Don't waste your oil money, IMF warns FG

...towards a better life for the people VOL. 25: NO. 61745

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N150

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2012

Boko Haram names SUBSIDY SCAM: Buhari, 5 others to Police confront marketers mediate with FG •P.49 with hard evidence •P.7

Don't waste your oil money, IMF warns FG •Says 80% of petrol in Benin smuggled from Nigeria •Nigeria only country that sells crude to traders — Ribadu Report

BY OMOH GABRIEL, BUSINESS EDITOR & EMMA UJAH, ABUJA BUREAU CHIEF

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BUJA—THE Inter national Monetary Fund, IMF, yesterday, cautioned Nigeria against expansionary fiscal policies, given the uncertainty that still pervades the global economic scene just as the Nuhu Ribadu Task Force set up by the Federal Government to review the oil industry has found that the use of crude oil traders was contrary to the global Continues on Page 5

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Signposts of political and economic progress •P.44 Mr & Mrs

WHAT HURRICANE SANDY CAUSED AMERICA—People wait in line for fuel at a Shell

Oil station, yesterday, in Fort Lee, New Jersey. Fuel shortages led to long lines of cars at gasoline stations in many states of America and the country faced a storm bill of tens of billions of dollars as the Superstorm rages. Photo: AFP.

BPE clarifies payment •P. 7 mechanism for GENCOs, DISCOs

DISPUTED OIL WELLS:

Jonathan wades in •P.6

2 — Vanguard, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2012

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4 — Vanguard, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2012

Vanguard, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2012—5

POCKET CARTOON

Don't watse your oil money, IMF warns FG Continues from page 1 best practice and trend wherein national oil companies develop their own trading arms.

IMF’s Senior Resident Representative in Nigeria, Mr. Scott Rogers, who presented the World Economic Outlook, told journalists, in Abuja that Nigeria must take advantage of the current growth to strengthen her fiscal position by saving for the future, as there is no assurance of early global economic recovery.

His words: “The global economic outlook remains uncertain. The global context has continued to witness slowing growth mostly marked in the advanced economies. The US housing prices remain depressed and that nation’s weak economy is impacting negatively on many other countries of the world because the US is an export destination of many countries of the world. The US economy is recovering but the recovery is still weak.

“If the world economy remains weak, it will continue to affect countries of the world especially those with strong ties with the US and the Euro area which could actually go into recession. Export growth in Sub-Sahara Africa has

remained weak due to the weakening economies of the advanced countries”.

Mr. Rogers said that the situation could be worse if by January, American President Barak Obama fails to reach a deal with the Congress to raise the deficit ceiling, as according to him, “that will mean raise in tax rates and cut in government expenditure across board which could further weaken the growth or even throw the economy into recession”.

The Resident Rep urged the Federal Government to come up with policies to save as much funds as possible and avoid undue increase in government spending, to avoid a burst if oil prices crash.

According to him, the Nigerian economy stands the risk of being faced with lower crude oil prices due to weak global economy and that as such a high oil price benchmark, as being proposed by the National Assembly could hurt the economy.

Therefore, the challenges, he said, is for the nation to generate fiscal surplus while oil prices are high and use it to build the nation’s reserves, rather than drawing it down from

LIFEWORDS

BY PASTOR ITUAH

S

UCCESS is no accident. It is hard work, per severance, learning, studying, sacrifice and most of all, love of what you are doing or learning to do. – Pele. You too can succeed.

TAKE HEART

BY ELLA RANDLE

You have it easily in your power to increase the sum total of this world’s happiness now. How? By giving a few words of sincere appreciation to someone who is lonely or discouraged. Perhaps you will forget tomorrow the kind words you say today, but the recipient may cherish them over a lifetime —Dale Carnegie

A

MAN was taking a walk along the beach.

He saw that the morning tide from the ocean brought in hundreds of starfish and when the tide receded, they were left behind and with the morning sun rays, they would die. The tide was fresh and the starfish were alive. The man took a few steps, picked one and threw it into the water. He did that repeatedly. Right behind him there was another person who couldn’t understand what this man was doing. He caught up with him and asked, “What are you doing? There are hundreds of starfish. How many can you help? What difference does it make?” This man did not reply, took two more steps, picked up another one, threw it into the water, and said, “It makes a difference to this one.

the Excess crude Account to be spent. “Stop spending what is meant to be saved. Make the oil price rule effective,” he advised.

Smuggled Nigerian oil accounts for 80 % of Benin consumption On the petroleum sector, the IMF chief disclosed that about 80 per cent of petrol consumed in Benin Republic is smuggled from Nigeria.

He said that the smuggling which has been on for over 20 years has continued to boom due to the incentive of high profit on the sale of the commodity in that country and indeed other neighbouring countries because Nigeria’s petrol price is the lowest in the region.

“80 per cent of PMS consumed in Benin is from Nigeria. Nigeria’s oil price is the lowest in the region. This has been going on for many years and it is not a new phenomenon. It will continue”, he said.

Mr. Rogers said that Nigeria has been paying for petrol in other nations because of the subsidy policy and that for a nation, which is one of the world’s largest oil producers to be importing fuel and having long queues at fuel stations is an aberration.

“As long as your prices are far below prices in other countries around you, you will always have products smuggling. Wouldn’t you like to have efficient refineries? Wouldn’t you like to see the queues go away. The funds spent on petroleum subsidy could be redeployed to other critical sectors.

Wouldn’t you like to have better-funded educational sector? Wouldn’t you like a better health sector? Better transport system? Nigerians have to make a choice. Nigerians have to decide for themselves”, he said.

The Resident Rep said from an analysis of the Nigeria’s oil reserves in comparison with her over 160 million population, the nation’s wealth is not as much as some people think. He therefore urged that the resources from oil which

are depleting assets must be deployed to the expansion of the nation’s economic base.

Nigeria only country that sells crude to traders Meanwhile, the Nuhu Ribadu Task Force in its report said Nigeria is the only major oil producer in the world that sells 100 per cent of its crude to private commodities traders, rather than directly to refineries.

The Task Force in its report said that various submissions to it demonstrated the potential for lost margins to middlemen, manipulation of pricing, sub-optimal returns and market fraud as emanating from this policy and practice.

The Report said: “It was also observed that some traders lifted crude oil although they were not listed on the approved master list of customers, who had a valid contract and were selected through an annual bidding process.

The Task Force research also found that quite a number of traders did not demonstrate renowned expertise in the business of crude oil trading.

“The Task Force found that legislation governing the industry and agreements with third parties are outdated, do not reflect current economic or legal realities; or include ambiguous clauses. Also, there are some provisions within the legislation that could significantly improve government's revenue that the government is yet to take advantage of.

Examples include a provision to ensure that the share of the Government of the Federation in the additional revenue shall be adjusted under the Production Sharing Contracts if the price of crude oil at any time exceeds $20 per barrel; and the requirement for a periodic review of provisions in specified time frames”.

The report said: “The Task Force aided by the Consultants identified a total of N137.572 billion ($946.878 million) due to the Federation from SNEPCO representing the proceeds of gas sales from the Bonga oil field;

according to the NNPC (NAPIMS) Financial Statements for the year ended 31 December 2009. For Liquefied Natural Gas, the price observed at which the feedstock gas is sold to NLNG seems too generous, compared to prices obtainable on the international market. The estimated cumulative of the deficit between value obtainable on the international market and what is currently being obtained from NLNG, over the 10 year period, amounts to approximately US$29 billion”.

According to the report “From the Task Force’s review, NNPC is owed N27billion including current debt, total overdue, disputed debt and total debt outstanding, by the major marketers of petroleum products.

We also found that amounts payable to suppliers of petroleum products, as at 31 December 2011 amounts to approximately US$3.6 billion, of which US$2.7 billion represents amounts outstanding for over 365 days. The Task Force also observed that pipeline product loss has steadily increased over the years. It further said: “From review of the latest available audited financial statements (2009) it was noted that NNPC has sixteen (16) subsidiaries. The financial performance of the Corporation and its subsidiaries in 2009 shows the Group had a deficit of approximately N298billion for the period. Various reviews conducted by the Task Force showed that the NNPC does not receive the required capital to grow its assets or meet operating costs. NNPC has therefore increasingly relied on the FGN for lines of credit, and deduction of oil revenue due to the Federation Account. In our review, the legal basis for this

practice was unclear”.

Signature Bonus: The report said that “The Task Force found that discretionary decision-making in the award of oil blocks can result in revenue losses for Nigeria. Our review also showed that the management of past bid rounds has resulted in lower demand and fewer qualified bidders, uncompleted deals weakened government returns, and lowered development of acreage.

The DPR provided the task force with information indicating that 67 licenses were awarded between 1 January 2005 and 31 December 2011; with an outstanding balance of $566 million unpaid in signature bonuses. For the seven discretionary allocations reviewed, the Task Force found $183million outstanding and due to the nation's treasury. We were however informed that of the total $749m outstanding in signature bonuses, $321m was legally disputed”.

On Concession Rentals The report said “The Task Force found that $2.9million represents outstanding amounts to be collected by the DPR from the various concessionaires. However, we also observed inconsistencies in records provided by DPR in respect of information and schedules regarding the list of concessions”.

Royalties (Crude Oil and Gas): The report said: “The Task Force found that $3.027billion was outstanding from the operators for crude oil royalties as at 31 December 2011 per the DPR's records.

6 — Vanguard, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2012

DISPUTED OIL WELLS:

Jonathan wades in, to meet Amaechi, Dickson

BY BEN AGANDE

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CUSTOMERS FORUM: From left: GMD/CEO, UBA Plc, Mr. Phillips Oduoza; Managing Director, Poly Products Nigeria Plc, Nari Gwalani and Executive Director, UBA Plc, Mr. Rasheed Olaoluwa, during the bank’s Customers Forum, in Lagos.

Clark calls for restructuring of EFCC Wants periodic review of persons conferred with SAN

BY HENRY UMORU

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BUJA—FORMER F e d e r a l Commissioner for Information and Ijaw leader, Chief Edwin Clark, has urged the Federal Government to restructure the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to make it more effective, saying the antigraft agency under the leadership of Mr Ibrahim Lamorde was championing falsehood.

The elder etatesman and a lawyer also called on the Legal Practitioners Ethics and Privilege Committee to as a matter of urgency

commence a periodic review of all those that have been conferred with the revered title of Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN. Addressing newsmen in his Asokoro Abuja residence, yesterday, Clark said: "As someone who has religiously campaigned against corruption and falsehood in Nigeria, I find it unacceptable that the very institution set up to fight these social vices headed by Mr. Ibrahim Lamorde is now championing falsehood. In the light of this, I demand an immediate restructuring of EFCC so as not to make the International community

Gunmen kill Policeman, 4 others in Plateau

BY TAYE OBATERU

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OS — ANOTHER five people, including a policeman were killed early yesterday when gunmen attacked two villages in Riyom Local Government Area of Plateau State.

The attack came just days after four people were gunned down at a drinking joint in neighbouring Barkin Ladi Local Government Area.

The gunmen were said to have laid an ambush for a police patrol team at Jwol opening fire and killing one of them, a corporal identified as Istifanus Samaila in the process.

The gunmen were reported to have retreated into the bush and later moved to Sopp village where they killed four people and injured another person.

The attackers also destroyed farmlands in the villages before escaping from the area following a resistance by some youths from the villages.

Spokesman of Plateau Police Command, Mr. Emmanuel Abuh, confirmed the incident, adding that the injured person was receiving treatment in a hospital in the state capital.

Meanwhile, the state police command said it had recorded success in curtailing criminal activities in the state.

The state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Emmanuel Ayeni, told journalists at a briefing yesterday that many criminal elements had been dislodged while various stolen property including vehicles have been recovered.

view our anti-corruption agencies as ineffective.

On conferment of SAN Chief Clark, who also expressed his disappointment over the conduct of some Senior Advocates of Nigeria, SANs, said: "For sometimes now, some senior members of the Bar and my humble self, have been showing our displeasure at the conducts of some Senior Advocates of Nigeria, particularly the way they slavishly obey their client in bringing frivolous and incompetent applications before our courts simply for personal interest.

"Femi Falana, SAN, this week further raised alarm on the impunity perpetuated by not only the Senior Advocates of Nigeria but leaders of the Nigerian Bar Association. Not too long ago, the profession was embarrassed by the news of two Senior Advocates of Nigeria, Mamien Dodo and Ade Okeya-Inneh for fighting in open court over a brief.

"I will also in the same breath salute the courage of Justice G.O. Kolawole of the Federal High Court, Abuja for his steadfastness and good faith in the dispensation of justice as the failed attempt by EFCC against my person was nothing but a ploy to stifle good conscience, freedom of speech and expression.

"As a lawyer of almost 50 years, I am conscious of the law in our juris Corpus. I appreciate and respect every judicial process to determine every case on its own merit.

‘’I have never and will never wittingly or unwittingly do any act to prejudice any pending suit or bring down the sacred institution of the judiciary. ‘’I am also fully aware of my right and will not hesitate to state it as it is as the truth will continue to flow from me like water and I won’t hesitate to state that any attempt to stop me, the same truth will become a flood.”

BUJA — WORRIED by the dimension of the disagreement between Rivers and Bayelsa states over oil wells, President Goodluck Jonathan may have convened a meeting between representatives of the two states to find an amicable solution to the disputes.

It was gathered that the president was unhappy that some elders in Rivers State were trying to rope him into the dispute with the insinuation that he may have been personally involved in the controversy over disputed oil wells in favour of Bayelsa state.

