The Nation September 28, 2014

Newspaper of the Year

Anger over N1 billion FERMA, SURE-P task force rip-off –Page 3

Disquiet in Enugu PDP as Chime anoints successor –Page 8

Boko Haram: 40 insurgents, 11 soldiers killed in fresh bid for Maiduguri –Page 3

Nigeria’s widest circulating newspaper

Vol.09, No. 2985

TRUTH IN DEFENCE OF FREEDOM

SUNDAY

SEPTEMBER 28, 2014

N200.00

Ekiti: Soldiers take over state capital –Page 3

Police on trail of NURTW boss' killers State PDP condemns Fayemi broadcast

The Presiding Bishop of Living Faith Church Worldwide, Dr. David Oyedepo (centre), flanked by his wife, Faith, former military head of state, Gen. Yakubu Gowon, Agric Minister Akinwunmi Adesina (second right) and Oyedepo’s children at his 60th birthday celebration in Otta, Ogun State yesterday

2015: PDP will capture Rivers, Edo, Jonathan boasts President says ruling party supports Sambo set to retain VP slot Govs shun Kano ‘stomach infrastructure' politics as Muazu challenge fades TAN rally –Pages 4&5

THE NATION ON SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2014

PAGE 2

CAPTURED

Top India politician jailed for corruption

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NE of India's most colourful and controversial politicians, Jayaram Jayalalitha, has been sentenced to jail for four years on corruption charges in a case that has lasted for 18 years.

The chief minister of the southern state of Tamil Nadu was found guilty of amassing wealth of more than $10m (ÂŁ6.1m) which was unaccounted for.

She has to pay a 1bn rupee ($16m; ÂŁ10m) fine and resign as chief minister.

A former actress, her life has been marked by a series of high and lows.

The verdict was delivered by a special court in Bangalore amid tight security.

Along with three others, Jayalalitha was sentenced to an immediate jail term, and was due to be sent to Parappana Agrahara prison in Bangalore.

But she complained of chest pains and giddiness after the verdict was delivered, the Times of India reported, and was sent to the prison hospital for assessment.

JOINED Famous Hollywood actor and one of the world's most eligible bachelors, George Clooney, finally married his fiance Amal Alamuddin, a British human rights lawyer, in a secret ceremony in Venice, Italy yesterday. The couple wed in a private ceremony with a handful of close friends.

BAROMETER Fayose moults, sunday@thenationonlineng.net

begins reign of terror U NLIKE Rivers State where police lions seek presumptuously to 'tame' political leopards in a fierce struggle for power, and where newly posted police commanders struggle not to be 'provoked' by both a governor they describe as obstinate and a 1999 constitution they consider disagreeable, Ekiti manifests a different political and social ecology.

With the cantankerous and excitable Ayo Fayose on his way to the State House after winning the June governorship election, political entertainment of the first rank is about to break upon all of us again. In Ekiti, we learn, when snakes moult, they don't become anything but snakes. Well, Mr Fayose, the governor-elect, is about to begin moulting, and it is hard to say what the people of the state who voted him into office after a scandalous and abridged first term expect of him after shedding his skin.

Before the election, analysts had warned Ekiti that Mr Fayose, notwithstanding his pretensions, could not change a whit, but the hopeful and optimistic Ekiti electorate believed Mr Fayose's contention that he had changed comprehensively and fundamentally, both politically and socially.

He had become a genial politician, more reflective, less impulsive, still accommodating, and in every sense absolutely likeable, he swore. Don't trust him, this column warned. But it was too late. By a plurality unheard of in those parts, especially given his appalling human rights records and

his competence to contest last June's governorship poll, Mr Fayose's men attacked Ekiti courts, injuring lawyers, judges and litigants and chasing away onlookers and the media.

He swore he knew nothing about the attack, but he indirectly defended that brazen judicial subversion, for in his startling logic the party that lost the election was trying to trash his electoral victory and gain entrance into the State House through the window.

No sensible political leader, not the least a politician who has just won an election to govern a state, should conflate the issues of litigation and physical attack on the courts, but Mr Fayose is not your usual politician. He is not more reflective, as he suggested grimly, and not less impulsive, as he poor performance, Mr Fayose was privately hoped. Bearing some affinity herded, together with his follies and foi- to the Visigoths, the Germanic tribes bles, into victory lock, stock and bar- who invaded Rome in the Fourth cenrel. But even before he is sworn in, he tury, he prides himself more substanhas started to display his boisterously tially on his ability to lay waste anymanipulative side. For a simple court thing that smacks of civilization, disprocess, in which someone questions cipline and order.

Hear his justification for the attack on the Ekiti court: " I am not aware that a judge was beaten up. In fact, this is strange to me. This is reckless and strange to me...How can I order the people to beat up a judge that has nothing to do with me? At what point was this judge beaten? Was he a member of the tribunal? Because I went to the tribunal and not the regular court. But I want to point out that a situation whereby judges or judicial officers , who should be custodians of the law, got compromised with politicians, then anarchy will set in...If you have been defeated in all the 16 local governments areas and you now want to come through the window, it won't be like ice cream party to APC. I would not be too cheap like Segun Oni. I am not going to be cheap at all because I am elected by the people...I don't care about whatever they write about me because I have grown a thick skin. The strategy of APC will not work.

Nobody, no matter how highly placed, will remove me cheaply.�

Well, now you know the truth, in case you thought the man had changed, as he facetiously swore before the election. Instead of taking his grievances to the Appeal Court, as he has eventually done, he first laid down the justification for the senseless attack on the courts. For a state chief executive, that must be quite some recklessness. At last he has shown us what kind of society he wants to build, what kind of Ekiti people he envisions, and what his moral compass would look like. Mr Fayose, it seems, is blameless in all this, for he did not promise anything he was not, nor vouchsafe anything he could not deliver. The incurable Ekiti optimists who voted him into office should brace up for an unusual social reengineering in the hands of the moulter-in-chief, this modern day Maximilien Robespierre who has erected a gigantic and mobile guillotine and declared, with all the atavism he could muster, that he was unmoved by public opinion or whatever any newspaper might write. Ekiti can be sure that the revolution they triggered in June will consume the cream of their society before its energy is spent.

PDP's ingenious presidential primary

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IGERIANS must not underestimate the contributions of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to their country's political development, even if a part of those contributions ends up destroying democratic principles.

Last week, the party's impulsive publicity secretary, Olisa Metuh, was quoted by a newspaper as saying that with the massive adoption of President Goodluck Jonathan as the party' sole candidate for the 2015 presidential election, the party was no longer interested in conducting a presidential primary. Instead, he said joyfully, the party would only

affirm the candidacy of the president at the appropriate time.

But I suspect the PDP is merely restraining itself not to go the whole hog. They have indicated there would be no presidential primary. Supposing they had not been so condescending, and had equally indicated that consequent upon the widespread TAN rallies that have so far garnered more than 10 million signatures for the president there was no need for a presidential election? It would of course be unconstitutional; but since when did the party begin to bother itself with constitutional restraints? If the party understands that the mood

of the country today is not amenable to a countrywide adoption of President Jonathan as everybody's sole candidate, do not put it past them that on a fortuitous tomorrow, and given their vow to keep Aso Villa in thrall for 50 years, they could still perfect the manoeuvre of no elections for sole candidates.

And with the widespread subversion of the country's principal elites through various artifices such as national conference and all, it is not impossible that one day, the PDP, claiming its right as a party, would perfect the art of winning elections without balloting, to the general approbation and mirth of the country.

By ADEKUNLE ADE-ADELEYE

THE NATION ON SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 28, 2014

3

Mayhem: Soldiers take over Ekiti streets S

OLDIERS yesterday took over the streets of Ado-Ekiti to restore order after 24 hours of arson and bloodletting by thugs.

The soldiers patrolled the state capital to ensure there was no repeat of the Thursday night murder of a former chairman of the Nigeria Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) in the state, Chief Omolafe Aderiye, and the Friday burning of Governor Kayode Fayemi Campaign Secretariat and some vehicle in the premises by thugs.

Twice, earlier in the week, hoodlums had attacked perceived political opponents of the Governor-elect, Mr. Ayodele Fayose, within the premises of the State High Court, Ado Ekiti after Justice Isaac Ogunyemi assumed jurisdictional power to hear and try Fayose in a case instituted

From Sulaiman Salawudeen, Ado-Ekiti

by E-11, a socio-political group based in the state, over his eligibility to contest for the June 21 governorship election.

Justice Ogunyemi had dismissed the application by counsel to the Governor-elect which challenged the court’s competence to try the case.

The PDP accused Governor Fayemi and his party, APC, of masterminding Aderiye’s murder.

The former NURTW leader was allegedly shot at close range while relaxing with friends and associates about 8:30pm at his office at Ijigbo area of Ado-Ekiti, by men dressed in mobile police uniform.

The assailants sped off in a white car as soon as they accomplished their mission.

As the day broke on Fri-

day, hoodlums attacked the governor’s campaign office and set it and some vehicles parked therein ablaze.

Fayemi went on air and imposed a curfew with a view to stemming the violence.

He blamed the Governorelect, Ayo Fayose, and the PDP for instigating the arson, and the police for not intervening.

“I am advised incontrovertibly that thugs acting on the command of Mr. Ayo Fayose, who was also present to lend his clout to the travesty, brazenly assaulted a senior judge and urged his thugs to beat him up and tear his clothes,” Gov. Fayemi said, adding that the thugs whose action exceeded the limits of acceptable behaviour, carried out their scandalous attacks in the “full glare of law enforcement agents”.

According to him, the fail-

ure of the security agents to deal appropriately with the court invasions emboldened them to unleash terror later in the week.

However, the soldiers deployed yesterday went round in trucks.

Many shops in the town remained shut over fear of fresh trouble.

The state Police Command said it has arrested some suspects in connection with the court invasion.

But no arrest has yet been made in connection with the assassination of Aderiye.

The command, in a statement said the Police Commissioner, Taiwo Lakanu, personally “led a section of mobile and conventional policemen out all night and was able to forestall the breakdown of law and order generated by the killing.”

It enjoined the people to comply with the dust to dawn curfew order made by the governor and warned that “any person or group of persons found flouting the order or breaking the law will be adequately dealt with in accordance with the law.”

Meanwhile, the Ekiti State PDP yesterday described the Friday broadcast by Governor Fayemi as a further demonstration of his insensitivity.

The party wondered why the governor would address the state without making reference to the murdered Aderiye or sympathising with his family.

The governor visited the bereaved family on Friday.

It said:”Instead of showing concern for the soul already lost, Fayemi’s concern was ‘Court Cases’ with which he intends to remain in power

despite that Ekiti people rejected him totally on June 21, 2014. This is the height of wickedness!”

It dismissed as an aberration his directive to the state Attorney General to issue a legal advisory to the Chief Judge of the state and all the parties to the existing cases in the State High Court and the Ekiti State Governorship Elections Petitions Tribunal, on the desirability of seeking an alternative venue for the hearing of these cases outside the state.

“Obviously, Fayemi has lost it all. The governor has allowed himself to be taken over by desperation to remain in power such that he could not understand that what he asked the Attorney-General to do simply amount to interfering in the workings of the judiciary, a separate arm of government,” the PDP said.

40 Boko Haram insurgents, 11 soldiers killed in fierce encounters •Three soldiers missing, 15 others wounded

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ORE than 40 Boko Haram insurgents have been killed in Borno State within the last 72 hours in three fierce encounters with soldiers.

Eleven soldiers are believed to have lost their lives in the battles and another one at Shindig.

Three others are reported missing while 15 are receiving medical treatment.

Military sources said the figures were arrived at after mopping up operations in Konduga, Damboa and Benisheik which was the scene of a brutal attack by Boko Haram a year this month. The figures could not be independently confirmed.

Benishek lies to the west of Maiduguri along the Damaturu road.

Terrorists have been trying to invade the state capital through that part and the eastern flank of the city.

About 150 residents were massacred by the insurgents during last year’s invasion.

Shedding light on the latest confrontations, a military source said splinter cells of the sect resorted to carrying out snap attacks on communities in the state.

The source said troops succeeded in beating back the terrorists in Konduga, Beneshiek and Damboa where they made a number of attempts between Thursday and Friday September 25-26, 2014.

“A multi barrel T55 tank, nine rifles, two Machine Guns, two Rocket Propelled Grenade tubes, five boxes of ammunition and other weapons were captured from them while over 40 of the terrorists died in the encounters in the three locations,” the source said.

“Troops also conducted a raid on terrorists’ enclave at Shindig. In all the operations a total of 11 soldiers died while 15 others are being treated for injuries sustained in the battles.

Three are still missing.

“The air and land operations are ongoing to clear the terrorists from other communities where their activities have become prevalent recently in the states under the state of emergency.”

Another military source said: “Stubborn, dare devil and ready-to-die terrorists contin-

FromYusuf Alli, Managing Editor, Northern Operation

ued to push against the military despite receiving heavy bashing in the last two weeks in North-Eastern Nigeria.

“During the period, many of their top commanders including the one pretending to be Shekau were eliminated.

“Nonetheless, splinter cells continue to confront the military but Nigerian troops vanquished them although with casualties on both sides.”

At press time, troops had succeeded in repelling the insurgents from Konduga.

A third source said: “These insurgents see the occupation of Konduga as a matter of life and death because of their plans to attack Maiduguri. But troops have successfully resisted them.

“We have fortified Konduga and Maiduguri. And efforts are on to curtail the insurgents in Gwoza, Bama and some parts of Adamawa State.”

•New Matawallen Sokoto, Speaker Aminu Tambuwal, speaking after his coronation in Sokoto, yesterday.

Anger over SURE-P, FERMA N1b rip-off

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HOUSANDS of job seekers across the country are alleging a massive ripoff by two agencies of the federal government which lured them into parting with over N30,000 each.

The job applicants accused the Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA) and SURE-P of making them part with the money on the promise of employing them in a Federal Task Force.

Thirty thousand graduates are believed to have paid the money, bringing the total to N900,000.

Investigation showed that none of the applicants has been deployed since their enlistment last December. They have not been paid either.

Some of the affected people told The Nation that they were made to pay for uniform, enrolment forms, medicals and data capturing among others.

They said the recruiters told them that they would be controlling traffic on federal roads across the 36 states.

But instead of the promised traffic control job, the applicants, according to investi-

By Dare Odufowokan, Assistant Editor

gation by The Nation at some of the centres, are being used by the PDP as security and protocol personnel at its rallies and programmes across the country.

Unable to cope with regular invitations to rallies and drilling sessions while not being paid salaries or allowances, some of the applicants have opted out.

The situation has not stopped more people from applying, sources said.

One applicant said: “I applied for the programme in January this year. Since then, I’ve paid N32, 500 for uniforms that I am yet to get. I also paid N2, 200 for the enrolment form. All I’ve got so far is a letter enlisting me as part of a FERMA/SURE-P empowerment programme.

“My friend even paid N10, 2000 for what they called late form. But no employment letter has been given to me yet.”

Some of them sighted at the Ojota office of the Task Force in Lagos said they are made to report there daily for drills and trainings.

“None of us has been given any job. This is the ninth month. We have paid so much.

We even paid for medical. This T-Shirt and fez cap, we bought them for N2, 500 each. We also paid for another form called traffic form. Some people have spent more than N50,000 but I’ve only spent about N40, 000,” another applicant said.

Asked why they go round the country to be part of political rallies, another applicant said the recruiters said it is necessary to remind the President that they are still waiting for his approval for their postings.

“They say we must go and parade at every rally where the president is present so as to remind him that we are still waiting for his approval. They say it is only when that approval comes that we will be posted to various federal roads across the country.

“They even promised we will take over the control of all federal roads in Lagos from the Lagos State Traffic Management Agency (LASTMA). Sometimes we even control traffic along the expressway here at Ojota and at Shangisha area. We do this for free because we are

not being paid yet,” he added.

But promoters of the programme claim the federal government granted approval to the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme (SURE-P) and Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA) to set up a task force to maintain traffic on the federal roads.

They said upon a go ahead from the presidency, the organisation will deploy its men on federal roads in the state to maintain law and order because the Act setting up SUREP/FERMA empowers it to carry out such civic responsibility on federal roads.

“There is hope. It is only opposition politicians that are trying to discredit the programme. Officers are yet to be posted because the agencies are still working on the salary structure and scope for the programme. As soon as that is done, officers will be posted to different federal roads in the state.

A graduate should get no less than N80, 000 as monthly salary when we are ready to roll out; but as the salary structure and scope are still being deliberated upon, one may

PHOTO: NAN

have to exercise patience. For all potential SURE-P/ FERMA officers, patience is the word for now,” an official at the Lagos office told our correspondent.

Speaking on the controversies surrounding the programme, Abdul Razak Rafiu Otto, a chieftain of the PDP who is also the National Coordinator of the Federal Task Force, said the programme is legal and in conformity with the laws of the land.

“This programme has been in existence for the past three years now and it was set up by the Federal Government to further make the people feel its impact more. We are not out to deceive anybody. Whatever we are doing is legal and we are bound by the law of the country.

“The question one should ask people making this insinuation is: did the President complain to you that we are doing illegal things here? Did the State Security Service, SSS, complain about our activities?

This is a federal government programme for all states.

“We are not just in this state we are in all the 36 states of the federation, including Abuja. So, I don’t see why anybody will be talking about deceiving people here,” he said.

4 NEWS OPC boss, monarchs decry loss of African cultural heritage T

THE NATION ON SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 28, 2014

PDP governors shun proJonathan rally in Kano

From Tayo Johnson, Ibadan

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HE need to promote, reposition and redeem the lost cultural values and African tradition which have almost gone into extinction has been stressed.

Speaking at the grand finale of the 2014 edition of Oro Ebedi Festival that took place in Iseyin, Oyo State, the National Coordinator of Odua People’s Congress (OPC), Otunba Gani Adams, said it was unfortunate that many African communities have lost their cultural heritage.

Adams, who is also the Chief Promoter of Olokun Festival, described culture as a veritable tool for identifying people of different races.

He said: “Culture remains a veritable means of identifying a people, and so, there is the need for planning and execution of cultural development projects around the country. Many nations have attained prominence and greatness by highlighting and projecting their cultures and history as the most single factor that binds and propel them as a people and nation, while some have showcased the link with their past to carve a niche and identify for themselves.”

Reiterating his commitment to the promotion of African traditional values, languages, culture, moral and ethics, the OPC boss called on the people of the town and the Oyo State government to turn historical sites in Iseyin such as Ebedi Hill, Oluofi Hill and Atamafon Hill as tourist centres.

He added that for African cultural heritage not to go into extinction, all efforts must be put in place to re-package, reposition and re-discover the richness of the tradition of the people and the race.

In his speech, the Aseyin of Iseyin, Oba Abdulganiyu Adekunle Ologunebi, enjoined all Yoruba descendants to continue to promote the richness of the tradition of their fore fathers wherever they are.

A renowned Yoruba Actor, Chief Lere Paimo in his own contribution, called on all stakeholders to sustain the cultural values and heritage of the Yoruba race.

HE final edition of the zonal rallies held in Kano yesterday by the Transformation Ambassadors of Nigeria (TAN) to drum up support for President Goodluck Jonathan ahead of next year’s election almost ended in a fiasco.

Only Governor Ibrahim Shema of Katsina State was at the Northwest leg of the rally held at the Kano Polo Ground.

Apart from Katsina, the president’s party –PDP – controls Kaduna, Kebbi, and Jigawa in the geopolitical zone.

Governor Muktar Yero of Kaduna was represented by his deputy.

Speaking at the rally, Governor Shema of Katsina pledged the support of the people of the state for President Goodluck Jonathan in next year’s elections.

“We, the Katsina people, are here because Katsina State is always in the forefront of Nigeria’s unity,” he said.

“We believe in Nigeria and I have no doubt in my mind that this nation will stand tall among the comity of nations if equity and justice is upheld.”

Shema charged Northern politicians to come together

From Kolade Adeyemi, Kano

and stand as one for the love of Nigeria, pointing out that without peace and unity, nothing meaningful can be achieved in the country.

Dr. Khaliru Alhassan, Minister of State for Health spoke on behalf of Sokoto people, noting that, “President Jonathan is the latest gift for the North-West and he should be supported due to his tremendous achievements so far in the North-West and in the country in general.”

Alhasan said President Jonathan’s success at the 2015 polls “will solidify the unity of Nigeria.”

Ambassador Bashir Yuguda, Minister of State for Finance speaking for Zamfara State said the Jonathan administration “has created an economy that is all inclusive enough to benefit all Nigerians irrespective of religious and ethnic background.”

Alhaji Kabiru Tanimu Turaki, Minister of Special Duties and Inter-Government Affairs said that for Kebbi State, President Jonathan remains the man to beat in the 2015 presidential election.

According to him, President Jonathan deserves another chance to occupy Aso Rock,

adding : “In the North-West zone, particularly, in Kebbi, we are pleading with President Jonathan, we are calling upon President Jonathan to answer this clarion call upon him to continue beyond 2015.”

Mohammed Garba Danladi Auyo, a PDP governorship aspirant from Jigawa State and a loyalist of Senator Saminu Turaki, said the Jigawa people are solidly behind President Jonathan, pointing out that age and performance have given him an edge over whoever will come out to challenge him in 2015.

Speaking on behalf of PDP stakeholders from Kano, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Aminu Wali who was flanked by Mohammed Abacha and Alhaji Akilu Sani Ndabawa, both PDP governorship aspirants in Kano, described President Jonathan as a detribalized leader.

According to him, President Jonathan, though a Christian was the only Nigerian president who has attended the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) in Cairo, Egypt, pointing out that Jonathan’s relationship with Muslims is a clear indication that he is a pro-

Muslim president.

He said:”Those fanning the embers of religion should also remember that it was as a result of President Jonathan’s intervention that the SaudiArabia authorities decided to welcome Nigerian pilgrims despite the Ebola hype.

“In 2015, PDP will wrest power from APC in Kano. We are confident of this fact because President Jonathan has done a lot not only in Kano but in Nigeria as a country. He has exhibited patriotism and nationalism.”

The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim who conveyed President Jonathan’s condolence message to victims of the recent Boko Haram attack at Federal College of Education (FCE), Kano, said 2, 393, 331 Nigerians from the NorthWest Zone have endorsed Jonathan for a second term in office.

Anyim, who also handed over TAN’s relief materials for bomb blast victims in the North-West Zone to Governor Shema, said in no distant time, President Jonathan will personally be in Kano to commiserate with victims of the FCE bomb-blast.

Ensure harmonious coexistence, Alaafin urges monarchs From Bode Durojaiye, Oyo

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HE Alaafin of Oyo and Permanent Chairman, Oyo State Council of Obas and Chiefs, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi, has urged traditional rulers to sustain the existing harmonious coexistence of communities in the state.

The paramount traditional ruler gave this charge at the presentation of instrument of office to the new Amoorin of Akinmoorin in Afijio Local Government area of the state, Prince Solomon Iyiola Olayemi.

Positing that no meaningful development can be achieved in any community where there is hatred, disunity and rancour, Oba Adeyemi also advised both the federal and state governments to be more conscious about cultural rebirth, adding that a people without a distinct cultural identity would be lost in the annals of world history, in addition to having their contributions to human civilisation forgotten.

Presenting the staff of office to the new Baale, the state governor, Senator Abiola Ajiomobi, who was represented by the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Mr. Fatai Buhari, described the Alaafin “as a veritable reference point in traditional and chieftaincy affairs whose submissions, coupled with due consultations with relevant stakeholders resulted in the choice of popular candidate as the new Amoorin.”

Responding, the new Baale thanked the Alaafin for his unflinching support and the state government for ensuring his selection.

Group deplores passage of land bill in Ondo From Damisi Ojo, Akure

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From Left: The Lagos Chamber of Commerce & Industry President, Alhaji Remi Bello; Senate President, Senator David Mark; Vice Chairman Senate Committee on Housing, Senator 'Gbenga Ashafa and the Resident Representative, UNIDO, Dr Patrick Komarwa during the conference organised by the Lagos Chamber of Commerce & Industry at Eko Hotel &Suites, Victoria Island,Lagos at the weekend PHOTO : MUYIWA HASSAN

GROUP, Association of Professional Bodies of Nigeria (APBN) in Ondo State has at the quick passage of frowned land bill by the state House of Assembly earlier in the year.

Speaking at the inauguration of its new executive committee, its new chairman, Mr. Samuel Adekola, said the bill was ratified without recourse to the positions of stakeholders during the public hearing organised by the House Committee on Lands and Housing.

He noted that such sensitive bill should have been accorded a thorough debate with opinions of relevant stakeholders giving adequate consideration rather than appearing as a decree in a democratic dispensation.

Boko Haram: Australian negotiator promises to name big sponsors

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HE Australian priest who tried to negotiate the release of the over 200 Chibok girls abducted by Boko Haram,says he will in due course name ‘bigger sponsors’ of the sect.

Dr.StephenDavis who has already named former governor of Borno state, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, and former chief of army staff, Gen. Azubuike Ihejirika, as backers of the sect told the on-line publication ,The Cable,that the sponsors “epitomise all that the Boko Haram fighters are seeking to eliminate

from Nigeria.”

He dismissed insinuation that Boko Haram commanders named the All Progressives Congress (APC) as their sponsor. “ I have been in close contact with the Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal-Jihad (JAS) and Boko Haram over several years.

In that time, I have never heard any political party mentioned by any Boko Haram leader as funding or being associated with Boko Haram,” he said.

“The JAS leaders and Boko Haram commanders have only mentioned individuals like former Gover-

nor Sheriff. I heard Sheriff was APC and now PDP but his political party is irrelevant to me. I have never mentioned political parties in my discussions with the JAS and Boko Haram. The names of individual sponsors were given by Boko Haram leaders, not their political party association.”

He added: “Former governor Sheriff was specifically mentioned many times. For example, Sheriff was mentioned as sponsoring trips for the boys to go for the Lesser Hajj. There the boys are “reorientated”.

“In effect they are recruited to Boko Haram. When they return to Nigeria the recruits are then taken off for further reorientation by which they mean teaching and for training. Some of the training took place in Mali by Tuareg leaders but now more training is conducted locally.”

On the true identity of the ‘Abubakar Shekau” claimed to have been killed last week by the military,Davies said: “I have heard so many senior commanders tell me that Shekau is dead. It was several weeks after that before

a Shekau video appeared on YouTube. “ When I viewed that video with JAS leaders they immediately said, ‘That boy,we have used him before.’ They were totally dismissive of any claim that Shekau was still alive.

They referred to the person in the video as the “fake Shekau”.

“Some months later one of the senior commanders told me the name of the fake Shekau was Abdul Mutallif. The commander who named him was the one who wrote the script that the fake Shekau reads

from in the videos. “ But I have heard they have used more than one fake Shekau. In July this year I was told the fake Shekau is Isa Damasaka.

Earlier in June they referred to him as Bashir. We had been in communication with him over the release of the Chibok girls. Isa Damasaka is one of the names the military has released when identifying the man killed at Kondunga last week. He has also been identified as Bashir Mohammed so I am confident this man is indeed the fake Shekau.

THE NATION ON SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 28, 2014

More troops will be sent to fight insurgents, says Air Force chief

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HE Chief of Air Staff Adesola Amosu yesterday charged military personnel to always be prepared for deployment at any time especially now that the nation is passing through trying times.

In a message to the quarterly 10km “Route Match” in Abuja, he said the ‘will’ of the insurgents to fight must be broken.

But Amosu who spoke through Air Vice Marshal Abba Zannah, the Chief of Policy and Plans said this task should be accomplished in a professional manner.

According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the third quarter exercise was jointly carried out by personnel of the Nigerian Navy and Air Force.

The Air Force boss said: “We have troops out there fighting the insurgents and believing a course and morale are two very important factors for victory in battle.

“For the troops out there to know that they have enough troops at the home front prepared to support them, it has a way of enhancing their morale to fight.”

The Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral Usman Jubrin who also sent a message through Rear Admiral Johnson Olutoyin, the Chief of Administration, charged the personnel to be ready for deployment “in support of national security objective”.

Jubrin said the keep fit jogging was one way of preparing the personnel to combat the insurgents and engage in other operations.

The 10km walk took off from the Mogadisu Cantonment at Asokoro, Abuja, through AYA roundabout to Niger barracks and back to the cantonment.

NEWS

Sultan to politicians: You must work for the people T HE Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III wants politicians to de-emphasise self, and rather work for the collective interest of all Nigerians.

Speaking yesterday in Sokoto at the turbanning of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Alhaji Aminu Waziri Tambuwal as the Matawallen Sokoto, the Sultan also called on the political class to close rank and work for the peace and unity of the country.

He stressed the need for them to uphold, at all times, the principles of democracy especially those that encourage peaceful and result oriented activities as well as development of the country.

From: Adamu Suleiman, Sokoto

Politicians, according to him, should abhor and eschew politics of personalities and hatred, especially ahead of next year’s elections.

He acknowledged government’s effort to rid the country of terrorism but said the task requires the co-operation of every citizen.

Abubakar said that the honorees were bestowed with the titles for their honesty, loyalty and dedication to the service of the people of the state and Nigerians.

The monarch urged them not to relent saying, “to whom much is given, much more is expected.”

Also turbaned yesterday

were the Speaker of the Sokoto State House of Assembly, Alhaji Muhammad Lawal Zayanna as Sarkin Gobir of Gwadabawa (District Head), Alhaji Kabiru Tafida as Sarkin Fadan Sokoto, the Accountant General of the state, Alhaji Aminu Iya as Iyan Sokoto and Alhaji Fodio Kyari as Wamban Sokoto.

The ceremony was witnessed by former military Head of State, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari ( rtd), former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweramadu, who represented President Goodluck Jonathan, House of Representatives Deputy Speaker Emeka Ihedioha,

Sokoto State Governor Aliyu Wamakko, APC National Chairman, Chief John OdigieOyegun, APC National Leader Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, serving and former Governors, National Assembly members and traditional rulers from different parts of the country.

Responding on behalf of the celebrants, Tambuwal commended the Sultan for finding them worthy of the titles.

He also hailed the Sultan for his relentless efforts towards ensuring peace and unity in Nigeria and beyond.

“We will continue to emulate our fore-bearers and support the Sultanate Council of Sokoto to ensure the success of its laudable activities,” he said.

•(L-R) Chief Victor Umeh, National Chairman of APGA, Chief Willie Obiano, Governor of Anambra State, his wife Ebelechukwu Obiano and Chief Emeka Anyaoku, former Secretary General of the Commonwealth singing the Anambra Anthem at the Security Fundraising ceremony organized by the Anambra State government at the MUSON Center Lagos...yesterday

2015: Pressure mounts on Jonathan to retain Sambo

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RESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan may retain Vice President Namadi Sambo as running mate in 2015 following mounting pressure from leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) across the country.

There had been moves to replace Sambo with a more ‘acceptable’ politician from the North.

However, PDP leaders after reviewing the situation seem to have succeeded in persuading President to shelve the idea.

Sources familiar with the development said the fear of the backlash which the replacement of Sambo might generate influenced the rethink.

Many PDP leaders, it was gathered, feared that the party would be running a big risk if it went into the 2015 presidential election with a divided house, and against a formidable All Progressives Congress (APC) waiting to capitalize on the situation.

Consequently, the PDP National Chairman Adamu Muazu who was touted as a possible replacement is now out of the equation.

Besides, the PDP has de-

FROM: Yusuf Alli, Managing Editor, Northern Operation

cided to stick to its 2011 power sharing formula for the six geopolitical zones.

The Southwest is tipped to be rewarded with the position of House of Reps Speaker should the party win.

A Presidency source said: “In spite of moves by some leaders of the party to make a case for the PDP National Chairman, the preponderance of opinion in the party favours the retention of Sambo.

“I think more than anything, the loyalty of Sambo in keeping the Presidency stable and united is working for him.

“Although there were a few missteps by Sambo, like the sack of a former Minister of Power and a new residence for VP at inflated cost, these leaders said it is better to give the VP a second chance than to go for a fresh candidate.

“The PDP leaders also claimed that it will take a new VP much time to learn the rope and this may slow down the administration of the President.”

A high-ranking member of the National Working Committee (NWC), said: “Our leaders have reached a

•Muazu loses out consensus on the VP; they are already mounting pressure on President Jonathan to retain him.

“It has been sealed that the VP should be re-nominated to keep the winning team intact and sustain unity in the party.

“The PDP team, led by the Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Chief Tony Anenih, which went to Jigawa State, only met with Governor Sule Lamido to support the re-election bid of the President.

“The team did not go to Lamido to offer him VP slot. I can confidently tell you that we are not shopping for a running mate to the President.”

Another source said: “Sambo’s fate has not been made known because it is the prerogative of the President to choose his running mate.

Therefore, President Goodluck Jonathan will make the announcement at the appropriate time.

“Unless Jonathan wants to go for a greenhorn, most of the governors, hitherto interested in being VP, have backed out.”

Responding to a question, the source added: “The PDP

National Chairman is certainly not on the card; Sambo may be re-nominated by the President.

“Key PDP leaders from the North and some royal fathers have been making a strong case for Sambo.”

The posters, bearing the photographs of the President and Muazu, had on Wednesday flooded Abuja creating anxiety in the presidency and the PDP. The posters were produced by the National Chairman Support Group, one of the associations assisting the PDP National Chairman to consolidate in office.

The inscriptions on one of the posters with PDP logo, read: “The game has changed for better transformation”, “A united Nigeria is possible beyond 2015,” and “support for Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan (President), Dr. Adamu Muazu (Vice President).

A youth group, Northern Youth Good Governance and Democratic Coalition, on September 17 accused Muazu of nursing a secret presidential ambition.

It also alleged that Muazu

was trying to scuttle President Jonathan’s 2015 ambition.

National President of the coalition, Usman Hamid and National Secretary, Pastor Attah Ochoga Mark, expressed disdain for the recent disposition of the national chairman to the candidacy of the president.

The group faulted Muazu for allegedly declaring the presidency as “an open contest.”

The group queried the rationale for the formation of a National Chairman Support Group in all 36 states of the federation, saying: “Evidence of Muazu’s Presidential ambition has always been there in the open for long though most people did not realize it.

“Very early in the day, Muazu set up what he surreptitiously christened National Chairman Support Group in the 36 States of the Federation and the FCT. “Come to think of it; of what use is a Support Group to the National Chairman of a Party, which already has structures up to every village in Nigeria if not for covert reasons?”

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2015: PDP begs North to support Jonathan •President: Why we surpport ‘stomach infrastructure’ From Osagie Otabor, Benin

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HE leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) went emotional yesterday in the bid to woo the north to support President Goodluck Jonathan for a second term.

The party said that the Southsouth zone from where President Jonathan hails has always been a political ally of the north, and now looks up to that part of the country to reciprocate the gesture in next year’s elections.

The PDP has endorsed the president as its sole candidate ahead of the National Convention where he will be officially named as the party’s flag bearer.

Influential groups from the north including the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) and the northern Elders Forum (NEF) are uncomfortable with the endorsement which, in their view, has shut out Northerners in PDP from contesting the Presidential election next year.

Spokesman for the NEF, Professor Ango Abdullahi had boasted in an interview with The Saturday Nation that the North would make PDP pay for its alleged anti-North stance.

But speaking at the Southsouth Unity rally of the party in Benin yesterday, the Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party Board of Trustees (BoT), Chief Tony Anenih, pleaded with the North to back President Jonathan the same way the Southsouth supported northern candidates in the past.

Chief Anenih also drew attention to what he called the sacrifice made by successive Southsouth leaders towards the nation’s stability.

“The Southsouth has played a unifying role in this country. It has made supreme sacrifice for the development and stability of Nigeria with people like Anthony Enahoro, Okotie-Eboh, Isaac Boro, Dennis Osadebey,” he said.

“The Southsouth has always been an ally of the North and now we call for their cooperation. We have fought political battles together, contested elections on the same political platform. We have given support to the North when it matters most.

President Jonathan said at the rally that PDP is in surpport of politics of stomach infrastructure as part of effort to check poverty he said power can only be meaningful by puting food on peoples table.

He called for unity among party members for the PDP to win the 2015 general elections.

Former Foreign Affairs Minister Tom Ikimi who formally returned to the PDP at the rally begged the party’s leadership for re-integration.

He recently left the All Progressives Congress (APC) after losing out in the bid to become the party’s national chairman. Chief Ikimi who claimed that the APC was ‘clinically dead’ in Edo State said: “You will help us to speak to all the branches in the Southsouth to agree to incorporate all our members who are now leaving APC.“ National Chairman of the PDP, Mallam Adamu Mu’azu dismissed allegations of rancour in the party. He urged those criticizing the endorsement of President Jonathan to ‘shut up’ and bring out their best to contest against Jonathan.

NEWS

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THE NATION ON SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 28, 2014

‘Nigeria not ready for online trademark registration’

Wazobia, Cool FM TV begin live transmission October 1

From Tony Akowe, Abuja

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By Miriam Ekene-Okoro

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HE management of Wazobia and Cool FM Television has unveiled plans to commence live audio-visual transmission of the stations from October 1, 2014.

Group Managing Director of the stations, Mr. Amin Moussalli, who took journalists on a tour of the state-ofthe-art studios, said the audio-visual transmission is first of its kind in the country, as it gives viewers the opportunity to watch their favourite radio programmes live on TV. “The new system of broadcast allows a presenter who is live on Wazobia FM studio/ Cool FM studio to be viewed live on the television stations by the audience at home,” he disclosed.

Moussalli also explained that the pre-launch transmission will commence on October 1, 2014 and would be viewed on Startimes Channels 195 and 196 for Wazobia TV and Cool TV respectively..

He said the pre-launch is a test transmission, which is expected to pave way for full transmission and formal launching slated for November 1, 2014.

He added, “The pre-launch will be on October 1, 2014 which coincides with the same date we launched our other 11 radio stations around the country including in Lagos, Abuja Port Harcourt and Kano.

“The brands Cool/ Wazobia/Nigeria Info FM have always set the pace in Radio broadcasting in Nigeria in terms of innovative contents. We plan to continue this trend with the formal and simultaneous launch of COOLTV and WAZOBIATV on Monday, November 3rd, 2014 including the popular presenters of Cool, Wazobia and Nigeria Info FM and the new anchors we have trained in the last 12 months.

IBEDC assures consumers of improved electricity

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HE Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) has assured its numerous customers of improved electricity services, blaming consumers’ complaints on activities of vandals which he said brought about the epileptic power supply.

Addressing the grievances of his clients during a Customer Forum in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, Managing Director of the company, Engr.

Fortunato Leynes, said: “Our transformer cables and feeder pillars, oil and other line materials suffer untold thefts and damages. The aftermath of these vandalisms is blackouts which throw your communities and neighbourhoods into darkness, which also affects IBEDC in terms of huge losses in revenue.”

Lyenes, who reminded the forum that power generation had dropped, also blamed the problem on the activities of some consumers who attempted to bypass the approved cable route.

•Founder and President of the Living Faith Church Worldwide, aka Winners’ Chapel, Bishop David Oyedepo,(R) exchanging pleasantries with Sir Etekamba Umoren,Chief of Staff (COS) to the Governor of Akwa Ibom State, who represented Chief Godswill Akpabio, during his 60th birthday celebration in Ota, Ogun State…yesterday

FG committed to sustaining Nigeria’s economic growth-Okonjo Iweala

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INISTER of Finance and Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo- Iweala, has said the federal government is committed to sustaining the economic growth recorded by the country.

She was speaking during the presentation of a study on Nigeria by McKinsey Global Institute

titled ‘Nigeria’s Renewal: Delivering Inclusive Growth in African’s Largest Economy’ in New York.

Reeling out the various initiatives introduced by the current administration to turn Nigeria around, Iweala called on investors to take advantage of the abundant opportunities and invest massively in the country.

Also speaking at the event, a former Anambra State Governor, Mr. Peter Obi, who noted that President Goodluck Jonathan was effectively managing the Nigeria’s economy, added that Nigerians would begin to feel the positive impact of government’s economic polices, such as privatisation of the power

sector, support for Small and Medium Enterprises (SME), local manufacturers, among other measures.

He also commended the new policy on agriculture, adding, “The way we are moving on agriculture, I have no doubt that Nigeria had made a bold move towards achieving food sufficiency in the shortest possible time.”

How Nigeria can fix decayed infrastructure, by Onolememen

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INISTER of Works, Architect Mike Onolememen, has said that for Nigeria to come out of the woods, the executive and legislative arm must collaborate to declare emergency on the infrastructural sector.

Onolememen also called for the establishment of an Infrastructure Development Fund (IDF) to be fi-

From Osagie Otabor, Benin

nanced from 50 percent of the Excess Crude Account (ECA).

He spoke while delivering the 2014 Professor Ambrose Alli Distinguished Leadership Lecture with the theme ‘Infrastructure, Good Governance and the Challenge of Nation Building.’

Onolememen added that the country needs better corporate governance that require an amendment to the Company and Allied Matters Act, which allow companies to contribute five percent of their pre-tax income to the IDF. Positing that the country’s ailing infrastructure cannot be funded by provisions in the annual

budget or through the nascent PPP, he added, “The situation calls for bold and courageous actions and collaborations by the three levels of government to unleash uncommon transformation in the nation.”

He declared that the current reality calls for ingenious solutions to fix the country’s decayed infrastructure.

Jonathan inaugurates rehabilitated Benin-Ofosu road

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RESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan on Friday inaugurated the rehabilitated Benin-Ofosu section of the Benin-Ore-Lagos express road.

The contract for the rehabilitation was first awarded in December 2006 at a cost of N26bn.

Jonathan, who spoke at a colourful ceremony held at the Oluku section of the road, promised to fix all deplorable roads throughout the country.

He, however, did not give a

From Osagie Otabor, Benin

time frame to achieve this objective.

Stating that his administration met a comatose transportation sector which made former President Umaru Yar Adua to bring all transport sectors under one ministry, Jonathan promised to return roads in the country to ‘Class A’ roads.

He assuresd: “The BeninShagamu road will soon be

completed. When we came on board in 2007 then as a vice president, we noticed that all sectors in the transportation industry had collapsed. We decided to bring them under one Ministry of Transport.

“Before now, nobody saw railways in the country, but we have brought them back. All our road projects will be completed. This government will not disappoint you.”

Edo State Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, in his

speech, described the road as the most outstanding intervention by the federal government, which he noted, would help to boost investment in the state.

Speaking on the project, Minister for Works, Mike Onolememen, disclosed that the second phase of the BeninLagos road has reached 60 percent completion, adding that the federal government has completed 61 road projects across the country.

First Lady, NCWD, stakeholders convene summit on girl-child

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TWO-DAY women and girls’ summit has been convened by the First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, in collaboration with the National Centre for Women Development (NCWD) and Friends Africa.

The 2014 Summit with the theme ‘Reinforcing the Agenda for the Girl child Education,’ is scheduled for October 13 and 14 in Abuja.

In a statement released

by NCWD, it noted that the

By Remi Adelowo

summit will draw attention of policy makers to the important issues of the girl child, the challenges and also proffer sustainable solutions.

The statement further added that the summit would also aim at creating a platform for high level discourse on challenges faced by women and girlchild in Nigeria, create an avenue for economic

empowerment for marginalised women and girls by focusing on education, health, violence, security and formulate and propose female-focused program through a well established and sustainable mechanism for implementation, monitoring and evaluation of their impacts.

The statement, which noted that the girl-child has continued to face challenges in many countries of the

world, which include educational discrimination, child labour, sexual abuse and many other forms of violence despite numerous efforts made by national and international organisations, explained that it was in response to these challenges that the United Nations on December 19 2011 instituted the International Day of the Girl-Child and which was celebrated worldwide for the first time on October 11 2012.

HE Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria has said that the country was not ready for online registration of trademarks, patents and designs despite the claims by government to the country.

Chairman of the Association in the Federal Ministry of Trade Industry, Trade and Investment, Comrade Babatimi Olushola, in a statement made available to The Nation, said the Registry which was supposed to handle such exercise was not ready for the exercise as data for it are yet to be captured.

He accused officials of the ministry of usurping the responsibility of the Registry staff, pointing out that the association would no longer condone administrative impunity in the ministry aimed at frustrating its members from carrying out their assigned statutory responsibilities.

The union further alleged that deliberate efforts were being made by a director in the ministry to deny its members the opportunity of carrying out their assigned statutory responsibilities, while some of its members in the Commercial Law, a department of the ministry, were being prevented from performing their duties allegedly by a director (names withheld), who it claimed, has taken over the duties of the Registrars in the department.

Olushola also alleged that rather than function in her capacity as an administrative officer in the Ministry, she has arrogated to herself the mandate of administering the Registry of Trademarks, Patents and Designs.

Ewherido family hails Senate

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HE family of the late Senator Akpor Pius Ewherido has thanked the Nigerian Senate for the passage of the Corporate Manslaughter Bill. The bill was sponsored by the late senator and had passed through second reading and public hearing before the senator died on June 30 last year.

Speaking on behalf of the family, the elder brother to senator Ewherido, Rev. Fr. Anthony Ewherido, said the passage of the bill is a dream come true for the family. He said, “the family wrote a reminder to the senate just before the first anniversary of my brother’s death.” Dr. Ewherido said by passing the bill, the senate has fulfilled its promise to the family during various condolence visits by senators in 2013.

He thanked the senators for the honouring Senator Ewherido with the passage. He said “it is also a fitting reward for his legislative and legal teams who worked very hard over three months to put the bill together.” He urged the House of Representatives to speed up its concurrence of the bill so that it can go to the president for his assent.

When finally signed into law, the Corporate Manslaughter Bill will make corporate bodies and agencies liable for their acts of negligence dereliction of duty or incompetence which results in the death of a person.

THE NATION ON SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 28, 2014

NEWS

NSCDC vows to shut down illegal security firms in Bayelsa

Ebola: Firm donates thermometers to transport operators in Calabar

From Mike Odiegwu, Yenagoa

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HE Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has vowed to shut down unregistered security companies operating in Bayelsa State.

The State Commandant, NSCDC, Mr. Desmond Agu, who spoke on Friday during a meeting between the command and the Association of Private Guards Companies (APGC), said unregistered companies were threats to security in the state.

He said: “As from October this year, any unregistered security companies in the state will be embarrassed, sealed off and operators will be prosecuted. We have also written letters to illegal security operators to get their companies registered. If they fail, they will have the law to contend with.”

Agu also warned vigilante members and private security men bearing unlicensed arms to desist from it.

He said illegal arm bearers would be fished out and dealt with according to the law.

In his remarks, Chairman, APGC, Col. D.T. Brown (retd.), assured the corps that his association would soon embark on retraining of its security personnel to function in line with contemporary times.

Delta 2015: Power must shift to Delta North – Nwaoboshi

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HE Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Delta State, Barrister Peter Nwaoboshi, has said there is no going back on the quest of the people of Delta North senatorial district to produce the next governor of the state come 2015.

