeland (The Law of Prosperity and God’s Will is Prosperity, respectively), searching and asking God to show me this secret. On the third day, God spoke to me from Deuteronomy 8:18. He said, “My son, My prosperity plan is not a promise, so it does not answer to prayers. It is not a promise, and so has no respect for fasting. My prosperity plan is a covenant and until your part is played, I am not committed.”

These three statements changed my entire world.

This implies that, the covenant only delivers on God’s terms, not ours. Remember, we can do nothing against the truth but for the truth (1 Corinthians 13: 8).

But, What is a Covenant?

A covenant can be defined as a deal enacted by God, based

on well-defined terms and sealed with an oath (Hebrews 6: 12:18).

What, then is the Covenant of Financial prosperity?

It is the covenant of seedtime and harvest that provides the gateway to financial dominion (Genesis 8:20-22, 2 Corinthians 9:6-8; Philippians 4:15-19).

From all the scriptures above, giving is the biblical gateway to financial dominion (Acts 20: 35; Luke 6:38). That is why we must not see our giving and offerings as financial donations to the church, but as spiritual transactions for provoking divine supplies among other (2 Corinthians 9: 6-8,11; Philippians 4:19).

How Reliable is This Covenant?

On March 22, 1982, when I asked God how reliable this covenant is, He spoke to me from Jeremiah 33:20-26. He said to me, “My covenant is as stable and reliable as the ordinance of the day and night. Until you can change that ordinance, you cannot change the covenant.” He further said, “Anytime you wake up in the morning and see the sun, know that My covenant is still in force. Whenever you look up in the night and see the moon, also know that My covenant remains in force.” That is how reliable this covenant is.

THE BEAUTY OF THIS COVENANT The good thing about our covenant walk with God is that: •Everyone of us can start from where we are (Genesis 13:14-15).

•Paul said, “As God has blessed everyone, even so let him give” (2Corinthians 8:12).

•God also commanded everyone to give according to the blessings of God upon his life

(Deuteronomy 16:10-12).

•When we are faithful with very little, we are on the highway to financial fortune (Luke 19:15,17).

•We can only give our way out of poverty; we cannot beg our way out, because blessing flows through what we give not through what we beg to receive (Acts 20:35; Proverbs 20:4).

The rich (giver) rules over the poor (beggar) and the borrower (beggar) is a servant to the lender (giver). This is why people bow to beg while we stand upright to give (Proverbs 22:7).

In conclusion, we cannot break forth into realms of financial fortune, except we practise the covenant of giving and receiving. Therefore, let us enlarge our coast and give to those in need, and God will in turn change our level of financial dominion from glory to glory.

Friend, the power to benefit from the above, is the preserve of those saved. You get saved by confessing your sins and accepting Jesus as your Saviour and Lord. To be saved, please say this prayer: “Lord Jesus, I come to You today. I am a sinner. Forgive me of my sins.

Cleanse me with Your Blood. Today, I accept You as my Lord and Saviour. Thank You, Jesus for saving me! Now I know I am born again!” This week, you are going to see amazing manifestations of angelic intervention!

I will be with you next week, if Jesus tarries. Stay Blessed in Jesus’ name!

Every exploit in life is a product of knowledge. For further reading, you can get my books: Understanding Financial Prosperity, Covenant Wealth and Winning The War Against Poverty.

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

• Shows L-R Archdiocese of Riye Methodist, Most Revd, Luke Odubanjo, with the Most Bishop, Diocese of Lagos Central Rt. Revd Jacob Kehinde Adeyemi, Conference Lay President, Sir Jimmy Coker, the Prelate, Dr. Samuel Chukwue

71

The Nation on Sunday September 21, 2014

Sector Commander, FRSC, Bayelsa Command, Vincent Jack

Iwatt

The recovered stolen Lexus Sports Utility Vehicle

I

f anybody had told Mr. Kingsley Iwatt, a businessman from Port Harcourt, Rivers State, that his stolen Lexus Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV), could ever be found again, he would have doubted it.

But call it a miracle, the newly-bought fairly-used (tokunbo) car which was stolen at gunpoint and resold to another buyer was recovered by the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Bayelsa State Command. All thanks to the new number plate registration scheme.

The car was stolen in Port Harcourt, but later recovered in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State. In fact, the FRSC arrested the car and its buyer at the point of acquiring the number-plate of the vehicle.

Perhaps thinking that he had acquired a genuine product, the buyer, Mr. Okwodu Ndubuisi, had gone to Yenagoa, to get the car registered. He was overwhelmed by joy when he arrived at the motor licensing office, maybe, without knowing that the vehicle was snatched from the real owner, Mr. Kingsley Iwatt, by robbers at a gunpoint.

The Sector Commander, FRSC, Bayelsa Command, Mr. Vincent Jack, explained that Ndubuisi was arrested when he came to get a number plate for the vehicle. Jack said the corps discovered that the chassis number of the vehicle already existed at their online portal at the point of uploading information about the vehicle.

Narrating how the stolen car and its buyer was arrested, he said: "On Thursday, about 1pm, somebody came with the vehicle to get it registered and uploaded on the national vehicle identification scheme portal where we keep data of vehicles that are duly registered in Nigeria.

"And at the point of uploading this information, we discovered that the vehicle chassis number already exists on our system.

"At that point, the officer directly working with the state's board of internal revenue raised the alarm and alerted me that there was a vehicle he was trying to upload but on

Police IG, Abubakar

Bayelsa FRSC retrieve stolen car, arrests buyer during registration Mike Odiegwu reports on how a stolen car was recovered through the national vehicle identification scheme checking it, the chassis number had the details of somebody in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

"However, the person who wanted to upload the information lives in Yene-ZueEpie in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.”

He said during interrogation, the owner claimed to have just purchased the vehicle from Lagos for N1.4million.

He added: "I immediately alerted the police and got the man arrested. Of course, the original owner of the vehicle was also contacted in Port Harcourt.

"We had to call the original owner, Mr. Kingsley Iwatt, who, from available record we have, resides, at Ilom Street, Woji, in Port Harcourt.”

Jack said the development had further underscored the appeal to Nigerians to embrace the new vehicle numbering scheme, explaining that the scheme was formulated with many security features.

He said: "If you register your vehicle properly, and you go through the proper process, anywhere your vehicle is stolen and taken to in any part of Nigeria, it will be found.

"Under this new numbering scheme, immediately you come to the point of

uploading your information, to get the final document called the proof of ownership certificate, which can only be got online, it will show whether you are actually the original owner of vehicle you are trying to register or not.

"Anything outside that, of course the system will tell us who actually owns the vehicle. Because immediately we data enter the chassis number, the information of the original owner will come up and you will be able to get the details of the person.

"And that is why we are appealing to all Nigerians to register their vehicles properly.

And when you go to motor licensing office, please fill all the necessary forms. This idea of passing through middlemen to get number plate is risky. If you enter my office, I can show you over hundred number plates of fake numbers.”

Explaining the proper procedure of acquiring a number plate, Jack said the vehicle owner must go to an approved board of state internal revenue office or any state licensing office and fill the necessary documents.

In fact, the overjoyed Iwatt, who described the recovery of his vehicle as a miracle, said his car was snatched from him by

robbers at gunpoint on August 6, 2014.

He said the incident occurred at about 10pm, when he was going to drop off a friend. He said robbers waylaid him and forcibly took the vehicle.

Recalling the incident, he said: "On the 6th of August, around 10 p.m. in Port Harcourt, I was driving to drop off a friend. On entering Rumuomasi around Uyo Street, I stopped my car for the person I wanted to drop to go down.

"Suddenly, I was cornered by a taxi. Four persons came out of the taxi; one hit my head with a gun and asked me to lie down. I was begging them not to shoot and that if they wanted the car, they could have it.

That was how the car was snatched from me at gunpoint. Not up to four minutes, people who saw the incident saw a police vehicle and stopped it. They called me and started making radio call. We traced them round Port Harcourt but could not get them. The next day, I went to a police station to report the incident.”

In his efforts to find his car, Iwatt said he went to the vehicle registration office in Port Harcourt to know if somebody had bought his vehicle and attempted to register it.