The meeting which is scheduled for this weekend is aimed at calming frayed nerves and is to be led by the governors of Rivers and Bayelsa states.

It would be recalled that President Jonathan had in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, Tuesday, denied insinuations by the Kalabari National Forum and some monarchs that he was behind the border disputes

between the Rivers and Bay States, with him allegedly behind plans to “cede five Rivers State oil communities to Bayelsa.”.

He described the allegations as irresponsible and most unfortunate, especially coming from people believed to be respectable in the society.

He said contrary to insinuations, the statutory Federal Government agencies alleged to be used by his government to pursue this unholy allegations, do not take orders from the President; they are independent bodies.

Jonathan had said the dispute in question between Rivers and Bayelsa states predated his administration, and had been a matter for consideration by the National Boundary Commission, the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) and other relevant agencies, long before now.

He added that the matter had never at any time been brought before either him or the vice president.

Farouk vs Otedola: We 'll make findings public soon —Reps Say no going back on constitution review

BY OKEY NDIRIBE & EMMAN OVUAKPORIE

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BUJA — THE House of Representatives, yesterday, said it would make public the findings of the Ethics and Privileges Committee on the alleged $620,000 bribe given to Hon. Farouk Lawan by business mogul, Mr Femi Otedola, next week.

Briefing journalists on recent development in the House, Deputy Chairman, House Committee on Media, Hon. Victor Ogene, said”the report on the allegation will be made available next week.”

On why Boniface Emenalo, Clerk of the ad hoc committee on fuel subsidy regime had remained a free man, Ogene said:” That question should be directed at the Clerk of the National Assembly not us. It is strictly a civil service affair and as you are aware, it is a criminal offence, the

Inspector General of Police will soon start its prosecution. “

No going back on constitution review Also, Chairman House Committee on Media, Hon Zakari Mohammed reiterated the position of the House on the Constitution Review, declaring that”there is no going back on the exercise because that is how we can carry along all Nigerians via the 360 constituencies.

“It is rather unfortunate that the Nigeria Bar Association, NBA, made a statement disparaging the whole exercise as unproductive, but for us there is no going back. We swore to protect the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as Sections 4 and 9 of the constitution are explicit on this issue. We cannot support extra constitutional provision via a referendum.

“The statement credited to NBA President, Mr Oke Wali on this issue is rather unfortunate and this people call themselves learned persons. We are not trying to join issues with NBA but the statement is very, very unfortunate."

On the Lawan issue, it would be recalled that “the Ethics and Privileges committee led by Hon Gambo Musa had invited Mr Femi Otedola to provide necessary documentary evidence to prove Lawan’s culpability but refused, claiming that he could only do that in public not in secret.

The position of Otedola invoked the wrath of the committee which decided to go ahead with their findings.

The fuel subsidy report, after it was laid, had indicted two companies owned by Otedola and this led to accusations and counter accusations of alleged bribery.

Vanguard, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2012 — 7

CDS, Service Chiefs sign performance contract agreement

By KINGSLEY OMONOBI

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BUJA — THE Chief of Defence Staff, Admiral Ola Ibrahim, with the Chiefs of Army, Navy and Air Staff, yesterday, signed the ‘Performance Contract Agreement’ as directed by President Goodluck Jonathan, to ensure that ministers and their MDAs, put in maximum performances to meet key performance indicators of government.

Directors of departments in the ministry as well as Commandants of TriService institutions of the military like the National Defence College, Nigerian Defence Academy, Military Pensions Board, Defence Industries Corporation and Directorate of Defence Intelligence also took part in the exercise.

Speaking at the signing ceremony which took place at the Ministry of Defence Headquarters, Minister of State for Defence, Erelu Olusola Obada said: “Mr. President in his quest for sustainable development and to achieve the provisions of the Transformation Agenda

had signed the performance contract agreement with all the ministers.

“According to Mr. President, it was not a punitive measure but a means to ensure that viable performance targets are set and achieved. It will also contribute immensely towards the achievement of Vision 202020.

Disclosing that she signed on behalf of the ministry, the performance contract with the President on August 22, 2012, the minister said: “Consequent upon this, Mr. President directed all ministers to cascade the performance contract agreement to permanent secretaries, heads of agencies and parastatals and directors.”

Erelu Obada explained that “in order for the ministry to understand and sign the performance agreement for the three remaining stages, her ministry through its relevant departments organised a retreat for directors, service chiefs, heads of parastatals and agencies from 13th to 14th September 2012 and 4th October 2012 respectively.”

BPE clarifies payment mechanism for GENCOs, DISCOs

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BUJA — THE Bureau of Public Enterprises, BPE, has clarified that bank guarantees submitted by preferred bidders on the companies they are buying would be returned to them upon the payment of 25 per cent of the purchase price.

An earlier position announced by the bureau, on Monday, was that the bank guarantees would be returned to the preferred bidders only upon the payment of the full purchase price.

However, the agency’s spokesman, Mr. Chukwuma Nwoko, said in statement in Abuja, yesterday, that there was need to make the clarification to align the payment requirements with what were originally contained in the Request for Proposals, RFPs. The statement reads in

full: “The Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) wishes to clarify the payment mechanism by preferred bidders for PHCN successor generation and distribution companies.

“Our earlier press statement on Monday, October 29, 2012 in the wake of the approval of the preferred bidders by the National Council on Privatization (NCP) had informed that the preferred bidder’s bank guarantee submitted to the Bureau by preferred bidders will be returned only after full payment for the companies.

“The correct position as reflected in 'Commercial 6' of the Request for Proposals (RFP) issued to bidders is that upon the payment of the 25 per cent of the purchase price, the preferred bidder’s bank guarantee will be returned to the bidder.”

From left: Mr. Jake Epelle, Founder, The Albino Foundation; Dr. Joseph Wayas, former Senate President and Barr. Ezenwo Nyesom Wike, Minister of State for Education, during the formal presentation of Draft National Policy on Albinism in Nigeria, yesterday at Abuja.

Constitution review: NBA’s U-turn shocking —Senate Says delay in sending Belgore’s Report 'll not stop review

BY HENRY UMORU

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BUJA — THE Senate, yesterday, vowed that President Goodluck Jonathan’s delay in transmitting the Justice Alfa Belgore’s report to the National Assembly for consideration will not stop the present amendment of the 1999 Constitution.

Answering questions from journalists in Abuja, Senate Leader, Victor Ndoma-Egba, who disclosed that the Senate was yet to receive the Belgore’s report, however, took a swipe at the Nigeria Bar Association, NBA, warning the body not to cause crisis in Nigeria over the review of the

constitution.

The Senate Leader who noted that there was no going back on the Constitution review process by the National Assembly, expressed shock, surprise and bewilderment at the sudden U-turn of the Nigeria Bar Association, NBA on National Assembly’s proposal to amend the 1999 Constitution, just as he described comments attributed to NBA National President, Okey Wali, SAN as a volte face and an attempt to “approbate and reprobate” at the same time.

Senator Ndoma-Egba particularly frowned at

comments by the NBA, Okey Wali, SAN who had asked why the National Assembly was in a hurry to amend the Constitution when President Goodluck Jonathan was yet to forward the Justice Alfa Belgore Report on Constitution Amendment to it for consideration.

Ndoma-Egba said: “I am a bit surprised because of the current exercise. We have two memoranda from the NBA and the NBA was very active in the exercise of the 6th National Assembly. In fact, if I recall, we had a retreat in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State on Constitution amendment and after that, they submitted a memorandum

Subsidy scam: Police confront marketers with hard evidence

BY EMMA UJAH, ABUJA BUREAU CHIEF

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BUJA — AS the trial of fuel marketers indicted in the subsidy scam got underway, the Police Special Anti-Fraud Unit is said to have confronted the suspects with hard evidence.

As learnt, leading police prosecutors were said to have been assembled by the police for water-tight cases against the marketers who were said to have become jittery and now resorting to a media campaign to launder themselves.

As learnt, some of the marketers “were dumb-

founded when confronted with the evidence of their infractions. They know that we have clear evidence against them.

The documents they presented in their claims are there for everyone to see and we are fully prepared to face them in the law courts”, a member of the police team said.

According to him, the claims upon which huge subsidy payments were made to them have been punctured because some of mother vessels they claimed they used in importing fuel were not anywhere near the Nigeria waters on the days they were claimed to

have brought in fuel.

“They were brazen because they never imagined that anyone would ever audit the subsidy regime. Those claiming to be innocent should come to the court and prove it”, a member of the team said.

He said that the police team was fully aware of their strategy to resort to a media campaign but that it would not succeed because the Nigerian public knows too well that a lot of corruption was going on in the fuel subsidy system until early this year when the President Goodluck Jonathan administration decided to probe it.

of their views to the National Assembly.

“For this exercise that they have reservations about, they have participated actively. The law would say that you are approbating and reprobating at the same time.

They have participated actively (in the process).

“From 1999, the NBA has always responded positively to Constitution amendment by setting up its own committee for Constitution amendment.

They have always responded to the process.

So, the NBA has responded to the process by submitting memoranda; including this one.

Yet to receive Belgore’s report On the Belgore’s Report, the Senate leader: “We don’t have the Justice Belgore Report yet and there’s no law that says we must await that report. The Justice Belgore Report is an eExecutive initiative; it’s an input into the process, just like in the last exercise when we had the Justice Mohammed Uwais Report.

“It was one of several reports. It was a very important input but it was an input. But with or without the Justice Belgore’s Report, we are not obliged to stop legislative work because we are expecting a report that the person who commissioned it has not found it necessary to remit it to us.

8—Vanguard , FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2012

THE RAGE OF FLOOD Ibru lauds Uduaghan, donates to victims

BY FESTUS AHON

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DONATION: From left: HRH Ajofe Egwemi, Ejeh of Ibaji; Lion Stella Agbogun, District 404b Governor and Chief Daniel Haruna, Onu Ega of Idah, during the donation of relief materials to flood victims in Idah, Kogi State, by Lions club, Wednesday.

Rivers spends N800m on flood, says Commissioner P

ORT HARCOURT— RIVERS Government, yesterday, said in Port Harcourt, that it spent nearly N800 million on flood-related issues in the state.

The state Commissioner for Information and Communication, Mrs Ibim Semenitari, made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN.

She said the money was used to cater for indigenes affected by flood at different camps across the state.

The state government had opened 30 camps in four local government areas affected by flooding from Orashi river.

The commissioner said: “As we speak, 30 camps opened across the local governments have been impacted. The governor

of Rivers state was there on three different occasions. The deputy governor of Rivers State is the chairman of the flood relief committee and is in that area on almost daily basis. The commissioner for special duties is there every day of the week, ensuring that relief efforts are appropriately handled; ensuring that people get the relief materials. "

"The government of Rivers State has spent, as at the last count, about N800 million on the matter of flood, dealing with both the people in the camps, providing them food and there is more than enough food in the camps.”

Semenitari added that government would ensure that indigenes affected by flood were catered for until the water receded.

....As ExxonMobil affiliates donate N80m to victims

BY SOLA OGUNDIPE

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AGOS—MOBILl Producing Nigeria Unlimited and Esso Exploration and Production Nigeria Limited, EEPNL, both ExxonMobil affiliates in Nigeria, have donated N80 million to the Nigerian Red Cross Society, NRCS, in aid of victims of the recent flood disaster that affected 24 states in the country.

The donation came in the wake of a confirmation by the National Emergency Management Authority, NEMA, that over one million people have been displaced by the floods.

Making the donation in Lagos, Lead Country Manager, ExxonMobil Affiliates in Nigeria Ltd, Mr. Mark Ward, said through partnership with the NRCS, the comC M Y K

panies were working to provide relief to five of the most severely affected states including Akwa Ibom and Rivers states.

Ward said the grant would be used for provision of medical services, water and basic amenities and other disaster prevention, risk reduc-

tion/preparedness and resilience activities.

He said: “These floods have become some of the most devastating to ever hit the nation and the magnitude of the impact is unparalleled. NEMA, has confirmed over one million people are displaced and are at risk of food shortages and po-

tential epidemics. The multiplier effects on family units and on a community scale are better imagined.”

Receiving the donation on behalf of the NRCS, National Vice-President, NRCS, Deacon Timothy Oladele said moves were already in place for a centralised response.

GHELLI—THE first civilian Governor of Delta State, Olorogun Felix Ibru, has commended the State Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan for the steps taken to provide succour to persons affected by the ravaging flood across the state.

Ibru who spoke through his wife, Chief Matilda Ibru after donating food items and other relief materials to all government designated camps in the State, said the state government had displayed a high sense of responsibility to displaced persons by meeting their material, physical and health needs in all the camps.

Also Olorogun Oscar Ibru, yesterday, donated food items and other relief materials to flood victims at the Oharisi Primary School camp, Ughelli North Local Government Area, Ewu and Otu-Jeremi camps in Ughelli South Local Government Area, Delta State.

Presenting the items, Ibru expressed sympathy with the victims and stated that the donation

was his token contribution to the welfare of the displaced persons.

Describing the traumatic experience of the victims as painful, Ibru said he saw it as his responsibility to make the donation, saying, “If I had my way I would have taken all these children to my home.”

He called on the international community and well meaning Nigerians to complement the efforts of government in alleviating the hardship of the displaced persons no matter how little.

Similarly, the Executive Assistant to the State Deputy Governor, Christabel Obiuwevbi stressed the need for all hands to be on deck in meeting the needs of all those displaced by the flood.