The PDP chieftain, known for his forthrightness, disclosed this when members of the Anioma Media Professionals (AMP) paid him a courtesy call in Asaba.

According to the legal practitioner, the mood in the party from Abuja to Delta State is that in 2015, somebody from Delta North would become the governor of the state.

He traced the history of power shift to 1998 when the party was formed, adding that as a founding member of the party, he was in a position to chronicle vividly the genesis and the dynamics of the principle of power rotation which first produced a governor from Delta Central in James Ibori and now Delta South (Emmanuel Uduaghan).

“It is only reasonable, just and fair that the only Senatorial district that has not produced governor in the state, Delta North, does so this time,” he declared.

“We have gone too far in this journey, we have had series of meetings, we have made compromises in times past to ensure equitable distribution of power in the state, we cannot afford to recant our position as a people and as a party.

“I challenge those who think otherwise to show evidence why power should not shift to Delta North. This is the zone that has shown the most loyalty and commitment to the PDP in the state, returning the highest number of votes for the party in all elections since 1999.

The records are there at INEC for anybody to verify”, he said.

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From Nicholas Kalu, Calabar

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•From left: Esama of Benin, Chief Gabriel Igbinedion, Cross River State Governor, Liyel Imoke, Governor of Delta State, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan and Bayelsa State Governor, Seriake Dickson exchanging pleasantries during the PDP South-South Sensitisation/Unity rally at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, Benin City, Edo State, yesterday

Navy cautions against mutiny O

FFICERS and ratings of the Nigerian Navy have been cautioned against mutiny and other forms of indiscipline.

The Flag Officer Commanding (FOC), Eastern Naval Command, Rear Admiral Obiora Medani, who gave the charge yesterday during the Command’s Third Quarter march in Calabar, noted that

From Nicholas Kalu, Calabar

the current security challenges in some parts of Nigeria rather call for more dedication to duty.

He urged his men to cooperate with other security agencies and be law abiding at all times.

His words: “The present security challenges in some

parts of the country call for serious dedication to duty, discipline and utmost sacrifice.”

“The service will not tolerate acts of indiscipline, mutiny and other acts inimical to service laws,” Medani cautioned.

Speaking through the Command’s Chief Staff Officer, Rear Admiral Joseph

Okojie, he said the exercise was a testimony of his men’s physical fitness to withstand any challenge that may arise in the course of discharging their duties.

The route exercise which commenced at 5:45am from NNS Victory parade ground saw the officers and Ratings march through major streets in Calabar.

Rumpus in Bayelsa APC as members plan mass defection T

HE Bayelsa State chapter of the All Progressive Congress (APC) has been thrown into confusion following plan by many of its members to defect en masse to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

It was gathered that major stakeholders of the party including some members of the APC’s state working committee were holding meetings with the leadership of the state PDP to perfect the arrangement.

The defection, it was learnt, will take place in a rally to be attended by President Goodluck Jonathan in Yenagoa, the state capital.

It was gathered that the governor of the state, Mr. Seriake Dickson, who was elated at the development, directed the leadership of the state PDP to liaise with all the stakeholders and select a suit-

From Mike Odiegwu, Yenagoa

able date for the event.

Already, PDP was said to have received a one-time National Youth Leader of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and former Interim Ex-officio member of the APC, Mr. Miriki Ebikibina.

Ebikibina, who is an aide to Governor Dickson on InterParty Affairs, was received along with other aggrieved zonal members of APC during the PDP’s rally in Benin, Edo State.

It was further gathered that the former state chairman of the Conference of Nigerian Political Parties (CNPP), Mr. Sunday Frank-Oputu, who is a known loyalist of former Governor Timipre Sylva, was among the APC chiefs ready

for defection.

But Oputu and other APC members in the state were said to have preferred making their declarations for PDP at the Yenagoa rally.

The aggrieved APC members were said to be angry at the comatose nature of the party in the state and the alleged highhandedness of the party’s state chairman, Mr. Tiwe Oruminighe.

When contacted, FrankOputu said Oruminighe and Sylva killed APC in the state, adding that members of the party in their thousands were ready for the defection.

But the leadership of the APC disowned Miriki, FrankOputu and others planning to join the PDP, describing them as liabilities to APC. The state chairman of the

party, Mr. Marlin Daniel, said they were planted as moles but became frustrated when APC failed to give them a chance.

“If you look at the activities and antecedents of these people, you will know that what they do is to trade with opposition for monetary reasons. They cannot cope because APC has come to make a difference.

“We decided to quarantine them because we have known them for a long time and their motives. We will celebrate their exit because we know that even PDP will not accept them.

“Frank is fond of selling parties to any government.

PDP wanted him to be the chairman of our party so that he can sell the party to them later, he contested but he lost.

APC is credible and strong in Bayelsa. We are not shaking,” he said.

Police foil bank robbery in Akwa Ibom

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HE Akwa Ibom State Police Command has foiled an attempt by armed robbers to attack a branch of the Union Bank of Nigeria in Okobo, it was learnt yesterday.

The State’s Police Commissioner, Gabriel Achong, disclosed this during an interaction with newsmen in Uyo, the state capital.

Achong said the hoodlums who invaded the bank attempted to blow off part of the banking hall and the Automated Teller Machine (ATM) at the bank with dynamite.

Items recovered from the hoodlums, according to the police boss include one locally made pistol, N30,000 fake Nigerian currency, N8.9million

•Arrest two over IEDs at UNIUYO From Kazeem Ibrahym, Uyo

released to the company on bond, two cartridges, a Nissan Sunny Saloon car with Reg. No. FST 813 BS and Audi 80 vehicle with Reg. No. AKP 249 AA. The CP also said the command has arrested two persons in connection with the improvised explosive devices (IEDs) found at the premises of the University of Uyo (UNIUYO) earlier this week.

Achong pointed out that one of the persons arrested, Kufreobong Anwana, 18, was an undergraduate in the University.

The Police boss said: “Regarding the incident in

UNIUYO earlier this week two persons have already been arrested. One of the arrested persons is a student of the University. Two of them are also from Akwa Ibom State.”

Achong assured that the police would soon bring the pirates to book.

His words: “We are closing in on the pirates that attacked that police marine base and I assure you that before the end of this month the hoodlums will be arrested and brought to book.”

The commissioner, who assumed duties last week as the 19th police commissioner in the state, expressed the readi-

ness of officers and men of the police in the area to ensure hitch free elections in the state.

It would be recalled that The Nation reported that a diploma student of the University Mr Kufre Anwana, caught with two improvised explosive devices in the school male hostel after some students of the institution alerted the operatives of Peace on Campus Initiative (PCI) about a bag containing the improvised explosives device which was in custody of the suspect.

Operatives of PCI were said to have trailed the suspect to his male hostel where it was discovered that the suspected bomber was in possession of the IEDs which were well concealed in a bag.

HE United Cement Company of Nigeria (UNICEM) has donated infra-red thermometers to the National Union of Road Transport Workers in Calabar to help check the Ebola Virus Disease.

Donating the items at the Etim Edem Motorpark, Corporate Affairs Director of the company, Mr. Ayi Ita Ayi said the gesture was also in line with their corporate social responsibility on health which is priority in their core values.

He said, “Our objective is to reinforce the fight against the spread of EVD, which poses a threat to the health and safety of Nigerians, especially Cross Riverians. UNICEM has been working with other stakeholders to address critical health issues like HIV/AIDS diabetes, hypertension among others and we will not relent in our efforts.”

The chairman of Calabar South Local Government Area, Mrs. Majorie Asuquo, lauded the company for the gesture.

“We must be conscious and careful by checkmating all forms of our carefree attitude until EVD is declared extinct without any one in isolation anymore,” she said.

The chairman of CalabarSouth motor parks, Mr. Emmanuel Bassey thanked the company for the thermometers, saying besides making profit they have the people’s welfare at heart.

Polls: Delta APC warn against rigging From Okungbowa Aiwerie, Asaba

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HE 25 chairmanship candidates of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in the forthcoming local government elections in Delta State have warned of mass protests, should Delta State Independent Electoral Commission (DSIEC) fail to ‘conduct, free, fair and credible elections’.

Mr. Otunya Enumah, a chairmanship aspirant in Ndokwa West L.G.A, who spoke to reporters, weekend in Asaba, maintained that local polls were difficult to rig, saying the opposition APC will win handsomely at the polls.

He warned that anybody planning to rig election, ‘will have himself to blame.’

He said the APC has campaigned across the state and is fielding ‘eligible, courageous, and people –oriented candidates.’

DSIEC has fixed October 25th as date for elections into the chairmanship councillors position in the 25 local government areas in the state.

His words, “If DSIEC does not conduct a free and fair election, there will be mass protest and the APC will seek legal redress. DSIEC will not have the audacity to do so because they know it is wrong. Nigerians are yearning for free and fair elections and this local polls cannot be rigged .We are very confident that anybody who is planning to rig the elections will have himself to blame.”

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THE NATION ON SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 28, 2014

NEWS

Ebonyi 2015 governorship: Group opposes zoning

Anambra 2015:

Aspirants scramble for APC ticket

From Ogochukwu Anioke, Abakaliki

From Nwanosike Onu, Awka

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HE All Progressives Congress (APC) in Anambra State says plans have been concluded by the party to win the majority of the elective positions during 2015 general elections.

As a result, many aspirants are scrambling for slots in the party for different elective positions in all the senatorial zones.

Over 30 persons are said to have interest in the House of Representatives seats, while uncountable number of aspirants are gearing up for state House of Assembly.

The Secretary of APC in the state, Chukwuma Agufugo, told The Nation yesterday in Awka, that the party had put machinery in motion in making sure that everybody would be carried along.

He said the number of aspirants shows that APC was a leading party not only in Anambra State but in the entire country.

One of the aspirants for the House of Assembly in Idemili North Local Government Area, Olisaemeka Onyeka, told The Nation yesterday that APC had taken over the entire state.

Some party members in the area are already touting Onyeka, who is contesting the position with the incumbent, Hon. Tony Oneweek Muonagor, as haven clinched the ticket.

It would be recalled, however, that the party had continuously announced that no automatic ticket would be given to anybody irrespective of his position or status.

According to Onyeka, popularly known as (Odu-Ogidi) in the state, “APC is strong now in the state and that is why we have been having defections from different parties to APC in recent times.”

Speaking further yesterday to The Nation, the chairman of the party in the state, Emeka Ibe, said the party was ready to take all comers in 2015, adding that APC was a party to beat.

Abia NSCDC arrests six suspected oil pipeline vandals Ugochukwu Ugoji-Eke, Umuahia

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HE Abia State command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps [NSCDC] has arrested six suspected oil pipeline vandals at various points in the state and is poised to prosecute them in court.

Speaking in Umuahia while parading the suspects, the State Commandant of the NSCDC, Andy Dateer, said the ugly case of oil pipeline vandalism has started rearing its head again and that his men are equal to the task of patrolling the pipeline highway at all times.

Dateer said in one of their patrols along Kilometre 79, around Ahiaba Okpuala in Isiala Ngwa North Council Area, his men arrested three suspected oil pipeline vandals with over 75 litres of illicit petroleum products.

He gave the names of the suspects as Onyekachi Nwachukwu 20, Nwokeoma Chinatu, alias Papa, 19, and Chinedu Ochogu, alias Gbodo all from Ahiaba Okpuala, in Isiala Ngwa North Council Area of the state.

•The site where a three-storey building collapsed at Eziora village, Adazi-Ani, in Anaocha Local Council Area of Anambra State on Thursday. The incident left one person dead and several others injured.

PHOTO: NAN

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HREE students of the Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT), Agbani, are on danger list of the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH), Enugu.

They were Friday night shot and wounded by suspected armed bandits who invaded their hostel. The affected students are currently undergoing intensive surgery at the hospital where they were rushed in the early hours of Saturday.

One of the students was shot in the stomach and it was suspected that some pellets of the bullet were lodged in his abdomen. As at the time of this report, doctors were still battling to remove the pellets.

The two other victims were also undergoing surgery at the hospital while efforts were being made to contact

ESUT under siege, three students shot From Chris Oji, Enugu

their parents.

The Unique Hostel where the incident occurred and other hostels within the Agbani permanent site of the university, according to sources, have been placed under serious security watch as it was suspected that the gunmen could be members of a secret cult.

To forestall a reprisal attack, the source said the management had taken measures to beef up security at the hostels with plain-clothe police-

men deployed to strategic locations.

Police spokesman, Mr. Ebere Amaraizu, who confirmed the armed attack, said preliminary investigations revealed that the gunmen could be “student robbers”, assuring that the police would do everything possible to get to the root of the matter.

He could not say if any arrest had been made but he said that the command was already on top of the situation and would give further details after the ongoing inves-

tigations.

“From what we gathered when the gunmen attacked some students at the ESUT Unique Lodge, which is mainly boys’ hostel, there was a stiff resistance by the students who succeeded in arresting one of the gunmen.

The arrested gunman alerted his armed colleagues who returned to the hostel and began shooting indiscriminately during which three of the students were shot and wounded,” the police spokesman said.

Orji challenges Kalu to debate, essay competition

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HE governor of Abia State, Chief Theodore Orji, has challenged the former governor of the state, Orji Uzor Kalu, to a full blown debate after which they will go for essay writing to tell the people of the state and the country what they have done for their people while in office.

The challenge was thrown to the former governor by the Special Adviser to Governor Orji on politics, Chief Amah Abraham Nnanna, in Umuahia in a chat with The Nation. The governor’s aide said the media war declared against the governor by the former gov-

Ugochukwu Ugoji-Eke, Umuahia

ernor needs to be addressed once and for all.

Nnanna, who served Kalu some years ago in the same capacity, said there is no basis for comparison between the two, stressing that the things the present governor has done are there for all to see while the former governor has nothing to show for the eight years he was in charge.

He explained that after the oral television debate, the two political leaders would also go for an essay where they will put down

their achievements for posterity, adding that written documents would serve as a reference point for the future generation.

The political adviser said from the last administration to the present, there are many differences like politicians in the state are now one united family unlike before when there were Abuja-based politicians and home based ones.

“Before now, there was acrimony within the politics of the state so much so that if you talk to an Abia politician based in Abuja who we used to call Talibans, you stand the chance of losing

your appointment, but now it is no longer so.”

On those who want to take over from the incumbent governor, Amah said all the governorship aspirants in the state have been busy sharing money, without letting the electorate know what they will do as governor.

He maintained that the aspirants have not learnt anything from the present governor. “All they do is to tell their people they are the best person to be the next governor, after which they will drop N5 million for the people, we have gone above this type of politics.”

Disquiet in Enugu as Chime anoints successor

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HE Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Enugu State at a meeting of stakeholders held at the instance of Governor Sullivan Chime, on Friday night endorsed Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, a member of the House of Representatives from Enugu North Senatorial zone, as the man to fly the party’s governorship flag in 2015. He was described by the stakeholders at the meeting as the “consensus candidate.”

A source at the meeting also told The Nation that Ugwuanyi would be the only candidate the party would present for the primaries billed to hold November this year.

Sources, however, said

From Chris Oji, Enugu

yesterday that there was disquiet in Enugu and Abuja as other aspirants and stakeholders querried the decision at the Government House, swearing to challenge it at the right time.

The 50-year-old Ugwuanyi is representing Igboeze North/Udenu Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives and is the Chairman of the House Committee on Marine Transport.

There were jubilations in the Igbo-Eze North/Udenu Federal Constituency whose people have voted in Hon. Ugwuanyi for three consecutive times as member representing them in the House of

Representatives.

The stakeholders’ meeting was attended by the political leaders and governorship aspirants from the Enugu North Senatorial zone of the state to which the state PDP had zoned the position.

Sources close to the meeting said yesterday that most of the stakeholders at the meeting did not oppose the emergence of the lawmaker as a consensus candidate, a development they said would lessen the enormous political tension that has been building up over who would pick the ticket of the party.

Some of the political leaders from the zone who attended the meeting held at the Enugu Government House

included former National Chairman of PDP, Dr. Okwesilieze Nwodo, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Works, Senator Ayogu Eze, Senator Fidelis Okoro, Ambassador Fidel Ayogu, state PDP Chairman, Chief Vita Abba, elder stateswoman and former member of the House of Representatives, Chief (Mrs.) Justina Eze, Chairman of the PDP in that zone, Chief Mike Ejinima, all legislators at all levels from the zone, all local council chairmen from the area, among many others.

Meanwhile reports from Igbo-Eze North and Udenu local government areas yesterday said there was visible joy among politicians following the choice of the candidate.

non-governmental and political group, Mandate Organisation, has warned the people of Ebonyi State not to play God by zoning the governorship to the south.

They, however, said all aspirants from the three senatorial zones should be allowed to contest the election in a free and fair manner.

This followed reports that the position has been zoned to the south by the state chapter of the PDP. The group stated this in Abakaliki, the state capital, yesterday. They also advised the people to move away from what they described as “ethnocentric preoccupation, zonal sentiments and personality politics to politics of issues.”

In a related development, a university don, Dr Steve Egbo, has been urged to join the 2015 governorship race in the state.

Egbo, an internationally acclaimed political scientist, is a senior lecturer in Abia State University (ABSU).

A group known as Steve Egbo Friends and Associates (SEFA) made the call in Abakaliki yesterday.

Chairman of the group, Hon. Ugonna Ozuluigbo, a member of Imo State House of Assembly, said the varsity don has the solution to what they called “confusion over the choice of Elechi’s successor.”

Banker petitions Obiano, CP over alleged threat to life From Nwanosike Onu, Awka

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NAMBRA State governor, Chief Willie Obiano, and the state Commissioner of Police, Hosea Hassan Karma, have been petitioned by a banker in the state over alleged threats to his life by a former commissioner in the state.

The petition to Obiano was signed by the banker, Mr. Tony Okonkwo, while that of the CP in the state was signed by his lawyers, Amaka Ezeno, Head of Chambers and L.N Chikwendu, Managing Solicitor.

In a petition to Obiano, dated 24th September, 2014, titled “Urgent Intervention to Save Life,” Okonkwo alleged that the former commissioner for lands in the state (names withheld) defrauded him of over four million naira through a land deal in Ngozika Estate in Awka.

He said he instituted a case in court against him and two of his allies.

Above all, after the intervention of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the said former commissioner issued him a dud cheque of N4m.

Based on the dud cheque, he alleged that the former commissioner had threatened to terminate his life and therefore, he had sent a plea to Obiano to intervene before he loses his life.

Also, according to the petition to the police, dated 19th September, 2014 the banker, through his counsels, alleged that the said former lands commissioner with two other armed men “double crossed” him when he was with his friend, around Amawbia junction on the 14th September, 2014 and threatened his life if he fails to withdraw the suit against him.

THE NATION ON SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2014

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Ropo Sekoni

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Femi Orebe Page 16

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2014

Nigeria’s torture chambers tunjade@yahoo.co.uk 08054503906 (sms only) IGERIA’S public officials have a seemingly infinite capacity to deny the undeniable, no matter how ridiculous that denial may be. They deny virtually everything under the sun, including those that are visible even to the blind. It is getting to an embarrassing level that we should begin to wonder if it is not better to make amends concerning things that we cannot own up to in public instead of making ourselves and the country look stupid in the eyes of right-thinking members, not just of the country, but also of the international community.

The latest of such denials has to do with the 2014 Amnesty International (AI) Report alleging that the police and the military habitually torture men, women and even children – some as old as 12, sometimes by beating, shooting and even raping them. The report, appropriately titled “Welcome to hell fire: Torture and other ill-treatment in Nigeria,” alleged that about 5,000 persons had been detained over terrorism since 2009 when military operations began against Boko Haram.

The AI Research and Advocacy Director, Netsatmet Belay, who presented the report, urged the Federal Government to criminalise the use of torture for investigations by the police and the military.

This is not the first time AI will be issuing such damning report on Nigeria.

For example, it had, in a 2012 report entitled: ‘The State of the World’s Human Rights’ equally said that Nigeria’s human rights situation has continued to deteriorate. ”There were consistent reports of police routinely torturing suspects to extract information. Confessions extracted under torture were used as evidence in court, in violation of national and international laws” it said adding that: “Hundreds of people were unlawfully killed, often before or during arrests on the street. Others were tortured to death in police detention. Many such unlawful killings may have constituted extrajudicial executions. Many people disappeared from police custody. Few police officers were held accountable, leaving relatives of those killed or disappeared without justice.”

Expectedly, the police have denied the allegations. Commissioner of Police Emmanuel Ojukwu, Force Public Relations Officer, Force Headquarters, said torture is NOT an official policy of the Nigeria Police. Virtually everything he said in the statement is far from the truth.

“Since the dawn of democracy in 1999, the Nigeria Police Force has significantly improved on its human rights records, owing largely to training and re-training, community policing, attitudinal change and structural transformation.

“Of a truth, torture or ill-treatment is not, repeat, NOT an official policy of the Nigeria Police. The Code of Conduct of Officers, as well as our Regulations prohibit torture and incivility to members of the public. We are versed with international best practices, and the dictates of the Nigerian Constitution as regards human rights. So the police do not routinely torture suspects. It is not systemic or en-

Again, Amnesty International exposes serious abuses in police custody as well as the military

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• S. Abba, Police I-G demic”, he said, among other spurious claims.

Torture may not be an official policy of the police, but it cannot be denied that it is an unofficial policy. And it manifests in the various ways that Amnesty has listed. At any rate, of what use is denying a thing we all see and hear of almost daily, with some of the victims who were lucky to be alive to regret their experiences giving testimonies of the hell they went through in police cells. As a matter of fact, the state of many police cells is enough torture.

A victim once narrated how she was asked to strip by a female police officer at a police station after which she was asked to stretch her laps apart. She then had tear-gas pumped into her genitals! According to her, she is yet to recover from the mental and physical injuries she suffered as a result of the experience, years after. Another victim, Justice Nwanwko, a hotel manager, who was arrested in Onitsha, on July 31, last year, over the discovery of two human skulls and an AK 47 rifle in a room in the hotel, said he was beaten and hanged “on a rope like a barbecue” by men of the Special Anti-robbery Squad, Akwuzu, Anambra State. Nwanwko said he was detained in a dark cell for 36 days along with a director of the hotel and was subsequently arraigned in court for the murder of one Nnamdi Okafor, who he said was killed in police custody. Many have gone like that unannounced in police custody.

Many who escaped with their lives have one sordid tale or the other to tell of their experience there.

So, how can anyone deny that torture is rampant in a country where some policemen routinely tell those with the misfortune of encountering them that they would “simply waste them”? Or in situations where they tell their victims that they (victims) were lucky it was not dark yet; they would simply have disappeared without trace? No doubt it is difficult for the police force to admit the allegations. But it is clear too that the force is merely playing the ostrich by denying them.

Perhaps one would have been more comfortable if the police authorities had said they sanction those of their officers caught in the

“We do not have to wait until when some policemen or other security agents would put the entire country in a peculiar mess like the Synagogue incident before our governments wake up to their responsibility of checking the excesses in the police and other security agencie ... A country can only get the kind of police it deserves”

act; even though this is not in all cases. In many instances too, the police try to shield them.

Amnesty believes that merely criminalising torture is enough to deter those involved. This is where the human rights organisation missed the point on the Nigerian situation. The problem with Nigeria is not about lack of laws but lack of the will to punish those who infringe them. It requires restructuring the gamut of our criminal and legal systems to effectively check those who use torture to extract confessions or who commit other crimes.

One thing we should not lose sight of though is the circumstances under which the officers trained, live and work. Just last year, Channels TV came up with an expose on the sordid state of affairs in our police training colleges. We were treated to disgusting stories of how as many as 50 trainees share not a fish, but a fish head.

President Goodluck Jonathan, rather than express shock and sadness at the story wondered how the journalists penetrated the place to bring out the embarrassing report. This clearly tells how much concern successive governments have for the police. It has always been reported how prospective police recruits pay to secure admission into the police training colleges. We see the sorry conditions of the police barracks, many of which could be taken for pigsties. Some, according to reports, have started collapsing; others are dangers waiting to happen.

Just last week, the Lagos State government raised the alarm on some of these dilapidating structures apparently to avert another round of criticisms as in the case of the collapse of the Synagogue guest house under construction which came down on September 12. We have always been regaled with stories of how the police are poorly paid, poorly kitted, with little or no attention to their general welfare.

The truth of the matter is that only a few persons could pass through these harrowing experiences and still have any milk of human kindness in them. We can argue that since they know the conditions under which the police operate, those who cannot cope with such need not apply to join the force. This could be partly right.

But in a situation of chronic unemployment, some of those in the police force see their stay there as a stop-gap measure, pending when better things surface.

So, we have to do more to improve the lot of the police if we want efficiency.

We do not have to wait until when some policemen or other security agents would put the entire country in a peculiar mess like the Synagogue incident before our governments wake up to their responsibility of checking the excesses in the police and other security agencies. The Jonathan government might have completely lost its sense of shame, having attracted so much disgrace to the country, the latest being its exportation of $9.3m to South Africa ostensibly to buy arms, in gross violation of that country’s laws, only to mumble some mumbo-jumbo that appeals to itself and itself alone. Nigerians do not have to lose their own sense of shame. So, they must rise in unison to condemn these gross violations of human rights and dignity by the very people who should be their friends, the police. A country can only get the kind of police it deserves.

CHIBOK GIRLS. STILL IN LIMBO. SINCE APRIL 15.

Oyedepo: The secret of a man

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NE of the most profound quotations by the President of the Living Faith Church Worldwide, popularly known as Winners Chapel, Bishop David Oyedepo, which I have held on to dearly since becoming his disciple in 1994 is that “the secret of a man is in his story.

“If you don’t know the story of a man, you can’t know his secret,” he says once in a while whenever he speaks about the secret of his success in ministry and other endeavours. “ You need to know how my heart pants after God to know my secret. We do nothing in this ministry except as directed by the Lord.”

Last Wednesday at the midweek service of the Church in Lagos, Bishop Oyedepo reiterated the importance of obedience to divine direction which he emphasised has been responsible for the various accomplishments credited to him.

“I would have missed God’s plan for my life if I had been stubborn to heavenly vision for me. Following God can sometimes appear to be madness in the eyes of the world, but I am happy to be mad to follow God’s plan for my life.

“I am what I am by the grace of God and nothing else. You will see the futility of strength, plans, capacity when you are off God’s plan. It takes natural meekness to walk in God’s plan. I thank God for giving me the grace to obey his commandments at every stage of my life and ministry,” Bishop Oyedepo stated.

I testify that Bishop Oyedepo who turned 60 yesterday is indeed a man of God whose story is that of having abiding faith and trust in the Lord to do exceeding and abundantly beyond human comprehension.

Unlike many others who have been distracted by various factors from fulfilling their vision, Bishop Oyedepo has remained focused on his calling and left no one in doubt about his commitment to fulfilling the mandate he received to “liberate the world from every oppression of the devil.”

Coupled with Bishop Oyedepo’s unwavering faith in God’s vision for his life through practice of various biblical principles is his excellent approach to whatever he does, he doesn’t believe in half measures and, notwithstanding being a preacher, he says prayer can’t replace planning.

Former Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon, was right when he stated in his congratulatory message that Oyedepo has exceptional ability to organise, motivate and mobilise Christians for God’s service and for the good of mankind.

Not only has his ministry impacted positively on the spiritual and moral lives of members of his church and others globally, his contribution to the improvement of the standard of education in the country is a good example of how churches can contribute to the overall development of the society.

His story of emerging from a humble background and becoming a world class preacher is a confirmation of that verse from the book of Proverbs in the Bible that “seeth thou a man diligent in his business, he will stand before kings and not mean men.”

Happy birthday, Prophet of our generation and servant of the Lord Almighty.

Sent from my BlackBerry® Smartphone, from Etisalat. Enjoy high speed internet service with Etisalat easy net, available at all our experience centres.

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THE NATION ON SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 28, 2014

COMMENT

Lessons from Scotland As Nigeria faces its own future, it is instructive for both government leaders and advocates for federalism to avoid top-down approach

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HE referendum in Scotland and the result must be full of lessons for individual federalists and government groups in countries composed of many nations. Although there are vast cultural and social differences between the United Kingdom and Nigeria, the fact that the United Kingdom, one of Europe’s largest multinational countries and creator of Nigeria, Africa’s largest multinational state, also subscribes, like Nigeria, to democracy as the preferred form of government should make what happens to the British Union of nations a matter of interest to Nigeria and Nigerians. Lessons from the recent referendum in Scotland that ended in a No vote and a re-commitment on the side of Scottish people to stay in the United Kingdom pertain to sovereignty, democracy, and management of identity politics in a modern multiethnic state.

The history of the two large multinational countries is starkly different. In the case of the United Kingdom, Scotland was a different country from England for centuries until the partial union of England and Scotland in 1603 when James VI of Scotland also became, as a Stuart King, James I of England. But this regal union did not morph into a parliamentary union until the Act of Union of 1707, entered into on behalf of Scottish people by the Scottish Parliament on the encouragement of the political and business elite of Scotland. As for Nigeria, all the nationalities that constitute the Nigerian state today were forcibly amalgamated by Frederick Lugard in 1914 and without any reference to the elite and citizens of the various nationalities.

But in the last thirty years, the political history of the United Kingdom and Nigeria has been marked by similarities in relation to requests by constituent parts of both countries for review of the terms of their unions. Scotland since the formation of the Scottish National Party

in 1934 had been demanding for reforms, first in terms of devolution of power from Westminster to Holyrood and later as demand for referendum on independence of Scotland from the United Kingdom. In Nigeria, from the 1950s till his death in the 1980s, Chief ObafemiAwolowo made strident calls for federalism in response to the country’s ethnic plurality while various groups since the 1980s had been calling for a sovereign national conference to re-structure the Nigerian union.

However, the government of the United Kingdom handled the request of Scotland differently from the way the Nigerian government responded to calls for re-structuring of the country. Since 1979, Westminster had given consideration to referendum as a means of gauging the political desire of Scottish people, instead of leaving the matter of re-structuring of the union to the political elite to resolve. The two referendums of 1979 and 1997 on devolution and the recent one last week on independence for Scotland illustrate a genuine commitment on the part of Scotland and the UK government to the principle that sovereignty is owned by the people, rather than by their elected officials in the executive and legislative branches of government. When less than 40% of Scottish people voted for devolution in 1979, the status quo was sustained but when the 1997 referendum passed, the government of Tony Blair commenced the devolution process, which was built upon by David Cameron two years ago in the agreement of 2012 to hold a referendum on independence for Scotland in 2014.

By referring the decision on devolution and outright independence to Scottish people, the UK Government and the Scottish Parliament recognised that there are matters that are best left to citizens to decide, rather than to their elected representatives. The result of the 2014 referendum shows that leaving such matters in the hands of the people finally paid off for both sides. Majority of Scottish people indicated their belief that their lot is better within the union.

The managers of the UK government from the prime minister to leaders of the other two major parties also chose to respect the choice of 45% of Scottish voters who voted for independence by promising to devolve more powers and in the process move the United Kingdom from a unitary government to a federal system.

Nigerian military leaders and the constitution they bequeathed, including the legislatures spawned by that constitution, appear to be in mortal fear of referendum. Scotland has shown that referendum is the most democratic way to find out the desires of citizens. More so, when and where the referendum, like elections, is conducted in a free and fair atmosphere. Every effort needed to maintain security was in place before and during the voting on September 18 but there was no direct or indirect attempt to intimidate Scottish voters, even when it was clear that the prime minister was for No to independence while the Scottish First Minister was for Yes to independence. Both sides respected the rights of citizens to choose in an atmosphere devoid of intimidation, harassment, and dehumanization in the name of national security.

Citizens for and against independence were considered human beings whose rights and freedoms had to be respected and nurtured. In addition, both leaders: Alex Salmond and David Cameron showed monastic commitment to the rule of law. At the end of the vote, Salmond accepted the result as a call for him to resign and let somebody else steer the ship of Scotland beyond the referendum. If the vote had gone the other way, Cameron would have had no choice but to accept the result of polls. There was nothing untoward before and during the election for any of the two leaders to think twice about the reliability of the vote. The two leaders also did not hire thugs to maim voters.

The process before the referendum also showcases commitment to democratic principles, especially the importance of compromise, communication, and choice. Compromise at the level of leaders was evident in the agreement

between the central government in London and the Scottish government in Edinburgh on the terms of the referendum. Even though England alone has about 84% of UK’s population while Scotland has just 5.3%, different prime ministers since 1979 had been favourably disposed to the issue of referendum to decide the right relationship between Scotland and the rest of the UK. This is in contrast with the political thinking in Nigeria, where the North boasts that it has over 60% of the country’s population and because of this, has the right to reject calls from other constituent groups for de-militarisation of the polity in the post-military era.

Communication as the battery of democracy came to the fore during the campaign before the referendum. Each of the two sides shared deep analyses of its positions on the best future for Scotland, without any show of force or violence and in the most civil language distilled into “Yes Scotland” and “Better Together.” Finally, the choices before the electors were clear: Yes or No to independence. This is starkly different from what obtained in Nigeria in 2005 and 2014 with respect to top-down national conferences convened by Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan respectively.

None of these two leaders believed that citizens have the capacity to know what is good for them, hence the decision by both to handpick delegates to discuss how to re-launch Nigeria’s union.

It is now clear that Scotland and the multinational country of which it is a part appear to have been re-launched by both the holding and result of the referendum of 2014. The rights of nations within the United Kingdom to include their history, culture, and identity in their governance while also balancing the Scottish and British identities will be respected and nurtured more than ever before in the 307-year-old history of the union. Majority of Scottish people who feel comfortable to remain in the union will have their way, just as the minority that would have preferred to opt out will also have their say, as more powers will be devolved to all the nations that constitute the union. As Nigeria faces its own future, it is instructive for both government leaders and advocates for federalism to avoid top-down approach and immediate gratification to the matter of re-inventing Nigeria’s multinational democracy.

THE NATION ON SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 28, 2014

COMMENT

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Bad omens from Ekiti Attacks on the judiciary in the state must be investigated and culprits brought to book

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HE orchestrated attack on the judiciary in Ekiti State is a manifestation of a deep malaise in our polity, which must stop. We mean here the double whammy of corruption of the polity and gross intolerance. Regardless of who may eventually be found culpable for that cowardly attack on the defenceless judicial officials and the desecration of the temple of justice on Monday and Thursday, last week in Ado-Ekiti, the temerity of the hoodlums and the indifference or connivance of the state security agencies should worry any law-abiding citizen of our country. For those who sponsored the mayhem, they should hide their heads in shame, more so if they lay any claim to being democrats.

According to press reports, the gangsters first sacked the High Court in Ado-Ekiti, presided over by Justice Isaac Ogunyemi, on Monday, following the ruling of the court that it has jurisdiction to hear the case against Mr. Ayodele Fayose, the Governor-elect of Ekiti State, who was the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the last gubernatorial election.

The suit before Justice Ogunyemi was brought by the Citizens Popular Party and one Adeniyi Ajakaye and others, challenging the eligibility of Mr. Fayose to contest the election. In the ruling which allegedly triggered the anger of the hoodlums suspected to be supporters of the governor-elect, the court dismissed the preliminary objection filed by Mr. Fayose, and assumed jurisdiction to determine the substantive case.

The tragedies turned a choreography when again last Thursday, a new wave of mayhem descended on the High Court, which is also hosting the election petition tribunal, hearing the petition of the All Progressives Congress (APC) against the declaration of Mr. Fayose as

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HE world is full of aspiring political leaders but, sadly, very few live up to leadership ideals. In fact, many political leaders seem to severely lack some of the most important leadership qualities, such as integrity and accountability. However, history has shown us that there are still a few who possess the leadership ideals and are good examples of an effective political leader.

Easily, one of the nation’s ingenious political players, the Minister of Works, Architect Mike Onolememen, is, no doubt, a testimony of good leadership quality. He is one man who is not just a public officer with authority, but, also, with the requisite required knowledge in redeeming the ministry under his watch.

Therefore, it gives me great pleasure to join his family, friends, and colleagues in congratulating him on being named a recipient of the 2014 Commander of The Order of

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HE National Executive Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party’s adoption of President Goodluck Jonathan as its sole candidate for the 2015 election did not come as a surprise. This is because from the outset, it has become obvious that the party would not field any candidate than the president. It has become quite obvious that the PDP does not believe in playing real politics. What the PDP believes in was adoption and consensus in fielding its candi-

the elected governor of the state, in the election. As reported in the press, the office of the Chief Judge of the state was invaded, while record books were shredded and proceedings in the court disrupted. In the commotion, Justices Akintayo and J. O. Adeyeye were assaulted and the suit of the latter torn to shreds.

Also, the car belonging to the chairman of the tribunal, Justice Muhammed Siraj, was smashed.

Interestingly, Mr. Fayose, despite the manifest partisanship exhibited by the vagabonds in favour of his interests while attacking the courts, has denied the hoodlums or having any knowledge that any of the judges was molested. He questioned rhetorically: “How can I order the people to beat up a judge that has nothing to do with me? At what point was the judge beaten?

Was he a member of the tribunal, because I went to the tribunal and not the regular court”.

The governor-elect went ahead to boast, “The strategy of APC will not work. Nobody, no matter how highly placed, will remove me cheaply”. If the reports are correct, then Mr. Fayose does not need to go far to appreciate why Justice Adeyeye was attacked.

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

As we earlier stated, whoever orchestrated this ignoble attacks on the High Court of AdoEkiti and the judiciary, which without equivocation is the very foundation of democracy, has shown overwhelmingly that he or she is a mere pretender to the democratic cause. Also distressing is the claim that policemen and other security agencies thinned down as the hoodlums increased and eventually vapourised, such that the hooligans had a field day molesting and assaulting judges, lawyers, court officials, litigants and the general public within the precincts of the state High Court. Whether the police were overwhelmed or merely acquiesced or connived to desecrate the temple of justice an enquiry should unravel.

To show how grievous the situation in Ekiti State is, the chief judge, Justice A. S. Daramola has ordered the closure of all courts in the state for security reasons. Of course those most affected by the closure are the ordinary litigants and their lawyers who ordinarily would want their matters to go on expeditiously. As for those who wanted their cases prolonged, the fall-out will be of immense joy to them, as the closure has achieved the objective of stopping the speedy trial of the very germane issues concerning the recent election in Ekiti State. The state government’s declaration of dusk-to-dawn curfew on Friday should also be seen in the context of the violence that had been recurring since the sad incident of Monday.

On our part, we demand that the federal authorities order the police and other security agencies to live up to their constitutional responsibility by providing adequate security for the judiciary in the state. We also urge the national Bar and the Bench to rise up and defend their primary constituency.

LETTER

A well deserved honour for Onolememen

Niger (CON) national award.

The national award is meant to appreciate his ingenuity in the service of the nation and appreciation for his commitment and dedication to the people of our country.

To those of us who have been following his steady achievements in public service, this CON Award from his motherland excites us, being the principal and most prestigious means of recognising his outstanding contributions both at the grassroots and at national level. It has now dawned on all that, indeed, recognition at the highest echelon of power is not just for long service but basically a credit for outstanding service. We thank President Goodluck Jonathan for recog-

nising and rewarding diligence and hard work.

At a time the society is fast becoming regressive and mediocrity is being encouraged, and even rewarded, Architect Onolememen is standing tall among his peers.

A great philosopher of old, Napoleon Hill, said: “When your desires are strong enough, you will appear to possess superhuman powers to achieve.”

For those who might not have known, Onolememen’s amazing turnaround of the Works Ministry with the effervescence that is needed, gives away his messianic feature of purpose as well as real leadership in public life. Indeed, he is expressly becoming a giant figure beyond local politics. It is,

therefore, appropriate identifying with the success of a man who is less glowing but is presently moving the centre ground of politics of positive change. His rare entrepreneurial revolution is not concentrated on the elite alone; the common man is also affected positively.

A loyal associate of the PDP patriarch, Chief Tony Anenih, Onolememen took a deep plunge into the PDP politics and put his heart and soul into the party, with his stamina and capacity for service very phenomenal. It is therefore not surprising that, when the president set a performance standard for his ministers, Onolomemen made remarkable marks; a feat that has be-

come regular with him.

Outside politics, the scholar and teacher has always proved to be a man of unusual knowledge with the ability to relate well with people of different callings and cultures.

This high honour recognises his tremendous contribution to improving lives, hopes and dreams of Nigeria.

And by freely giving his attention, leadership and compassion, he is rewarded for making a tremendous impact in the lives of Nigerians through his colossal achievements in little time.

Ironically, those who make good political leaders are often those who least want the position in the first place.

So what if PDP adopted President Jonathan? dates for elective offices.

How could one comprehend his sense to see how the party could not give other eminent Nigerians in the party to compete with President Jonathan a free and fair primaries rather than taking short cut to make him the sole candidate?

The PDP, right from its formation, does not believe in internal democracy as most of its candidates for elective offices are either imposed or

adopted without the inputs of the delegates, who are supposed to elect the candidates for elective offices especially governors and the president.

What assurance did the party get, that with his adoption as the sole candidate he would coast home victorious this time around? Let it be known to the party that it would not be an easy ride for the president, especially in most of the states in the north.

Therefore, the party is just de-

ceiving itself with the adoption of the president.

He is a hard material to be sold, especially in the northern states, and his adoption can be challenged by concerned party stake holders as Dr. Umar Ardo has clearly made it known to the world, that he would challenge the president over his ambition.

The sycophants in the PDP and those enjoying the crumbs are the ones behind the adoption.

The PDP is the laughing stock of the political parties in this country. No any serious politician is now in the PDP and that was why the NEC of the party tackled the decision to make him the sole candidate of the party. The party is heading for the rocks by this action taken by the NEC of the party.

By Usman Santuraki, Jambutu Ward, Jimeta-Yola.

These are individuals who do not seek power but who have authority conferred upon them by others who value their judgment.

Lest I forget, it was also another golden year for the Minister on September 4th, 2014. At this moment of your life, you have written your name in gold.

You brought smiles on the faces of Nigerians through your able support in the transformation train of Mr. President. Your achievements, within the short period you served as Minister of State for Defence and now Works Minister, are too numerous to mention.

Your political integrity has remained unquestionable. I want to tell you that, with the degree you are going about serving humanity, whenever the names of leaders who do the nation proud are mentioned, yours shall not be missing.

May I end this with the quote from the famous author, Jarod Kintz, who states that, “The year you were born marks only your entry into the world. Other years where you prove your worth, are the ones worth celebrating.”

And this is the basis for celebrating you as a C.O.N. recipient. For that reason, I want to ask God to keep decorating each golden ray of the sun reaching you with more wisdom and sound health and long life.

By Prince Odi Okojie, Lagos.

SEND TYPEWRITTEN, DOUBLE SPACED AND SIGNED CONTRIBUTIONS, LETTERS AND REJOINDERS OF NOT MORE THAN 500 WORDS TO THE EDITOR, THE NATION, 27B, FATAI ATERE ROAD, MATORI, LAGOS: sundaynation@yahoo.com

16

THE NATION ON SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2014

COMMENT

Periscoping the ideal APC presidential candidate (2) And I make bold to say that Nigeria, in its current dire straits, needs Buhari more than he needs Nigeria

W

RITING in his column in The Nation of Thursday, September 25, 2014, the highly regarded Ambassador Dapo Fafowora clinically dissected one of the many evil consequences of PDP’s screaming ineptitude since assuming power in 1999. On why Nigeria is no longer respected at international fora, he wrote: ‘It is because of the widespread corruption in Nigeria which has continued to undermine economic and social development.

Virtually all the state institutions, including the executive, legislative and the judiciary, have broken down completely. The other day the Chief Justice of the Federation was reported as complaining that the judiciary was rotten with many judges openly taking bribes to distort justice. The bench too is believed to be as corrupt …’

Now that the PDP has decided to adopt insecurity, nation-wide darkness(16 years ago, Nigeria was generating 4000 MW as against today’s below that figure), unprecedented level of corruption, de-industrialisation, massive unemployment, even official money laundering, by foreclosing competition for elective posts , come 2015, it is important that APC should go out to deliberately choose an individual who, irrespective of ethnicity or religion, has a track record of incorruptibility in high public office; a candidate whose integrity is so overpowering, overwhelming and assured, that Nigeria could be lifted up from its current stagnation in the lowest rungs of the

human development indices within his first four years in office.

South Africa, a country we now claim to have upended after re-basing our economy, has just seized a humongous $9.3 million ferried into that country in a private plane, ostensibly to illegally purchase arms, simply because it is alien to the PDP federal government to be honest in anything. Indeed, the government, only this past week, withdrew the fraud charges against former Works Minister, Hassan Lawal, just like it did in the Abacha case, all for narrow political considerations. As it turned out in the money laundering case, the company they claimed they were going to buy arms from is not even authorised by the South African authorities to deal in arms.

Hardly could anything be more demeaning of a country than that seizure, but our government is beyond shame. Everything is about cutting corners; never for them security of life and property, every government’s raison detre, guaranteed uninterrupted electricity, anti-corruption, employment for teeming millions of our unemployed youth, or programmes designed to reduce mass poverty as long as TAN and the Protectors can conjure claims of a so-called transformation agenda.

I was ruminating over these PDPinduced national malaise as I reached page 337 of ‘SCALING ACCIDENTS OF LIFE – an upcoming autobiography by the incomparable patriot, Chief Oladeji Fasuan, only to see

right before me, a letter the author addressed to Governor Fashola on 1, June 2011. The letter reads as follows: “Dear Governor, during the last elections, I voted for a non-existent Buhari/Fashola ticket. Some of my friends (notably Afe Babalola, SAN) laughed at me. I pity them because until there is a Buhari/Fashola ticket or something containing the characters of these two men, Nigeria will continue to tumble and stumble till we get the right national leadership.

Know what these two represent? BELIEF, COMMITMENT, RAW DETERMINATION plus CAPACITY, WILLINGNESS and TRANSPARENCY. It is on the heels of the octogenarian’s above testimony that I present below, the views of Fola Aiyegbusi, a young Nigerian patriot, who is critically aware of the perilous times we are: ‘My reaction will start with a question: Is Nigeria ready for an incorruptible president? The answer, unfortunately, is no. Nigerians only complain of corruption when they are not the beneficiary. That is when you hear ludicrous rationalisations for corrupt practices as in the one Femi Fani-Kayode recently did entitled: “of cash, the jet and Pastor Oritshejafor,” in defence of his coreligionist.

‘Today in Nigeria, General Buhari stands out as an epitome of incorruptibility, very much unlike the rest. As Head of State between 1983- ‘85, his government gave a monthly account of crude oil lifted, how much it was sold for, and what government was going to do with the revenue generated there from.

That now sounds like ancient history.

As a military Head of State, he was not obliged to do it but because of his innate transparency and that of

his Chief of General Staff, General Tunde Idiagbon, they opted to lead by example. Today, under a PDP administration, reports of unremitted oil revenues are legion. Rather than openness in the Nigerian extractive industry, it is corruption galore and we now daily hear of millions of barrels of stolen crude oil in spite of sweet heart, multi-billion pipeline security contracts awarded to some of our president’s Ijaw compatriots.

