Sun News - October 16, 2012

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TUESDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2012 VOL. 7 NO. 2474 Jonathan in Adamawa victims’ camp

As President visits Adamawa...

Flood submerges Jonathan’s house ...Rapists invade victims’ camps

Pages 5 & 7

APGA chief to Umeh: You are embarrassing judiciary

Page 10

Lynching of UNIPORT 4

– Commissioner Page 10

Page 5

Gov Chime hale, hearty

Kingpin on the run

•Police intensify hunt for man who incited murder of students

‘He was said to be owing one of the boys, but as soon as they stepped out of his house where they had gone to recover the money that morning, he raised alarm, branding them thieves.

And the mob swooped on them.’

...21 others arrested Cross Rivers State Governor, Sen. Liyel Imoke (L) receiving award document from Mr. Ken Egbas in Calabar after being picked as the 2012 Governor of the Year by the Social Enterprise Report and Awards (SERAs)

Murder of UNIPORT students Page 5

Kingpin on the run Police intensify hunt for man N150

who incited lynching

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2012 VOL. 7 NO. 2474

ENDLESS WAR

Page 13

10 explosions rock Maiduguri in one day

‘He was said to be owing one of the boys, but as soon as they stepped out of his house where they had gone to recover the money that morning, he raised alarm, branding them thieves.

And the mob swooped on them.’

Pages 5 & 7

Flood sacks Jonathan’s home Bayelsa gov orders evacuation of President’s kinsmen ...Rapists invade victims’ camps •Benue expels victims from camp Some of the victims of weekend massacre in Kaduna shortly before their burial yesterday PHOTO: UREPORT

Kaduna killings

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An Imam’s narrow escape ’I hid inside disused tyres and watched gunmen kill my people’

Budget 2013: No going back on $80 oil benchmark – Reps

Page 59

ABOMINATION

N150

...Rapists invade victims’ camps

Embezzlement: Page 11

Witness clears OGD

Page 17

Murder of UNIPORT students

Kingpin on the run

Page 5

Pages 5 & 7

Flood submerges Jonathan’s house

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2012 VOL. 7 NO. 2474

Osun dad rapes own daughter

‘He was said to be owing one of the boys, but as soon as they stepped out of his house where they had gone to recover the money that morning, he raised alarm, branding them thieves. And the mob swooped on them.’

•21 other suspects arrested

ONDO GUBER: •ACN gives Mimiko red card

•Gov unmoved by antics

L-R: Ekiti State Governor, Kayode Fayemi, Gov. Raji Fashola (Lagos), Gov Adams Oshiomhole (Edo), Ondo State ACN governorship candidate, Rotimi Akeredolu, former Ogun State Gov., Chief Olusegun Osoba, ACN National Chairman, Chief Bisi Akande, National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and Mrs. Mercy Akeredolu at the ACN grand rally in Akure, yesterday

...Be statesmanly, MCO tells Tinubu •PDP expels Agagu Page 12

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DAILY SUN Tuesday October 16, 2012

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SUNG GIRL

Okupe makes U-turn •Denies insulting NASS

By CHURCHILL UMOREN

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enior Special Assistant to President Goodluck Jonathan on Public Affairs, Dr. Doyin Okupe, has restated his tremendous respect for the National Assembly, adding that he would not in any way look down on the members.

Okupe stated this during an exclusive interview in which he corrected the misconception in some quarters that he engaged the leadership of the National Assembly in war of words over some comments directed at the Presidency, saying they were not true.

His words: “All I’m saying is that, I’m still knowledgeable, sensible, experienced and have the background that does not allow me to insult the integrity of the National Assembly in any way. But you know, if I disagree or if the statement made by the leadership of the National Assembly is against the position of the Presidency, it is my duty to clarify it.”

“What I did was to actually bring to fore the areas where the Presidency differs from the positions that were expressed individually by the leadership of the National Assembly. I hold the members of the National Assembly, both the Senators and members of the House of Representatives, in high esteem.

“These are people that carry the mandate of their respective constituencies. I’m a politician and I know what it is to be elected. Apart from that, I’m a very experienced and knowledgeable person with a very high pedigree by birth. I do not insult people. I do not insult leadership and definitely I do not insult institutions that have very serious relevance in our establishment.

“My job as the public affairs assistant to the president is to interface between the Presidency and other arms of government and the general public. Where there are misconceptions and misunderstanding, it is my job to explain that. Obviously, when the president went to present the budget speech, it is our opinion and I still stand by that, and that was not the place and that was not the function where he should be berated by the leadership of the National Assembly. And anybody, who watched that programme, knows that was what really happened. But I didn’t just stop at that, I went further to clarify the issues that were raised.

“We are running a democracy and as long as every Nigerian has the right to free speech, I also expressed the Presidency’s right by reacting. All I did was to pick each subject matter that was raised in the speech of the Senate President and the Speaker and to bring to the fore the position of what we feel our opinion on the points raised.”

While emphasising that the budget presentation, which was done in advance of year 2013, shows a great deviation from the old way of doing things in that regard, he also said that was the first time in the history of the country that a budget had been sent to the National Assembly three months before the end of a preceding year.

2015: Protesters demand minister’s sack From ISAAC ANUMIHE, ABUJA

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he headquarters of the Ministry of Finance, Abuja, yesterday was cordoned off by stern-looking security personnel, following a violent protest against the continued stay of the Minister of State for Finance, Dr. Yerima Ngama, in office.

The protesters, comprising youths under the umbrella of ‘Nigerians United for Transformation’, alleged that the minister’s governorship ambition in Yobe State was inimical to the Transformation Agenda of the Federal Government and that he had been found wanting in the discharge of his ministerial duties.

“Our findings show that Dr. Ngama has practically abandoned his national assignment, save for attending the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meetings, in preference for the pursuit of his ambition to become the governor of his home-state, Yobe,” the group, led by its national president and convener, Mr . Okpokwu Ogenyi, said.

The group admitted that it was the right of every Nigerian to aspire for a higher position but in doing that, one should not do it at the detriment of national duty.

According to the group, because of his busy schedule, the minister had lost focus in attending to his duty. To this effect, the group called for the removal of the minister.

In his reaction, the minister said the youths were protesting because they had no job but assured them that their request had been taken care of in the 2013 in which there is provision for employment.

Ngana denied that he abandoned his ministerial duty for governorship ambition.

According to him, he does not travel to Yobe very often because of the security situation there, saying about 2,000 soldiers had been deployed to Yobe to restore peace.

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Tuesday, October 16, 2012

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L-R: Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Lafarge Cement, WAPCO Nigeria Plc, Mr. Joe Hudson, President, Management Staff Association (MSA), Engineer Olufemi Kupolati and Head, Human Resource Management, System Specs, Mr. Temitope Ologunoye during the company’s 2012 Manager’s Day Seminar in Lagos, recently.

L-R: President Goodluck Jonathan being welcomed by the Lamido of Adamawa, Alhaji Muhamadu Bakindo and Governor Murtala Nyako during the President’s visit to flood victims in Adamawa State, yesterday L-R: Chief Enterprise Solutions Officer, Mr. Babatunde Osho, Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Brett Goschen, both of MTN Nigertia, and Group Chief Executive Officer, Computer Warehouse Group, Mr. Austin Okere, at the signing ceremony of Micro-banking Solution Partnership between the two organisations at the MTN head office,

L-R: Secretary, Committee of Wives of Lagos State Officials (COWLSO), Mrs. Azeezat Tijani, Vice-Chairman, Mrs. Mayowa Ikuforiji and Chairman, Mrs Abimbola Fashola, addressing a news conference on the forthcoming 12th COWLSO conference in Lagos, yesterday.

COVER Aluu killings: Traditional ruler, 20 others arrested From MOLLY KILETE, Abuja

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olice have launched a manhunt for the man who incited the gruesome murder of four undergraduates of the University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT) in Umuokiri Aluu community in Rivers State, recently.

Chiadika Lordson, Ugonna Kelechi Obuzor, Mike Lloyd Toku and Tekena Elkanah, all part-two students of UNIPORT were murdered in cold blood pen-ultimate Friday, over alleged theft of a laptop computer and a Blackberry phone.The students met their untimely death in the community which is about three kilometers to the university campus.

Giving updates on the killings in Abuja, yesterday, Deputy Force Public Relations Officer, Frank Mba, told journalists that the victims had gone to Umuokiri early in the morning of that fateful day to demand for money allegedly owed them by one Coxson, who later raised the false alarm that the students were armed robbers.

Mba said although Coxson had gone into hiding, detectives were on his trail and would soon catch up with him.

Already, 21 persons involved in the despicable incident have been arrested and are being detained by the Police.

Among those in custody is the traditional ruler, Alhaji Hassan Welewa. and four others alleged to be closely linked to the murder. They include Felemo Solomon, Cynthia Chinwo, Ozioma Abajuo and Chigozie Samuel Evans.

Mba said investigation into the matter was ongoing and that the police were also beaming their searchlight on the Force to ascertain the involvement of

•As Police launch manhunt for mastermind on.

The police spokesman appealed to members of the public who might have information that would aid police investigation not to hesitate in giving away such information.

Mba also restated the Force’s readiness to bring all those involved in the gruesome killing to book no matter how highly placed they may be in the IGP Abubakar society.

The police spokesman warned that the policemen, who were alleged to have watched while the killings went the Police would no longer tolerate cit-

izens who ttake laws into their hands, stressing that Nigeria was not a lawless country where people would take laws into their hands at the slightest provocation.

He sternly warned, “jungle justice solves no problem and can never be the solution to our problems. If you take laws into your hands, you commit a serious offence and you will be made to face the full wrath of the law because Nigeria is not a lawless country.”

The image-maker added that “efforts were being intensified to track down others who were involved in the incident, stressing that those found culpable would be prosecuted.

President Jonathan’s house bows to flood From FEMI FOLARANMI, Yenagoa

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…As Dickson orders evacuation of Otuoke natives

overnor Henry Seriake Dickson yes- imperative against the background of the terday ordered the immediate evac- hardship the residents have been subjected to, uation of President Goodluck Jonathan’s kinsmen in Otuoke, Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, even as the President’s country home was not spared by the rampaging flood that has submerged the community.

The concerned residents were sacked by the flood which in the last three weeks has rendered thousands of people in the state homeless, and property, worth millions of naira, destroyed.

Assessing the level of damage during his visit to the affected areas, the Governor, through his Deputy, Rear Admiral Gborubiogha John Jonah (rtd), ordered the evacuation of the affected residents to one of the relief camps in the community.

Jonathan The evacuation, according to him, became

and to avert the outbreak of epidemic in the area. Dickson added that government was taking pro-active measures to mitigate the impact of the rising level of water.

Commiserating with the victims, the Governor assured that no stone would be left unturned at ensuring that the victims bounced back to life, especially those that had lost their means of livelihood.

He told the natives that government had ordered the importation of seedlings in readiness for the next planting season in order to prevent food shortage.

It can be recalled that President Goodluck Jonathan, during his visit to the relief camps in his home state assured the victims of government’s support in ameliorating their suffering. Investigations revealed that about 85 per cent of Bayelsa State has so far been submerged by the flood.

6 DAILY SUN Tuesday, October 16, 2012

NEWS Alleged N43.2bn subsidy fraud: Ifeanyi Uba’s bail suffers setback

By FAITH OMORUYI

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anaging Director, Capital Oil and Gas Limited, Dr. Patrick Ifeanyi Uba and four other executives of his company have lost their bail applications before a Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos.

Uba, along with Capital Oil’s head of trading, depot manager, general manager for operations and its executive director for operations which include Nsikan Usoro, Godfrey Okorie, Chibuzor Ogbuokiri and Orji Anayo respectively were last Thursday remanded for 14 days by a Tinubu Magistrate Court in Lagos .

Chief Magistrate Martins Owumi made the pronouncemnt sequel to an application by the police for remand of all the suspects in custody over the alleged N43.2billion fuel subsidy fraud.

Ruling on their bail applications yesterday, Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court refused to grant them bail from police custody.

Justice Abang declared that the orders sought were not possible in nature and that it would be neater to hear the respondents before taking any decision on the issue.

The court under Order 26 Rule 10 of the Federal High Court Procedure Rules also converted their ex-parte application to a motion on notice.

Justice Abang further directed that the respondents should be put on notice with a time frame of 12noon today for the respondents to file their response to the motion on notice.

Slain banker: Her body had 76 stab wounds – Pathologist

By FAITH OMORUYI

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pathologist yesterday told a Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja that there were 76 stab wounds on slain Skye Bank staffer, Titilayo Arowolo during her autopsy.

Her husband, Akolade Arowolo is currently facing trial for her murder before Justice Lateefa Okunnu.

Led in evidence by Olabisi Ogungbesan, the Lagos State Director of Public Prosecution, Prof John Oladapo Obafunwa told the court that he discovered that the late banker had a minimum of 76 stab wounds that were inflicted on her by someone.

He stated that while conducting both external and internal examination of the deceased’s body during autopsy, he discovered a concentration of multiple stab wounds from her chest to her abdomen on the left side and some incised wounds involving her chest, arm and abdomen.

He further revealed that he found various wounds consistent with wounds from sharp weapon with a single edge blade as well as a double edge blade.

He noted that affected areas were the left eye, right eye, upper chest area, right chest and collar bone left armpit, adding that there was also a 10 x 5cm rectangular area that had multiple individual injuries on the left side of her chest and breast over lying the heart.

Supporting his testimony with slides of pictures on a compact disc, Prof Obafunwa stated that the autopsy revealed a gaping wound that was revealed as a black hole in the chest region.

According to him, the chest wall was lost due to multiple stab wounds; there were damages to the diaphragm, left side of the liver, breast area and repeated stab wounds to the lungs and injuries.

World Food Day: Nigeria must meet food consumption needs –Aregbesola

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overnor of the State of Osun State, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola has identified sustainable food production as solution to the nation’s heavy reliance on food importation.

This was contained in a message sent to the nation as it joins other countries of the world in celebrating this year’s World Food Day. Aregbesola, in the statement by the Director, Bureau of Communications and Strategy, Mr. Semiu Okanlawon, said the Federal Government must reverse the precarious trend in which the country spent over N600 billion annually on importation of food items, saying leaders of the country should muster the political will to end hunger in the country.

“We want to use the occasion of the World Food Day for this year to raise the campaigns for massive food production as we have done in the State of Osun.

“Using cooperative organizations as the platform for organizing farmers towards their empowerment, providing high yielding improved seedlings and creating larger marketing opportunities will further enhance the capacities of the farmers to produce more.”

He stated that the time was ripe enough for the country to produce what it would eat, thus stressing the need for government to invest heavily on agriculture so as to be able to produce food massively for our own consumption.

•L-R: Ms Yeni Kuti, Revolutionary Artist, Dr Joe Okei-Odumakin, President, Women Arise (WA), Nike Kuti, Activist and Ms Sefi Atta, Writer at the maiden edition of Fela Debates on Corruption and Generation Next yesterday

Ex-NBA vice president remanded in prison over N35m fraud From FRED ITUA, Abuja

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ustice U. N. Agomoh of the Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, yesterday remanded a lawyer, Mr Emonena Blessing Ukiri, a former vice president of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) in prison custody.

Ukiri is being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on charges bordering on fraud, stealing and money laundering to the tune of over N35 million.

According to a press statement by the Head of Media of EFCC, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, the accused was alleged to have converted a N35million judgement sum paid by the Central Bank of Nigeria to his client, one Samuel Onowighose, by concealing the origin of the fund and using part of it to acquire 150,000 units of First Bank of Nigeria Plc shares and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 14 (1) (a) of the Money Laundering Act, 2004.

Count two of the threecount charge reads: “That you, Ukiri Emonena Blessing (M) on or about the 7th day of May, 2008 at Port Harcourt, Rivers State, within the jurisdiction of this honorable court, did pay in the sum of N11,175,065.75k into your Access Bank account number 0200230000690, through a United Bank of Africa (UBA) managers cheque, which money you derived from the judgement sum in favour of Samuel Onowighose paid by the Central Bank of Nigeria on the 29th day of March, 2007 into your Diamond Bank account number 632010000025, with the aim of disguising the origin of the

money and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 14(1)(a) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2004 and punishable under section 14(1) of the same Act.” Count three reads: “That you, Ukiri Emonena Blessing (M), on or about the 3rd day of December, 2007 at Port Harcourt, Rivers State, within the jurisdiction of this honorable court, did convert N4,950,000.00 with which you purchased 150,000 units of First Bank of Nigeria shares through UBA Stockbrokers Ltd. which

money you derived from the judgement sum in favour of Samuel Onowighose paid by the Central Bank of Nigeria on the 29th day of March 2007 into your Diamond Bank account number 632010000025, with the aim of disguising the origin of the money and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 14(1)(a) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2004 and punishable under section 14(1) of the same Act.” When the charges were read to the accused, he pleaded not guilty to all counts

necessitating the EFCC Counsel, Mrs. Olatunji Ademiju to immediately ask the court to fix a date for trial.

The Defence Counsel, Mr A. O. Ojekudos, however moved a motion for bail. He appealed to the court to allow the accused person to continue to enjoy the administrative bail granted him by the EFCC in 2007.

But the prosecuting counsel objected to the bail application on the grounds that she was only served in court and needed time to study the application.

3 kids rescued at scene of Dana plane crash in good hands –Mrs Fashola

By OLUWOLE FAROTIMI

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he wife of the Lagos State governor, Dame Emmanuella Abimbola Fashola yesterday said the three children, Joel, Chisom and Esther Okechukwu saved at the scene of the ill fated Dana air crash in Iju Ishaga axis of the state are doing great and in good hands.

Mrs Fashola, who disclosed this while fielding questions during a press conference held in Combo Hall, Lagos State Television Ikeja, on the highlights of the forthcoming 12th National Women Conference organised by the Committee of Wives of Lagos State Officials (COWLSO) said the children were recently at the funeral ceremony of their parents Mr. Jeremiah and Mrs. Josephine Okechukwu and their aunt who lost their lives on ground when the plane crashed into their home.

She said: “I believe you are talking about Joel, Chisom and Esther. It was a pastor

that handed over the children to the Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, SAN at the scene of the air crash.

Trust me, the children are doing well and in good hands.”

Dwelling on the forthcoming conference slated for Tuesday, October 30 to Thursday November 1, 2012, she said governors of Kaduna and Osun states, Mr. Ibrahim Yakowa and Rauf Aregbesola had been billed to be special guests of honour at the opening and closing sessions of the conference respectively.

Fashola noted that the conference with the theme: “Women as leaders” will feature seasoned professionals including Professor Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello who would speak on ‘Female leadership Values’ while Professor Sophie Oluwole will take participants on ‘Female Leadership Virtues’ amongst others.

She explained that the annual national conference was initiated to serve as a

platform for Nigerian women to gather once a year to exchange ideas on issues of common concern and also to serve as a means of generating funds through conference fees and sponsorship to execute major programmes and projects in support of government’s efforts.