Obiuwevbi who also donated relief materials to flood victims at OtuJeremi in Ughelli South, Oharisi Primary School, Ughelli North, AGGS at Ozoro, Isoko North local government areas of the State and Etsako Skill Acquisition Centre, Fuga in Edo State, said there was need for the people to be personally identified with.

Family donates to victims

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UCCOUR came to over one thousand flood victims in Ndokwa East, Isoko South and Isoko North Local Government areas of Delta State as they were rescued and provided with relief materials by Chief Edwin Ozah and his family.

Chief Ozah, who responded immediately he received news of the flood victims being trapped at the riverine area did not only provide relief materials but also accommodation for most

of them in his Irri country home.

Ozah hired several boats to rescue the victims from their flooded communities.

He provided relief materials such as food items, clothes, buckets, and also sank a bole-hole for their use.

As more victims were rescued, the residence of the monarch was filled to capacity while some of them were evacuated to St. Michael's College, Oleh, Camp in Isoko South Local Government Area.

Extent of destruction in Niger Delta worries Amnesty office

BY SAMUELOYADONGHA

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ENAGOA—THE Amnesty Office, yesterday, expressed concern over the magnitude of destruction inflicted on Niger Delta by the recent flood, saying the greatest challenge facing the region would be how to manage the

disaster caused by the deluge.

Coordinator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme and Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta Affairs, Mr. Kingsley Kuku, in Yenagoa while presenting three truckloads of relief materials to the state government for victims of the flood, said the

aftermath of the disaster would be more challenging than the disaster itself.

Represented by Mr. Tawari Dortimi, Kuku called on all the affected states to map out strategies to contend with the challenges ahead.

According to him, “The flood is receding. But the greatest challenge ahead

is what will happen after the flood has receded. It will be more challenging managing the aftermath of the disaster than the disaster itself.”

He said there was the need to tackle the effects of the flood on the health of the people, noting that the ex-militants undergoing training under the supervision of his office,

contributed over N52 million to assist the states in the region to ease the burden on the governments and help ameliorate the pains of the victims.

According to him, they agreed that N2,000 should be deducted from their monthly stipends to support the victims.

Vanguard, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2012 — 9

Lagos boosts local fish production

BY OLASUNKANMI AKONI

A

S PART of measures aimed at promoting local fish production and e n h a n c e competitiveness of the local markets,s Lagos State Government has concluded arrangement for the hosting of maiden seafood festival in the country.

The festival is scheduled to hold on 10 November, 2012 at the Eko Atlantic City, Victoria Island, The festival, with the

Musical Show HIS PRESENCE Musical Outreach in conjunction with The Lord Army Prayer Warriors Outreach will present a song ministration programme on Sunday at 3p.m. at the King’s Church, Kudirat Abiola Way, Oregun, Ikeja, Lagos.

theme: Lagos Seafood Festival: Boosting the Potentials of the Fishery Industry is expected to serve as catalyst for seafood production in Lagos.

Commissioner for Agriculture and Cooperatives, Mr. Gbolahan Lawal, disclosed this yesterday, in Alausa, Ikeja, saying the festival was one of the strategies of the state to realise its food security objectives.

The commissioner, who also spoke about the strategic plan of the state government to achieve one million metric tons of fish in spite of the fact that the present capacity was just 125,000 metric tons, a huge gap from 650,000 metric tons currently needed by the state.

He acknowledged that the multi-nationals no doubt pose serious threat to the local production, but expressed the strong will of the state “to boost seafood production.”

From left: Mr. Christian Herpin, Regional Manager, Airfrance/KLM Airline; Group Captain Joseph Yamta Malgwi, Military Airport Commandant, Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja and Mr. George Uriesi, Managing Director, Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), during the 2012 Brunch Interractive Session with Stakeholders organised by FAAN, yesterday at Welcome Hotel, Airport Road, Oshodi, Lagos. Photo: Kehinde Gbadamosi.

Fashola, Aregbesola canvass sanction against gender discrimination

BY OLASUNKANMI AKONI AND MONSUR OLOWOPEJO

G

OVERNOR B A B AT U N D E

Fashola of Lagos State and his Osun State counterpart, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, yesterday, voted for gender equality, seeking an end to wanton discrimination and exploitation of women in their quest for leadership positions in the country.

The two Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, governors made the remarks at the closing ceremony of the 12th National Women Conference organised by the Committee of Wives of Lagos State Officials, COWLSO, in Lagos.

Fashola in his address, commended the organization of the threeday conference, and charged the participants to take on the challenge to mitigate the risks that women face as they take on leadership responsibility.

Similarly, Aregbesola said that research by the World Bank in 2000 revealed that societies with large, persistent gender inequalities pay the price of more poverty, malnutrition, illness, and other deprivations.

He therefore called for

more participation of women in the policy formation and implementation process, noting that the spectacular activities of COWLSO are unmistakable examples of what women can do if given the chance.

“Why are ladies employed because of their looks, especially in our financial institutions for the purpose of marketing for deposits, rather than providing real financial solutions which they have the capacity to provide?”

5 policemen bag 25 years jail for robbery

BY ABDULWAHAB ABDULAH, ONOZURE DANIA & MICHAEL OLADEPO

T

EN YEARS after they were charged, the long hands of the law yesterday caught up with five policemen as they were sentenced to 25 years imprisonment by an Ikeja High Court for robbing some businessmen of their lorry loaded with clothing materials.

Handing down his judgment, Justice Joseph Oyewole convicted the policemen - Bestman Denner, Musa Mohammed, Peter Enidiok, Godwin Williams and Emmanuel Ajogbor of the charge of

conspiracy and robbery pressed against them.

The judge, found the policemen guilty, having established their involvement in the offences.

Oyewole said their involvement in the robbery incident as security officers make their case worrisome.

He therefore sentenced them to imprisonment which would run concurrently, starting from when they were arrested on March 3, 2005 and remanded in prison custody.

Oyewole said, “I hold that there is sufficient evidence to conspiracy as to commit robbery as charged. I hereby convict each of them accordingly.

“However, the defendants are policemen trained to protect the public and not otherwise. This in itself is an aggravating factor.

“The defendants took advantage of their being members of the Nigeria Police Force to rob citizens.

This is unfortunate.

“Using the police uniform to rob is a bad signal to the public because it will erode people’s confidence on the police.

“The image of the police should not be dented to the extent that members of the public will begin to see police checkpoints as an armed robbers,” he said.

10 — Vanguard, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2012

Protest by Kalabari indigenes, Rivers State, against ceding of their oil wells to Bayelsa State.

Traditional rulers leading the march.

More protests

Rivers State Deputy Governor, Tele Ikuru receiving the Kalabari chiefs.

Youths not left out.

The protesters marching to Government House.

A cross section of monarchs during a briefing.

More protesters marching towards Government House.

All for oil wells.

Kalabari chiefs being addressed at Government House.

A cross section of participants during a briefing.

Vanguard, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2012 — 11

Edo Board of Internal Revenue seals First Bank Plc

BY GABRIEL ENOGHOLASE

B

DONATION: Mr. Job Bebenimibo (3rd left), Director of Education, Tompolo Foundation, handing over education materials to Comrade Godspower Uyabrininde LGEA Secretary, Warri South West (middle); Mr. Kestin Pondi, General Manager, OFSL (2nd left); Comrade Paul Bebenimibo, Secretary, Tompolo Foundation, and others, during the donation of educational materials by the Tompolo Foundation in Warri.

Three arraigned over alleged murder of Oyerinde

BY GABRIEL ENOGHOLASE

B

ENIN—THREE suspects arrested by the State Security Service, SSS, for alleged murder of Comrade Oliatan Oyerinde, former Principal Private Secretary to Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State, were yesterday arraigned before an Evboriaria Magistrate Court, Benin City.

They, however, denied involvement in the crime.

The suspects, Edeh Chikezie, 32, Raymond Oregbo, 24, and Muhammed Ibrahim, arraigned along with four others, alleged to be criminal receivers of stolen goods, were handed over to the Police by the SSS for prosecution.

Speaking to journalists

shortly before their arraignment, the suspects admitted being armed robbers who have robbed several homes in Edo State but claimed not to have participated in the murder of Oyerinde on May

4, 2012.

They also denied ever being to late Oyerinde’s house, just as they described the killing of the late Oshiomhole’s aide as unfortunate.

Meanwhile, the court

2013 budget: Amosun harps on participatory democracy

O

GUN State gover nor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, has stated that the participation of the electorate in decision making process was a major ingredient of democracy, even as he regretted the magnitude of problems inherited from the last administration.

He noted that the symbiotic relationship between the government and citizens had greatly

impacted on the overall development of Ogun State.

The governor spoke yesterday in Abeokuta during the 2013 Budget Town Hall Meeting at June 12 Cultural Centre, Kuto, Abeokuta.

He said: “Our utmost and sincere belief is that governance should be a participatory process. The people should have a say on issues that concern

Why we suspended recruitment of teachers —Oshiomhole

BY SIMON EBEGBULEM

B

ENIN—EDO State Government has suspended the recruitment exercise by the state Post-Primary Education Board, PPEB, following the allegation of fraud that marred the exercise.

In a statement by Mr. Peter Okhiria, Chief Press Secretary to the

presided over by Senior Magistrate Edo Asemota has ordered that the suspects be remanded in prison custody.

He also directed that the case file be duplicated and sent to the office of the State Director of Public Prosecution for advice.

Governor, the government said: “Preliminary investigations into the exercise revealed that it was fraught with unwholesome practices as the exercise sacrificed merit on the altar of selfish motives.

“Consequently, in accordance with our commitment to transparency and accountability, the exercise is suspended and the appointment let-

ters issued are hereby revoked. All those purportedly offered appointment through the exercise are advised to stay away.

“Government will review the entire exercise and give room to all to re-apply and only those who scale through the fresh test which will be transparently conducted, will be offered appointment.”

them.”

Amosun explained that the policy thrust for 2013 was to consolidate on the foundation laid in 2012 by aggressively promoting sustainable growth in the area of basic amenities, creating an economic environment suitable for private sector participation, providing adequate security and re-positioning the economy of the state to make it competitive.

“The era of budget having no bearing on the lives of the citizenry is gone, hence the decision to constantly engage the public on how best to serve them,” he declared.

The state helmsman assured residents that all government procurements would henceforth be made within the state “in order to further empower our people, especially the market women.”

Reacting to questions, the governor warned school heads against illegal fees, reiterating the commitment of his administration to free and qualitative education.

ENIN—HUN DREDS of customers of First Bank Plc in Benin City, Edo State, yesterday went home disappointed as they could not access their accounts, following the sealing of the bank's branches by Edo State Board of Internal Revenue, BIR, over alleged tax default.

Vanguard gathered that virtually all branches of the bank in Benin metropolis were affected as those at Ugbowo, Uselu, Ring Road, Akpakpava, Ikpoba Slope, Ikpoba Hill and Agbor Road were all sealed off on the order of the State Board

of Internal Revenue.

Workers of the bank were seen gathered in groups at their various branches discussing the matter, just as they declined to entertain questions from newsmen on the issue.

However, customers in one of the branches who could not make withdrawal or savings ,vented their anger on the workers.

At press time, the bank’s alleged indebtedness to the state government could not be ascertained as calls made to the mobile phone of Executive Director of the Board of Internal Revenue, Chief Oseni Elamah, for confirmation were unanswered.

Two charged for allegedly assaulting Vanguard Manager

BY FESTUS AHON

A

S A B A — D E LT A State Police Command, yesterday, charged two persons to Akwukwu-Igbo Magistrate court, in Oshimili North Local Government Area, for allegedly assaulting the Administrative Manager of Vanguard Newspapers, Mr. Victor Gotevbe.

They also allegedly attacked a police officer, Mr. Jeffery Omoregbe, and others working at the company ’s printing press site at Okpanam, near Asaba, the state capital.

The accused persons, Messrs Augustine Igbinedion, 32, and Ezechie Okonkwo, 30 in the eight-count charge preferred against them in the charge No. AKM/ 20C/212, are also facing trial for alleged theft of two handsets, two cut-

lasses, a wrist watch and twelve shovels, valued at N52,000, belonging to one Ibrahim Usman and his co-workers.

They were also accused of hitting one Sam Egborongbe and Ibrahim Usman and his co-workers with shovels and cutlasses, among other offences.

Their counsel, Mr. C. F. Ebu, urged the court to grant the accused persons bail.

Granting them bail at the cost of N70,000 each, with reasonable surety, the presiding magistrate, Mrs. Ogbogwu, told the surety, Mr Dennis Ezechie, to present two of his passport photographs to the court.

Reiterating that the bail application would only be perfected based on a written recommendation of the court, she adjourned the matter to November 15, for hearing.

Prof Onwuachi dies @ 86

P

ROFESSOR Chike Onwuachi is dead, aged 86.

Until his death, he was a community leader, a patron of Nigerian Civil War Veterans and a former Director-General, Nigerian Institute of International Affairs.

A statement by Dr. Phillip Onwuachi, on behalf of the family, said burial rites would begin on Friday, November 9, with a symposium by members of the Nigerian Civil War Veterans at Ogbeowele Town Hall, Ibusa fol-

lowed by a wake-keep at his residence, 118, Umejei Road, Umuogwo/Umuekea Quarter, Ibusa, Delta State.

Interment and other traditional rites will take place on Sunday.

Late Prof. Onwuachi

12—Vanguard, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2012

Bakassi: Biya's delegation meets Jonathan

BY BEN AGANDE

A

BUJA—A SPE CIAL delegation from the Camerounian President, Paul Biya yesterday visited President Goodluck Jonathan in Abuja where issues of bilateral relations between the two countries were discussed.