Are oil thieves ghosts, since you need a barge worth millions of dollars to engage in oil stealing or are they being protected by higher authorities?

Any Nigerian wishing the country well already has his choice for the office of president because the general has already demonstrated, in previous posts, the ability to perform creditably the onerous task of ruling this largest agglomeration of blacks in the universe.

‘Anybody rushing to join the PDP today must have his eyes on corrupt enrichment, especially going into an election year. Were Nigeria a serious country, that party ought to have been asphyxiated to death by now.

With their bulging 2015 campaign budget, not a few unreflecting Nigerians would still head there in search of loot. Or what, other than monumental corruption, ethnic and religious bigotries and insecurity of life and property can Nigerians point to as benefits of PDP’s fifteen year stranglehold over Nigeria? Never in the history of our country have religion and ethnic sensitivities been as pronounced as we now have.

‘But the time for change has come.

For the APC to vanquish a thoroughly clueless PDP, General Buhari is its only option and with any of governors Tunde Fashola, Adams Oshiomhole, Rochas Okorocha,

Chris Ngige or Kayode Fayemi.

General Buhari will be APC’s ideal presidential candidate. He has the drive, the passion and the sheer perspicacity to rescue this country from this journey to nowhere.’

I say a big thank you to Fela for his well crafted views. As my own little contribution, let me quickly say that despite all the attempts by the opposition to dress the general in the robes of a Taliban, he comes to me, in the words of an elder, as a bridge builder who connects easily with his conservative north and the progressive Southwest and Middle belt in particular. A spartan soldier/politician, GMB has more than demonstrated the ability to lift Nigeria far beyond its present morass. And I make bold to say that Nigeria, in its current dire straits, needs Buhari more than he needs Nigeria. Indeed, only this past week, Tunji Ololade, my co-columnist at The Nation, in his column, Reality Bites, of Friday, September 25, 2014, put the situation very brilliantly when he wrote: ‘Again, we are set to elect familiar ogres we do not know to power. Some of them we know we ought to shy from but we would still go ahead to vote for them, won’t we? Granted the reins of hope come 2015, shall we choose misery and tragedy undiminished? Shall we choose ruin over rebirth, distrust over trust, shallowness over depth and puerile platitudes over the precision of promising logic?’

These are the questions Nigerians, given our present circumstances, must critically interrogate from now till that February date when we cast our votes for the next president; not phony religious sentiments, unprofitable ethnicity or filthy lucre in whatever currency.

These are the realities Nigerians must face squarely, come February, 2015 unless we want to remain glued to our current miseries.

Hey, death sentence for attempted murder? Come now…!

Life is too short to go seeking some heavy redress for attempted things. Nearly, they say, does not kill a bird; no one goes home to cook a bird he nearly killed. The army must be merciful

F

ORMERLY, first of all, if anyone made any attempt on my life, I would certainly want the state to take action! I would not even want the state to ask questions or legalise the issue. I would ask and plead that the person be incinerated just to convince him that my life is not worth the trouble of getting his hands dirty. I know; by the time he finds out, he will be slightly dead. However, when I read of the sentence passed last week by a Nigerian military tribunal on the twelve soldiers who mutinied in the north eastern part of the country and all the events that led up to it, I sort of had a rethink. Hold on a bit, I’ll tell you my rethink later.

Secondly, I gathered from many knowing ones that military codes are a little less forgiving than civilian ones.

According to the military books, the code of discipline endorsed by all recruits demands that any and every act of rebellion will be regarded as a threatening force of corruption which will be countered by the more superior force of cleansing. In other words, the books will be hurled at the individual, without giving any quarter.

Have you ever had a book thrown at you, literally? No joke, I assure you. It is no less painful metaphorically. I understand the army does this to ensure that everyone within the file and rank has enough discipline not to make him turn his gun on his neighbor for sneezing at him from behind.

Moreover, I have been a major

supporter of the Nigerian army. I have written before that I have great faith in it even though there are times I cannot make head or tail of its actions. For example, I believe the army could have routed the ragtag army of the boko haram in its early days but for the fact that something went horribly wrong: it became an avenue for a few up there to milk the country. So, by this default, we still have boko haram with us today, and by some other default action or inaction, some soldiers are even now fighting for their lives in more ways than one.

These facts, nevertheless, have not stopped the outpouring of outrage against that death sentence since it was given, and for good reason too. Many people are in consternation, given that the war against the boko haram has not been won and yet here we are playing around with soldiers on the drawing board: place some in the war front, some to guard some frolicking politicians, some to face the firing squad…

All hands needed in that war, which appears to be shifting grounds and tactics daily, have not quite been gathered together. To now put to death some able bodied fighters for snapping at their commanding officer with their gun is, to put it a little humanely, not quite the thing to do.

True, it is disobedience. It is mutiny. In any language, disobedience and mutiny should not be tolerated. I hate it when my dog disobeys me.

However, there are many things the

army needs to take into consideration, for the sake of fairness, and commute that death sentence into something less grave-like. As the saying goes, come now, and let us reason together on this…

To begin with, we must remember that it is only in Nigeria that everything is different. For instance, Nigeria is at a real war right now, yet Nigerian soldiers are used to guard politicians who are not in any more danger than the rest of the citizens, except maybe by their insouciant pilfering! Under what circumstances should any sane military authority authorize that? Frankly speaking, it is the most spectacular and bewildering fact I have ever heard regarding the armed forces. So, I want to tender that the military authorities opened the door of other worldliness, inordinate gains and personal profits by renting soldiers to guard politicians; the soldiers are only now marching through that door.

It is only natural that soldiers guarding politicians would have been introduced to a lifestyle that is most antithetical to the Spartan requirements of military life. Once this kind of room has been given in the armed forces, it is only natural that other kinds of ‘rooms’ would follow. Whichever soldier, including those at the war front, has not been so favoured would want compensation wherever he finds himself. To thus be denied such compensation is to court righteous anger.

In this instance, that righteous an-

ger frothed even more by the information that many of the allowances of the soldiers were not being made readily available to them. In short, they suspected that some ones were playing around with those allowances while they were away defending the sanctity of the nation. I mean, fair is only fair in any language. The universal law is that a labourer is worthy of his hire, even more so if he happens to be a soldier defending his country. But there’s worse.

Reader, let us both imagine ourselves on ground at the time of occurrence of the event. Here were soldiers, we are told, who would prepare to go to battle with the few gears the country allowed them and their battle plans as well. But what would they find?

Their ancient kits highly insufficient compared to the enemies’ ultra-sophisticated and modern kits (betrayed by the country) and their plans already known to the enemy who would be waiting for them in an ambush (betrayed by their leaders). I ask you, how many betrayals can a man take in one circumstance?

Now, there are rumours that the said GOC who was at the centre of the debacle has been retired, transferred or dismissed, we don’t know which and it hardly matters. There are two things to note here. One is that it means he, the target of the attempted murder, did not die, was not injured and is hale. I am not a lawyer but I do believe there is no law in the world that sentences a man to death for attempted

murder. Besides, there is no sign the murder would not have taken place if they had meant to do that. In other words, it is probable that they never meant to commit murder. Now, who on earth dares refuse me my law degree?

The second important thing is that the authorities took a step which signals an acknowledgement and an admission of a few things but it is not up to me to tell you what those are. In my book, two plus two nearly always makes four, so find your own four. So, let’s face it, the nerves of these young people were raw, what with unpaid allowances, betrayal at all fronts and the corpses of their colleagues being returned to them daily with some discourteous ‘With love from the boko haram’ notes! In their place, what would you do; what would you do?

I am hoping, as many Nigerians are, that the army authorities would look at the extenuating circumstances surrounding the mutiny of the soldiers and commute the death sentence into something less scary. It would appear to me that someone was, or some ones were, testing the faith of these soldiers.

That brings me to my rethink. Life is too short to go seeking some heavy redress for attempted things. Nearly, they say, does not kill a bird; no one goes home to cook a bird he nearly killed. By the same token, no one should be killed for something he nearly did. As Portia said in The Merchant of Venice, the army must be merciful.

THE NATION ON SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2014

COMMENT

17

(84) The EVD survivor at the intersection of faith and reason, religion and science

If you find yourself in a fast leaking boat far from the shoreline, pray to God but row with all your might towards the shore.

A Russian proverb

[For Dr Adah Igonoh; and for Dr Ameyo Adadevoh (R.I.P)]

I

T was my friend, Femi Osofisan, who forwarded the heartwarming and inspirational story of Dr. Adah Igonoh to me and some other friends by email, with a simple message: “a story worth reading and worth pondering upon”. I was to later find out that the story had actually “gone viral” on the internet after it first appeared in the online newsmagazine and social gossip journal, BellaNaija. But it was Femi who forwarded it to me because he had been very moved by the story.

On my own part, I don’t think that anything I have read this year has moved me as deeply as the story of Dr. Igonoh’s victory in the struggle for her life after she contracted the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) from having been one of the senior medical staff who treated Patrick Sawyer, the Liberian who brought the disease to Nigeria. I was so profoundly moved by Dr. Igonoh’s story that for hours I could think of nothing else but the largeness of heart and depth of humaneness revealed in her story.

Indeed, so moved was I after reading her story that, as I almost always do when I am gripped by very powerful emotions and thoughts, I went for a long walk along a river close to my apartment, this being the Charles River in Cambridge Massachusetts. On getting to the river, I made my way to a bend in the river whose bank is enveloped by a coolness created by the natural canopy of the branches and leaves of big, tall trees, this being my favorite spot for meditation. This piece is the product of that meditation.

In the first place, Dr. Igonoh’s story is extraordinarily well told.

This is because it is told with a simplicity and a directness that seemed to be a perfect narrative frame for her unvarnished truthtelling. Since the story has been widely circulated on the internet, hundreds of thousands already have read about it. But it is necessary to recount the essence, the heart of the story for those who have not read or heard about it. In a brief summary here’s the story in its most important moments or episodes: Dr. Igonoh contracts the Ebola disease; she is quarantined in very insanitary and traumatic circumstances; she goes through the whole gamut of horrific symptoms and manifestations of the disease; in quarantine she meets and establishes powerful and sustaining emotional bonds with other patients of the disease; as the disease relentlessly consumes her and she is staring at the possibility of death, she commences a psychic struggle to marshal all her inner resources to confront the depredations of the disease; with a towering will she begins to

•Dr. Adadevoh

gather as much information and knowledge as she can about the disease; from this she enters into a new sense, a new apprehension of herself as both a profoundly spiritual and at the same time a fully rational and inquisitive human being; and finally when, with a lot of help and support from her pastor (himself a medical doctor) and some foreign health specialists, she turns the corner and begins to see that she might survive, she attains an uncommon grace that enables her to achieve a deeply humane and mature perspective on life and its vicissitudes.

I would like to observe, indeed to insist that were it not for the fact that the story Dr. Igonoh tells is about an actual life-changing experience, it reads and feels like the work of a writer who is on her way to becoming an important realist storyteller. In other words, there is every indication in how Dr. Igonoh tells her story that it could very well be the germ, the beginning of a full-length nonfiction work that might well become a masterful account of how she was victorious in her battle against EVD. Indeed if she gets to read this piece, I would like to use this medium to suggest to her, to her family and her pastor that this is a story that our country and the world needs to hear in the more capacious version of a full length nonfiction work.

I do admit that this is the professional aspect of my response to Dr. Igonoh’s story; it is the opinion of a teacher of literature, a literary critic who cannot separate a story from the mode of its telling. But there is another dimension to Dr. Igonoh’s telling of her story that prompts me to suggest that the

•Dr. Adah Igonoh

account she gives ought to be turned into a full length nonfiction prose work and this is the fact that in the fullness of the story that she tells, she touches on wider frames of reference that include the professionalism, dedication and courage of many of her supervisors and colleagues whom fate brought into the initial frontline engagement of EVD’s invasion of our country.

More generally, this wider frame of reference enfolds the untold story of a nation’s encounter with the specter of a full-blown spread of the Ebola disease. In this respect, Dr. Ameyo Adadevoh about whom we have read so much, reappears in Dr. Igonoh’s story as perhaps the most heroic figure in the public and collective life of our country in at least the last one or two decades.

There is also this factor: in these larger frames of reference that we see in Dr. Igonoh’s story, one is startled, indeed one is heartened to see Nigerians acting with total altruism and genuine civic mindedness. In effect, this is a story that is totally different from the stories we are accustomed to reading or hearing about our country in which villains always triumph over heroes, the corrupt and the cynical always prevail over just, selfless and fair-minded women and men.

For me, perhaps the most astounding aspect of Dr. Igonoh’s story of survival is precisely the one aspect that has not (yet) received notice, let alone commentary on the internet. This is the aspect that gives equal weight, equal narrative space to her faith as a Christian and her dedication to the rational, scientific ethos of her profession as a medical doctor. Again and again in

her story, Dr. Igonoh tells how much prayer and spiritual counseling from her pastor, her family and members of her church helped to buoy up her spirit and her determination to survive. On this account, the story she tells seems to belong to the order of miraculous tales, of transcendental fables. But then, Dr. Igonoh’s story is also filled with repeated accounts of how she did everything possible to obtain knowledge and information about the disease, together with accounts of how much time and energy she spent doing this. Moreover, we also get repeated accounts of how she rigorously monitored the effects of the treatment she was receiving. On the basis of this strong secular strain in her story, it could be said that Dr. Igonoh survived because she used to the fullest extent possible her intelligence, her rationality, her trust in the help that medical science can provide for the gravely ill.

I think it is big misreading of Dr. Igonoh’s story of survival to see a dichotomy, a conflict between the so-called “miraculous tale” and the narrative of “secular, rational” will and intelligence.

Such a dichotomy, such a conflict apparently does not exist in the worldview of Dr. Igonoh and for this reason she treasures and honors both traditions of thought and organized systems for beneficent intervention in human affairs.

In this she reminds me of Nobel Prize laureates in the sciences, in Physics, Chemistry and Medicine, who believe in God and are also devout or pious followers of the Christian or Jewish faiths. Exam-

ples of this category of Nobel laureates are Max Planck (Physics); Werner Heisenberg (Physics); Alexis Carrel (Medicine and Physiology) and Joseph Murray (Medicine and Physiology).

It is impossible to overstate how significant this aspect of Dr. Igonoh’s story is for contemporary Nigerian intellectual and scientific endeavors. This is because for several decades now, a philistine, idolatrous and dangerously fanatical form of Christian and Moslem religiosity has captured large segments of the national intelligentsia in our country. Brilliant and gifted physicists become bornagain Pentecostal pastors and completely abandon not only Physics but the scientific ethos. Historians and linguists of great renown become self-trained theologians and totally turn their backs on historical explanations and rational accounts of the movement of history in favour of grossly distorted accounts of the force of divine and miraculous intervention in human affairs. Vice Chancellors, Heads of Research Institutes and Directors of Studies in our tertiary institutions and public think tanks not only always start all their meetings and work with mandatory prayers, they effectively exclude all those who do not think as they do, all those who, though they may believe in God, also give science and rationality due acknowledgement and respect. The list goes on and on and at the end of the day, science and religion, faith and rationality are going their separate ways among our professoriate, our men and women of learning. The cost of this separation to our collective progress and welfare as a nation is incalculable.

I do not think that Dr. Igonoh consciously set out to make these large points that I am arguing in this essay. It would disappoint me somewhat but not surprise me if she were to come out against my central argument in this piece to declare for the world and her pastor and fellow churchgoers to hear that in all things she puts God first.

I leave it to the reader to judge for themselves on the claim I am making here: on the strength of the testimony in her story, she is a very devout Christian and at the same time a rationalist who puts great trust in the power of human intelligence and institutions like medical science and the knowledge industry to make a difference in matters of life and death, matters of human helplessness before predatory diseases. One way to put this contention in its simplest form is to invoke the old adage: heaven helps only those who help themselves. This is a more common form of the Russian proverb that is the epigraph to this essay: If you find yourself in a fast leaking boat far from the shoreline, pray to God but row with all your might toward the shore.

Biodun Jeyifo bjeyifo@fas.harvard.edu

18

THE NATION ON SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2014

COMMENT

Effective representation and realising Bayelsa S development dream INCE the restoration of democracy in Nigeria in 1999, after several years of military interregnum, Nigerians have been looking forward to seeing the good things that come with a system of government ranked as the best form of government on planet earth.

Apart from the brief diarchy that was introduced under the Military rule of General Ibrahim Babangida, which was more or less a resemblance of democracy, many Nigerian youths since 1983 were yet to see the full blown practice of the system called democracy. Even if they do, it exists only in their imagination and textbook experience which is quite far from practice.

Some of them must have read too, the book, Treatise of Human Understanding by John Locke, who happens to be one of the forerunners of liberal Democracy anchored on the principles of representative system.

The system automatically substituted all the cannons of the divine rights of kings whose pronouncements in the years past were deemed as laws and unquestionable.

In Africa, traditional rulers who were highly revered like deities because of the enormous political and trado-religious influence gave way to the democratic superstructure, and every other thing caved in.

This democracy which originated from the town hall system of meeting in Greece, where all the cacophony of voices were heard have given birth to the refined representative system.

One of the benefits is that it affords the people the right in liberty to choose a leader of their choice.

Second, it gives the people the choice and the chance to appreciate the needs and aspirations of the people it represents.

Third, it provides what a contemporary British political scientist Professor Harold Lasky in his book “The Grammar of Politics” would aptly describe as the best system for a peaceful change of government.

Fourth, it enthrones a regime of accountability to the people it represents.

In Nigeria, only few names have been able to hang on to their seat in the green and red chamber of the National Assembly based on their sterling performances.

For example, the Senate President David Bonaventure Mark, who is regarded as first among equals of his colleagues have attracted projects critical to the needs of his Idoma people of Benue State like road networks, award of scholarship to indigent students of Benue State among other empowerment programmes. Apart from that, he has remained focused and consolidated on his symbiotic relationship with the executive

I

ENJOYED the choral quality of the remarkable choristers of Chapel of the Resurrection, University of Ibadan on Saturday September 13, 2014. I enjoyed the majestic sways and metrical swings which elaborately enlivened the first remembrance service of my late boss and former governor of Ondo State, Dr.Olusegun Agagu. Resplendent in their flowing robes, these lively minstrels are not the common spectacles found in many churches.Either in their strides or in their songs, they were poles apart from the profane prances of conventional choristers in manyminsters who pull all kinds of stunts like asonto, soki or alanta in the name of praising of God. The reason is simple. Most members of the choir here are matured women of advanced ages as opposed to youngsters in cassocks. In other words, at Chapel of the Resurrection, the choristers are mothers in the cathedral. And their delivery of moving mantra at the Agagu’s memorial service was momentous.

So was the insightful sermon delivered by Bishop George LatunjiLasebikan. From the rhythmic presentation of lively songs to the rhetoric enunciation of inspiring homily, the remembrance service was a refreshing moment of celebration.

For once, family and friends put aside the groans of loss and put on the garment of praise in appreciation of Agagu’s legacies. Everyone frolicked and pirouetted to serial song ministrations that became a classic tribute to a towering persona of service. From her charismatic swirls on the promenade, Mrs. Olufunke Agagu, the heroic widow of the late politician, left no one in doubt that it was a good day for the Agagu clan.

But as I sat ensconced in deep thoughts, my mind wandered through the labyrinths of sonorous hymns and my imaginations went wild. I picturedAgagu’s trademark dance steps, his swaying hands and husky voice. He loved hymns. Even at political rallies, the former governor entertained his followers with hymnal choruses. I remembered how, on sighting the mammoth crowd that gathered at First African Church Primary sports ground in Igbokoda in

By George Fente

arm by ensuring stability in the system and unwavering commitment to the transformation agenda of President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan.

In the North-West, the constituents of speaker Aminu Tambuwal and the minority leader Gbajabiamila in the House of Representatives could feel the impact of effective representation.

In the South-East, names like, Ike Ekweremadu, Emeka Ihedioha and Mrs. Okadigbo ring bell like that of a good stock in the Nigerian Stock Exchange.

Recently, this writer stumbled on the commissioning of a cottage hospital built by Senator (Mrs.) Okadigbo, wife of Late Senator Chuba Okadigbo at Ogbunike in Anambra State. I watched the event with utter dismay such that I began to ask questions what are our Bayelsa Representatives actually doing in the National Assembly.

The question of what Bayelsa Legislators are doing is common questions on the lips of the ordinary people of Bayelsa State. This question is cropping up in every socio-political gathering, drinking joints where the legislators are discussed in a manner as if it is a moot court trial.

This attest to the increasing political awareness among the people, the capacity in drawing comparative analysis and arriving at valid deductions in which nothing is happening as far as Bayelsa legislators are concerned. One could recall the experience of a former Senator whom the constituents accused of distributing expired computers that never functioned for one day as a constituency project.

While some of the national legislators from Bayelsa State are being tagged as snoring law makers and seat-warmers because of the absence of their impact. The sad story is that, some of them were just too fortunate to be members of the National Assembly being products of “harmonisation”, a new found political lexicon in Bayelsa State.

The sad dimension is that instead of attracting projects critical to the development of the State, they have constituted themselves overnight to become Abuja based politicians and embarking on an unnecessary political adventure of fanning the embers of disaffection by undermining the government of their home states.

In other states, apart from judicious use of constituency projects funds, legislators wield their constitutional powers in the exercise of their oversight functions by lobbing and influencing budget process in ensuring that projects of interest that will transform their constituents and states in general are captured in the budget.

They use such projects to touch the lives of ordinary people in their constituents, while Bayelsa Representatives have become spectators in an arm of government that constitutes the fulcrum of democracy. In Bayelsa State, some of them have rather constituted themselves like Lord of the Manor while legislators in other states are working and warming themselves into the hearts of the people as servants of their constituents.

This is the reason; opinions were divided in Bayelsa State when Governor Henry Seriake Dickson, then in the green chamber indicated his intent to contest the governorship of the state.

Some were of the opinion that the state could not afford to lose his absymal performance at the National Assembly. While others held the view that the time was ripe to replicate his effective leadership in the National Assembly at the State level.

As a ranking member of the House and House Committee Chairman on Justice, he sponsored and co-sponsored the passage of landmark bills into acts. These include, the freedom of Information Bill 2007, the Political Parties Internal Democracy Bill, The Prevention of Terrorism Bill, 2009 and Kidnapping and Hostage Taking Bill 2009. Back home he was regarded as the voice of the voiceless.

These enviable profile as a legislator endeared him to the masses who freely gave him the appellation, “Contryman Governor”. This is what effective representation is all about and we expect our representatives to make same impact. Elections are round the corner and any legislator that deserves return to the National Assembly must show his scorecard.

As it is, Bayelsa State have no reason to complain about marginalization if our legislators and political office holders at the National level know what they are sent to do.

It will be unfair for them to expect President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan to do everything for Bayelsa State. The people expect them to be working in synergy with Mr. President and the governor in the development of the state.

The report by a national daily about subterranean moves by some Abuja based politicians led by a national legislator to undermine the government of Hon. Seriake Dickson is a sad commentary on the political frame of mind in the state.

This is coming at a time all responsible Bayelsans and the South-South in general are working round the clock to realise the common vision of Mr. President’s re-election.

Anybody embarking on such contrary journey does not mean well for President Jonathan, the people of the state and the south-south as a whole. They must have a rethink and reorder their footsteps which is inimical to the collective aspiration of the people of the state. This will amount to the story of a hunter; having killed and carried an elephant on the head was busy using his toes to further search for a snail.

This is the time the people of the state must draw the red line between self-serving politics and articulation of a collective aspiration. With the close of a general election Bayelsans should make wise choices in who they send to the National Assembly. They should choose their first elevens of men and women who have distinguished themselves in various fields of human endeavour, who have the capacity of articulating their common dream and not those who will only come home to flex unnecessary political muscle like a local terror.

This is the best practice of representative democracy all over the world.

The culture of sending our third and even fourth eleven to represent the state under the guise of political patronage is a disservice to the state. No doubt, this is one of the burdens that has slowed down the pace of development in the state. Now, we have the proverbial knife and the yam at our disposal, we cannot therefore afford to join the hues and cries of marginalisation which we were used to.

Bayelsans who are close to Mr. President must do everything possible to positively cuddle him well to the path of success and avoid acts that will constitute a dog in the manger.

The governor of Bayelsa State deserves the support of all men of goodwill, given the very high aggregate of his performance index. Creating dichotomy between Abuja based politicians against the state government should not be the priority. It is an unnecessary distraction to the commitment of the governor to the development of Bayelsa State.

This is the time for unity of purpose in nurturing to fruition the beautiful vision the people of the state have cast for themselves.

•Fente writes from Yenagoa, Bayelsa State

Agagu: Musing requiems and missing refrains

By Yemi Olowolabi

Ilaje Local Government Area, during his re-election campaign in 2007, he burst into songs; Ha egbe mi, e w’aasia, bo tin felele,ogunjesufere de tan, a feresegun. Do dimu, emifere de, be nijesuwi… Indeed, Agagu turned everything to songs with scholarly relish and sang about everything with jocular flourish.

Notwithstanding the exquisite stagecraft of the singers, I felt there was a missing rhyme in this hugely musing requiems for Agagu. The closing hymn should have been that foreboding song Agagu sang with delight the last time he hosted some media chiefs at his Ikoyi residence. On that fateful day,I was busy with my usual editorial work in my office when my phone rang. The caller was Mr. Femi Agagu, younger brother of the late governor. Oga wanted me to join him in Ikoyi. And off I went.

Already seated in my oga’s sitting room were two colleagues; Moses Jolayemi, managing director of Newswatch Newspapers and Steve Ayorinde, who was then the managing director of National Mirror. We exchanged banters.

Then I turned to Agagu: “Excuse me sir; I was your Chief Press Secretary when you were governor. Four years after we left office, I still continue to function in this capacity. When will I befree from this job.” Agagu’s response was quick and philosophical “Ojoikul’ojoisimi’’. (No rest until one dies)Among other things, our discussion ranged from electricity power situation, politics, development and the economy.

Then, we had a good meal courtesy of mama, as we call Mrs OlufunkeAgagu. We also drank good wines and champagne. I remember how excited Jolayemi was when oga brought us a bottle of Dom Perrignon. ‘’ This is what my publisher in ThisDay, (Nduka (Obaigbena) called the sign of good life’’ Jolayemi said. From that moment, our conversation became light and social. Momentarily, I was docked on my

transition from a serious journalistic engagement to a chronicler of high profile parties.My defence was simple and swift. Events business has become sophisticated, culminating in elaborate birthdays, weddings and flamboyant funeral ceremonies. Jolayemi recalled that in his home town of OkeImesiEkiti, when influential people die, the community would explode in celebration. ‘’ during the funeral service in the church,’’ the Newswatch boss said’’ the choir would sing thus baba o, aye ye o, oni aye ye, l’orunmaye’’. Meaning whoever is honoured on earth will be honoured in heaven. Agagu took over as our choir master, chorusing this song repeatedly. ‘’ Ilike the corollary of this song. It means that if a man lives well on earth, he will also live well in heaven’’ Agagu affirmed. For the rest of the evening, that was our song.

So, as I sat at Chapel of the Resurrection for the memorial thanksgiving, my mind meandered through thoughts and all sorts of imaginations. From the benefit of hindsight, the wellchoreographed song was a dirge with a binge of prophesy. Agagu had lived well. The glorious service was an evident of the bliss beyond.

As we walked out of the church, my imagination snapped again. What would have Agagu be doing after such a church service attended by high profile Nigerians? I was certain one thing.

He would probably have asked the minister of power, Professor ChineduNebo: ‘’ Prof, Where are we on power generation?’’ Certainly, from former President OlusegunObasanjo, he would enquired ‘’ Baba, where are we on the reconciliation in the PDP?’’Of course, he would have tapped the Communications minister, Omobola Johnson: ‘’ Mobola, where are we on our last discussion?’’

Indeed, for anyone who has worked or walked closely with Agagu either in his academic or political odysseys, “where are we” is

a familiar refrain with which he did follow ups on projects and assignments.Subtle but suitable, witty but weighty, Agagu’s utterances are enduring epithets of a snooping intellect. They come in aclear diction which carries conviction, passion and a predilection for profound explanations.One year after his death, many of us are still filled with fond recollections of Agagu’s words on the marble; his indelible humour and undeniable clamour for sanity in the society. In my personal diary of encounters with this spectacular man, I have cherished moments that I often share to inspire those who care about service. As governor,Agagu canonized diligence and criminalized indolence. In those six glorious years of his executive superintendence in the sunshine state, he ran a conscientious government guided by virtues, values and voluminous fruits of service delivery. In and outside government, he was the scourge of the slothful, the mercilessnemesis of the lazy. Agagu’s allergy for lethargy was informed by his incredible energy and admirable knowledge. A man of destiny who bestrode the nation like a colossus, his place in contemporary history is replete with extraordinary strides and exemplary streaks. His tenure witnessed faithful implementation of life transforming programmes.

From education to health care, from infrastructure to Agriculture, from Tourism to industrial development, Agagu took Ondo State to greater heights. The records are legendary.

Agagu’s achievements are imperishable on the sands of time and in the hearts of the people.

He achieved so much, because of his passion for service and he never left anything to chance.

•Olowolabi, former Chief Press Secretary to late Gov. OlusegunAgagu, wrote from Lagos.

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THE NATION ON SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 28, 2014

‘I will win Delta governorship election’ PAGES 22

Edo South: Obahiagbon’s ambition upsets calculations

Southwest PDP rally tears chieftains, aides apart PAGE 25

PAGE 24

•Shema

•Lamido

•Sambo

2015: Politics of PDP vice presidential ticket W

ILL President Goodluck Jonathan stick with his deputy, Mohammed Namadi Sambo, as he gets set to seek re-election next year?

This is the big puzzle many Nigerians and indeed, stakeholders of the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) are trying to unravel, with reports gaining ground that the President is allegedly toying with the idea of dispensing with Sambo as his running mate for next year’s general elections.

Just a few weeks after his unanimous endorsement by governors, the Board of Trustees (BOT) and leading figures of the PDP, sources say the president is currently under intense pressure from certain interests in his party to do away with Sambo whose influence to sway political events in the North in the President’s

The controversy over who pairs President Goodluck Jonathan for the presidential ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2015 general elections has predictably been fraught with suspense and intrigues as a few Northern governors silently battle Vice President Mohammed Namadi Sambo for the slot. Assistant Editor, Remi Adelowo, reports favour has been called to question in the last three years.

But while those in support of Sambo’s retention argue that his loyalty to his boss and level headedness has stabilised the Presidency, the hawks however dismiss this position as a mere sentiment that is not in tune with current political realities, particularly as it concerns the president’s political support base in the North.

The controversy on the choice

of a running mate for Jonathan became the talking point within the political circles following the outcome of the National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of the PDP, which ratified the endorsement of Jonathan, but with no mention of Sambo as part of the ticket.

Realising the import of the ‘lacuna’, the PDP, through its National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh, quickly laid the issue to rest by insisting that Sambo remains part of what it called the “winning

ticket”.

But has the issue been finally laid to rest as Metuh would want many to believe? “Not likely,” quipped a source who is a senator, adding, “Right now, there are arguments for and against Sambo retaining his position beyond 2015.

The truth of the matter is that the President is not fooled by the gale of endorsements, especially from PDP northern governors.

“He (president) is aware that his support base in the North is

dwindling. He is also aware that most of the governors, perhaps (with the exception of a few), rooting for him cannot deliver when the chips are down. But the big dilemma he is battling with is whether dispensing with Sambo would be worth the risk after all?”

The Lamido challenge At the PDP NEC meeting which ratified an automatic ticket for the president’s reelection, Jigawa State governor, Sule Lamido, whose relationship with the Presidency has been frosty at best, did not raise objection to this decision when he was called upon by his Niger State counterpart, Muazu Babangida Aliyu.

Lamido only let out a wry smile, which was interpreted •Continued on Page 24

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THE NATION ON SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 28, 2014

POLITICS

Anambra Central: Battle

•Ngige

Anambral Central Senatorial District is poised to be one of the most hotly contested districts in he 2015 elections as very influential and experienced politicians line up for the plum job reports Nwanosike Onu in Awka

T

HE Anambra Central Senatorial seat will not be an easy contest in the state between the three leading political parties, namely; All Progressives Congress (APC), All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2015. Currently, the seat is being occupied by a former governor of the state, Senator Chris Ngige of the APC. Already, political analysts have tagged it a contest of heavy weights.

Though Ngige has not made his intentions known, as to whether he would seek re-election or aspire for a higher office in his party in the next general elections, one of his associates told The Nation he still has interest.

But in a recent function at the Finotel Hotels in Awka, in fact, during the inauguration of the state executive of APC, Ngige tacitly said that if Chief Victor Umeh of APGA annoys him, he would bring one of the ward chairmen in his party to contest against him. Some observers say the implication of his statement is that he may not go for a second term.

Even if Ngige fails to re-contest for the seat, where he floored former Minister of Information and Communications, late Prof. Dora Akunyili twice, the battle in the zone will still be tight.

Some informed political watchers believe that Central Senatorial zone, comprising of seven local government areas,

•Umeh is too small for any person to defeat Ngige, considering his pedigree in Anambra State politics.

The local government areas are: Anaocha, Awka North, Awka South, Njikoka, Dunukofia, Idemili North and Idemili South.

Ngige is not the only one in the race for the position, though in his party, he appears to be the only one so far. There are others planning to unseat him from other political parties.

These are the National Chairman of APGA, Chief Victor Umeh, who is already addressed by his party members as senator designate.

In this interview, one of the aspirants for Anambra Central Senatorial District, Dr Obiora Okonkwo, spoke about his ambition and other issues. Okonkwo, who is also the leader and chairman, Board of Trustees Nzuko Imeobi of Idemili North and South Councils, an entrepreneur and the Political /Economic Adviser to the ArchBishop of Onitsha, said his people can no longer ignore the idea behind a new way of thinking; the enthusiasm of the new kid in the block. Associate Editor, Sam Egburonu, reports HAT is motivating your aspiration to go to the Senate?

I am motivated by the singular desire to do good; to be in a position to do something special for people, for humanity. I have often said that my desire, as fueled by my ambition, is to do good, to serve humanity. And the question is, how do I do this good? Nothing is greater than to live a life of service; to

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Also, the member representing Anaocha, Njikoka, Dunukofia Federal Constituency, Hon. Uche Ekwunife, who recently dumped APGA for PDP, Hon. Victor Osita Ezenwa, one time secretary to the State Government (SSG).

In the race also, included Chief Kodilichukwu Okelekwe from Nibo community, Senator Annie Okonkwo, Chief Sylvester Okonkwo, Dr. Okonkwo Obiorah and Chief Mrs. Christy Okoye.

Umeh and Ekwunife are from Anaocha Local Government Area, Ngige and the three Okonkwos are from Idemili’s South Council Area, Ezenwa is fron Njikoka, while Okoye

comes from Dunukofia.

Apart from Ngige and Umeh, who are of APC and APGA stocks respectively, the other aspirants are from the PDP. For Mrs. Okoye, who aspired for the position in 2011 but failed in her bid because of the unending crisis in the party, she has not finished her consultations, but others had finalized their arrangements for the battle.

Umeh has never tasted defeat in any election unless in court cases, because he has never contested any elective office in his life. However, he wields influence within the party as every member of the party

‘We need a new

add value to another person’s life. In that context, I am looking for a higher pedestal to stand and do this service to humanity. At this point in time, I feel that the Senate will offer me this opportunity to continue to serve humanity.

In what ways do you think you can render this service to your people?

The service is contained in my charter with the communities, which we have drawn up in the course of working out how we will get to the Senate. The charter, which many will call a manifesto, contains the expectations of the people as articulated by them. We are still going round all our communities, identifying what their needs are. When I get to the Senate, I will ensure that every component of this charter finds its way into the budget and the projects to be executed for the constituencies. People in the communities, from the traditional ruler, the town union leader, the women leader and the youth leader have to sign on the charter. The plan is to agree on about four cardinal needs in the community.

We have to be sure that it goes into the budget that comes to the National Assembly. We are not just going there to appropriate; we are going to deliver on the needs of the people, which we will develop together with them. At the Senate, we will make sure that we integrate with the leadership, with the system; the government in the centre, which is the PDP government and ensure that the needs, as contained in the charter, are aggregated and put into the national pipeline. I have been with my people. I know them; they know me. I know their problems and if given the mandate, it will be easier for me to cater to the needs of my community through the charter, the deed of agreement. We have been doing this before now; we have built roads, brought federal projects and development and

• Okonkwo we have empowered people. So, when this opportunity finally materialises, it would be a boost, additional strength, additional network, additional inroads into the decision making process. We will be going to the National Assembly to solve problems and lift the people.

Do you think the PDP in Anambra State is properly organised to effectively run and deliver on this election?

I am a member of the PDP and I don’t imag-

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THE NATION ON SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 28, 2014

POLITICS

21

of heavy weights

• Ekwunife seems to have conceded the senatorial ticket to him, a development that made Ekwunife to dump the party.

That notwithstanding, all is not rosy for Umeh as some influential APGA members are reportedly furious over his ambition, accusing him of being selfish and inconsiderate.

The National Coordinator, Elder’s Forum of (APGA), Chief Sylvester Nwobu Alor, had been fighting the battle of his life in making sure that Umeh was unseated without enough help from members.

Alor, uncle to former governor of the state, Chief Peter Obi, is also accused of be-

•Okonkwo ing sponsored by Obi by some members of the party.

He however told The Nation that Umeh is qualified to contest any election as a citizen of the land, adding that people have been complaining over his decision to seed APGA tickets to himself without any primaries.

“When I was fighting, some members did not believe in me but now they have seen the handwriting on the wall, so, why should they complain, “Alor queried.

Battle for PDP ticket In the PDP, the race is certainly tough.

Ekwunife, who recently joined the party, met very serious contenders for the ticket. In fact,

face, a change’

ine there is another party capable of managing its internal affairs better. Things might not have looked particularly pleasing hitherto but today, we in the PDP have come together and agreed to move the party forward in Anambra State.

Admittedly, there were tough issues in the past and if there were difficulties in dealing with those issues, it was because those issues within the context of running a party made up of very democratically minded people, are important.

Things can only be better. Many parties would have folded and closed shop if they went through the difficult path that the PDP in Anambra State went through. I believe that era is over; and the statement will be made with the 2015 election.

Problems don’t last forever; so, we have resolved to come together, put our house in order, consolidate our strength, work on our weaknesses and ensure that we put our heads together and win this election.

How confident are you that you are going to get the nod of your party men in the primary election?

The party is structured to bring out its best at any given point in time to run elections. I believe in the process that will bring the candidate and my confidence is strengthened because I believe I am good enough to represent my people in the Senate. And if it is the will of God, then the people, my party, will key into that. I won’t be in the race if I doubt that I am not good enough to be honoured with the party ticket to run the final race. The party will decide.

This is your first foray into elective politics, how can you assess your strength and chances in the old Idemili, from where two other aspirants are hoping to grab the PDP ticket?

To start with, you cannot win a project of this nature if you worry about those who, be-

cause of the recurrence of their presence at every election, appear to be favorites. There is something about freshness. We cannot ignore the idea behind a new way of thinking; the enthusiasm of the new kid in the block if I may use that phrase. We need a new energy source, a new face, a change in the way we have been doing things, a shift in gear, which can come only from a collective desire to look elsewhere for movement. Experience counts but what is the benefit of experience if all it does is kept us all stirring the same old pot of stew. This is the difference we are bringing into the race. There are people who keep boasting of how long they have been around. If that is so important, what have they done? There are others who have done so much and ought to move to other challenges.

I am saying; let others dance on the stage. My strength is in my dance steps; my chances are hinged on how many people who will key into the dexterity we promise to show on the stage.

Here, I am talking about fresh ideas, perspectives, motivation, and an unyielding desire to give to the people, my people, a dose of fresh air.

In the old Idemili, there are three people, good people, aspiring to be senators. It means that Idemili is vibrant; it is a PDP zone. In that case, it is just one indication that it is already guaranteed that Idemili is going to PDP. Secondly, for me, the choice has been made. I think Idemili people have decided who they want to represent them. We will wait for the party to ratify that. This is Idemili people’s project; they are the people opening all doors and leading the campaigns. They are not debarring any person from contesting, and I think at the end of the day, it is just the choice that they make that will

since her defection to PDP, Ekwunife has set machinery in motion, including rebranding of all her campaign vehicles and campaign office, for the battle.

Nocturnal meetings had been on, while committees had been set up to actualise her dreams with many of her supporters within APGA, also urging her on.

Unless, she fails to grab the ticket of PDP for the contest, anybody that challenges her in the actual race will definitely know that Ekwunife is a moving train, politically.

Other people that would be hard nuts to crack in the PDP battle for the seat are Sylvester Okonkwo, who had been with the matter.

Can you expatiate on those things you did for your community that you think have endeared them to you?

This certainly is not the forum to talk of these things. I have always felt more comfortable to allow the people speak on these things because the people can speak on the things that have affected them in different ways. I can only say that I have been there for them; I have been with them. We have solved a lot of problems together; surmounted some threats within the communities. We have done so much in our villages, towns, councils and the federal constituency. We are now extending it to the Central. We have beneficiaries of our local and oversea scholarships. We have through our network appropriated federal projects to the constituency. The people expect an expansion if we all succeed in this project. We have built roads with our resources. Through our empowerment program, we have been fully engaged in manpower development and employed thousands of graduates in various jobs.

It is the people who simply decided that, “if you have done so much out here, why not go now.” At all levels, market men and women, associations, town union associations, have endorsed this project. They believe in it. And the most touching is the endorsement of all the traditional rulers in the Central. The custodians of our culture have blessed this project, can they be wrong? Their endorsement is the first of its kind since 1999; it is unique and significant in many ways. It is a statement of faith and a clarion call to the stakeholders in the Central that this project has a collective essence. The endorsements have not been in secret and the religious, across denominations, have come together to support this project. To me, to all of us and to all those who have endorsed, this is a partnership project and I am just the figurehead. The power is with the people.

Akwa Ibom State governor since inception, Senator Annie Okonkwo and Dr. Obiora Okonkwo, an oil magnate from Ogidi in Idemili North Local Government Area, who The Nation gathered has bulldozed his way into the hearts of PDP eggheads.

We gathered also that virtually all the PDP aspirants in the central have influential backers. For instance, what goes for Senator Annie Okonkwo is that he had been at the apex chamber before now and highly connected to the powers that be in Abuja.

The member at the Federal House of Representatives, Ekwunife, according to sources, has the ears of the First Lady of the federation, Mrs. Patience Jonathan, who reportedly cuddles her like her own sister and takes her every where she goes.

Moreover, having been at the federal house for the second time, and as the chairman, House Committee on Environment, insiders say Ekwunife knows what it takes to vie for such a position as being attested by her constituents.

That was the reason most of them wept like babies at her party office along OnitshaEnugu express way, the day she officially dumped APGA. Also, Prince Osita Ezenwa, whose father was one time deputy governor of Anambra State, is a house hold name and had equally carved a niche for himself as a gentle man in the state.

Ezenwa was the Director-General of the governorship candidate of PDP in 2013, Comrade Tony Nwoye’s Campaign organisation that slightly lost to the incumbent governor, Chief Willie Obiano.

Though, feelers say he is not being sponsored by anybody, The Nation gathered that some political bigwigs, including the oil mogul, Prince Arthur Eze, may be solidly behind him.

It would be recalled that Ngige’s Idemili North and South, which have the highest number of voters in the state, was won by APGA during the last election because Ngige and his APC withdrew from the race because many alleged irregularities marred the election.

Be that as it may, insiders say the battle for Anambra Central Senatorial District will be between Ngige, who is seen as half spirit, half human of APC in the zone, Umeh, who has allocated the APGA ticket to himself even before the primaries and anybody from the legion of contestants in PDP, especially Ekwunife, Ezenwa, Obiora Okonkwo and Sylvester Okonkwo.

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THE NATION ON SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 28, 2014

POLITICS

‘I will win Delta governorship election’

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HY have you decided to contest the governorship again after the 2007 experience?

It is the passion for service. As you are aware, seven years ago, I was one of those, apart from Obielum, that started our quest for aspiration as the next governor of Delta State to take over from James Ibori. Fortunately and unfortunately, Emmanuel won and his tenure would expire in 2015. After due consultation with my friends and associates, I decided to declare and offer myself as also one of the aspirants for the position of the governor of Delta State. Right now, as you are aware, INEC has not lifted the ban on politics, so what we are doing now is consultation and I have been meeting with various stakeholders and opinion leaders repositioning myself with what I stand for, which is what I call my road map to Government House in order that they will best judge amongst others who is the right person to lead Delta State beyond oil come 2015 or whenever the whistle is blown for the electioneering to start. In a nutshell, that is the reason. But I don’t know if you really know me and for the benefit of all us, I was born 1952 and I went to St. Paul’s Grammar School, Ebu before proceeding to North Eastern London University where I did a degree programme in Economics and later went to Roosevelt University where I had MBA in Finance and International Business. I came back here in 1980/81 for my youth service and after that I went into private business. I make it bold to say that I have been in business now for almost 24 years. I am married to an American who has naturalised and we have four sons, three of them are now working with me while one is still in school. My passion for service, having not worked for government or for anybody and believing that only the best is good for Delta State, made me to throw myself into the murky waters of politics. Most people would say politics is dirty and not good but politics is the only avenue through which you can reach your people and make their lives better. My concern generally is simple, that I am 62 and in eight years’ time, I will become probably one of the oldest men around and looking back with the life that we had lived, what would we say we have bequeathed to our children? With this rising insurgency due to unemployment, youth restiveness, if we turn 90 or 100, where would we be? Where most of you are better than me is that my children carry three passports – British, Nigerian and American – and if we don’t do things right and make this place attractive enough for them, they have the right and privilege to port out. They can go to another country and survive with the kind of education and life I have been able to give to them. If that happens, that means I will be a lonely old man. But if we make this place comfortable enough and give them the best that life can provide, they will stay. We have the resources; our eco-system is not different from that of Florida. We can transform the system just like what happened in Florida and many other places. I believe that we will probably not need security vote if we make the lives of our children secured because they would be busy and at the end of the day they would be so tired and would not have time for trouble. I have worked all my life and I am glad to say that at the end of the day I would leave the money, the property for my children whom I have given good education but then their neighbours don’t have money, they don’t have education, they are not as privileged as my children. That is to say whatever you leave for them, whatever legacy you have bequeathed to them to make them comfortable would still keep them uncomfortable until the man next door is also comfortable. That is my passion; that is my concern. Let me say that out of selfishness for my four children, I want my next door neighbour to be able to stay in an air-conditioned house just like my children; that is what brought me into politics.