“The man l met there asked me to call the plate number of my vehicle which l did. He punched the computer and all my data appeared. I was surprised. The official assured me that he was going to flag it as a stolen car and that in no time the car would be seen again.

"To my amazement, the following day, being last Friday, l got a call which made me very excited. The person asked me about my data and whether I sold my car. I told him it was stolen. When I came back from the church, he called me again and said my car had been found. He said I should come to Bayelsa.

"I am happy that I have recovered my car through this national vehicle identification scheme. I encourage all Nigerians to do the proper thing by registering their cars.”

72

Oddities The Nation on Sunday September 21, 2014

Aramoko Ekiti: Where food can not be cooked in the open Aramoko Ekiti is an ancient town known for many taboos. Taiwo Abiodun reports.

•Alara of Aramoko palace

•Alara of Aramoko Oba Adegoke-Olu Adeyemi.

PHOTOS: Taiwo Abiodun

73

THE NATION ON SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 21, 2014

Afghan election commission to reveal results today

A

FGHANISTAN’S election commission will announce long-delayed final results in the bitterly disputed presidential vote today, whether or not the rival candidates claiming victory reach a powersharing deal, a spokesman said yesterday.

Two months of crisis over the election to replace President Hamid Karzai have further destabilized violenceplagued Afghanistan as foreign troops prepare to withdraw at year’s end, leaving Afghan forces to fight the Taliban insurgency.

The rival candidates - former finance minister Ashraf Ghani and exforeign minister Abdullah Abdullah were meeting yesterday. Aides said they were close to finalizing a deal but an Abdullah spokesman threatened to pull out of the talks if the poll results were released before an agreement.

Preliminary results released in July showed Ghani in the lead with 56 percent of the vote.

The early results prompted street protests from supporters of Abdullah, who charged massive fraud and said he was the rightful winner.

Final results have been delayed for weeks by a U.N.-monitored audit of all 8 million ballots cast in the June 14 runoff vote between Ghani and Abdullah, the top finishers of the first round in April.

However Independent Election Commission spokesman Noor Mohammad Noor said the body is legally bound to release results now that all technical details have been completed.

“It is clear that tomorrow the IEC will announce the final results based on the 100 percent audit,” Noor said.

Munitions factory hit in Ukraine’s Donetsk

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HE Ukrainian city of Donetsk was rocked by blasts yesterday, even as government forces and pro-Russian separatists prepared to create a buffer zone to separate the warring sides. A memorandum signed early yesterday calls for the withdrawal of heavy weapons, including artillery, and all foreign fighters from a 30 kilometre-wide buffer zone.

A Reuters correspondent in Donetsk, the main industrial hub in Ukraine’s turbulent east, said several powerful explosions were heard in the morning. A plant producing munitions and industrial explosives had been hit, municipal authorities said.

Explosions were also heard from the direction of the main international airport which government forces are still clinging on to despite rebels’ attempts to loosen their control.

A nine-point memorandum was signed earlier in the day in the Belarussian capital of Minsk by the separatists and envoys from Moscow and Kiev.

“According to the text of the memorandum, each of the sides must pull back its heavy equipment and arms from today,” VolodymyrPolyovy, an official of Ukraine’s national security and defense council, told journalists.

One Ukrainian soldier was killed and seven others were wounded in overnight violence, a military official told journalists.

White House evacuated after man jumps fence

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•Thousands of Syrian refugees have streamed into Turkey since it opened its border on Friday

Turkey secures release of hostages held by Islamic State •60,000 Syrian Kurds flee to Turkey

T

URKISH intelligence agents brought 46 hostages seized by Islamic State militants in northern Iraq back to Turkey yesterday after more than three months in captivity, in what President Tayyip Erdogan described as a covert rescue operation.

Security sources told Reuters the hostages had been released overnight in the town of Tel Abyad on the Syrian side of the border with Turkey after being transferred from the eastern Syrian city of Raqqa, Islamic State’s stronghold.

Officials declined to give details of the rescue operation.

The hostages, who included Turkey’s consul-general, diplomats’ children and special forces soldiers, were seized from the Turkish consulate in Mosul on June 11 during a lightning advance by the Sunni insurgents.

Family members rushed to the steps of the plane which brought the freed captives to the Turkish capital Ankara from the southern city of Sanliurfa, where they had earlier been welcomed by Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu.

Groups of supporters waved Turkish flags as Davutoglu hugged the consul-general and members of the diplomats’ families before addressing the crowd from the roof of a bus, saying the authorities had worked tirelessly for the hostages’ release.

“I thank the prime minister and his colleagues for the pre-planned, carefully calculated and secretly-conducted operation throughout the night,” Erdogan said in a statement.

“MIT (the Turkish intelligence

agency) has followed the situation very sensitively and patiently since the beginning and, as a result, conducted a successful rescue operation.”

Speaking to reporters earlier in Azerbaijan before cutting short an official visit, Davutoglu declined to give details on the circumstances of the hostages’ release, saying only that it was carried out “through MIT’s own methods”.

Turkish officials had repeatedly said efforts were underway to secure their freedom and that the hostages were in good health but had declined to comment further.

Three non-Turkish civilians who were taken in the same attack were also released in the operation yesterday, a foreign ministry official said.

Independent broadcaster NTV said Turkey did not pay a ransom and that no other country was involved.

There were no clashes with Islamic State militants during the operation, it said.

Without naming its sources, it said MIT had tracked the hostages as they were moved to eight different locations during their 101 days in captivity.

Also, about 60,000 Syrian Kurds have crossed into Turkey in the past 24 hours, a deputy prime minister said yesterday, fleeing an advance by Islamic State militants who have seized dozens of villages close to the border and are advancing on a Syrian town.

Turkey opened a stretch of the frontier on Friday after Kurdish civilians fled their homes, fearing an imminent attack on the border town of Ayn al-Arab, which is also known

as Kobani. Islamic State is now within 15 km (9 miles) of the town, a Kurdish commander on the ground said.

Islamic State’s advances in northern Syria have prompted calls for help by the region’s Kurds who fear a massacre in Kobani. The town sits in a strategic position on the border and has prevented the radical Sunni Muslim militants from consolidating their gains across northern Syria.

Lokman Isa, a 34-year-old farmer, said he had fled with his family and about 30 other families after heavilyarmed Islamic State militants entered his village of Celebi. He said the Kurdish forces battling them had only light weapons.

“They (Islamic State) have destroyed every place they have gone to. We saw what they did in Iraq in Sinjar and we fled in fear,” he told Reuters in the Turkish town of Suruc, where Turkish authorities were setting up a camp.

Sitting in a field after just crossing the border, Abdullah Shiran, a 24year-old engineer, recounted scenes of horror in his village of Shiran, about 10 km (six miles) from Kobani.

“IS came and attacked and we left with the women but the rest of the men stayed behind ... They killed many people in the villages, cutting their throats. We were terrified that they would cut our throats too,” he said.

Turkish soldiers looked on as the refugees, many of them women carrying bundles on their heads, streamed across. Hundreds of people huddled in the dusty fields with their few belongings.

Britain must honour pledge to Scotland - Gordon Brown

F

ORMER Prime Minister Gordon Brown told British leaders yesterday that they must honour their promise to grant further powers to Scotland after voters backed staying in the United Kingdom in an independence referendum.

Just days before the Sept. 18 vote, Brown appeared to be making British policy by announcing that laws granting further devolution to the Scottish parliament would be drafted by the time

Scots celebrate the birthday of their most revered poet, Robert Burns, on January 25.

“The eyes of the world have been upon us and now I think the eyes of the world are upon the leaders of the major parties in the United Kingdom,” Brown told supporters in Fife, Scotland.

“These are men who have been promise makers and they will not be promise breakers and I will ensure as a promise keeper that these promises that have been made are upheld,” he said.

During the campaign, Prime Minister David Cameron, Labour leader Ed Miliband and Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg promised to guarantee Scotland high levels of state funding and grant Scots greater control over healthcare spending.

After Scots rejected independence, Cameron said the issue of Scottish independence had been settled “for a generation” but pledged a swift constitutional shake-up for all parts of the United Kingdom.

MAN triggered an evacuation at the White House late Friday after he scaled a fence and made it into the building before being captured.