Though details of the meeting were not made public, it was gathered that the Camerounian leader requested for a meeting with his Nigerian counterpart where issues of the Bakassi Pennisula which was ceded to Cameroun by

the International Court of Justice are expected to be discussed.

The three-man delegation sent by Biya to Jonathan included the country’s Deputy Prime Minister, Ahmadu Ali; Camerounian Ambassador to Nigeria, Abbas Iya Ibrahima; and the Minister of Foreign Affairs and African Cooperation, Jean Nguta.

It would be recalled that there have been renewed agitations by Nigerians, including the National Assembly, who have been calling for a revisit of the ICJ ruling.

Jonathan condoles with Attah over wife's death

A

BUJA—MEAN WHILE, the President has condoled with the former governor of Akwa Ibom State, Obong Victor Attah over the death of his wife and former First Lady of Akwa Ibom State, Mrs. Allison Attah.

The President who said he received the sad news with a heavy heart, on behalf of himself and the Federal Government, enjoined the Attah fam-

ily to take solace in the fact that late Mrs. Attah lived a good life characterised by love and care for the family and service to mankind.

“The particular attention she paid to the welfare and health of children in Akwa Ibom State under her Child Development Trust programme which touched several lives will always be remembered by the beneficiaries,” he said of Mrs. Attah.

Boko Haram, security forces commit human rights violations —Amnesty Int'l ....We 're studying the Report — Police

BY OKEY NDIRIBE & KINGSLEY OMONOBI

A

BUJA—AM NESTY International (AI) said, yesterday that a climate of fear has spread in parts of the nation’s northern region as a result of the atrocities committed by the fundamentalist Islamic Sect Boko Haram and human rights violations perpetrated by security forces deployed to rout them.

The Secretary General of the global human rights body Salil Shetty stated this while presenting AI’s findings yesterday in Abuja in a report entitled “Nigeria: Trapped in a cycle of violence”.

Police authorities in Abuja, however, disclosed that a comprehensive study of the Amnesty Report just released and making human rights abuse allegations against the force will be investigated though it said the sources of its report cannot be relied upon.

Amnesty International had stated that the brutal actions of Nigeria’s security forces in response to Boko Haram’s campaign of terror are making an already desperate situation even worse.

According to the report, “people are living in a climate of fear and insecurity, vulnerable to attack from Boko Haram and facing human rights violations at the hands of the very state security forces which should be protecting them.

“The report documents the atrocities carried out

by Boko Haram as well as the serious human rights violations carried out by the security forces in response, including enforced disappearances, torture, extra-judicial executions, torching of homes and detention without trial.

“Grave human rights abuses have been committed by Boko Haram including murder, burning down schools and churches and attacking media houses and journalists.”

The report further stated that the cycle of attack and counter attack

has been marked by unlawful violence on both sides with devastating consequences for the human rights of those trapped in the middle.

Shetty further stated that: “Hundreds of people accused of having links with Boko Haram have been arbitrarily detained by a combination of the Joint Task Force (JTF)- a combined forces group comprising the State Security Service and the Police -commissioned by the President to restore law and order in areas affected by Boko Haram.”

Bombing: I 'll not resign, says Rita’s Catholic Church at Yakowa ing this major menace, Angwan Yero. with areas of worship

BY HENRY UMORU

GOVER A NOR of Kaduna State, Patrick Yakowa, has BUJA—

vowed that he would not resign from his position because of bombing of churches and security challenge in the state caused by members of the Boko Haram sect.

The state had been fac-

massively bombed, leaving many dead, several others injured and property worth millions of naira destroyed, with calls from some quarters that the governor, who is from the Southern part of the state, should resign.

The recent bomb blast by a suicide bomber in Kaduna took place at St

Answering questions from journalists, shortly after he paid a visit to the National Working Committee, NWC, of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, national secretariat in Abuja, Yakowa disclosed that his government was on top of the situation, adding that the menace will soon be a thing of the past in Kaduna.

THE SIERRA LEONE'S ALL PEOPLE'S CONGRESS' PRESIDENTIAL RALLY

Supporters of Sierra Leone's ruling All People's Congress, APC, at a presidential rally addressed by the party's presidential candidate, Dr. Ernest Koroma, at the National Stadium, Brookfields, Freetown, Tuesday. PHOTOS: Abayomi Adeshida.

Vanguard, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2012—13

Benue needs disease control centre —Expert

BY PETER DURU

M

From left: Henry Seriake-Dickson, Bayelsa State Governor; Patrick Yakowa, Kaduna State Governor; Peter Obi, Anambra State Governor; Godswill Akpabio, Akwa Ibom State Governor; Murtala Nyako, Adamawa State Governor and Theodore Orji, Abia State Governor, at the opening ceremony of the National Economic Council meeting chaired by Vice President Namadi Sambo, at the State House, Abuja, yesterday. Photo: Abayomi Adeshida.

Rivers govt set to market state with CARNIRIV

BY KENNETH EHIGIATOR

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ORT HARCOURT Rivers State government has formally flagged off activities for this year’s edition of its internationally acclaimed cultural fiesta, popularly known as CARNIRIV 2012.

The government noted that Governor Rotimi Amaechi was determined to turn the festival, branded CARNIRIV 2012 Port Harcourt 100 Edition, into a tool to market the state to domestic and international tourists.

Unveiling details of the festival, the DirectorGeneral, Rivers State Tourism Development Authority, RSTDA, Dr.

Sam Dede, said the growth potential for CARNIRIV was unlimited.

He explained that was the reason the state government was projecting it to become a global brand with the largest support and attendance possible.

He said: “CARNIRIV will evolve into a recognizable global brand beyond the imminent demands of 2012 edition.

"Our projection is to make it a carnival brand of reckon and a recognisable global brand that would become the biggest cultural fiesta by 2015, in terms of impact, benefits and attendance.”

Dede added that the envisioned future for

CARNIRIV also included its financial autonomy, stating that the era of dependence on government subventions was over.

He explained that this year’s carnival had been packaged to attract more corporate sponsors and deliver greater return on investment, and noted its wide acceptance by the people.

State Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Dr. Nabs Imegbu, said the intention of the state government was not just to make CARNIRIV a platform to project the rich cultural value of the people Rivers State but also make it become a major pillar for the socioeconomic growth of the

state.

Former Miss World and Face of CARNIRIV 2012, Agbani Darego, has already expressed her delight to be the face of the festival.

She said in her goodwill address: “It’s great to return home to familiar soil and the loving people of Rivers State for an occasion that celebrates our rich heritage and buoyant culture in all its splendour.”

The festival, expected to run from November 815, is also to feature Nobel laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, who will deliver the keynote address at the colloquium, a forum for intellectual discourse on issues, during the opening ceremony.

Disburse N250m relief fund to flood victims, Chime told

BY TONY EDIKE

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NUGU—THE Governor Sullivan C h i m e - l e d administration of Enugu State has been told to quickly disburse to the flood victims in UzoUwani Local Government Area of the state the N250 million released by the Federal Government for the welfare of the people displaced by flood in the state.

The flood victims in the

area who have continued to lament their plights, said they had not received any assistance from the state government, despite the release of the fund to it since the past three weeks.

Most of the flood victims in the area crossed into the border communities of the council from the n e i g h b o u r i n g communities in Ibaji Local Government Area of Kogi State which were

completely submerged.

A stalwart of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, who is also a leader of the Iggah community, one of the communities affected by the deadly flood which also ravaged some parts of Kogi State, Chief Maximus Okuta, called on the state government to disburse without further delay the funds.

But state Commissioner for Information, Mr. Chuks Ugwoke told

AKURD — FOL lowing the recent disclosure by the Benue State Commissioner for Health Dr. Oduen Abunku that over 600,000 persons were currently living with the dreaded HIV/AIDS in the state, the Medical Director of Federal Medical Centre, Makurdi, Dr Mathias Oyigeya has canvassed the conversion of the present site of the hospital to an infectious disease control centre.

Dr. Oyigeya who stated this yesterday while fielding questions from newsmen in Makurdi lamented that Benue State was currently burdened by the high prevelence of diseases like tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS and other oppotunistic infections According to him,

APGA: Appeal Court adjourns Umeh’s motion to Nov 22

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NUGU—THE Court of Appeal sitting in Enugu, yesterday, adjourned to November 22 for hearing of the two pending motions filed by the National Chairman of All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, Chief Victor Umeh, against the decision of Enugu State Chief Judge, Justice Innocent Umezulike, on the party’s crisis.

The court also directed that the two motions be merged since they arose from the contentious decision of the same court, while efforts should be made by the

applicant to get the necessary proceedings of the lower court before the adjourned date When the case came up before the appellate court yesterday, the lead counsel for Umeh, Chief Patrick Ikweto, SAN, informed the court that the Enugu Chief Judge had refused to release the rulings of his court delivered on September 17, 2012 and October 8, 2012 which are the subjects of the appeal despite all efforts to obtain them including formal application and payment of the prescribed fees.

Industrialist donates materials to flood victims

A

our reporter on telephone that the state government had earlier made a representation when the chairman of Uzo-Uwani Local Government visited the victims.

He did not say whether the government made any donations or not. He also declined comments on whether the N250 million released by the Federal Government has been received by the state government.

“Benue is currently facing the challenge of the burden of HIV/AIDS and other opportunistic affection and I strongly advocate that when we eventually move to our permanent site at Apir, a disease control centre should be established here to effectively stem the tide”.

He said the disease burden was obviously taking its toll on the farming populace of the state but added that the scourge could be effectively controlled when the centre is established in the state.

The Medical Director stressed that the Centre was at the present recording a traffic of about 15,000 patients every month because of the efficiency of services at the hospital and quality of medical services being rendered to patients.

LAGOS-based industrialist, Chief I.B Ochonogor, has donated relief materials to flood victims at Utagba-Ogbe Technical College, Ndokwa in Delta State.

Presenting the items on behalf of Chief Ochonogor, Chairman of Aspire Micro Finance Bank Limited, his son, Chukuma, said challenges facing the flood victims were enormous and noted that area of foods and drugs should be top priority.

He enjoined the flood

victims to face their plight with courage as it would soon be a thing of the past.

On his part, Mr Leonard Anoka, who represented Ochonogor, appealed to other public spirited persons and friends of Ndokwa extraction to join hands to alleviate the suffering of the victims as government alone cannot solve their problems.

Items donated included bags of rice, cartons of indomie, mattresses, toiletries and groundnut oil.

14—Vanguard , FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2012

Oshiomhole committed to quality healthcare, education —SSG

BY SIMON EBEGBULEM

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INDUCTION: From right: Dr. Oladimeji Alo, immediate past President; Mr. Abiola Popoola, President/Chairman of Council; Mr. Victor Famuyibo, guest speaker and Mr. Sunday Korede,Vice-President, at the Chartered Institute of Personnel Management of Nigeria's 13th induction ceremony in Lagos, yesterday. Photo: Biodun Ogunleye.

Gunmen kill two policemen, injure one in Bayelsa

BY SAMUEL OYADONGHA

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ENAGOA—UNI DENTIFIED gunmen suspected to be armed robbers driving in a jeep allegedly opened fire on three policemen killing two of them along Azikoro-Agbura road in the outskirts of Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital.

The third policeman was seriously injured and rushed to the Federal Medical Centre where doctors are bat-

tling to save his life.

Vanguard learnt that the slain policemen, a corporal and a sergeant were until their death serving with the state command.

Though details of the incident which occurred Wednesday night were sketch, sources told Vanguard that the policemen on sighting the reckless manner the driver of the jeep was driving decided to stop it.

The driver of the jeep

was said to have slowed down when its occupants opened fire on the policemen who died on the spot before speeding off through the Ogbia road.

Contacted, the state Police Public Relation Officer, Fidelis Odunna, DSP, confirmed the incident.

He said the assailant operating in a black jeep opened fire on the unsuspecting officers at the Agbura roundabout

Wednesday night.

The police image maker said the command will leave no stone unturned in unraveling the perpetrators of the dastardly act just as a serious manhunt had began.

Odunna said: “The police is on the trail of the robbers and would track them down,” and urged members of the public not to panic as the command was on top of the situation.”

Army nabs fake soldiers, NITEL cable vandals in Aba A

BA—THE Forward Operation Base, FOB, 144 Battalion of the Nigerian Army, Aba, Abia State, has arrested three suspected fake soldiers.

The suspects were nabbed for stealing NITEL underground cables.

Capt. Chris Nwogu, the Officer-in-Charge of the base, told newsmen in Aba, that the suspects included a dismissed lance corporal from the Army Headquarters Garrison, Abuja and a civilian.

Nwogu said the suspects paraded themselves as soldiers.

He said a man who claimed to be a cadet C M Y K

with a fake Nigerian Defence Academy, NDA, identity card was also arrested.

Nwogu said the suspects were part of the syndicate which had been dragging the image of the military in the mud by their nefarious acts.

He said: “We are advising unsuspecting Nigerians to be at alert. These men would wear the military uniform to rob and perpetrate all sorts of crimes.

“If you see the uniforms, you will wonder if this man wants to open his own army. One of them was even seen with army garrison headquarters’ cap. You will think they are real soldiers.

Now nemesis has caught up with them.”

Nwogu said that on interrogation, the suspects confessed to dealing on fake military kit.

He said that the items recovered from them included 18 pairs of trousers, 45 face caps, 6 singlets, 8 top jackets and 15 bags.

The others are 5 jungle hats, military shorts, 24 small belts, 3 stamps, ink pads and 3 T- shirts.