According to him: “Over the years, we have continued to try our best to achieve these objectives. We have so far constructed seven recreational centres in different parts of the state.”

Fashola added that these projects were located in Lafiaji Community Centre, Kudirat Abiola Freedom Square, Sam Shonibare Family Recreational Centre, Oshodi Sports Centre amongst others.

The first lady added that the ongoing construction of retirement Villa at Lekki Phase 11 had been completed and would be commissioned very soon, pointing out that the project gulped about N300 million.

DAILY SUN Tuesday, October 16, 2012, 7

NEWS 42,271 displaced persons register in 18 camps in Delta •Uduaghan debunks rumour of camp invasion by thieves From PAUL OSUYI, EMMA OGOIGBE and KOFFA KINGS, Asaba

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or the first time since the flood ravaging parts of Delta State started about three weeks ago, statistics revealed yesterday that 42,271 internally displaced persons are taking refuge at the 18 resettlement camps across the state.

The figure, according to Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan, is exclusive of several trapped victims who have refused to be evacuated from flooded areas but the state government is taking relief materials to them.

Governor Uduaghan who spoke at a press conference in Asaba, the state capital, also dispelled rumours that hoodlums broke into some resettlement camps in the state to perpetrate evil and visit more woes on hapless victims of the flood.

The governor’s reaction followed report in some quarters that gunmen invaded camps in Kwale and Ughelli areas of the state to remove some leftover property of flood victims, as well as rape defenceless women.

Uduaghan described the rumours as the handiwork of mischief-makers who were bent on politicising the flood situation.

“We have a serious matter, it is not something that should be politicised, we should not be mischievous about the situation.

There was nothing like breaking into any camp.

“There was a broadcast that thieves broke into the Ughelli and Kwale camps but checks with the security agencies showed that there was nothing like that. Those who did that were just mischievous.

“Although you can’t rule out such social vices in a place where people of various backgrounds are living together, but we have made adequate security arrangement to check things of such nature. We have the police, civil defence and in some camps we have military helping out.

3 victims sacked from camp From ROSE EJEMBI, Makurdi

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or daring to confront officials of the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) over allegation of hoarding relief materials meant for displaced persons, three flood victims, including a mother of four children have been sent packing from camps established by the Benue State Government for internally displaced persons in makurdi.

The affected victims were at the weekend booted out of camp for their quarrelsome attitude towards food supplies at the camp.

Daily Sun gathered that one of the victims along with her four children were asked to vacate the St. Catherine’s Primary School Camp, Wurukum while the other two were sent packing from the NKST Primary School Camp, Wadata and the LGEA Primary School camp, Wurukum.

The woman at the center of the trouble, one Mrs. Atisaar Mtom was said to have been sent out of the camp for confronting SEMA officials, accusing them of helping themselves to food items and other relief materials donated by well meaning individuals and corporate organizations towards alleviating the suffering of those who were displaced by the flood.

Angered by her outspokenness, the SEMA officials were said to have reported to their boss, Adikpo Agbatse who in turn ordered that the woman be sent away from camp.

...Jonathan in Taraba, promises more assistance From JULIANA TAIWO-OBALONYE, Abuja

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resident Goodluck Jonathan yesterday reassured victims of flood in Taraba State of Federal Government support.

He gave the reassurance during his visit as part of the tour of the affected states. Taraba was listed in ‘category B’that had been given N400 million to enable them mitigate against the effects of the flood.

Internally dispalced persons in Taraba states according to the National Emergency Management Agency’s (NEMA) record were 169, 640, about 27 persons were reported dead while 12 persons were declared missing.

Also, 10,000 houses were reported to be either destroyed or submerged. It was also revealed that there were 34,395 persons in the 27 camps set up for the victims.

The camps are spread across the affected six local government areas of the states. The president had earlier had an aerial view of the affected areas before finally addressing the people at Lau Local Government Area, the second most affected area in the states.

Karin-Lamido Local Government was said to be the worst hit with 16, 582 people displaced, followed by Lau with 8,588.

Others are Ardo Kolo, 3,762, Wukari, 2,933, Gassol, 1,342 and Ibi 1,188.

•L–R: Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Chairman, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, President Goodluck Jonathan, Governors Danbaba Suntai of Taraba, Murtala Nyako of Adamawa and the Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Environment, Uche Ekwunife during the visit of President Jonathan to victims of flood in Taraba State yesterday.

Rapists invade flood victims’ camps From FEMI FOLARANMI, Yenagoa

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ecurity agencies are battling with increasing rape cases at the various relief camps established for victims of flood in Bayelsa.

The State Security Council had met recently to review security strategies in the face of the security challenges posed by the flood.

According to investigations, the police at the BDGS and the Sports Complex camps were investigating five rape cases.

Sources at the camp said their assailants who exploit the poor coordination at the camp to rape their victims ambushed some of the victims in the dark.

The assailants who were apprehended when their suspects cried for help were said to be in police net as investigation continues.

“Women are ambushed and raped. The girls are in danger because the boys who have thrown caution to the wind constantly harass them sexual-

ly. But the police have arrested some of the suspects. We are begging the government to find a way of separating the boys from the girls,” a woman at the camp said.

The Police confirmed the report of cases of rape but assured that the police was on

top of the situation. The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Mr. Fidelis Odunna said security had been beef up at the camps.

Odunna who stated that such criminal behaviors could not be ruled out because of the crowd at the camps, he said

Thieves attack, rape flood victims in Anambra From DAVID ONWUCHEK- the wee hours and dispossessed them of the livestock WA, Nnewi they brought to the camp and ight marauders invaded some relief materials from one of the flood disas- donors after the alleged rape.

“I heard the flood victims ter victims’ camps at Ozubulu in Ekwusigo Local were attacked, the thieves Government Area of Anambra came to their camp and stole State carting away relief mate- their goats, gallons of red oil rials, goats and allegedly raped they came with and other things. I also heard there was some of the victims.

According to a member of rape incident there. That Ekwusigo Council Area, prompted the council to bring Jerome Udeagbara, who said them to the council hall to news of the incident prompted ensure adequate security,” transfer of the flood victims to Udeagbara said.

He told Daily Sun that the already existing camp at the local government council council had spent on its own headquarters to ensure ade- over N500,000 taking care of quate security for the victims. the victims outside relief Reports said the thieves materials and drugs donated attacked the flood victims at by public- spirited individuals

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We’ll placate victims’ suffering - President From DAVID MOLOMO, Yola

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resident Goodluck Jonathan led the Federal Government delegation to Gurin, in Fufore Local Government Area of Adamawa State, to commiserate with the victims of the flood in seven local government area of the state yesterday.

Jonathan said efforts would be made to articulate the myriad of problems faced by flood victims in the riverine areas across the country.

The president said flooding is a worldwide phenomenon and not peculiar to Nigeria

deployment of more policemen would arrest the situation.

“The police have waded into it and we have ordered for more patrols. We have ordered that police operatives should make themselves visible, especially at the dark corners of the camp,” he said.

alone, stressing that efforts would be made to alleviate the sufferings of the people to them who were victims of the disaster arising from the release of water from Lagdo dam, in Cameroon Republic but that it would have been worst if the dam embankment collapsed as it would have completely swept away people and property.

“If it is fire, you can’t get close, if it is hurricane, one can’t sleep, earthquake, you don’t even notice when it comes and buries everybody,” the president observed.

According to him, as for flood, the victims have ample opportunity to still strife as it takes a long time for flood to

come, maintaining: “For me, the biggest flood I saw before was 43 years ago around 1969.

A number of people below the age of 45 have not witnessed flood before.”

However, he assured the victims that as they go back to their homes, they should be prepared to return to their businesses, as Federal Government was ready to render them, the needed assistance.

Jonathan further said government would not want any victim to remain in camps longer than necessary, as the government would want people to be closer to their farmlands.

and organisations to the flood victims numbering 273 as at last Sunday when Daily Sun visited the camp.

Apart from pregnant women among the victims, he said some of them came with four-day-old, one-week-old babies and called for more help from other tiers of government.

Udeagbara said Ozubulu which had a common boundary with Ogbaru community also lost its farmlands and cash crops worth millions of naira that were submerged in the flood.

Narrating their ordeal, one of the victims and the camp co-ordinator, Mr. Igwe Samson said their major problem was rehabilitation when the water receds as they were predominantly farmers. He said their problem would be cash to get seedlings and livestock to start life afresh, even though he said the victims were being taken care of currently in terms of feeding and medicare.

One of the members of flood disaster committee set up at the council, Mr. Chukwulobe Ifeanyi, said the committee headed by Mr. Sunday Nedo Olisa had ensured that the victims would not lack anything at the camp.

Contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer, Anambra State Police Command, Awka, Mr. Ralp Uzoigwe, said the attack on the flood victims was not reported to the police.

8 DAILY SUN Tuesday, October 16, 2012

NEWS Half year profit: Dangote Flour Mills earns N29.59bn

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angote Flour Mills has reported earnings of N29.59 billion in the six months ended June 30, 2012. According to the unaudited financial reports released on the floor of the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), the flour miller posted revenue of N14.63 billion while its subsidiaries accounted for the balance of N14.96 billion.

In the first quarter ended March 30, 2012, Dangote Flour posted a revenue of N13.80 billion with the subsidiaries contributing N7.20 billion while the flour mill did N6.60 billion.

The management of the company said it was adopting new measures and strategies to enhance the operations of the organisation and stay above competition in the industry.

Dangote Flour Mills, which now has a new managing director following the divestment of the Dangote Industries Limited, a major stakeholder, is expected to consolidate on its areas of strength to maintain its leadership in the industry and introduce new measures to reflect its new international status.

Dangote Industries Limited (DIL) recently ceded 63.35 percent of its stake in Dangote Flour Mills Plc (DFM), to Tiger Brands Limited, a leading South African Fast Moving Consumer Goods Company (FMCG).

Lagos to establish oil and gas corporation

By CHINELO OBOGO

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agos State Government is seeking to pass into law, a bill for the establishment of the Lagos State Oil and Gas Corporation. This was discussed yesterday during a public hearing on the proposed executive bill, which was held in the Lagos State House of Assembly.

The Speaker of the House of Assembly, Adeyemi Ikuforiji, who was represented by the Deputy Speaker, Kolawole Taiwo, said the House decided to hold a public hearing because the proposed bill had generated a lot of heated debate and as such, it was important to create awareness for the public to be informed.

According to him, “this bill has generated a lot of debate that was why we decided to hold a public hearing to know what the people want and also to inform the public. Lagos State has a large volume of oil that can make us compete favourably with other oil producing states and we should be able to tap into such potentials. Here in Lagos, we are meticulous and we have proved what we can do as well as the private sector. We want to have a corporation like that of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) because we want to make life better for Lagosians.”

Attorney General and Lagos State Commissioner for Justice, Ade Ipaye said the rationale for the proposed corporation was because Lagos was on the coastal zone.

His words: “Lagos is a coastal zone and oil and gas resources are situated within it. All other zones like Delta and Bayelsa enjoy the benefits from the zone and Lagos should not be left out. All the benefits are there and we need to tap into it. We consume more oil than any other state and that is why we need a refinery. Though the government can go into public/private partnership, oil companies usually scout for partners and they will feel more comfortable if they partner with the government.”

The Chairman, House Committee on Energy, Mineral Resources and Water Front Infrastructure, Lanre Ogunyemi, said the bill was divided into 18 sections. Section one speaks on the establishment of an oil and gas corporation, while section two speaks on the power of the corporation.

NCC, NSC impound 3 containers of pirated books

By WOLE BALOGUN

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he Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) in collaboration with the Nigerian Customs Service (NSC) has seized three containers of pirated works including Bibles, educational and inspirational books worth over N1 billion. Three suspects were arrested in connection with the offence.

The pirated books belonged to various publishers in the book industry. One of the seized containers was identified as MRKU 8366432, which falsely declared its contents as Christian books but was discovered to have pirated educational books. The second container was marked MSKU 3841505, which declared its contents as “Think and Do A Reading Book,” but was found to contain cartons of educational books like Mastering English, Oxford Advanced Learners and Oral and Basic Technology, among others. The third container with No: MAEU 6719940 had declared its contents as Holy Bible but was found to contain 250 cartons of pirated Holy Bible and 425 cartons of other books.

Prior to the seizure, the commission in July had intercepted eight containers of pirated books bringing the total number of containers to 11 and about 15,000 pirated books worth over N4 billion.

L-R: MD/CEO of Novelpotta Y&R, Dr. Celey Okogun; Chairman on the occasion and MD of Compact Communications, Mr. Chuddy Oduenyi; President of the Association of Advertising Agencies of Nigeria, Mrs. Bunmi Oke; the author, Mr. Azuka Onwuka and his wife and Marketing Manager, UAC Restaurants, Mrs. Nnenna AzukaOnwuka, at the launch of a novel, Wings of the Night written by Mr. Onwuka during the presentation in Lagos recently.

N41m theft: EFCC arraigns female medical doctor

By FAITH OMORUYI

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he Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday arraigned a female medical doctor and stockbroker in a Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja over alleged theft of N41 million.

According to the 24-count charge of stealing, fraud, fraudulent conversion of money, altering and forgery preferred against 30-year-old Ibukun Adedayo, she was alleged to have stolen the said money from the account of one Olajumoke Obafemi with Ventures and Trust Limited between June and December 2008.

EFCC alleged that the nursing mother stole the said money when she was the head of Structured Financial Group of Ventures and Trust Limited.

It alleged that the defendant

stole the said money when she debited from her account with Ventures and Trust Limited and credited same to the account of Manamachi Technobuild Services with Zenith Bank Plc and converted same to her personal use.

It was also alleged that Adedayo with fraudulent intent forged email instructions of Obafemi to make cheques payable to Manamachi Technobuild

Services as genuine.

But the defendant denied the allegations by pleading not guilty to the charge when it was read to her.

EFCC counsel, Takiyudeen Arebi, asked the court to remand the accused person in prison custody due to her not guilty plea.

The defense counsel, John Enoh, pleaded with the court to remand her in EFCC custody as there were indications

N1.1bn subsidy fraud: Arisekola’s son’s bail application stalled by EFCC

By FAITH OMORUYI

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ail for Abdullahi Alao, son of Ibadan-based tycoon, Abdulazeez Arisekola-Alao before a Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja was stalled yesterday

when the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) got another adjournment.

Alao, along with his company, Axenergy Limited as well as Olanrewaju Olafusi, Opeyemi Ajuyah and his

Senate‘ll consider Nigerian masses in Budget 2013 –Ashafa was also reduced by 45.83 perBy RAZAQ BAMIDELE

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he Vice Chairman, Senate Committee on Housing, Lands & Urban Development, Senator Gbenga Ashafa, has assured that the present Senate will critically review the budget proposal with the aim of making sure it addresses the plight of the common man that voted them in.

“As legislators, we will do our best to look at this budget from the axis of those that honoured us with their votes and ensure that they have a budget that affects them directly,” he promised.

The senator representing Lagos East Senatorial District also commended the budget with an increase of 73.8 percent in capital supplementation over the 2012 Appropriation

that new charges might be brought against her by the anti-graft agency.

However, the trial judge, Justice Habeeb Abiru, considering the argument canvassed before the court that the defendant was a nursing mother, ordered that she be remanded in EFCC custody.

Argument on the bail application has been fixed for October 22.

Act with the main bulk of funds targeted towards job creation with N15 billion, special intervention for women with N3 billion, police reforms with N22 billion, refund to states on federal roads projects with N20 billion and sports development with N3 billion.

He, however, expressed discomfort on the decrease on the allocations for lands & housing sector, which appropriation has decreased by 48.4 percent while there are no provisions in the capital supplementation for housing, apart from some allocations towards 2010 outstanding liabilities.

“This is extremely worrisome since housing is a critical area that needs to be decisively addressed as it is one of the basic needs of man,” he complained adding that the budget of the transportation ministry

cent.

“I believe it is time the government looked deeply at our transport sector or how do we complete our rail projects with these reductions? Health was given 5.7 percent and education 8.7 percent share of the budget but international benchmarks recommend 15 percent and 25 percent respectively. These sectors have direct impact on the masses and should be increased just like the Ministry of Agriculture & Rural Development,” he pointed out.

He further added that “In view of the recent flood ravaging the country, the budget of the Environment Ministry should be increased (as against last year budget) to put in place flood prevention infrastructural projects in states of the federation.”

company, Majope Investment Limited had been arraigned

by EFCC over alleged N1.1 billion fuel subsidy fraud before Justice Lateefat Okunnu.

The court was unable to hear the bail applications filed

by Alao and Olafusi, as EFCC sought for time to file counter-affidavits to their applications.

However, Alao’s counsel, Babatunde Akoni (SAN) wondered why the EFCC had failed to respond to his client’s application even when all the defence had filed and served their separate applications on the commission on the same day.

The court granted EFCC’s request for more time and adjourned the application for October 17, 2012 by which time the EFCC is expected to have filed its opposition to the bail applications.

Meanwhile, the court granted bail to Opeyemi Ajuyah in the sum of N75 million with two sureties in like sum after hearing her application for bail.

Ajuyah’s defence team which was led by Femi Falana (SAN) had alleged that EFCC’s counter-affidavit to her bail application was speculative.

DAILY SUN Tuesday, October 16, 2012, 9

SOUTH-SOUTH Orubebe bemoans destruction of East-West Road From AIDOGHIE PAULINUS, Abuja

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inister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godsday Orubebe, has advised the people of Niger Delta region whose homes and farmlands were affected by the recent flood not to indulge in any form of violence.

Orubebe said indulging in violence was unnecessary since the Federal Government was making intense efforts to alleviate their sufferings.

Orubebe made the remark when he led a delegation of top management of the ministry on an on-the-spot assessment of the flooded areas, particularly section one of the East-West Road, which lies between Ughelli, Uwheru and Patani last weekend.

He regretted the suffering of the people due to the devastating effect of the flood on the road, particularly the economic hardship as a result of the flooding.

“As a ministry, we have come to see the real situation on ground. It is a disaster and something we have not seen for a long time.

“Looking at the East-West Road, it is completely gone. You know the ministry is working to complete the road in 2014.

But as it is now, it has become a dam,” Orubebe said.

While revealing that he had met with Delta State Governor, Emmanuel Uduaghan and discussed the urgent need for the provision of relief materials and ensuring that the road was open for use by motorist, Orubebe assured the people of equitable distribution of relief materials and other government’s efforts.

He reiterated that the Ministry had put up a programme of action, which would involve the use of motorized boats to convey food items to the affected areas for distribution to the people.

We seek resettlement not new nation – Bakassi natives

By ZIKA BOBBY

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akassi People’s General Assembly under the leadership of Senator Florence Ita-Giwa has dissociated itself from the call for Bakassi Efik natives to join other ethnic nationalities of Southern Cameroun to form a new sovereign state.

In a statement at the weekend in Lagos, Ita-Giwa said what is paramount to them was the resettlement of the people and not clamour for a sovereign state.