US President Barack Obama and his family were not at the White House at the time, though officials and journalists were rushed out of the building during the disturbance that began on the North Lawn around 7:20 pm (2320 GMT) Friday, the Secret Service said.

Minutes earlier, the first family had left by helicopter from the South Lawn headed for Camp David, the presidential weekend retreat.

Secret Service spokesman Brian Leary identified the suspect as Omar Gonzalez, 42, from Copperas Cove, Texas.

"It appeared to responding officers that he was unarmed, which turned out to be true," Leary added.

"Gonzalez ignored the commands of those officers to stop and ultimately was apprehended by officers just inside the North Portico doors of the White House."

Leary said the suspect was taken to George Washington Hospital for a medical evaluation.

Gonzalez was suffering from chest pains, according to a law enforcement official.

"Any time someone jumps the fence, there is a security breach and the Secret Service has to balance security with access and reasonableness," the official added.

"The location of the arrest -- the White House -- is not acceptable to the Secret Service."

The official noted the incident would be reviewed closely.

Belgium thwarts jihadist attacks

T

HE Belgian authorities have prevented several attacks by jihadist fighters returning home from Syria and by sympathisers with the Islamic State extremist group, a report said yesterday.

The daily L’Echo cited unnamed sources as saying the planned attacks could have been similar to the one on the Jewish Museum in central Brussels in May which left four people dead.

The suspect in that case, Frenchman MedhiNemmouche, spent more than a year fighting with Islamist extremists in Syria and is now being held in Belgium on charges of “murder in a terrorist context”.

Up to 400 Belgian nationals are estimated to have gone to fight in Syria, with about 90 known to have returned home, L’Echo said.

Rescuers save 50,000 as floods hit south Pakistan

P

AKISTAN’S disaster management agency says rescuers with boats and helicopters have evacuated about 50,000 people from the country’s south after raging floods inundated more villages there.

In a statement, Pakistan’s National Disaster Management Agency said yesterday two dozen people were killed in the past 24 hours in the eastern Punjab province, raising the death toll from rains and flooding to 346.

It said flood water wreaked havoc in Punjab province and was now passing through remote areas in the southern Sindh province.

74

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WORLD/COMMENTARY

S STATED last week, explicit racism has been vetoed by law in America.

However, in custom and thought, it thrives among nearly half the White population many of who still tremble in edgy indignation that they must publicly bridle their tongues by not expressly divulging their herrenvolk prejudices and aspirations.

Due to the partial successes in the 1960s of the domestic Civil Rights Movement and the anti-colonial movement internationally, this group could no longer openly brandish their racist armory. However, the years since then affirm that prejudice is a stubborn weed which adapts easily but dies hard. It cannot be legislated from those dark minds willing to retain it. The conservative, reactionary elements in American society fought back against the battle for equality.

Beginning in the 1970s and enduring to this very day, they launched a well-oiled and abundantly-funded strategic propaganda campaign that would turn the American mind and political system significantly to the conservative right.

In many ways their task was easier than that of the racial egalitarians. This rightist guard only sought to preserve the unfair status quo.

They might need to change its outer trimmings to a more subtle hue but the substance of the belief that they were the divinely-appointed masters of the most powerful nation in the world remained intact. In fact, it would be inflated to place the entire planet and even the adjacent outer space under the scope of their chauvinistic domain.

They distilled the wrong lesson from America’s unrivalled strength after World War II. They did not see America’s inevitable postwar advantage as a historic incident, the fortunate byproduct of their nation’s geographical distance from the Eurasian land mass. This fact allowed America to enter the war later while avoiding the massive destruction the conflict visited on its other main protagonists. To perceive one’s rise as the result of events and forces over which one has little control is to be aware the wind can suddenly blow in an adverse direction. The demands one places on others are mitigated by the certainty that the future shall come with its own uncertainties that will place unforeseeable demands, benefits and problems on us all. Although powerful, one’s actions are constrained by the realization that the quickest path to downfall is one’s own arrogant folly.

Understanding that your fortune comes from being a lucky beneficiary of history and not its master provides the circumspection necessary to prevent grandiosity of thought and ambition.

However, American thinkers grasp the opposite conclusion. They would see themselves as divinely anointed to recast a tumultuous world in their own image. They and others would dub America “God’s own country,” becoming impervious to the process where dumb faith in the happy-sounding moniker would lead to hubris then to active danger.

Americans leaders so frequently boast theirs is the “indispensable nation” that it has become a national proverb. It is a dangerous thing when the leaders of a powerful nation stop thinking rationally to enmesh themselves in the comfort of a simplicity that has never existed. This notion is agitprop hogwash. It makes a brusque cartoon of global affairs. Every nation is indispensable to itself but none is indispensable to the world.

Other nations rightfully take umbrage at this rashness. It is like the youngest child in a large family, after winning a gambling lottery, proclaiming the family would collapse without him. The statement eclipses the height of defensible arrogance to enter the land of the jeopardy. Numerous cultures and nations have existed well over a millennium; America has not existed a quarter of one. Every earthly empire that has risen has also declined. Human civilization moves on. To proclaim itself indispensable is to expose a nation’s lack of judgment and historic perspective. It to make the grievous error that being the most powerful nation has transformed it into an all-powerful one. It is to get so inebriated from the fruit God has bestowed that one substitute himself for God. Before the fall, comes the proudest of prides.

Sadly, America’s arch conservatives masterfully propagated this and similar self-exalting notions. These sophomoric axioms are the tenets of both American patriotism and geopolitical thought.

Moreover, America placed claim on being the moral arbiter, policeman, judge and jury in world affairs. The White establishment that would rule America would also attempt to lord

THE NATION ON SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2014

Ferguson: When will the past become itself (Part two) He whose foes abound is his own worst enemy.

•Police confront demonstrators in Ferguson.

over the world to make it safe for democracy.

They would allow no freedom to those who opposed their concept of freedom. They became intolerant of those who rejected their brand of tolerance. Assuming the temperament of the medieval Inquisition, they would gleefully commit any atrocity or tawdry act in pursuit of what they saw as the noble good.

Domestically, this meant shooting the unarmed Michael Brown because his blackness made him inherently criminal. Internationally, it means criminalizing, then raining corporal punishment on, any nation or group rash enough to attempt to get in the way of the American way. An ounce of resistance is met by a pound of retribution, an inch of protest by a mile of imposition.

When people in Ferguson protested the Brown shooting, the police strapped on military gear to confront the unarmed civilians. The small-scale looting and vandalism that took place on fringes of legitimate demonstrations did not lend just cause to the police’s martial display. The police had transformed into what resembled more an occupation force than a public institution meant to serve the people. Implicit in this overbearing reaction was the belief that certain types of people must not dare avail themselves to certain types of social or political action. By definition, Black protest is deemed inimical to fundamental order. Just as their ancestors often awoke in cold sweat from fear of slave revolt, today’s White reactionaries still fear a Black rebellion that will bring their entire edifice. Thus, they abhor Black activism for they know that they would have rebelled decades ago if burdened with the unjust treatment meted to Blacks.

The leaders of Ferguson would have intensified the crackdown if not for the global attention brought by the media spotlight. The episode had become too openly about race for this day and age. The overt racism had to be pushed into the shadows where it would still be nastily effective yet be impossible to see clearly enough to arrest it.

To accomplish this, the establishment resorted to the modern edition of an old trick. Enter Highway Patrol Captain Ron Johnson and other “responsible” Black figures to douse and redirect the local activism and agitation toward a dead end. While Johnson was presented as the man in charge, the police often continued their heavy-handed tactics without Johnson’s knowledge. He was presented as the leader on the ground but was essentially a public relations instrument, a servitor figurehead deployed to mollify black anger, thereby dousing intense racial tension so that normal pedestrian

racism could resume charge after the media spotlight elsewhere shifted.

In this regard, Johnson performed at the local level what President Obama does at the national and international ones. The moderate conservative wing of the White establishment backed his presidency because they recognized positioning a Black man in the front seat was a sure way to preclude opposition to the rightward structural adjustments they sought in both domestic and foreign policy. This cynical political engineering has succeeded in squelching tradition Black and progressive opposition to fiscal austerity at home and military expansion abroad.