In 2007, when you contested, what do you think went wrong that made you not to get the governorship seat?

First and foremost, I was screened out. They said I was corrupt but I have never worked for anybody but it is what I called the antics of politics of elimination of good people through what I call unorthodox means, through things that cannot be proven and they say party is supreme. Of course, I got angry and went to Action Congress (AC), as it was then called, where my deputy resigned and part of the judgment was that I had no deputy. So, after two or

Chief Peter Okocha is a chieftain of Peoples Democratic Party in Delta State. In this interview with Akungbowa Aiwerie, he speaks on his gubernatorial ambition and quest for an Anioma person as governor of Delta State come 2015.

•Okocha

“I am not running because I am from Delta North, much as I believe that we have some understanding that whatever process made it possible for James to emerge in Delta Central and for Emma to emerge in Delta South, I think it is only fair that whatever process that made it possible should also make it possible for anybody from Delta North to emerge.” three court sessions, I lost the case and I decided to go back to business; that is what happened. Here I am again after seven years, throwing myself again into politics. Let it also be made clear that I am not running because I am from Delta north, much as I believe that we have some understanding that whatever process made it possible for James to emerge in Delta Central and for Emma to emerge in Delta South, I think it is only fair that whatever process that made it possible should also make it possible for anybody from Delta North to emerge.

However, let me make it clear that I am not an ardent advocate that power must shift because it is the turn of the north. I believe that the north has the best and the brightest that would give this state the best leadership that it deserves.

Have you decided on the platform?

I came back to the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and I stated it in my last statement that I came back to PDP about three years ago. I would run on PDP and win the primary under PDP and I will contest the general election under PDP. Those that may be aggrieved can go to other parties because we are the foundation members.

What gives you this absolute confidence that you are going to win?

Because I have always been optimistic that tomorrow will be a better day than today and I have lived a life of 60 years bettering my life. The world will not be stagnant and the only thing that is constant is change.

Don’t you think the PDP is already saturated with contestants?

I don’t know what you define as saturation.

Democracy is about people, so what do you consider as saturation in a state of about 4 million people, 30 or 40 people are coming forward to contest for a position and you call it saturation.

What is saturation? What fraction of 4 million is 20? No! I don’t think we are saturated, I think more people should come out and only the best should emerge.

How do you see the threat by the Urhobos who are also claiming that it is their turn in 2015?

The Urhobos are human beings and they have the right to aspire but I think that if Delta North people get intimidated by an Urhobo man aspiring then we are faint hearted. In the ward system

from which candidates emerge, Delta North has nine local government areas, central has eight and south has eight, it is wrong for somebody from north to be faint hearted because somebody that has eight LGAs has decided to contest; all he needs to do is sit down and do arithmetic. If we fail to do our arithmetic, that is our problem.

There have been groups with the intention of streamlining the aspirants like the Anioma Congress; are you part of that process, would you key into it?

What the Anioma Congress is doing is what I call trying to sanitise, because ‘you have put in their mind that we are too many.’ And I think what they are trying to do is my approach at the LG system to make it possible for people to spend less money to serve their fatherland. I am sure that you are aware that to become governor or even LG chairman in this state and you have to go through election process you will spend nothing less than N60 million. I did it sometime ago. Now what is the salary of a LG chairman? How do you expect him to go and perform if he borrowed that money to become chairman? Where will he get the money? My thesis has always been that in that process, the guy may have to compromise himself by doing either shady jobs to be able to payoff those that bankrolled his election and then that brings us back to square one. However, if the man becomes LG chairman without spending a penny, it means that whatever is in the office would be used for the betterment of the people, and that is what I stand for. And I think that is what Anioma Congress is passionately begging for, that we prune down ourselves to what they consider a reasonable number (what is reasonable is left to them), as a candidate, I don’t know, such that we don’t out-spend ourselves and make it expensive for us at the end of the day to win election.

Will it not generate some form of bad blood among contestants?

In this modern science, there are two ways you can deliver a child – you either do caesarean or you do vaginal (normal delivery). Either way, there must be blood. There is no way somebody will emerge that it will not be controversial. I give an example; my ward executive came to me and said they had problem picking a councillor because there were three people that were interested.

They were 17 of them and 3 candidates. I gave them pieces of paper and asked them to write the name of their choice. The first person got eight, another got six and the last got three.

Then I asked them to take the highest, and I am not interested in any of them becoming councillor. Councillorship is not something that I would get myself involved in but my aides got themselves enmeshed into that process. Even with that process, people are still protesting, I did not vote, I am not related to any of the aspirants but somebody has to win at the end of the day. They are still protesting and they will keep protesting maybe until the next election.

But that is human being; we are never satisfied even with the purest of process. Can you then imagine if my son was involved, they would probably have said that I bewitched those involved in the process? So, there is no way you would do that and there will be no bad blood, the thing is to do your best and leave the rest.

Are you sure the party has now been refined such that what happened to you in 2007 will not repeat itself?

We have passed through a process of evolution either for good or not so good. Except something is tested, you cannot condemn it. I believe the party has learnt and in about 15 or 16 years in our rebranding, we have moved from point A to point B for better, so I think that whatever happens would be a better process than what happened many years back.

Do you have confidence in INEC? INEC is not the same INEC. The INEC that I dealt with was during Maurice Iwu as chairman. Today, Attahiru Jega is the chairman and if we believe that what was done in Ekiti State was good, I think what should be done in Delta should be fair to all.

What is your impression about the judiciary?

The judiciary has nothing to do with the primaries; it is going to be within the party.

When I win the primary, when I am declared the candidate, those that are aggrieved may port to other parties. That is their problem; we will meet them at the general election. When they lose, it will now be 30 days for them to go to court; the party will meet them at the court that is also their problem. I don’t worry about somebody’s problem that is why I am looking fresh. I sleep when I am supposed to sleep and wake up when I am supposed to wake up. I try not to worry about your problem because your problem is your problem and until you bring it to me of which I have a choice to either meditate on it, proffer solution or tell you that I am not interested.

How do you see development in Delta and what would you do if elected?

Definitely, Delta is better today than she was yesterday. Government is a continuum, no one person can finish all the jobs; it cannot be finished in our lifetime or even our children’s lifetime. As we progress, so are challenges and those challenges and problems can only be met by the demand at the time? Our challenges today are not the same as we had yesterday. 10 or 13 years ago, you probably do not have a telephone; we were jostling for land lines. I was privileged to bring a land line from Lagos to my house in Ibusa but today the land lines are dead. Even the meat seller can book appointment on where to sell her meat on phone; that is progress. But do we still need land lines? Yes we do because having land lines would cut down the cost of the mobile phones. And don’t forget there is always this opinion that mobile phones are cancerous and that land lines are safer. So, we will keep remodeling and proffering solutions and that is why democracy is a government of the people, by the people and for the people. So every citizen of the country has the moral authority to join in nation building. If you are shy to do your part in the process of nation building and decide to sit on the fence, do not complain when something that is not so good is done. We can only do our best and leave the rest. What brought me into politics is that I think I have what it takes and I could offer myself for public service.

What is your advice to Deltans?

Be law abiding and remember that there is a government in power. They should not do anything to destabilise the government so that they will have the remaining one to give Deltans what they deserved or what they promised so that at the end of the day, we will be our brothers’ keeper. You cannot destroy the state which you intend to build, so they should be peaceful.

THE NATION ON SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 28, 2014

POLITICS

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‘Ajimobi remains father of modern Oyo State’ Oladapo Atanda, a legal practitioner based in Ogbomoso is a chieftain of All Progressives Congress [APC] and member, Governing Council, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology [LAUTECH], Ogbomoso. He spoke recently with Bode Durojaiye, on issues bordering on governance, politics and security. Excerpts

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His principle about politics As a committed democrat and staunch progressive, I take after the antecedent of our sage, late Chief Obafemi Awolowo. He held certain values and virtues; he did not belong to the camp of political harlots, scavengers or parasites. He strongly believed in democratic process that involves party system and government that will promote the greater benefits for the greater number of people.

On prominent defections from the APC It is unfortunate that most Nigerian politicians are not principled. They play politics of stomachs. They can better be referred to as political Almajiris. They behave like epileptic power supply. All those who defected have no sufficient reasonable grounds .They left because their egoistic desires could not tally with the principles of the party which harbours no injustice, inequality, disrespect to peoples’ wishes and flagrant impunity. Contrary to erroneous impressions and in spite of all odds, our party has rather been waxing stronger and stronger on daily basis. We now have large adherents as members are coming into the fold for one reason or the other, taking into cognisance the overall nature of our government.

Don’t forget that a lot of people pulled out in the other political parties too, even in PDP too. In Ogbomoso here, we have the likes of Chief Bayo Bankole who is now the chairman State Hospital Management Board as well as another gentleman and a lawmaker from Ajaawa, Elder Abioye, among several other former PDP members.

On Governor Abiola Ajimobi’s administration and 2015 gubernatorial ambition Incontrovertibly, Governor Abiola Ajimobi today remains the architect and father of modern Oyo State. Between 2007 and 2011, you hardly know whether government was on ground. The administration was coming from the miscreants, while orders came from the motor garages.

Ajimobi is not one of those politicians that are desperately preparing to win the next election when glaringly their previous tenure was characterised by dungeons of indiscretion, corruption, bloodshed, maladministration, misrule, oppression, tyranny and despotism. The incumbent governor has shown himself as a statesman that focus on the policies and programmes that will be of immense benefit to the contemporary and other subsequent generations.

This is evident in various unprecedented achievements which include roads reconstruction simultaneously across the state, regular payment of workers’ salaries, including 13th month salaries payment, affordable public transport system, meaningful healthcare delivery, functional rural electrifications, dignity and respect for traditional institution, improved educational facilities, introduction of diligence and punctuality in public service, inauguration of special security outfit codenamed ‘’Operation Burst’’

Fayose: Morning shows the day

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•Atanda

and above all, maintenance of peace and tranquility. In Oyo State today and all other APC controlled states, people are overwhelmed and appreciative about wind of good governance featuring accountability, transparency, rule of law, human rights, free press, responsiveness, a strong civil society, social sanction, reward system, popular participation, as well as efficient systems and structures. So, come 2015, the good deeds of our amiable, God-fearing and peaceloving governor will surely speak for me and undoubtedly emerges victorious among other contestants. Never mind the large followers you see behind former governor, Adebayo Alao-Akala, because they are mere floating voters.

In Ogbomoso here, we know those who really matters when it comes to election proper. There is no doubt that the former governor has electoral value, but the truth is that he [Alao-Akala] is politically waning daily in Ogbomoso. This is because people are fed up with politics of hooliganism, thuggery and gangsterism.

On President Goodluck Jonathan-led administration It is unfortunate that the PDPled federal government does not regard leadership and governance as sacred responsibilities for bequeathing good legacies on the populace and future generations.

They see it as cheap means of wallowing in unearned wealth and winning future elections so as to perpetuate themselves in office.

In this respect, both the government and the ruling party abhor decency, honesty, accountability and dignified labour, forgetting that no one can prosper till he or she imbibes the principle of honesty and dignity of labour. It is also sad that being born into oil-rich country does not confer any deserving honour on the citizens and the nation at large.

Ironically, the ruling party and the federal government have used the

same oil wealth to create for themselves an exclusive elite class and a rentier economy that makes the country invariably and comparatively backward in terms of progress, development and industrialisation.

They also used the same wealth to train and sustain unorthodox thugs, hooligans and body guards against perceived opponents and innocent people. What is more, for over 13 years now, the federal government still finds it difficult to complete Oyo/Ogbomoso road regardless of economic significance and unimaginable number of carnages being recorded daily due to its undulating terrain and outright neglect by the government. The Federal Ministry of Works has refused to do anything despite huge staggering allocation claimed to have been expended. There are three bridges between Odo-Oba and Ogbomoso left undone, let alone the main bridge at Oba River.

If the federal government could not complete the 55 kilometre Oyo/ Ogbomoso road in 13 years, it is enough reason for the people not to vote for any PDP candidate from councillorship to presidential. It is pertinent to ask, however, why the PDP is casting aspersions and crying wolves where there are none about spate of developments in APC - controlled states when it is obvious that the PDP-led government is not only a disaster to nationhood, but affront to civilization.

On security, it beats the imagination of not only right thinking Nigerians but the international community as well that the president could be shielding former governor of Borno State, Bunu Sheriff Musa from being probed for the serious allegation of funding Boko Haram insurgency, a heinous crime against the state. If Jonathan is not careful, he may end up at the International Court of Justice [ICC] after leaving the office. He should know that time cannot run out against crime.

N my previous commentaries on the development in Ekiti State, I pointed out that I would prefer to wait until Mr. Ayo Fayose’s mid-term celebrations to address how well he might have piloted the ship. However, the events of the past week, the reign of thugs and hoodlums, desecration of the temple of justice, harassment of judges, disruption of court processes and eventual lock up of the court rooms have made it imperative to reconsider that stance.

Mr. Fayose is yet to assume office. All his activities since he was declared governor-elect on June 22 suggest that not much has changed in the man and his ways. He did not realise the need to await official installation before dishing out orders. He thinks being governor-elect makes him superior to the incumbent whose tenure is yet to run out; thus he addresses civil servants on what to do and attempts to direct the government on what bills to pay and when.

He needs to be told by experienced public servants close to him that a tiger without its tigritude is no better than a sheep. He is only invested with power after the necessary oaths have been administered by the Chief Judge. He also needs to understand that the constitution of Nigeria does not make a governor an absolute ruler; his powers and the limits of his authority are prescribed by the constitution and laws made by the house of assembly and as interpreted by the judiciary.

It is unfortunate that the governor-elect is already throwing tantrums in all directions and fouling the air. The disruption of the court in a case filed by the E11 over the eligibility of Mr. Fayose to contest the governorship election is an indication of what may soon become the norm in a state hitherto known, in the past four years, to have witnessed peace and tranquility. Also, as the election petition tribunal made to sit to consider the APC plea, hoodlums descended on the court and chased away everyone, tearing in the process, the robe of the tribunal members. The same day, NURTW leader in the state was killed and it was all needed to unleash terror with the police turning a blind eye.

Already, the governor-elect has said he has no confidence in the state judiciary and the Chief Judge. Those who know him and his ways closely say he might not be disposed to giving the APC room to prove its case. Although I did not see any need for a petition since the principal party to the case, Governor Fayemi, had indicated he had no intention of challenging the peoples’ verdict, the APC has locus to take the action and only the tribunal, under the law, has the right to rule it frivolous. Democracy is hinged on the rule of law and whoever moves to circumscribe the law is an enemy of the people and the state. If Mr. Fayose is a product of popular action, he should not at the same time be throwing darts at the heart of democracy.

I see danger in the attempt by the governor-elect to make an enemy of a key institution like the judiciary. It might set the stage for confrontation between arms of government and could make peace a victim in the years ahead. History informs us that Fayose was bundled out of office in 2006 as things went awry. The man simply lost control and the state thus has the dubious record of the only one where there were three persons claiming to be the governor, two Speakers and two Chief Judges- things simply fell apart and the centre could not hold.

Recent developments have sent signals that not much might have changed. As a man of the people, the governorelect has indicated that he would populate his executive council with men of like minds- men of the people. The powerful road workers union is expected to be represented.

In the same way, it would not be a surprise if the association of okada riders nominate a special adviser. It is within the power of the governor to appoint whomsoever he wants to run the government with him, subject only to the approval of the state house of assembly.

I am convinced that the Ekiti people spoke clearly on June 21. They exercised their power to vote in a governor after their hearts. Mr. Fayose, unless the courts or tribunal rule otherwise, has the mandate of the people. It is expected that, in the next four years, he would work in the general interest, and upgrade facilities. However, the people, too, might have made a choice between peace and violence. They might have chosen impunity and brazenness over the due process; confusion over decorum.

All that the minority that voted for Governor Kayode Fayemi and the All Progressives Congress could do is stand at the touchline, keeping the field of play in view. Perhaps, at the end of it all, all parties would have learnt useful lessons with democracy deepened and the future brighter.

For now, we must realise that a bed laid with thorns under the bedspread would not allow comfort in the night.

THE NATION ON SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 28, 2014

POLITICS

24

Edo South: Obahiagbon’s ambition upsets calculations

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HE battle to decide who represents people of Edo South Senatorial District at the National Assembly is gathering steam as more politicians declare interest in the seat.

The contest promises to be interesting indeed. Although nearly all the major political parties are jostling to field candidates for the senatorial contest, pundits say the battle is mainly between the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC).

However, the entrance of present Chief of Staff to Edo State Governor, Hon. Patrick Obahiagbon (aka Ighodomighodo), into the race has sent tongues wagging as many observers of the politics of the state posit that his coming may redefine the entire contest from the primary elections to the general poll.

Ending months of speculations about his political future, the former member of the Federal House of Representatives has thrown his hat into the ring saying he feels he still has a lot to offer the people of Edo South in the area of robust representation at the National Assembly.

Given that the race is already a crowded one, the aspiration of Obahiagbon, who is famous for his eloquence and earth-moving vocabularies and who had represented the Oredo Federal Constituency between 2007 and 2011 on the platform of the opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP), is seen by many as a move by the ruling party to ensure that it put its best foot forward in the looming political contest.

The lawmaker, who was denied a return ticket on the platform of the PDP in 2011, decamped to the ruling APC and played a prominent role during the re-electioneering campaign of Comrade Adams Oshiomhole in 2012. He afterwards emerged as the Chief of Staff to the state governor upon the Comrade Governor’s re-election.

Before his election into the lower chamber of the National Assembly, he was elected into the House of Assembly in 1999 under the PDP. He served for eight years as a state legislator.

Perhaps as part of effort to ensure that he does not suffer the fate that befell him in 2011 that saw his losing to Hon. Razaq Bello-Osagie, The Nation learnt that Obahiagbon is currently reaching out to political and community leaders with a view to marketing himself to constituents.

“With Obahiagbon in the race, the contest is bound to take a new shape. We all know he is not a politician to be shoved aside in any contest that is political. By the time you add his

The entrance of Patrick Obahiagbon, Governor Adams Oshiomhole’s Chief of Staff, into the Edo South Senatorial contest has redefined the game ahead 2015, reports Associate Editor, Dare Odufowokan

•Obahiagbon current position as a serving Chief of Staff to the governor, you will understand what we are talking about.

Yes, a lot of people are in the race, even before him. But his aspiration can easily be used to guess the body language of some powerful forces within and outside his party.

If that happens, then the entire race will immediately assume a new dimension,” a chieftain of the ruling party said on Friday.

“Edo South Senatorial District requires someone like Obahiagbon with not just charisma, depth, huge local following but also national visibility to make impact. To stem the current drab sessions at the Abuja Chamber, he is the man we should send to the senate in 2015.

You will recall that respected national figures like the Sultan of Sokoto, General Ibrahim Babangida and even Bishop Mathew Kukah are known to have openly begged Comrade Oshiomhole at one time or the other to release Obahiagbon to serve Edo and indeed the nation in Abuja come 2015. So, we are urging the governor

to do that right away,” Hon Elias Oduware, APC youth leader in Uhunmwode Local Government Area of the state submitted.

Senator Ehigie Uzamere currently occupies the senate seat in contention at the Green Chamber in Abuja. Uzamere, who was re-elected into the senate on the platform of the ruling APC in 2011 after he was denied a return ticket by his then party, the PDP, recently dumped the ruling party and staged a return to his former party, the PDP. Analysts say Edo South is APC stronghold in Edo State. If this turns out to be true, then pundits who have been giving victory to APC in the forthcoming senatorial battle would be right and Senator Uzamere, who is reported to be seeking a third term in the senate, may not be re-elected.

Aside the current senator who had to switch political party platforms to get re-elected, no other person has been re-elected into the senate from the district since 1999. His predecessors – Senators Roland Owie and Daisy Danjuma - both served only a term each between 1999 to 2003 and 2003 to 2007 respectively.

Aside Obahiagbon and the current senator,

also in the race is the APC Minority Whip in the House of Representatives, Hon. Samson Osagie. He has been a lawmaker for 16 years.

Osagie was a member of the Edo State House of Assembly between 1999 and 2003 before moving to the House of Representatives. He was elected thrice on the platform of the PDP. In 2011, he joined the ACN and was re-elected into the lower chamber of the National Assembly.

His critics urge him to seek an executive office haven been a lawmaker for 16 years.

But, Osagie says he is well equipped to proceed to the senate in 2015. He says only a credible and tested person is fit for the job. The Speaker, according to his associates, is very keen about getting the nod of his party to represent the district in the senate and is working seriously towards this.

“He sees himself as the candidate to beat and is not thinking of jettisoning this ambition come what may,” an aide told The Nation.

But pundits say with the entrance of Obahiagbon into the race, the permutation in the Speaker’s camp would have to change.

“Given the closeness of the two and the fact that they are both trusted allies of the governor, there are no way the calculations will not be altered. These two people cannot engage themselves in blind politicking. Even the governor will not allow that to happen,” a chieftain of the party said.

In the PDP, apart from Senator Uzamere, other political heavyweights gunning for the ticket include Hon.Victor Edos Ebomoyi, currently the Chairman of the Governing Council, Federal Polytechnic, Ado-Ekiti. He served Governor Lucky Igbinedion as chief of staff. He was also a commissioner before becoming the chairman of Oredo Local Government Area. Viewed by his supporters as loyal to the party, they believe he would be rewarded for his loyalty by the party.

Hon. West Idahosa and Matthew Urhoghide are other aspirants on the platform of the PDP. Both are believed by their supporters to have what it takes to get the ticket of their party.

While Urhoghide, who is the Publicity Secretary of the PDP, joined the PDP ahead of the last general elections after he felt cheated at the ACN primaries won by Senator Uzamere, Idahosa, a three-term federal lawmaker, was among APC members that defected to the PDP after the APC congresses.

Observers say it will be a keen competition among those that have remained loyal to the party and those that left the party and defected back alongside Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu.

2015: Politics of PDP vice presidential ticket •Continued from Page 19 by many political pundits as double-edged.

Many questions would suffice here. First, has Lamido finally called time on his perceived differences with the President, whom he accused recently of failure to fulfill his electoral promises to Jigawa State during the 2011 electioneering campaign?

Second, would Lamido, in words and in deeds, fully throw his weight behind Jonathan in the 2015 presidential elections?

What becomes of his much speculated presidential ambition, which he has however denied through one of his Director of Press, Umar Kyari? Is Lamido’s ‘tactical’ retreat from his opposition to Jonathan not a subterfuge before unleashing his trump card?

Lamido’s seeming endorsement of Jonathan has fuelled rumours that he has allegedly reached an understanding with the President and other PDP power brokers not to rock the boat in exchange for the vice presidential slot.

A Presidency source however, dismiss this report off hand, insisting that the President is still closely monitoring events in the polity before taking a final decision on who pairs him for the PDP ticket.

The source added that the incumbent vice president enjoys the support of major stakeholders of the party, while positing that picking Lamido would be akin to rewarding rebellion against the Presidency and the party leadership.

“Lamido’s personality may prove too much for the President to contend with if he becomes the vice president. Yes, he has done well as governor, but no one wants a

re-enactment of the Obasanjo/Atiku feud that polarised the Presidency down the line from 2004 to 2007,” a member of the House of Representatives, who is also a PDP member, told The Nation on condition of anonymity.

But another source close to the Jigawa governor, however, denied insinuations in many quarters that his strident opposition of the President in the last one year was aimed at securing the vice presidential ticket.

A strong evidence that the Presidency and the PDP national leadership are still suspicious of Lamido’s moves may have necessitated the visit of the chairman of PDP BOT, Chief Tony Anenih and other top leaders of the party to Dutse to confer with Lamido sometime last week.

Leaders of the party are said not to be fully convinced that Lamido, who was part of the seven governors that formed a splinter group within the party last year and until last week was being peddled as nursing the ambition to contest the presidential ticket of the PDP with Jonathan, has fully reintegrated into the party.

The governor, sources said, was placed top on the list of those the party felt had to be interrogated to find out their grievances with a view to working out ways to fully re-absorb them and ensure their loyalty for the success of the party in 2015.

Acting on a security report that some PDP governors might work for the opposition parties if they are not properly managed, the Anenih delegation to Lamido, according to sources, was specifically charged with finding out the governor’s grouse and appeasing him “in the interest of the party.”

The secretary of the BOT, Senator Walid Jibrin, who was part of the delegation to

Dutse, told reporters that their brief was to plead with the governor to remain committed to the party and its project of returning Jonathan to office by 2015.

He explained that it was not the BOT that went to see the governor but a special committee set up by the PDP National Chairman, Alhaji Adamu Muazu, to interface with aggrieved members of the party. He added that the committee will go to the six zones of the country.

“We went there to strengthen Lamido’s support and membership of the party and to urge him to continue to support the party and the president,” he said.

Prodded further on whether the party is considering offering the governor as the running mate to Jonathan in 2015, Jibrin said while it was obvious that Lamido was aggrieved with the party, the issue of offering him the vice presidential slot in 2015 did not come up at the meeting.

He said: “That is not true at all; he did not say he wanted any position and we never promised him any position, all we did was to ensure his commitment to the party and the president.

“He complained of being neglected and other things and talked about the promises made by the president to the state in 2011, but we noted that the federal government has done a lot in the state. We told him to forget and continue to be a member of the PDP.” Shema also in the picture Katsina State Governor, Ibrahim Shema, sources disclosed, is also in the run for the PDP vice presidential ticket despite denials from his camp.

A very close political ally of Jonathan,

the Shema option is being canvassed by some powerful PDP stakeholders due to what was described as “the need to present a fresh face and impetus to the PDP ticket.”

This school of thought, it was gathered, is of the opinion that Shema’s choice would not only be non-controversial, but in addition generate a positive buzz around the PDP presidential ticket.

Another factor being propounded in the Katsina governor’s favour is that he would serve as counter-poise to the likely emergence of Maj. Gen. Mohammadu Buhari (retd) as the presidential candidate of the major opposition party, All Progressives Congress (APC), particularly in Katsina State where they both hail from.

Shema’s supporters also point to what they call his “impressive performance” as governor in the last seven years as an added plus for his choice as the PDP presidential running mate.

Yuguda option fizzles out Early this year, the Bauchi State governor, Isa Yuguda’s name also popped up as a possible running mate to run alongside Jonathan.

But as preparations for next year’s elections enter the crucial stages, not much mention is being made about Yuguda again with many reports claiming that the governor’s main pre-occupation at the moment is getting elected as the Senator for Bauchi South zone in the National Assembly come 2015.

Will Jonathan retain Sambo or dump him for a fresh candidate for the 2015 presidential election? Only the president can tell.

THE NATION ON SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 28, 2014

POLITICS

EADING chieftains of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), in the SouthWest could not hide their fury last Saturday at the Tafawa Balewa venue of the zone’s PDP mega rally when the crowd started leaving in droves barely an hour after the commencement of proceedings.

The mega rally that brought together supporters and chieftains of the party from all the South-West states, saw many of the aspirants on the platform of the party struggling to outdo themselves as their supporters moved round the venue with banners and placards announcing their various aspirations.

The rally, which took place at the Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS) in Lagos, was graced by President Goodluck Jonathan, Vice President Namadi Sambo, PDP National Chairman, Adamu Muazu, BOT members, Ayo Fayose of Ekiti, Minister of State for Defence, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, among other high ranking members of the Jonathan administration.

About half an hour after the arrival of Jonathan, who came in at about 1.45pm, the crowd of party supporters, who had been waiting patiently since 10 am, started dispersing.

Neither the constant pleas of the programme anchors nor the frantic efforts of some party leaders could save the situation as the venue became half empty in no time.

The incident happened even before President Jonathan, who had moved round the venue waving to the crowd on arrival, addressed the gathering.

Investigations by The Nation revealed that some of the chieftains were yet to make up with their aides over what they termed as ineffectiveness on the part of those they saddled with the responsibilities of mobilising, coordinating and controlling their supporters at the Tafawa Balewa Square rally.

An aide to one of the gubernatorial aspirants in Oyo State told our correspondent that the bad blood generated between him and his boss by the unruly behaviour of their supporters at the rally was yet to be resolved.

“Oga is still very angry over the matter.

The way our supporters left the venue midway really annoyed him and he is not hiding it. He could not understand why people who had waited for days for the event couldn’t spare some few more hours to listen to the President’s speech before exiting the venue unceremoniously.

“The fact that we all wore an ‘aso-ebi’ uniform made it even worse as it was easy for everybody, especially the party leaders to know whose supporters were leaving. This further annoyed our symbol who couldn’t hide

his anger as he started calling some of us on phone the very minute he noticed the movement of our people out of the Square.

“Even now, days after we returned to Oyo, he is yet to call any meeting of his aides. He is still angry though we have taken time to explain what happened to him,” the politician said.

At the rally, our correspondent, listening from a vantage position close to dignitaries present, overheard some of them expressing displeasure with the development while trying to reach out to their supporters and aides in a spirited bid to save the situation.

“Tell them to at least wait for the President to

A

Delta 2015 and Olejeme puzzle

L

S the count-down to the 2015 general election gathers momentum across the country, a lot of politicians - the pretenders, the down-right-unserious, the serious, the rank outsiders, the true contenders as well as the ‘anointed’ are throwing their hats in the political ring for one position or the other. In all of these categories however, one characteristic remains constant- the courage to dare.

Knowing the treacherous character of politics, especially of the Nigerian hew, it, in fact, demands a huge dose of courage for anyone to aspire to any elective position. But that is as far as the element of courage goes. To be able to galvanise the needed groundswell of enthusiasm, support, and actually emerge victorious at the end of the day, requires much more than courage. Here intellectual acumen, vision equally matched by a road map and implementation strategies, charisma as well as the human touch, are the irreducible minimum.

To be sure, not so many politicians in our clime are endowed with such leadership qualities. But the few so endowed have them in abundance. Dr (Mrs) Ngozi Olejeme is one of the rare few amongst us. Born in Asaba, Delta State on December 18th, 1961, Olejeme is the quintessential candidate any electorate should hope for in an election year. An intellectual, accomplished entrepreneur, astute administrator, philanthropist without borders, and a visionary par excellence, Dr Olejeme has all it takes to stand shoulder to shoulder with the best and brightest in Delta State. Fortunately, she has not disappointed those who have long seen her as a leader. She has expectedly thrown in her hat in the gubernatorial ring of the oil-rich Delta State.

Olejeme brings to the table a reputation of extraordinary successes borne out of personal industry in both private and public life. In the private sector, she is Chairman/CEO of some reputable companies that are presently, true national institutions, employing thousands of Nigerians and foreigners alike. She is Chairman/CEO Able JES Nig. Ltd; Chairman/CEO,

•Jonathan

•Muazu

Southwest PDP rally tears chieftains, aides apart Unsavory developments during last week’s South-West PDP rally have raised more questions over chieftains’ capacity to raise enough support for President Goodluck Jonathan’s reelection, reports Assistant editor, Dare Odufowokan

By Samson Omonigho Fresh Energy Nig. Ltd; as well as Executive Director, JULIND Nig. Ltd. She had also previously been Chairman, Board of Directors of several public institutions, including the Nigerian Social Insurance Trust Fund and Trust Fund Pensions Plc. She has also served as member, Board of Directors of several companies, including the Ajaokuta Steel Company Ltd, Subsidy Re-investment and Empowerment Programme (SURE-P) as well as Sheraton Hotels and Towers, amongst others.

Politically, Olejeme is no neophyte. Apart from featuring prominently as one of the contenders in the PDP gubernatorial primary in Delta State in 2007, she was also the Director of Finance, Goodluck Support Group (GSG) in 2007 and only recently, the Federal Government (female) Delegate representing the South-South region in the just- concluded National Conference (2014).

Although the foregoing towering credentials aptly qualify Olejeme to vie for the top executive job in Delta State, she is not running on these alone.

She is certainly running on a New Vision for her beloved state. It is a vision borne out of a passion for service to man, God and country (state).

At different fora and interview sessions, Olejeme has spoken passionately about her dream for Delta State. Although she believes in the consolidation and continuity of the present governor’s mantra of “Delta Beyond Oil”, she wants to take this one notch higher- certainly a Delta Beyond Oil, but one that is anchored on participatory democracy, inclusive growth and equal opportunity for all citizens of the state. She believes agriculture holds the key to the actualisation of the ‘Delta Beyond Oil’ philosophy. As she puts it in a recent interview: “Delta Beyond Oil is a programme that must of necessity be encouraged and sustained for the good of our state. One way to do this is to embark on large scale agricultural farms to employ thousands of workers directly and create tens of thousands of jobs indirectly”. She says this can

make his speech. Then they can leave. Beg them not to do this,” a governorship aspirant from Oyo State pleaded.

A serving minister, while urging his associates to ensure his own supporters remained in the square, promised to personally take good care of those that will stay till the end of the programme.

“Go and tell them I want to see everybody here at the end of the rally. I will also personally take good care of those I see then,” he said.

The Nation gathered that some of the reasons responsible for the hurried departure of the people were hunger, fatigue and fear. Most of them, it was gathered, arrived in Lagos days before the

•Olejeme be accomplished through the training of youths on agricultural models which they would eventually take up as businesses, institute agricultural credit schemes in the state, provide tools, fertilizers and improved seedlings, amongst others. Apart from encouraging the formation of farmers’ cooperative societies, she says under her agricultural master plan, the state will be divided into three “agricultural zones, each

25

rally in their bid to ensure they had vantage positions to stay and promote the aspirations of their principals.

“We’ve been here since yesterday. We came all the way from Oyo and arrived here yesterday evening. We slept here on the hard floor.

We couldn’t get food to eat as there were no food vendors around here. The eateries are too costly,” a supporter told The Nation.

Another member from Ekiti said they had to leave because they had a long journies to make.

“We left Ekiti yesterday morning and didn’t get here till around 5pm in the evening due to heavy traffic in town. We thought the programme will start by 9am as stipulated. But see the time now, 2pm and we are yet to really start. We don’t want to spend another night on the road. We’ve not eaten any good food for two days now,” he added.

But a chieftain of the party, Hon. Hameed Ogundeko, a House of Representatives aspirant from Ogun State, blamed the development on the failure of the organisers of the rally to put in place adequate security measure at the venue of the rally.

“The people left out of fear. Before the arrival of the President, it was raining heavily and those of us who were already in the square were not aware of the things happening outside. A lot of people were attacked and dispossessed of their phones, money and other valuables by miscreants that stormed the venue.

By the time the rain stopped and the President arrived, those who had been attacked also came into the square and relayed their experiences to others. That was when the fear of what was likely to happen when the President and his security team leave the place.

At that point, nobody wanted to wait and witness the unknown. There was even a stampede as people were rushing out of the venue while the President was still speaking. Many of the vehicles parked were vandalised. Even plate numbers were removed. The security situation was terrible.

“For me, rather than blame my supporters for leaving, I am thanking God that none of them was wounded. I personally witnessed what happened outside before the arrival of the President. The urchins had a field day with little or no security personnel to challenge them.

“But when the President’s security team arrived, they fled. That was when people left their hiding places and entered the venue. You can imagine how scared those who witnessed such incidents would be. So they simply urged their colleagues to leave the venue midway,” he explained. producing crops in which it has comparative advantage over others”.

The very hopeful gubernatorial aspirant spoke further about her vision. “My vision is inspired by the passion to serve and uplift the people of Delta State to greater heights. It is a clear goal that seeks to harness the huge potentials and capabilities in the human and material resources available in the state and ensure an all-inclusive growth and development of our beloved state”.

Olejeme also has a great blueprint on enhancing education, healthcare delivery, housing, industrial development, security, sports, youth and women empowerment, rural and urban renewal, transportation and infrastructural development and expansion; especial in the area of road construction.

She has no illusions about the huge governance task ahead as the potential chief executive of a state, but she remains confident in her abilities to not only meet, but also surpass the expectations of Deltans when given the opportunity to serve. This confidence is certainly borne out of her track record of successes in the past in both the private and public sectors. “My record is there for all to see”, she enthused.

At the last count, over 15 aspirants have indicated interest to vie for the post of governorship of Delta state. We cannot begrudge or deny anyone his or her constitutional right to vie for any office in the land, including Delta State. The sky, as the saying goes, is big enough for all birds to fly.

It is however hoped that the tragedy of the Nigerian situation where merit, competence and suitability for office are often relegated to the background in favour of mediocrity, nepotism, god-fatherism and candidate ‘anointing’ would not be allowed to derail, once again, the gubernatorial ambition of this amazing Amazon with a vision and mission to consolidate and regenerate the fortunes of Delta State. Only time would tell.

•Omonigho wrote in from Asaba

26 POLITICS

THE NATION ON SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2014

ripples Akinlabi may join PDP •Dakingari

•Argungu

Dakingari opts for Senate Ekiti 2015: Battle begins for National Assembly •Akinlabi

Controversy over Obiano’s endorsement of Nwaebili

Why Elechi keeps mum over successor

•Ojudu

•Obiano

•Nwaebili

•Elechi

Wada, Kogi PDP jittery over mass exodus

Adiukwu-Bakare turns “prayer warrior”

•Adiukwu -Bakare

•Wada

THE NATION ON SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 28, 2014

GLAMOUR

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34 GLAMOUR

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•Continued on Page 42

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44 MAGAZINE

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New WOMAN/BRIDALS

49

•Mr & Mrs Jerry with children, in-laws and grand children on their 48th wedding anniversary on September 25, 2012

•Around 1982

Couple marking 50 years On September 25, of matrimony say 1964, retired Deputy Superintendent of Police John Jerry Amoijelan, married his wife, Roseline Onyejumbi, based on their parents' wishes. Last Thursday, the couple clocked 50 years in matrimony and talked about their life together with Joe Agbro Jr.

W

family because of work?

It wasn't easy. I was transferred in the first week of our wedding to Kaduna State. In the second week, I was drafted to go for an official assignment in Benue State. I had to take her to Zaria to stay with my late brother for five months without me. My wife was very patient throughout that period. That's the job; when duty calls you have no option but to obey and move.

What do you like most about each other?

Mr Jerry: We got married quite young, so we grew fond of each other. My wife is very cheerful and always smiling; Mrs Jerry: He is very reserved, sensitive to my feelings and the fact that he really loves me and the happiness that it brings makes him so special.

What was the biggest challenge of your marriage and how did you resolve it?

Mr Jerry: We were three years in marriage and had no child. My family became very impatient and asked me to get another wife. I stood my ground. I told them we were still young, I couldn't continue to pile wives because I wanted to have children. I assured them God both got married?

Mr Jerry: We were both very young; I would give us children when it was time.

Three years later, the children started was 21, while my wife was coming. That was my vindication. In fact 15 years old we began to control child-birth.

As a police officer, Which activities do both of you enjoy how did you manage doing the most? being away from your Mrs Jerry: Dancing; we love good music, we partied a lot when we were young but now in our old age we just sit together enjoying each other's company. We talk a lot about our family, life and just appreciating God, counting o u r blessings a n d

‘We never

fight’

HERE are you both from? Mr Jerry: We are from Benue State, Otukpo LGA. I am from Asa 1 while my wife is from Otukpo'icho Can you remember how you met, where you met?

Mr Jerry: I remember my mother was sourcing for a wife for me, she told me she had approached a family friend to enquire of their daughter and when she mentioned the name, somehow, I knew I had met this girl way back when she was seven years old. That was before I left for Zaria where I grew up.

Mrs Jerry: I on the other hand only saw the picture his mother brought for me; the wedding was arranged between both parents. We never met.

How did he propose?

Mrs Jerry: It's funny because the proposal was done by his mother to my parents and my parents said yes. I wasn't even asked.

Were there any resistance from your in-laws, if yes, how was it resolved?

Mr Jerry: There was no resistance, both families had a mutual understanding How many children and grand-children do you both have?

Mrs Jerry: We have been blessed with nine children; one is late now and 13 grandchildren How old were you when you

•After their second child in 1969

•The couple on their wedding day September 25th 1964

naming them one by one. We do most of these over hot cup of tea (we are both tea addicts).

How do you resolve problems when they come up?

Mrs Jerry: One thing we do a lot is to always communicate our feelings, we also learn to forgive and let go of any grievances almost immediately.

What are some of your high moments?

Mr Jerry: Whenever we welcome a new baby into the family (my children and now my grandchildren); the feeling and excitement is just so amazing.

What were some of your low moments?

Mrs Jerry: The death of our dear son.

He was a very intelligent, resourceful, calm and gentle young man. He passed on in 2005 at the prime of his life. He was 30 years old.

How do you resolve fights?

Mr Jerry: We have never fought! Just minor arguments which are common among couples but we never fight.

What do you think causes most marriages to break up?

Mrs Jerry: Poor communication, unforgiveness, no love and a big lack of understanding.

What are the necessary ingredients for married couple staying together?

Mrs Jerry: There must be love, understanding, forgiveness and most importantly 'be best friends'.

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THE NATION ON SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 28, 2014

New WOMAN/BRIDALS Umoh Adingwupu was the Company Secretary/Legal Adviser of the then Triumph Bank and a one-time Legal Officer at the Union Bank, among others. With a work experience spanning over 25years, she is now the Managing Director of Pumoh Prints Concepts, a stateof-the-art printing company that was launched in Lagos last week. She spoke to Nneka Nwaneri on her life after she quit the banking industry and her new found love. Excerpts:

H

OW it all started Before leaving the banking industry, I thought of what to do to positively influence Nigeria and the people around us in the community.

I and my husband agreed on printing because people take their printing orders to b e d o n e a b r o a d .

I remember then, when I was in the banking industry, organisers took our annual reports abroad and sometimes they didn't meet the deadline, with the reports arriving during the middle of the meeting. So, the thought of buying printing machines and bringing them down into the country to give quality service to Nigerians was borne. That was how the dreams and ideas came into a reality.

How has the printing business been?

God helped us and we were able to provide resources after we invested millions of naira, which was used to secure the stateof-the-art machines to give good quality and achieve what we wanted. After the machines were installed by expatriates, we commenced operations in March.

Foreseeing the future in the printing world, it's only going to get better.

Challenges of the printing business in Nigeria The major challenge is power. We spend so much on diesel to get the machines functional and effective. Such businesses in

'Everything should not be put on govt’ Nigeria that intend doing well run on diesel and standby generating sets most of the time and this has become a major constraint to Nigerian factory owners.

We run and NGO called field- where we try to empower young people in education and see through schools.

We also go to the grassroots in Aniocha LGA or Delta State where my husband hails from. We do a lot of empowerment there.

Printing is a lucrative business in Nigeria.

Before now, we didn't know it was a good one; we thought it was a business meant for low lives. But coming into the world of colours (printing), it has been exciting and lucrative. Though it is capital intensive if you want to do the kind of quality done abroad, I am sure that is why a lot of people don't go into the business.

So, women who want to be their own entrepreneurs can start somewhere even if they don't have all the machines, they could get jobs, take them to bigger press that can help and start up from there. I always encourage them to come around with their orders so they can get something for

themselves.

Nigeria is a blessed country with both human and all other resources that we need to make us great and better people.

The only challenge is power. If the leaders could arrest the problem by making power stable, that will help those into small businesses like hairdressing, barbing, vulcanisers, who don't need to spend money buying fuel for small generators to keep the business moving.

Everything should not be put on government; we too have roles to play, as individuals can help government in achieving a better Nigeria.

Let us all pool our resources together to make Nigeria a better place by not speaking ill of our country because others don't castigate and tear their countries apart.

Advise for women Women can achieve whatever they want to. They can just dream it and they should believe they can do it. Every woman has the opportunity of living a fulfilled life. For me, a life in Christ has been most rewarding and the best that I can wish for.

Perecastle students display culinary skills at graduation ceremony

T

HE best of culinary delights was on display recently when the latest batch of graduates of Perecastle Catering Academy, Lagos completed their training.

At a classy graduation ceremony and culinary arts presentation at the Express Buffet, Ajao Estate, Lagos, the graduands showcased their culinary skills in different dishes including local and international cuisines. The mouth-watering dishes included different types of fried rice, varieties of soups and other local delicacies, sandwiches, burgers, cakes, grilled foods and finger foods, tastefully presented to the delight of guests. The 100 graduating students, all drawn from the Niger-Delta region, had been undertaking training for a year under the auspices of the Amnesty Programme of the Federal Government.

The CEO of Express Buffet and Perecastle Catering Academy, Mr Blossom Oborokumo, who expressed joy at the passing out ceremony of the students gave a pass mark to the training programme, noting that it had been a success. "It's been a rich experience for me because I have always said if we can get ten percent or twenty percent success, then we have done very well. But we are scoring higher than that so we are good."

By Patience Saduwa

To the CEO, while it had been fulfilling working and training the students, there were also some challenges. As he stated: "There is this cultural shock- they come in from the creeks to the city and everything is new to them so they have to adjust. And it takes them quite some time to adjust, anywhere from the 2nd to fourth month; that's the biggest challenge. We help them by taking them out to the movies, parties, expose them. For some, they have never seen an aircraft or big buses, cars- they are straight from the creeks, all they see are the canoes everyday but now things are different. They also had problems communicating in English. When you talk to them, they will be looking at you as if 'what's he saying?' but now they can write their names. There are a lot of places in this country where kids have not seen anything outside their villages."

In his remarks, Hon. Kingsley Kuku, the Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta Affairs and Chairman, Presidential Amnesty Programme who was represented at the ceremony by Hon. Larry Pepple, enjoined the graduands to make effective use of the skills that had been impacted to

Women get training on politics

By Nneka Nwaneri

D

URING the week, a four-day training, organised by the Centre for Advancement and Development Rights (CEADER), was held for trainers on women's leadership and political participation. It was done in partnership with Women's Learning P a r t n e r s h i p f o r R i g h t s Development and Peace (WLP).

The workshop with the theme: Strategy for Redefining participatory and Inclusive Development in Nigeria was to equip selected women activists to conduct training on political participation. Participants were drawn from Lagos-based NGOs working with women from slum communities.

It also seeks to meet the needs of women at the local level with dogged interest in leadership and politics and yet, do not have the required knowledge and information to channel their interests.

It was the maiden edition of the programme and no stone was left unturned on issues bordering on the relevant women and girl child concerns.

Convener and Director of CEADER, Joy Ngwakwe, said at the opening ceremony that the training is being convened against the backdrop of results of previous elections and the prevalent gender imbalances in leadership representations, and thus the need to be empowered towards the 2015 elections and beyond.

Among topics that topped their discussions were getting the women to identify and know political issues, the dynamics of power, ethics of politics, characteristics of a leader and techniques of mapping the political scene and constituency building. They were taught how to plan action and methods for negotiating for the good of parties involved.

Ngwakwe said: “This is the time to educate women on how to change their status quo in the society and the essence of embracing good ethics.

“We are bringing good values to the political space and redefining women for leadership so that we can raise a generation of leaders with a positive cultural reorientation. We believe this training will also cause a ripple effect in homes by teaching them how to recapture purpose with a difference.”