The statement reads in part: “The umbrella organisation for Bakassi Aborigines, Bakassi People’s General Assembly under the leadership of Senator Florence Ita-Giwa wishes to dissociate itself from the call for Bakassi Efik natives to join other ethnic nationalities of Southern Cameroun to form a new sovereign state as contained in a story published in a newspaper.

“The General Assembly has consistently called for the relocation and resettlement of the displaced natives of Bakassi in the Kwa Island and Day spring 1 and 2 Islands, which are the only unceded portions of Bakassi land.

“For the avoidance of doubt, we Bakassi natives affirm that we are bonafide Nigerians and have no interest in forming a new nation or changing our nationality. We have proof of our nationality in our voter cards, which were issued to us on Kwa Island, as well as Day spring Islands 1 and 2.

“The Bakassi people take exception to any attempt to frustrate our legitimate demand to be resettled in Kwa Island and Day spring Islands 1 and 2. We see the call to join Southern Cameroonians to form a new state as a distraction.

ACN calls for overhaul of security system in Rivers From CHRIS ANUCHA, Port Harcourt

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ction Congress of Nigeria (ACN) has demanded complete overhauling of the security system in Rivers State. It also called for mass redeployment of security men in the state.

The demand was contained in a statement issued in Port Harcourt yesterday, and signed by the party’s spokesman, Mr. Jerry Needam.

He said what had been happening in the state in the recent times showed that the state’s security system had collapsed.

He demanded explanations on the high rate of kidnappings in Rivers State, and how the security votes, running into billions of naira, and taxpayer’s were spent.

Meanwhile, parents of Tekena Elkanah and Lloyd Toku Mike had petitioned the Rivers State House of Assembly to look into the role of Isiokpo Divisional Police Station in the killings of the four students of UNIPORT. The petition was presented by the lawmaker, representing Okrika Constituency, Belema Okpokiri. The Assembly later referred the matter to the House Committee on Public Complaint, for investigation. However, more groups and individuals have continued to react to the killing of four students of UNIPORT.

•L–R: Unilever Lifebuoy Global Social Mission Programme manager, Stacie June Shelton, Osun State Commissioner for Environment and Sanitation, Professor Mrs. Olubukola Oyawoye and Unilever Regional Manager West, Mrs. Adekemi Osifeso watching the wife of Osun State Governor who is also Sanitation Ambassador Mrs. Sherifat Aregbesola making a demonstration of hand washing during Global Hand Washing Day celebration 2012 held at the Orisunbare market square by the Railway Station, Osogbo yesterday.

N’Assembly warns firms against flouting local content law From CHRIS ANUCHA, Port Harcourt

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ompanies flouting the Local Content Law might be doing so at their own risk, as the National is set to sanction offenders.

The Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Local Content, Mr. Honorable Asita, gave the indication in Onne, Rivers State, last weekend, when he led members of the committee, who were on a visit to the Oil and Gas Free Zone in Onne.

While at Intels Nigeria Limited, an oil servicing company, Asita explained government was taking seriously, compliance with the Local Content Law, adding that erring companies would soon incur the wrath of the National Assembly.

According to the lawmaker, the National Assembly would protect its integrity, by taking disciplinary action against any company that was still violating the Act. He said: “Every society, every system is governed by

laws and rules. There is a law in place and it does not provide a choice. When a law is made, it is made with the intention that it must be complied with.

“We insist on full compliance with the Local Content Law and we will not tolerate partial or non-compliance.”

Asita explained that the committee was at Intels to see the level of compliance.

“Intels has given me facts and figures; it is now our responsibility to crosscheck

those facts and figures with what we have, and make up our minds on the next action.

“There are sanctions explicitly provided for in the law. Parliament will also protect its integrity, by taking extra disciplinary actions against any company that violates the provisions of the Act,” he said.

The Local Content Manager of Intels, Mr. Sambo Isidor, had earlier told the committee how 60 per cent of employees in the com-

Constitution amendment: Delta oil producing communities seek direct allocation of 13% derivation fund From TONY OSAUZO, Benin

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issatisfied with the management of the 13% Derivation Fund meant to improve the lot oil producing areas by their state government, Oil Producing Ethnic Nationalities of Delta State have asked the Senate Committee on the review of the 1999 Constitution to amend the Constitution and

allocate the Derivation Fund directly to oil producing communities.

In their memorandum signed by elders and leaders of the Oil and Gas Producing Ethnic Nationalities on behalf of their people and presented

by Senator Francis Okpozo to the committee last Friday in Abuja, and made available to journalists in Benin, the oil producing communities said the poor management of the

Flood: Dickson tasks appointees on regular interaction with constituencies

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ayelsa State Governor, Henry Seriake Dickson, has directed all political appointees in the state to frequently visit their constituencies to show sympathy and sensitize the people on the efforts of government towards addressing the effects of the flood.

The governor also directed the state Ministry of Health to deploy all available boat ambulances to riverine areas to enhance the medical services being provided by government.

pany were from the Niger Delta, adding that the firm was applying local content rule, before the law was enacted.

Isidor said as a major operator of the Free Zone, Intels was ready to attract investment and create employment in oil and gas industry.

He disclosed that the company had a succession plan for every expatriate, while no expatriate was permitted to do the job of junior employees.

Governor Dickson handed down the directives during an emergency meeting with the political appointees at Banquet Hall of Government House in Yenagoa.

The governor explained that effective communication between the appointees and their constituencies would go a long way in assisting government take stock of the immediate needs of the people and proffer solutions.

“We should not leave it for one appointed small committee. The disaster is more than

that; so all of you are members of our response team; you are the first line of defence because you are in government. There are people out there who may feel they are not concerned but you can’t afford to be so because you share the burden of service with me.”

Pointing out the extent of damages in the state, Governor Dickson noted that government was working hard to assuage the pains of the people.

fund had resulted in severe underdevelopment and a frustrated citizenry in the communities.

“There is anger in the oil and gas producing communities and except the situation is reversed, militancy might rear its head again in incalculable proportions” the oil and gas producing communities said.

They proposed the establishment of a Derivation Board to manage the 13% Derivation Fund which they suggest should be composed by the host communities who would manage the funds received according to the quantum of production of each ethnic nationality.

“The derivation board will have a chairman, an executive secretary, and members of the board. We suggest that the federal and state governments should have ex-officio member each, on the board. The executive secretary will be supported by needed operational staff,” the oil and gas producing communities further proposed and urged the Senate Committee on the review of the Constitution to grant their request.

10 DAILY SUN Tuesday, October 16, 2012

SOUTH EAST APGA UK advises Ohanaeze youths

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he All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), UK chapter, has called on Ndigbo to avoid being a tool in destabilising the collective and undisputed desire of Ndigbo but rather to encourage whoever is championing the unity of Ndigbo.

The UK APGA said it read with dismay the press release published in the media by the leader of a group purported to be Ohanaeze youths, Mr. Okechukwu Kalu, claiming to have disrupted former Abia State governor, Orji Uzor Kalu’s speech with Ohanaeze in Enugu. It said such false publications would not only undermine the integrity of the Ohanaeze group but also portray the apex Igbo organisation as a divided house.

The group said the 2015 presidency was Ndigbo’s entitlement and that Igbos both at home and in the diapsora would not take it likely with sycophants aiming to disrupt the ambition. The APGAUK further said, “it is not wise for a group like Ohanaeze to be involved in criticising our prominent Igbo sons of Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu’s status. Dr Orji Uzor Kalu was never in Enugu for any meeting and we should not forget that he was the only governor, apart from governor Bola Tinubu, that fought Obasanjo to protect their regional identities.”

Reacting to the offensive press release, the APGAUK chieftain, Sir Onyeka Mbaso said, “we cannot move forward if we don’t have unity among ourselves. We shall continue to commend APGA National Chairman, Chief Sir Victor Umeh, Governor Rochas Okorocha, Senator Annie Okonkwo and Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu for their efforts in speaking out for 2015 Igbo Presidency.

“Since the demise of Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu there are few Igbo men that are actually speaking for the interest of Ndigbo and that is why the ruling party in Nigeria is no longer comfortable. The Igbos are not slaves in Nigeria and nothing prevents us from producing the next president of Nigeria.”

Mbaso hinted that APGA UK had earlier issued a press release condemning the judgement delivered by the Enugu State Chief Judge, Mr. Innocent Umezulike, on the case between APGA National Chairman, Umeh and one Mr. Jude Okuli, adding that it showed the total collapse of the nation’s judiciary system, which, if not arrested on time would lead to serious disaster.

He said, “we commend the intervention of the Nigerian judiciary and urge the National Judicial Council (NJC) to sanction and sack Innocent Umezulike with immediate effect.

“We urge the President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Mr. Ralph Uwaechue, to caution the likes of Mr. Okechukwu Kalu to desist from such publications that will bring disrepute to the group. I maintain that Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu, from all statistics, remains the pillar of Ndigbo in Nigeria and since the demise of our leader, Dim Ojukwu, he is the only man that can fit in Ojukwu’s shoes.”

Chime hale, hearty –Commissioner

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he Enugu State Government has dismissed as cheap and mischievous a false media report claiming that the state Governor, Sullivan Chime, is ill and is being treated abroad, reaffirming that he is “hale and hearty.”

Reacting to a report published in a weekend tittle on October 14, the state Commissioner for Information, Mr. Chuks Ugwoke, stated that the governor was enjoying his vacation, the first taken since he was sworn into office five years ago.

He stressed that contrary to the reporter’s claim that the governor’s last public appearance was on September 9, Chime had presided over the State Executive Council (SEC) meeting on September 18, where he announced to the members that he was proceeding on his annual leave and constitutionally handed over the reins of power to his Deputy, Sunday Onyebuchi, who is today the acting governor of the state.

Oil well controversy: LG boss defends Enugu govt From KASSIDY UCHENDU, Nsukka

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he Chairman, Uzo-Uwani Local Government Council, Mr. Cornel Onwubunya, has described the media comment by the Chairman of Nsukka Development Union (NDU), Chief Joseph Nwezugwu in which he accused the Enugu State Government of being indifferent to the plight of Iga people in the Uzo-Uwani Local Government who have been laying claim to the oil find in the parts of Anambra now being exploited by the Orient Petroleum as misguided and mischievous.

Soon after President Jonathan commissioned the Orient Oil flow station and declared Anambra the 10th oil producing state on August 30, Enugu and Kogi states laid claims to the oil wells. Since then, the oil wells have been generating controversy in which the people of Kogi and Enugu State have been laying claims to the oil find in the Anambra basin a situation that seemed like stirring the hornet’s nests.

In a media comment published in a national daily, not Sun, the Chairman of Nsukka NDU, Nwezugwu, had accused the government of Enugu State of not showing enough interest in the claim by Iga people that part of the oil wells belonged to them.

•Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, the guest speaker. Mrs. Tochukwu Udoji-Omelu, Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) chairman, Anambra State Council (right) and Chris Isiguzo, vice president, Zone C (middle) during the 2nd edition of the Zik Annual Lecture series of the press week of NUJ Anambra State Council at Emmaus House, Awka.

Photo: OKORO NWOSU

Abia PDP chairman petitions Senate president over demolition of housing estate He wondered in the petition From CHUKS ONUOHA, the grounds for the demolition Umuahia of the estate, insisting that bia State Chairman of even if the title documents Peoples Democratic were defective, justice would Party (PDP), Senator have demanded that enough Emma Nwaka, has petitioned notice be given and the the Senate President, Senator owner’s side of the story heard David Mark, on behalf of an before any action was taken.

He lamented that instead of Abuja-based housing estate owner, Mr. Emmanuel applying elementary justice, Mbaka, whose 500 units prop- the authority assumed the erty situated at Lugbe area of position of the complainant, the Federal Capital Territory prosecutor, the judge and jury (FCT) was demolished on at the same time, adding that Saturday, September 29, with- such self-help method was no out prior notice from Federal longer fashionable in a Capital Development civilised democratic setting like Nigeria.

Authority (FCDA).

He explained that all the Nwaka in the petition dated October 9, 2012, copied to the documents relating to the said three senators representing Abia State in the upper legislative chamber stated that the only inkling he had about the he National Co-ordinator grouse of the authority regardof All Progressives Grand ing the genuineness of the title Alliance (APGA) documents of the property was a broadcast made on the Stakeholders Forum, Chief radio on September 28, 2012. Sylvester Nwobu Alor has Nwaka said further that, condemmed what he called “when his efforts to make con- the embarrassing antics of tact with the authority failed, Chief Victor Umeh against he got in touch with Senator the judiciary.

In a statement made availSmart Adeyemi, chairman, Senate Committee on FCT, able to the press, Alor said all who was kind enough to listen men of goodwill must join and scheduled a meeting with hands and voice to condemn the authority for Tuesday, the practice of blackmailing judges by people who either October 2, 2012.”

Nwaka, who petitioned on perceive they have no case or behalf of Mbaka, owner of the plainly do not want justice to housing estate, disclosed that take its cause.

He observed that some of the demolition exercise took place on Saturday, September the statements by Umeh 29 without prior notice from about the chief judge of Enugu State were plain the FCDA. “But given that the mind of insults.

“We all are witnessing the those at the helm of affairs of FCDA to inflict maximum case of one Ichie Jude Okuli pain and loss had been made against Chief Umeh seeking up to do what they did, they purely interpretation of quickly went on rampage with Articles 18(2),(3),(4) and (5) their bulldozers to reduce to of the constitution of APGA, rubble a built up housing which states that the chairestate thereby pre-empting man should vacate office for and making nonsense of the at least two months to the date of election to be fixed by the scheduled meeting.”

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property were obtained from the authority with all the fees paid, wondering further what would have gone amiss and made the same authority to inflict such untold and heartless injury on him and those that had paid for the houses.

“Your Excellency, just imagine the pain and agony of individuals and families which have deposited their life savings with the estate developers in the hope of becoming proud owners by the end of this month, talk less of the huge capital outlay on the part of the developer, a good chunk of which was borrowed from the banks.

“Some of them may even

have committed additional funds to customise their own houses. Had the authority given due notice, certainly a lot of things like roofing sheets, doors and windows and other movable fixtures would have been salvaged to minimise losses,” Nwaka said, adding that the intent of the demolishers on the Saturday exercise was clearly premeditated.

He appealed to the Senate to treat the matter with the utmost importance it deserved to ascertain what went wrong, adding that such brandishing of unnecessary power against innocent citizens of the land must no longer be allowed.

Stop embarrassing judiciary, APGA chieftain tells Umeh

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National Executive Committee of APGA. “Whether by true and proper construction of Article 18(4), APGA could elect a chairman by any other manner than secret ballot.

Whether having taken over as chairman in 2006, Chief Umeh can legitimately stay on after 2006, among others.

“What is required on the part of Umeh is to prove that he has not stayed more than four years or that there was an election that renewed his mandate. Rather than prove these simple demands, he is blackmailing everybody because he has access to the press,” Alor submitted.

On the contention by Umeh that an ex-parte order obtained against him by Okuli ought not to stay more than 14 days, Alor said the ex parte order obtained by Umeh against Alhaji Sadiq Massala and Dr. Ifedi Okwenna since August 7th was still pending.

“If he feels aggrieved he has the courts to ventilate his grievances and seek remedy and not to rush to the NJC or

mount campaign of calumny against the judiciary,” Alor submitted.

Alor wondered why Umeh was objecting to the judge taking the originating summons proceedings from taking both the objection by Umeh and the substantive suit together as decided by the Supreme Court in plethora of cases. He noted that Umeh’s lawyer, Chief Nwankwo Ikwueto had also consistently argued that the court should take both objections and substantive suit and nobody had objected.

Alor said Umeh’s antics called for the renewal of factors that would validate petition-writing. “I believe now is the time for the judiciary to always determine petition prompted by other consideration than justice and discard them without any due attention paid to them.”

Alor said even purely administrative procedure of asking a person who had been petitioned against to state his own side was promoted out of proportion in the media.

DAILY SUN Tuesday, October 16, 2012, 11

SOUTH WEST

Osun govt, students resolve differences From BAMIGBOLA GBOLAGUNTE, Osogbo

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sun State Government and the National Association of Osun State Students (NAOSS) have finally resolved the differences between them over the nonpayment of bursary allowance to students from the state.

The students had last Tuesday gone on the rampage, disrupting social and commercial activities in Osogbo, the state capital.

At a parley between Governor Rauf Aregbesola and the leadership of the students body held yesterday at the Governor’s Office, reason prevailed when the governor laid bare some of the issues that caused controversies.

At the end of about 45 minutes closed door meeting, NAOSS President, Adebayo Opeyemi, told journalists that the students were better informed on the plans of government for them. He noted that NAOSS had now learnt of a better approach to championing their cause with the government, describing the parley as an eye-opener, saying it would help them in tackling any future face-off between students and the government.

The students’ union leader disclosed that the talk opened their eyes on numerous education programmes embarked upon by the government of Aregbesola to improve the education sector in the state. Adebayo stated that the governor appealed to them to always resort to dialogue in expressing their grievances, as dialogue is better than confrontation.

“The governor spoke to us like his children. He took us into confidence on some facts, which we did not know. He allowed us to express our grievances and now we are better informed on the policies and programmes of his government.”

How we saved Osun Speaker’s wife, by Police From MOSHOOD ADEBAYO, Abeokuta

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gun State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Ikemefuna Okoye yesterday explained how the Osun Speaker’s wife, Mrs. Muibat Salaam was saved from her cap-

tors.

Mrs. Salam was rescued from suspected kidnappers after five days in captivity.

Muibat, the first wife of the Speaker, Mr. Najeem Salaam was kidnapped in Ejigbo town of Osun on Tuesday last week by unknown gunmen.

However, she was rescued from her captors at Ogunmakin in Odeda Local Government Area, along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway by the joint efforts of the police in collaboration with members of the state vigilance group.

Addressing a press conference yesterday in Abeokuta, Okoye said his command received information from men of the state vigilance group that armed bandits were seen in the bush.

His words: “The police teams quickly swung into action and moved to the scene where there was exchange of gun fire between the police and the hoodlums.

“As a result, one of the armed bandits was shot dead, four others arrested, while the rest escaped with bullet wounds.”

Okoye also revealed that a woman later known as Muibat Salaam, the wife of the Speaker, Osun State House of Assembly, who had been kidnapped by the hoodlums in Ejigbo town, Osun State since Tuesday last week and brought to the hideout was also rescued from the kidnappers unhurt.

He added that two AK 47 rifles, four magazines loaded with seventy-eight rounds of live ammunition were also recovered form the bandits, adding that the suspects would soon be transferred back to Osun State where they committed the crime.

Oni’s media aide released

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n Ado-Ekiti Magistrate Court has granted bail to Mr. Lere Olayinka, Chief Press Secretary to the National Vice Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Segun Oni. Olayinka was arrested by policemen from the state Government House, where he was eating along Ilawe Road, Ado-Ekiti last Monday and was detained at the Police Headquarters till the following day when he was charged to court.

He was accused by the police of disrupting the teachers’ competency test, held in the state last Monday.