He said that the suspects would be handed over to the State Security Services, SSS. Nwogu said the menace was part of the c h a l l e n g e s confronting the military and urged the public to

be vigilant about such persons.

Parading the cable vandals, Nwogu said they were arrested at Brass Street, Aba and had made confessional statements which led to the arrest of buyers of the stolen items, while others were still at large.

According to him, investigations show that one of them has once been arrested by the police and later released but relapsed to crime.

Nwogu advised criminals to abandon their nefarious activities and engage in lawful ventures, to be useful to themselves and the society.

ENIN CITY—SEC RETARY to the Edo State Government,SSG, Dr Simon Imuekemhe, yesterday, declared the determination of the state Government in ensuring that the health and educational sectors are effective in service delivery to the people of the state.

Dr Imuekemhe who gave this assurance in Benin City when he played host to members of the Nigeria Medical and Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria, Edo State Hospital Management Board Branch, said the Governor Adams Oshiomhole-led administration would ensure that the welfare of the peo-

ple of the state is guaranteed.

While expressing concern over what he described as the nonchalant attitude of most medical practitioners in the state public service as disclosed when the governor visited the Central hospital, called for attitudinal change and strict adherence to the ethics of the medical profession to sustain the dignity of their practice.

While emphasising that the health service is all about team work where the dostors remained the leaders, the Edo SSG asserted that to achieve the desired results, “ there must be cooperation between the various professions in the health sector.”

Anambra: AASSDU marks cultural day, to honour Obi, others

BY CLIFFORD NDUJIHE

L

AGOS—THE Asso ciation of Anambra State Development Unions, AASDU, Lagos will celebrate the 2012 edition of her cultural festival in Lagos with the recognition of some distinguished Anambra indigenes, who through their various activities, have impacted on the lives of the public.

Chairman, Organising Committee,Mr. Ben. Chukwukelu, said this year’s cultural day slated to hold on November 10, 2012 at the National Stadium, Surulere will be preceded

by Lecture/Honours Award

on November 3, 2012.

Chukwukelu said that the year’s award is categorised into three, namely; Career Excellence, Community Development Service and Business Development/Philanthropy awards.

Those to be honoured with the various awards include; Senator Ben Obi, Prof. Peter Nwilo, Dr. Ikem Odumodu, Dr. Solomon Ekwenze, Iyom Uche Ekwunife, Chief Paul Odenigbo, Chief Godwin Ezeemo, Mr. Donatus Agupusi, Sir Augustine C. Emelobe and Sir Daniel Chukwudozie, among others.

Group counsels Kuku on Amnesty programme

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ARRI—AS contro versy trails the third phase of the Federal Government Amnesty programme, the Grassroots Coalition for Goodluck Jonathan, GCGJ, has called on Mr. Kingsley Kuku, coordinator of the Amnesty programme to consult the group, Joint Task Force, JTF and State Security Services, SSS, at Effurun Barracks, Delta State, before allocating slots to ex-militants, to ensure that justice and equity prevailed.

A statement by Mr. Gabriel Akpude, national president, Mr. Levi Okoronkwo, national secretary and Mr. Ben Onovughe, director of publicity, said that it carried out extensive campaign and facilitated the disarmament of over 2,000 Urhobo ex-militants who embraced the Federal Government Amnesty

programme.

“We wish to place on record, our thanks to our principal, President Goodlcuk Jonathan and our friend Mr. Kuku for his relentless efforts to making the third phase of the Amnesty programme possible,” they said.

Retreat

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INCENTIAN RE TREAT Centre, Yakoyo-Ojodu, Ikeja, Lagos, will be ending its three-day monthly retreat today, with a vigil starting by 9pm.

The retreat wth the theme, Dismantling the Gates, will have Rev. Fr.Tony Nworu as reteat preacher. It will feature Stations of the Cross, Adoration and Holy Mass and will be hosted by the Vincentian Fathers.

Vanguard, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2012—15

CONSTITUTIONAL REVIEW:

Group calls for true federalism, more zones

BY GABRIEL ENOGHOLASE

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LAUNCH—From left: Mr. Tanmoiy Saha, Vice President, Usage and Retention, Airtel; Mr. Olu Akanmu, Chief Marketing Officer; Mr. Deepak Srivastara, Chief Operating Officer/Executive Director and Ms. Eyitayo Taire, Head of Brand Communications, during the launch of Airtel Nigeria new product, Smart bytes in Lagos. Photo: Joe Akintola, Photo Editor.

ENIN—A BENINbased non-governmental organisation, Jubilee Democratic Emancipation Group, Nigeria (JUDEG), yesterday called for the enthronement of true federalism to guarantee fairness, dignity and reward for labour.

It said this would also help to eradicate corruption in all its ramifications.

The group’s position came against the back-

drop of review of 1999 constitution by the National Assembly.

National Coordinator of the group, Dr. Dele Oluwatade, who presented the views of the group while addressing news men, also called for the creation of two additional zones in the country.

They include Middle Belt zone to be created from the North and another from the SouthSouth Zone to comprise Bayelsa, Delta and Edo states.

Ebonyi Govt to recruit 500 teachers

SUNTAI’S PLANE CRASH: Govs pass vote of no confidence on Aviation Sector

BY HENRY UMORU

A

BUJA—THE thirty-six state governors, under the aegis of Nigeria Governors’ Forum, NGF, yesterday, passed a vote of no confidence on the aviation sector.

Rising from a meeting held at the Rivers State Governor ’s Lodge, Asokoro, Abuja, the governors, who called for a holistic approach to arrest what they termed the dwindling state of the aviation sector, however, resolved to engage all stakeholders at the national level to address the challenge.

The governors’ position came barely a week after Taraba State Governor, Danbaba Suntai, was involved in an air crash.

In a communiqué signed by Chairman of the Forum and Rivers State Governor, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, after a meeting which started on Wednesday and ended in the early hours of yesterday, the governors expressed deep concern over the unfortunate air crash which involved the Taraba State Governor, who is currently receiving treatment in Germany.

The communiqué read C M Y K

by Amaechi said: ‘’Upon comprehensive discussion on the present state of the aviation industry, members of the forum observed that there is a need for a holistic approach to arrest the dwindling state of the aviation sector.

"Forum further expressed concern over the

unfortunate Aircraft accident involving Governor Danbaba Suntai of Taraba who is presently receiving treatment in Germany. While extending best wishes to his family, prayed for his speedy recovery.”

Amaechi, who noted that the governors also condemned the recent bomb blast in Borno and

Kaduna states, said: "The forum extensively deliberated on the recurrent insecurity in the country and expressed deep regret over the recent acts of violence in Borno and Kaduna states and consequently mandated the security committee to find of the forum to commence work immediately with a view to finding a lasting solution."

ELECTRONIC TAXPAYERS' REGISTRATION:

Joint Tax Board seeks support of states

BY TONY EDIKE

E

NUGU—THE Joint Tax Board (JTB), yesterday, solicited the cooperation of all the states to ensure the realization of the 2012 deadline for Electronic Taxpayers Registration nationwide.

Speaking at a sensitization workshop on Taxpayers Identification Number (TIN) in Enugu, Secretary, JTB, Mohammed Abubakar, explained that the aim was to register all categories of taxpayers in Nigeria and provide comprehensive data base

that would enable automated tax administration system in the country.

Abubakar disclosed that the electronic taxpayers’ registration has commenced in six pilot states of Abia, Bauchi, Delta, Jigawa, Kwara and Oyo through taxpayer identification number project, where taxpayers are being registered electronically.

The JTB Secretary said a data base for taxpayers in the states would prepare a way for automation of their tax administration, a requirement globally and one of the best practices that was being embarked upon by all tax authorities world-

wide.

“So, we cannot afford to be an island. We just have to key in to this very important exercise.

Other states, namely, Rivers, Plateau, Osun, ogun, Ekiti, Ondo, Kebbi, Yobe, Kogi, Benue, Edo and AkwaIbom states have just been covered and electronic registration of tax payers in these states will soon commence.

"Any other state that has not been brought into the system has not been brought into the system because they are yet to pay their counterpart fund contribution towards the project."

A

BAKALIKI— EBONYI State Government, yesterday, in Abakaliki said it had approved the recruitment of 500 teachers for government-owned secondary schools.

The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, Mr William Alo, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the approval was based on the need to employ teachers with relevant skills in Information

Communication Technology (ICT), and entrepreneurial subjects newly introduced into the school curricula.

He said that government was determined to promote the teaching and learning of ICT and entrepreneurial subjects in its schools.

He noted that government had earlier embarked on retraining of existing staff to cope with the techniques involved in handling the new subjects.

Legal Aid Council assists 719 persons in Kaduna

K

ADUNA—THE Legal Aid Council of Nigeria has offered legal services to 719 persons in Kaduna State, the coordinator, Mrs Biba Ohwoavwovhua, has said.

Ohwoavwovhua stated this on Thursday in Kaduna during the coun-

cil’s nationwide annual awareness campaign.

She told newsmen that the council had provided legal services to persons who lacked the means to hire lawyers, adding that it was involved in civil and criminal cases, including cases of persons accused of capital offences.

Delta lawmaker, Akpodiete loses mother

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ARRI—MEM BER representing Ughelli North II in the Delta State House of Assembly, Hon Edoja Akpodiete has lost his mother, Madam Gladys Oteriyovwe Azagba, aged 62 years.

The late Madam Azagba, mother of six children was a retired

women development officer in the Delta State Local Service Commission.

A statement by the family said her remains would be buried in her home town, Oteri, Ughelli, on Friday, November 9 after a funeral service at All Saints Cathedral Church, Ughelli.

16—Vanguard, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2012

1.4m children immunized in Jigawa

BY TINA AKANNAM

D

UTSE—OVER 1.4 million children were immunized during the October National Immunization Programme in Jigawa State, as against the target figure of about 1.3m children, the state Commissioner for Health, Dr Tafida Abubakar has said.

Abubakar, who spoke with newsmen in his office, said the successes recorded were not unconnected with the renewed commitment of all stakeholders including religious leaders and traditional rulers in the state.

The Commissioner further said that the state government in its move the eradicate some dis-

eases also set up a task force on polio eradication with the state Deputy Governor as chairman and the Commissioner for Health serving as the secretary of the committee. Other members of the task force included representatives of development partners and the Emir of Dutse, Alhaji Dr. Nuhu Sanusi, who served as the state committee chairman on polio eradication.

His words: “There is no doubt that we recorded so much success in this month's exercise because of the collective determination of stakeholders to ensure that targeted children are immunized, and impressively, we exceeded our target.”

Suswam seeks FG's intervention in Fulani, Tiv skirmishes

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AKURDI—GOV ERNOR Gabriel Suswam of Benue State, has urged the Federal Government to intervene in the Fulani/Tiv land skirmishes.

Suswam made the call at a Town Hall Meeting in Makurdi on Wednesday to mark the end of his Good Governance tour in the state.

He said the greatest problem besetting rural farmers in the state was the intermittent land feud they had with some invading herdsmen.

The governor advised the Federal Government to take the issue of the Fulani/Tiv crises more seriously, to enhance the growth of the peasant farmers in the state.

Responding to questions from participants at the meeting, Suswam said Benue State was a rural state and his ad-

ministration was committed to the construction of rural roads.

He dismissed insinuations that teachers in the state were being owed, adding that a staff audit of the teachers had commenced, to avoid payment to ghost teachers.

He said the N18, 000 minimum wage payment to teachers would be effected as soon as the staff audit was completed.

Suswam also debunked claims that roads commissioned in the state were initiated by the previous administration.

He said: “It is a pity that a governor will be in office for eight years and cannot fix township roads, but when he leaves office, the people will begin to complain that he started township roads.”

Diokpa of Umulolo passes on

D

IOKPA Michael Okogwu Ofuonyeadi, the Diokpa of Umulolo village, Ibusa, Delta State, is dead, aged 85.

A statement by the family said there will be a wake-keep on Friday, November 9, at his residence in Umulolo quarters, Ibusa, to be followed the next day with traditional burial rites Okanga and interment at the same venue.

The late Diokpa Ofuonyeadi is survived by

many children including Delta State Chairman of RATTAWU, Comrade Innocent Ofuonyeadi, a senior staff of Delta Broadcasting Service, Asaba.

Late M. O. Ofuonyeadi

COWLSO CONFERENCE: From left: Mrs. Mayowa Ikuforiji, Vice Chairman, Committe of Wives of Lagos State Officials,(COWLSO); Senator Oluremi Tinubu and Mrs. Adejoke Orelope-Adefulure, Deputy Governor of Lagos State, during the opening of the 12th National Women's Conference, by COWLSO, in Lagos. Photo: Bunmi Azeez.

Death in detention: Deceased's sister alleges Police complicity

BY PETER DURU

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AKURDI—THE last may not have been heard of the sudden death of 30-yearold Terzungwe Shaakaa, a divorced father of three, in the detention cell of Benue State Police Command Headquarters in Makurdi after allegedly engaging fellow inmates in a brawl.

Elder sister of the deceased, who until his death was a mason, Christiana Nyikwagh, has alleged Police complicity in the saga and called for independent investigations into the death of her brother in a police cell.

Benue State Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Deputy Superintendent Daniel Ezeala, told newsmen last week that the deceased was arrested in Makurdi for alleged robbery and was about to face trial before his sudden death.

He said: “Shaakaa engaged his fellow cell inmates in a fight for undisclosed reasons and thereafter slumped. His fellow inmates drew the attention of the Police to his condition and he was immediately rushed to the police clinic for first aid treatment. ”When his condition was not improving, he was subsequently rushed to the Federal Medical Centre, Makurdi, where he eventually gave up

the ghost.”