The event also offered an opportunity to proffer solutions to gender-based violence, by dismantling certain orientations thereby ensuring that women see themselves as partners in progress with their spouses.

At the gathering, the women unanimously agreed to inform other female leaders to be aware and use their positions to mentor other females, enforce more on the issue of education of the girl-child, stop domestic violence, see to widow enlightenment, help reduce poverty amongst women and go steps beyond policies to enforce certain rights.

On the roll of participants at the training were: Mrs Bimbo Oloyede; Chibogu Obinwa; Amy Oyekunle; Anne AdiduLawal; Mrs Caroline Agochukwu; Mrs Olusola Akai; Olayinka subiaro; Kehinde Eyiaromi; Onah Onwanyi; Ajimuda Kehinde; Philomena Okure; Udofia Enoh; Onyenze Chisom; Josephine Nzerem; Anyike Steven; Olubunmi Shonde; Ezinne Glory; Zainab Dada; Adelokun Eniola; Oladunjoye Blessing; Ms Omolara Olumorokun and Biola Ogunyemi, among others.

them by the training programme. "You have been empowered by the Amnesty Programme and it's now left to you to use your talent and entrepreneurial capacity to prove that there's more to the Niger-Delta than oil. We have given you the best, the ball is now in your court; so go out and do the Niger-Delta proud!"

He noted that the programme has trained them not just in catering but in different aspects of life which has made them more polished and exposed, adding that with its multiplier effects, the training programme has created employers of labour.

Besides the training in catering received by the students, they also enjoy after training support as Oborokumo disclosed: "We continue to support them after the training. In fact, if you train, you must continue with the empowerment. Out of a 100 girls, I must on my own set up 30 of the girls up in their businesses before the Amnesty programme comes in to empower the rest."

The ceremony, spiced up with music, dance and drama presentation, saw some of the graduands carting away awards such as the best graduating student (male and female), Miss Congeniality, Perecastle Ambassador, among others.

•A cross section of the women after the training

Continued on Page 53

THE NATION ON SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 28, 2014

ETCETERA

55

SUNNY SIDE

Cartoons

By Olubanwo Fagbemi

POLITICKLE

deewalebf@yahoo.com 08060343214 (SMS only)

Samba memoirs

CHEEK BY JOWL

OH, LIFE!

THE GReggs

Chapter Four: To Pelurinho AFTERNOON meetings in Brazil begin with warm calls of “Boa tarde!” evenings, “Boa noite!” And what pleasant evenings I live through. Intermittent showers temper the tropical weather to the point of permitting afternoon biking and jogging expeditions on dedicated lanes running along the coastline. Yet, these are tamer pursuits compared to the boisterous beat of Pelourinho.

Dotting Praça da Sé and other squares in Salvador are tourist attractions, some with historical significance and others less so. Just before the fountain are statues reminiscent of the colonial era. Between them on a pedestal sits a ‘lifelike’ colonial-era guard to eternal amusement of observers, mostly excited youngsters and their hapless mothers. Coaxed out of his pose with coins thrown into a hat before him, he now and then startles with a shrill whistle from his lips. By the end of the World Cup and with patrons dwindling, I glimpse him on a rainy day disrobed and rubbing paint off his face and limbs. The Brazilian ‘scammer’.

But the first sight of Pelourinho Square remains indelible. I arrive by taxi brandishing directions to ‘Sobrado 25’, a hotel probably more affordable for me as advised by Lorina. My husband works there at the historical centre, she says. His hotel is near the Afro-Brazilian museum. Sounds like the kind of man I want to meet. Okay, I speak for you to meet him. Obrigada. Thanks.

I promptly encounter a restless crowd at the square. Hang on; I’ve come at a bad time. Near panic, I turn to the nearest makeshift police post and inquire as to the location of Sobrado 25. Sorry. No one, not even the English-speaking cop among the lot, knows.

Dejected, I walk up the undulating square and feel my way through the dynamic mass of humans, which, to my relief, turns out to be mainly visiting.

The multi-national mix of replica jerseys and tongue suggests as much on closer inspection. That’s better, I think. But I begin to move round in circles until, crosseyed, I end up at the tourist information office of the Municipal Guard.

There, Sidclei Neyton, the officer at the front desk graciously breaks me into the Bahian, nay, Brazilian life. Hours after, I get up to go and promise to return to conclude the interview. When will I return? Next tomorrow, perhaps? And yes, I will let him know when the interview is published. When exactly? Let’s say about three weeks after the end of the World Cup, allowing for my return and settling into Nigerian society.

Now where can I find Sobrado 25? Sidclei fetches a colourful map from behind the desk and reads. Er, not quite sure, ah, here it is. Go down the road outside, straight down until you find the African church at the bottom of the square. It’s just after it. Oh, don’t thank me. De nada. You’re welcome. See you next tomorrow.

At Sobrado 25 at last, I meet Lorina’s husband, Ednelson. A genial fellow with multilingual skills, he constantly attends to tourists lodging in the hotel in Portuguese, French and English. My wife told me about you, he says. How I can speak with everybody at once? I have a gift for languages. I can speak French, English, German and Arabian. Maybe not very well, but I try. I live for three years with my wife in the United Arab Emirates. All the time I tell Lorina not to be shy and learn to speak other languages. Now I can work anywhere.

So you want a room? We are full, with people from France, especially. They are here to support their team. You know France is playing in Salvador. But I will help you to speak with other hotels. Come back in two or three days time and we’ll see, or I’ll let you know once I have something. Disappointed, I leave without a result, but pleased with my expanding circle of friends.

•Tourists at Praça da Sé

Jokes Humour The Driver A SUCCESSFUL businessman flew to a city known for gambling and having a good time.

He intended to spend the weekend gambling there. But he ended up losing the shirt off his back, and had nothing left but a coin and the second half of his round trip ticket. All he needed to do now was to somehow make the airport, and then he’d be home and dry.

So he went out to the front of the casino where there was a cab waiting. He got in and explained his situation to the driver. He promised to send the money from home. He offered his credit card numbers, driver’s licence number, address and other details but the cabbie wouldn’t budge.

He said, ‘’If you don’t have N2,000, get the hell out of my cab!’’

So the businessman was forced to walk to the airport and barely caught his flight.

One year later, the businessman, having worked long and hard to regain his financial success, returned to gamble and won big.

Feeling pretty good about himself, he went out to the front of the casino to get a cab ride back to the airport. And who should be there

at the end of a long line of cabs, but his old friend who refused him a ride when he was down on his luck.

The businessman thought for a moment about how he could make the driver pay for his lack of charity, and he hatched a plan.

The businessman got in the first cab in the line, ‘’How much for a ride to the airport,’’ he asked? ‘’N2,000,’’ the first cabbie said. ‘’And how much for you to sing nursery rhymes for me on the way?’’ ‘’What? Get the heck out of my cab!’’

The businessman got into the back of each cab in the long line and asked the same questions which earned the same result every time.

When he got to his old friend at the back of the line, the businessman got in and asked, ‘’How much for a ride to the airport?’’

The cabbie said, ‘’N2,000.’’

The businessman said, ‘’OK,’’ and off they went.

As they drove slowly past the long line of taxis, the businessman gave a big smile and thumbs up sign to each of the other drivers – enough to start a gossip.

•Adapted from the Internet

Writer ’s Fountain ow to create real challenging situations. characters: Interview them for a job How can you do that? Find someone you A more resourceful way is to pretend that know intimately and build your story around your characters are applying for a job at your that person. Who do you know intimately? company. Interview them. Present difficult Yourself, of course. But be careful. Agents sigh questions. The answers they give might when they read a novel that’s openly autosurprise you. They’ll also provide bits and biographical. It’s the sign of a novice writer. pieces of dialogue you can work into your Instead, think of people who know you very stories. But an even better way to write a story well – your spouse, partner, closest friend – with real characters is to get to know them and ask them, “How would I act in this given from the inside and then drop them into situation?”

They might reply, “You would do this”. It Mosquito cost: •Mosquitoes are cold-blooded and prefer will probably be the last thing you’d have temperatures over 80 degrees. At temperatures thought of. At once, you’ll learn some painful less than 50 degrees, they hibernate or shut truths about yourself. More importantly, down for the winter. The adult females of some you’ll discover your character. It’s you, yet species find holes where they wait for warmer not you.

That character can now be developed weather, while others lay their eggs in freezing water and die. The eggs keep until the painlessly without all the personal baggage temperatures rise, and they can hatch. and emotional blockages entailed in ‘writing •The average mosquito lifespan is less than you’. two months. Males have the shortest lives, Needless to say, reserve that technique for usually 10 days or less, and females can live just a few pivotal points in your story, where about six to eight weeks, under ideal your character faces a life-changing situation. conditions. The females lay eggs about every You’ll naturally know how your creation three days during that time. Females of species would respond to any event. You’re now that hibernate may live up to six months. inside your character. It’s you, yet not you.

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THE NATION ON SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2014

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How far can exchange traded funds go?

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From John Ofikhenua, Abuja

country, noting that if the government does not provide an alternative the illicit trade would continue to thrive.

According to the minister who was addressing a delegation from Oyo State Government in his office at Abuja, the impact of smuggling activities in the sector has unsettled the Federal Government.

His words: "One of the biggest problems we have is smuggling. Gemstone is the biggest culprit. 80% of the

‘We have open approach to staff matters’

‘Conoil remains on the path of growth’ •Adenuga

Page 60

80% of Nigerian gemstone is smuggled F the gemstone produced in Nigeria, 80 per cent is being smuggled, said the Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Architect Musa Sada.

"In the Federal Executive Council meeting we were discussing the non-oil revenue and one of the biggest problems we have is smuggling and gemstone is one of the biggest culprits," he said.

He attributed the cause to lack of a common gemstone selling avenue in the

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gemstone being exploited in Nigeria is being smuggled.

And that is worrisome and we thought the best way out of the challenge is to create avenue where people can sell because currently they are not there. That encourages them but if we have a place where we are keeping them then we can apprehend them."

The Oyo State deputy governor, Mr. Moses Adeyemo, who led the delegation, had earlier sought the assistance of the ministry for the building of a gemstone centre in the state.

He told Sada that the state opened discussion to build the centre with the Federal Government through a Public Private Partnership (PPP) in 2005, "but it did not happen and that is why we are here today."

He also informed the minister that there is also a pending plan to build a marble deposit centre Gbeti .The deputy governor requested the minister to intimate the delegation on the way to accomplish the project.

•Fowler

Page 62

'FG committed to sustainable environment' From Frank Ikpefan, Abuja HE Director - General, National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency, Dr. Ngeri Benebo at the weekend said the Federal Government was fully committed to ensuring environmental sustainability.

Benebo said the government aims to provide the people with a clean and healthy environment upon which the natural ecology of the country can effectively develop towards achieving better socio-economic development.

The DG spoke at the stakeholders' meeting on the National Vehicular Emission Control Programme (NVECP) in Abuja, recently.

Benebo said automobiles, despite its numerous benefits have continued to be a major source of air pollution.

She said: "There has been a rapid increase of cars on our roads, and the problem of pollution has increased exponentially along with the growth in the number of cars.

"Reducing vehicular emissions therefore, is key to tackling air pollution.

"Therefore, if we reduce vehicular pollutants, we can significantly enhance air quality, improve public health, and save billions of Naira in health care costs."

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StarTimes secures exclusive rights to air European matches

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IGITAL Terrestrial Technology Pay TV service provider in Nigeria, NTA STAR TV Network had secured the rights to bring live football actions of European Qualifiers Matches on StarTimes Sports 2.

A statement from StarTimes said this package is exclusive to and available only on StarTimes, from September 7 to 16th of November 2014.

According to the statement, "Startimes will be showing live the European Qualifiers Matches involving the best soccer Nations and greatest players in the world.

StarTimes Sport 2 has a rich, diverse and global outlook aimed at meeting the teeming needs of current and prospective customers, who are constantly searching for rich sports content."

The statement said StarTimes Sport 2 will "offer sports inclined customers as well as prospects a diverse range of sports like soccer, tennis, golf, rugby, car-racing, cricket and extreme sports."

The content of StarTimes Sport 2 will include live broadcasts and highlights, sport news, sports programmes, sports movies and exercise education.

StarTimes has the exclusive rights to air over 200 matches of European Qualifiers competitions. The first half play of the European Qualifiers begins in September and ends in mid November 2014, while the second half will begin in March 2015 to end in mid November 2015.

•From left: Chief Executive Officer, Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), Mr. Oscar Onyema presenting a gong to the Leader, UK Trade & Investment Envoy to Nigeria, Mr. David Heath on a courtesy visit to the Exchange in Lagos…recently HE government of Nigeria is moving to copy the private sector by engaging the services of ICT giant to automate most if not all of its processes.

Addressing journalists in Abuja at the IBM Smarter Government Forum, Cherif Morcos, Software Executive, Middle East and Africa of IBM, disclosed that already the Nigerian public sector that are progressive in security related areas, like the Defence and Interior ministries have gone far

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IBM to help FG automate processes From Nduka Chiejina (Assistant Editor), Abuja with the automation process "because they handle a lot of security related documents all the way from identity cards and lots more."

Morcos stated that "most governments right now are dealing with information capture in an analog, most of which are paper-based, but we (IBM) have come to help them improve from being paper-based to ICT proficient.

This new automation of all government documentation he said has the potential of improving the effectiveness and efficiency of governance.

To help the Nigerian government achieve this, IBM, Morcos said "will invest more into the government awareness and also get support from the leadership and sometimes working with several regions and governments and people who will like to do something but are afraid of change."

He stated that the closer IBM is to them "by having this and other events, we will make them see that it is not do difficult to make this change, it takes away the risk factor from the equation, when you bring examples that have already worked from other governments that is actually working, it makes it easier for them to understand. It is across government initiative and they are actually communicating as an agency."

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NIM calls for transformational leadership

ARTICIPANTS at the 2014 Nigeria Institute of Management (Chartered) Conference have called on the government to stem corruption if they want the country to move forward.

The event which took place at the Golden Tulip Hotel in Warri, Delta State, saw the participants unanimously calling for a transformational leadership as a panacea to the slow pace of development in the country.

The president and Chairman of Council, Dr. Nelson Uwaga stated that the annual conference aims at contributing to national development.

The conference, which has the theme "Strengthening the Institution of Nationhood: Challenges of Management," drew participants from all over the country.

Nwaga stated that for the country to move forward, there is the need to establish stronginstitutions.

He said: "This is a collective responsibility that can only be achieved with attitudinal change and redefinition of our national ethos and values."

Mr. Nwaga urged every Nigerian to contribute their quota to the development of the country.

"The challenges Nigeria is facing presently are part of the process of becoming a nation and will be short-lived. Let us all join hands together to deepen our nascent democracy in the face of daunting challenges and make Nigeria great,"he said.

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THE NATION ON SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 28, 2014

BUSINESS

How far can exchange traded funds go?

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MONG Nigeria's corporate world, especially savvy investors with flair for stocks, securities, to mention just a few, the term 'Exchange Traded Funds' has naturally become the buzz word and the reason for this is not far to seek: this is because among the discerning public, ETFs has been identified as perhaps the real deal!

ABC of ETFs Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) are dynamic instruments usually designed to track different types of indexes such as equities index, bond index or commodity index. The indexes can be sector specific such as those limited to oil and gas companies, construction companies, banks, financial services, or commodities such as precious metals, and export crops, among others.

Nigeria's emerging ETF market ETFs are a relatively new asset class in the Nigerian capital market. As at today, there are only two ETFs listed in Nigeria - the New Gold ETF and the Vetiva Griffin 30 ETF. The New Gold ETF is sponsored by ABSA Capital in conjunction with Vetiva Capital Management Ltd. The ETF continuously tracks the spot price of gold in the South African market. The Vetiva Griffin 30 ETF is sponsored by Vetiva Capital Management Ltd and it tracks the NSE 30 index, a basket of the 30 most highly capitalised and liquid stocks on the NSE. As noted previously, there are only two ETFs currently listed on the NSE namely the NEWGOLD ETF which tracks track the price of Gold Fix PM on the London Stock Exchange("LSE") and Vetiva Griffin 30 ETF, which tracks the NSE 30 index (a basket of the 30 most highly capitalized and liquid stocks on the NSE). Since inception, The VG30, alongside the index tracked (i.e NSE30) has outperformed the NSEAll Share Index with a year to date currently at 10.06 per cent (vs NSEASI 7.95per cent).

Unlike the traditional stocks being traded in the capital market, buying into any ETF investors are able to obtain market exposure into the underlying universe of securities tracked by the index.

The race for ETF Lotus Capital Limited, a pioneer and household name in ethical fund management in Nigeria has launched the first sharia compliant Exchange Traded Fund in sub-Saharan Africa- the Lotus Halal Equity Exchange Traded Fund ("LHE ETF"), with a target of raising about NGN1.5 billion during the initial offer period. The offer opened on 15th August, 2014 and closed 11th September, 2014, with subscription put at an indicative unit price approximately equal to 1/200th of the value of the NSE-Lotus Islamic Index ("NSE LII").

The LHE ETF would be listed and traded on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) and will contribute to overall market capitalisation and the global exchange traded fund universe.

Ibrahim Apekhade Yusuf in this report captures the pros and cons of exchange traded funds vis-à-vis its economic prospects, disadvantages, among others

•Stockbrokers on the floor of exchange •

Some indexes may also be thematic, such as the NSE-LII which tracks the performance of Shari'ah complaint stocks listed on the NSE. Some indexes are jurisdiction specific i.e they track the performance of major stocks in particular jurisdictions, such as the HSBC Frontier Markets ETF tracking Nigerian and Kenyan stocks.

According Mrs Hajara Adeola, Managing Director, the LHE ETF is designed as an open ended fund intended to track the yield and performance of the NSE-LII. The NSE LII was initially developed by Lotus Capital Ltd in 2009 and publicly launched in conjunction with the NSE in 2012to track the performance of Shari'ah compliant stocks on the NSE. The underlying stocks in the NSELII undergo what is known as Shari'ah or Islamic screening by the Fund Manager, Lotus Capital, before inclusion in the index.

There are two levels of screening qualitative and quantitative screening. The qualitative screening eliminates unethical subsectors or subsectors which are not permissible under Islamic law such as companies dealing in alcoholic beverages, tobacco, conventional financial services, gambling and adult entertainment.

The second stage which is the qualitative screening employs the use of financial ratios and factors to eliminate listed companies with unacceptable levels of debt, cash and interest income. The market capitalization and liquidity of the stocks are also an important consideration in placing them in the index.

The NSE LII is rebased semiannually to ensure all stocks continually meet the set criteria. This rigorous process of selection enables the Fund Manager to track the stocks with utmost value. The NSE-LII was designed to assist investors particularly retail investors seeking exposure to Sharia compliant equities on the NSE in

making easy investment decision that does not compromise their value. Thus, by going through the constituent stocks of the NSE-LII, they are able to choose the stocks to invest in.

The LHE ETF will offer investors competitive yields, as the constituent securities in the underlying index are fundamentally sound, consisting of companies like DangoteCement Plc, which contributes 20% to market capitalisation, WAPCO(1.82%) andNestle (4%). In terms of liquidity, the LHE ETF will be listed and actively traded on the NSE. In addition, Vetiva Securities Limited, the ETF's Authorized Dealer will provide liquidity by continuously providing two-way quotes for the LHE ETF on the floor of the NSE. In this way, the Authorized Dealer will be available to buy the units of any holder at any time.

Benefits of ETF In the view of analyst, investing in the ETF reduces the cost and time required by an investor to independently create an equity portfolio. This is an important advantage of investing in the LHE ETF particularly for retail investor.

Thus, the LHE ETF Securities will confer on the unit holder of one security a proportionate share in the economic benefits of all the securities issued by the constituent companies comprising the NSE-LII. This also provides an important asset allocation and cash management tools for institutional investors.

The LHE ETF should also provide lower transaction cost in terms of management fees compared to an active mutual fund and also afford the Fund Manager opportunity to negotiate lower transaction cost usually associated with stock transfers.

With the launch of the Lotus Halal Equity ETF, institutional investors such as pension fund administrators, fund/portfolio/asset managers, trustee, brokers, in-

surance companies' e.t.c. would have a broader asset class and investment outlet. It is represent an attractive value proposition to foreign investors particularly fund/ portfolio managers seeking exposure to the Nigerian equities market. In addition, the LHE ETF would provide a new asset class for ethical funds who hitherto have limited instruments to invest in.

A key consideration in equity investments is the need to manage the volatility inherent in the capital market. As a unit of the ETF represents a portfolio of fundamentally sound, diverse and lower-correlated stocks, the volatility of the ETF is therefore, lower than that of a single stock and indeed the market as a whole.

In a related development, Mr. Olufemi Shobanjo, Head, Broker Dealer Regulation at NSE, in a statement was noted as saying that the new investment window, ETF, has the potential to boost the Exchange by encouraging more firms to list.

According to Shobanjo, "Another thing this also ensures is that the Nigerian capital market as a whole is sustainable with better investor confidence and even prospective companies that might want to list on the Exchange will feel more welcome if a strong dealing member firm is able to give better information and better quality advice while aptly walking them through the process of listing."

Stanbic IBTC joins the fray Like Vevital and Lotus Capital Limited, Stanbic IBTC Asset Management Limited has also joined the vanguard of those trading on ETF. The Stanbic IBTC Exchange Traded Fund 30 (ETF 30), which initial public offering opened on Monday, 15 September 2014, was formally presented to investors and stakeholders.

Justifying the need for the new investment window, Mr. Olumide Oyetan, Chief Executive Officer of

Stanbic IBTC Asset Management Limited, managers of the Fund, said at two investors' forums in Lagos that a deep financial sector as well as vibrant capital market is pivotal in enhancing economic efficiency, attracting investment and driving faster growth.

By launching the Stanbic IBTC Exchange Traded Fund 30, Oyetan said the company, Nigeria's leading asset management firm, seeks to expand participation of domestic investors in the capital market, which will help in the capital formation process and in turn generate significant returns to investors while fueling wealth creation as well as economic growth.

"The opening of the Stanbic IBTC ETF 30 is a direct response to increased investor demand for passive investment strategies that will deliver the market return for the index being tracked, which in this case is the NSE 30 of the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE). The Stanbic IBTC ETF 30 provides a transparent and flexible structure that allows investors efficiently gain exposure to the securities of these companies that have over time out-performed the broad equity market," said Oyetan.

The offer, which closes on Wednesday, October 15, 2014, opened with 10,000,000 units of the Fund available at N100 each at par. It offers a minimum subscription of 10,000 units and multiples of 5,000 units thereafter.

Oyetan stated that the Fund is designed to track the performance of the NSE 30 Index which comprises of the top 30 companies listed on the NSE in terms of market capitalization and liquidity.

The index serves as the flagship benchmark for the stock market as it represents 92% of the NSE's market capitalisation and the Stanbic IBTC ETF 30 will replicate the price and yield performance of the index. The Fund, Oyetan added, will invest 100% of its assets in the same portfolio of securities that

THE NATION ON SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 28, 2014

•Adeola

•Oyetan

comprise the NSE 30 Index in proportion to their weightings in the Underlying Index.

"The Fund represents a convenient and efficient way for investors to have access to the top 30 most capitalised and liquid stocks on the NSE, in a cost-effective manner. We believe that it will appeal to sophisticated and institutional investors that believe in the growth story of companies listed on the NSE and by extension, in the abundant growth opportunities that exist in Nigeria," added Oyetan.

The commitment, expertise, experience and global clout of the Standard Bank Group, to which Stanbic IBTC Asset Management Limited belongs, will be deployed to ensure success of the Stanbic IBTC ETF 30, Oyetan assured.

Value of ETF worldwide According to Ernst & Young, the third largest multinational professional services firm in the world, stated that the global ETF industry as at October 2013 had 5,042 ETFs, with 10,053 listings, assets of US2.3 trillion, from 215 providers on 58 Exchanges while annual growth of 15%-30% is predicted around the globe over the coming five years.

Exit strategy for Exchange Traded Funds On the exit strategy for investors, analysts have argued that ETF remain the safest. Echoing similar sentiments, Oyetan said: "I think the first thing about it is that this product is not meant to trap anybody. I had mentioned that people can trade it on the floor of the stock exchange. So, you can go to your broker and try and sell it the way you have may be any particular securities like Nigerian Breweries, whether it's shares of Forte Oil, or any banking stocks.

So, it would be easy to trade at any point in time.

"So, people should buy and sell based on the price. If you want to redeem a large number as well, you can come to the fund manager and he can redeem it also either by cash or we give you the underlying security of those things. So, you can take that or take the cash value at the point when you show up. But it is not, and I repeat, not designed to trap anybody.

"A part of it is that they are equally two mechanisms for you to be able to exit it at the floor of the stock exchange. I know that there is a broker also promoting liquidity. So if you don't want to go to a broker, you can go to the authorised dealer, which is Stanbic IBTC Stockbroker and they are supposed to ensure that you can exit it if you want to."

Downsides of investing in an ETF Speaking on the downsides of ETF, Oyetan waxed philosophical. "I think the downside is that an investor might buy the stock expecting that the market would do well because it is supposed to give you a market return and if the market does not do well, it becomes an issue."

Going down memory lane, he recalled that in 2007/2008, "When the market was kept on badly and investors and the return rate was five per cent. That year, the NSE ETF 30 had minus 40 per cent. Because the ETF track investors might get like 30 and will be disillusioned."

Expatiating, he said: "But remember that when I buy this thing, the market was saying I'm satisfied with the terms. It's the same way everything would turn 36 per cent. When the investors got 36 per cent, or managed to get the 36 per cent, the risk is that the market might not do well. And the manager does not have any ability, and he is not supposed to interfere with market performance to make it now perform because if we do that then we will not be abiding to it. It's like saying that oh, this thing is supposed to take you somewhere, and then it goes to another place.

"As professionals, we have to ensure what we are supposed to do. Sometimes, that particular index that he is tracking sometimes might do very well, sometimes it might do poorly. It's just that investors are supposed to be liquid because investors might not buy when they need to buy, but buy when they think they are doing well."

Stanbic IBTC Asset Management Limited (SIAML), a wholly owned asset management subsidiary of Stanbic IBTC Holdings Plc, concluded pre-offering process for the initial public offering (IPO) of its Stanbic IBTC Exchange Traded Fund (ETF) 30, paving the way for the opening of the application list for the ETF. Application list for the IPO opened on Monday, September 15 and will close on Wednesday, October 15, 2014. Minimum subscription is 10,000 units and multiples of 5,000 units thereafter. The signing ceremony was sequel to approvals for the registration and listing of the units of the Fund from the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE).

Stanbic IBTC Capital Limited is the issuing house to the offer. The Stanbic IBTC ETF 30 will invest 100 per cent of its assets in the same portfolio of securities that comprise the NSE 30 Index in proportion to their weightings in the underlying index.

BUSINESS

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•Cross-section of participants at the summits

Ajimobi, others solicit FDI to Nigeria

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ALLS for foreign direct investment in Nigeria re-echoed recently as a cross-section of experts, impressed on prospective investors abroad, the need to invest in the country's economy.

The event was at the Greater London Business Conference on Nigeria, organised by the Nigerian London Business Forum (NLBF), in London, the United Kingdom.

Speaking at the forum, Oyo State governor Senator Abiola Ajimobi said many states across the federation have huge potentials waiting to be tapped.

Ajimobi, who addressed a huge gathering of business leaders from the UK and Nigeria, as well as government officials and chamber of commerce executives, said Oyo State currently has a gross domestic product (GDP) of $2.3bn, a population of 7m and a literacy rate of 62.6% and is striving to improve productivity to catch up with consumption.

He added: "Oyo State is bigger than Gambia, Equatorial Guinea, Belgium and Israel in terms of population but our GDP is only $2.3bn but the annual growth rate is 14%. If you look across the Mint countries, Nigeria has the highest illiteracy rates and the highest unemployment rates but we are working to address all these problems.

"In health for instance, when we assumed office there were only 120 doctors in Oyo State but over three years, we have increased this number to 620. We are also working hard on housing. As by our estimates we need 259,000 housing units between now and 2020 but, we have started off with the first 5,000 units."

Upbeat that his administration will succeed in providing the necessary social amenities and an enabling environment for economic growth, Ajimobi said his administration is always on the lookout for private sector partners to work with.

"We have companies partnering with us to build houses and among them are Spanish, US and indigenous firms building houses for low, middle and high income earners. In agriculture too, we are looking for partners as the Food and Agricultural Organisation has recommended that there be two tractors per hectare of land but at the moment, we have achieved less than that, compared with Asian countries that have reached 15%.

"We also found out that as much as 70% of our agricultural produce was going to waste as it was not getting to market, so there is an opportunity in this sector for interested investors. In agriculture, I am confident that we can get output to match 75% of consumption within the next five years if my administration is returned to office for another four-year term next year."

•As expert projects £1trn exports between Nigeria/UK by 2020

By Ibrahim Apekhade Yusuf

Other areas the governor said his administration is working hard on is business registration, in a bid to ensure that private sector operators willing to operate in Oyo State can get their business registered within 48 hours.

He added that to encourage such investors, the government is giving them all sorts of incentives such as 30% tax concessions for five years.

NLBF Director Dr Chris Onalo, who received outstanding ovation for his unrelenting effort at deepening bilateral relations between Nigeria and the United Kingdom, added that he is confident that the conference will aid the process of facilitating commerce between Nigeria and the UK. He added that the organisers had been working on the conference for five months being the third in series, and found that there was a need to enhance existing structures and remove hurdles capable of frustrating the flow of trade and investment between the two countries.

Dr Onalo said: "We are here to work with the two countries who believe they can do the best to continue to trade and collaborate in business.

For instance, it was decided that there should be a fast visa application process for business men and women who are members of any credible registered local chambers of commerce and trade associations in the two countries.

Echoing similar sentiments, Hassan Mohammed Hassan, the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment at the Nigerian High Commission in the UK, who stood in for the High Commissioner Dr Dalhatu Tafida, added that the Nigerian government remains committed to drastically increasing the volume of trade between the two countries.

Hassan said: "In 2011, President Goodluck Jonathan and Prime Minister David Cameron decided to double trade between both countries to £8bn. Between November 2011 and now, almost 85% of that has been attained, especially in the areas of oil and gas and we are trying to come up with another projection.

"I can assure you that we shall be working to do more to achieve the new target that will be projected;" so, we want the UK and European Union to work with us and not push Nigeria aside. At the moment, Nigeria has a GDP of over $500bn and an annual growth rate of about 7%, with most of it coming from activities which are private sector facilitated."

Other delegates like Mrs Mary Akpobome, Executive Director,

Heritage Bank who stood in for the bank's CEO, Mr. Ifie Sekibo, spoke about the huge potential that exists in Nigerian business.

Mrs Akpobome added that her bank is focusing its energy on small and medium enterprises (SME's) funding as it is a very important sector of the economy which accounts for 50% of global employment.

"SMEs are a sector in Nigeria that has not attracted the level of support it should have got. About 32.4m Nigerians are employed in the sector and we at Heritage Bank found out that SMEs is a sector where you can offer significant support if you derisk it," she said..

Expatiating, she said: "A lot of the players in the sector have different challenges of which finance is a major one but by working with them, we have got to a stage whereby 60% to 70% of our business is with SMEs. We started out by putting together an SME clinic and we sit down with people to understand their structure to find out if they need loans or not."

Raphael Channer, an international trade advisor at the UK Trade and Investment, said British exports currently total £500n and the target is to double this to £1trn by 2020 with increased sales to markets like Nigeria. He added that this will mean the number of companies increasing from the current ratio of one in four firms to one in five.

Tayo Omideji, the head of strategy at Nigerian Export Import Bank (Nexim), one of the top sponsors of the conference added that his bank's mandate is to diversify the Nigerian export market, as at the moment, 95% of government revenue comes from oil. He added that Nexim does this by providing credit assistance to exporters.

Mr Omideji added: "Africa only accounts for 3% of world trade despite accounting for 15% of the global population. Also, inter-regional trade within Africa is only between 12% and 15% compared with 70% in Europe, which is why we are trying to develop the African continent so people who come to do business in Nigeria will be able to deal with 1bn Africans."

Jennifer Obaseki of UK law firm, Obaseki Solicitors, added that her company works with people seeking business visas to travel and advised anyone travelling for a conference to ensure they have the proper documentation before applying for their visa. She added that her company also works with companies looking to expand into other markets other than Nigeria and the UK.

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THE NATION ON SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 28, 2014

BUSINESS

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T a time when many publicly quoted companies can hardly break even and are barely surviving, some have continued to weather the storm and turbulence occasioned by the lull and grinding economic crunch.

Interestingly, among the few companies that have made good is Conoil Plc, the frontline petroleum products marketing company.

The increasing shareholder value and steady growth attained by the company over the last few years is self-evident of its overall success. That much the company's board can attest to.

In the view of market analysts, the proposed payment of N4.00 per share for every 50kobo share to shareholders was a promise kept by the company, which followed from its impressive performance across its business segments in the financial year ended December 2013.

Recalled that the Chairman of Conoil Plc, Dr. Mike Adenuga had, while addressing shareholders at the company's 43rd Annual General Meeting (AGM) in October 2013, assured investors that the company remained committed to maintaining its leadership position in the downstream petroleum sector by growing its business and creating an enduring value for its shareholders and other stakeholders.

"We are building stronger financial position and creating enduring value for our shareholders. We will constantly develop strategies to sustain our position as the only marketer that always goes the extra mile for our ever growing customers, with total commitment to excellent service delivery," he noted.

While expatiating on the strategies to be adopted to achieve the set target, the Conoil boss disclosed that the company had strengthened and consolidated its leadership position in the aviation business with investment in the acquisition of new world-class equipment to meet the demands, on real time basis, of the company's ever-growing local and international clientele.

"Our strategy in retail is to provide top quality products and services that will make customers want to always patronise us for their fuel and non-fuel needs. We are not resting on our oars on our aggressive acquisition and expansion drive that aims at increasing, substantially, the number of our retail outlets nationwide," Adenuga had stressed, adding, "Conoil's future is rosy because the company is constantly thinking ahead and acquiring additional capacity that is necessary for growth and profitability, despite the unpredictability of the economic environment."

Expectedly, Conoil's current full year results showed that revenue grew by 6.4% to reach N159.54 billion as against N149.99 billion posted in 2012. Gross Profit shot up to N17.04 billion, which represents over 5% rise above the previous years.

The company also posted 289% increase in Profit Before Tax from N1.15 billion in 2012 to N4.58 billion, while it recorded Profit After Tax of N3.07 billion, which amounts to 330% increase over what was posted in 2012.

The report also showed a stronger balance sheet as retained earnings boosted shareholders' funds to N18.04 billion in 2013 compared with N15.66 billion in 2012.

Market watchers further noted that the impressive dividend and profit and loss accounts performance were in line with market's expectations given Conoil's consis-

‘Conoil remains on the path of growth’

•Adenuga

By Ibrahim Apekhade Yusuf

tent growth over the years.

The company in a press statement attributed the great financial outing to improved cost efficiency, significant reduction in interest expense and a strong hold on cost of sales.

The company added that its performance was driven by revenue increase from its nationwide retail outlets, especially its newly commissioned mega stations. It was also augmented by additional income streams from its worldclass quality lubricant products.

Conoil said it stepped up engine oil export to West African markets as well as entered into joint venture partnerships with leading car manufacturing companies.

It added that its income was also bolstered by ancillary services including marketing of Low Pour Fuel Oil (LPFO). It would be recalled that the front line oil products marketer had shown signs of a sound financial year after posting 341 percent increase in profit before tax while its profit after tax went up by 329 percent in the third quarter of 2013.

Commenting on the results, Adenuga said

the company had consolidated its competitiveness in the different segments of the business.

"We also pursued and sustained strategic expansion of our retail network across the length and breadth of the country with a view to ensuring that a lot more people, especially in the remotest parts of the country, have access to our superior products and services."

While assuring the shareholders that Conoil is equipped with all the essential materials, intellectual and human resources, to surmount the challenges ahead in the downstream petroleum sector, Adenuga stated that the company has been positioned to take full advantage of opportunities that could arise from the Federal government's economic reforms, by leveraging on the solid base built over the years.

"Greater attention will be devoted to cutting operational costs in the different segments of the business, while still maintaining and improving on the quality of our products and services. With renewed commitment, we will explore developing and emerging markets, even as we continue to build on our strengths in areas where we perform well, with good growth and profitability," Adenuga added.

Indeed, the front line oil-products marketer had shown signs of a sound financial year after posting 341 percent increase in profit before tax while its profit after tax went up by 329 percent in the third quarter of 2013.

The company was simply reaping from the fruit of strategic planning embarked upon in recent times. At the beginning of 2013, Conoil had launched the second phase of its comprehensive four-year expansion plan started three years ago, with the commissioning of new ultra-modern retail outlets spread across the country. Conoil had earmarked about N4.8 billion for the project which is targeted to grow the company's sales and revenue by over 65 percent.

Conoil embarked on the plan to adequately prepare for industry-specific challenges, ensure impressive growth in its performance indicators and consolidate its leadership position in the downstream petroleum business.

The company had commenced the ambitious plan with the upgrade of its storage tanks at the company's depots nationwide to accommodate bulk product imports.

In pursuant of this, the company increased the storage tanks for white products - Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), diesel and kerosene - to 80,000 metric tonne, to double the capacity of its storage facilities at its Apapa installation.

Another major plank of the expansion programme was the construction of the company's multi-billion naira Port Harcourt depot which has the capacity to hold 70,000 metric tonne of various petroleum products with the propensity to dispense 5.5 million litres per day. The Port Harcourt depot complements the company's flagship installation in Apapa, Lagos, providing easy access to fuel imports and easing the pressure on available jetties and other port infrastructures in Lagos.

Conoil, which controls about 30 per cent of the nation's lubricant market, has also committed substantial investments to upgrade and expand its lubricant blending plants at its depots at Apapa, Lagos, Port Harcourt and Kano with a view to meeting and surpassing customers' ever increasing demand for its quality engine oil.

The company's lubricant business received a major boost during the financial year under review, when it was admitted into the ECOWAS Trade Liberalization Scheme (ETLS), which afforded the company the opportunity to export its high grade, proudly made in Nigeria motor engine oils to established markets in the sub-region duty free.

The ETLS was adopted by ECOWAS member states to eliminate trade barriers and facilitate trade integration, improve the foreign exchange earnings of companies of member states and create more jobs in their respective countries.

Also, the company, through innovation in the production and distribution of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) from the state-ofthe-art LPG bottling plant located in Ikeja, Lagos, launched itself as a leader in the provision of services that are of world-class standards to consumers.

How risk management can support executive implementation

R

ISK can be defined as uncertain event that may occur or not occur during a project and it can either have a positive or negative effect. If the outcome of a risk is positive then it is an opportunity but if it is negative then it is a threat. Therefore, not all risks are bad. In fact risks with likely positive outcome should be magnified to increase the chances of it occurrence while risk with a likely negative result should be eliminated if possible or mitigate the impact of the risk should it happened by applying appropriate risk response plan. Generally, risk may make or mar project outcomes thereby making risk management an indispensable part of project management. Risk management is therefore crucial in determining projects success especially in an increasingly unruly and highly volatile economy like Nigeria where government policies are most vulnerable to change influenced by the whims and caprices of policy makers sponsored by greedy merchants both in government and outside government. It is im-

By Akintola Oluwatosin perative then for companies to protect their investment, reduce threats, build competitive and remain relevant through a robust risk management. However, cost of risk management makes companies feel that they can scrape by with the bare minimum. Until a crisis rears its ugly head, the value of risk management might be latent not visible to executives who are only keen on quick fixes that expose the project portfolio to dangers instead of building an enduring risk management process that will ensure projects deliver on objectives as stipulated in the project charter.

Regardless of the size and complexity of a project, project managers must be aware of-and prepared for-dangers both small and large. When companies do not understand the risk scenarios their entire project portfolio is left exposed to failure eroding trust and confidence in both project managers and future projects to deliver on strategic business objectives. Risk manage-

ment is what helps both project managers and business executives identify the potential crisis that will cause project to fall apart or opportunities that executives are oblivious of that will enhance the success of the project and secondly, risk management will also help to look for alternative plan to either eliminate or exploit the risks identified. Without effective risk management, the difference between what you plan to achieve and what you actually achieve is often significantly different. To be sure, project managers and their team members must assess the risks inherent in a project and adjust forecasts, tasks and processes accordingly. But risk management at the project level isn't enough. The most effective risk-management processes go beyond individual projects and take root at the portfolio (group of related projects) level. Only by examining the inter-related relationships between projects and business strategic objectives can opportunities and threats gauged accurately and accessed on the strength of their merits.

Using risk management best practices pre-

vents future project problems and helps companies focus on what is really important, which results in better use of resources and efficiency.

According to a research by Ernst and Young, 96 percent of global executives believe their risk management could be improved and almost half of those respondents felt that investing in stronger risk-management practices would help them achieve greater competitive advantage. Therefore, there is no doubting the true value of proper risk management. The ever changing business landscape is yet another reason why companies must conduct extensive risk management process buttress by a recent survey. According to the survey, more than 63 percent of executives interviewed for the Report on the Current State of Enterprise Risk Oversight-2nd Edition reported that the number and complexity of risks their organizations face has changed extensively or a great deal in the last five years.

•Oluwatosin, a project management facilitator wrote in from Lagos

61

THE NATION ON SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2014

to empower BoI launches N5b cottage 10,Firm 000 youths in Oyo agro processing fund A

T

HE Bank of Industry (BoI) has launched a N5 billion Cottage Agro Processing (CAP) fund, expected to create over 20,000 direct and indirect jobs.

The Managing Director of the bank, Mr Rasheesd Olaoluwa, disclosed this at a media chat, saying the loans will be granted at a single digit interest rate of nine per cent per annum and total management fees of one per cent. He added that the tenor is five years with a moratorium of six months.

Olaoluwa said BoI plans to finance about 1,000 projects under this fund.

"It is targeted at Small and Medium Industry (SMI) at the low-technology, labour intensive end of the agro-processing

Stories by Joe Agbro Jr.

spectrum. And inclusive growth is our primary consideration. It representsBoI's first direct intervention in any sector.

"The fund is designed to enable BoI, being Nigeria's leading development finance institution, play its catalytic role of paving the way for other financial institutions to follow. We are demonstrating to others how to lend to SMI in in the perceived high risk sectors of the economy," he said.

He said the fund will provide loans to beneficiaries to establish small scale plants or mini mills to process Nigeria's agricultural products.

His words: "The Cottage Agro Processing (CAP) fund will provide loans to beneficiaries to estab-

lish small scale plants or mini mills to process Nigeria' s agricultural products such as cassava , oil palm, paddy rice, groundnut, yam, maize, cocoa, sheanut ,plantain, cashew, hides and skin, meat, chicken and fish. These products are grown all over the country and have been selected to ensure an even distribution across Nigeria's 36 states."

Olaoluwa said the projects financed will be located very close to the source of the agricultural projects to be processed, adding that the business plan must address both the primary and secondary sources of energy to power the plant.

He said the equipment supplier will be accredited by BoI, will provide a performance bond, and enter into maintenance agreement.

PROGRAMME to combat the menace of unemployment and mass poverty will come up in Ibadan in October.

According to Mr Delight Owoyemi, the president of SNX Media, organisers of the programme, the event, tagged 'the Making of 10,000 CEOs,' is an initiative to eradicate poverty, create jobs, promote rural development and jump-start industrial and national development.

Season One of the 'Making of 10,000 CEOs' is scheduled for Friday, 3rd October through Sunday, 12th October, 2014 at the Trade Fair Complex, EXPOYO, Samonda, Sango-UI Road, Ibadan.

Miffed by the glut of fresh graduates seeking non-existent jobs, Owoyemi claims that "orchestrated efforts by the government at the federal, state and local government levels have only been a mere flash in the pan."

The event aims to bring together under one roof, thousands of youths, agencies of government and non-governmental organisations responsible for poverty alleviation and creation of employment opportunities, as well as arrowheads of the banking industry.

Participants will have the opportunity to meet directly and interact with captains of industry; access to key stakeholders and facilities in the Banking industry; access to key stakeholders and brands in the ICT Industry; access to key stakeholders and brands in the Telecoms Industry; access to key and relevant Federal/State agencies in the MSME sector; access to participating exhibitors; distributorship opportunities from top 50 Nigerian Brands; road map to start their own businesses; and a website for their businesses.

The programme will feature such stakeholders as the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), National Directorate of Employment (NDE), the National Investment Promotion Council (NIPC), Bank of Industry (BOI), the National Export Import Bank (NEXIM), NAFDAC, the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), as well as telecommunication giants, banks and ICT firms, among others.

MrOwoyemi advised interested members of the public to visit www.everyonehour.com for more information.

WEMA Bank boosts Mega Trade Fair •From left: Group Head Business Services, Mr. Wunmi Adeniyi; Executive Director, Ivory Banking, Mrs. Mary Akpobome; Heritage Bank's MD/CEO, Mr. Ifie Sekibo; Managing Director, HISL, Mr. Segun Akanji; Company Secretary, Mrs Oluwatomi Ojo and Group Head, Cowry Banking, Mr. Davidson Regha at a press briefing to announce Heritage Bank's initial payment of 20% bid price for Enterprise Bank's acquisition in Lagos…recently.

PHOTO: ISAAC AYODELE JIMOH

300 African SMEs expected at Forum in Dakar

D

AKAR, the capital of Senegal, is hosting the first Africa SME Champions Forum on 11 and 12 November 2014.

The specialist recruitment agency AfricSearch, the African Guarantee Fund and the pan-African bank Ecobank are coming together to organise this first forum devoted exclusively to African SMEs. Three hundred SMEs, from the five regions of Africa, will be invited to this forum according to strict criteria: they must be officially registered in Africa, have been legally created at least three years ago, have turnover of at least $1.5 million and a minimum workforce of

T

HE Advocate for Youth Development and Empowerment (AYDE), a non-governmental organisation has been launched to complement other efforts by governmental and individuals to stem unemployment in the country.

Its Executive Director, Tunde Oyedele said AYDE is focused at building operations based on

10 employees. Interested SMEs are invited to submit their application on www.africa-smechampions.com.

In addition to these 300 SMEs, a number of financial institutions will be present as well as high-quality experts and policymakers. "This forum will be the first direct access platform to finance for the SMEs," states Didier Acouetey, founder of recruitment agency AfricSearch. In total, some 600 people are expected in Dakar.

SMEs represent 90% of privatelyowned African companies, 33% of the continent's GDP and account for 45% of new jobs. "SMEs are vascularising the African economy," states Didier Acouetey. "The African champions will

be at the heart of the transformation of the continent," declares Gervais KoffiDjondo, co-founder of the Ecobank group.