A key lesson from the Ferguson tragedy that also pertains to American foreign policy is the quick, almost reflexive resort to muscle. In Ferguson, the minute trouble brewed, the police force converted itself into hyper-armed paramilitary unit. This transformation was enabled by years of massive transfers of military hardware to cities and towns across America. Ostensibly, the transfer of hardware was to fight drug cartels; now it is supposed to make these departments battle ready against terrorism. However, many of these hamlets are as likely to be targets of foreign terror as a cow is likely to hum the Moonlight Sonata. The true rationale for the transfers is to keep the arms budget at full tilt. Thus, we have the incongruous spectacle of a military engaged in two full blown foreign wars still having enough surplus weaponry to pass to local police forces that have no genuine need for the hardware.

That same military pays many enlisted men such paltry sums that they are forced to supplement their income with welfare benefits just to feed their families. The same military runs a medical system such disgraceful quality that wounded veterans are waitlisted such a long time for treatment that many simply give in to suffering in silence. Some have probably died from medical inattention in the very same towns where surplus arms are being given the police.

This weapons transfer has another minatory effect. American law prohibits military intervention in domestic law enforcement. However, the transfer of military ware to the police does not happen without a concomitant transfer of tactics and mindset. Prohibited by law from domestic police action, the military is doing through the back door what it cannot accomplish via the front.

It is slowly militarizing local police forces. The difference between the army and police is becoming blurred. The more domestic law enforcement is militarized, the more civil liberties become jeopardized. Democracy is abridged everywhere do-

mestic law enforcement comes to resemble the military in mind, appearance and action.

Militarization also afflicts American foreign policy. The Pentagon holds greater sway over policy formulation than the State Department.

Convinced their position is always right, American policy makers see compromise as an evil engaged in by lesser souls. Diplomacy cedes in such an environment. “There is no need to talk to the other side because they are wrong.

What they need is a good wallop. That will knock sense into them.” Thus, prominent figures like former Republican Senator John McCain looks at almost every international dispute, particularly in the Middle East, as an invitation to bomb some nation or group into submission. A harrowing thought is gun slinging McCain is considered a moderate among the Republican horde. Many of them are worse.

Some secretly itch to use nuclear weapons to show American military superiority and turn populated territory into desolate places where oil extraction can be done on the cheap and without further human interference.

Even President Obama’s recent announcement of deploying troops to help fight Ebola in West Africa evinces the military’s encroachment into areas outside its traditional ken. America has the Agency for International Development, an entity formed for these very humanitarian purposes. The Centers for Disease Control also exists. Why then the military for this medical effort? Given the military’s logistical requirements, its deployment will take longer and be much costlier than if either civilian agency led the effort. This observation is to no avail. The military has long sought a permanent presence in West Africa with Liberia the preferred site. The military knows the situation is so dire that no one dare question the integrity of the offered help. The military now has gotten a foot into the place where it seeks to plant a base. Again, what it cannot do by frontal assault, the military is adept at achieving by attacking the flank.

Perhaps the most unsettling aspect of the emerging conservative view is the penchant to view any opposition as an imminent threat to be checked by massive force. The 9/11 attack destroyed the myth of American geographic impenetrability. The neo-conservatives seek to rebuild that myth by adhering to a policy of massive retaliation against a potential threat.

In the collective mindset of today’s American leaders, any threat imaginable must be treated as if it were an actual attack already done. They have adopted the nonsensical notion of “preventive war.” They believe they have the right to attack and start war elsewhere to prevent the other side from starting the war first. America has convinced itself that it must become a real monster in order to corral an array of mostly imaginary ones.

The major problem with this approach is that America has imperial reach. This means it has disputes with numerous countries and groups for a variety of reasons and at all times.

Adherence to such a hair-trigger strategy means American will be perpetually on war footing and will take a large portion of the world done this road. Russia is in America’s gun sights because of Ukraine. Thus, after the contending Ukrainian sides execute their recent truce, American-led NATO engages in troop exercises in that nation. This move has no worth save its provocative value. The West wants the conflict to continue because it seeks to bloody Russia’s nose.

America is also set to return to war in Iraq.

This time to quash ISIL. However barbaric the group may be, ISIL presents no clear and present danger to vital American interests. There is no reason to war again in that battered region except the American neo-conservatives want to realize their dream of establishing a permanent base in Iraq from which they can influence the commerce of massive Iraqi reserves.

The fight against ISIL will eventually lead into action in Syrian. Already, American clandestine operatives control the non-jihadist Syrian opposition, according to members of that armed group. Americans control the weapons flow and make the strategic military decisions for this fractious troupe. There are likely undisclosed American military units fighting on the ground.

The American military establishment will exploit ISIL to accomplish what President Obama’s reticence and Putin’s diplomacy last year prevented. America will fight in Syria.

The ultimate prize is not ISIL but Bashar Assad’s regime. Several years ago, Pentagon war hawks enumerated a list of regimes to topple and nations to subdue. Syria was on that list. Again, what the military can’t do through the front door, it will do from the back.

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ONWUCHEKWA

ALADE

I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Alade Mary Mojisola, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs OLUWATOBI-ALABA, MARY MOJISOLA. All former documents remain valid. Ekiti state University Teaching Hospital and General public should take note.

AWOKOYA

I, formerly known and addressed as AWOKOYA STEVE OLUWATOSIN, now wish to be known and addressed as OLUWAKOYA STEVE OLUWATOSIN. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note.

DURU

ASOGBA

I, formerly known and addressed as SIMEON EZE DURU, now wish to be known and addressed as EWUZIE IKECHUKWU. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note.

MNYIM

I,formerly known and addressed as OGECHUKWU MUODILIM, now wish to be known and addressed as OGECHUKWU ANGEL CHUKWUDUM. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note.

TARFA

I, formerly known and addressed as MISS AJANI YEMISI, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS ITSETOSAN OLUWAYEMISI ALAKE. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note.

I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Asogba, Olayinka Naomi, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Ofurune, Olayinka Naomi. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

I, formerly known and addressed as Fidelis Iorundu Mnyim, now wish to be known and addressed as Fidelis Bemsen Mnyim. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

I, formerly known and addressed as Tarfa Devorine Tyozenda, now wish to be known and addressed as Mr. Tarfa David Achinge. All former documents remain valid.

General public should please take note.

AWOLEYE

I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Awoleye Grace Adesola, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Adewole, Grace Adesola. All former documents remain valid. Local government Service Commission, Ado-Ekiti and general public should please take note.

CONFIRMATION OF NAME I, Paul Adegbola Oluwatoba, and Isaiah Adegbola Okin is the same person now wish to be known and addressed as Paul Adegbola Oluwatoba. All documents bearing the above names remain valid.

Ezekiel College of Theology, Ujoelen Ekpoma, Edo-State and general public should please take note.

OLALAKIN

I formerly known and addressed as Olalakin Bukola Racheal now wish to be known and addressed as Fagite Bukola Racheal. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

OKOOSI

I formerly known and addressed as Miss Okoosi Sesi Wasiat now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Okoosi-Adepoju Sesi Wasiat. All former documents remain valid.

Lagos State Local Governmnet Service Commission, Oriade LCDA and general public take note.

OGECHUKWU

AJANI

ONWUEME

I, formerly known and addressed as MISS ONWUEME MAUREEN IFEOMA, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS DAWODU MAUREEN IFEOMA. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note.

OGUOMA

I, formerly known and addressed as MRS. PATRICIA RUKAYAT ADENIRAN SALAU OGUOMA, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS. ELEONU PATRICIA NKECHI. All former documents remain valid. FMLH, Urban Development and general public please take note.

IKWUAKOLAM

I, formerly known and addressed as MISS IKWUAKOLAM VIVIAN CHINONSO, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS. IKEGWUOHA VIVIAN CHINONSO. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

ALUBI

I, formerly known and addressed as MISS ALUBI PRINCESS, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS. WOKE PRINCESS CHIKWERE. All former documents remain valid.

General public should please take note.

NWOYE

I, formerly known and addressed as MISS ONYINYECHI CHINWOKE NWOYE, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS. ONYINYECHI CHINWOKE ANYANWU. All former documents remain valid.