In a short ruling over the bail application by counsel to the accused person, Mr. Obafemi Adewale, the presiding Chief Magistrate, Prince Adesoji Adegboye granted Olayinka bail, in the sum of N100,000 and one surety, who is substantially resident in Ado-Ekiti.

Prince Adegboye discountenanced the counter affidavit of the police prosecution, which he said did not impede his discretion to grant bail to an accused person in the circumstance.

The chief magistrate therefore adjourned the matter to November 21 for hearing.

•L–R: Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, during the commissioning of the new accident and emergency complex, seven ambulances, and a renovated male surgical ward, at the Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital, Ado-Ekiti, yesterday.

Witness absolves Daniel of lodging state money in personal account From MOSHOOD ADEBAYO, Abeokuta

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he trial of the erstwhile governor of Ogun State, Otunba Gbenga Daniel resumed at the State High Court yesterday in Abeokuta, the state capital, with a prosecution witness, Mr. Sunday Esezobor telling the court that he could not confirm that funds belonging to the Ogun State were lodged in the accounts of Kresta Laurel Nigeria Limited.

Kresta Laurel Nigeria Limited, an engineering firm is believed to be owned by the former governor who is currently standing trial on a 38count charge, including alleged fraudulent conversion of lands, false declaration of assets and alleged stealing.

Esezobor, a Compliance Officer with the Zenith Bank stated this while being crossexamined during the resumed trial of the former governor by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

His words: “From the statement I have with me, there was no cheque from the Ogun State Government lodge into the account between 2005 and 2011,” Esezobor told the court.

Also during the resumed trial, the police cleared the exgovernor of allegations of threats to the life of a prosecution witness, Mr. Babatunde Adeluola.

It would be recalled that the EFCC through its counsel, Rotimi Jacobs had on June 5 informed the court that Adeluola, a Business Development Manager with the Skye Bank Plc. and the commission’s principal witness 1 were absent because he had received threat message after he appeared before the court.

As a result of this, the presiding Judge, Olanrewaju Mabekoje had ordered that the EFCC should lodge a formal complaint at the Ibara Divisional Police Station, Abeokuta on the alleged threat to life by the witness.

The judge also ordered that the police should make its findings available to the court through Certified True Copy (CTC) of the reports of its investigations.

During yesterday’s proceeding, Mabekoje who read the reports of the police investigations said that before the close of the last legal year, the police DPO at Ibara had made available to him, their findings on the matter.

According to him, the police report confirmed that the EFCC witness was never threatened by anyone before, during and after, he gave evidence against the former governor.

“I received a report from the DPO Ibara in respect of the matter about a witness. The witness, PW1 maintained that he was not threatened by anybody and the conclusion made by the police is to the effect that there was no time that Adelulola Babatunde was threatened directly or indirectly during and after the court proceedings of May 7, 2012 and June 9, 2012.

“Based on the statement made by the witness that he

was never threatened, I want counsels to regard this matter as closed. You can apply for the CTC of the report.”

Mabekoje, before adjourning till November 9, Professor Taiwo Osipitan had filed an application on notice, praying the court to strike out count one to thirteen of the 38-count charge against Daniel.

According to Osipitan, it would amount to ‘double jeopardy’ if the former governor was tried on the thirteen charges because they were related to allegations bordering on land matters, which a panel set up by the state government had already taken a decision on.

Fayemi commissions multi-million naira ward, ambulances ...Hands over ambulances to community leaders

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kiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi yesterday commissioned a multi-million naira accident and emergency ward, a laboratory and a male surgical ward at the state’s teaching hospital, Ado- Ekiti, with a promise to increase funding of health care services in the state.

Also commissioned were seven ambulances purchased for some secondary health facilities in the state. The ambulances were immediately handed over to the officials of the health facilities and the representatives of the communities.

Inaugurating the projects in Ado Ekiti, the governor said the multi million naira projects, as well as the seven ambulances were aimed at providing effective ambulance services and ensure prompt attention during emergencies.

Fayemi said the gesture was

a further step at fulfilling the desire of his administration to deliver high quality health care services with standard health facilities to the people of Ekiti State.

He added that his government had released a sum N12.8 million for the re-roofing of the Theatre Complex of the Hospital.

While saying that his administration had made impact on the health of the citizenry, the governor recalled that government had, early this year, given 94 citizens financial assistance to the tune of N69.9 million.

He added that his government also provided necessary tools and equipment worth over N130 Million.

PDP retains Rep seat as Appeal Tribunal throws out ACN’s case From GBENGA ADESUYI, Ibadan

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he Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Oyo State has another reason to celebrate, as the National and State Houses of Assembly Election Petitions Appeal Tribunal sitting in Ibadan, upheld the re-run election which produced Jimoh Afees as the member representing Irepo/Olorunsogo/Oorelope Federal Constituency.

The tribunal, in a unanimous judgment read by Justice Chidi Nwaoma Uwa, threw out the appeal of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) candidate, Lanre Agoro and also awarded N30,000 costs against him, which should be paid to the PDP candidate.

12 DAILY SUN Tuesday, October 16, 2012,

ONDO GUBER POLL COUNTDOWN PDP crisis deepens as faction expels Agagu, 6 others From TUNDE RAHEEM, Akure

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here was a twist to the crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ondo State yesterday as the five expelled members of the party also announced the expulsion of former governor Olusegun Agagu and six others .

The embattled members also canvassed support for Governor Olusegun Mimiko in the governorship election in the state, saying they were still bonafide members of PDP. The five expelled members, Prof. Olu Agbi, Chief Segun Adegoke, Dr. Akin Olowookere, Mr Demola Adegoroye and Mr Kunle Agunbiade, during a news conference said there was no fair hearing before the party took the decision. They therefore, declared their expulsion null and void.

Agbi, who spoke on behalf of other embattled members said they had earlier told the public that the state chapter of the party was seriously ill and needed a political surgery to cure the ailment before the election.”

“The truth is that the organisational structure of our party had become destabilised since the Court of Appeal judgment of February 23, 2009. Thereafter, the party lost all bye-elections to the state and federal legislative houses between 2009 and 2011. The total loss helped to expose the rot in the party to the outside world.

“Our efforts to promote reconciliation amongst leaders met the stiff resistance of Dr. Olusegun Agagu and his cohorts. “ Therefore, we are informing members of the public that the Tayo Alabi-led exco is not only illegal, but exists in contempt of a valid court order that has not been set aside. Every action of the so-called exco cannot stand,” the Professor said.

INEC accused of partisanship

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he Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) has accused the Election Monitoring and Observation Unit of INEC of engaging in gross partisanship that is capable of ruining the credibility of the October 20 governorship poll in Ondo State.

In a statement issued in Osogbo, Osun State, yesterday by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party specifically accused the unit of colluding with the ruling Labour Party (LP) in the state to remove from the list of accredited election observers, certain groups they deemed not favourably disposed towards their plan to manipulate the election.

It said while this unit had de-accredited the Coalition of Democrats for Election Reforms (CODER) on the basis of a petition by LP, it had replaced CODER with Women Arise.

“The partisanship of Women Arise as far as the Ondo State election is concerned is glaring as the group is led by Dr Joe Okei-Odumakin, wife of Mr. Yinka Odumakin who has publicly declared his support for Governor Olusegun Mimiko in the forthcoming election. Mr. Odumakin is also a known ally of Pastor Tunde Bakare, who has also declared his support for the incumbent governor.

“Another partisan group that has been accredited by INEC to monitor the election is the Rights Monitoring Group (RMG), led by one Femi Aduwo, a visible supporter of the LP in the social media. And while each election observer group is allowed a maximum of 100 observers, the RMG has been given over 1,500 accreditation tags by this unit, with the alleged plan that these tags will be utilized by LP thugs who would pose as RMG election observers on October 20.

“It is worth noting that in the midst of all these, CODER is yet to be formally communicated as to why it was de-accredited. Neither was it given the opportunity to defend itself against whatever was contained in the LP petition that INEC relied upon to de-accredit it. This is far from what is expected from a supposedly unbiased umpire.

“Against the foregoing, we are compelled to call on INEC Chairman, Attahiru Jega, who may not be privy to these shenanigans to investigate the activities of these units that are capable of ruining the credibility of the electoral body and act decisively and appropriately.

“The same unit is said to have compromised INEC by colluding with some political parties in past elections as it reportedly supplied thugs of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) with accreditation tags for the 2010 governorship election in Anambra State, for instance.

“The fake election observers were subsequently arrested by security agents and the case is pending at the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in Awka, with no attempt made to prosecute the offenders,” ACN said.

The party also urged the presidency, security agencies, all Nigerians and members of the diplomatic community to take note of the gross partisanship of this unit and the impact its nefarious activities might have on efforts to ensure that the Ondo State governorship election is free, fair and credible.

It also demanded the immediate de-accreditation of both Women Arise and the RMG as election observers for the Ondo State governorship poll in the interest of justice and fair play.

• Cross section of ACN supporters at the Akure Mega Rally of the party held at Democracy Park, Oba Adesida Road yesterday.

Photo: BIODUN ADEYEWA

ACN gives Mimiko red card …As Tinubu, others storm Akure From TUNDE Akure

RAHEEM, governor betrayed Dr. Olusegun Agagu, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo and the kure metropolis yester- late Adebayo Adefarati.

“As stubborn as Obasanjo day stood still for several hours as Asiwaju was, he asked Mimiko not to Bola Tinubu led other Action run against Agagu, but Congress of Nigeria (ACN) Mimiko declined. He challeaders to show Governor lenged Agagu. Who has Olusegun Mimiko the red worked with Mimiko that he card to quit from the has not betrayed?” he Government House, queried.

The ACN leader said there Alagbaka.

All the leaders including was nothing wrong with godthe National Chairman, Chief fatherism, adding that his Bisi Akande and all the ACN own kind of godfatherism governors of Lagos, Edo, meant well and not dictatorOsun, Ekiti, Oyo and Ogun ship.

He said he was not intereststates were in attendance.

Tinubu, who temporarily ed in stepping into the shoes turned to a pastor quoting of the late Chief Obafemi several passages of the Bible Awolowo, but emulating and described Mimiko as a man imbibing the vision of the late who had the opportunity to sage.

He challenged the people transform Ondo State but of Ondo to take their destinies failed.

He said he had not justified the huge trust reposed in him by his leaders and the people of Ondo State having proved to be a serial betrayer from he leader of Action Ajasin, Adefarati, Agagu to Congress of Nigeria Obasanjo.

(ACN), Senator Bola Tinubu also restated that he Tinubu has been advised to assisted Mimiko in his quest to become governor of Ondo behave like a statesman worthy of the toga of the nationState in 2007.

He was reacting to the al leader of a political party.

The Mimiko Campaign claim by Mimiko that he did not seek and receive any Organisation (MCO) gave assistance from the former the advice in Akure yestergovernor of Lagos State day following what it termed before becoming governor of unwarranted verbal attacks of the ACN leader against Ondo State.

He said: “Mimiko said I the person of the Ondo State did not spend money for him, Governor, Dr Olusegun that he did not collect money Mimiko. from me. The Holy This is just as the MCO Communion he always cried out over the fracas that receives will judge him. He happened during the ACN collected money and car from rally and the arrest of some me. It was Osibajo that went thugs by police with guns to Bristol and Israel to look and other dangerous for forensic experts. We spent weapons. millions in pounds.”

The Mimiko group Tinubu said Mimiko might enjoined Tinubu “to take deny the assistance rendered along with him his armed to him, but the whole world thugs when he is leaving the knew that the Ondo State

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in their hands by using their vote wisely to ensure that Mr. Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN) became the next governor of the state because he was another SAN with a sound mind.

Chief Bisi Akande declared that the people of Ondo State should vote for Akeredolu, described as a man of honour who would implement the ACN manifestos leading to unprecendented and sustainable development in the state.

Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, Senator Abiola Ajimobi took turns to urge the Ondo people to vote for Akeredolu, saying the choice represented massive infrastructure, educational development, job creation and prosperity.

In his speech Mr. Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN) declared his commitment to transforming the state like other ACN states in the South-West.

Reacting to his being described as a surrogate to Asiwaju Tinubu he said “this was not true but if that translated to transformation in the state through massive road construction, free education, creation of jobs, then so be it.” He described Tinubu as leader of leaders who had sacrificed so much for the Yoruba race and deserved to be commended rather than being vilified.

Akeredolu seized the opportunity to thank the people of Ondo State for their massive support and promised not to let them down if elected on October 20. He asked the supporters to have three-day fasting and prayer for success at the polls.

Tinubu unstatesmanly –MCO

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state.”

MCO’s Director of Publicity and Media Relations, Mr Kolawole Olabisi wondered what ACN had to offer the people of Ondo State with “the fiasco of governance in all the ACN controlled states in the South-West.”

“Pray, isn’t it absurd that Tinubu could be asking the people to vote for his party when all over the SouthWest where he controls, governance is at it lowest ebb. It has been strikes galore as workers and government are at loggerheads over unpaid salaries and emoluments.

Students of higher institutions are groaning while they pay through their noses. Yet, they say they want to capture Ondo State, which is better governed than any of these states and has become a benchmark in the art of good

governance in Nigeria.

“When so-called leaders dance naked on national television and unleash verbal abuses on a sitting governor of a state who has shown nothing but high sense of respect for him as well as assault the sensibility of the people of Ondo State, then such leaders should be prepared to be disgraced.

“How can a leader also ask the people of Ondo State to re-enact the terrible episode of the 1983 election violence if his party should lose the election? We urge the security operatives to be abreast with the vituperation and pure incitement of the people by Tinubu and other leaders of the ACN the socalled redemption rally of theirs and take note of unfolding events as the election approaches,” MCO advised.

DAILY SUN Tuesday, October 16, 2012, 13

AREWA 2000 Zamfara intending pilgrims may miss hajj From ATTAHIRU AHMED, Gusau

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o fewer than 2000 intending Muslim pilgrims from Zamfara State may not perform this year’s hajj as they were allegedly conned by officials through whom they paid their fees.

Investigation by Daily Sun revealed that many intending pilgrims after paying their fees lamented that they were denied opportunity to travel while others, after receiving their travel documents and travelling bags at the point of departure had their money refunded as their seats had been allocated to others.

Governor AbdulAziz Abubakar Yari yesterday threatened to prosecute those involved in hajj seat scam, which might cause many intending pilgrims from the state to miss this year’s hajj.

Yari lamented that some pilgrim officials, particularly at the local government levels where intending pilgrims paid their hajj fees to enable them to perform the religious obligations engaged in fraud by not remitting the fares to the appropriate authority.

He said the state government would not leave any stone unturned to get to the root cause of the fraud.

The governor ordered the immediate investigations into the misappropriation of the intending pilgrims’ fees at both the state and local government levels.

“Those involved in this crime don’t have the fear of Allah as they have no reason to make someone who has paid complete hajj fare in preparation to perform his or her religious obligation not able to make the trip because of the greed of the pilgrim officials. All those involved in the crime will be prosecuted,” he warns.

•Grains on display at the ongoing national agricultural show in Tudun-Wada, Nasarawa State yesterday.

Kaduna killings: Imam’s narrow escape

Printers protest killing of colleague by police

‘I hid inside disused tyres and watched gunmen kill my people’

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From ABDULGAFAR ALABELEWE, Kaduna

rinters in Kaduna State yesterday took to the streets, protesting the alleged killing of one of their members, Mr. Elisha Anjorin by men of the Nigerian Police around the popular Kigo Road last Saturday.

This is coming as the police said they had arrested the four suspected policemen who beat Anjorin to death.

The printers who staged a peaceful demonstration along Muri, Kigo, Nasarawa and Lokoja roads in the heart of Kaduna metropolis yesterday shut all printing shops and prevented vehicular movement around the area.

They carried placards reading: “Police is our greatest enemy,” “Police are killers,” “Police worst than Boko Haram” and “We want justice,” among others.

Speaking for his members, the Chairman of the Kaduna State chapter of Master Printers Association of Nigeria (MPAN), Alhaji Abdulazeez Jatau Ibrahim said the protest was to demand for justice over the beating to death of their member by policemen.

According to the chairman, “we have been to the Kaduna State Police Command Headquarters this morning to demand for justice and the commissioner of police told us he did not send any policemen to kill law abiding citizens.

“He promised us that autopsy will be conducted on the dead body tomorrow (today) to ascertain whether the late Anjorin died as a result of the police beating,” he said.

UNILORIN VC assumes office, promises to sustain peace, academic excellence From LAYI OLANREWAJU, Ilorin

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he new Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, Prof.

AbdulGaniy Ambali assumed duty yesterday, promising to sustain the academic excellence, peace and development the institution is renowned for.

“I know that if we maintain what is on ground, it will be easier and cheaper to take the university to the next level of academic excellence,” Ambali said at the handing-over ceremony which took place shortly after his predecessor, Prof. Is-haq Oloyede addressed a news conference on the university’s 28th convocation ceremonies.

Ambali, the 9th vice chancellor of UNILORIN who said he had taken time to understudy the outgoing VC, Prof. Oloyede, announced his resolve to follow his track, just as he followed the track of his own predecessors.

He commended Oloyede for taking the university to greater heights in the last five years, describing him as someone “who anywhere and by whatever standard, is an outstanding achiever. He is a dynamic man of many parts.”

He added: “It is my desire to build on his strengths that have catapulted the university to the present glory and adjust where necessary for the continued progress of the university.”

Describing his co-contestants for the office as eminently qualified for the appointment, Ambali described his appointment as Allah’s wish and extended his hands of fellowship to all staff of the institution.

From NOAH EBIJE and post, which eventually led to on the activities of the armed ABDULGAFAR ALABELEWE, the closure of the police post. bandits in the area and were “Sadly, the letter was slaughtered.

Kaduna “The four were fished out acknowledged by the police ore facts emerged authorities but instead of by the gunmen and murdered yesterday on how the action to be taken, we only in cold blood. The police bloody attack on saw the six policemen in authorities knew about it. It is development,” he Dogon Dawa village near Dogon Dawa police post sad Birnin Gwari town in Kaduna leaving. The authorities were alleged.

He expressed the hope that State was executed, leading duly informed. That was to the death of no fewer than three weeks before this perhaps, the latest attack would compel the authorities attack,” he alleged.

25 people.

He lamented that although to deploy police and other The Chief Imam of Dogon Dawa community, Malam the vigilance group in the area security agents to the area.

Governor Patrick Ibrahim Muhammad said he took had been doing its best, four cover inside some old tyres of their members with link to Yakowa of Kaduna State yesthat were abandoned near the a nearby Kuyello village terday visited the community mosque and watched how the were fingered by the gunmen to ensure the criminals were gunmen numbering about a and their associates, who apprehended.

The governor who shelved 100, shot and killed early accused them of giving the morning worshippers who police sensitive information his plan to travel abroad were coming out of the mosque at dawn.