The Africa SME Champions Forum will focus on concrete solutions to the numerous challenges facing African managers. Masterclasses, customised consultancy spaces bringing together high-quality experts, and a mentoring programme will make it possible to meet these people's expectations.

Also, at the forum, the Africa SME Champions Awards, sponsored by the African Guarantee Fund, will reward the champions of the future and the top-class financial institutions in support of SMEs.

T

HE Mega Trade Fair has received a boost from Wema Bank Plc, with the financial institutions being signed on as the Official Bank of the 10-day marketing event.

According to the deal sealed between SNX Media, organizers of the Mega Trade Fair, and the bank, Wema Bank will sponsor the event, which runs from October 3rd through October 12th at the Oyo State Permanent Trade Fair Complex (EXPOYO), Samonda, Ibadan.

The sponsorship grants Wema Bank exclusivity as a financial institution during the trade fair while the bank will brand the programme and have exclusive right over the “Making of 10,000 CEOs” component of the programme.

Speaking during a courtesy visit to the Zonal office, the Zonal Manager said the bank was willing to partner with SNX Media in re-inventing EXPOYO, the venue of the trade fair and making Ibadan a true commercial hub of the inner South West.

Speaking earlier, Mr. Delight Owoyemi, said the choice of Wema Bank as the official bank of the trade fair was strategic in view of the financial institution’s pre-eminence in helping businesses grow.

In another development, Carmudi online automobile platform has been signed on as the Official Automobile Marketer for the trade fair.

According to the deal, Carmudi will coordinate the automobile dealers and mobilise them to the event.

The agreement between Carmudi and the Mega Trade Fair was signed by the public relations manager of Carmudi, Vivian Iweha and Mr Delight Owoyemi.

WhatUpIbadan, another online platform, has been signed as the official Social Media Partner for the Mega Trade Fair.

Group tackles youth’s unemployment group discussions of youth communities across the country, noting that it seeks to create a free market hub for small scales and start-up businesses.

He added that the increase in the numbers of the unemployed people in the country is behind the establishment of the project. He

noted that from the basic youth interaction and event AYDE have participated; nine out of ten graduates are unemployed.

According to him, AYDE was created to aid well-meaning youth in the society to embrace change and develop themselves better in their craft and careers, while contributing

collectively to the development of a greater nation.

“We have also discovered that most of the youths are not welleducated on self-empowerment programs being organised, job opportunities and skills acquisitions.

“It will also include suggesting

idea and proposal to leading organisations about the discussed topics and how they can help the youths in achieving their aims’” he said.

Partnering with other organisations on conducting seminars for self-empowerment skills, job access tips, participation in agriculture and skills acquisition programmes,” he said.

65

THE NATION ON SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2014

ME AND MY BOOKS

‘Writing made me who I am’

In this encounter with Edozie Udeze, Dr Onukaba Adinoyi-Ojo, former Managing Director of the defunct Daily Times Nigeria Plc, author, playwright, novelist, artist and politician, talks about how early exposure to books, has made him who he is today

•Ojo

W

HAT sort of books do you like reading most?

I like reading biographies and the histories of important institutions and momentous events. I read and thoroughly enjoyed American writer Gay Talese’s 1969 book on The New York Times newspaper titled The Kingdom and the Power. I have also enjoyed reading Taylor Branch’s 1983 award-winning book on the Civil Rights movement in the USA titled Parting the Waters: America in the King Years 1954 - 1963”.

I have also read and enjoyed Wole Soyinka’s Ake, The Open Sore of a Continent and You Must Set Forth At Dawn as well as Chinua Achebe’s The Trouble With Nigeria, There was a Country, The Education of a British Protected Child, etc.

When you read a book, what are the salient things you look out for most?

When I read a book, I pay close attention to the use of language. The use of language is very important to me. Because everyone can tell a story but not everyone can tell a story in a creatively entertaining, beautiful and captivating way. Humour is also important to me.

Look at the way Achebe describes traditional rulers in Iboland in The Trouble with Nigeria. I like to be entertained by a book. I want a book to make me laugh. I don’t want a book to depress me. There is so much sadness and gloom around us these days and I go into books for relief. w Who are your favourite authors in the world and why?

My favourite authors are Chinua

Achebe, Wole Soyinka, Graham Greene, Ngugi wa Thiongo, Oriana Fallaci, etc. I read Fallaci’s book titled “A Man” and I was fascinated. It is a fictional biography of Greek rebel Alexandros Panagoulis. As for drama, my favorite playwrights are William Shakespeare, Bertolt Brecht, Femi Osofisan, Ola Rotimi, etc. I like plays that are deep, well plotted and funny. My favorite Nigerian poet is Niyi Osundare.

When and when do you like to read and what time and why?

I don’t have a fixed time. I read when I find the time for it. Very often I find the time to read when I travel out of Abuja or out of Nigeria.

What is your preferred literary genre?

I don’t have any preferred literary genre. But like I said I tend to go after biographies, histories, plays, novels and poems. I am attracted to a good book. Period! It does not matter what genre.

What book or books have had the greatest impact on you and why?

It is difficult for me to pick any particular book as having had a profound impact on me. Fallaci’s A Man, Taylor’s Parting the Waters, Galese’s The Kingdom and the Power, Soyinka and Achebe’s memoirs, Elechi Amadi’s The Concubine, etc have all had an impact on me, especially on my own writing. Osofisan’s play, Midnight Hotel and Ola Rotimi’s Our Husband Has Gone Mad Again, Efua Sutherland’s The Marriage of Anansewa, Ama Taidoo’s The Dilemma of a Ghost and Brecht’s The Caucasian Chalk Circle have had a big impact on my playwriting. I write plays that are funny and philosophical.

As a child what books tickled you most?

As a child, I read children’s stories that were assigned to us in schools. I also

“My favourite authors are Chinua Achebe, Wole Soyinka, Graham Greene, Ngugi wa Thiongo, Oriana Fallaci, etc. I read Fallaci’s book titled “A Man” and I was fascinated. It is a fictional biography of Greek rebel Alexandros Panagoulis. As for drama, my favorite playwrights are William Shakespeare, Bertolt Brecht, Femi Osofisan, Ola Rotimi, etc. I like plays that are deep, well plotted and funny. My favourite Nigerian poet is Niyi Osundare”

read books written by local writers in Ebiraland where I come from. One of the most important writers of that era is a man called Agidi Ovurevu. I read his books which were based on Ebira fairy tales often about tortoise, rabbit, hare and other animals. The books were written to teach some moral lessons and to socialise us to become responsible members of our society. Of course I also read the so called Onitsha Market literature.

Ogali Ogali’s Veronica My Daughter was my template for writing bombastic love letters meant to impress teenage girls. As a young adult, I also read the Mills and Boons series as well as books by Hardley Chase, Barbara Cartland, Agatha Christie, etc.

At what point in your life did you begin to nurse the idea of becoming a writer?

Teachers started commenting positively about what was then known as “Composition” assignments since primary school. But it was not until the University of Ibadan that I began to take myself seriously as a writer. I contributed scripts to television and radio dramas and they were used. But when I graduated and joined The Guardian in 1983, journalism took hold of my imagination.

I began writing plays again in 1990 when I got to the United States to study for a master in Journalism and for a doctorate in Performance Studies at New York University. Some of those plays were later performed by the BBC radio and by off Broadway theatre groups in New York.

Has writing reshaped your life?

Yes, it has heightened my sensibility. It has brought honour and attention to me. It has also brought me some recognition.

If you meet your favourite author face to face what would you ask him/her?

The secret of their success.

Of the plays you’ve read, which character struck you most?

I cannot single out one.

What book do you plan to read next?

I am reading Tony Blair’s memoirs right now.

How do you arrange your private library?

I have bookshelves but are not enough for all my books. So there are some of my books in the shelves while others are in cartons.

Are you a committed reader?

I read voraciously. I read everyday newspapers, magazines, books, etc.

THE NATION ON SUNDAY,

ARTS

SEPTEMBER 28, 2014

F

OR sometine now, the National Troupe of Nigeria has evolved series of programmes targeted at the children to make them show interest in the theatre. Recently, the 5th edition of Children’s Creative Station was staged at the National Theatre, Iganmu, Lagos to further deegpeen the interest of children in both creativity and dramatisation. The title of the show was Eriri, a symbolic rope that binds a society together.

The theme was chosen to teach the children the essence of patriotism and why Nigeria must continue to remain an indivisible entity.

In choosing the theme to demonstrate an important rope or string that binds the people together, Jascphine Igberaese, who coordinated the event, said that it is a continuation of the centenary celebration of the nation. “The National Troupe of Nigeria celebrates the centenary literally through the eyes of our children. In fact, the playwright’s ideas came through the kind of productions presented by various schools during last year’s National Storytelling competition. Therefore the play is a simple narrative of the historical details of our struggle for independence”.

Incidentally, how the nation has gone on to manage its many problems has been the preocupation of many concerned Nigerians.

The sad irony is that those ideals which the independence struggle represented have no place in today’s Nigeria. Today, it appears the kids understand some of the complexities of a modern Nigeria. On stage, the children played out their roles to the delight of the audience. Indeed, they were too good at the scenes on stage that the audience were almost on their toes throughout the duration of the show.

The cinema hall of the Theatre was packed to the brime. A lot of people who couldn’t find space had to stand at the different sides of the hall just to watch these kids do their thing on stage. The story truly engulfed them; the import sieved into their systems that one could see them quite excited and enthralled. The story of Nigeria as a tottering nation where even the kids do not know where to go or what to hope for is enough to keep the children busy in and out of stage.

The children proved that the one month spent to train them for the stage was not a Title: Remembering Rachel Author: Adinoyi Ojo Onukaba Year of publication: 2012 No. Pages: 290 Reviewer: Idang Alibi

D

R. Adinoyi Ojo Onukaba, former star reporter of The Guardian and informed commentator, playwright, consummate PR practitioner and drama/communication teacher, belongs to the small tribe of accomplished writers for whom the art and science of writing is in their blood. For that rare breed, any material, incident or event in their life or in the lives of others, whether good or bad, can become a good source for writing even a best seller thriller. They can turn some arcane subject; an innocuous incident that may not have been noticed by even the keenest of observers; a sad or traumatic personal event or an intense private grief into a must read piece.

This is true of his self-published book Remembering Rachel.

If this book had been written in the 16th or 17th century when the vogue then was to have long explanatory titles for books which sort of summarises the theme, it would probably have been titled Seven Years of Pure Marital Bliss: An Interesting Account by the husband himself of The Remarkably Short But Immensely Enjoyable Marriage Life of Dr. Adinoyi Ojo Onukaba to former Miss Rachel Ogirri whom He Married on October 12, 2002 and died of Cerebral Malaria in Abuja August 29, 2009 at the National Hospital, Abuja in the hands of sloppy, callous and unprofessional care givers.

The 290-page coffee table book is an unputdownable account of his fairy tale love affair with his late delectable wife Rachel Ogirri. So gripping is the account of the love of his life that when I started reading it in Abuja on my way to Katsina State by road recently, I did not put it down until I finished it a few kilometres to Zaria in Kaduna State about three hours later.

Renowned scientist Albert Einstein’s humorous definition of his famous theory of relativity is that ‘’if you sit on the lap of a pretty lady for one hour, it looks like a second and if you sit on a hot stove for one minute it looks like an hour’’. Onukaba’s seven years with Rachel looks like seven seconds and he shows the extreme pain of his loss in the book. Every sentence in the book about Rachel oozes with

66

A centenary with children

By Edozie Udeze

waste. It was time for them to interact with one another and to also learn how to mingle freely irrespective of tribe or creed. The whole essence of the show was actually to build deep and everlasting bond of friendship among these children so as to make the future brighter and more hopeful.

Based on the folkloric nature of the story, all those elements manifested themselves on stage. The beauty of Eriri is that it is a historico-social folk-drama. It is indeed the socio-political and cultural escapades of Nigeria from 1914 through 1960 to date. It is a lesson on the fragile and sensitive links of individualism to the collective and shared humanism. But how does a nation reconcile all these to build a better society? What is the role of the kids or even those who have been entrusted with the fortunes of the society to make it a progressive place?

Apart from the stage dramatisation of the play, the children were tried in other aspects of the art. Some of them experimented with painting, drumming and writing. Fortunately the themes of these genres also tallied with the essence of the celebration. The painting for instance, was to encourage those whose love for the visual art was so pronounced to do their best. Most of the works dwelt on the socio-political issues that pertain to the nation. In the area of drumming, many of them proved that they can be better drummers tomorrow.

This was why Igberease reasoned that in the process of the training they experimented with other aspects. “In the process, we crossed the border of theatre ethics by letting the children explore fully to their abilities through the platform of experimental theatre.”

However, it remains to be seen how much interest both the government and some corporate organisations would show to make this laudable programme richer. It is only when this is done that the dream of making the children more broadminded about Nigeria can be a dream come true.

•Acting in Eriri

•Dancing in Eriri

Remembering a jewel the author’s passionate love for his dearly deceased wife. You get the feeling that if it were possible to bring Rachel back, Onukaba would have done anything to achieve that goal.

The book is written to achieve three main goals. To celebrate a life well lived with Rachel though so short it was. Two, to mourn her loss.

Three, to lament the decay in our healthcare system as reflected in the poor and uncaring attitude of medical professionals at the nation’s supposed number one medical institution, the National Hospital, Abuja, whose extremely unprofessional conduct the author suspects may have contributed to the death of Rachel.

The author says the book is his own kind of Taj Mahal to Rachel and that is no idle talk.

Rachel dominates the book from the beginning to the end. She is the heroine and no one shares that glory with her. She is the centre of the universe of the Onukaba household and a major planet in the milky highway of the Robert Ogirri family of Ayua-Uzaire in Etsako West Local Government Council of Edo State.

Henrietta, Ethel, Oshioke and the author himself feature prominently and may be described as some of the main characters in the book but the story is Rachel’s. Every incident remembered and remarked upon in the book is told in relation to Rachel. Rachel is the orbit, the fulcrum around/upon which everyone in the book revolves.

The book is divided into 15 chapters each with a short, usually two-word heading and each ending with Rachel. Well planned and produced, every other page is splashed with a full page photograph of Rachel which tells a story of her beauty, her dress sense, an aspect of her life and character and a trajectory in her short but remarkable life. It is not in any way, as the author modestly claims, a modest tribute; it is indeed a monumental literary memorial to love.

Adopting the breezy, readable, racy and thrilling style he and Dele Olojede had once used in writing Born to Run, the biography of the late Dele Giwa, Onukaba in spite of the enormous pain in his heart, writes a gripping account of his meeting, marrying and living happily after, albeit for only seven short years, with Rachel. It all started with a prophecy. The

ill-fated marriage was foretold by a diviner in far-away Iraq. ‘’Towards the end of 1998’’, Onukaba narrates, ‘’Shilan, an Iraqi Kurdish young woman with whom I was in a relationship, had lured me into the home of a Chaldean Christian woman diviner in the northern Iraqi city of Erbil’’. She had brought Onukaba who was then working with the United Nations in Iraq to the Chaldean to know if he was the man she will eventually get married to.

The diviner studied the coffee sediments in an empty cup she had poured and foretold that Shilan and Onukaba will not go far in their relationship. That Onukaba would return to Nigeria and go through a disastrous brief marriage before meeting the woman he is destined to marry. ‘’Sometimes in April 2002, I was seated in my office in Ikeja. Lagos, when a tall, beautiful lady in black suit and trouser walked in to interview me for a story she had been assigned to write. At the risk of sounding corny, I knew immediately that she was the figure the Chaldean seer had seen in the coffee sediments and had described to me so vividly’’, Onukaba writes. ‘’She is tall, very tall and beautiful. You will be sitting somewhere and she will walk up to you’’, Onukaba said the Chaldean had added.

Two things stand out about this book. The first is that in spite of the fact that the account is written as a part of mourning a very painful loss, it is, in many places, full of hilarious scenes and recollections. The author gave early notice of this in the introduction (p.8-9) when he told us that the Mughal ruler Shahjahan mobilised 20,000 workers from all over India, Persia and Arabia to build the now world famous Taj Mahal in the Indian city of Agra as a memorial of love to his wife Mumtaz Mahal but that ‘’being not as materially endowed and exercising no royal powers as Shahjahan, I have decided to celebrate the woman who meant the whole world to me by simply writing this coffee table book about her life’’.

I could not help but jiggle loudly in some other places especially in the chapters Meeting Rachel, Knowing Rachel and Courting Rachel which are by far the most enjoyable portions of the book.

In the chapter Courting Rachel (page 56-

67), the author recounted with some self-deprecating honesty and humour his first time to be formally introduced to Rachel’s family members. ‘’When she first spoke to her family about me, some members expressed concern over the wide age difference between us. Rachel was then 25 and I was 42. Some said age was not an issue. They wanted to know if Rachel was sure she was making the right choice. She said yes’’.

Rachel was obviously filled with some anxiety as she realised that the wide age gap between her and her would-be husband could cost her the support of some of her people.

Wise beyond her years, as her husband described her in another tribute, Rachel took to coaching her intended husband about what to do, say and wear in order to disguise or minimise the age gap. Onukaba himself tells us: ‘’Agbada was ruled out completely so as not to make me look too old. A simple Senegalesestyle jumper was picked out for me. I was ordered to get a haircut and to trim my moustache. First impression, I was told, matters a whole lot. I had to make myself likeable’’. The suitor was as anxious as the bride-to-be likeable and accepted by the Robert Ogirri family for he tells us further: ‘’I complied’’, adding: ‘’Love can make a stubborn man suddenly become obedient and submissive.’’

This particular account of Rachel’s perspicacity and similar others reinforce my own belief that no matter how naïve, inexperienced or innocent a woman might seem to be, she is far ahead of any man, who is even twice her age, in matters of love and relationship. If she wants a man, she knows exactly what to do and will display the kind of uncommon wisdom, go all out to do what is reasonable or expedient in the circumstances to enable her to get the object of her desire.

The other second thing worthy of note about the book is the courage (love-filled it must be) of Onukaba, a full blooded African man, to publicly tell the story of his love for a woman. You know in Africa, we enjoy love stories but no one wants to tell the intimate part of his own. Love is seen as a women’s thing and no man should be caught confessing love for a woman lest he risks the contempt of fellow men! African men all try to hide their love believing that it is only white people who do such things!

THE NATION ON SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 28, 2014

The fear that by the year 2050, many indigenous languages of the world may go extinct has forced some groups in Igbo land to begin programmes to guide against that. Last weekend at the Trade Fair Complex, Lagos, the Anaocha people of Anambra State organised a cultural programme to celebrate Igbo cultures and language and also teach the younger ones the essence of their cultures. Edozie Udeze who was there, reports

T

HE United Nations' Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) has been sounding it loud and clear that if care is not taken more local languages in different parts of the world would go extinct by the year 2050. Already, a few of such languages both in Europe and some parts of Africa have disappeared with no trace of either the original owners of the languages or how to trace or build on the vocabularies to revitalise them.

It has become so worrisome that the world body has made it a point of duty to keep reminding races and tribes of the need to ensure the preservation of their native tongues. A source at the UNESCO headquarters once said: “Let us sound it clear now for the sake of posterity that no one single language is more important than the other. The whole essence of different languages of the world and the people is to allow for varieties in whatever we do. How would it sound if the whole world ends up speaking only one or two languages to the detriment of the rest? …Therefore opinion molders, local leaders, people who matter in the society, parents and even teachers have a role to play in this task so that more languages will not die prematurely.”

Given this worrisome scenario, some prominent Igbo leaders have taken it upon themselves to begin different programmes and exercises geared towards the promotion and preservation and the revival of the linguistic values of the Igbo language and culture. This is essentially so because Igbo has been fingered as one of the endangered languages owing to the fact that the Igbos are found everywhere. In those far and near places, they often forget or ignore to stick to the rudiments of the language, thereby denying their children and young ones the opportunity of knowing or speaking their mother tongue.

Last weekend in Lagos, a group of Igbo leaders under the aegis of Association of Indigenes of Anaocha Local Government Towns, Lagos State branch came together to celebrate Anaocha cultural day. The aim was to have the opportunity to showcase the different cultural elements in the ten towns that constitute the Anaocha Local government area in Anambra State. The event was pri-

MAGAZINE EXTRA 67

That this language may not die marily put in place to bring together all the indigenes of these towns and to also use cultural celebrations and the Igbo language to cement an everlasting bond and brotherhood in the minds of the people.

This was why the whole proceedings that lasted for more than five hours were done in Igbo language. Even children were made to chant and recite Igbo alphabets and proverbs to the delight of dignitaries. As masquerades of different shades and colours and other modes of local dances paraded the arena, people felt at home and indeed exchanged pleasantries in deep Igbo traditions and norms. The atmosphere showed that indeed the culture of the people cannot die if the people themselves begin on time to accord it its due recognition and attention.

Commenting on the reason why it has become imperative to organise such a Mortin Ileme, President of the Association said: “The most important issue today is for us to launch our Igbo development centre here in Lagos. We want to do so in order to make Igbo language and practices closer to our people. We do not need to go home to Anambra or Igbo land to have a feel of who we are and what constitutes our values as a people.

Like the Igbo would say, you can make home away from home. If we start the project here, we will have all the elements of Igbo norms present at the centre.”

He went on: “We are particularly concerned about our adults who were born

abroad and those who married non Igbo women. We see those in this group as our catchment group. We need to begin now to draw them back, to reclaim them before it becomes totally late or irredeemable,” he said. He agreed somewhat that parents owe it a duty to speak the language at home to their children.

This, to him, is the take-off point of the whole experiment. “Yes, we will practice this by instructing our women, our wives, who are usually closer to the kids to cultivate the habit of speaking the language to the children. From there, we'll get to the point where we'll encourage our people to begin to learn how to write the language. It is a gradual but concerted exercise and we hope to make it work as time goes on.”

In his own reaction, Joel Ezeani, the organising chairman of the event, said, “This cultural show is meant to keep the Igbo traditions alive in our minds. As you can see, our children are here. The whole exercise is done in Igbo language.

You can see the masquerades. These are not Lagos masquerades. They are the original ones from our people and that is why you can see women running away from them. This is what we need to be doing from time to time so that we do not lose touch of who we are and what makes us a people.”

Essentially, these 10 towns of Neni, Adazi-Enu, Adazi-Nnukwu, Adazi-Ani, Agulu, Obeledu, Akwaeze, Aguluzigbo, Nri, Ichida, have almost the same cultural affiliation in the areas of marriage,

dialect and more. They have one state constituency and have one common union that brings them together in everything they do. The chairman of the occasion, Victor Umeh, who is the chairman of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and also an indigene of the local government, told the people that time had come for them to be serious about the Igbo renaissance. Addressing the people in the local language, he said, “It is no longer time to preach this issue as if it is a political propaganda. Try to speak it to your children. Women should be in the forefront of this crusade and it has to start here and now. The beauty of Igbo is in its array of proverbs and idioms. These are elements we need to renew and keep in mind from today onwards.”

The highlights of the celebration were the march past done by the town unions.

Women who were adorned in different and colourful uniforms sang and danced to the beatings of their local cultural drumming. They came with their children and friends to add life to the event.

Dunu Anselm, a member of the Anambra State House of Assembly representing the area told The Nation that it is not possible for the language spoken by over 40 million people to die. “What we are doing is to keep the spirit alive.

Even in Anambra State what we do is that every Wednesday of the week all affairs in the state are conducted in Igbo.

So, if you are a foreigner and you are in the state on that day, you need an interpreter to tell you what we do. This is the whole essence of it all. But we need also to remind our people that this language has to be spoken every time, everywhere, where the need arises,” the lawmaker said.

Different dignitaries graced the occasion including the local government chairmen, House of Assembly members, councilors and AGPA party stalwarts, among others.

THE NATION ON SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 28, 2014

68

EBERE WABARA

WORDSWORTH 08055001948

ewabara@yahoo.com

‘Cattles’, by Radio Nigeria

L

ET us welcome GALAXY TV to this me-

dium. Its News at 7 of September 24 fumbled on two occasions: “After a heavy downpour in Abule Otun, Ogun State, residents of the area….” ‘Downpour’ is a heavy rainfall. So, ‘heavy downpour’ is sheer pleonasm.

“Police parades 48 suspects in Akure” (News reel from the above medium) Reaching for the stars: Police parade “FIRS arrests 9 suspects over (for) fake jobs, staff promotions” “With them is (are) Mr. and Mrs.….”

“Ebola: Deploy nurses to (in) school (schools)— NANNM president” “Commissioning (Inauguration) of borehole brings succour to Enugu community” “Abuja Motor Fair opens Oct. 22, organisers assure on security” Who did they assure?

2015: It’s fight to finish in Ado” Politics Today: fight to the death/finish “Bravo! Our sports loving (sports-loving) governor is 52!”

“The state chairman, executives and all the members of APC, Imo State (another comma) rejoices (congratulations on this gaffe) “Supreme Court swears-in (swears in) 17 SANs” “Police kill 4 armed bandits in Delta” There cannot be ‘banditry’ without arms!

“In as much (Inasmuch) as it is within….”

“Another feather to (in) your cap” “Government of Akwa Ibom State Bureau For Inter-Governmental & National Assembly Relations, Abuja: Galands (Garlands) to Akwa Ibom @ 27” (Full-page advertorial) Still from the Bureau: “We have noted with great pride and satisfaction your unparalled (unparalleled) efforts in….”

“When you demand for it….” Insight: delete ‘for’.

“FIFA President, Blatter, mourns late Ntiero Effiom” Would Blatter have mourned a living person? Professionally, the headline should have read: Blatter mourns Effiom THE NATION ON SUNDAY front and inside pages of September 21 circulated diseased headlines: “Ebola: Confusion

over schools (schools’) resumption” “Mark, first term (firstterm) govs set to return in trade-off” “…at no point has (had) either the Nigerian or South African authorities (authority) implicated Pastor Oritsejafor in either of their investigations.”

(Full-page advertorial by CAN) “…encouraging others to do same (the same) in order to make Al-Jannah.”

“I hope my successors will see potentials (potential/potentialities) I have put on ground” Still on THE NATION ON SUNDAY under review: “We on this occasion wants… (I discontinue, please!)

“When the opportunity to serve the people of Lagos Central beckons (beckoned) at the upper chamber of our National Assembly, you accepted with a mind set to make a difference.”

SATURDAY INDEPENDENT returns after a long absence: its September 20 edition goofed: “PDP at crossroads (at a/ the crossroads) on who to nominate as flagbearer (sic) (standard bearer)” “I don’t bite more than I can chew” Box office: I don’t bite off more than I can chew” “Government has made overture (an overture or overtures) to these people, to dialogue with them in other (order) to know how to solve their problems.”

“Villagers beseige hospital for free treatment” Spell-check: besiege.

“In this way, life expectancy bulges as the chances of contacting Ebola Virus Disease considerably diminish.” Nobody contacts a disease—‘contract’ is the word.

“The progressive social option implicit in General Buhari’s analysis is affirmative action aimed at eliminating or drastically reducing poverty.” Get it right: an affirmative action.’ Articles are not optional in count-word environments.

“It attracted women of notes such as….” Whether two or 20 women, it is still ‘note’; not notes. The same thing applies to ‘men of substance’; not ‘substances’.

“Led by a warrant officer, the mutineers stationed at strategic positions in and around the premises….” This way: on and around the premises’; never

in the premises.

“The roots of the dialogue reach back to the 19th and early 20th centuries when leaders of the African Diaspora began to advocate for….” ‘Advocate’ cannot accommodate ‘for’ in verbal contexts.

“To prove that he had not quite forgotten all the stuff that he crammed from such columns in those days, he went on to recite offhead some scientific definitions.…” We recite off-hand.

To do otherwise will be fatal!

“Pupils and their parents will continue to cut corners, in spite of such measures, for as long as the dearth of facilities in our educational institutions remain a permanent feature of our schools.”

Simple concord: the dearth…remains a permanent feature of our schools.

“Watching these kids sing and play together evoke the thought that most adults, if not all, should hold their heads in shame.”

Watching these kids…evokes.

“Prophet Nathan’s famous warning came after the deed has been done.”

(Source: as above) Perfect past: after the deed had been done.

“As the fall-outs of our economic direction accumulate….” ‘Fallout’ is noncount and one word.

The next six mistakes are from NEWSWATCH DAILY of September 26: “The military indicated that the soldiers were charged for mutiny…” Standard expression: charged with.

“However, the cost of damages to the installations could not be ascertained.”

‘Damage’ is non-count except in legal reparation.

‘As president, Jonathan will have to combat the unemployment problem by coming down….” I doubt if there’s any context where ‘unemployment’ will not be a problem.

FEEDBACK MY brother, thanks for your forage into broadcast news. I am just listening to Radio Nigeria at 4 p.m. (September 23). You won’t believe this: “Cattle rustlers arrested in Katsina State for stealing several cattles (cattle)”! Even if the editor did not know, what about the newsreader? Hope your family is okay? (Sunny Agbontaen/08062998165) JUST done with your sweet piece, Spirit of activism.

I celebrate your tribe. And at the same time, I feel sorry for our universities. (Charles Iyoha/09099879033)

Rethinking Nollywood in the Nigerian project T HERE is no doubt that today, Nollywood has become a national brand.

It has become the foremost signifier of our cinematic energy as a creative people. Nollywood began small, but today it has become a huge contributor to the national economy. In the recent GDP rebasing exercise, Nollywood contributed 1.2% to the national economy.

If that appears little, then you have no knowledge of where and how Nollywood began. Its beginning is founded on a shoestring budget and a creative ingenuity of a few entrepreneurs who had to face commercial risk and cinematic scorn to achieve their objectives.

If you want an exact date for the beginning of Nollywood, scholars point at Kenneth Nnebue’s 1992 movie, Living in Bondage. Today, Nollywood has achieved global reckoning by its sheer capacity to proliferate beyond all its economic, political and social limitations.

Nollywood is second only to Hollywood in global entertainment ranking; Bollywood, the Indian film industry, has since been displaced to third place.

On another significant level, Nollywood can rightly be considered as the sole heir of the tradition of African cinema pioneered by the likes of Ousmane Sembene, Souleymane Cisse, Haile Gerima, and others. In spite of being founded on the format of the home video, Nollywood has captured the imagination of Africa in its attempt at a cinematic representation of African, and Nigerian, cultural themes, values, conflicts and challenges. It is therefore possible for some to think that Nollywood cinematically represents Nigeria and its cultural and historical complexities. It shouldn’t even be far-fetched to consider Nollywood as Nigeria’s national cinema, especially with its many attempts at exhibiting issues that speak to our collective predicament as a people.

In spite of these adulations, there are so much that are still wrong with this film industry.

And my point of interrogation is its capacity to not only adequately reflect and recreate, but also to challenge the national project in Nigeria. Nigeria is a plural society, divided along religious, linguistic, cultural and ethnic lines. This is the first fact that precipitates the need for national integration of all the diverse groups and nationalities forcefully amalgamated into the Nigerian state. Nollywood therefore already has its work cut out for it: it is to cinematically map the terrain of failures, successes, and possibilities of this Project in a manner that challenges all of us, government and the governed, to pause and rethink our collective existence as Nigerians. It isn’t enough to cinematically re-present what is wrong with us, and to do it badly. We don’t need a national cinema that is merely exhibitionist.

‘Movies for me,’ says Steven Spielberg, ‘are a heightened reality.’ This is critical: the cinema acts as a mirror which is deployed to re-examine our collective experience. And the more traumatic the experience, the more disturbing the movies should be. The cinema therefore ought to be able to tell the Nigerian and non-Nigerian audiences something; it should, for instance, reveal to them how

•A scene from a Nollywood movie ByTunji Olaopa the Nigerian project is faring.

These audiences are not just to be entertained; rather, the experience of visiting the Nollywood cinema or watching the movie should add to their perception of what is going on, what is working, what isn’t working, what needed to be done, and so on. My worry, however, is whether Nollywood, as presently constituted, will be able to do this adequately. Nollywood hardly speaks to us the way it is right now. The statistics may be favourable; the cinematic experience is however what counts in the final analysis. And in nine cases out of ten, the rush to produce a movie almost always kills the creative genius.

A normal Nollywood movie is predictable and boring; you sit for hours through mostly ordinary depictions of city and rural life that you are already familiar with. You are also treated to a rehash of historical moments not properly researched. When the movie finally ends, you get up and you are not the wiser for it. You sure would find many actors to praise for sterling performances, and on top of my head are actors like Pete Edochie, Olu and Joke Jacobs, Gabriel Afolayan, Genevieve Nnaji, Nse IkpeEtim, Ramsey Nouah, Funke Akindele, Odunlade Adekola, to name just a very few. You even get to laugh too watching movies like Osuofia in London and Jenifa.

But then, it isn’t just the stars that make for compelling movies that speak to our collective conditions as Nigerians. There should be more that Nollywood can do beyond its stars, and comedy and bland storylines. I am talking about aesthetic sophistication, technical quality and convincing plot and storyline with historical and philosophical weight.

It is in this sense that I find the newest volume on Nollywood a commendable and compelling redirection for rethinking and rescuing the Nollywood phenomenon.

Auteuring Nollywood (edited by Dr. Adeshina Afolayan, of the Department of Philosophy, University of Ibadan) is a work that captures the several worries of Nigerian about the Nollywood phenomenon, and the question of whether or not it has the capacity to do more in terms of contributing to the transformation of Nigeria and our assessment of who we are and what we can hope to be. To achieve this critical contribution, Nollywood must first transform itself through several internal adjustments and rehabilitations.

It doesn’t matter if Nollywood drops behind Hollywood and Bollywood in term of the quantity of films it injects into the market; that would seem a fair price to pay for the need to pro-

duce qualitative films that matters. The various contributors to Auteuring Nollywood were united in their recognition of the urgency of a revolution of the aesthetic and technical forms of the movies in terms of good storyline, coherent plots and reasonable casting. The book particularly asked for an auteur; a director that stands at the forefront of the cinematic revolution with a vision.

I am particularly thrilled by the assessment of one of the contributors as to the possibility of Nollywood assuming its role as a national cinema. This comes with a lot of responsibility. Most importantly, such a national cinema must learn to tell the Nigerian story with all its challenges, possibilities and failures. That trajectory of telling our story has already been championed by the prolific Tunde Kelani who not only interrogates the Yoruba cultural heritage, but also projects the twists and turns of the Nigerian projects. Many people will not forget Saworoide and Agogo Eewo, two critical movies that constitute a parable on our nation-building efforts.

When such efforts are complemented by other films like The Figurine and October 1 (Kunle Afolayan), Half of a Yellow Sun (directed by Biyi Bandele, and adapted from a Chimamanda Adichie’s novel of the same title), and many others, we can begin to motivate Nollywood towards a cinematic dynamics that could carry the burden of cultural and national trauma and possibilities.

The evolution of Nollywood as an industry benefitted from the Nigerian socioeconomic situation. Nollywood came into existence in the throes of the economic troubles confronting most African countries in the 80s. It therefore owes a moral debt to respond critically and creatively to the situation that brought it to life. Nollywood stands at a critical juncture in Nigeria’s current effort at undermining and transcending its national predicament. What we need are no longer several cameras wrongly placed for commercial purposes. Rather, what ought to proliferate are visionary auteurs who can challenge us at every turn in our national existence. The Nollywood director is no less a patriot than the political leadership in the country; s/he has a responsibility to project our collective experiences in a manner that antagonises and disturbs and forces us to think about the past, the present and the future. The Nollywood of the future is a cinematic industry that would begin to take Nigeria seriously.

Thus, for the Nigerian Nollywood director, there is only one commandment: imaginatively recreate Nigeria!

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THE NATION ON SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2014

NEWS

Adeboye condemns abortion, approves use of contraceptives T HE General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, (RCCG) Pastor Enoch Adeboye, has condemned the act of abortion as ungodly and not biblical.

Adeboye made this known at the monthly prayer and thanksgiving service organised for pregnant women at the RCCG, National Headquarters, Throne of Grace, Ebutte-Metta, Lagos.

The programme tagged Shout of Joy brought together

By Adeola Ogunlade

thousands of waiting mothers and featured bible teachings, prayers, prophetic ministration and anointing service.

According to him, the bible condemns abortion in its entirety and othe church is against it because it is ungodly and unbiblical.

He said that although God is not against family planning as it is permitted to prevent pregnancy among married couples but as soon as the sperm meets with the egg,

any attempt to abort it is not biblical.

Adeboye, who spoke through the Special Assistant on Personnel and Administration, Pastor Johnson Odesola, said “you can prevent pregnancy but once the egg and the sperm meet and is formed, anything that suggests that it should be terminated is against God’s word.”

On when the life of the pregnant mother is at risk and the option of abortion is being considered, he said “the option of abortion is an option preferred by medical professionals but as Christians, we believe in miracles and that God is able to take away every problems.”

“There is nothing God cannot do even if the life of the

woman is at stake; pray for a divine intervention and God who created the universe knows what to do in any situation we find ourselves as we look up to him in faith.”

He gave a testimony about God’s miraculous intervention on his wife whom medical personnel had said would not be able to give birth again because her womb had been damaged; Adeboye said “today we have all our children without any ceasarian operation because

we trusted in God that cannot fail.”

He encouraged pregnant women to always take time out to rest, eat well and avoid too much stress as life is too short to live carelessly.

Adeboye opined that children will definitely fight themselves and give mothers tough times during pregnancy but mothers must not come themselves up. He said “play your part in the training of your children, watch and be careful that you don’t stress yourself.”

•Rev. Fr. Anthony Fadairo, administering medals to tausians at Sacred Heart solemn reception at St. Agnes, Maryland, Lagos, recently

Apostolic Faith pioneer cleric buried

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NE of the founding fathers of the Apostolic Faith Church in Africa, Reverend Hector Abimbola Elebute, who died on August 31 at 97 years was buried last Friday after a funeral service at the Apostolic Faith Campground, Anthony, Lagos.

Though it was a work day, many came from far and wide.

It could have been mistaken for a worship session or a congress, but they were there to pay their last respects to the man who was the last survivors of the pioneer fathers of the church in Africa.

It was a solemn moment of the church and the entire orchestra, in their full regalia and angelic voices, sang solo songs reminding all of eternity. Many wore gloomy faces

Marriage summit holds

A

ONE-DAY all night marriage summit of Holy Fire Overflow Ministry International Ogba, Lagos holds on Tuesday September 30th by 10.00pm.

The theme of the summit is “Get married soon,…stay married & bloom”.

The Chief host, Apostle John Ahamzie, said the summit was organised to speak to the mountains, break strongholds, and deactivate evil circles of demonic operations of delay and lack among singles and couples.

By Nneka Nwaneri

and starred at the white casket bearing the remains of the deceased, placed at the altar of the auditorium of the church.

The District Superintendent of the Apostolic Faith West and Central Africa, Rev Adebayo Adeniran, in a sermon entitled: ‘Where art Thou?’, he likened the phrase to go beyond the physical address of a person to one’s spiritual location which determines eternal damnation.

“Where is your spiritual address? Rev Adeniran asked.

In a tribute to the late Rev Elebute, Rev Adeniran de-

scribed the deceased as a true christian, a courageous leader who lived a life of commitment and dedication to the service of God and humanity, who God left behind to guide the trust and raise the standard of the gospel for many generations in love.

“Over 60 years ago, he began the production of Yoruba lessons in his private printing press, providing a platform upon which the church’s printing press emerged and thrived.

The late Elebute retired from the board of the church in 2012.

‘Insurgency sign of end times’

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HE General Overseer of the Wuse District of the Foursquare Gospel Church, Reverend Babatunde Idowu, has described the waves of insurgency blowing in the North eastern part of Nigeria and other countries of the world as a sign of the end time.

He, however, advocated fervent prayers and spiritual intercessions by religious leaders as a way out of the crises.

Idowu who urged President Goodluck Jonathan not to be deterred in carrying out his agenda for the country said the Church will continue to support him to “surmount the thick darkness and insurgency surrounding the country.

“Nigerians should continue to seek God’s face, they should not relent in praying and have

From Bukola Amusan, Abuja

hope that one day, peace shall return to the country,”he said Speaking on the week-long transfiguration programme of the church which ended last week, the General Overseer said the programme with the theme, “positioned for glory” is aimed at winning more souls to Christ and giving hopes to Nigerians despite the various challenges confronting them.

“The week of transfiguration programme is designed to give worshipers the opportunity to pray and intercede and to also involve in personal ministration while seeking the face of God”he said The programme featured praises, evangelistic prayer meeting and anointing service for all members of the church for divine protection as the year draws to an end.

•From left: daughter of the deceased Mrs Olufemi Adesanya; widow Mrs Olayemi Elebute; Mrs Josephine Adeniran; District Superintendent Rev Adebayo Adeniran; Rev Muyiwa Olamijulo and Director of Youth Development Rev Emmanuel Moh

T

HE Federal Ministry of Water Resources on Sunday inaugurated its staff worship centre.

The Christian Staff Fellowship Chapel was built by the ministry for its workers.

Declaring the chapel open, the Minister of Water Resources, Mrs. Sarah Ochekpe charged staff of the ministry to keep the fire from the altar burning.

Ochekpe urged them to be steadfast in their faith, while also urging them to be dedi-

Ministry gets worship centre From Frank Ikpefan, Abuja

cated and committed to God. She said: “The fire on this altar must not die, you must keep it glow at all time. It is our responsibility to make sure that the fire must not die.

“I believe if we dedicate ourselves to God because he is a faithful God, if we are not ashamed of the gospel and stand firm, the ministry will shine like light.

“As Christians, we cannot

separate our lives as Christians and civil servants. They must all be the same. If we stand firm and resist the devil I believe it will flee from us.

“I have always said on different occasions that angels will not come to repair Nigeria, it is us that will repair it.

“If we think of what we will eat and drink and cut corners to get, we might not get there.”

Seventh-Day dispel report on fire outbreak in the church

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HE President of the Seventh Day Adventist Church in Nigeria, Pastor Oyeleke Owolabi, has described as untrue rumours that a building in the church headquarters was razed down by inferno last Tuesday.

It will be recalled that a newspaper reported (not The Nation) that the Seventh-Day Adventist Church of Nigeria headquarters, Maryland, Lagos caught fire.

Owolabi made this known at a press conference held over the week at the church headquarters in Maryland, Lagos, saying that the ugly incident that happened on Tuesday, September 23, in the premises of the

By Adeola Ogunlade

church headquarters was due to human error, but we could see God’s intervention in the lives of His people.

He said, “what actually happened: the accredited diesel supplier of the church came with supplies for the generator. In the process of transferring the diesel into the church storage faculty, the hose conveying the diesel from the supplier tank to the church storage facility suddenly pushed off.

The diesel splashed on the exhaust of the pumping machine and it caught fire.”

He added: our security system was put into action. Immediate contacts were made with

fire security profiles in the neighbourhood. Oando and Conoil Filling stations responded swiftly. Others from Onigbonbgo community and passersby joined to battle the fire before men of the Lagos State Fire Service came to collectively put the fire out.

Owolabi, who was full of gratitude to God because no live was lost, said “to the glory of God, nobody got burnt and no life was lost. The damages were limited to the vehicle that brought the diesel, the generator, and the generator house.

Providentially, the church building, the office complex, and the residential apartments were not affected by the fire.”

THE NATION ON SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2014

WORSHIP

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COLUMN

Boko Haram not fighting a religious war, says Kasali

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ONTRARY to popular belief, the Boko Haram sect is not out to Islamise Nigeria but committed to fighting a political war, the Senior Pastor of Foundation of Truth Assembly (FOTA) Lagos, Rev. Yomi Kasali, has declared.

Kasali argued that the sect’s ideology and modus operandi confirm it is out to wage a political and not a religious war in the nation.

If Boko Haram was out to Islamise Nigeria, Kasali reasoned it would have started its onslaught in Southern Nigeria, where Christianity is strong as against its destructive activities in the north.

Kasali spoke last week with reporters ahead of the annual Giant Killers Conference of the church with the theme Jehoshaphat’s Army, which ends today.

According to him: “Boko Haram has a political ideology

By Sunday Oguntola

more than a religious agenda.

It is a malaise that we should all fight together.

“It is an Islamic sect with political agenda to ostracise and declare a Caliphate. They are a bunch of fundamentalists against western education.”

He warned against plunging the nation into a religious war, stating that the war against terror is not winnable because it has been politicised.

Kasali lamented that the insurgency challenge was getting out of hands because government has been playing the blame game.

According to him, it will be disastrous to plunge the nation into a religious war.

Kasali said: “We are losing the terror war because it has been politicised. We are playing politics of religion with this.

“We should not plunge Nigeria into a religious war be-

cause it will be most disastrous.”

He called on Christians and Muslims to unite and fight Boko Haram, saying the sect is fighting a political and not a religious war.

The cleric appealed to Christians and Muslims to coexist and not treat themselves as enemies.

He stated that Nigeria must be willing to confront the various giants such as terrorism, corruption and tribalism confronting it.

The cleric stated that though having a Muslim governor in Lagos State will not affect governance and delivery of democratic dividends, a Christian should emerge in the interest of fairness and equity.

The conference, which ends today, featured speakers such as Bishops Mike Okonkwo, Humphrey Erumaka and Pastor Wale Adefarasin.

• R-L: The National Treasurer, Rev. Joseph Ogedengbe; The National Secretary, Rev. Ikechukwu Ugbaja; The General Overseer, Rev. Felix Meduoye and the Chairman, Planning Committee, Rev. Goddey Ebojie, at the briefing by the Foursquare Gospel Church in Nigeria on the Holy Spirit Refreshing vigil… in Lagos

Prayer can change Nigeria-Meduoye

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He also stated that the anti-terror war was on track considering how protractor terrorism has become worldwide.

On the anti-terror war, he said: “We are doing well because it is a complex, protracted war. It is not a conventional war and so in that context we are doing well though it could be better.”

Meduoye stated that prayers would be offered for the nation and Nigerians during the vigil.

Living Faith

By Dr. David Oyedepo

Walking in wisdom for financial dominion!

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E understand from the scriptures that wisdom is the custodian of wealth (Proverbs 8:18-21). That is why, ‘the wiser the wealthier’, is a common trend in scriptures, as exemplified in the following examples: •ABRAHAM: He was a man who walked with God and the Bible says he that walks with the wise shall be wise (Genesis 17:1, Proverbs 13:20). Abraham was a wise and wealthy man and the Bible records that he was very rich in cattle, silver and gold (Genesis 13:2).

•DAVID: He was said to be as wise as an angel. As a result of his level of wisdom, David commanded financial dominion and he lived in the realm of over and above (2 Samuel 14:20, 1 Chronicles 29:3-6).

•SOLOMON: He was the wisest in Bible history and also the wealthiest (1 Kings 3:12-13). Solomon loved the Lord and He lavished him with the Spirit of wisdom as he requested, thereby making him wiser and wealthier than all men in his days (1 Kings 4:22-28).