General public should please take note.

UZOAGA

I, formerly known and addressed as MISS. ONYEKWERE NDIDIAMAKA, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS. AMADI AMAKA. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

I formerly known and addressed as IKECHUKWU EDWARD UZOAGA, now wish to be known as IKECHUKWU GODSPOWER NNANEME. All former documents remain valid general public please take note.

DARA

CONFIRMATION OF NAME NDUBUISI NDIDI JAMES and NDUBUISI JAMES-OKERE refers to one and the same person, now wish to be known as NDUBUISI JAMES – OKERE. All former documents remain valid general public please take note.

OLAYINKA

I, formerly known and addressed as Kehinde Simiat Soniyi, now wish to be known and addressed as Kehinde Simiat Soniyi Ayangbola.

All former documents remain valid.

General public should please take note.

I, formerly known and addressed as Miss DARA ADEDOYIN OWATEJU MOBOLAJI now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs TAIWO ADEDOYIN OWATEJU MOBOLAJI. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

I, formerly known and addressed as Miss OLAYINKA YEWANDE KUBURAT,now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs .

FAGBAMILA YEWANDE KUBURAT. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

SALIU

I, formerly known and addressed as MISS SALIU OLUWATOYIN ESTHER ,now wish to be known and addressed as MRS. ADETOMIWA OLUWATOYIN ESTHER. All former documents remain valid.

General public should please take note.

ADEYEMI

I, formerly known and addressed as Miss ADEYEMI MUJIDAT FOLASADE, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS. OMIDIRAN MUJIDAT FOLASADE. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

ODEYINKA

I, formerly known and addressed as MISS ODEYINKA GRACE OPEYEMI, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS OLUWAKOYA GRACE OPEYEMI. All former documents remain valid.

The general public should please take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

OYEDE

I, formerly known and addressed as Rev. Prince Timothy Taiwo Tunjiade Oyede, now wish to be known and addressed as Rev. Prince Timothy Temitayo Tunjiade Oyede. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

AFOLABI

I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Afolabi Mercy Morenike, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Osuntuyi Mercy Morenike. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

SONIYI

ABE

I, formerly known and addressed as Taiwo Olumayowa Abe, now wish to be known and addressed as Taiwo Olumayowa Okebowale.

All former documents remain valid.

General public should please take note.

AMOSUN

I, formerly known and addressed as Adebimpe Modupe Amosun, now wish to be known and addressed as Adebimpe Modupe Ajose All former documents remain valid.

General public should please take note.

OYELEYE

I, formerly known and addressed as Oyeleye Adeyinka Elizabeth, now wish to be known and addressed as Odanye Adeyinka Elizabeth. All former documents remain valid.

General public should please take note.

AMINADOKIARI

I, formerly known and addressed as Aminadokiari Timipre Darlington, now wish to be known and addressed as Darlington Timipre Das. All former documents remain valid.

General public should please take note.

ENUBUJE

OLAITAN

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

AHIAKWO

I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Aisha Simisola Ogunniyi, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Aisha Simisola Ogunniyi Gawat.. All former documents remain valid. NYSC & Lagos State Ministry Of Justice & Office of public defender and general public should please take note.

ONUOHA

I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Bakre Bilikisu Adebimpe Olorunjeda, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Jagunna Bilikisu Adebimpe Olorunjeda.

General public should please take note.

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

I formerly known and addressed as Miss ULOAKU JUNE AHIAKWO, now wish to be known as Mrs. ULOAKU JUNE BOLOU-ETETE. All former documents remain valid general public please take note.

I formerly known and addressed as Miss ONUOHA OGOCHUKWU EUSTACIA, now wish to be known as Mrs. NNAMDI EUSTACIA OGOCHUKWU. All former documents remain valid. (NSITF) and the general public please take note.

AMAECHI

I formerly known and addressed as Miss AMAECHI QUEEN, now wish to be known as Mrs. WOKE QUEEN. All former documents remain valid general public please take note.

IYIOLA

I formerly known and addressed as Miss IYIOLA ROMOKE ADUNNI, now wish to be known as Mrs. AKINWALE VIVIAN ROMOKE. All former documents remain valid general public please take note.

NJOKU

I formerly known and addressed as Miss PERPETUAL IJEOMA NJOKU, now wish to be known as Mrs. IROEGBULAM PERPETUAL IJEOMA. All former documents remain valid (NSITF)and the general public please take note.

JOSHUA

I formerly known and addressed as Miss JOSHUA UGOCHI, now wish to be known as Mrs. ODIONYENMA LILIAN UGOCHI. All former documents remain valid. ( NSITF) general public please take note.

MONDAY

I formerly known and addressed as Miss FAITH MONDAY, now wish to be known as Mrs. FAITH IFEANYICHUKWU NWABUEZE. All former documents remain valid general public please take note.

AISHA

BAKRE

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 teller to and gbengaodejide@yahoo.com orthenation.advert@gmail.com.

For enquiry please contact: Gbenga on 0 8 0 5 2 7 2 0 4 2 1 , 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.

76

THE NATION ON SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2014

THE NATION ON SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 21, 2014

77

With Adeola Ogunlade 08083127847

Hello kids, How was your week? Hope you had a fun-filled week. Remember a stitch in time saves not just nine but a lot more. Make the best use of the time you have today.

Plant a tree today A

•Students of Greater Tomorrow International School, Agbakuku- Akoko at their graduation ceremony recently

CCORDING to the United Nations Children Fund, a recent scientific funding indicates that a changing climate has a significant impact on our planet. For us to improve our local environment and make it suitable for our existence, tree planning is important. Planting is an act of putting down roots and contributing to the future.

The simple act of planting a tree helps the environment in so many ways.

Trees clean the air Trees provide oxygen Trees cool the streets and the city Trees conserve energy Trees save water Trees help prevent water pollution

Vote for children WE are penny wise But are dollar foolish •Pupils learning at the summer camp organised by Inspiration Aspiration Media

JOKES

Be radiant like polish What’s the difference between a teacher and a steam train?

The first goes “Spit out that chewing gum immediately!” and the second goes “chew chew”!

Teacher: Name two days of the week that start with “t”.

Pupil: Today and Tomorrow.

little attention as I can.

What school supply is always tired?

A knapsack!

Teacher: Why? James: You said it was a piece of cake!

Teacher: I see you missed the first day of school.

Kid: Yes, but I didn’t miss it much.

Teacher: Why is your homework in your father’s handwriting?

Pupil: I used his pen!

Today my teacher yelled at me for something I didn’t do.

What was that?

My homework!

Teacher: You’ve got your shoes on the wrong feet.

Pupil: But these are the only feet I’ve got!

What is white when its dirty and black when its clean?

A blackboard!

Teacher: Could you please pay a little attention?

Student: I’m paying as

Teacher: James, where is your homework?

James: I ate it.

Vote to steady rise

No excuses, go vote Or we all miss the boat Miss vote because of job Our children we rob Vote to elect a hero of all races Thee who fights for the masses Vote for calculated change today Tomorrow our children will reign everyday

Send in your stories, poems, articles, games, puzzles, riddles and jokes to sundaynation@yahoo.com

•Children planting a tree

Trees help prevent soil erosion Children, you can learn from a young girl of nine- year-old Felix Finkbiner, who hatches a plan to plant a million trees.

His commitment toward

planting a tree has been helpful in local communities whose lives depend on trees. Plan, protect and preserve the trees today. Remember that without trees in our area, there will be no life on the earth.

POEMS

An African child

I AM the son, daughter, of the soil. Rich in texture and content full of potential for a better tomorrow. Teach me disci-

pline, teach me character, and teach me hard work. Teach me to think like the star within, I am an African child.

RIDDLES MOTHER! Carry me on your back. - A bed.

Prr! straight to Cape Town! – Slipperiness.

Let me go far away and when I come back let me catch hold of the tail of my mother’s cow. A drinking water ladle.

A child’s porridge is delicious. Sleep.

I was going along the road

when I heard a person calling me, Sister -inlaw!’but when l turned round there was no one in sight. Dry pigeon peas on a pod.

My house is small but it has many windows. A fish trap.