“The killers were saying they came to make real their threat, they shot and killed •Bomb scare in Minna, residents run for cover even children; it was sad From TIMOTHY OLA, was immediately deserted as indeed,” he said. security forces took position Also speaking to news- Maiduguri and AKIN to forestall further tragedy. men, the traditional title hold- ALOFETEKUN, Minna Efforts to get the reaction er of Danlawan Birnin Gwari of the Joint Task Force (JTF) aiduguri again witin Dogon Dawa, Alhaji nessed no fewer than did not yield any result as its Abdurauf who could not hide 10 bomb explosions spokesman, Lt. Col. Sagir his anger said, a former govMusa did not respond to severnorship aspirant, Alhaji yesterday evening, few hours eral calls to him. There were after the killing of a police Shuaibu Mikati, had earlier no words from the Borno alerted the police to the traffic warden.

Police Command too.

The first explosion threats to life and property in Meanwhile, residents of occurred at about 6.15pm folthe area by armed bandits but Minna, Niger State, especialnothing was done until the lowed by more blasts, which ly those in the Farm Centre, dawn attack on Sunday which occurred simultaneously in Tunga area of the state capital had turned the entire area into different areas for about 15 scampered into different minutes. Sporadic gunshots deep sorrow and mourning. directions following a bomb According to him, Mikati by security forces also fol- scare at the Abdulsalami had written a letter to the lowed. The exact locations of Abubakar Motorpark.

Inspector General of Police the explosions could not be The incident occurred at (IGP), alerting him to the ascertained as at press time. about 9:30am, when a pasMeanwhile, gunmen susthreat issued by the escaping senger sighted a black polygunmen who had vowed to pected to be Boko Haram thene bag containing some dared the heavy security presunleash terror in the area. yet-to-be identified items and He said Mikati had also in ence at the post office area thereafter raised an alarm that the letter, appealed to the yesterday as they shot dead a attracted the attention of police to upgrade the police police traffic officer at about neighbours and passersby to post at Dogon Dawa to the 1.30pm. the scene. status of a police station but The incident caused pandeDaily Sun reliably gathered that was not done. monium as residents, traders that no sooner than the inciThe traditional ruler also and motorists ran helter skel- dent happened than the news noted that the police gradual- ter as anti-riot policemen shot filtered into all parts of Minna ly withdrew the six police- into the area. The entire area and its environs, with differmen stationed at the police located at the heart of the city ent versions, some of which

returned to the village from Abuja told members of the community in trembling voice that, “the state will do all within its power to round up those who carried out the dastardly act.”

According to Yakowa who visited the village in company with the GOC, 1 Mechanised Division, Major General Garba A. Wahab, state Director of SSS, Mr. Yomi Zamba, Commissioner of Police, Olufemi Adenaike, Sector Commander, Federal Road Safety Commission and member representing Birnin Gwari in the state assembly, Aliyu Balarebe Jigo, the perpetrators of the attack would not go unpunished.

10 explosions in Maiduguri

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claimed there was a bomb blast in the city.

The state police command quickly dispatched the police anti-bomb disposal team to secure the scene and evacuate the strange object contained in the polythene bag.

Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Pius Edobor, confirmed there was a bomb scare, adding that somebody saw an envelope which contained some yet-to-be identified items in an area of the city at between 9:30 and10:30 am yesterday.

The Deputy Superintendent of Police, in an interview with journalists in Minna said the command had commenced investigation into the case, while the Police Bomb Disposal Unit in custody of the strange items were yet to disclose their findings.

He therefore advised that members of the public should have no cause to fear or panic, adding that if the public saw any suspicious object, they should let the police know about it to professionally handle the matter.

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DAILY SUN Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Foreign Affairs Roth and Shapley win Nobel prize for economics

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lvin Roth and Lloyd Shapley have won the 2012 Nobel Prize in economics. The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences cited the US academics for their work on the “theory of stable allocations and practice of market design.”

The work is concerned with the best possible way to allocate resources, such as in school admissions or organs to patients who need transplants.

Mr Roth is a professor at Harvard and Mr Shapley teaches at the University of California in Los Angeles.

The committee said their work was a form of economic engineering, designing markets for situations where traditional market mechanisms based on price are not applicable or do not work well.

“Even though these two researchers worked independently of one another, the combination of Shapley’s basic theory and Roth’s empirical investigations, experiments and practical design has generated a flourishing field of research and improved the performance of many markets,” the Academy said.

Appearing at a news conference by phone from the US, Mr Roth said: “It sheds a very bright spotlight on the work we do, so that’s a good thing.

“My colleagues and I work in an area that we’re calling market design, which is sort of a newish area of economics and I’m sure that when I go to class this morning my students will pay more attention.”

In 1962, Mr Shapley and his colleague David Gale laid down a theory for how best to match demand and supply in markets with ethical and legal complications, such as admitting students to public schools in the US.

Cambodia’s former king dies at 89

• A member of the Free Syrian Army inspects damaged houses in Bustan al Basha in Aleppo city in northern Syria

Kenyan official killed in secessionist violence

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local Kenyan official was yesterday killed in what police say was a retaliatory attack for the arrest of a secessionist leader in Coast province.

Salim Changu was hacked to death in the coastal town of Kwale, police say.

He was attacked shortly after Mombasa Republican Council (MRC) Oscar Mwamnuadzi was arrested during a gunfight at his home, in which two people were killed.

Tension has been rising in Kenya ahead of general elections due in March 2013.

More than 100 people have been killed in ethnic clashes in the south-east Tana River area since August, in the bloodiest violence since the disputed 2007 presidential election.

Regional police chief Aggrey Adoli told the BBC that Mr Changu, the assistant chief for the Kombani area, was killed by MRC supporters after going to Mr Mwamnuadzi’s house to see what had happened overnight.

“It was a revenge attack,” he said.

Earlier, police launched an operation against the MRC following accusations that it planned to disrupt school examinations.

Two of Mr Mwamnuadzi’s bodyguards were killed dur-

ing the raid on his home in Kwale and 38 people were arrested, the Daily Nation newspaper reported.

Thirteen people have since been charged - some with possession of offensive weapons, others over T-shirts with pro-independence slogans.

They denied the charges but were remanded in cus-

tody.

In July, Kenya’s High Court lifted a ban on the MRC, which the government had outlawed in 2010 after accusing it of being a criminal gang.

However, Mr Adoli told the BBC’s Focus on Africa programme that despite the court ruling the group was “still illegal”.

The MRC accuses successive governments of marginalising the ethnic groups living along the coast, which is the centre of the country’s tourism sector, and giving land to outsiders.

Calls for the secession of the mainly Muslim coastal region tend to intensify in the run-up to general elections, analysts say.

No winner for African leadership prize

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here is no winner this year for the world’s most valuable individual prize - the Mo Ibrahim prize for good governance in Africa.

The $5m (£3.2m) prize is supposed to be awarded each year to a democratically elected leader who governed well, raised living standards and then voluntarily left office.

The panel said no candidate had met all of the criteria - as in 2009 and 2010.

Last year, Cape Verde President Pedro Verona Pires won the prize.

He led the fight against Portuguese colonialism, introduced multi-party politics and was praised raising for living standards.

The $5m prize is spread over 10 years and is followed by $200,000 a year for life.

‘No compromise’ Announcing the decision, Mr Ibrahim said: “You make your bed, you have to lie on

it. If we said we’re going to have a prize for exceptional leadership, we have to stick to that. We are not going to compromise.”

“We are not just in the business of positive messages - we would lose our credibility,” the AFP news agency quotes him as saying.

“The prize committee reviewed a number of candidates but none met all of the criteria needed to win the prize,” said committee member Salim Ahmed Salim.

The two other winners in the six years since the prize was launched were Botswana’s President Festus Mogae and Mozambique’s Joaquim Chissano.

Earlier this month, Mr Ibrahim’s foundation announced a special $1m award to Archbishop Desmond Tutu for “speaking truth to power”.

The London-based body called the cleric “one of

Africa’s great voices for justice, freedom, democracy and responsible, responsive government”.

Sudan-born telecoms entrepreneur Mr Ibrahim says the good governance prize is needed because many leaders of sub-Saharan African countries come from poor backgrounds and are tempted to hang on to power for fear that poverty awaits them when they leave office.

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orodom Sihanouk, the former Cambodian king who was a key figure through decades of upheaval, has died.

The former king died at a hospital in the Chinese capital, Beijing, after having a heart attack. He had been in poor health for several years.

Sihanouk, who was 89, came to the throne in 1941 and led Cambodia to independence from France in 1953.

Despite long periods of exile and his abdication in 2004 due to ill health, he remained an influential figure.

Sihanouk abdicated in 2004 in favour of his son, King Norodom Sihamoni.

“His death was a great loss to Cambodia,” said his assistant and relative Prince Sisowath Thomico. “King Sihanouk did not belong to his family, he belonged to Cambodia and to history.”

His body is expected to be returned to Cambodia and go on display for three months in the capital Phnom Penh before an official funeral at the royal palace.

King Sihamoni and Prime Minister Hun Sen have flown to Beijing to accompany the

late king home.

A statement from China’s foreign ministry hailed Sihanouk as a “great friend of the Chinese people”.

Japan’s top government spokesman said without him “there could not have been success in the Cambodian peace process”. image of Jonathan Head Jonathan Head South East Asia correspondent, BBC News Mercurial, vain, contradictory, with an impossibly twisting career; Sihanouk was all these things, so summing up his legacy is tricky.

He was a very different King from Bhumibol Adulyadej in neighbouring Thailand, who revived a traditional, ritualistic form of monarchy in the post World War II era.

• Norodom Sihamoni

Girl shot by Taliban rushed to UK

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he 14-year-old Pakistani girl who was targeted and nearly killed by the Taliban for supporting education for girls has been flown to the United Kingdom for medical treatment.

Malala Yousufzai, the schoolgirl whose shooting galvanized an unprecedented wave of condemnation against the Taliban, was transported on an air ambulance donated

by the United Arab Emirates early this morning. The flight took off from a military air base in Rawalpindi and made a refueling stop in the UAE before continuing on to the United Kingdom, according to Pakistani military officials.

A senior Pakistani source in the United Kingdom says Malala will be treated at a hospital in Birmingham, England.

The Pakistani government has said it will pay for all hospital

expenses.

“Last week’s barbaric attack on Malala Yousufzai and her school friends shocked Pakistan and the world,” a statement from British foreign secretary William Hague said.

“The public revulsion and condemnation of this cowardly attack shows that the people of Pakistan will not be beaten by terrorists.”

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

By HENRY UMAHI

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astor Emmanuel Okeahialam of Angelhearts Christian Mission, Owerri, Imo State, has praised the leadership of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) for the way it reacted in the face of unprovoked attack on Churches in the North. He also argued that President Goodluck Jonathan should not be blamed for the nation’s woes.

The cleric said: “If you watch very carefully, it is as if all the problems of Nigeria over the years are now being deposited on the present leadership. You can describe his administration as a major sewage channel - it smells awfully and has a lot of debris in it but yet it is the only reason the environment is clean, safe and healthy. This is his predicament but I would say, a good one at fulfilling God’s purpose. It is enormous but grace is available to triumph over these challenges and just this will Jonathan do.”

He spoke more on other issues. Excerpts: How do you react to the bombing of Churches in the North?

These incidents are most unfortunate and have led to several losses of lives and property. It has even jeopardised the work of the Church to evangelise these communities but we must remain resolute. I call on all Christians not to forsake the gathering of brethren but continuously look up to Jesus Christ, the author and finisher of our faith and not be deterred by these events.

Rather, we should encourage one another and build stronger the bond of fellowship in love amongst ourselves and others of diverse faith where it is welcome.

These are challenges of our time, whether they are ethnic, political, religious or a result of socialeconomic malaise. We should, as a Church, continue in prayers for our safety and peace and for wisdom on our leaders upon whom the onus of the safety of the citizenry dwells. These Christians, who lost their lives, are the true martyrs of our faith and should be remembered for their eternal sacrifice while the churches, Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) or Pentecostal Federation of Nigeria (PFN) should set up a body that will identify these victims with a view to immortalising them and assisting their families and loved ones. Of course, we know that faith without works is dead. Sincerely speaking, these incidents are very unfortunate and nothing but the works of ignorance, a fall-out of a failed society.

DAILY SUN 15

Don’t crucify Jonathan over Nigeria’s woes – Okeahialam Are you satisfied with the reaction of CAN so far?

CAN’s reactions have always been spontaneous as one should expect. I am not in any position to judge but honestly, they have readily expressed their hurt feelings and I am very satisfied with the concerns they have continued to show over this matter and at the levels they have expressed such. If one looks at reactions in terms of assistance to victims and churches where these incidents have occurred, one will say, yes, CAN has responded with care and welfare even though more can be done.

We will never nor should we get weary in well doing especially for our own brethren, those who have suffered such great wickedness. Then again, if you should consider some utterances of CAN president, Papa Ayo Oritsejafor, one may say he is agitating for revenge or retaliation as he has often been misunderstood or misquoted but if I may say, I believe this is not what this senior man of God is for. Papa is a very vibrant and spirited man and he has brought this divine charismatic attitude into the character of the leadership of CAN and you need to have depth in the spirit to flow with him.

I think through his bold and persuasive concern, CAN has really sensitized Christians in the north and elsewhere to be proactive in ensuring their safety and standing up in defense of their faith. I believe his tenure is ordained for these trying times the church is facing and if you look carefully, these incidences are taking a downward turn in spread, frequency and number of victims and casualties. I would want to use this medium to congratulate this outstanding leader of our faith who still has so much vigour and vitality, in his forty years in effective ministry as he celebrates Christ in him and go ahead to say, well done to CAN and to God be all glory.

Will you advise Christians to fight back or not?

The core life of every Christian is to show love and preach peace. It is from where we draw our strength to have mercy and forgive those who offend or hurt us so we can obtain grace to live a life of faith as overcomers we are.

We are not in a war situation so I will continue to ask that we employ all measures for social or public security and mobilize ourselves to defend our faith and the institutions of our faith without having to fight back. The Bible says in Psalms 120 vs 6 & 7: “My soul hath long dwelt with him that hates peace. I am for peace: but when I speak, they are for war.” It will take wisdom to do this and we certainly have this wisdom in Christ.

How can we deal with security challenges in Nigeria?

I have always said that all challenges upon the face of this earth will answer to divine wisdom and instructive prayers. Our present case in Nigeria is not an exemption. The word of God in Psalm 127 v 1b says “..: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman wakes but in vain.” We need to identify this country in the context of a ‘city’.

We must employ innovative technological devices and be abreast of trends in security methods. Sophistication is the way to go. We need to make sure that what we have are ‘watchmen’. All the securities agencies especially the Police and SSS must be well trained and constantly retrained to be responsive to their duties.

They must be properly enabled with modern tools, gadgets and equipment for effective service and enumerated well enough to compensate

•Okeahialam them for the risks they themselves are exposed to in the course of their duties. We should encourage and give heed to professionalism, experience and passion for work amongst security operatives while celebrating excellence.

Also, we must be and remain a praying nation as this is the only way to get God’s attention over us. In this sense, I do not mean prayer conventions or sessions that are held or organized for self or political interest or motives but a conscious effort among the believers and churches to hear from God first and then pray back His word to Him. The house of God is the house of prayer.

This is His will; He will not forsake.

I believe that for every promise, there is an underlining instruction regarding the wisdom to be employed to gain it and except we walk in the prophetic, it will constantly elude us. As a country, Nigerians need to pray for God’s mercy for our insincerity and insensitivity over the years and ask for justice and fairness to rule our lives individually. These should be our prayer points for a renewal of the conscience of this nation as we progress towards transformation to become world reformers especially having celebrated our 52 years independence anniversary.

First Ladyism: The Yobe example

By ABBA YUSUF BABA

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his reflection is inspired by something that happened last week. It was an online report that Yobe State Governor, Ibrahim Gaidam, “had moved his wives out of Damaturu out of fear of Boko Haram”.

An anonymously written and speculative report alleged that Gaidam took his family out of Damaturu. It so happened that the report was, in reality, a calculated distortion of an interview the governor’s spokesman, Abdullahi Bego, granted the Hausa service of the VOA in which he described as ‘totally groundless’ and ‘non-issue’ comments that the governor had relocated his wives from Damaturu.

This is the English translation of what the governor’s spokesman actually said in response to his VOA interviewer: “The governor’s wives do not have an official function unlike in other states.

Since he first came to power, following the death of the late Gov. Mamman Ali, his wives had never appeared in a public function. They have been at home as housewives. Our position – of not having the office of the first lady at the state level – is supported by the fact that there is nothing in our constitution that empowers the wife of a governor to hold office simply because she is the governor’s wife.

“Therefore, since Governor Gaidam’s wives have always been at home, who could have gone into his house to check whether his wives are in town or not and why should anybody go so far as to try to know what the governor is doing with his own family in his own home?”

In other words, the governor’s spokesman was saying that the since Gaidam does not have a First Lady’s office and has elected to let his wives stay out of public glare, they are technically neither public figures nor public officials and, therefore, should be treated as private citizens whose privacy should be respected. If the governor’s wives are private citizens, no one - not even journalists have the right to intrude into their privacy.

He is right. In media law, people, who are nei-

ther public officials (i.e., elected or appointed government officials) nor public figures (i.e., wellknown people who, though not public officials, deliberately thrust themselves into the media limelight in ways that benefit them) have an expectation of privacy. To pry into the private lives of private citizens constitutes an ethical and legal infraction, according to our media laws.

But what stood out in Abdullahi Bego’s response, for me, was the revelation that there is no First Lady in Yobe State. I was never aware that there was any state in the federation where there is no office of the First Lady—or First Ladies. This is simply remarkable. Yobe State is probably the only state in the country where state

•Gov. Gaidam resources are not expended in the service of a First Lady’s office, an office that is neither constitutional nor ethical.

This says at least three things about the Governor. First, he must be in firm control of his matrimonial turf. Only a few men, not least our “big men,” can persuade their wives to see the futility and waste in a First Lady’s office. Fewer

still can resist the pressures of their wives to be in the sweet glow of public limelight. That the governor is able to sustain his no-First-Lady policy for years says a lot about the strength and resilience of his character.

If you recall, when General Olusegun Obasanjo was elected president in 1999, he said his wife would remain his wife and that there would be no office of the First Lady. “Stella is just going to be my wife,” he said in response to a question about the role his wife would play in government. We all know how that story ended: For a few months, Stella was referred to as the “wife of the president of Nigeria.” But that soon changed and she began to be addressed as Her Excellency, the First Lady. Shortly after, her pet project, the Child Care Trust Programme, followed. Lesson: few men can reign in the overweening ambitions of their unelected spouses.

Gov. Ibrahim Gaidam is one of such few men.

Second, the governor’s First-Lady (or, if you like, “no-First-Lady”) policy shows his acute awareness of the reality that part of the bane of our development as a country has been our inability to draw a clear dividing line between the public sphere and the private sphere. As pointed out earlier, the Nigerian constitution has no provision for the office of the First Lady. The existence of such an office at the federal level and at the state levels, in spite of its unconstitutionality, is the clearest indication yet that our politicians lack the capacity to separate the domestic, private sphere from the public arena. This has had profound implications for our development as a nation.