The PPRO further said that seven of the inmates who allegedly beat up Terzungwe to death in the cell were undergoing interrogation pending their prosecution in court.

However, when Vanguard spoke with some of the inmates who were alleged to have been involved in a brawl with the deceased, they denied the allegation.

One Samuel Changba, who identified himself as the cell chairman and Terlum Ukilo, claimed that the deceased was not beaten up by anyone.

He said: ”Though he entered the cell with wounds all over his face, he hit his head severally on the wall of the cell in protest of the alleged failure of his sister to

take him on bail. He did it repeatedly until he passed out and eventually died. Nobody touched him.”

However, a new twist to the cause of the death of the late Terzungwe cropped up, midweek, when his elder sister, Christiana Nyikwagh, disclosed that before his death, Terzungwe had a misunderstanding with some policemen attached to the Criminal Investigation Department, CID, of the State Police Command, at a beer parlour on the night of October 11, 2012, at the High Level area of Makurdi, after which the police officers allegedly invited their colleagues who allegedly beat Terzungwe to stupor.

Mrs. Nyikwagh told Vanguard that her late

brother, who lived at 15, Balewa Street, High Level, in Makurdi, was not a robber, contrary to the allegation against him by the Police. She said her brother had returned home that fateful night after his brush with the security men only for the two policemen to trail him to his residence with other companions who pounced on him, threatening to deal with anybody who dared to come to his aid.

She, however, said she spoke with her brother in one of her failed efforts to take him on bail just as some witnesses at Balewa Crescent said that the policemen who beat the deceased to stupor were armed, hence their inability to come to his rescue for fear of being killed.

PDP chieftain donates N50m to Kogi flood victims

BY BOLUWAJI OBAHOPO

L

OKOJA—A BUSI NESS mogul and chieftain of People’s Democratic Party, PDP, in Kogi State, Chief Jide Omokore, yesterday, donated N50 million to the state government just as Unifoam Nigeria Limited also presented 100 mattresses to the government for distribution to flood victims in the state.

The State governor, Captain Idris Wada (rtd), who received both donations, said money and other items donated would be used to rebuild, resettle and repair the houses of the victims.

Wada further said that his administration remained committed to the judicious utilization of all the donations received for the flood victims.

Addressing newsmen

shortly after presenting the 100 mattrasses, leader of the Unifoam delegation, Mr. Ademola Bello, said their visit was to sympathise with the victims in their period of distress.

He said: ”The company is touched and that is why we are here with this gesture as part of our contribution to the flood victims which we think can help in a little way”.

Vanguard, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2012 — 17

18 — Vanguard, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2012 WAS Justice Olufunmilola Adekeye’s parting shot as she retired from the Supreme Court intended to exonerate judges from the corruption in the legal system? She said at a book presentation that politicians sought out judges who they offered bribes on election petitions. She said nothing new, though Nigerians only speculated it.

Corruption in the judiciary is not only on election cases. From land disputes to murder cases, those who disagree with the decisions resort to allegations of corruption against the judge.

Election petitions are a class apart. The stakes are higher, as election winners have access to more national resources than their fantastic earnings. Elections have become the most profitable business for contractors (including legal consultants) and the winners.

When Adekeye made her case, she pressed the role of judges in the matter as passive.

Few things can be further from the truth. Was she unaware that a federal high court judge was retired years back for accepting bribes on behalf of his colleagues handling election petitions? Or the more recent legal foxtrots

Corruption In Judiciar Judiciaryy between former Chief Justice of Nigeria Aloysius Katsina-Alu and former President Court of Appeal, Justice Isa Ayo Salami, where allegations of interference with election petitions are still being traded? Were politicians the sole participants in these cases?

There are more that did not assume prominence.

Corruption in the judiciary is an expressway with all the characteristics of such a thoroughfare. Judges and politicians are familiar with the applicable laws on the route.

There may be politicians over speeding, just as there are traffic officers who refuse to enforce the law.

With all the allegations about politicians

attempting to induce judges, “through their relations, friends and close associates”, there is no case of a judge ordering the arrest of a politician, or his contact for offering bribe, which ordinarily is an offence, moreso when intended to skew the judicial process.

Politicians are ruthless in their bid for power, but we also hear about the growing levels of desperation among judges to be included in panels that hear election petitions. Why would election petitions appeal more to judges than other cases? The judiciary requires higher standards for its integrity.

“We must always stand up and defend our judges and protect their integrity. It is a pity that most times, even the political class does not understand the role of judges in democratic settings,” Justice Adekeye suggested.

She may be right about a general ignorance of the role of judges. However, Nigerians know about integrity of the judiciary.

Judges accused of corruption, get soft treatment from fellow judges who recommend their retirement, usually with full benefits. Nigerians will not defend this type of integrity.

OPINION

BY JUDE ISIAGBA

T

HE award of Icon of Democracy 2012 on the Abia State Governor, Theodore Orji by The Champion Newspapers did not come to many as a surprise, especially those who have been following the ongoing developmental revolution in the different sectors of the state, made possible by the transparent, committed, focused and pragmatic leadership approach of the Governor since he assumed office in the state.

His ascension to power in 2007 was as divine as his life which was never shaped by man but by God. As the only child of his parents, Orji thrived against all odds to be where he is today. It is a feat he achieved through diligence, humility and loyalty which has remained his watchwords in life.

This is why he was able to weather the challenges bordering on political godfatherism and kidnapping that grounded the commercial city of Aba in his first term in office.

His government spent billions of naira to restore peace and security in the state, having realised that there will be no meaningful development in an unsecured environment. Anybody who witnessed or experienced the kidnapping saga in the state then would agree that Orji deserves more than an award for that singular feat of arresting the problem.

Ahead of the 2011 general elections, Orji humbly appealed to his people to give him the chance for a second term with assurance that they would see a difference in

C M Y K

Orji and the Icon of Democracy award governance after his government was distracted in his first term. It was a plea his people listened to, having known how his government was hijacked by a godfather during his first term.

To prove that the people did not make a mistake by voting him, his second term has so far been characterised by the provision of infrastructures and basic amenities to the people of the state. Today there seems to be a sense of urgency as if to cover for lost ground as evidenced by ongoing and completed development projects in different sectors of the state. This represents a clear testimony that Orji is a leader with a clear vision for greater tomorrow.

Apart from the prevailing peaceful political atmosphere in the state which is unprecedented since 1999, the state capital Umuahia, which was more of a village square before now, is wearing a new look, with several roads constructed, a befitting and unique workers secretariat nearing completion and an ongoing ultra-modern International Conference Centre. Already completed is an ultra modern diagnostic hospital which is the first of its kind in the country. Within the hospital also is a dialysis centre that is nearing completion.

This is apart from the equipment and refurbishment of more than 200 health centres across the state.

More so, housing estates at Isieke, Amokwe, Amuba and Aba have been completed and many more are under way in

the state. The state civil service which was the original constituency of Governor Orji has witnessed tremendous reforms, ranging from prompt promotion of workers, to the payment of N21,000 as minimum wage when several states across the country have refused to pay their workers the approved N18,000 minimum wage. The biometric data capturing introduced in the civil service reforms have helped in curbing the menace of ghost workers.

G

overnment has also boldly confronted the daunting challenges in the commercial city of Aba, as the all drainage channels in the city have been cleared, some new roads like Ukwumango and Ariaria market constructed, while old ones that include some federal roads were also rehabilitated. A new motor park has been constructed before the Osisioma junction and it has helped in the decongestion of the notorious Osisioma junction which was an eyesore before now and caused traffic jam along Aba/Owerri road.

In the area of youth empowerment, Orji’s government is towers above other state governments in the country today as selected youths from all the council areas in the state now enjoy social security through some stipends which they receive monthly from the state government. Presently more than 2000 youths are undergoing vocational training that is being sponsored by the Abia State Oil Development Commission,

ASOPEC . Already huge sum of money has been earmarked by the state government to empower them after the training so that they can be self-reliant. Also the Ochendo Youth Foundation, a non-governmental organisation, is partnering the state government in empowering the youths in the state. The organisation had in the last one year given out free of charge more than 500 tricycles popularly known as Keke NAPEP, 200 vehicles, grinding machines, cash donations and other items to youths in the state.

The education sector has also received appreciable boost from government as several schools have been renovated, while new ones have been constructed and learning and teaching materials also provided.

For its outstanding performance in promoting and sustaining of quality and quantitative education in the state , the government won several awards by the Universal Basic Education Commission, UBEC. Many youths of the state have been offered scholarship by the state government for further studies at home and abroad.

Against this backdrop, it can be said that he truly deserves The Champion Newspaper award. It is also clear that if Governor Orji is entrusted with a higher leadership responsibility in the future, he will not fail Nigerians.

•Mr. Isiagba, a pharmacist, wrote from Owerri, Imo State.

Vanguard, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2012 — 19

, M

OST Nigerians, in speaking, pyrotechnically about the country’s problems – shouting and daring any one to contradict them – say that we no longer have a sense of shame. Things that other peoples of the world would be ashamed of, we find all sorts of rationales to take pride in them. Talk about Nigeria’s fame for 419 scams and you will be told that it is the fault of those other people who are scammed. Why are they so greedy to harvest where they did not sow? Or you mention the habit of fabulous houses fronted by open sewers and pot-holed foot paths turned into highways for SUVs? You will be told immediately that this was Nigeria, love it or leave it! Or even worse, “get used to it!” After all what better vehicles to drive in jungle cities of Nigeria! Sometimes the crookedness of the thinking makes your head spin. All you can think of is

what Krishnamurti said: “It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society.”

Someone has defined shame as a social emotion to do with feeling foolish, stupid, ridiculous, inadequate, defective, incompetent, awkward, exposed, vulnerable and insecure. Shame has to do with ‘internalizing’ how we imagine that others see us.

From childhood we easily learn to be ashamed of ourselves if and when we are told that some particular behaviour of ours was not acceptable and for that reason, our parents are ashamed of us and would insist that we should be ashamed of ourselves. Shame and its opposite pride are the bars “through which we are socialized so that we learn, from childhood, to behave in socially acceptable ways and we also learn conformity in adult life.” So, what happened then that we in adulthood

,

have lost all sense of shame.

Is it because we do not have parents who would rebuke us and feel that we have shamed them and we should be ashamed of ourselves? It used to be said that we have lost persons and institutions that we could take as our arbiters, be they elders who have lived longer than us and so know the world better than we do.

O

r brilliant minds who have experienced the

Learn from the best

BY ALERO AYIDA-OTOBO

A

DYNAMIC group of eight passionate professionals, members of the newly formed Education Reform Team, ERT, set out from Nigeria and the United Kingdom in April 2012 on a five-day learning journey to Finland.

One of them returned in less than three weeks with another group of five government officials from Cross River State, a state at the fore-front of change in Nigeria. Two learning journeys to the same country in three weeks. You may be wondering why?

The reason - their education system works. The ERT visited Finland to witness this exceptional education that continuously puts Finland ahead of many nations in the global economy.

All children have the right to learn in a qualitative environment and in a manner that works best for them.

Finland has developed the best education system in the world by committing to certain key values: ‘equity’, ‘quality’, ‘efficiency’ and, one of our favourites, ‘ no dead-ends.’

Their system gives equal opportunity to every child and adult to develop his or her potential and to become all he/ she was destined to be. Now, their students are the world’s top performers in the international comparison exam, Programme for International Student Assessment, PISA, 2000 and 2009.

The ERT’s Five-Day learning journey delivered by EduCluster Finland Limited was a learning experience with a difference. It was exceptional.

You felt the heart of the nation - the love for life-long learning; the professionalism and passion of the teachers; the excellent content of the curriculum; the unique delivery of guidance and counselling in schools;

the excellent management of schools by school leadership and the joy in the classroom of the children who thrive in a child-centred environment. Theirs is not teaching in the 19th and 20th century – it is learning. At the centre is the child, the young adult, the matured adult – the learner.

Folasade Adefisayo, a member of the ERT, reflecting on the journey, said: “For me, the Finnish experience was a paradigm-changing and epochal event in my life. I am not using hyperboles for the sake of using these words but I need to explain myself.

Before I went to Finland, I was of the school that believed in testing and rewarding teachers according to the performance of their students. I have done a 360 degree turnaround. I still believe that testing is essential but I believe that we should do more formative rather than summative (exams and end of period tests).

Formative assessments would involve the quality of the teacher-student interaction made evident in the questions asked by both, reflection on learning and progress, team work and collaboration and a general belief in equity and the right of every child to receive a good education. I still believe that we really need to train and re-skill our teachers. The content of their training will now be key.”

Bolaji Osime aptly described what we saw as “an extraordinary and innovative educational system”. While Professor Owan-Enoh from Cross River State observed that “Finland is the first country I have come across that has turned all the theories I have learnt into reality.”

So, what did we learn about teacher education that was so impactful?

Coming from a country where

,

Shame and pride in Nigeria

We have created a society in which each of us attributes his or her success to her abilities and exports our failures to external factors or even worse, we insist that ... it is the will of God; as inequality has grown in Nigeria, so has status competition increased

world through lived knowledge or acquired knowledge and can point us in the right direction. Or even institutions that we ourselves have set up which we then respect and ask to arbitrate between us on what is good and what is bad. Fathers help their children to forge certificates. Brilliant minds panel-beat our intelligence to accept what is unacceptable.

And our institutions have been compromised to such an extent that they are not worth the keyboards that typed them out in the first place.