God’s cup is always open.

A water well.

Afritorial.com

78

SPORTS THE NATION ON SUNDAY

Impressive Arsenal grab VillaPark victory

EXTRA

SEPTEMBER 21, 2014

A

RSENAL dusted off their disappointing 0-2 loss to Borussia Dortmund in Champions League with an impressive 3-0 win over Aston Villa at Villa Park on Saturday afternoon.

Three goals in as many minutes, saw a first half flurry of goals that was enough for the Gunners to take the win.

Aston Villa had started the better of the two sides, creating a number of goalscoring chances in the opening ten minutes of the match.

Arsenal goalkeeper, Wojciech Szczesny, had a busy start to the game and made two important saves within the first 20 minutes to deny Villa from going ahead.

Mesut Özil, who has been heavily criticized broke the deadlock in the 32nd minute, after good play with teammates Danny Welbeck, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Aaron Ramsey.

Cisse's double saves Pardew's job

N

E W C A S T L E substitute Papiss Cisse hit a late brace to go a long way to saving Alan Pardew's job as the Magpies drew 2-2 with Hull at St James' Park.

Nikica Jelavic's sensational overhead kick and Mohamed Diame's blockbuster strike looked to have sealed the Toon Army manager's fate until the Senegalese striker came on.

A planned protest from Newcastle fans on five minutes received a mixed response with only a minority holding aloft 'Sack Pardew' signs and many choosing to back the team on the pitch.

And their support was rewarded with a bright start from the hosts as Emmanuel Riviere, Remy Cabella and Jack Colback all went close.

CAF announce hosts For 2019, 2021 and 2023 AFCONS

C

AF have announced the host countries for the 2019, 2021 and 2023 Africa Cup Of Nations tournaments.

Cameroon will host the 2019 Afcon tournament, Ivory Coast will host the 2021 tournament, while Guinea will be hosts in 2023.

CAF President Issa Hiyatou announced the winning bids on Saturday afternoon at the AU headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.. The Executive Committee of Africa's governing body of football met on Saturday to vote on the bids.

RESULTS England QPR 2 - 2 Stoke City Aston Villa 0 - 3 Arsenal Burnley 0 - 0 Sunderland Newcastle 2 - 2 Hull City Swansea 0 - 1 S’mpton West Ham 3 - 1 Liverpool

Danny Welbeck nets Arsenal’s second goal against Aston Villa yesterday

Dikko declares for NFF presidency

S

HEHU Dikko, a front runner for the office of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) presidency formally declared yesterday his intention to contest in the Elective Congress slated for September 30th in Warri.

Speaking on the fringe of the Extra Ordinary General Congress held in Warri, Dikko said he was putting himself forward for the singular purpose of restructuring Nigeria football when elected.

Fielding questions from journalists, Dikko highlighted some of the pitfalls in Nigerian football, saying it's about time that things are done in the right way.

"I have developed a strategy to move Nigeria football when elected," the soft spoken Dikko declared.

He said he has long articulated his plans for a positive development of Nigerian football and has accordingly launched a web site; www.shehudikko.com to outline his objectives at redressing the pitfalls:"I have set up this web site and everybody can have access to it," he said." All you need to do

…Plans to restructure federation

i s t o l o g o n t o www.Shehudikko.com "We will maintain this web site and we want to implore Nigerians to drop their comments; suggestions and ask your question."

Observers believe that the innovation by Dikko is a game changer and innovative campaign strategy as it affords the public the chance to gauge at first hand his plans to clean the Aegean stable of Nigerian football.

Stories from Osemwengie “I will domestic the statutes Ben Ogbemudia, Warri of Nigerian football at all levels of governance to ensure all "What Nigeria football need stakeholders are familiar with is new innovation," he further it and learn to respect its told reporters."We have to go tenants because we have all the away from the old ways and ingredients to develop the embrace new strategy since game,” he enthused." We will nobody has done this before." resolve all the legal issues On the challenges facing the within our football structure to round leather game, Dikko said ensure the entrenchment of Nigeria has all what it takes to rule of law at all levels and be a frontrunner of the game in e n s u r e t h a t t h e N i g e r i a the world, adding he was ready Football Federation attains to bring to bear his experience financial autonomy." on the job.

Victor Moses eyes Eagles return

N

IGERIA international Victor Moses, who has not featured in that country's Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign, hopes to make a return to the national team next month.

Moses featured prominently during Nigeria's Shehu Dikko (r) with Sepp Blatter World Cup campaign in Brazil but hasn't been a part of coach Stephen Keshi's plans since then. However, the 23-yearold Moses insists that he will Adamu Sani Usman , Mr. substitute members and Dr be back sooner rather than Sadiq Usman Zaria , Rev. Mohammed Sanusi serves as Onyeaghale Obioma. secretary.

Others are Eng. Angola The congress unanimously HE Minister of Sports Adelanwa , Sani Dahiru affirmed the FIFA directive and Chairman, National Yakassai , Mrs Sarah Jumoke that the 2014 elective congress Sports Commission, Dr. Adebisi and Barr. Awwal shall be compose of only amuno Danagogo, has M o h a m m e d , w h i l e D r . delegates that attended the T charged members of the Mohammed Sanusi will serve N o v e m b e r 2 0 1 3 a n n u a l Nigeria Football Federation as secretary. general assembly in Warri. It (NFF), to ensure that the right The general assembly also unanimously expresses high t h i n g i s d o n e i n t h e approved a new NFF electoral praise and administration for administration of football in appeals committee headed by the courage and resilience of the country.

Barr. Okey Ajunwa .Other the NFF executive committee Danagogo gave the charge members are Dotun Coker, led by Alhaji Aminu Maigari while declaring open the Extra Mallam Sani Mohammed, Mr in the face of the recent crisis Ordinary General Assembly of Victor Nwangwu, while Mr that threatened the fabrics of the Nigeria Football Federation B a l a G a r b a s e r v e a s a Nigerian football. held yesterday in Warri, saying that it will be criminal for any

...As Federation set up electoral committee

T

HE Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) at its Extra-Ordinary General Assembly in Warri yesterday has unanimously approved September 30th as date for the 2014 NFF Elective Congress to be held in Warri, Delta State The congress passed a resolution that a credible and transparent electoral process is not negotiable while composing 11-man electoral committee. The electoral committee members include Barr, Samson Ebomhe, and Barr. M.T, Ahmed , Mr,

A quick check at www.Shehudikko.com, highlighted some of the landmarks the presidential aspirant has undertaken since his foray into football administration He holds an MBA with specialization in Marketing and Finance and a Certificate on Football Direction Program from IOD London, is currently the Chairman of the NFF First Instance Body (FIB) in charge of Club licensing in Nigeria amongst other portfolios.

later. What has become quite apparent during the AFCON qualifying campaign thus far is that Nigeria are impotent in front of goal and the popular opinion is that Moses will be able to remedy that, should he be afforded the opportunity.

"I always love playing for my country. It is a thing of pride and that was why I chose to play for Nigeria over England," Moses told the Stoke Sentinel this week.

Danagogo tasks NFF

T

individual or group of individuals to do anything that would bring Nigerian football into disrepute.

Represented by Dr. Bolaji Ojo-Oba, the Minister of Sports said that countries not as big as Nigeria were doing it right in football administration and wondered why Nigeria with a population of over one hundred and seventy million population cannot administer football in the right perspective.

THE NATION ON SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 21, 2014

SPORT EXTRA

WORLD CUP

R-L: Basorun Dauda representing the Minister of Transport, Yemi Omidiji, Deputy Corps Marshal Training Standards and Certification, representing the Corps Marshal of FRSC and Bisi Kazeem, the head of sports section, during the FRSC monthly walking and jogging exercise tagged walking and jogging for safer transportation at the National Stadium Abuja, yesterday.

SUPER SUNDAY

City may unleash Lampard on Chelsea

M

anchester City will be without striker Stevan Jovetic (hamstring) and midfielder Fernando (groin) but may unleash on-loan midfielder Frank Lampard, Chelsea's record goalscorer, on his former club, Chelsea in Sunday's match of the week.

Edin Dzeko has also been troubled by a back problem since the midweek Champions League loss at Bayern Munich but City expect him to be fit.