Third, and most important, the Yobe governor’s “no-First-Lady” policy evidences his admirably frugal husbandry of public resources.

Billions of Naira are expended every year to maintain the offices of First Ladies all over the country, often at the expense of more pressing needs. Only recently, the federal government earmarked 5 billion naira to renovate the office of the First Lady. That’s money that could have been used to make life a little easier for thousands of less fortunate people in the country. In the states,

similar amounts are spent to sustain these extraconstitutional offices. Governor Gaidam stands out as probably the only governor (or one of the few governors) that have resisted this madness.

That must explain why the governor dwarfs some of his counterparts in terms of the quantum of projects he has executed for the benefit of his people. The lack of distraction from First Ladies must also explain his single-minded and widely admired commitment to the governance of his state.

In America where the idea of the office of the First Lady started, the office, unlike ours, is semiofficial. However, it is guided by strict regulations. There, a First Lady gets no salary. The only thing she enjoys is that her living space, travel and personal protection is provided by the government. Unlike in Nigeria where First Ladies have “pet projects” that are financed from government coffers, an American First Lady cannot “accept gifts that are valued over a certain amount; all gifts and their values must be declared and are considered property of the U.S. government. In the case of gifts given by friends or close associates, she is given the opportunity to purchase the items by paying the government the estimated value.”

Governor Gaidam is a very cosmopolitan and humble person who is well aware of all this. If we can’t praise him for setting a good example for all governors in regards to the unconstitutional office of First Lady, we should at least respect his choice to keep the affairs of his wives private.

Since the governor’s wives have never claimed to be “First Ladies,” have no “pet projects” that are funded with taxpayers’ money, and have never accompanied the governor to any public function, it is nobody’s business where the governor’s wives live. That is entirely the governor’s— and his wives’—private matter. That was the whole point of Abdullahi Bego’s response to the VOA. And that makes a heck of a lot of sense to me.

•Baba writes from Bolori Ward, Abuja. He can be reached at babannan2000@gmail.com

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DAILY SUN Tuesday, October 16, 2012

NewsPlus Amidst pomp, Onitsha monarch marks one decade on the throne •Glo dazzles as commercial town celebrates ofala From EMMANUEL UZOR, Onitsha

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he atmosphere was serene.

The walls of the palace of the Obi of Onitsha, sitting regally along Awka Road within the commercial city of Onitsha, was heavily adorned with colourful, eyecatching posters and banners.

The pictures and inscriptions were all in commemoration of the 11th Ofala festival and the 10th anniversary of Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Nnaemeka Achebe.

This year’s Ofala festival which was sponsored by telecommunication giants, Globacom, was ranked the biggest ever, following the large turnout of people from all walks of life as well as the activities lined up for the celebration.

According to the sponsors of the event, the festival, held between September 23 and October 8, was to usher in the new calendar year for the people of Onitsha.

It was indeed the single, most important unifying event in the calendar of the people of the town who trooped home in celebration of their history and culture.

A statement from the Globacom Community Social Responsibility (Globacom CSR) said “this year is particularly significant given its coincidence with the Igwe (His Majesty, Nnaemeka Achebe’s) 10th anniversary on the throne. It is more potentially spectacular as Globacom has promised to take the festival to higher glories.

“Globacom signed a three-year sponsorship deal with the palace last year, giving the festival a fresh breath and unprecedented leverage.

The company’s effort this year was to further transform the festival into a world class event and celebrate the Obi and the people.”

Speaking during the lecture/symposium held as part of the events to celebrate years of the Obi on the throne of his ancestors, the guest

•Dignitaries paying homage to the Obi of Onitsha

•Igwe Achebe lecturer, Mr. Pat Obianwu took time to explain the need for the sustenance of Onitsha culture and tradition.

Mr. Obianwu further said the people of Onitsha have a peculiar nature and tradition. His words: “The people of Onitsha are indeed the Jews of the old. They have accommodating nature which distinguished them from the rest of the communities in Anambra State.”

Speaking during the Ofala festival, the celebrant and Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Alfred Nnaemeka Achebe said this year’s Ofala was significant to the people of Onitsha, adding that it afforded them the opportunity to come together as a

•Ndi-Ichie (first class chiefs in Onitsha)

people to chart a new course for their survival.

Igwe Achebe also commended the federal government for approving money for the completion of the abandoned Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe’s Mausoleum built in honour of Nigeria’s first president and Owelle of Onitsha, which he said had been a symbol of disgrace to a man who fought for the nation’s independence.

He further said that the people of Onitsha were elated and relieved by the decision of the federal government to complete the great Zik’s last resting place which previous governments in the country played politics with. He urged President Goodluck Jonathan to match his words with action concerning the completion of the project, as the people of Onitsha, the entire South East and Nigerians who have respect for past leaders of the country that served meritoriously, would use the project to judge the performance of his administration.

The Obi of Onitsha also used the occasion to commiserate with fami-

lies and states in the country that were affected by the flood disaster ravaging the country. He urged governments at all levels, organizations, companies and well to do individuals to come to the aid of victims.

He also urged the Anambra State government to allow the Anambra North Senatorial Zone produce the next governor of the state, adding that the zone had supported all other zones in the state. He said it was the turn of other zones to support his people to produce the next governor.

Also speaking during the occasion, Governor Peter Obi said his administration would do its best to ensure that Onitsha regains its past glory, adding that the president would soon return to the commercial city to commission more companies that would help develop the city.

“Every year, my administration will continue to do more things that will give Onitsha the pride of place as one of the biggest commercial cities in the country. Onitsha is very important to this state, South East and Nigeria in general, and so we

will continue to develop it,” he said.

In his own remarks, Deputy Speaker of House of Representatives, Chief Emeka Ihedioha said that the decision of the federal government to honour Dr. Azikiwe, the Owelle of Onitsha by completing his abandoned final resting place was a step in the right direction.

“We in the National Assembly will give President Jonathan all the needed support to ensure that the project is completed and on time for that matter, and we shall also ensure that whatever that is due to Ndigbo is given to them as and when due.”

Dr. Ogbolu, while also urging the federal government to quickly complete the project said “Nigerians have been looking up to President Jonathan to correct some of these mistakes of his predecessors, and one of them was the abandonment of the project for over 10 years after its foundation was laid.”

On the Anambra North Senatorial Zone agitation to produce the next governor of the state, he said: “If the people of the state want to be fair to the zone, they should allow the next governor of the state to come from Anambra North.

“I am not bothered about who becomes the governor from the zone. What I am interested in is that the zone be allowed to produce the next governor of the state because it is our turn,” he said.

Some of the notable activities at this year’s ofala included the commissioning of a block of classrooms built by Globacom at the Metropolitan Secondary School, Onitsha, by Governor Peter Obi. Other activities included a youth carnival, a royal banquet sponsored

by Globacom in honour of the royal father and a novelty football match.

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

DAILY SUN

17

NewsPlus

ABOMINATION

Dad rapes 12-year-old daughter •‘He threatened to kill me if I shouted’ •I’m not guilty, dad pleads From BAMIGBOLA GBOLA- Sunday, September 16, 2012, when her father knocked at her GUNTE, Osogbo door and asked her to open the n Ikirun, Osun State- door. She obliged, since she had based man, Mr. Tajudeen no premonition that her father had Atowoatomo, 35, is cur- some wicked motive.

“After I was asked to open the rently in trouble. He’s being prosecuted for allegedly having door, I felt he wanted to talk to me carnal knowledge of his 12- like a real father would do. I year-old daughter on thought he had some vital information for me which he wanted to September 16, this year.

For the little girl, Sukurat tell me in the middle of the night.

Atowoatomo (not real name), life I never knew the event of that day is full of challenges. Two years would cause another horrible ago, she was brutally deflowered experience in my life.

“Immediately he entered the by a criminal and last month, her biological father allegedly raped room, he asked me to sit down and he sat with me on the mattress her, according to the girl.

Sukurat, a product of a broken which was put on the ground. marriage, until the incident, lived After that he moved closer to me with her father at Eesa and held me by the neck. He Compound, behind Palace Square threatened to kill me if I should in Ikirun, headquarters of continue to shout. At the end of Ifelodun Local Government Area the day, he had his way. He forced me and there was nothing I could of Osun State.

She grew up to know only her do again other than to make noise. father and paternal grandmother It was my noise that woke our since her mother had been sepa- neighbours who helped me report rated from Atowoatomo when she the matter to the police.

“The matter was reported at the was a baby. As soon as her mother left, Sukurat was handed over Iyaganku Divisional Police to the grandmother, who lives in Station, along Old Osogbo Road, Ikirun. And from there, my father the same house with them.

She could not complete her pri- was charged to court. I have been mary school education because of living alone since the incident financial constraints, dropping happened and there is no one to out when her grandmother could help or assist me. I want justice to no longer sponsor her education. be done on this matter for me not Her father reportedly abandoned to suffer in vain. My father should her. The turn of events led her into be punished to serve as lesson for him,” Sukurat said. street hawking.

When Atowoatomo was Sukurat confessed that she was before Magistrate defiled two years ago when she brought was 10 years old by a thug while Adewumi Makanjuola on Friday, hawking along a lonely route in September 21, at the Osogbo Ikirun. According to her, she lost Magistrate Court, the prosecuting her virginity on the fateful day but police officer, Mr. Elisha refused to tell anybody when she Olusegun, accused him of forcereturned home so that she would not be stigmatized. That was before her father reportedly raped her inside her bedroom.

The facts about her sexual status emerged during cross examination at the court in Osun State.

She told the court that she was deflowered two years ago by a thug that accosted her while hawking. She said, in an emotionladen voice, that she fed and clothed herself with the proceeds from hawking.

Sukurat confessed that the most unfortunate part of her ordeals happened at about 1:00am on

A

fully defiling his biological daughter, knowing full well that she was his biological child and thereby committed an offence punishable under the laws of Osun State.

The prosecutor informed the court that the accused had through his action committed an offence contrary to and punishable under section 218 of the Criminal code, cap 34, vol 11, Laws of Osun state 2003.

The accused pleaded not guilty to the one-count charge preferred against him and urged the court to temper justice with mercy. His counsel, Mrs. Nnnena Agwu, also urged the court to grant the accused bail in the most liberal term, arguing that the accused should be presumed innocent until the contrary was proved. She assured the court that the accused would not jump bail.

The magistrate, Makanjuola granted the accused bail in the sum of N500,000 with two sureties in like sum and thereafter transferred the case to the Magistrate Court, Ikirun for lack of jurisdiction.

Atowoatomo was said to be a conductor to a driver but later left the job to become a bus stop tout.

His usual stand was said to be at the Eko-Ede Junction in Ikirun, his hometown. He had made a name for himself in his new job so much that he’s well known to many drivers plying the busy road that leads to Kwara State.

According to reliable sources at Atowoatomo family compound in Ikirun, he had abandoned the house for long due to the nature of his new job. He usually returned home very late and members of

•The victim the vigilance group in the area had reported him to the family head many times. The reporter learnt that it was the warning from the family head that made Atowoatomo stay off the house.

Sometimes in August this year,

“After I was asked to open the door, I felt he wanted to talk to me like a real father would do. I thought he had some vital information for me, which he wanted to tell me in the middle of the night. I never knew the event of that day would cause another horrible experience in my life.”

he reportedly returned home with some suspicious-looking friends.

Sources within the family said his character was not encouraging to the people of the community who were not pleased with the kind of company he kept. They were also said to be worried about the kind of people he moved with. He had even been warned by the residents against attracting any unfortunate incident to the area, it was learnt.

Atowoatomo, it was learnt, had been arrested by the police on two occasions for different offences.

In each of the occasions, his friends were responsible for his bail.

The young man, it was also gathered, had been married to two wives, but none of them was living with him.

The question many are asking in Ikirun now is, what becomes of this girl’s future?

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DAILY SUN Tuesday October 16, 2012

The 2013 budget P resident Goodluck Jonathan on Wednesday unveiled a N4.93 trillion budget to the National Assembly for the 2013 fiscal year.

The estimate is 5 percent higher than the N4.84 trillion appropriated for the current (2012) financial year. The 2013 budget is tagged, “Fiscal Consolidation”. According to the President, the budget is anchored on oil production benchmark of 2.53 million barrel per day. This is just a slight increase over the 2012 oil production benchmark of 2.48 million bpd. The proposed estimate is predicated on $75 per barrel of crude oil. This is $5 less than what was earlier proposed by the House of Representatives. However, the decision to stick to the benchmark of $75 per barrel is reportedly due to the unpredictability of global oil prices.

The budget also projects a deficit of N1.03 trillion. In addition, the estimate is predicated on a 6.5 percent Gross Domestic Product (GDP). This is the rate at which the economy is expected to grow in 2013. All of this translates into a total federal collectible revenue of N10.84 trillion for next year. Of this amount, the total revenue projection for the Federal Government is N3.89 trillion.

This represents an increase of 9 percent over the 2012 budget.

According to the President, the 2013 budget contains a debt management strategy aimed at paying part of the nation’s hefty domestic debt which currently stands at N5.62 trillion. This, he said, is an innovation in the Federal budget.

Previous budgets merely roll over the domestic debt stock. The president points out that his administration will exercise fiscal prudence and limit its borrowing pattern in compliance with the Fiscal Responsibility Act, 2007.

The 2013 budget also makes a provision of N380.02 billion for statutory transfers. A breakdown of the budget gives N2.41 trillion as recurrent expenditure and N1.54 trillion for capital expenditure. On sectoral allocation, Education got the lion’s share with a vote of N426.53 billion, followed by Defence, N349.9 billion; Police, N319.65 billion and Health, N279.23 billion.

Other sectoral allocations include Works N183.5 billion, Agriculture and Rural Development

N81.4 billion and Power, N74.2 billion, respectively.

Altogether, the proposed budget is not remarkably different from the 2012 budget. The crucial question is: Will the 2013 budget produce any result different from that of 2012? Perhaps too early to say. But effective implementation of the budget will make a difference. Despite the optimism expressed by the President, public expectation is that full implementation of the budget is key to actualizing the targets contained in it.

Promises are empty if they are not met.

Government should look into the factors that led to the poor implementation of the 2012 budget, which resulted in the face-off between the National Assembly and the Presidency and the threats of impeachment of the President by the House of Representatives and address them.

From hindsight, government has always treated budgets as mere rituals with little seriousness and sincerity of purpose to ensure that the objectives contained in the budget are a c h i e v e d .

Government, therefore, should be reminded that Nigerians have waited for too long for a realistic budget that can address their needs and the overall growth of the economy. Indeed, any budget that fails to deliver on its promise is deceptive and worthless. Public expectation is that the 2013 budget will spare us another agony of failed promises. The National Assembly should not rubber-stamp the budget. We urge the lawmakers to sift through the details of the document. They should also, while debating the budget, see themselves as protecting the lives and needs of Nigerians. They should look beyond the figures.

Nigerians expect genuine, non-partisan contributions from them. The general consensus is that the budget as presented by the president, is long on revenue projections but short on details. It is time we begin to treat the budget as a realistic plan of action that people can see and believe in.

There is need to put in place necessary mechanism that will ensure close monitoring and full implementation of the budget. Over all, we advise members of the National Assembly to critically examine the budget before passing it. They should not fail in this national assignment.

COMMENT

Send your short and crisp letters to: letters@sunnewsonline. com.

LETTER 2015: Why South-South wants Jonathan IF you look at the PDP constitution, zoning is there. It allows for eight years to the south and eight years to the north and it was a good thing put there by the PDP to allow uniformity. It was a very pathetic situation that the late Yar‘Adua died and it is only God that controls life. He gives and takes. Now, Jonathan as president of Nigeria , holds that position in trust for all of us in the South-South and Nigeria and for children yet unborn from the South-South. We started and completed eight years in the South-West and even in the face of the non-performance of Obasanjo, he wanted a third term.

Now, our compatriots in the north are arguing that it should return to the north and when they argue, it is understandable. But look at the scenario: if in 2015 the presidency returns to the north for eight years, it would go back to the south which in this case would be the Southeast, and thereafter, it returns to the north and that would mean another 24 years before it can return to the

South-South.

Considering the above scenario is it better to solve the problem of the south-south in 24 years or to have the four years that is before us now? So, the way I am looking at it now, every reasonable southsouth person and Nigerian should look at the situation we are in now with Jonathan. Even if Jonathan does not want to run, the south-south should be allowed to present another person to complete the eight years so that we will know that we are not asking for it any longer.

For it to drift to the north now it would be 24 years before we would hear it again. It is not our making, it is a force majeure! The truth is that we need to build bridges for the peace of this nation.

Our brothers in the north need to understand because from the first republic it has been the south-south and the north working together. We have been partners. Our people have long known how to build bridges, even in the civil war, the bridges built were what saved this nation. So, it is

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our appeal that our brothers and leaders in other parts of Nigeria , particularly the north, should understand where we are standing.

It is a serious matter because if it is taken from the south-south now we may never get it again because we are disjointed. In the entire south-south, you have the Edos, Urhobos, Itsekiris, Ijaws, Ibibios, Efiks and all sorts. If we are told, go and bring one person we may not have the unity to bring one.

What do you talk about performance? We gave eight years to Obasanjo from the Southwest but did he perform? But you can see electricity is improving and since Jonathan came onboard he has been battling with the problems that he met created by previous administrations.The truth is that it is not incompetence. What you are seeing is that he has been battling with issues of insecurity. Not too long ago, Boko Haram said that if he wants peace, he should become a Muslim, so you can see the level that they are taking it. This young man has not beengiven opportunity or time to sit down and work.

I, nevertheless, agree that some officials around him are not working and should be stripped of the position that they are holding. I think action will have to be done. Of late now, he has started asking appointees to sign performance contracts and that will tell you what is in his mind. Must the president

do the work of a minister or the work of a chairman of a board? He was elected in 2011 and after one year you can see what he is doing. It is just that when people make up their minds about a particular person especially when he is from the minority…Let us see what happens between now and 2013. those of us from the south-south have for example told him that the East-West road must be delivered and the coastal road must be started.

I was happy when some people made a publication in the newspaper saying that the Southwest is marginalised and I looked at it and saw that what they showed for south-south was just president and minister of petroleum, and that is the end. What we are saying is that if he is given time to perform you will see that something is going on. Look at what is going on federal highways.

Look at the Benin-Lagos highway that was virtually impassable can now be covered in five hours.

Look at what is happening in the Benin-Lokoja highway. That job was awarded in 2000 by OBJ, he left and abandoned the job. If the man that had the highest allocation in this country did not do anything in eight years and Nigerians did not raise eyebrows and were even waiting for him to take a third term, they should please listen to us, he will perform.