Remember, God, the all wise God is the custodian of the wealth of the whole universe. Haggai 2:8 says: The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith the Lord of (See also Jude 25, Psalm 24:1). From all the above, it is evident that it takes wisdom to walk in the realm of wealth.

BUT, WHAT IS WISDOM? Wisdom is all about putting God’s Word to work in our lives (Matthew 7:24-25).

It implies that wisdom is simply applied knowledge.

Therefore, a crave for knowl-

HE general overseer of the Foursquare Gospel Church in Nigeria, Rev. Felix Meduoye, has assured that the nation can surmount its seemingly intractable challenges with sustained prayers.

Prayers, he stated, have the capacities to show one the path to overcoming a problem.

He assured that if Nigerians pray hard and follow the instructions of God, the nation will experience massive transformation.

He spoke last Thursday with reporters on the forthcoming quarterly Holy Spirit Refreshing Vigil of the church slated for October 3 at its International Conference Centre in Idimu Lagos.

The vigil with the theme Fruitfulness is expected to attract no fewer than 30,000 worshippers.

Meduoye said: “When we pray, God will show us the way to go. He will show us revelations that will bring solutions to our national problems.”

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Head of the Benevolence unit, Mr. Akin Ademosu, said the concept was to demonstrate the love of the church to its immediate environments.

“We have been doing this for the past five years and it is a non-stop annual project for

us.

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Discovery for women holds today

Daystar kits over 3,000 students

O fewer than 3,000 less privileged primary and secondary students last week received free educational materials, gadgets and foods ahead of resumption from the Benevolence Group of Daystar Christian Centre Ikeja, Lagos.

Tagged Back to school upgraded, the event also afforded the church the opportunity to educate parents on the importance of godly upbringing.

Some other items distributed to the excited students included school bags, sandals, socks, math sets, books, pens, cloths, food stuffs, noodles and refreshments.

HOUSANDS will today converge at the Fountain of Life Church in Ilupeju, Lagos for the last Discovery for Women rally in 2014.

Hosted by Pastors Taiwo and Nomthi Odukoya, the rally is an inspiration of Pastor Odukoya to encourage women to stand in the proper

“In addition to what you are seeing here today, we are also going to send out more items through our cell systems to minister to those who are not able to come here today,” he explained.

place to work towards attaining the best for our society He explained that women are an important part of shaping the socio-political climate of the nation, stating any society that wishes to remain relevant can no longer hide behind the cultural prescriptions

edge is the highway to wisdom (Proverbs 4:7). For instance, we understand that giving is God’s wisdom that launches us into realms of financial fortune.

Luke 6:38 says: Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.

The reason many people are frustrated is because they don’t understand the wisdom of God behind giving and receiving. It is important to know that there is a time lag between our giving and receiving, just like in sowing and reaping (Mark 4:26-28).

Biblical Wisdom for Acceptable Giving •We must give in FAITH: By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain...But without faith it is impossible to please him… (Hebrew 11:4-6). Therefore, it takes faith for our seed to be acceptable.

•We must give CHEERFULLY: 2 Cor. 9:6-7 says: …He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.

•We must give WILLINGLY: 2 Cor. 8:12 says: For if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath… We must not give under pressure, or we miss our rewards.

•We must give in LOVE: Our giving to God and the poor must be love-motivated (1 Corinthians 13:3).

•We must give HONOURABLY: It is not every seed that God receives; He receives only honourable seeds.

We must understand that what is considered honourable for one is considered dishonourable for another.

Therefore, we must give what is honourable at our level per time (Malachi 1:68, Proverb 3:9-10, 1 Samuel 2:30).

•We must give SACRIFICIALLY: Anytime we offer our seed, we must let it bear a cost on us. For instance, David purposed not to offer burnt offerings to God, which cost him nothing. After he offered his ‘costly’ seed, the Lord was entreated for the land, and the plague ceased in Israel (2 Samuel 24:24-25).

•We must give TIRELESSLY: This is because we can only reap our harvest in due season, if we faint not (Galatians 6:9).

Remember, we are ordained to walk in financial dominion and Jesus died, among other things, to connect us with the blessings of Abraham, which includes financial fortune (Genesis 13:2; Isaiah 51:1-3).

Friend, the power to access financial dominion, is for those born again. You get born again by confessing your sins and accepting Jesus as your Saviour and Lord. If you are set for this, please say this prayer: “Lord Jesus, I come to You today. I am a sinner. Forgive me of my sins.

Today, I accept You as my Lord and Saviour. Now, I know I am born again!”

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

Evangelism group takes off 34 years after have nothing to HIRTY-FOUR years afconception fear.“You The journey is long,” he ter the he received the

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vision, Pastor Sule Bamgbola has finally launched church Missionary Media Ministry, which is dedicated to evangelism in Lagos.

The group, according to Bamgbola, is determined “to be the leading source of knowledge and support to missionaries and emerging Christians who intend to fulfill the command of the Lord Jesus by taking missions as priority.’’

The former accountant with the defunct New Breed

of traditional gender roles which have subjugated and relegated women over the years.

The theme for the rally is for a moment like this.

The guest artiste is award- winning gospel act, Anne Inyang.

By Joseph Eshanokpe

magazine said God gave him the revelation of the ministry 34 years ago but he could not actualise it until now.

“Ten years ago, we took some steps but they did not go down well. But in December last year, the Lord laid it in my mind that we must do something.

“As far back as 1980, God told me to go into the missionary field. In 1984, we wanted to start, decades passed, another passed and another is passing.”

He continued: “It is late but I believe the Lord will forgive me. In 1983, I was able to open eight churches in the north through crusades.”

The guest speaker, Bishop Daniel Obioha, urged Bamgbola not to give up and be courageous.

He said every ministry or church started from a humble beginning.

stated.

Recalling the story of Moses, who was ordered by God to return to Mountain Sinai, Obioha urged Bamigbola to be bold.

“Look unto God. He is our sufficiency. Ministry is about sacrifice. It is sacrifice that gives birth to service.

“Without it, there is no service. God is able to help you. If God is leading you to start a ministry, you don’t need to ask for a kobo. Without sacrifice, you cannot be useful to God.” The senior cleric advised that some ministries are vital for church growth and that members who have such a call should go for them.

He however advised that the ministries should be made to abide by the doctrines of the church and asked to embrace holiness in their works and teachings.

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Mind & Body THE NATION ON SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2014

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his is a season when the contraction of infection of all kinds is on the increase. Every other day, different bacterial infections and diseases are discovered; diseases that threaten the very existence of man. Some of these diseases and sicknesses are so devastating that it is only man himself who can put the appropriate measures in place to either checkmate such diseases or even prevent them from infecting him. Apart from this, there are also some viruses that are so deadly now that the mere mention of them inspires fear into the mind of humanity.

But in the face of all these, medical experts and nutritionists still insist that man can help to give himself respite by eating good and balanced diets/fruits. Most of the fruits are ought to be eaten while in season to help ward off diseases and viruses and then build a virile, strong and dependable body system that does not easily allow for infection or the like. This is essential because for the body immune system to fight off any strong virus or infection or even sickness, the mineral components of he body have to be strong enough to do so. Since the body is vulnerable to so many infections that try to inhibit it from time to time, it then follows that man has to find solutions and plausible ways to make the body safe and sound.

Some of these fruits and foods include honey, watermelon, garlic, soya beans, ginger, garden egg, potatoes, avocado pear, pineapple, lettuce, tomatoes, carrot and many others.

Honey: The healing properties in raw and original honey are known as the best solution for the prevention of cholera, meningitis and other related bacterial infections that disturb man from time to time.

Incessant cholera outbreaks have indeed claimed millions of lives in Africa and other places. But the application of honey in all its glory and form can help to keep such problems at bar. It has been proved over time that raw honey is a natural food-medicine.

Isioma Michael, a nutritionist who has counselled a lot of people on this issue stated that honey is also a food for the heart. “It also nourishes the heart directly. It smoothens the skin and makes one look younger and fresher if one takes it from time to time”.

It is on record that cholera, often characterised by severe or acute diarrhea, vomiting, loss of fluid and sometimes total collapse, have been cured with honey. From

Building your immune system 1

•Pineapple

By Edozie Udeze

the Honey Health and Therapeutic Qualities usually made available by the National Honey Board of the United States of America, the powerful properties of honey are mainly as a result of its anti-bacterial and hydrating components. Therefore, if taken regularly, honey is capable of building a formidable immune system that will be hard for an internal element to penetrate.

Pineapple: This is a fruit rich in diverse minerals. Its primary source is in the area if antioxidants necessary to fight against severe and radical diseases in the body. It is also good in preventing body cell damage. Also it is useful in the area of the fight against heart diseases, it prevents arthritis and other forms

of cancers. It's most powerful potency is the prevention and control of flu, catarrh and cold. With its deep richness in vitamin C, it is appropriate to make it a part of family menu on a daily basis.

Research shows that apart from its many healing and medicinal powers, pineapple is equally good to fight microbial diseases thereby helping in no small measure to boost body immune system. Above all, due to its strong antioxidant properties, and the rich presence of dietary fibre, pineapple helps to hasten digestion. For people who find it difficult to empty their systems regularly, this is a sure bet for them, especially as pineapple is hardly out of season in the society. But then

since it is known to help in the control and management of high blood pressure; it is a wonderful diet to steady the body system.

Once the issue of BP is in one's system, pineapple should be taken in great quantity in order to help the body immune to purify and gradually get back to normal.

Avocado pear: According to Michael, there are about 70 types of Avocado pear grown in different parts of the world.

However, the common ones here in Nigeria are the greenish and brownish coloured ones. It is in season now and it is rich in potassium, fibre, with deep contents of vitamins C, K and B6.

Even though it is known to contain fat, half of an Avocado is said to have plenty of calories, grams of heart-healthy unsaturated fat necessary to keep the body functioning to its fullest. A part of it also contains vitamin K and when it is added as part of a daily menu, it keeps the heart constantly healthy and strong.

Garden egg: Useful for many traditional purposes, it is both a vegetable and a fruit very rich in nutrients. It is rich in dietary fibre, potassium, manganese, vitamin B and copper. Copper is rare to get and Garden egg is the best source to have it.

It is equally known to have plenty of vitamin B6 and niacin.

Essentially, if one is trying to lose weight, like Michael affirmed, Garden egg comes in handy. “It is good when one wants to burn fat and steady his/her shape. This is so because it has low calories and low soluble carbon-hydrate”. When taken in large quantum, it aids digestion and for those whose systems suffer constipation on a regular basis, a dosage of Garden eggs is appropriate. It is also advisable to eat it in large quantity when it is in season so as to help build the immune system thereby warding off bacterial infections. A good number of people only see Garden egg necessary when they have visitors and other celebrations. But it goes beyond that; it is a source of natural medicine to help the body be in order. It is known also to be good for the eyes, helps to prevent pelptic ulcer and generally cleanses the bowl.

When eaten with groundnuts (peanuts), the beauty seems to come out better.

Anyhow it is done, it is still known to possess its rich medicinal ingredients necessary to power the body and keep it off many diseases and infections.

Cucumber

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•Cucumber

he cucumber is a creeping vine that roots in the ground and grows uptrellises or other supporting frames, wrapping around supports with thin, spiraling tendrils. The plant has large leaves that form a canopy over the fruit.

The fruit of the cucumber is roughly cylindrical, elongated with tapered ends, and may be as large as 60 centimeters (24 in) long and 10 centimeters (3.9 in) in diameter. Having an enclosed seed and developing from a flower, botanically speaking, cucumbers are classified as accessory fruits. Much like tomatoes and squash they are often also perceived, prepared and eaten as vegetables.

Cucumbers are usually more than 90% water.

A few cultivars of cucumber are parthenocarpic , the blossoms creating

seedless fruit without pollination.

Pollination for these cultivars degrades the quality. In the United States, these are usually grown in greenhouses, where bees are excluded. In Europe, they are grown outdoors in some regions, and bees are excluded from these areas.

Most cucumber cultivars, however, are seeded and require pollination.

Thousands of hives of honey bees are annually carried to cucumber fields just before bloom for this purpose.

Cucumbers may also be pollinated by bumblebees and several other bee species. Most cucumbers that require pollination are self-incompatible, so pollen from a different plant is required [1] to form seeds and fruit. Some selfcompatible cultivars exist that are related [1] to the 'Lemon' cultivar. Symptoms of

inadequate pollination include fruit abortion and misshapen fruit. Partially pollinated flowers may develop fruit that are green and develop normally near the stem end, but are pale yellow and withered at the blossom end.

Traditional cultivars produce male blossoms first, then female, in about equivalent numbers. Newer gynoecious hybrid cultivars produce almost all female blossoms. They may have a pollenizer cultivar interplanted, and the number of beehives per unit area is increased, but temperature changes induce male flowers even on these plants, which may be sufficient for [1] pollination to occur.

Insecticide applications for insect pests must be done very carefully to avoid killing off the insect pollinators

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Oddities The Nation on Sunday September 28, 2014

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EASER: As the groom, you were at your wedding ceremony. Your bride was about to slip the wedding ring into your fourth finger. You were just about to say 'Yes, I do'! In an instant, a heavily bearded man of a huge stature appeared from nowhere with some police officers to the altar… Before you could ask what was going on, you were arrested on allegations that you defaulted in a debt and were asked to pay up! You were then whisked away disgraced. And before you say Jack Robinson, the money was paid and you were brought back to the church to complete your wedding and afterwards, the party continued as if nothing was amiss…

“The story is real. It happened some years back. I arrested the groom during his wedding in Akure some years ago”, affirmed Prince Arangun Ogunoye (aka Jefoe).

“When I heard that one of my client's debtor was wedding, I monitored the proceedings from the very day they were organising and preparing at Hospital Road, Akure, till the point that the couple were at the altar. I went straight for the debtor and arrested the groom. But few hours later the money was paid, and the groom was left off the hook and the wedding continued”.

According to the Prince Ogunoye, he said he was working for banks and private organisations as their debt collector. And this groom owed and did not want to pay as I was informed. He said: “I got myself ready for them and went his jugular. I did not care if I was hated as long as I was doing my legitimate work. I didn't smile. And I don't laugh either with people.”

Facing the reporter, he said: “You are lucky that I am cracking joke with you. This shows your ingenuity”.

The ace debt collector, who hails from Owo in Ondo State, also said that nobody sees him without being afraid of his bushy grey beard. Speaking on that, he said: “My beard is the mystique that any debtor sees and respects and develops goose pimples.

My beard is my machine gun. No matter how strong you are, my beard will instill fear in you. That is why it is my machine gun. If you owe, the moment you see me or I approach you and you sight my beard, you have no choice than to pay up. In fact, it is not easy seeing my beard without you not being intimidated. My beard is not only attractive, but infuses dread in people, he insisted.

As a matter of fact, seeing Prince Ogunoye could make a lily-livered man, melt. He always wears a frightening countenance coupled with his shaggy beard. It is the type a toddler would see and run into hiding especially when he speaks at the same time with his baritone voice; that is in addition to his huge stature that makes him looks like a heavy-weight wrestler.

He said: “In a nutshell, my physical appearance is intimidating which helps me to intimidate my clients and debtors”.

In his submission, the name, Prince Ogunoye is popular in Kaduna, Ondo, Osun and Oyo States as a no-nonsense debt collector. He told the reporter that this is because no matter how close you are to him, he could have you arrested and get your property confiscated as his friendship knows no bounds. He said this has been known of him as he is doing his own legitimate business. He said he needs no introduction in the afore-mentioned states because as far as his business is concerned, “he knows nobody and does not want to know anybody”.

He also said he could arrest his friends or siblings -dead or alive -if they default in paying what they owe. To buttress this, he gave an example of one of his biological brothers. He said: “I once arrested my younger brother called Chessy, a talented musician. He had borrowed money for a business that ran at a loss. I was the man mandated to recover the debt. But when I got to him, he had nothing to pay and in fact, could not pay. I had him arrested. It was at

This man has not shaved for 40 years •I arrested a groom on his wedding day Prince Arangun Ogunoye (aka Jefoe), 70, a Kadunabased government licensed debt collector, has been in the business over 30years. He told Taiwo Abiodun that his beard is his 'machine gun’

•Ogunoye this point our aged mother came to rescue my brother by selling her cocoa and other personal stuff to pay up”.

When Chessy was asked by this reporter to confirm the story, he did not deny but spoke in the affirmative that, it is so. Chessy said: “It is true. My brother warned me against the business I was about doing. But I went ahead to do it until I ran at a loss. He came to arrest me and said he was doing his legitimate business. He is a no-nonsense man who is respected for his truth and uprightness.”

Prince also spoke on how he started the business. He said: “I rose to become a Chattered Debt Collector. And like I said, my bushy beard is my power and

instrument of use such that whenever the debtors see me, they would develop sleepless nights. I even heard they say things as 'this man can give us hypertension o'. Then they would quickly gather to look for my money.

Asked how the beard grew so much, he said: “I have been keeping this beard since when I was 30years old. It is a result of 40years of keeping it”.

He said he has been keeping his precious beard since 1974. “I have been keeping my beard for the past 40years. And I have over 50 combs of different sizes and makes kept in different spots so I can easily locate them whenever I need to use them. I love my beard and I take good care of it”.

He spoke of a man in the north who fell in love with his beard and helps him in taking care of it. He said: “I once met a politician called Alhaji Samaru, a former senator from the north. He gives me money monthly saying he loves how I have been keeping the beard. Our friendship started a long time ago. He would call and tell me that he loves my beard. He encourages me to be taking proper care of it. The fact is that, I love keeping my beard not knowing it would eventually be useful to me in life. Today, it is my 'machine gun'. And it still keeps growing even till now that I am about 70years.”

He was also asked how he operates his debt-collecting business, he said: “I always go about with authority letter to go to the debtors.” Citing an example, he said: “There was a male debtor in Kaduna. When he realised that AMCON engaged me, he became afraid and quickly tendered an apology. I am a strategist. I don't have any fear. But I don't just go out anyhow. I have my good name and reputation to protect. I am doing a clean business as a debt recovery person. And I have my license, he added boastfully. .

He further claimed that nobody has ever challenged him of dishonesty, adding: “Whoever is doing this type of job must be a man of clean record. He must be honest and straightforward. I don't fear anybody except God Almighty who has been protecting me.

So, the important thing is don't go beyond your boundary to borrow money and spend it on frivolities.

Asked whether he has ever faced embarrassment on his business, he laughed and said: “I have faced many embarrassments in my life. An example was when some of these debtors see me they would run as if they are being pursued.

Some would point at me and quickly disappear. Many would be staring at my 'machine gun'. And some even called me Ojukwu. But I enjoyed them all as interesting part of life. You know life is a mixture of interesting, funny, sad, give-andtake and so on”.

In the benning: Ogunoye said he was once a Civil Servant with the National Transport Sports Commission (NTSC), Surulere, Lagos, where he retired in 1980. He said: “After I retired from service, I didn't know what to do. I worked as a Security Guard with Boys' Scouts and Boys' Brigade groups.

Eventually, I settled as a debt collector with good and clean clients. That is why my record is clean till today.

Those who knew me know that I have a nickname, 'Jefoe”, when I was in transport business. It means 'eat your vegetable'. In those days, my clique of friends included the late Orlando Owoh, Commader Wey, Solomon Ade, the late Adebayo Success, Chief Dr. Ladun Nene and many others.

However, my business is basically to assist debtors. It is like being a politician among whom there is no permanent friends or enemies but only permanent interest.”

Asked whether the debtors often hate him after recovering debts from them, he responded: “No, I don't have enemies. The fact is immediately you pay your money, we have become friends again. But mark you, I am not begging for friendship. The debtors should thank me for assisting them by forcing them to pay and be free from debts on earth. After all, when they get to heaven they would be asked whether they had paid what they owed on earth or not. I am doing them a great favour because there is a penalty for it if they die with debts from the earth,” the bearded Prince said with a frowned face.

A friend of the debt-collector, Mr Julius Akinwale, said he had known him for over 40years and described him as: 'hardworking, cool-headed and a strong man who does his work diligently and with all seriousness'. Akinwale then added: “If you are owing, please pay your money before Prince comes to you and use his machine gun beard to threaten you”.

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THE NATION ON SUNDAY JULY 28, 2014 New mom Chelsea Clinton celebrates baby daughter

US-led planes strike fighters attacking Syria town

Egypt postpones verdict in case against expresident Mubarak

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N Egyptian court postponed to Nov. 29 its verdict on whether former president Hosni Mubarak ordered the killing of protesters during the 2011 uprising that ended his three-decade rule.

Before adjourning the hearing yesterday, the judge said he and members of the prosecution team had not finished reviewing all the evidence in the case, which amounted to 160,000 pages.

A TV screen in the courtroom showed thousands of documents related to the case piled up in folders and bound with string.

Mubarak, his interior minister Habib al-Adly and six other senior security officers are accused of ordering the killings of more than 800 protesters, sowing chaos and creating a security vacuum during the 18day revolt. They deny the charges.

The former strongman and Adly were both sentenced to life in prison in 2012 after being convicted in the case but an appeals court subsequently ordered a retrial.

ILL and Hillary Clinton are grandparents.

Their daughter, Chelsea, gave birth Friday to her first child, Charlotte.

Chelsea Clinton announced the news on Twitter and Facebook early yesterday, saying she and husband Marc Mezvinsky are "full of love, awe and gratitude as we celebrate the birth of our daughter, Charlotte Clinton Mezvinsky."

Clinton spokesman KamylBazbaz said the child was born Friday but did not immediately provide additional details. The couple lives in New York City.

The former president and former secretary of state quickly retweeted their daughter's message on Twitter but did not immediately comment on the baby's arrival.

The news comes as Hillary Clinton deliberates whether to run for the White House in 2016. She is the leading Democratic contender to succeed President Barack Obama, her 2008 campaign rival, and has said she expects to make a decision around the beginning of next year.

The baby has been eagerly anticipated as Hillary Clinton considers her political future.

She has called the prospect of becoming a grandmother her "most exciting title yet." She even has picked out the first book she intends to read to her grandchild, the classic "Goodnight Moon."

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.S.-led coalition warplanes struck Islamic State fighters in Syria attacking a town near the Turkish border for the first time yesterday, as well as positions in the country's east, activists and a Kurdish official said.

The Islamic State group's assault on the Syrian Kurdish town of Kobani has sent more than 100,000 refugees streaming across the border into Turkey in recent days as Kurdish forces from Iraq and Turkey have raced to the front lines to defend the town.

Nawaf Khalil, a spokesman for Syria's Kurdish Democratic Union Party, or PYD, said the strikes targeted Islamic State positions near Kobani, also known as Ayn Arab, destroying two tanks. He said the jihadi fighters later shelled the town, wounding a number of civilians.

The latest airstrikes came as Syria's Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem told the Lebanon-based AlMayadeen TV that airstrikes alone "will not be able wipe out" the Islamic State group.

Speaking from New York where he is attending the U.N. General Assembly, alMoallem said in remarks broadcast Saturday that the U.S. should work with Damascus if it wants to win the war.

"They must know the importance of coordination with the people of this country because they know what goes on there," al-Moallem said.

•Climbers descend Mt. Ontake, which straddles Nagano and Gifu prefectures, to evacuated as volcanic ash falls at the mountain in central Japan yesterday, in this photo taken by a climber and released by Kyodo. The Mt. Ontake volcano erupted yesterday, killing one woman and seriously injuring more than 30 people, officials and media said. The Japan Meteorological Agency said the volcano, 200 km west of Tokyo, erupted just before midday and sent ash pouring down the mountain’s south slope for more than three km. PHOTO: REUTERS Kyodo

Liberian top doctor goes under Ebola quarantine L

IBERIA'S chief medical officer is placing herself under quarantine for 21 days after her office assistant died of Ebola.

Bernice Dahn, a deputy health minister who has represented Liberia at regional conferences intended to combat the ongoing epidemic, told The Associated Press yesterday that she did not have any Ebola symptoms but wanted to ensure she was not infected.

The World Health Organization says 21 days is the maximum incubation period for Ebola, which has killed more than 3,000 people across West Africa and is hitting Liberia especially hard. WHO figures released Friday said 150 people died in the country in just two days.

Liberia's government has asked people to keep themselves isolated for 21 days if they

think they have been exposed.

The unprecedented scale of the outbreak, however, has made it difficult to trace the contacts of victims and quarantine those who might be at risk.

"Of course we made the rule, so I am home for 21 days," Dahn said yesterday. "I did it on my own. I told my office staff to stay at home for the 21 days. That's what we need to do."

Health officials, especially front-line doctors and nurses, are particularly vulnerable to Ebola, which is spread via the bodily fluids of infected patients. Earlier this month, WHO said more than 300 health workers had contracted Ebola in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, the three most-affected countries. Nearly half of them had died.

Making sure health care workers have the necessary supplies, including personal

protective equipment, has been a challenge especially given that many flights in and out of Ebola-affected countries have been cancelled.

At an emergency meeting of the African Union on Sept. 8, regional travel hub Senegal said it was planning to open a "humanitarian corridor" to affected countries.

Senegal was expected yesterday to receive a flight carrying humanitarian staff from Guinea - the first time aid workers from one of the three most-affected countries were allowed in Senegal since the corridor was opened, said Alexis Masciarelli, spokesman for the World Food Program.

The airport in Dakar, Senegal's capital, has set up a terminal specifically for humanitarian flights where thorough health checks will be

conducted, Masciarelli said.

The current plan calls for two weekly rotations between Dakar and Ebola-affected countries and a third weekly rotation between Dakar and Accra, Ghana, where a special U.N. mission to fight Ebola will be headquartered, Masciarelli said.

Mustapha Sidiki Kaloko, African Union commissioner for social affairs, said yesterday he plans to travel to West Africa today to meet regional leaders and airline executives to try to convince them to resume flights cancelled because of Ebola.

The first batch of an AU Ebola taskforce, totalling 30 people, left for Liberia on Sept. 18, Kaloko said.

Taskforce members are expected to arrive in Sierra Leone on Oct. 5 and in Guinea by the end of October, he said.

Catalonia defies Spain by calling secession vote

T

HE president of Spain's powerful northeastern region of Catalonia yesterday formally called an independence referendum, the latest secession push in Europe and one of the most serious challenges to the Spanish state in recent years.

Catalan leader Artur Mas signed the decree to call the referendum in a solemn ceremony in the regional government headquarters in Barcelona, flanked by most of the region's political leaders who support the vote.

"Like all the nations of the world, Catalonia has the right to decide its political future," said Mas. Two hours after Mas spoke, Deputy Prime Minister Soraya

Saenz de Santamaria said the Spanish government will hold an emergency cabinet meeting within days so the referendum can be challenged before Spain's Constitutional Court.

"This referendum will not be held because it is unconstitutional," she told reporters during a rare yesterday press conference.

Pro-independence sentiment in the economically strong region, where the Catalan language is spoken side-by-side with Spanish, has surged in recent years, fuelled by a sense that the region deserves better fiscal and political treatment from Madrid.

The announcement came a week after Scotland voted against breaking away from Britain.

Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy was flying back from a state visit to China when Mas made his declaration. He has repeatedly said Spain's constitution doesn't allow referendums on sovereignty that don't include all Spaniards, and experts say the Constitutional Court is almost certain to declare the vote illegal.

"Today is a day to celebrate.

We are very happy and satisfied that president Mas has called the referendum," said CarmeForcadell, the leader of a pro-independence group that has pushed for the referendum by organizing rallies over the past three years.

Unlike the Scotland vote, a pro-secession result in a referendum in Catalonia wouldn't

result directly in secession but Mas says it would give him a political mandate to negotiate independence.

In the referendum, Mas wants to ask Catalans two questions; first, if they think Catalonia should be a state, and, if so, should it be independent. If the referendum is not held, Mas could call early regional elections that would essentially serve as a Yes or No vote on independence.

Polls indicate most Catalans favour holding the referendum but are roughly evenly split on independence. Pro-independence fervour fades when people are asked if they favour an independent Catalonia outside the European Union, as the region has been warned would happen.

Afghan villagers hang Taliban fighters

A

FGHAN villagers hanged four captured Taliban militants from a tree yesterday as security forces battled the insurgents for a sixth day in a district of Ghazni province, an official said.

The hangings were carried out after Taliban fighters had killed more than 100 people in the area in the past week, including more than a dozen who were beheaded, according to Ghazni deputy governor Mohammad Ali Ahmadi.

The battle in the Ajrestan district of Ghazni, southwest of the capital Kabul, is part of an escalation of Taliban attacks around the country as the militants take advantage of dwindling U.S. air support as foreign forces leave.

The assault by an estimated 700 Taliban fighters began about six days ago but Afghan army commando reinforcements and the threat of NATO air strikes have so far prevented the district from falling under Taliban control, said Ahmadi.

Heavy fighting continued yesterday in Ajrestan, in the far west of the province.

The four captured militants were handed over to residents in Arzakai village, according to Ahmadi, who also uses the name Ahmadullah Ahmadi. It was unclear who handed the men over to the villagers, or why.

74

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THE NATION ON SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2014

WORLD/COMMENTARY

YRIA is doomed to be a theatre of war for years to come. In Machiavellian concert with a few Arab monarchies and the usual western suspects, America began bombing Syria and Iraq. The stated reason for the air raids is to decimate ISIL which has proclaimed a thoroughly draconian caliphate over territory it has seized in both Syria and Iraq. Superficially, this reason sounds reasonable, even noble. Yet there is a much longer tail to this tale. To follow it is to discover the aerial exertions have little to do with protecting civilians and only secondarily with ridding the world of ISIL. The harsh truth is that the authors of the bombing raids are not committed to eliminating ISIL. They merely want ISIL to return to what they see as its proper status. It can survive by going about its merry way as a nomadic extremist group. However, it crossed the invisible yet hard line drawn by the Western powers when it declared it would no longer itinerate but would establish its own state. That placed ISIL at odds with those foreign sources whose policies, arms and funds had helped build and finance it into what it hath become.

The global gang-op against ISIL reveals something important to those who care to discern it: ISIL's claim to territory is more the problem than ISIL itself. ISIL became a menace worthy enough to bomb once it laid claim to real estate. Here, we have pulled away the chaff that we may see the kernel.

With precious little fanfare and explanation, the world has entered a dangerous phase because longstanding tenets of international relations have been discarded.

That these principles are assaulted by terrorists is of no surprise. That they are being junked by the world's most powerful nation is the greater astonishment. It should bring you to upper loft of concern.

America has imbibed the elixir of hubris in much too generous proportions.

Extrapolating from its self-description as the world's indispensable nation, America is now free to ignore the views and concerns of other nations. America now reasons its views on all matters concerning the global estate are also indispensable. This implicitly suggests that divergent viewpoints are dispensable. It is a thin, often fleeting distinction between thinking an opposing view is to be cast aside or thinking the government holding that opposing view should be discarded, or at least, reformed until it assumes the correct mode of behavior.

This explains the Iraqi war that toppled Saddam. To second President Bush, Saddam was an eyesore who must be removed. That Saddam tasted ignoble defeat after being chased from his Kuwait misadventure like a petty thief with his trousers ablaze was not enough for the younger Bush. Saddam's continued presence, his very survival, stood as an affront to American uni-power. Bush and his broad array of narrow-minded, war-hungry advisors felt Saddam's reprieve in the First Gulf War was undeserved. They would revoke it without debate or discussion about the likely consequences of the action they believed was their right and destiny to take.

Although he constituted no threat to American interests, they attacked him and his nation. The Iraqi people would gravely suffer due to him. The American government fabricated the lie about Saddam arsenal of WMD's. The truth is simply he was attacked because his government remained at odds with America. After his defeat in the 1990's, Saddam refused to supplicate to Washington. He remained a thorn in the side because his very presence reminded Washington of the limits of its power. His stubborn hold on power broadcasted a lesser power might contend militarily against America yet survive. This was a lesson American war hawks did not want the world to be taught. Thus, the one-time ally and the people he suppressed became meat for the slaughter.

Given the superficiality of President Bush, much of the world deceived itself the Second Iraqi War was an incidental folly, a terrible thing that happened because someone barely fit to manage a local convenience store, because of the prerogatives attached to his surname, had ascended to the highest office of the most powerful nation in the history of mankind.

Bush's personal foibles disguised that he was simply being faithful to what was becoming the bipartisan consensus within the American political establishment. His ugly foray into Iraq would be the first unalloyed demonstration of that policy; but this fact in now undermines the bipartisan agreement supporting it. His political demise came not because he adhered

War upon war by Barack the bomber (Part one) A cracked vessel still contains hope for the thirsty but the shattered glass holds no water.

•Obama

to the policy but that he did it so poorly.

Once it considers another government an enemy, America is willing to take punitive, even military action, against the blacklisted nation even when the nation does not constitute a hot threat against America or its vital strategic interests. It is sufficient the nation may disagree with an American position. This leads to speculation the nation may possibly encroach on a vital interest at some future point. This is enough to burnish a war plan and possibly pull the trigger against the unruly inferior. After all, only an apostle of evil would oppose the world's indispensable nation.

America does not merely see its position on a political or economic issue as that of one state among many, with each state's position having its own potential and peculiar merits and demerits that must be reconciled with those of the other members of the global community. America has convinced itself that its positions and even its selfinterests are divinely appointed; coming from a higher source, America's views thus have a collective application unlike any other nation's.

Meanwhile the self interests of other nations are petty, narrow things that tear at instead of help build a constructive global order. The nation that prides itself as the world's leading democracy opposes democracy in the international order and functioning of world affairs. It positions itself as an enlightened dictator, benign to those nations wise enough to follow it but capable of unleashing Old Testament destruction against those possessed of the effrontery to challenge it in a material way.

This all sounds too fantastic, too conspiratorial to be true. No one in their right mind would think such a thing! But smart, otherwise intelligent people, seized by the grinding imperatives of a mammoth military bureaucracy and of the interests of vast corporate networks, can be led down the path of a collective and blind insanity while picturing themselves as the apostles of a positive secular gospel. May I refer you to a policy document drafted in the early 1990s by the American supremacist ideologue, Paul Wolfowitz, for the Department of Defense.

His ultimate policy objective was to maintain America as the world's lone superpower. The strategic was to "convince potential competitors that they need not aspire to a greater role or pursue a more aggressive position to protect their legitimate interests." (It would be left to America to define another nation's legitimate as opposed to its illegitimate interests.) If that nation's interests did not accord with America's, they would be deemed illegitimate. More ominously, the

document stated American must "maintain mechanisms for deterring potential competitors from even aspiring to larger regional or global roles." In plain English, he advocated America having such a supremacy of economic and military fire power that no nation with a contrary view would dare openly challenge American hegemony, in fear of economic sanctions or more muscular retribution.

This document would not be relegated to a bureaucrat's graveyard of bad ideas. In the administration of Bush the Younger, Wolfowitz would become Deputy Secretary of Defense, serving as the one-man think tank for the caustic triumvirate of President Bush, Vice President Cheney and Defense Secretary Rumsfeld. His ideas would lead America into the Second Iraqi War. These ideas would also permeate the entire American national security establishment. Sadly, the "Wolfowitz Doctrine" would become as influential as it was destructive to world peace and America's own democratic traditions.

With this darkness as the guiding light of American foreign policy, there were but two exits for the world to walk away from constant friction.

Either America must shrink its global reach or every other major nation and most minor ones, regardless of their unique histories, cultures, economic interests and political systems, would have to bow to the American way. Neither is the case nor is either really possible. We have reached the place of steep dilemma and craggy danger.

We have traipsed into an era of perpetual war. Pope Francis realized this recently when he declared the world had already fallen into a "piecemeal" third world war, particularly given the grave conflicts afflicting the Middle East and Central Asia.

Against this backdrop, President Obama made two recent addresses outlining his rationale and policy for war against ISIL. His UN address was the stuff of myth and legend. He stood before the global audience and spoke of a world and an America that he knew did not exist except in the minds of schoolchildren. For the second time in a decade, the most powerful Black American in political office went before the world body to utter a litany of falsehoods in support of war in Iraq. In the prelude to the second Iraqi war, Secretary of State Powell spun a tale of lies about WMD. This time, President Obama evoked almost every myth conceivable about American national superiority save that God Himself had drafted the Declaration of Independence and American Constitution to hand them to the Founding Fathers on holy parchment.

One line summed up the hypocrisy of the moment. He chastised Russia's role in Ukraine, lamenting that it was throwback to the times when a strong nation would simply invade the weaker. The throwback did not have to go very far unless Obama was afflicted by selective amnesia. Obama's admonition statement was more applicable to America's invasion of Iraq than Russian aid to Ukrainian separatists. Since 1980, America has intervened militarily in nearly thirty nations. No other nation comes close to approximating the global scope of this martial proclivity. Yet, Obama projects that America is a man of peace and not one of war. The pretty words don't fit the bloodstained picture.

In many ways, I feel sorry for President Obama. He came into office hoping to pull America out of war. As a candidate, he stood up to the war machine. As president, he would succumb to it. As he made this speech, one could tell he had never envisioned that he would be caught in that awkward, incommodious position. He looked like he was mouthing another's words and inside another person's skin. If you could ask him privately, he would likely admit his better judgment was against war. However, the enormous political pressure at home and the incessant drumming of the military establishment made him yield. The corporate war machine forced him from his preferred stance. Because there is no position he holds firmly, there is no position he holds for long once the pressure is on him. His critics know and attack him accordingly.

The military wants him to go full-fledged into war - by introducing ground troops in both Syria and Iraq in addition to the current aerial display. He does not want war at all. He dodged it last year in Syria regarding the chemical weapons. This year, ISIL's antics forced his hand and there was no Putin, now that Russia is blacklisted, to rescue him diplomatically at the eleventh hour.

Consequently, he cut the difference between his preferred position and that of the military hawks by agreeing to air strikes but no ground troops.

He hopes by going in half-way he might eke a half-victory or only submit himself to half a defeat since defeat is the most likely scenario. As such, he will only be half disgraced. Far from hedging his losses, this muddled compromise will likely multiply them. He applies the wrong logic to the dynamics of war. War cannot be prosecuted according to an accountant's ledger. You can't half fight a war in hope of obtaining half a victory, or if beaten, only be subjected to half a defeat. There are no such things. Either you jump with the understanding that you might have to take the fight all the way to the outer wall or you sit down and yield ground to those who might expend their all in the endeavor.

The calculations of war are not algebraic.

Even for the most powerful nation, war is a blind stab. How far your opponent is willing to go and the extent of hardship he is willing to endure are uncertain at the onset and remain such up to the time of surrender or cessation.

In testing your opponent's mettle, you also challenge your own. If your opponent already knows you have limited your involvement and commitment, you have ceded great strategic advantage to him. He will outwit you by outwaiting you, knowing that your commitment and patience will fail. Obama has exposed himself thusly.

For its part, ISIL is playing a reckless but cunning game. The evil force is following Bin Laden's theories. Bin laden remarked that 9/ 11 cost Al Qaeda less than $500,000 but America spent more than $500 billion in response, without decimating Al Qaeda. In much the same way, the Taliban/mujahedeen bogged down the former USSR in Afghanistan. ISIL believes it can do the same to America in Syrian. It hopes to pull America into a sandy, desolate battlefield where American troops and fine machinery would waste away in the heat, wind and sand. America would ultimately go home because there was nothing to fight except night ghosts. ISIL hopes to turn President Obama into a new President Johnson and that Syria will be the desert version of the Vietnam military quagmire.

But ISIL is wrong in an important sense. Its strategy will be to fold the caliphate and return to being a mobile terrorist force. It will avoid defeat but this also is what America wants. ISIL is not the real prize. It is merely a vehicle to get to the second prize. The second prize is Syria.

The first prize is Iran.

More to come this next week.

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THE NATION ON SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2014

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AREMU I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Aremu Muinat Koyinsola, now wish to be known as Mrs. Oyewuwo Muinat Koyinsola. All former documents remain valid.

General public please take note.

AKINGBILE I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Akingbile Ibiwunmi Adetoun, now wish to be known as Mrs. Oyewuwo Ibiwunmi Adetoun. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

SOYOOLA I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Soyoola Olamide Omoleye, now wish to be known as Mrs. Aremu Olamide Omoleye. All former documents remain valid.

General public please take note.

ESONU I formerly known and addressed as Miss Esonu Chioma Melodia now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Obiajunwa Chioma Melodia.

All former documents remain valid NYSC and the general public please take note.

I,formerly known and addressed as MISS. UMENOIKWA NNEOMA ANYALEBECHI, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS. GABRIEL NNEOMA ANYALEBEC HI. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

UKATU I, formerly known and addressed as MISS. UKATU AMAUCHE APOLONIA, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS. AMANZE AMAUCHE APOLONIA. All former documents remain valid.

General public should please take note.

OKPARAOCHA I formerly known and addressed as Mrs. Florence Ada Okparaocha, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Florence Ada Ngozichukwuka. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

OKPARAOCHA I formerly known and addressed as Mr. Kenneth Eke Okparaocha, now wish to be known and addressed as Mr. Kenneth Ekebisi Ngozichukwuka. All former documents remain valid. Federal Inland Revenue Service and general public should please take note.

OKPARAOCHA I, formerly know and addressed as Mr. Franklin Emeka Okparaocha, now wish to be known and addressed as Mr. Franklin Emeka Ngozichukwuka. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

OKPARAOCHA I formerly know and addressed as Mr. Emmanuel Uchenna Okparaocha, now wish to be known and addressed as Mr. Emmanuel Uchenna Ngozichukwuka. All former documents remain valid.

NYSC and general public should please take note.

OKOYE I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Cecilia Nwaka Okoye, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Cecilia Nwaka Okoye Iheme.

All former documents remain valid.

Nigeria Security Civil Defence Corps and general public should please take note.

OKOMAYIN I formerly known and addressed as Miss Okomayin Oluwaseun Franca now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Akande Oluwaseun Franca, all former documents remain valid general public take note.

ADEGOKE I formerly known and addressed as Miss Adegoke Augustina Busayo now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Oyebode Augustina Busayo, all former documents remain valid Federal School of Surveying Oyo and general public take note.

OKOYE I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Okoye Ngozi Perpertual now wish to be known as Mrs. Urpkp Ngozi Perpertual. All former documents remain valid.

General public please take note.

IBEME I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Ibeme Rita Nkiruka now wish to be known as Mrs. Anyaorah-Ezeh Rita Nkiruka. All former documents remain valid.

General public please take note.

OKORIE

SHOMBON

I, formerly known and addressed as MISS OKORIE CLEMENTINA NNEOMA, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS CLEMENTINA NNEOMA IKEOLU. All former documents remain valid.

The general public should please take note.

I formerly known and addressed as Miss Felicia Mtomga Shombon now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Felicia Mtomga Igbahee. All former documents remain valid. College of Education Katsina –Ala, Benue State University Makudi and general public please take note.

I,formerly known and addressed as TESSY MNGUNENGEN UBWA, now wish to be known and addressed as TESSY MALIYOGBINDA. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note.

UBWA

AMUSAT I formerly known and addressed as MRS AMUSAT BASIRAT OLAPEJU, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS. ABDULAZEEZ BASIRAT OLAPEJU. All former documents remain valid. SUBEB Oyo and general public should please take note.

OWOYEMI I formerly known and addressed as MISS OWOYEMI OLUWASEUN CECILIA, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS ADESINA OLUWASEUN. All former documents remain valid. EKSU, INSOURCING NIG LTD, FIRST BANK and general public should please take note.

AGUNBIADE

I formerly known and addressed as MISS AGUNBIADE ADEBIMPE MONSURAT, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS. ADEDOYIN ADEBIMPE MONSURAT. All former documents remain valid. SUBEB and general public should please take note.

OGUNDARI

AKINBULE

ADEGBITE I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Adegbite Comfort Arinola now wish to be known as Mrs. Adenuga Comfort Arinola. All former documents remain valid.

WAEC, LASU and general public please take note.

ALAKA I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Alaka Olalade Olaolu Ayisat now wish to be known as Mrs. Yusuf Olalade Olaolu Ayisat.

All former documents remain valid.

General public please take note.

NNAMUCHI I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Nnamuchi, Ogochukwu Agnes, now wish to be known as Mrs. Oduche, Ogochukwu Agnes.

All former documents remain valid.

IMT, NYSC and general public please take note.

MGBEMERE

I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Mgbemere Josephine Nwakaego, now wish to be known as Mrs. Ezenwa Josephine Nwakaego. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

BABINGTON

I formerly known and addressed as SEUN PETER IBIYEMI, now wish to be known and addressed as SEUN PETER OGUNDARI. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

I, formerly known and addressed as Bisola Beatrice Babington, now wish to be known as Bisola Beatrice Oguejiofor. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

CONFIRMATION OF NAME I, Tafa Tunji and Mustapha Azeez is same person now as Mustapha Tunji Azeez. All documents bearing the above names remain valid. General public please take note.

I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Atakan Fasilat Temitope, now wish to be known as Mrs Fasilat Temitope Olajide. All former documents remain valid.

General public please take note.

CONFIRMATION OF NAME I Ezeh Anene Vicent, Anyaorah Anene Vicent is the same as Anyaorah-Ezeh Anene Vincent . All documents bearing the above names remain valid. General public please take note.

ADEWOYIN

I, formerly known and addressed as MISS ADEWOYIN LYDIA ADEBOYIN, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS BABATUNDE LYDIA ADEBOYIN. All former documents remain valid.

Premier International School, Wuse 2, Aminu Kano Crescent, Abuja and the general public should please take note.

MARTINS I, formerly known and addressed as MISS ABOSEDE BENEDICTA MARTINS, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS ABOSEDE BENEDICTA JIMAH-MARTINS. All former documents remain valid.

The general public should please take note.

ALATISHE I,formerly known and addressed as MISS FOLASHADE ALATISHE, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS FOLASHADE ALATISHE YAKUBU. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note.

DOGO I, formerly known and addressed as PETER TERNA DOGO, now wish to be known and addressed as PETER TERNA AKAAGER. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note.

SONIYI

I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Simbiat Taiwo Soniyi, now wish to be known as Mrs. Simbiat Taiwo Soniyi-Akinpelu. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

BALOGUN I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Morenikeji Olufunbi Balogun, now wish to be known as Mrs. Morenikeji Olufunbi Afolabi. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

OBI I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Obi, Sandra Chinonso, now wish to be known as Mrs. Okonkwo Sandra Chinonso. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

DANIEL I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Nkirula Daniel, now wish to be known as Mrs. Ogo Nkiruka (Nee Daniel). All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

ATAKAN

ADVERT: Simply produce your m a r r i a g e certificate or sworn affidavit for a change of name publication, with just N4,500.

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THE NATION ON SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 28, 2014

NEWS

Embark on aggressive membership drive, Ondo APC supporters urged From Damisi Ojo, Akure

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EMBERS of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo State have been urged to unite and embark on an aggressive membership drive to facilitate victory for the party in next year’s general elections.