Provisional squad: Hart, Caballero, Zabaleta, Sagna, Kompany, Demichelis, Mangala, Boyata, Clichy, Kolarov, Silva, Nasri, Milner, Navas, Toure, Lampard, Fernandinho, Aguero, Dzeko.

Diego Costa will also return up front for Chelsea as Jose Mourinho tries to manage the striker's fragile hamstrings.

Mourinho opted to select the Spain striker, who has scored seven times in four Premier League matches this term, only as a substitute in Wednesday night's 1-1 draw with Schalke in Champions League Group G. Chelsea could maintain their 100% record this season and take an early stride towards title contention - if they beat defending champions Manchester City.

Both sides had disappointing Champions League ventures in midweek, with Chelsea held by Schalke and City losing to Bayern Munich.

Chelsea's inability to overcome Schalke showed how reliant they are on Diego Costa for goals, and with his sensitive hamstrings, Jose Mourinho's decision to start Spain striker on Sunday

could be risky.

City are at home though, and will look to take the game to the Blues, having been on the back foot at the Allianz Arena on Wednesday. All eyes will be on ex-Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard, who will at least be on the bench after Fernando picked up an injury in Germany. The major decision for Manuel Pellegrini will be up front though, with Edin Dzeko and Sergio Aguero competing for the central striker's role.

Manchester City have only failed to score in two of their last 71 home league games; against Stoke last time out and against Chelsea last season.

Chelsea have won away from home at Manchester City more often than any other team in Barclays Premier League history.

Ronaldo grabs hat trick as Real Destroy Deportivo

R

EAL Madrid were back to winning ways on Saturday afternoon, thrashing Deportivo La Coruna 8-2 at the Municipal de Riazor, with Cristiano Ronaldo grabbing a hat-trick.

The first chance of the game fell to the hosts, with Isaac Coenca's coming close but not hitting the target.

The visitors were looking the better side on the ball and it was no surprise when they took the lead in the 28th minute after a clinical headed finish from Cristiano Ronaldo.

James Rodriguez made it 2-0 seven minutes later, before Ronaldo added his second in the 41st minute, and at half-time it was 3-0.

The second half started in a fortunate way for Deportivo, Ramos conceding a penalty after handling the ball in the penalty area. Haris Medunjanin converted from the spot. Farina almost grabbed the hosts' second in the 56th minute, but dragged his shot wide.

Gareth Bale extended Real Madrid's lead in the 65th minute after a well guided

shot from the edge of the box.

The Welsh winger did not wait too long before grabbing his brace, 5-1 to the visitors.

Ronaldo got his first hattrick of the season in the 77th minute.

Toche then pulled one back for La Coruna in the 83rd minute, but it was Real who would have the last laugh.

Javier Hernandez joined in on the scoring, grabbing a late brace, including a stunning strike, and his 88th and 91st minute goals made it 8-2 to Carlo Ancelotti's men.

Chukwueze grabs Eaglets' winner over C/River Champions

A

KPABUYO United, current Cross River State's League Champions, were beaten 1-0

by Nigeria's Under-17 team, Golden Eaglets on Saturday at the Abraham Ordia Stadium in Calabar courtesy of a first half goal by Striker Samuel Chukwueze.

The solitary goal recorded in the 36th minute was Chukwueze's eighth and Golden Eaglets' 81st after 29 matches of playing domestic friendly and international matches.

Coach Emmanuel Amuneke yet started with an experimental team and the lads responded well by

containing their supposedly strong opposition right from the outset as they gird their loins ahead of their forthcoming second leg African U-17 Championship showdown against Gabon Left-sided defender, Usman Abass did a Yeoman's job despite playing in an unfamiliar central defensive position along with Douglas Uzama.

Upfont Ebere Osinachi playing in the top striking role instead of injured Victor Osimhen who would not be available after seeing red in Libreville, showed tenacity as he combined beautifully with

Chukwueze.

But it was midfielder; Kingsley Michael that would be the architect of the only goal of the match when he floated an inch-perfect pass above the defence of Akpabuyo United and Chukwueze reacted sharply to slot the ball beyond the reach of on-rushing goalkeeper Asam Umuah Asam.

Both sides demonstrated huge enthusiasm throughout the remainder of the encounter officiated by centre referee Emmanuel Egon and duly assisted by Justice Ukpor and Emmanuel Ekawu.

79

QUOTABLE

"This insurgency in the North East shouldn't have lasted even six months.

I told Nigerians that Jonathan did not have the capacity and the experience to lead this country. He didn't have anything and yet they gave him the chance. I believe my capacity cannot be compared with his in all respect."

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2014 TRUTH IN DEFENCE OF FREEDOM VOL. 9, NO. 2977

O

N the day President Goodluck Jonathan was endorsed as the sole candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for next year’s presidential election, party heavyweights behaved so surreally it was difficult to tell what we were witnessing: a tragedy, a comedy, or a tragicomedy. The party has a right to adopt whomever they wish, and in whatever fashion that tickles their fancy. As expected, and in spite of the rigmarole of the Transformation Ambassadors of Nigeria (TAN) — that raucous assemblage of merrymakers — the party has let the other shoe fall. In the eyes of the PDP, Dr Jonathan is incomparable, irreplaceable and indefatigable. He is their messiah, their magician, their avatar. So surreal were their statements and actions during the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting in Abuja last Thursday that some observers half expected that by a metaphysical sleight of hand, they were poised to get the rest of us — other political parties, the millions uncommitted, and the naysayers — to endorse the president. Certainly, PDP leaders looked like they would have been delighted to make Dr Jonathan the first democratically elected Nigerian president to be unanimously adopted by all of us as the sole candidate.

The ridiculousness of their actions did not strike them. By the last count, the party’s TAN rallies had collected over eight million signatures asking Dr Jonathan to contest, with the fecund South-South indescribably coming up with over four million of those signatures. But while rallies were yet to hold in the Northwest and the restive Northeast, party leaders impatiently ramped up the play. First was the party’s Governors Forum led by Dr Jonathan’s hatchet man, Governor Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State, who announced excitedly last Tuesday that the governors had adopted the president as sole candidate. Hard on his heels was the party’s National Working Committee (NWC), which animatedly followed suit. And then came the ageless terracotta warriors of the party’s Board of Trustees (BoT), whose fevered brows had been burrowed by years of apostasy and betrayal, also concurring. The icing on the cake was the said NEC endorsement which was solid enough to draw the president out of his shell in contrived amusement and feigned bewilderment.

Governor Babangida Aliyu of Niger State

B

- Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, taking a swipe at President Goodluck Jonathan for allegedly lacking what it takes to lead the country.

PDP’s endorsement of Jonathan

•Jonathan

was spectacular on that day. Having been called upon to speak on behalf of PDP governors by the remorseless Olisa Metuh, the party’s publicity secretary who could defend any side of an argument with equal and detached plausibility, the didactic Dr Aliyu ribbed his comrade-insquirming, Jigawa State governor, Sule Lamido, to signify his presence and apparent concurrence.

He seemed to be saying that if the upstart Mr metuh would put him (as a governor) on the spot, he was determined not to be left on the hot stove alone with unshod feet. A nuanced game was on; but it was not immediately clear the president and others at the meeting appreciated its delicate shades of joke and mischief. Recall that shortly before some PDP governors defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in November last year, Dr Aliyu was the leader of the subversives, and the polemicist and theorist, Alhaji Lamido, manned the ideological rampart.

But on the day the rebellion matured, both Dr Aliyu and Alhaji Lamido cited some extenuating circumstances and abandoned their defecting PDP comrades at the barricades.

Last Thursday, both men were put on the spot, and they had the distinguished honour, not to say anguish, of assenting Dr Jonathan’s endorsement, the former by his comic overkill, and the latter by his discomfiting silence. But by any colour, apostasy is apostasy. PDP BoT’s Chief

•Muazu

Anenih, perhaps the most unprincipled politician in the country, a man for whom party and ideological differentiation is nothing but rank stupidity, was there to fix his cadaverous gaze on the PDP top brass, as if whipping them into servitude and rebellion. Reporters wrote that the PDP convention in December would be expected to confirm these endorsements. That is an understatement. The convention will confirm the endorsements, not be expected to. No one who loves his life in the PDP will attempt to oppose Dr Jonathan, either as a practical democratic joke or out of conviction. He will be crushed. And even if Dr Jonathan were to ask someone to pretend to oppose him in order to give a semblance of internal democracy in the party, the hapless fellow would still resist the temptation, for he would not be sure he was not been set up for destruction.