Emmanuel Aziken, Lagos CMYK

DAILY SUN

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

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2013 Budget: Okupe sets the stage for a rumble I

f words were bullets, Dr. Doyin Okupe, President Jonathan’s aide on Public Affairs would know how to set his ammunition right on target and get his adversaries riling and reeling. Don’t look for his trouble, or else you get a dose of your own medicine. Look beyond his massive, Michelin size. Okupe doesn’t go to battle with his gun half-cocked. If he has an Achilles Heel, it is his tendency to unleash incendiary comments on anyone who takes on President Jonathan. This overzealousness to defend the President at all cost, has taken a more offensive, ‘I will-break-your kneecap’ approach in recent months. Hindsight may have taught him some useful lesson. Over ten years out of the corridors of power, it was not be a surprise that Okupe who was shown the way out of the Presidential Villa by former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

He sometimes work beyond his brief. He is now back ‘smoking’, responding like a bulldog brawler, with so much gusto and impetuosity, to every conceivable unfavourable comment about the President and the Federal Government.

That, perhaps may be part of the amorphous description of his job, a mix of policy and raw politics. The Senate President, David Mark, and Speaker, House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal may have ‘innocently’ incurred Okupe’s wrath and set the stage for a psychological war few minutes before President Jonathan was given the go-ahead to unveil the N4.92 trillion 2013 budget at a joint session of the National Assembly, last Wednesday. What was the matter? The two principal officers – Mark and Tambuwal – had picked holes in the government decision to benchmark the budget on $75 per barrel oil price. The two chambers had wanted a slightly higher benchmark of $80 per barrel. Secondly, Mark and Tambuwal see the lack of full implementation of the budget due to the late release of funds to Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).

Okupe, sees everything wrong with the position of the Senate President and Speaker of the House of Representatives. This much is plain: Both the Presidency and the National Assembly have stirred up resentment of each other for some months now.

The cross of the matter is the budget implementation. Perhaps the saw the opportunity last week to remind the President that a budget does not worth the paper it is written if it is not implemented, or if implemented selectively. As far as Okupe was concerned, the comments of Senator Mark and Rep. Tambuwal were “dictatorial”, “over-authoritative”, and indeed, amounts to grandstanding. According to Okupe, Mark and Tambuwal were filibustering on the budget. This seems like harsh words on these

Tuesday with Dan Onwukwe 08023022170 dan_onwukwe@yahoo.com respected lawmakers of the Federal republic. They have since returned Okupe’s tirade, describing him as “uninformed”, and “overzealous” official of government.

The stage for this impending psychological war seems well set. But when two or three elephants fight, who suffers? This time, the grass represents the 2013 fiscal budget. The passage of that bill could be in danger. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila (ACN) has already hinted the possibility that the budget may not be passed, urging the citizens to brace up for a long- drawn filibuster in which the nation may not, for first time, have an Appropriation Act for next year, in spite of the fact that the President presented the bill three clear months to the end of the year.

This risk is real. Okupe may have dared the legislators, and the citizens may suffer a collateral damage, borne out of a needless war of supremacy.

One thing is clear about the psychological make-up of the present members of the National Assembly.

Even if you accuse them of a tendency to act precipitously, sometimes squaring up in haste for a fight and pursuing seemingly simple issues with zeal and leaving serious matters late in the day, they are less tolerant of any affront from any member of the Executive branch, or more pointedly, any of the president’s men they consider arrogant and disdainful of them. If in doubt, ask the minister of Information, Mr Labaran Maku, who only recently was summoned by the Senate and compelled to tender a sobering apology. This is why, in the words former British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, politics could be as “exciting as war and quite as dangerous”. But the danger such gridlock portends supercedes the excitement it could bring.

But whether the comments made by Mark and Tambuwal ran against every grain of democratic spirit (and I don’t think so), or whether the counterpunch delivered by Okupe was below the belt and has created a fire storm on the 2013 budget, this could be a distraction from the benefits and deceptions contained in the budget. We need to remind ourselves that first and foremost, a President’s budget is more than a set of figures. It is an outline

of his philosophy of government. It is like a window through which everybody can glean how the president thinks about them. The real issue is whether the budget actually addressed their concerns. Beyond that, how does the budget address the expansion of the economy. This is where the more discerning citizens and investors take an impassioned interest in the nitty-gritty of the budget. Government may claim that the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is growing at 6.5 percent, or that debts are been repaid, and the rate of inflation and unemployment is going down. It only makes meaning if the outcome is the nuts-and-bolts that people can see and feel. The truth in budgetary matters is that everything is there because someone or interest group likes it.

It is therefore not unkind to say that in his first budget as the substantive elected President last year, Jonathan is yet to see budget as a veritable tool to address serious issues and look the future in the eye. Talk is cheap. So a budget can be vacuous, no matter the fanciful tag it is dressed with, if funds are not released in time for the implementation of the targets. We are all witnesses to what happened in the 2012 Appropriation Act, for which the National Assembly is still angry with the President. Indeed, despite the fact that the 2012 Appropriation Act was passed by NASS since March 15, available records show that implementation was less than 20 percent even though the coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance, Dr. OkonjoIweala admitted at the heat of the face-off between the Presidency and the NASS that implementation was about 41 percent. She blamed the MDAs for the slow rate of implementation. You can see the point Mark and Tambuwal were making, and for which Okupe was hauling missiles at them. Their concern is grounded on the constitution. However, it makes sense to respect the parameter upon which the government has decided to base the budget estimate. Whatever may be the reason the two chambers may have for advising government to anchor the budget on a projected $80 per barrel cannot be superior to the reasons given by both the Finance Minister and Governor of the Central Bank, Mr.

Lamido Sanusi. The fact remains that the oil industry and prices in the international market hold relatively few surprises for any economy planners. In this market, things change, of course, sometimes, dramatically, but in relatively predictable ways.

Therefore, it behooves budget planners to realize that global supply will often rise and fall in almost equal measure as geopolitical forces play out. The immediate outcome is that demand will also rise and fall with incomes, GDPs, weather conditions as we have seen in the floods that have ravaged many states. Floods have also wrecked havoc in other countries. All these factors are outside many countries’ control. It makes sense that utmost care is taken in recognizing these extenuating factors and factor them in the benchmark to be used in arriving at the budget figure. Sadly, in our own, everybody is an economist. It’s like football in Brazil where everyone acts like a coach for the national team.

But who gets the boot when the team loses a crucial match? The coach. In this case, the President is the coach, the buck stops at his table.

But, of course, the Finance Minister will take the rap as well. In practical terms, it is the expectation of Nigerians that the 2013 budget will not suffer the fate of the 2012 fiscal estimate. That should be a matter of great concern to the President. He should not wait to be prodded by the National Assembly to do what is necessary – full implementation of the budget, or at worst, a reasonable percentage of implementation. Already, the legislators from the North- East are threatening that the budget will receive resistance, something one of them described as, deadlier than Boko Haram. That will be unfortunate.

Mail Box Re: still on Anambra oil well furore Dan, Enugu and Kogi states are not claiming ownership of Orient Petroleum. They are only saying that part of the oilfield is located in their states.

Chief Emeka Anyaoku admits that this may be true. So what is the palaver? If your neigbbour’s building encroaches into part of your land, will you forfeit that part just because you did not help him draw the house plan? Or because you have been sleeping, (and) not yet awake to build? Of course, you assert your ownership. That’s how I see what Enugu and Kogi are saying.

Dr. Chudi Nwike Former Dep. Gov. Anamber (1992/93).

* You can reach me on twitter@ebukadan

Nigerian dream: A call for transformation

BY BAMIDELE GBENGA SAMUEL hen J.T Adams in 1931, coined the word “The American Dream” after several years of America living in that light. It was simply an affirmation of what the founding fathers of America lived for. What is this dream? The American Dream is a national ethos of the United States; a set of ideals in which freedom includes the opportunity for prosperity and success, and an upward social mobility achieved through hard work, and a better and richer and fuller life for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement” regardless of social class or circumstances of birth. The idea of the American Dream is rooted in the United States Declaration of Independence which proclaims that “all men are created equal” and that they are “endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable Rights” including “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

Long before it came to limelight, it was just a dream and dreams don’t just happen. It will be either you work it, fight for it or even at times die to see that dream come true. Little did Martin Luther King know that the dream he has is what will take his life but today, part of his dream is now a reality after several years of his demise and today a black man is the president of America.

In part, America has evolved in so many ways, and this dream has become a show of support and encouragement to other country to follow. Little wonder we crave for the visa lottery, to have a glimpse of this dream, that promise better life, good hope, happy ending and right to be who you want to be. This freedom, yes has both the positives and the negatives but I believe the positives far outweigh the negatives.

Nigeria is 52 years old and I asked my self several questions. Do how founding fathers has a dream for us? If yes, what are those dreams?

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Are we really living to achieve that dream? If no is it to late for us to seriously carve a nitch of the kind of dream we want our generations yet unborn to have. I did use america as an example because those dreams are consciously the works of American, black and white alike.

Nigeria, a land with beauty and grandeur, rich in culture and endowed by nature with diverse religions and beliefs. From the desert plain of Yobe to the valley of Cross River, from the mountainous region of the plateau to the riverine areas of Niger delta, from the groundnut pyramid region of the north to the cocoa blessed region of the south, our country is blessed. But are we living this dream today?

Instead we are busy discussing the “Nigeria project” that spells division, discrimination, disaccord, disunion, disparity, disaffiliation, disagreement, disaffection, disadvantage, and disapprobation.

This Nigerian Dream led to the fight for independence in 1960 by men and women who understood the dream for a better Nigeria.

History will have us know that this dream included the opportunity for children to grow up and receive good education and career without artificial barriers, opportunity to make individual choices without the prior restrictions that limited people according to their class, caste, religion or ethnicity. But over the years, from north to south, east to west, the dream of a ‘better Nigeria’ has changed and the ancient landmark ignored.

As it has become, a dream too difficult for the upper-class Nigerian to interpret adequately and so many of us ourselves have grown weary and mistrustful of it. Every now and then, vocal Nigerian Elites emerge one after another with the bid to preserve the dream but what ensues are self-centered actions taken to better a few.

Many interpret the dream to suit ‘SELF’. They amass a fortune, hold on to names and positions and trample upon the majority poor. What has become the limited few who cannot afford three square meal yet we have some privilege few who loot the treasury of this country in billions and trillions; we celebrate thieves and call them heros; we celebrate corruption at the

expense of, truth, justice and morality; we celebrate ethnicity at the expense of unity; we celebrate men of dishonor in place of brave Nigerians that has done wonderfully well for this country. At 52, we celebrated vanity.

Although, being a country blighted by the civil war, yet still strong enough to gather its fragile fragments and move on as though unscathed little to celebrate. The dream for a better Nigeria was not borne out of a mere material plenty, natural resources, technological know-how, etc. it indeed was more. It was a dream of being able to grow to fullest development as men and women, unhindered by the barriers which had slowly been erected in the older civilizations, unrepressed by social orders which had developed for the benefit of classes rather than the simple human being of any/every class.

Rhetorically, we often ask; Where is the place of fidelity and merit? When shall the rich stand on the same footing as the poor? When shall we attain that social order in which man and woman shall attain the fullest stature of which they are innately capable, and be recognized by others for what they are, regardless of the fortuitous circumstances of birth or position? When will the gap between the rich and the poor close up? When can our children freely travel from the north to the south without the fear of harassment or the danger of been killed by what he or she believes in? When shall we have leaders who are there to build the Nigerian dream and not the Nigerian project?

When do we move from a third world country to 2nd world or even 1st world? When will we grow from the abyss of hatred of religion, ethnicity and social class to foster unity in diversity? When can we stand to say yes am a proud Nigeria with our international passport giving us credit and not a label criminalityor dishonest person(s).

Are we still living and walking in that dream or has it turn to nightmare trailing us as we go?

For a wise man once said “ for that which I

greatly fear has come upon me”. Our worst fears….injustice, hunger and nakedness, hatred, bribery and corruption, selfishness, terrorism and the likes over-shadow the dream for a better Nigeria.

As I scribble down every word on this paper, hope springs up in my heart as I ponder on the words of Martin Luther King, Jr in his ‘letter from a Birmingham jail’ (1963), which says…. (paraphrased) “we will win our freedom because the sacred heritage of our nation and the eternal Will of God are embodied in our echoing demands – freedom to live and worship our Creator, work and earn a living, dine with our neighbours without fear of killing, move around in a nation that is void of crime, enjoy the peace and tranquility that comes as benefit of having a natural homeland called NIGERIA – thereby bringing our nation back to those great wells of democracy which were dug deep by our founding fathers in their formulation of the Constitution and the declaration of Independence”.

Let us not always forget it is time to “Arise O Compatriots” and wake to the blazing voice saying “Nigeria’s call obey”, the voice glaring declaring it position that we are “To serve our fatherland”, irrespective of our creed, religion, language and ethnicity “With love and strength and faith”, this voice appealing to us not to allow “The labour of our heroes past” never and never “Shall never be in vain”. This clarion call inspires us “To serve with heart and might” as “One nation bound in freedom” where “Peace and unity” reign forever.

It high time we chart the Nigerian dream and not the Nigerian project, it’s time to build Nigeria and not burst it, it is time to transform Nigerian and not transfer Nigeria, it is time we live Nigeria and not leave it, it is time to think Nigeria and not sink it, it is time we wake up from our slumber and make the Nigerian Dream come to reality. It is time we take one giant step for ourselves and one great giant step for Nigeria.

Samuel writes via gleegbenga@yahoo.com CMYK

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DAILY SUN Tuesday October 16, 2012

Managing the floods (2)

BY INUWA KUTA MUSA he conventional strategy across the world is that rivers prone to floods are often carefully managed using mainly structural approach such as levees, bunds, reservoirs, and weirs to prevent rivers from bursting their banks. When these flood defence structures fail, emergency measures are instituted such as sandbagging or portable inflatable tubes are used. Coastal floods have been addressed with coastal defences, such as sea walls, beach nourishment, and barrier islands. These are essentially ad-hoc approach, and experiences have shown that they are deficient to adequately mitigate floods. The most recent example of failure of such mono-disciplinary approach was in the New Orleans flood in United States of America that relied solely on levees and flood gates for protection. This system failed catastrophically, during Hurricane Katrina. Global experience has also revealed that there can be no such thing as absolute control of flooding. It is simply not technically feasible and it is also economically and environmentally unviable.

Frequently, the structural measures tend to generally disturb the ecological balance and consequently, rather than mitigating flood risks they have tended to only shift them. A balanced and well sequencing of a mix of “soft” (institutional and capacity building) and “hard” (infrastructure) response; land and water resources management; ecosystem preservation and development needs; and short and long-term measures are what is required. Flood management policy therefore require paradigm shift from the myth of “absolute safety from flooding” as we continue to hear from our politicians towards a more pragmatic, flexible and adaptive approach of “living with flood risk”. Such that the benefits of the smaller and frequent floods, the value of flood plains and flood protection measures and such residual risks as levee failure are recognized.

Since 1970s, the concept of Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) has been accepted to be the key to achieving

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water security and sustainability. This requires that we integrate flood risks in the development strategies by way of Integrated Flood Management (IFM) within the overall framework of IWRM. The defining characteristic of IFM is integration, expressed simultaneously in different forms: an appropriate mix of strategies, carefully selected points of interventions, and appropriate types of interventions (structural or non-structural, short- or long-term) that addresses the following six key elements: manage the water cycle as a whole; integrate land and water management; manage risk and uncertainty; adopt a best mix of strategies; ensure a participatory approach; and adopt integrated hazard management approaches. Let me briefly elaborate on each of these.

Manage the water cycle as a whole (taking into account – small, medium and extreme floods) such that include drought management, as well as treat groundwater and surface water as linked resources, and consider the role of floodplain retention capacities for groundwater recharge and clearly identify areas to be sacrificed for flood storage in order to protect critical areas in an extreme flood events. Urban flood management needs to deal with drinking water supply; sewage and wastewater disposal; and surface runoff disposal as well as manage both stormwater quantity and its effect on water quality.

Integrate land and water management, as both have impacts on flood magnitudes and flood risks. Environmental degradation and uncontrolled urban development in high-risk zones, often lead to increased vulnerability to catastrophic events for those communities on the floodplains. Changing hitherto pervious natural surfaces to less pervious or impervious artificial surfaces; are increasing storm water runoff rates. Similarly, recent deforestation and conversion of fadamas into other land form have drastically change the characteristics of flood and the associated water quality and sediment transport characteristics causing an accentuation of flood peaks and their early occurrence in downstream reaches. The mapping of flood hazards and risks would enable the sharing of information between land-use planning and water management authorities. In particular, the 3 main

elements of river basin management – water quantity and quality, as well as the processes of erosion and deposition – are inherently linked and hence the need for river basins as basis for IFM. Manage risk and uncertainty, by designing flood risk policy in the context of other prevailing risks to individuals, households and communities, in particular, the risks associated with poverty as well as the related hydrological, social, economic and political uncertainties.

Risk management approach will provide measures for preventing a flood hazard from becoming a disaster. This includes the efforts to reduce the residual risks through such measures as flood-sensitive land-use and spatial planning, early warning systems, evacuation plans, the preparations for disaster relief and flood proofing and, as a last resort, insurance and other risk sharing mechanisms.

Adopt a best mix of strategies, both structural and non-structural.

The climate, the basin characteristics and the socioeconomic conditions are the linked factors that determine which strategy or combination of strategies is likely to be appropriate in a particular river basin. They determine the nature of and the consequences of those floods.

We must however guard against the temptation especially after extreme flood events, to adopt only long-term interventions. The success of IFM plan in the long run depends on the stakeholders, especially those who are directly affected by the floods, getting an immediate reassurance of safety through short and medium-term measures.

It is also important to make use of the strengths of both “bottomup” and “top-down” approaches in determining the appropriate mix.

Women, who are usually the primary providers of child and health care, and so commonly experience a disproportionate share of the burdens of recovering from floods as well as the vulnerable sections of society, must also participate.

Concluded Musa writes from Lagos

Creating new Abia BY: UGOCHUKWU FAVOUR-MAYOR

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s long as Abia State is been positively branded, it is a new chapter for the people.

Already, the State had in the past developed wrong impression as a place where fake products are been made, both imitation of other company’s product. But, what some people don’t know about Abia is that it has the necessary prerequisites for effective economic development. It is a state blessed with abundant resources, both physical and human. All that remains is for investors to come to the state and harness these resources, even with the industrial layouts that have been established in the two major towns, Aba and Umuahia.

The local governments have also zoned areas for commercial and industrial purposes. The industrial areas have been provided with the necessary infrastructure such as good roads, power supply, water supply and communication facilities. Abia State is also endowed with manpower resources. With the last population figure of 1,976,805 people, both skilled, semi-skilled and un- skilled labour are available for industrial development. In addition, the workforce is peaceful and industrious and interested in partnership with investors.

With the establishment of banks and other financial institutions all over the State, credit for industrial development can be assured. The question is no longer if the state government is willing to go into

partnership with prospective investors, as every good government has the interest of the people at heart. But what seem to be far from the state is its strength in awareness, which mostly rallies around branding. The fact that people harbour the fear that Abia is the home of kidnappers, criminals and counterfeit manufacturers would forever scare investors from partnering with the government and people of the state.