A chieftain of the party, Mr. Olorunnimbe Ameto, gave the advice during a meeting of party members in the four wards of Ita-Ogbolu in Akure North Local Government Area of the state.

The meeting was hosted by one of the aspirants for the state House of Assembly for Akure North State Constituency, Mr. Leye Akinola.

Ameto, who is the Chairman of Akinola Campaign Organisation (ACO), noted that the APC leadership must put its house in order,while also calling on members to shun intra-party conflicts.

In his speech, Akinola promised a robust and effective representation if given the opportunity to serve the constituency.

He pledged to make employment creation and provision of masses-oriented projects his utmost priority.

‘No plan to demolish structures in Apapa’

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HE Lagos State Government has assured residents that it has no plan to embrak on a mass demolition of structures for the expansion of Gaskiya-College and Sari-Iganmu Roads.

Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, gave this assurance during a stakeholder’s meeting held at the Ladipo Primary School, Amuko.

He, however, explained that some shops and fences which are on the right of way will be removed for the construction, while adding that

By Miriam Ekene-Okoro

property owners with the required certified documents by the state Ministry of Physical Planning will be compensated.

Dispelling rumours that certain rich individuals residing in the area have allegedly influenced the construction of the road project in order to favour them, the commissioner disclosed that the road alignment cannot be skewed to favour anyone since it would be determined by the final destination of the road.

He solicited the support of the people to ensure that the

project is delivered in 20 months billed for its completion, adding that the ministry will continue to listen to their complaints.

While presenting the various complaints and petitions that led to the second stakeholders’ meeting, Hamzat said it is only with the people’s support that the project can be delivered on time.

Commenting on other roads being handled by the Lagos Metropolitan Development and Governance Project (LMDGP) which have allegedly been abandoned, the commissioner assured that the

state government is in the process of auditing the projects before it is handed over to appropriate agency of government for completion.

Also speaking, the Special Adviser on Works and Infrastructure, Engr. Ganiyu Johnson, emphasised that the project which has been awarded to Messrs Julius Berger Plc will enhance the free flow of traffic in the area.

He noted that the road will also serve as an alternative bye–pass for motorists using the Lagos-Badagry Expressway at Alaba and OrileIganmu Bus-Stops.

Osun commissioner charges traditional rulers to protect culture From Adesoji Adeniyi, Osogbo

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HE Osun State Commissioner for Home Affairs, Tourism and Culture, Hon. Sikiru Adetona Ayedun, has charged traditional rulers to protect and support the cultural heritage of their various communities.

Speaking at this year’s Odun Ade Orolu Cultural Festival in Ifon, the commissioner, who was represented by the Director, Museum and Monument in the Ministry, Mr. Samuel Adeniyi, commended Oba Al-Maroof Magbagbeola, the Olufon Orolu for encouraging cultural activities in his domain.

According to the commissioner, festivals provided opportunities for unity, harmony, development among the people.

Ayedun also said cultural festivals should be encouraged because “they have considerably improved the economy of the state.”

Accord Party scribe, others defect to LP in Oyo From Tayo Johnson, Ibadan

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ECRETARY of the Accord Party in Ibadan North Local Government in Oyo State, Kazeem Fakorde, has defected to the Labour Party (LP) along with 150 of his supporters.

Its defection followed the refusal of the leaders of his former party to reinstate him as to his position despite the directives of the party’s National Leader, Senator Rashidi Ladoja.

The defectors were received by a former Secretary to the State Government, Chief Sharafadeen Abiodun Alli, who is also a governorship aspirant in the party.

Alli described the development as good omen for LP ahead of the 2015 general elections.

While justifying his defection, Fakorede alleged that leaders of his former party are not interested in the growth of the party except to further their selfish interests.

•L-R : Chairman of the occasion, Dr. Tola Kasali; Representative of the Lagos State Governor, Mrs Olu Bello; National President, Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT) Lagos State wing, Comrade Olukoya Alogba; Special Adviser on Education to the Governor, Otunba Fatai Olukoga, National Publicity Secretary APC, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, and The Donor of the Secretariat, Prince Bayo Balogun ,during the commissioning of Prince Bayo Balogun Teacher’s House at Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos at the weekend.

PHOTO: MUYIWA HASSAN

Formulate housing policy for Osun, surveyors urge Aregbesola

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URVEYORS in Osun State have called on the state governor, Mr. Rauf Aregbesola, to introduce a favourable housing policy for the state.

Giving the advice under the aegis of the Osun State chapter of the Nigerian Insti-

From Adesoji Adeniyi, Osogbo

tute of Estate Surveyors and Valuers (NIESV), the surveyors said it has become imperative for the governor to consider a good housing policy in the overall interest of the

people of the state.

In a congratulatory letter to the governor on his re-election, the surveyors also advised the state government to introduce the payment of property rate to serve as a good source of Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) for the

state.

In the letter signed by the Chairman and Secretary of the institute, Dr. Oluseyi Adegoke and Tunde Oladokun respectively, the surveyors praised Aregbesola for his achievements during his first term.

They particularly hailed Aregbesola for transforming the state through massive road construction, saying that his administration has opened up many towns and cities in the state.

Tackling corruption will reduce unemployment, says ex-ICPC member

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pioneer member of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Chief Simeon Oguntimehin, has stated that the unemployment situation in the country can only be addressed if corruption at all levels is effectively tackled.

Speaking to reporters ahead of his coronation ceremony as the Lisa of Ondo

From Leke Akeredolu, Akure

Kingdom, Oguntimehin, who is also the former President of the Institute of the Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), described corruption as a cankerworm that has eaten deep into the fabric of the country, stating that the inability to fight the malaise has affected the image of the coun-

try negatively among the comity of nations.

Oguntimehin, who is the first Chairman of the Ondo State Public Account Committee, however, commended the federal government for the establishment of ICPC and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

While lamenting that the operations of the two anti-graft

agencies have been hampered by lack of funds, he appealed to the federal government to allocate more funds to the agencies to enable them achieve their mandate.

Oguntimehin further appealed to non-governmental organisations, religious bodies and educational institutions to join hands with the government in the crusade against corruption.

Ondo APC flays delay in payment of workers’ salaries

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HE Ondo State chapter of All Progressives Congress (APC) has faulted what it called ‘the antilabour’ posture of the state government on the delay in the payment of August salary to civil servants in the state.

In a statement issued in Akure by a member of the party’s state Publicity Committee, Charles Titiloye, the APC bemoaned the plight of workers in the state, while

From Damisi Ojo, Akure

challenging the state governor, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, to declare the state of finances of the state.

The party noted that most parents are now at the mercy of owners of private schools who charge high fees due to what it called the failure of the state government to revive and rebuild public schools in Ondo State.

It added, “Anybody who values good education would not send his children to Ondo public schools with their deplorable and dilapidated infrastructures. Yet, the same government cannot pay salary regularly to its workers to meet their financial obligation in paying their children’s school fees at private schools.

“Our party is no longer comfortable with the fact that state government can no

longer meet its financial obligations to pay workers’ salary and perform its social responsibility to the citizens of the state by fixing and repairing basic public amenities.”

While lamenting the deplorable state of major roads in Akure, the state capital, the APC further alleged a “total breakdown of responsive and accountable governance in Ondo State.”

Boko Haram: NAOWA donates food items, clothes to widows From Leke Akeredolu, Akure

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HE Nigerian Army Officers’ Wives Association (NAOWA) has donated food and clothing materials to 70 widows who lost their husbands during the battle against Boko Haram insurgents.

The donation, which took place at the 32 Artillery Brigade, Army Barrack, Akure, the Ondo State capital, had items such as bags of rice, yam, groundnut oil and ankara fabrics given to the widows.

Speaking with reporters shortly after distributing the items, the President of NAOWA, Mrs. Felly Minimah, who is the wife of the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Kenneth Minimah, said her visit was part of her familiarisation tour to meet wives of soldiers in all the barracks across the country.

She stated that it is the duty of the association to empower and assist widows including the less privileged who live in the barracks.

The wife of the army boss, who also used the occasion to inaugurate a newly constructed vocational centre, assured wives of the soldiers that the association would continue to offer various kinds of assistance to support them.

She said: “We are here in Akure on a familarisation tour to meet with deceased soldiers’ wives and we believe that those widows who had lost their husbands during the battle against the evil ones should not be neglected. On this note, it is now the duty of NAOWA as it always doing to continue to touch lives of the less privileged.”

While receiving members of NAOWA, the Commander of the 32 Artillery Brigade, Brig.

General Aliu Momoh, commended the association for extending support to the widows.

1000 Accord Party members defect to PDP in Oyo From Tayo Johnson, Ibadan

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O fewer than 1,000 members of Accord Party in Ibadan North East Local Government Area of Oyo State on Friday defected to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The defectors, who were led by Alhaji Taofeek Fajobi and Hon. Kayode Oyewale, were received by a chieftain of the party in the state, Alhaji Adebisi Olopoenia’ the party chairman in the state, Hon. Yinka Taiwo, and Chairman of the party in the local government, Alhaji Tunde Laniba.

Addressing the new members, Olopoenia admonished them to be united and shun any form of inducement from the opposition.

He also charged them to be focused and avoid any form of distraction on the “unstoppable movement to the seat of government”.

He assured that the party would not disappoint them, urging others in Ibadan North East Local Government to join the winning train.

Also speaking, Taiwo assured the defectors of a level playing ground to enable them actualise their political aspirations.

THE NATION ON SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 28, 2014

Pate wants causes of terrorist ideology addressed

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ORMER Minister of State for Health, Dr Mohammed Pate, has advised that countries should address the underlying environment allowing the development of terrorist ideology.

Pate said this in reaction to President Goodluck Jonathan's call while addressing the 69th Session of the UN General Assembly New York on Wednesday.

Jonathan, in his speech, canvassed for ``innovative responses'' from world leaders in the fight against terrorism.

He appealed for support for frontline countries battling insurgency in West Africa, particularly Nigeria, Cameroon and Chad.

In an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday, Pate stressed that issues such as abject poverty, youth unemployment and poor education must be addressed in order to eradicate terrorism. ``I fully support the President's call for global cooperation to fight the global phenomenon of terrorism.�

NEWS

Ahmed upgrades 70 traditional stools in Kwara

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WARA State Governor, Abdulfatah Ahmed, has approved the grading and upgrading of 70 traditional stools in the state.

The state Commissioner for Local Government, Chieftaincy Affairs and Community Development, Alhaji Abdullahi S. Umar, who announced government's decision in a statement, added that the grading and upgrading of the monarchs was with immediate effect.

The upgraded stools include 17 Third Class monarchs moving to second class category, while 22 erstwhile 4th Class were moved to Third Class, the statement added.

The new second class stools are Eruku, Obbo-Aiyegunle, Obbo-Ile, Arandun, Aran-Orin,

From Adekunle Jimoh, Ilorin Ora and Omupo. Others are OroAgo, Babanla, Idofian, Ijara Isin, Iwo Isin, Aiyedun, Ojoku, Ijagbo, Ipee and Ikotun.

Those in the new third class category include Koro, Isare Opin, Agbonda, Omido, Ilala, Igbonla, Elerinjare, Amoyo, Owode Ofaro, Oke-Oyan, Agbeku, Labaka Shagbe, Yaru, Owa Onire, Oke-Aba, OkeOnigbin, Ala-Isin, Iwo-Oduore, Idofin Odo-Ashe and IdofinIgbana all in Kwara South senatorial district.

Meanwhile, some communities in Ekan Meje and OdoOwa in Oke-Ero local council have thrown their weight behind the second term ambition of Governor Ahmed.

The communities urged the governor not to accede to the recommendation of the panel members which recommended that a junior chief in Oke-Ero local government be upgraded over and above his senior to a First Class stool.

In the letter obtained by The Nation, some concerned citizens of the council enjoined the governor to "call for a memorandum submitted by these concerned citizens in Oke-Ero before announcing the result, otherwise there will be breakdown of law and order in the council."

The petition was signed by Taiye Emmanuel, Adeleke Ogunyemi, Bamgboye Isaac and Olakala Abidoye.

The petition, in part, reads: "To strengthen your outlook as

a people's governor, you sometimes ago set up a panel to review the grading of traditional rulers in order to put to rest the agitation of communities in the state for upgrading the stools of their traditional rulers.

"It is disheartening to not that the outcome of the report of the review panel may not augur well to the generality of some parts of the state. The said panel did not review the report of the original panel because the latter did not make it available to them.

"A particular case is that of Alofa of Ilofa wherein a very junior chief in Oke-Ero is now recommended to a first class status over and above his seniors. A junior should not be made to lead his seniors."

Zamfara releases 500 rams for Sallah

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HE Zamfara State Government says it has released 500 rams to be distributed free to the poor, for the forthcoming Eid El Kabir celebrations, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) has reported.

The state Commissioner for Religious Affairs, Prof.

Abdullahi Shinkafi, announced this on Saturday in Gusau, the state capital during a preaching session.

The commissioner, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Alhaji Sani Maradun, added that the government would also distribute 40 cows free of charge to some selected groups for the same purpose.

According to him, the gesture is to enable the poor in the state celebrate the festival with members of their families.

From Frank Ikpefan, Abuja

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GROUP under the aegis of Youth Transformation and Sustainable Peace in Nigeria (YODETSIN) has hailed the endorsement of President Goodluck Jonathan as the sole presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Describing the endorsement as historic, the group's National Leader, Innocent Kaku, said YODETSIN is committed to the re-election of Jonathan in 2015 if he decides to for another term.

He also called on the president not to listen to calls by certain political interests to drop Vice President Namidi Sambo as his running mate in the 2015 presidential elections, adding, "Our group commends the effort of the PDP national leadership, the Board of Trustees (BoT), National Working Committee (NWC) and PDP Governors for the president's endorsement."

From Gbenga Omokhunu, Abuja

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From Bisi Oladele, Ibadan

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Group hails endorsement of Jonathan

Group kicks against zoning of presidency

UK-based APC chieftain seeks re-election of Kwara governor CHIEFTAIN of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the United Kingdom, Mr. Yemi KolawoleTaiwo, has canvassed for the reelection of the Kwara State Governor, Abdulfatah Ahmed.

The former Liaison Officer of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), North-Central in the UK, who recently joined the APC, also commended the APC governors for providing visionary leadership for Nigeria, stating that the developmental efforts of Ahmed as well as the leadership of Saraki would continue to put Kwara State on the path of progress.

77

•From left: Managing Director, Nigeria Railway Corporation, Mr. Adeseyi Sijuade; Lingo Project Manager, Mr. Aja Fynecountry and Minister of Transport, Senator Umar Idris, during the minister's inspection of Kuru to Maiduguri Rail line in Gombe at the weekend.

PHOTO: NAN

Adamawa LGs seek acting governor's assistance on salaries

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HAIRMAN of Shelleng Local Government in Adamawa State, Alhaji Haruna Ibrahim, has appealed to the state's Acting Governor, Alhaji Ahmadu Fintiri, to assist local government councils in the state to pay workers' salaries.

Ibrahim made the call on Saturday while addressing the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)

governorship rally in Shelleng, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.

Ibrahim said council chairmen in the state were finding it difficult to pay workers' salaries and would need the intervention of the acting governor to address the problem.

He said: "We need your support and interventions to enable us pay salary as at when

due like the state government."

Ibrahim, who assured the acting governor of the people of Shelleng's resolve to vote for him, listed road, hospital and water as the major requests of his people.

Also speaking at the occasion, the local government's party chairman, Malam Audu Buba, urged the acting governor to address the problems

facing the people as listed by the council chairman.

"The people of Shelleng are marginalised over the years, we have serious problem of road, hospital and water," Buba said.

The acting governor, in his speech, said he was touched by the situation in Shelleng and promised not to disappointment if voted into power.

Former Court of Appeal president urges unity among Muslims ORMER President of Court of Appeal, Justice Umar Abdullahi, has stressed the need for unity and cohesion among different Muslim organisations in the country.

He made the call in Abuja at the Annual Independence Lecture titled 'Islam and Muslims in Nigeria: Our story', organised by the FCT chapter of the Muslim Congress.

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Abdullahi identified the lack of unity of purpose among diverse Muslim organisation as major factor militating against the progress and development of Islam in the country.

He said that all over the world, Muslims used the same Holy Qur'an and believed in the teachings of the Holy Prophet Muhammad, stressing, "Therefore, there is no ba-

T

Plateau directs traders to start monthly sanitation

HE Plateau State Government on Saturday directed traders at the various markets in the state to conduct monthly environmental sanitation on every last Friday of the month.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Mr. Sylvanus Dantoe, the state Commissioner for Environment, gave the directive when he monitored the

monthly environmental sanitation in Jos South Local Government of the state.

The commissioner said that many markets in the state were not operating in clean and hygienic environment, and stressed the need for the introduction of the monthly sanitation for traders.

"The traders are to dedicate at least two hours every

sis for ideological difference or division between Muslims.

We should always see ourselves as one as stated in the Holy Qur'an.''

The former Court of Appeal president appealed to Muslims to shun all forms discrimination and division and embrace peace and unity.

He also urged the National Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs to come up with strat-

last Friday of the month as special sanitation days for markets to clean up the environment. When you clean your shops and surrounding on Fridays, you are expected to stay at home on the last Saturday of the month to clean your houses and surroundings," he said.

He said that the ministry in collaboration with Pla-

egies on how to unite Muslim organisations in the country ``so that we all would be under one umbrella and speak with one voice.''

The Guest Lecturer, Imam Nuraen Hassan, who spoke earlier, called for attitudinal change on the part of Muslims, saying ``the fear of Allah and good moral conduct are very essential to the progress of Islam.''

teau Environmental Protection and Sanitation Agency (PEPSA) and local government authorities would ensure strict compliance of the directive.

According to him, the move becomes necessary in view of the outbreak of diseases like Ebola and cholera as a result of dirty environment.

GROUP under the auspices of Sustainable Development Forum (SDF) has condemned the zoning of the presidency and other elective offices by political parties in the country.

Zoning of political offices in Nigeria, SDF noted, has had negative influence on the development of the nation.

It said: "Nigeria's underdevelopment is caused by unethical mindset like greed, selfishness and in some cases hatred; and these gives rise to local and global neo-colonialism and imperialism, which breeds a mediocre leadership characterised by suboptimal productivity."

Chairman of SDF, Mazi Sunny Chijioke while speaking at a news conference in Abuja, said the unethical mindset also gave birth to the federal character principle, differential cut off mark to secure admission into public schools, zoning of political offices and variants of corruption that enable some persons gain unfair and unjust socio-economic advantages over others.

He added, "The zoning of the presidency and other political offices is bad. We don't care who the president is; if an Hausa man is the best man to rule Nigeria, we will support him. The issue of where the person comes from does not arise, because we are all Nigerians.

"We have to change our mentality in Nigeria. We need to change things that are going wrong in our country.

We should not put sentiments into this issue. There should be no more imposition of candidates in politics, no more handpicking of candidates."

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SPORTS THE NATION ON SUNDAY

Congolese player banned for racist abuse reaction

EXTRA

SEPTEMBER 28, 2014

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ONGOLESE d e f e n d e r Christopher Samba has been banned for two matches by the Russian Football Union (RFU) for the way he responded to racist abuse during a Russian league match.

The former Queens Park Rangers and Blackburn player was subjected to racist taunts by fans of Torpedo Moscow while playing for Dynamo Moscow on Sunday.

Torpedo have already been punished for the behaviour of their supporters, and will have to close a section of their stadium for their next match.

Samba was substituted at halftime in apparent distress at the abuse by the Torpedo crowd.

He was then charged by the Russian Football Union for displaying an ``unpleasant gesture'' to Torpedo fans after being seen to show his middle finger to supporters.

Samba attended the disciplinary hearing on Saturday and apologised for his gesture.

Dzeko celebrates as he scored one of his two goals against Hull city.... Yesterday

Sudan: Lawal, Peters fault Keshi's list Jagielka screamer W snatches draw for Everton

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HIL Jagielka stunned the Kop with a fantastic injury-time strike to bring Everton back from the brink as Saturday's Merseyside derby against Liverpool finished 1-1.

Steven Gerrard had put Liverpool ahead with a free-kick midway through the second half and the hosts were minutes away from picking up all three points before the Everton defender struck.

It was a fast-paced and action-packed Merseyside derby with Liverpool taking control early on.

They wanted a penalty after nine minutes when Raheem Sterling's shot did appear to hit Gareth Barry's high arm in the box, but the referee waved away the claims.

Liverpool's all-action start continued as Mario Balotelli and Adam Lallana both brought good saves out of Tim Howard.

The American keeper was also called on to thwart Jordan Henderson, before Balotelli completely missed the ball when unmarked in a good position in the Everton box.

Results England Liverpool 1 - 1 Everton Chelsea 3 - 0 Aston Villa Crystal Palace 2 - 0 Leicester City Hull City 2 - 4 Man City Man Utd 2 - 1 West Ham S'mpton 2 - 1 QPR Sunderland 0 - 0 Swansea Arsenal 1 - 1 Tottenham

ITH reactions still trailing the list of invited players for the Super Eagles ahead of next month's 2015 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Sudan, former Nigeria international Garba Lawal has once again blasted Out-of Contract Super Eagles Coach Stephen Keshi for his selection policy, describing it as 'experimental'.

The former Super Eagles midfielder has been a stern critic of Keshi's and has never hidden his concern over Keshi's system and types of players invited to the team.

Lawal had said on Thursday that Keshi 'needs to change', referring to the 52-

year-old's style of inviting players to the national team.

And following the announcement of the 24invited players for the Sudan games, Lawal has gone on to say the list only shows Keshi has only been experimenting.

“I don't know what the Coach thinks, but the way I see it, we keep experimenting. I don't know when we will stop experimenting with players because I believe that if your team isn't working, you change your style but it seems like he wants to hold the country to ransom,” he told sl10.ng “The selection process shouldn't be restricted to a group of players, but should be made open. Nigeria is not just

some individuals, but for everybody, but I just don't understand, I just don't understand,” he said with a disappointed tone.

In the same vein, former Director of Technical at the Nigeria Football Federation, James Peters has expressed concern over the continued omission of Villareal striker, Ikechukwu Uche, after the 30year old was once again snubbed by Coach Stephen Keshi in his latest list of invited players for the Super Eagles.

A list of 24 invited players for the AFCON 2015 qualifiers against Sudan was announced on Friday by Keshi, with the inform Uche once again conspicuously missing.

Dzeko double helps City past Hull

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WO goals from Edin Dzeko and another Frank Lampard strike helped Manchester City to a 42 win over Hull at the KC Stadium, but they made it hard for themselves having gone 2-0 up with just 12 minutes played.

It was Sergio Aguero who opened the scoring when compatriot Pablo Zabaleta headed Michael Turner's clearance back into the area, finding the striker in enough space for him to lash the ball across goal and into the far corner.

Four minutes later it was two, as David Silva found Edin Dzeko 20-yards from goal. The

striker took a step towards the Hull penalty area and then curled a beautiful strike into the far corner of McGregor's net.

The champions were absolutely rampant at that point, but they, or more precisely Eliaquim Mangala, allowed the home side back into the game.

The Frenchman, making just his second start in the league, headed a cross from Liam Rosenior past his own goalkeeper to halve the deficit, before his high challenge on Abel Hernandez gave Hull a penalty with 31 minutes played.

After a dispute with Jelavic over who should take it, the Uruguayan slotted the ball into the net to bring the sides level at half-time.

The champions upped their game in the second-half, with Willy Caballero, who replaced Joe Hart in goal, rarely tested.

It was Edin Dzeko who put them back ahead midway through the half with a left footed shot back across the keeper from Silva's pass, before Lampard rounded off the victory with a tap-in to give him his fourth goal of the week.

Wayne Rooney picked up his first red card in the league since March 2009

Aaron Samuel delighted with call up

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UANGZHOU R&F youngster Aaron Samuel has admitted that getting a call up to the National Team was a dream come true.

Still only 20, the ex Sarpsborg 08 attacker has been rewarded for his excellent start to his career in China, with

Stephen Keshi including him in the list of players nominated to prosecute two AFCON qualifiers against Sudan next month.

Speaking to SL10.ng before leaving for training on Saturday morning, Aaron Samuel said : '' I'm not surprised that I was called up

because I got my invitation letter days ago. I want to thank the coaches for considering me.'' ''I have always wanted to play for the Super Eagles, even when I was in Norway with Sarpsborg 08, so I'm happy it has materialized.

And Peters, who coached Keshi during his brief stint with the Super Eagles in the '80's, says he still cannot fathom why Uche doesn't make the Super Eagles squads.

"I find it difficult to believe that IK Uche is not on the list again. Honestly I do not know the reason why, but I think

given his good form in Spain, he should naturally be in the team," Peters reckoned.

"Given the situation we've found ourselves in in this qualifying series and the boy's form, I'm surprised he has not made the squad. I really don't know," he mused.

Messi hits 400 goals as Barca destroy Granada

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ionel Messi and Neymar lit up Barcelona's Liga game against Granada, as Luis Enrique's side returned to winning ways with a 6-0 victory.

It was the perfect response from Enrique's side, who had lost their perfect start to the season against Malaga on Wednesday in a game which saw Barca fail to produce a single shot on target.

However, this was an impressive display of attacking strength from Barca, with Neymar bagging a hat-trick as

Messi passed the 400 goal milestone at the club.

The highlight of the match was Messi's first goal, which included a sensational first time, volleyed pass across the face of goal, with Ivan Rakitic also scoring his second goal of the season.

Messi

Oscars winner joins Okoku's GTCF

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merican-based Nollywood star, Bridget John has joined the train of the Greater Tomorrow Children Foundation (GTCF), a charitybased organisation, which primary aim is to help the lessprivileged children in the Nigerian society and in the USA. Founded by exinternational Paul Okoku, the GTCF was officially launched in April this year in Abuja, with a firm resolve to help correct the imbalances in the society, through the provision of lifesaving facilities and tools for those in dire need of them.

And moved by the gains that have been made by the foundation, Bridget John,

whose recent wave-making flick (movie) won the Best Diaspora Film at the Hollywood and African Film Critics, in Beverly Hills, California, USA, has pledged to be an ambassador of the GTCF. Speaking during an interview from her base in the USA, Bridget John, who produced and was the lead actress in Adora, said that it was an honour for her to help promote a project that seeks the well-being of underprivileged children and the deprived, adding that she would do everything within her means to draw attention to the plight of society's downtrodden.

THE NATION ON SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 28, 2014

SPORT EXTRA

Rooney scores, sent off as Man United wins

Arsenal, Spurs play draw at Emirate

WORLD CUP

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HE goal, though, set United on its way to a 2-1 victory over West Ham, giving Louis van Gaal just his second league win as United manager.

Chelsea remains the leader after overwhelming Aston Villa 3-0, while Frank Lampard made it four goals in three games for Manchester City to complete the champions' 4-2 win at Hull.

S o u t h a m p t o n ' s impressive start continued with a 2-1 victory over Queens Park Rangers to remain three points behind Chelsea in second place.

It was derby day, with Liverpool held 1-1 by Everton, and Arsenal hosting Tottenham in the late game. Sunderland remains winless after drawing 0-0 with Swansea, while Fraizer Campbell and Mile Jedinak gave Crystal Palace a 2-0 win over Leicester.

Like Palace, United is eight points adrift of Chelsea but it could have been worse had the 10-man hosts not managed to cling on against West Ham. The game had started so well for Rooney at Old Trafford, meeting Rafael da Silva's cross after just five minutes and volleying into the net. Robin van Persie doubled United's advantage in the 22nd with an angled shot after being set up by Ander Herrera.

But West Ham pulled one back before halftime through Diafra Sakho's header, and Rooney was sent off for kicking Stewart Downing in the 59th minute.

United is now likely to be without Rooney until November due to a threematch suspension that would include a match against Chelsea.

Chelsea is setting the standards so far this season largely due to Diego Costa's contribution since joining from Atletico Madrid.

Golden Eaglets line up yesterday

Golden Eaglets spell Gabon in 5-0 win

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IGERIA'S Under-17 side, Golden Eaglets, on Saturday thrashed Gabon 5-0 at the U. J Esuene Sports Stadium in Calabar in their second leg-final qualifier towards African Under-17 Championship.

The win gave the Emmanuel Amuneke-tutored side a 6-2 aggregate win after they lost 21 in Libreville a fortnight ago and a ticket to next year's Championship to be hosted in Niger between February 15 and March 1.

Among the goals for Nigeria on Saturday were the duo of Ebere Osinachi and Kehinde Ayinde who scored a brace each after Captain Kelechi Nwakali had grabbed the curtain raiser through a penalty.

Nigeria started the game cautiously as the Gabonese soaked the initial pressure but it was not too long before the visitors were put in real danger when Suleiman Abdullahi sprinted and waltzed through the right wing and pushed the ball on the path of Kingsley chalke 04 defeated rival Michael only to be brought Borussia Dortmund 2-1 down in the box by Gabonese in a Bundesliga Ruhr Valley derby match on Saturday to confirm its improving form after a bad start to the season.

Joel Marip and Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting scored for RISTIANO Ronaldo Schalke, which hosts Maribor kept up his rich La Liga in the Champions League on scoring form as Real Tuesday, before Pierre- Madrid beat Villarreal 2-0 on Emerick Aubameyang pulled Saturday to move up to fourth. one back for the visitor.

Villarreal were able to Schalke moved up to match Real's slick passing for seventh on eight points while much of the game but their last season’s runner-up finishing let them down. Luka Dortmund, which takes on Modric gave the visitors the Anderlecht in the Champions lead on the half hour with a League, slipped to ninth, a drive into the corner from 20 point behind following its yards. third loss in six league games.

Carlo Ancelotti gave his Bayern Munich extended attacking players licence to its lead at the top with a exchange position and Karim p a t i e n t 2 - 0 w i n o v e r Benzema, returning to the side, promoted Cologne, which was lucky not to concede more. Mario Goetze continued his scoring run with his fourth goal of the season and Daniel Halfar fired in an own goal in the 66th minute to lift the champion to 14 points, two ahead of Borussia Moenchengladbach, which eased past promoted Paderborn 2-1, scoring twice in the opening 14 minutes.

Former champion Suttgart notched its first win of the season under new coach Armin Veh with a 1-0 verdict Ronaldo over Hanover 96.

Schalke stuns Borussia Dortmund

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79

...Qualify for Niger 2015 on 6-2 aggregate

goalkeeper Noubi Fotso in the box.

Captain Kelechi Nwakali scored the resultant penalty kick as he sent the Fotso the other way for Nigeria's first goal in the 19th minute.

Eleven minutes later, the second goal came through the right flank yet again when Samuel Chukwueze's pull out found Ebere Osinachi who wasted no time before pushing the ball into the net.

On the other end, Golden Eaglets' goalkeeper, Akpan Udoh stopped the visitors' first real chance as he cuddled Presley Babini Bouyi goalbound pull out from the right flank in the 37th minute. But five minutes after, it was a combination of Chukwueze and Osinachi that resulted into the third goal when the latter took a solo run after a pass from the former before shooting an angular shot beyond Fotso yet again as the Golden Eaglets ended the first half on that positive note.

In-form Ronaldo strikes again in Villarreal win

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picked out Ronaldo to finish clinically in the centre of the penalty area five minutes from the break. It was his 10th league goal this season.

Villarreal continued to press forward after the restart with Mario Gaspar and Gabriel going close with efforts but following the high tempo of the first half both teams began to run out of steam.

"The best aspect is that we won a difficult game against a side that played very well," Ancelotti told a news conference.

"We controlled the game.

We had to suffer at times and at others we were able to play our football. It was a good game from us where we had a good attitude and we deserved to win."

Real now have 12 points from six games, a point behind Valencia, Barcelona and Sevilla who are in a three-way tie for first place.

Later Barca, who dropped their first points in midweek with a draw against Malaga, take on Granada while champions Atletico Madrid face Sevilla.

The Golden Eaglets continued their domination at the restart but were lucky not to have conceded a goal in the 50th minute when Banini Bouyi's incisive shot hit the post even while Akpan was rooted to the spot.

Chukwueze could have capped his fine performance

with a goal in the 80th minute but he shot straight over the bar after waltzing his way into the Gabonese post. But Kehinde Ayinde who came in for injured Michael, grabbed Nigeria's fourth goal and fifth goal in the 78th minute and 90th minute to the delight of everyone at the U.J Esuene Stadium.

Golf: Record entry trails Heineken/Nigeria Cup

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HE 18th in the series of the annual NIgeria Cup, a tournament put in place to celebrate the nation independent anniversary will tee off at the golf section Ikoyi club with over 130 golfers ready for the week-long competitions.

The chairman of the event Organising Committee, Tony Onwu said at the pretournament press conference that with the partnership from International premium lager beer, Heineken, a series of events has been mapped out to make this year's edition a unique one.

"We are glad that Heineken brand of beer, like the previous editions will partner this event.

It has been honour for us that Nigerian Breweries Plc have given Ikoyi Club an unbroken eight years of rewarding partnership," Mr. Onwu remarked.

In his response, the Corporate Media/Brand PR Manager, Nigeria Breweries Plc, Mr. Edem Vindah said, through the Heineken brand golf sponsorship, the company has created a platform for networking and socializing among the professionals and the elite class in the sporting

environment. Heineken, just like the game of golf is enjoyed globally. It is the world's most international premium beer with a presence in over 170 countries. Made from the finest natural ingredients, Heineken is brewed with a passion for quality that ensures that it has the same high quality, smooth, crisp and refreshing taste in all of the 170 countries that it is available. Heineken's passion for quality has contributed in no small way to the global success it enjoys today. It is indeed the Chairman of all beers. I thus want to assure you that Heineken is committed to providing Nigerians opportunities to take part in this global sport. This is one of our ways of 'Winning with Nigeria'.

"The same passion for quality exhibited by the leadership of Ikoyi Club 1938 has led to the Nigerian Cup Golf Tournament becoming the phenomenal success it is today.

The commitment and dedication to hosting this spectacular competition has seen the profile of the Nigeria Cup Golf Tournament grow steadily over the years," he remarked.

L-R the Corporate Communication/Public Affairs Manager Lagos Nigeria Breweries Plc, Mr. Patrick Olowokere, Chairman LOC Nigeria Cup, Mr. Tony Onwu, the Captain of Ikoyi golf club section, Ted Iwere and Corporate Media/Brand PR Manager Nigerian Breweries Plc, Mr Edem Vindah during the formal presentation of the sponsorship of Nigeria cup.

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lex OxladeChamberlain's equaliser in the second half gave Arsenal a 11 draw against Tottenham on Saturday in the Premier League.

Spurs forward Erik Lamela failed to clear in the 74th minute and the ball ricocheted around the penalty area before falling to Oxlade-Chamberlain, who lashed the ball in from close range.

Lamela put his face in his hands after the goal in the north London derby, whose result leaves Spurs winless in four matches. ''1-0 down in a derby is always a bit nervewracking,'' OxladeChamberlain said. ''So I think we did well to come back.''

Tottenham went ahead in the 56th when Nacer Chadli scored after Arsenal midfielder Mathieu Flamini lost possession in a dangerous area.

The ball was collected by Christian Eriksen, who laid it off to Lamela. His throughball split open the Arsenal defence and Chadli slotted the ball into the bottom left corner.

Chadli was later booked for his goal celebration after putting his hands to his ears while running past a section of Arsenal supporters.

Spurs' recent results are putting pressure on new manager Mauricio Pochettino. But Tottenham moved up a place to eighth with eight points, while Arsenal remained fourth with 10 points, after six matches. Arsenal dominated the opening stages of the match, with Danny Welbeck looking lively.

The forward had a low shot on the turn saved by Hugo Lloris. Earlier, Welbeck turned past Jan Vertonghen and sprinted down the right. Finding little support, he fired a shot but it was blocked by Younes Kaboul and went out for a c o r n e r . O x l a d e Chamberlain, who also had a bright first half, forced a diving save from Lloris who pushed the ball away from slipping inside the far post.

Okwuosa wins man of the match award

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MONG the three Nigerians who impressed for Chippa United against Orlando Pirates winning 1-0, captain James Okwuosa stood out.

Okwuosa walked away with a man of the match trophy and R2,000 for his effort in holding things at the back for Chippa.

The Former Enugu Rangers captain thwarted efforts after efforts from Pirates to level things up especially in the last 20 minutes.

Tipped to replace former Super Eagles captain Joseph Yobo, who retired after the World Cup, Okwuosa has been upsurged in the pecking order by Sunshine Stars Kunle Odunlami.

However, his solid showing so far if maintained can help him force his way back into coach Stephen Keshi's thinking.

Known for his hard tackling and commanding presence, he has been ever present in Chippa United's fine start to the Premier South Africa League (PSL).

QUOTABLE

“If you eat with those with dirty hands, then you must be dirty… Is this the man (President Goodluck Jonathan) they say should rule the nation for a second term.”

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2014 TRUTH IN DEFENCE OF FREEDOM VOL. 9, NO. 2984

- Former Archbishop of Lagos and first President of Christian Association of Nigeria, Anthony Cardinal Olubunmi Okogie, taking a swipe at President Goodluck Jonathan and current CAN President, Pastor Ayo Aritsejafor, on the controversy that has trailed the seizure of $9.3m cash meant for arms purchase by the South African government.

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NALYSTS can’t resist the temptation to award victory or defeat in the 2015 presidential poll to political parties and their candidates based mostly on geopolitical dynamics. It is not hard to see why. President Goodluck Jonathan hails from the South-South, so, he’ll probably take that zone, including perhaps Rivers State, they suggest. The Southeast has completely eschewed any reasoned discussions of the poll; therefore, according to the zone, if not Dr Jonathan, then nobody else will get the great prize.

On mainly religious grounds, too, a sizable part of the Middle Belt and a fair portion of the Southwest are believed to have concluded plans to vote unthinkingly for Dr Jonathan since every other contestant, they conclude, is an agent of the devil. As for the other parts of the country, argue some of the analysts, Dr Jonathan will find it tough going.

But basing the outcome of the 2015 presidential race on essentially technical and zonal permutations rather than on candidates’ ideas and competence, and on religion rather than on issues and candidates’ track records, is to unwittingly lay the foundation for Nigeria’s disintegration. The country is today largely divided between North and South, and between Christians and Muslims. These divisions have been exacerbated by the Jonathan presidency, by his supporters and aides whose fanatical zeal to win the presidential election has become truly numbing, and by his paranoid kinsmen who have blurred the lines between decency and indecency, between democracy and tyranny, and between sense and nonsense.

Indeed, we all seem to ignore the unsettling questions about the potential of these divisions, these scorched earth policies and politics, to promote crises in the near future.

Since the contest has appeared to us to boil down to a struggle between Christians and Muslims, and having irrationally described the opposition party as Islamic and the ruling party as Christian, we fail to ponder what the repercussions would be if the other religion we paranoiacally abhor were to win. To be sure, the exploitation of ethnic and religious sentiments predates the Jonathan presidency. Under past military regimes, religion and ethnicity played an unwelcoming and pernicious role in the formulation of national policies and the conduct of politics. Many years back, it was in fact unavoidable to conclude that rulers of northern extraction deliberately and unwisely skewed postings and promotions in key ministries and the security services in favour of northern officers, even as they thoughtlessly appeared to promote Islamic trappings in governance, such as the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC). So the excesses we are seeing today have their antecedents, with some Jonathan supporters even asserting that today’s politics and policies must be dedicated to breaking the North’s ethnic and religious stranglehold on the polity.

There can be no doubt that past rulers, many of them so schizoid that it is difficult to gauge how messed up their moral compasses were, made too many mistakes. They had the opportunity to create a stable, fair and just society, but either because of incompetence and ignorance, or because of their fundamental disposition to fanaticism, they simply enthroned ad hocism in governance and ruled with the immature instinct of neophytes. Sadly, the consequences of years of favouritism are today manifesting in Dr Jonathan’s presidency’s reverse discrimination and favouritism. The pressing danger is that if we go into the 2015 presidential poll with these implacable divisions anchored on ethnic and religious discrimination, Nigeria’s future could become blighted.

Confronting our demons is therefore the urgent need of the moment.

Under the military, those who climbed to leadership positions were neither gifted nor really disciplined, nor yet

2015: time to confront our demons deep or ideological. In those days, politicised officers wormed their way into national leadership. But under civilian rule, it is even more scandalous that since the time of Olusegun Obasanjo, through the reign of Umaru Yar’Adu, and now the subversive rule of Dr Jonathan, leadership recruitment has been so flawed and polluted that only the worst have been able to claim Aso Villa. Chief Obasanjo was a megalomaniac without the redeeming feature of ideological or moral conviction.

Former President Yar’Adua was somewhat more honest and altruistic than his predecessor, but he was entirely lethargic, superficial and permissive. Dr Jonathan has blended in himself the worst qualities of his two predecessors. In him pedantry, egotism, superficiality and despotism reach their sublime worst.

In 2015, Nigeria must therefore make a clean break from the past, both in terms of the quality and disposition of the president and the issues and values that shape that choice. The present trend and methods are simply untenable if the country is not to fragment. The first place to begin is to consciously and firmly redirect politics away from the ethnic and religious cocoons in which Nigerians are ensconced or are retreating. The talk of where Dr Jonathan hails from, or how the country has survived on oil from the Niger Delta to justify inflicting an unprepared and emotionally distraught president on the country, must be resisted. In fact, having recognised his limitations, and knowing full well he is unlikely to achieve any amelioration of his weaknesses any time soon, Dr Jonathan has mastered a lethal and enervating cocktail of disinformation, propaganda and tyrannical use of power to sustain his hold on power.

He is succeeding because his methods and proclivities are anchored on the exploitation of elite greed.

One of the issues that should influence the choice of who becomes president next year is the Jonathan presidency’s relentless and remorseless thirst for scandals. While his Petroleum ministry was yet to account for about $12bn the former Central Bank of Nigeria governor, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, accused it of squandering, and while billions of naira are filched from various pension funds, other more aggravating scandals have erupted. His government illegally hauled $9.3m cash to South Africa to, as they put it incredulously, buy arms. And among other malfeasances, enough to cause any other president to be impeached in a decent society, Dr Jonathan has actively promoted or connived at the wholesale subversion of democratic principles and practice in Nigeria. Ekiti is in turmoil, Rivers was and is still in turmoil because the president shirks his responsibility as the most potent defender of the constitution, Adamawa has been laid prostrate, Nasarawa tethers on the brink, and Osun and Edo, not to talk of Ogun and Lagos, are under his party’s radar for destabilisation and, if necessary, destruction by an army of wellfunded vagrants.

Nigerians may not be enlightened enough to appreciate that a dictator is emerg-

ing; but after acquiring confidence in his war of attrition with Chief Obasanjo, having lured the Judicial Council into surrendering its powers in the Justice Ayo Salami case, and having compromised, subjugated and tyrannised the elite everywhere, Dr Jonathan has concocted a series of stratagems to transform his party into the most potent weapon of oppression ever seen in these parts, and the country into a one-party dictatorship. The electorate must be made to understand that full-blown dictatorship will flourish once Dr Jonathan is re-elected.

Indeed, it is an indication of the country’s moral health that all the scandals swirling around Dr Jonathan have neither both-

“Since the time of Olusegun Obasanjo, through the reign of Umaru Yar’Adua, and now under the subversive rule of Dr Jonathan, leadership recruitment has been so flawed and polluted that only the worst have been able to claim Aso Villa. Chief Obasanjo was a megalomaniac without the redeeming feature of ideological or moral conviction. Former President Yar’Adua was somewhat more honest and altruistic than his predecessor, but he was entirely lethargic, superficial and permissive. Dr Jonathan has blended in himself the worst qualities of his two predecessors. In him pedantry, egotism, superficiality and despotism reach their sublime worst”

ered him nor lowered his stock among the stragglers that hoof the Niger Delta, Southeast and now surprisingly the Southwest. He fully expects to win the poll next year, partly because of the many endorsements he has received. But the politics of local elections at the local government and state levels are quite different from the politics of presidential election. And though the 2015 presidential poll has been scheduled first, with the sinister anticipation of triggering a bandwagon effect, it is expected that in a tight race, it is still possible to defeat Dr Jonathan, notwithstanding his resort to acrimonious politics, his embrace of ethnic and parochial schemes, and his promotion and exploitation of religious differences.

The second issue that should lead the electorate to reject Dr Jonathan is the case of the Chibok schoolgirls abducted by Boko Haram militants on April 14. For the past 167 days or so that the abductions have lasted, the president has handled the matter with utter incompetence and lethargy, so bad that the whole world is appalled by his seeming indifference.

The world, it will be recalled, rose up in solidarity with us when the abductions created global tremors. But arriving in Nigeria, and seeing how the Jonathan presidency handled the matter, and recognising that even our troops were unwilling to fight, the foreign helpers quietly left in frustration and disgust. They are even more stupefied that the Nigerian government has tried to blackmail them with silly allegations that the West is conspiring to bar Nigeria from procuring arms. For the nearly six months that the abductions have lasted, Dr Jonathan has been unable to articulate a coherent strategy for rescuing the girls, in addition to initially doubting Boko Haram’s criminal act. Moreover, his wife, Dame Patience, outrightly scorned and derided reports of the abductions. There was therefore no strategy to negotiate the girls’ release, and there was no will to fight.

The third issue that should influence the repudiation of Dr Jonathan is the worldwide scorn reserved for him. Many African leaders are aghast that Nigeria could tolerate him for almost six years.

They would be dumbfounded if we gave him a hearing during this coming election, and would be indignant should we elect him for another four years. They would ask how four more years of Dr Jonathan would profit us. If African countries such as Zimbabwe and Uganda could snort at Dr Jonathan heartily, what of the developed democracies? While diplomatic refinements may not allow Western leaders to say what they think of Nigeria and its leaders, they have acted it and taken it out on Nigerian travellers.

Once the Nigerian steps out of his country, he is held in absolute contempt. It is transferred aggression, an aggression activated by the disdain they have for our leaders. No other country’s citizens are held in so much contempt anywhere as Nigerians; not even Haitians, Colombians or Albanians; and minus ebola disease, not even Liberians or Sierra Leoneans.

Conventional opinion indicates that the opposition would have a tough chance beating Dr Jonathan. The truth, however, is that he is vulnerable at all levels and on all fronts. Dr Jonathan and his aides recognise these vulnerabilities, and will try desperately to focus their campaign on religion, ethnicity and the North-South divide. They will do everything to bribe everyone, creating more states if necessary. If the opposition gets the right candidate and sensibly focuses their campaign on those areas where Dr Jonathan simply has no answer, he can be beaten fair and square. It would be a tragedy should he return to office for another four years, for we would be unlikely to survive the gargantuan social, political and economic damage that his re-election would entail.

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Website: www.thenationonlineng.net ISSN: 115-5302 E-mail: sunday@thenationonlineng.net Editor: FESTUS ERIYE