Were the endorsements to be limited to the PDP, we could take consolation in the fact that the party really never had a soul, nor that even if it did, it still could not call it its own. The Southeast, as if the zone had inhaled some kind of esoteric gas, has chorused their loud endorsement. Indeed, an uproarious celebration is on in that region of forbidden republicanism to validate Dr Jonathan. Surprisingly too, a large but quite misguided section of the Yoruba elite has also endorsed Dr Jonathan, citing their distrust

South Africa, Nigeria’s $9.3m arms deal and Oritsejafor

OTH the Nigerian government and Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) president, Ayo Oritsejafor, have struggled to wriggle out of the scandalous arms deal involving the smuggling of $9.3m to South Africa. So far, they have not succeeded. But given the fact that the President Goodluck Jonathan government was also unsuccessful in wriggling out of the $10bn or $12bn unaccounted oil money, it is not clear both the government and Pastor Oritsejafor will care what anyone thinks. The smuggled money was flown into a small airport Northwest of Johannesburg, South Africa, in a chartered jet by two Nigerians and an Israeli on September 5.

The scandal of flying $9.3m undeclared into a foreign land is bad enough even without the other smaller but no less potent scandals associated with the smuggled dollars.

The plane used to ferry the undeclared money into South Africa was said to be owned by the CAN president, who is also President of the Word of Life Bible Church, Warri, Delta State. He however tactically denied ownership. The plane, he says, is owned by Eagle Air Company in which he has residual interest. But, more, he added, the plane had since last month (only last month!) been leased to Green Coast Produce Limited, which operated the plane at the time of the scandal. Using the platform of CAN, Pastor Oritsejafor then accused the All Progressives Congress (APC) duo of Lai Mohammed and Nasir El-Rufai of smearing his reputation, insinuating also that the attack on his reputation had religious and political undertones.

The bad-tempered CAN release defend-

ing Pastor Oritsejafor contains elements that sadly showed that CAN has become politicised and indefensibly entangled with the world system. Said the press release signed by Sunny Oibe, CAN’s Director of National Issues: “ Our attention has been drawn to the desperation of some elements working for a particular political party within our society to tarnish the image of the President of Christian Association of Nigeria, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor. They are working for the All Progressives Congress and they are not unknown to us. Let Nigerians have this background for them to judge themselves. These shameless characters including a former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mallam Nasir El-Rufai and National Publicity Secretary of All Progressives Congress, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, went to UK to embark on an image laundering for their political party, the APC...”

More brazenly, the intemperate CAN statement also concluded: “ The report (that both Dr Jonathan and Pastor Oritsejafor encourage Boko Haram) is a well organised orchestrated plan, all because of their desperation for the 2015 general elections. If not for the blindness and intellectual myopia of some Nigerians, people of the calibre of El-Rufai shouldn’t be taken seriously and should not be walking on the streets....ElRufai is more of a Street Boy whose history and antecedents are very much known. He has been the person defending Boko Haram...We are waiting and we can assure you that at the appropriate time, he and his allies will pay dearly for it.

The international community sees APC as an Islamic party; instead of El-Rufai to deny that, he

was busy orchestrating spurious propaganda against Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor.” In short, CAN is saying PDP is Christian, and APC is Muslim.

However, neither the Jonathan presidency’s clumsy response to the $9.3m arms deal scandal nor Pastor Oritsejafor’s side of the story, nor yet CAN’s statement, has detracted from the scandalous maze. The undeclared money was obviously not sourced from a grocery store; it passed through the banking system one way or the other. The messengers were also representing the government, not themselves. In addition, the huge sum passed through the airport, and the supposedly eagle eyes of the relevant border agencies, which intercepts much smaller funds, could not detect it. And both Pastor Oritsejafor’s defence and CAN statement also showed what slippery slopes the clergy tread when they walk on Caesar’s highway, conducting secular business in the typically Caesarian fashion Pergamos made famous in Revelation 2, and in the ethical and idolatrous quicksand that today entraps church doctrines, church politics and church business, making them indistinguishable from the world system.

Quite apart from the facts and fiction surrounding the $9.3m scandal, it is indeed curious that Pastor Oritsejafor little appreciates how unhealthily politicised CAN has become under him, and how dangerously parochial he and the body have become in throwing their lot with Dr Jonathan, thereby promoting schism in the church and in the body politic, and disavowing and polluting the doctrinal purity that have sanctified, promoted and defended their faith over the centuries.

for and distaste of northern feudalism, and a fear of the invasion of religious dervishes from the North. The Yoruba have a talent for projecting their internal struggles onto the national plane, even as some of them, for economic reasons, such as pipeline protection contracts, are prepared to sell their souls to the devil. In the few months before the great plebiscite, there will be many more endorsements and betrayals, for it seems as if the country has lost its mind.

The Dr Jonathan endorsement and the way it has been procured reflect a dispiriting and unnerving fact about his government and Nigerian politics. The culture had been building since the unethical and anti-intellectual years of the Olusegun Obasanjo presidency.

The processes are now maturing. No one, not even Chief Obasanjo, has compromised the political elite as adeptly and with much devilry as Dr Jonathan. The Southeast is tamed and disembowelled by economic and bureaucratic baits. The South-South has reached the apogee of selfishness and errantry, with the region a virtually lawless economic ‘free trade’ zone of stolen oil worth some $8bn annually. The Southwest is laid prostrate by greed and powermongering, its long-lasting culture of race suicide reactivated. And a large swathe of the North tired of the rot, having itself promoted humungous rot during their ascendancy, have begun to sell their consciences.

As the country under Dr Jonathan takes firm and deliberate steps towards tyranny, what we see in the mirror is a reflection of the president’s mental picture of what kind of country he prefers to govern, and a mental picture of himself. To him, and under him, Nigeria has become an eclectic pastiche with no purpose, drive or direction. And he himself has become, whether deliberately or accidentally, a dangerous, budding dictator determined to herd the country into one suffocating pen — a country speaking with one voice, looking in the same direction, thinking the same way, regimented, devoid of soul, and unable to savour the modern joys and accomplishments of life. Between the Governors Forum, TAN rallies, PDP endorsement, and the national conference, among others, the betrayal of the country appears complete. Now, more than at any time in our history, we need a miracle to make Nigeria snap out of its self-induced stupor.

Ebola: Nigeria forfeits regional leadership

I

N the past few decades, and particularly under the Goodluck Jonathan government, Nigeria has yielded its strategic position in regional leadership to others. Nothing exemplifies this surrender as the Jonathan presidency’s attitude to combating Ebola Virus Disease in West Africa. When the Liberian Patrick Sawyer unwisely exported Ebola to Nigeria in late July and infected some Nigerians, an angry President Jonathan described him in very harsh language. The president was justifiably angry, but whether he acted right by using unflattering language, given Nigeria’s position in Africa, is another thing entirely.

At an Interfaith Conference held in Abuja in August, Dr Jonathan, ever insensitive to Nigeria’s continental and regional standing, had described Mr sawyer as a ‘crazy’ man.

Having thus described the dead Mr sawyer in unpresidential language, Dr Jonathan had no chance to establish and affirm Nigeria’s regional leadership in combating the epidemic.

The lot fell on foreigners.

First to rise up to the occasion was Cuba which sent 165 health workers to Sierra Leone to help in the control of the disease. Next was the United States, which is deploying 3,000 soldiers to Liberia to help the desperate country build medical facilities and train health workers to combat the disease. Sulking Nigeria is immobilised by fear and poor leadership. We ought to have condemned Mr Sawyer in civil language, and then rather than being churlish, ought to have proceeded diligently to marshal every effort in Nigeria to lead a regional attack against the epidemic. Other countries have now sadly supplanted us while we wallow in self-pity and leadership mediocrity.

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