Abians are very intelligent, hardworking, industrious, resourceful people Abia as a state has done a lot for the global community especially for Nigeria and Africa at large, which the government must bring to the consciousness of Nigerians and the international community. The Abia State government should know that other state governments have realized the fact that the world has become a global village where competition among nations has reached a new level of sophistication. In other states, branding has become more relevant than ever. Other States are beginning to employ branding and marketing techniques to sell their regions and zones to the rest of the world, in order to increase their international profile, attract foreign direct investments and create desirable destinations for tourism and trade.

There are many factors that determine the success of any branding efforts of any state, country or geographical location– ease of traveling to and from the destination, interesting tourist sites, infrastructure, economic power and many others. To put

succinctly, the goal of every nation or place branding effort is to attract investment, attention as well as create a favourable reputation for the brand. In order for a state or city to be a good brand, it must possess defining and distinctive characteristics that can be readily identified. These include appearance, people’s experience of the city, people’s belief in the city, what the city stands for and the kind of people that populate the city.

One thing that brings the former Imo state governor, Ikedi Ohakim to the minds of some people today is that of his “New Face of Imo,” a re-branding initiative of the state government to ensure a clean break from the state’s ugly past, also been complemented with the “Clean & Green” initiative. If you must know, the brand manager, Prof.

Cona Asinu-Anosike and his team of experts controlled it that it became an African project. Already, the Cona firm that is known for total branding has never failed in discharge of duties, and I think his unique style and professionalism has kept the firm going; even with his branding activities in some of the South East states which is worth recommending.

For many who never understood the ex-governor’s vision saw it that Ohakim built projects on the internet that were not on ground. But the case study was to project the State into being the dream land where investors could come down and invest into.

As we all know, a cleaner environment attract investors. Ohakim on his own aimed at re-branding

and redefining Imo that has nothing to write home about in the past. Consequently, I would admit that the projection the state received during the administrative era of Ohakim, made it a public discourse during the last general election.

Meanwhile, the case of branding or image making of a State like Abia should be anchored on attitudinal change, re-orientation, revival of the State’s beautiful old cultural values and instilling a renewed spirit of patriotism and hope in all citizens.

The people have to believe in themselves so that they can define who they are, and also tell their stories by themselves. Like Aba in Abia, for too long now, the people residing there have allowed outsiders to define them the way they want. The Abia State government should do whatever they can to project Aba positively and responsibly. With the new step the governor has taken now on branding, I think it will emphasize on the strong points and de-emphasize on the people’s weak points.

However, nation or state branding is not destination branding or marketing initiatives; it’s not image makeover, nor an advertising campaign or a marketing strategy; and it’s most emphatically not just a logo. Rather, all of these things are part and parcel of the totality of the nation brand; but they aren’t in themselves constitutive. In simple terms, your brand is what they say about you when you’re not in the room, just like the “Clean & Green” initiative.

Favour-Mayor writes from Owerri

Sorry state of Osun cocoa industry, Ede T

BY OLUMIDE LAWAL

his promising major foreign exchange earner for the economy of Osun State is not meeting the yearnings and aspirations of its founding fathers. The present state of operation in the company is not encouraging. Several avoidable factors were responsible for the situation, as the industry was a child of circumstance. From the onset, one squabble or other reared its ugly head. The first expatriate Managing Director of the company, Mr. K. W. Sheldon tried his best to put it on sound footings but he lost out in a dirty board-room politics in a dramatic manner. The government-owner of the company thereafter felt concerned about happenings in the company and decided in 1990 to lease it out.

This brought about a ‘marriage of strange bed partners’. And the resultant effect saw another round of squabbles. The two principal leases of the factory at the time, i.e. Worldwide Industrial Ventures Limited and Dalami (Nig.) Limited, got involved in allegations and counter-allegations, which resulted in legal action, that saw two legal luminaries – late Chief Fredrick Rotimi Alade Williams (Timi the Law, SAN) and Chief Afe BAbalola (SAN) slugging it out at an Osogbo High Court. This went on for a period before sanity prevailed, as the administration of Alhaji Isiaka Adeleke, the 1st executive governor of Osun State took the bull by the horns by giving the final nod to Worldwide Industrial Venture Limited to effectively run the affairs of the company. Dalami (Nig.)

Limited again went to court to contest its termination and this went on for years before it was resolved by Oyinlola government.

R. P. Singh and his managers at Worldwide Industrial Venture Limited may not readily concede to the fact, that they possessed the proverbial magic wands. But that exactly appeared to be what they employed in breathing a new lease of life to the hitherto troubled Cocoa Products Industry Ede, following an agreement it struck with the government of Osun State. It started operation fully on February 1, 1992 after a protracted play against concerted forces of fate.

At the time Worldwide Ventures Limited took over, production capacity was at 5 percent level.

But it raised the production capacity to 60 percent, by injecting substantial funds into importation of spare – parts as well as locally sourced ones from the Nigeria Machine Tool Limited Osogbo and Nigeria Sugar Company Foundries, Bacita. The FFA contents of cocoa cake and butter under Worldwide Ventures Limited hovered between 1.40 and 1.55 as against 2.24 before it took over.

Globally acceptable FFA standard for cocoa butter is 1.50.

Most unfortunately, the unexpected happened in 1995, when the leasehold agreement of Worldwide Ventures Limited with Osun State Government was crudely, illegally and arrogantly terminated by some over-zealous officials of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, acting on the instruction of the then military administrator, Anthony Udofia.

And Worldwide Ventures Limited was thrown out of Cocoa Product Industry premises in a jungle

manner. It was like scaring away foreign investors.

What followed could be better imagined than described. There and then began the unending and protracted problem of the industry till today.

Osun State government’s only industry, which infact is a goldmine, if properly managed, is the Cocoa Product Industry, Ede. It is a veritable source of foreign exchange earnings for the state. It is capable of generating the much needed internal revenue for the state at this crucial moment of its development. Moreso, with the bad state of infrastructure in major towns of the state.

But then, it is left for the state government and the State House of Assembly, to take decisive measure, by telling Osun indigenes, what a Chinese promoter - QUIAN CHUAN Living Spring Cocoa Investment Company Limited, is doing in the factory site for upward of more than three years now. They were brought in by the administration of former governor Oyinlola. And since they took physical possession of the company, nobody has deem it fit to explain to the members of the public on what terms the Chinese people are set to run the Cocoa Industry. So many things are shrouded in secrecy. We need to know.

Is the 40% equity share participation, that the government is alleged to be insisting upon from the company, the factor delaying the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)? As it is, Osun State government will be asking for too much, if after the QUIAN CHUAN Investment Company has thrown so much money into the rehabilitation of the factory, Osun government wants 40% equity share in the company?

Is this not another subtle attempt to scare away foreign investors? Much as I am not holding brief for anybody, it is only fair to let the Chinese investors, commence operation without let or hindrance or any encumbrances placed on their way.

There should be no bad blood, as regards who brought them into the scene. What we need in Osun State is accelerated industrial development.

We just need to be briefed on how much the Chinese investors paid to Osun State government through the administration of former governor Oyinlola before it was given the nod to come in.

The Cocoa Product Industry erstwhile managers and workers, who have been on forced holiday for more than seven years, are men of proven integrity, who should be given the right of a recall and take the company to greater heights. The present situation was not the dream of the founding fathers of the industry. If Cooperative Cocoa Industry Akure, which is just a quarter of the size of Ede Industry could produce uninterruptedly for so many years. Nothing stops the Ede gigantic complex from being a leader in the sector. Ile-Oluji Cocoa Industry is waxing stronger.

Kudos should go to His Highness, late Oba Tijani Oladokun Oyewusi, the Time of Ede, and the Federal Council of Ede Descendants’ Union and other concerned Osun indigenes, for their untiring efforts in getting solutions to the ailing industry. Their effort should be complemented by the State House of Assembly Committee on Commerce and Industry.

Lawal writes from Ede, Osun State.

DAILY SUN Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Memories

Philip Nwosu 08176449110

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Today in History

Polish bishop is new Pope On this day in October 1978, 1978 Cardinals at the Vatican chose the first non-Italian Pope for more than 400 years.

Catholics around the world have been astonished by the choice of Cardinal Karol Wojtyla, the Archbishop of Krakow.

Few people had suggested him as a possible successor to John Paul I, who died last month after just 33 days in office. He is barely known outside his native Poland.

After two days and eight votes, the result of the final, conclusive vote giving a two-thirds majority plus one to the Polish bishop was signalled with a plume of white smoke above the roof of the Sistine Chapel, in accordance with ancient tradition.

The new Pope, who will be known as John Paul II, is also the youngest this century, at 58 years old.

In the early evening, the new Pope appeared before the crowd of about 200,000 who had gathered in St Peter’s Square.

He stepped on to the central balcony of St Peter’s to a rapturous ovation from the crowd, and gave his first blessing as Pope.

Then, in a speech that was at times emotional, he told how he had been afraid to accept the nomination, but had done so in obedience to Christ.

Speaking in fluent Italian, he put paid to fears that a non-Italian would not be able to communicate effectively, saying, “in speaking your our - language, if I make mistakes, then correct me.”

The crowd roared its approval, and the Pope smiled in response, with a hint of the informality that characterised the style of his predecessor, John Paul I. The appointment brought an ecstatic response from Poland, where as Bishop of Krakow Karol Wojtyla took an uncompromising stand against the Communist regime.

The Sardauna of Sokoto, the Emir of Katsina and members of the High Court of Justice of the Northern Region of Nigeria, Kaduna, Nigeria in 1959.

Chinua Achebe rejects CFR award In protest against President Olusegun Obasanjo’s handling of the nation’s affairs, literary icon, Professor Chinualumogu Achebe, on this day in October 2004, rejected the national honour awarded him by the Federal Government.

“Nigeria’s condition today under your watch is ... too dangerous for silence. I must register my disappointment and protest by declining to accept the high honour awarded me in the 2004 Honours List,” Achebe said in an open letter to Obasanjo, dated October 15, 2004. The action instantly drew applause from Lagos lawyer, Chief Gani Fawehinmi, who said it added a new impetus to the crusade against misgovernance and anti-people pro-

2003

grammes in Nigeria.

Said Fawehinmi: “love that man. I doff my hat for him. I adore him. He has confirmed that he is a true nationalist, a patriot, an outstanding Nigerian, a humanist, a kind man, a masses-oriented intellectual and, above all, a man of God, truth and equity, honour and integrity.” The literary icon had last Thursday been named a recipient of the Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic (CFR) alongside 190 other eminent Nigerians who bagged various national honours awards.

The awards, according to the Minister of Inter-governmental Affairs, Youths Development and Special Duties, Mr. Frank Nweke (Jnr.), who unveiled the Honours List

in Abuja, would be conferred on the recipients on Thursday December 16.

Achebe wrote from his Annandale-onHudson, New York, United States base to inform the President of his rejection of the award.

His rejection of the award is coming on the heels of the four-day nationwide strike called by the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and Civil Society allies to protest the full effect of the downstream sector of the petroleum industry which led to sharp increase in the prices of fuel.

China joins A-bomb club The People’s Republic of China, on this day in October 1964, joined the rank of nations with atomic bomb capability after a successful nuclear test. China is the fifth member of this exclusive club, joining the United States, the Soviet Union, Great Britain and France.

U.S. officials were not terribly surprised by the test; intelligence reports since the 1950s indicated that China was working to develop an atomic bomb, possibly aided by Soviet technicians and scientists. Nevertheless, the successful test did cause concern in the U.S. government. During the early 1960s, China took a particularly radical stance that advocated worldwide revolution against the forces of capitalism, working strenuously to extend its influence in Asia and the new nations of Africa. The test, coming just two months after the Tonkin Gulf Resolution (a congressional resolution giving President Lyndon B. Johnson the power to respond to communist aggression in Vietnam) created a frightening specter of nuclear confrontation and conflict in Southeast Asia.

The test also concerned the Soviet Union; the split between the USSR and communist China over ideological and strategic issues had widened considerably by 1964. The Chinese acquisition of nuclear capabilities only heightened the tensions between the two nations. Indeed, the test might have been a spur to the Soviets to pursue greater efforts to stop the proliferation of nuclear weapons; in 1968, the United States and the Soviet Union signed the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.

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DAILY SUN

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

AMLSN partners Oto-Awori LCDA on healthcare delivery L-R: Mr Okechukwu Owo attending to Oba Ilemobade Aina, during the screening exercise

By BROWN CHIMEZIE

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s part of its Corporate Social Responsibility, the Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists of Nigeria (AMLSN), Ojo-Badagry chapter, in conjunction with Oto-Awori Local Council Development Area, recently organised free diabetic screening for the public and career talks for secondary schools in the area. The event took place at the civic hall of the newly commissioned LCDA secretariat, Oto Ijanikin.

According to Mr Okechukwu Owo, President of the AMLSN, Ojo-Badagry chapter, the objective of the programme was to bring healthcare delivery to people in the rural area. “We realised that majority of our people reside in the rural areas and most of them cannot afford the cost of carrying out tests for their medical challenges. That was why we decided to partner the LCDA so as to conduct free

diabetic screening for the public in the LCDA” Speaking further on the career talk organised for students in secondary schools within the LCDA, Mr. Owo explained that the association realised that for the students to have a sound foundation and choose a profession that would impact positively on their life, it was necessary to guide them through career talks.

To this end, a career talk, entitled Education: the tool for survival, was presented by Mr. Thaddeus Umuna. According

to him, with the high rate of unemployment in the country, it was important for students to be mindful of the choice of subject combination they make at secondary school because it would help determine the profession they pursue later in life.

In his remark, the LCDA vice chairman, Olufemi Musa, who represented the LCDA chairman, Bibire Robert, commended the association for its initiatives at complimenting the LCDA health delivery programme and for organising career enlightenment programme for secondary school students in the area.

Earlier, after going through the diabetic screening exercise at his palace, Oloto of Oto Awori Kingdom, Oba Ilemobade Aina, described the exercise as a humanitarian effort aimed at meeting the health need of people in his domain. He commended the group for embarking on such venture and assuring members of his royal support.

•Worshippers

Harvest of miracles on Chosen crusade ground

By WOLE BALOGUN and lenged, deaf and dumb, blind, VERA WISDOM BASSEY sick and insane, among others went home ‘free’ relieved of t could sound unbelievable their problems. but it is real. That many ailUgochukwu (not real name) ments and disabilities van- whose family claimed had been ished on the crusade ground insane for 14 years, walked galof The Lord’s Chosen lantly to the podium to express Charistmatic Renewal his appreciation to God for takMovement recently in Lagos, ing off madness from him. is no moon light story. Many Obviously excited at what hapof the participants, who pened to him, he simply choincluded the physically chal- rused: ‘I am okay” repeatedly

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FDI, Mantrac hold conference

By JESSICA UGURU

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he Foundation for Development and Environment Initiative (FDI) has held its 4th annual international conference.

The two-day event, which focused on Emerging Urban Africa, Promoting Good Urban Governance for Effective Service Delivery in

Nigeria, was held at the Airport Hotel Ikeja, Lagos, on October 11-12, 2012.

Present at the event were: Representative of Minister of Housing Land and Urban Development, Ms Amal Pepple, Commissioner for Lands and Housing, Lagos State, including some professors from various universities, students and other dignitaries.

The first day of the conference, which was chaired by Prof. S.A Gbadegesin, the Vice Chancellor of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH) while the second day was

chaired by, Prof. Chris O. Ikporukpo, former Vice Chancellor of Niger Delta University. Various topics of interest were discussed on both days.

One of the executive directors of FDI, Professor Michael O. Filani, explained that a communiqué, which would be drafted from the presentations and discussions at the programme, would be published in various press media and sent to relevant government authorities to aid them in delivering good governance to the people.

Meanwhile, Mantrac

Nigeria Limited held its “Gas to Power Seminar” on October 11, 2012 in Lagos.

Edmund Martin-Lawson, Managing Director of Manrac Nigeria Limited, pointed out that Gas Generator Set, Caterpillar, was leading the power generation market with power solutions engineered to deliver unmatched flexibility expendability, reliability and cost effectiveness.

He explained that “to gain access to affordable, reliable power, the solution was a gas to power project that taps the areas abundant natural gas resources,” adding that his company was putting across solutions to their clients by the introduction of this Gas to Power Generator. He further said unlike diesel and fuel, it was much cheaper to use gas.

when Daily Sun asked how he was feeling.

Ugo’s elder sister (names withheld) told the story of his sanity: “He has walked the streets of Lagos and some eastern parts of the country, including market places without clothes.

“We took him to so many places. He was taken to Onitsha for treatment, it is a psychiatric hospital as well as a praying house. We paid N50,000 monthly to get him cured, but no solution came to him.

“His insanity drove the family into poverty because for more than six years, we were paying for his medication N50,000 monthly. Then we took him to the Lord’s Chosen, this year where he received his healing. Today, he’s healthy and sound.Today, he can wash his clothes and do things the ordinary human being do.”

Ugochukwu is just one of the many others, who received their healing at The Lord’s Chosen crusade, tagged ‘God has the Answer.’It held for two consecutive days, October 6 and 7.

Many others gave testimonies to God for receiving healing from blindness, deafness and dumbness, cancer, HIV/Aids and broken marriages among others.

General overseer of the The Lord’s Chosen, Pastor Lazarus Muoka had promised before the crusade’s grand finale on October 7, that God was prepared to answer all prayers that would be made by the participants.

Holistic Health for Nigerians, key to achieving MDGs –Experts

By ONYEKACHI JET

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he National Health Bill (NHB) and the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) have been identified as two- prong strategy to fast-track holistic health for the Nigerian populace and help reverse poor health indices among the citizenry.

Expressing these views during the 35th anniversary and 10th Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Medical Women’s Association of Nigeria (MWAN), Lagos Branch, immediate past Commissioner for Health in Kogi State, Dr. Omede Idris, expressed disappointment that President Jonathan did not assent to the bill.

In his lecture Holistic Health For The Nigerian Populace, the former NMA president, noted that there was still much to be desired in achieving holistic health in a country like Nigeria where about one million children die before their fifth birthday and where 70.8 per cent of the populace, who earn less than one dollar a day, are solely

responsible for their healthcare delivery service.

The expert held that a health insurance that covered only about five per cent of the population and cared only for malaria six years after inception was unacceptable.

In her address, Medical Women’s Association of Nigeria (MWAN), Lagos Branch, Dr. Dumebi Owa, argued that because the wealth of Nigeria lies in the health of Nigerians, opined that if emphasis was not placed on ensuring holistic health of Nigerians, all efforts geared towards the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by the year 2015 would remain a mirage.

She disclosed that MWAN had been partnering with the Lagos State First Lady, Dame Emmanuella Abimbola Fashola, the Lagos State Ministry of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation and NGOs to positively impact on the lives of Lagosians through its public health enlightenment campaigns in the markets and schools on the dangers of hepatitis, especially, hepatitis B.

DAILY SUN Tuesday, October 16, 2012

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DAILY SUN Tuesday, October 16, 2012