We have created a society in which each of us attributes his or her success to her abilities and exports our failures to external factors or even worse, we insist that ‘amuwa Olorun ni’ it is the will of God. As inequality has grown in Nigeria, so has status competition increased. As social mobility has stalled because of the collapse of the public educational system and the rise of privately funded education there has increased the threat of losing one’s social position. As a result, egos have had to be propped up by “self-promoting” and “selfenhancing” strategies. Take a look at the daily newspapers.

Nigeria is a republic – a country that the people and their government/s are opposed to monarchy. It must be a source of great amusement to our friends and enemies alike to see the number of kings, queens, princes and princesses, kingdoms and principalities

Nigeria has a great opportunity to grasp the future and emerge as a strong leader in Africa; the key to success and to turning around our country is the improvement of our education system in order to provide highly skilled workforce

,

teachers are not highly regarded or adequately motivated and rewarded there are some very key qualities of the teachers in Finland that immediately strike you as unique.

Firstly, the undeniable desire and passion for well-qualified, intelligent people to be teachers (it’s the number one profession in Finland) rather than doctors or lawyers.

Secondly, the competition for places is stiff with Jyvaskyla University having over 2,800 applications for 80 places.

This is the complete reverse for Nigeria where several colleges of education do not have enough applications from interested students and many come into education as a last resort because they could not get onto any other course.

I

n Finland, teachers have strong academic qualifications with the minimum qualification being a Masters degree (except at the early childhood level). In Nigeria, it is the National Certificate of Education, NCE, which is lower than a first

that co-exist with our republican declaration! There was a brief experiment years ago where it was decided to address everyone as Mr or Mrs or Miss no matter their what titles they were born with or have acquired. It was a brief experiment. I interacted with a group of highly intelligent Nigerians during the Abacha years. At the end of a meeting I suggested that when writing to participants I would disregard their titles, not because I disrespect them, but to keep our republican attitudes alive. Protests forced me to withdraw my statement.

Of course, I never wrote to anyone after that.

What happened to liberty, equality and fraternity? The French Revolution captured in this slogan something that humanity had valued all through human history but which had never been so vividly captured in words.

Enslavement and inequality corrode the much needed fraternal bond that makes us human. To promote inequality through fancy titles and incredibly designed garbs that go with them is to endanger our common humanity. It is to destroy our social capital, that sum total of our involvement in community life.

A man was once made to feel awkward when a receptionist he had asked: Do you know who I am?, picked up the public system and announced: There is a man here who does not know who he is. Can anyone who knows him come and identify him?

degree. There is a lot more but that’s part of the learning experience.

Incubator Africa Limited, a development agency, and the ERT in partnership with Educluster Finland are boldly taking the unique step of bringing to Nigeria for the first time Finnish education experts. Educluster Finland is the leading education consortium in Finland, specialising in education and development. Their experts will demonstrate the practical steps that we must take in Nigeria if we intend to fix our educational system and significantly enhance learning outcomes in the classroom.

Nigeria has a great opportunity to grasp the future and emerge as a strong leader in Africa. The key to success and to turning around our country is the improvement of our education system in order to provide the highly skilled workforce for a competitive labour market and progressive society. ERT views the Finnish education system as a benchmark and the Finnish education experts that are visiting Nigeria for the first time will be bringing a fresh and innovative perspective to teacher training, school leadership and administration.

The two-day learning event is taking place in Lagos and is for all key stakeholders in the private and public sector who are passionate about education and raising standards. For those who own and manage private schools there are secrets of the Finnish education system waiting to be revealed. And there will be valuable strategies that will help you unlock the potential in your school and give you a competitive edge.

The experience in Finland of the ERT has shifted our thinking and given unflinching hope that we can fix Nigeria’s education system; we are determined and committed to doing so.

*Mr Ayida-Otobo,CEO of Incubator Africa Ltd., wrote from Abuja.

20

— Vanguard, FRIDAY FRIDAY,, NOVEMBER 2,

2012

Agony of flood victims unites Imo leaders T

HOSE who never visited the communities sacked by the recent flood surge at its peak may not fully appreciate what the affected people are currently passing through. The same is also true of those who are not victims of the flood.

It sounds like a fairy tale that a building, including storey buildings, can be completely swallowed by the surging flood. But this ugly incident happened in several communities in Imo State. Areas originally inhabited by people suddenly turned into a vast volume of water!

People were displaced and rendered homeless. Hard earned properties and ecosystem were destroyed. Farmlands, cash crops, poultry and fish farms were swallowed by flood. Over 123 farm settlements and satellite towns are under water.

Crops that were almost ready for harvest were all lost to the ravaging flood. Wildlife, fauna and flora became mere history.

Reptiles, especially the dangerous ones like snakes, were dislodged. Snake bite became rampant in the affected communities.

A good percentage of oil wells in Oguta and Egbema were shut unceremoniously and production stopped. Oil workers scampered into safety.

The power plant currently under construction in Egbema was submerged. Apart from the workers abandoning work on the site, only God knows the state of the equipment already installed and when work will resume at the site.

Two people were reported dead in Oguta. Health hazard in the affected communities became an issue, indeed a serious matter. Sources of water have thereafter been polluted.

With this level of devastation, agony and confusion, people’s virtue of love and compassion came under serious test.

Some notable Imo sons and daughters took up the challenge. The first to visit the flood victims and made huge personal donations was the Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, Chief Emeka Ihedioha.

The speed with which he responded to the distress call of the flood victims was amazing.

Others included Governor Rochas Okorocha, the immediate past Governor of Imo State, Chief Ikedi Ohakim, the Minister of State (1) for Foreign Affairs, Professor Viola

Onwuliri and the member representing Oguta/Egbema/Oru East federal constituency, Chief Gerald Irona.

“I am shocked at the level of devastation. This is a sad visit.

It is a thing of joy that Oguta people started looking for remedies instead of rioting. This shows the level of understanding and development of the people,” Ihedioha said.

He reasoned that “flood is now a national issue”, promising that all the remedies put in place by government would go round and no area would be short changed. He also assured that relief would reach the people soonest.

Ohakim described the level of devastation in the affected communities as “very grave”, stressing that his visit was a demonstration of love to those affected.

“Imo people cannot forget you in this time of need. It is regrettable that the flood affected areas are the oil-bearing communities and by extension, the wealth and food zones of the state. I enjoin you to ensure equitable distribution of the relief materials,” Ohakim pleaded.

Although the flood has started receding gradually, the huge ruins visited on people’s homes and farmlands, as well

,

BY CHIDI NKWOPARA, Owerri

I am shocked at the level of devastation; this is a sad visit; (but) it is a thing of joy that Oguta people started looking for remedies instead of rioting

,

as the pains of the victims are still very visible. The question that has continued to agitate the minds of some concerned citizens is the post management of the flood disaster.

*Flooded part of Oguta. INSET: Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, Chief Emeka Ihedioha, consoling a flood victim.

Abandoned baby in Calabar stirs condemnation

A

dead baby was found abandoned by an unknown person behind the Medical Students Hostel on Moore Road Calabar near the Office of the Wife of Cross River State Governor.

Speaking to journalists at the scene, the Special Assistant to the Governor on Public Health/ NGO and Special Projects, Dr. Regina Ejemot-Nwadiaro, said her attention was drawn to the incident by an anonymous caller and when she got to the scene and confirmed the story, she immediately called the Calabar Urban Development Authority, CUDA, who quickly responded to the call and subsequently alerted the Police.

She condemned the perpetrator(s) of the dastardly act which she described as callous, inhuman and outright wickedness.

She intimated that for the past five years the wife of the State Governor, Mrs. Obioma LiyelImoke, has been championing the stamping out of teenage pregnancy and child abandonment in the state through her project, Mothers Against Child Abandonment, MACA. “It is thus, disheartening that in spite of the consistent efforts by Mrs. Obioma Liyel-Imoke and the MACA team, people could still dump babies,” she wondered.

The Dr. Ejemot-Nwadiaro stated that the main goal of MACA is to prevent teenage pregnancy and child abandonment and ultimately to save lives. She called on the public to avail themselves of the

services MACA provides and reiterated that MACA’s ultimate goal is to contribute to the achievement of Millennium Development Goals, especially as it concerns child and maternal mortality. She stated that Mrs. Imoke also initiated the Calabar Carnival Queen, CCQ, as the face of MACA which goes on advocacy/ sensitization visits to secondary schools the state, preaching

abstinence from pre-marital sex and building their confidence.

MACA also has trained counselors and a 24-hour helpline for people that may wish to make further enquires, give information or obtain assistance.

The Executive Secretary of CUDA, Gabriel Egari confirmed the incident and promised to incident the case with the Police as well as get clearance before his office could evacuate and bury the dead baby.

Okada ban: Commuters stranded, rail passengers increase

BY OLASUNKANMI AKONI

A

S Lagos residents re sumed duty after the long Sallah break, many commuters have been stranded at various bus-stops. This is as a result of few available commercial buses on the road as well as non-availability of commercial motorcycle operators popularly called Okada, due to the restriction order on their activities.

As early as 7 am, major busstops are daily filled with commuters waiting endlessly for scarce buses. Most of the commuters complained bitterly, blaming the cause on the restriction of okada on major routes.

The commercial bus operators who seized the opportunity to hike fare to about 100 percent blamed fuel scarcity and the hike in the price of fuel for the development.

Stranded commuters are daily noticed at Egbeda, Iyana- Ipaja,

Agege, Ogba and Ikeja bus-stops.

Others include Anthony, Palmgrove, Ojota, Ketu, Oworosonki and Oshodi.

According to a commuter who identified herself as Mrs Ngozi Johnson on Monday: “Today’s scarcity of commercial buses is very bad. I have been standing at the Egbeda bus-stop for the past one hour and I’m still going to Ikeja, my place of work. I am already late for work. In the past, I would have taken okada to Ikeja amd from there connect to my office”.

Some of the respondents attributed the development to the Sallah holidays with many people rushing back to resume work.

Meantime, rail stations have continued to witnessed influx of passengers as more commuters have turned to railway. One railway staff at Agege Pen Cinema rail crossing, who did not reveal his identity, said since the clamp down on Okada the number of passengers through the railway has risen.

Vanguard, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2012—21

BY MICHAEL EBOH

T

HE International Finance Corporation, IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, has entered into a partnership with Citi Group to boost trade and economic development in emerging markets across the globe with the signing of a N158 billion (US$1 billion) risk-sharing facility.

According to a statement jointly signed by Michael Kurdyla of the IFC, Capucine Boncenne and Nina Das, both of Citi, the facility will stimulate the growth of trade, drive job creation and economic development in emerging countries.

They stated that Citi will use the funding to originate trade finance transactions in Africa, Asia, Central and Eastern Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East, enabling its bank clients to extend financing to local importers and exporters.

The funding, according to them, is expected to support emerging market trade flows of up to $6 billion through 2015.

The signing, the statement noted, marks the first extension of an existing

IFC, Citi sign N158bn deal for growth of emerging markets facility under the IFC Global Trade Liquidity Program, adding that IFC and Citi

initially launched a trade finance facility in October 2009.

The statement explained that the facility reached $900 million at its peak and

From left Mrs Leyla Rzakulieva, Global Manager, Upstream Public and Government Affairs, Exxonmobil; Mr Kenny Obaderu, Manager, Public Affairs Dept, National Petroleum Investment Management Services, NAPIMS; Mr Mard Ward, Chairman/ Managing Director; Deacon Timothy Oladele, National Vice President, Nigeria Red Cross and Mr Abdul-Rasheed Onibudo, Chairman, Lagos State Branch during a cheque donations ceremony for flood victims held in Lagos on Wednesday. Photo by Lamidi Bamidele

ITF, NECA partner in devt of technical education

BY WILLIAM JIMOH

I

NDUSTRIAL Training Fund (ITF) and the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA) have pledged to constantly see to the development of technical education in Nigeria, saying that it remains a crucial step towards economic growth in the country.

Speaking during a facility inspection tour at the Federal Science and Technology College Yaba in Lagos, Mrs. Helen Jemerigbe, ITF-NECA Technical Skills Development Project Director, said the initiative is committed to producing skilled manpower that will not only be self employed but also serve as employers of labour.

Mr. Olusegun Aganga, Minister of Trade and Investment, represented by Mrs. Susan Oludiya, a Director in the Ministry, and officials of ITF and NECA were taken round the college’s electrical laboratory where the various tools and equipment donated to the school where displayed and inspected by the group. They included, control pumps, widow conductors, ovens, electricity generator as well as

tools bodies filled with electrical tools.

Aganga said the Federal Government is looking forward to the betterment of the life of the citizens, while noting that they are currently exploiting every available medium to achieve this, especially in the area of trade and investment.

“We will look into what can be done to make sure that we give our best as we are trying to be accountable,” he maintained.

Other materials donated to the electronic laboratory of the college includes: power supply devices, digital video recorders, transmission line, security cameras, stabilizers

plasma TV sets among others.

The group was also shown the various project works that students have been able to do with the tools and equipment provided by ITF-NECA intervention. This is believed that after their training will make them self-employed as well as earn them money.

Cleaning industry can drive Nigeria’s economic growth — Akintola

T

HE cleaning industry in Nigeria has enormous business potentials and can contribute meaningfully to the growth of the economy if properly harnessed.

Mrs. Kehinde Akintola, Managing Director, Express Cleaners, who disclosed this in a press conference in Lagos, announcing the opening of a new office in Abuja, also stated that the organisations in the industry would be properly positioned to contribute to the country’s economic development if operators focus on delivering cutting edge technology in line with global standards.

She urged cleaning organisation to adhere strictly to sound professional standards as this is the major panacea to engender growth in the industry.

According to her, it has become imperative for cleaning firms to leverage

on the huge potentials the industry offers and adopt pro-active strategies to remain competitive.

Akintola also enjoined stakeholders in the cleaning industry to focus on global standards to grow the industry and remain competitive in the emerging global market.

She said Express Cleaners, one of the leading industrial cleaning firms, is committed to sustaining a sound business pedigree, adding that the new office is part of its strategic business goals to deliver superior services to the target clients.

She explained that the company is raising the bar of service with speed to enhance customer satisfaction.

She said, “The brand promise is to enhance customer satisfaction and deliver cutting edge services to clients.

supported $6 billion of emerging market trade over its three-year life, adding that the IFC-Citi facility financed more than 2,000 funded trade investment instruments through 92 banks in 23 developing countries.

The statement further noted that the facility extension will expand the availability of trade finance for clients in emerging markets over a three-year span through a 5050 risk-sharing structure, with the IFC and partners, including other development finance institutions, contributing $500 million, while Citi will provide an additional $500 million.

Commenting on the deal, Naveed Sultan, Global Head of Treasury and Trade Solutions at Citi, said, “Citi’s partnership with the IFC has been a tremendous success, helping to stimulate the recovery and growth of global trade in emerging markets.

“We look forward to continuing our partnership with banks, corporations, and the public sector across emerging markets to continue to stimulate global trade.”

Also speaking, Georgina Baker, IFC Director for Global Trade and Supply Chain Solutions, said, “As the availability of global trade finance continues to decline, IFC is committed to working with Citi on innovative solutions like the Global Trade Liquidity Program to maintain and expand trade finance flows in the developing world.

154.85

-2.35

2,377.00

-13.00

19.40

-0.16

108.96 86.29

-0.12 +0.61

CURRENCY BUYING CENTRAL SELLING DOLLAR 154.74 STERLING 249.3945 EURO 201.162 FRANC 166.4766 YEN 1.9381 CFA 0.2868 WAUA 237.2936 RENMINBI 24.8079 RIYAL 41.2596 KRONA 26.9601 SDR 238.052

155.24 250.2003 201.812 167.0145 1.9444 0.2968 238.0604 24.8885 41.3929 27.0472 238.8212

155.74 251.0062 251.0062 167.5524 1.9507 0.3068 238.8271 24.9691 41.5262 27.1343 239.5904

CBN Exchange rate as at 1/11/2012

22 — Vanguard, FRIDAY,

NOVEMBER 2, 2012

AIHN raises concern over threat to issuing houses’ sustainability

BY MICHAEL EBOH

T

HE Association of Issu ing Houses of Nigeria, AIHN, has expressed concern over the level of capacity development and self-regulation among issuing houses in the country, saying this is a threat to the long-term sustainability of the firms.

Speaking at the annual general meeting of AIHN in Lagos, Mr. Bolaji Balogun, Chairman of the association, said the AIHN is aware that it did not do enough in capacity development and self-regulation in the last one year.

According to him, AIHN strongly believes that deepening institutional capacity and introducing a culture of selfregulation will be integral to the long term sustainability of member firms.

“Accordingly, over the next few months, we will develop a capacity development plan for our membership,” Balogun disclosed.

He maintained that the association has consistently played a vital role in ensuring a conducive environment for investment banking and the issuance of different asset classes in the Nigerian capital market.

The AIHN boss, who is also the chief executive of Chapel Hill Advisory Partner Limited,

said the association is partnering with key stakeholders to ensure that the capital market effectively carry out its role of capital formation and contributing to economic development.

He said, “AIHN has worked on a number of initiatives with a view to contributing to the medium to long term sustainability of our member firms and ensuring that the Nigerian capital market can play its primary role in capital formation within the context of the nation’s economic development.

“Some of our initiatives this

year, include working with government, regulators and other stakeholders to get capital market issues on the nation’s economic agenda and we have received tremendous support from the Coordinating Minister of the Economy and Honourable Minister of Finance, the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, among others.

“We have also worked consistently to support other trade groups, most notably the brokerage community in lobbying for the acceptance of a strategy to fast track market recovery and long term sustainabil-

ity in the market.”

In its Income and Expenditure account for the year ended, December 31, 2011, the AIHN recorded members’ subscription of N22.5 million, down from N22.6 million recorded in its 2010 financial year.

It posted investment income of N6.4 million, up from N191,359 recorded in 2010; other income went up to N1.97 million from N1.645 million recorded in 2010; bringing its total income to N30.871 million, dropping sharply from N123.762 million recorded in 2010.

From left: Mr Daniel Monehin, Division President Sub-Sahara Africa, Mastercard Worldwide; Mr Martin Holloway, VP, Sales Africa and Middle East, Verifone, UK and Mr Chuma Ezirim, Chairman, Committee of e-Banking Industry Head (CeBIH) during the 2012 annual confrence/ retreat of CeBIH in Calabar, Cross River State. Photo: Nwankpa Chijoke.

Bonds trading on NSE to commence soon — SEC

BY PETER EGWUATU

A

RRANGEMENT is on the way to trade bonds on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) following efforts by the Central Securities Clearing System (CSCS) Limited to make seamless migration of the bonds from Over the Counter (OTC)

to Automated Trading System (ATS).

Director General, Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Ms. Arunma Oteh, who disclosed this on Wednesday in Lagos during the quarterly meeting of the Capital Market Committees (CMC) said, “The CSCS software is being upgrad-

ed to conform to the upgraded trading platform of the NSE. The CSCS has told us that investors’ registration can now be done electronically and is very easy and could be completed within 24 hours provided information needed are supplied. The CSCS said they are also working with market development committee

NSE adds 7up, UPDC to market making stocks

BY CHINEDU IBEABUCHI

T

HE Nigerian Stock Ex change, NSE, yesterday, included stocks of Seven-up Bottling Company Plc and UAC-Property Development Company Plc to the list of Market Making stocks.

The two stocks are from the Consumer Goods and Construction/Real Estate Sectors of the Exchange respectively.

According to a statement signed by its Head, Media Relations, Mr Wole Tokede, the introduction of the new stocks is in line with the phased approach of bringing in additional stocks from the list of stocks in the baskets of Market Makers on The Exchange, gradually.

According to him, the NSE promised at the inception of the initiative on September 18 2012, that all the stocks quoted on the Exchange that are trading above par value will be added to the Market Making initiative over a period of six months.

C M Y K

Since the initiative kicked off with 16 stocks, twelve (12) other stocks had been added at different times. The two newly added stocks bring the number to 30. The 30 stocks covered by the initiatives now are: PZ Cussons Nigeria Plc; Nigerian Bag Manufacturing Company Plc; Presco Plc; International Breweries; Lafarge Wapco; Fidson Healthcare Plc; Redstar Express Plc; Zenith Bank Plc; Sterling Bank Plc; D.N.Meyer; Diamond Bank; FCMB; Fidelity Bank Plc; Nigerian Breweries Plc; Guaranty Trust Bank Plc and UAC Nigeria Plc. (UACN).

Others are: Access Bank Plc; Academy Press Plc; Custodian & Allied Insurance Plc; First Bank Plc; Dangote Sugar Plc; Union Bank Plc; NASCON Plc; Nestle Nigeria Plc; AIICO Insurance Plc; United Bank for Africa Plc; Ecobank Transnational Plc; Skye Bank Plc; 7Up Plc and UAC Property Development Plc.

to ensure the realization of full dematerialization of capital market activities.”

Commenting on the bond issue, Managing Director of CSCS, Mr. Kyari Abba Bukar , who was represented at the meeting said, “With the seamless migration of bonds from the OTC to ATS, retail investors will now have opportunity to partake in the bond market through the trading platform provided by the NSE.” Meanwhile, the Director General, Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Ms. Arunma Oteh, has called on state governments that are yet to comply with the Pension Act of 2004 to quickly comply in order to ensure that pensioners continue to enjoy when they retire from active service.

According to him, “The Director General of Pencom has told us that only 10 states have so far complied with the Pension Act of 2004. This is not good for the country. Those states that are yet to implement their own pension law should emulate others and do the right thing.”

Mansard Insurance records N10bn profit in third quarter

BY ROSEMARY ONUOHA

M

ANSARD Insurance Plc has posted Gross Premium Income, GPI, of N10.05 billion for the third quarter ended 2012.

According to unaudited third quarter financial results for the period ended September 30, 2012 the figure represents a 22 per cent increase from the September 2011 figure of N8.26 billion.

Net premium revenue stood at N3.55 billion from N2.92 billion of the preceding period to represent a 22 per cent growth as well while investment income & other operating income was N1.26 billion up 91 per cent from last September’s figure of N662 million.

Profit before tax was N1.37 billion from N811 million of the preceding period which is an increase of 68 per cent while profit after tax of N1.22 billion, an increase of 98 per cent against N619 million of the preceding period.

Commenting on the company’s performance, Chief Client Officer, Tosin Runsewe said that the result validates its leadership position within the industry and shows that it remain on track towards achieving strategic goal for the year.

Dangote to offer discount at Lagos trade fair

I

N order to expand its mar ket share and reach more customers, companies under the Dangote Group have concluded plans to exhibit at the Lagos International Trade Fair, (LITF) which kicks off tomorrow at the Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS) Onikan, Lagos with consumer pocket-friendly prices.

Companies from the group that are exhibiting at the fair include Dangote Sugar Refinery, Dangote Flour Mill, Dangote Agrosacks, National Salt Company of Nigeria (NASCON), Dangote Pasta, Dangote Cement, Dangote Noodles and Dansa Foods Limited.

Some of the products to be displayed at the fair include Danvita, Alkama (wheat meal), confectionary flour, noodles, sugar, salt, tomato paste, various ranges of fruit juice products and bottled water from Dansa Foods.

Dangote Sugar will be offering customers its 500 gram granulated sugar at the fair.

According to Mr. Anthony Chiejina, Head, Corporate Communications of Dangote Group, visitors to the group’s pavilion at the fair will have the opportunity of buying products of these companies at reduced prices.

VANGUARD, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2012—23

Cabotage fund hits N25.4bn, as NIMASA, banks set for disbursement STORIES BY GODWIN ORITSE

THE Cabotage Vessel Financing Fund,CVFF, of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, has hit a total of $169 million, equivalent of N25.4 billion, as at September 2012.

Disclosing this in Lagos recently, NIMASA’s Director-General Mr. Patrick Akpobolokemi, said that the agency has also concluded plans to commence disbursement of the fund, adding that all that was needed was for the Minister of Transport to give approval for the disbursement.

Akpobolokemi explained that the law regulating the use of the fund has also been modified just as recommendation with regards to disbursement have also been received from the banks.

The agency's boss, however, decried some challenges that NIMASA is currently facing some of which include weak syn-

ergy among relevant agencies, inadequate technical manpower and limited funding to invest in critical maritime infrastructure.

Already, NIMASA has sent out a notice spelling out the criteria for application for the fund issued out to members of the Indigenous Shipowners Association of Nigeria, ISAN, and other investors in the nation’s shipping industry.

The agency said all verifiable ship owners, ship

agents and fully established companies with ability to charter vessels could apply for not more than $25 million (N3.92 billion). Investors are also required to provide evidence of the type of ves-

sels they intend to acquire with the fund.

The CVFF, meant to assist in empowering indigenous shippers in the areas of ship acquisition, maintenance and other relevant investments, is

F

NIMASA said: “Ship owners must at least own one classed vessel with P&I coverage and must have fully structured shipping company, which is verifiable and registered with NIMASA.

FIATA accreditation, my greatest achievement — CRFFN Chairman

C

HAIRMAN, Gov erning Council of the Council for the Regulation of Freight For-

warding in Nigeria, CRFFN, Alhaji Hakeem Olanrewaju, has appealed to parties in-

Maritime Hall of Fame honours Chikwe, Usoro, Imoke, others ORMER Transport and Aviation Minister, (Dr.) Mrs. Kema Chikwe, along side Mrs. Obioma Liyel-Imoke, wife of the Cross River State Governor; Ms Hauwa Audu, Managing Director, Amyn Investment Ltd and Mrs. Mfon Ekong Usoro, have been inducted into the Maritime Hall of Fame.

The three women were amongst 17 other women

administered by NIMASA under the Coastal and Inland Shipping (CABOTAGE) Guidelines 2006, which established and set up the procedures for the administration of the fund.

inducted into the Maritime Management Series Women of fortune Hall of Fame.

Speaking at the induction ceremony, which also marked the 2nd anniversary of MMS Plus’ (an industry-based) weekly newspaper, Transport Minister, Senator Idris Umar, commended women in the maritime industry. He urged others to

take a cue from the successes these women have recorded in their respective areas of endeavour.

The Minister, who was represented by Mrs. Mary Akpan, Deputy Director, Maritime Services, also urged the inductees, whom he said have excelled in the maritime, finance, oil and gas industries, to be steadfast in their chosen career.

volved in the crisis currently rocking the freight forwarding industry, even as he congratulated Nigeria for achieving the feat of obtaining accreditation from the global International Federation of Freight Forwarding Associations, FIATA. The CRFFN chairman, who spoke for the first time since FIATA granted approval to Nigeria to start running diploma programmes in Freight Forwarding and Logistics, explained that the accreditation confirmed that his leadership was purposedriven.

Olanrewaju said: “I

thank God that we have achieved that feat. We were committed to it and we gave it all that we should. It’s a our noble contribution to the growth of our profession.”

He affirmed that with the approval, Nigerian universities and other higher institutions can now offer courses in freight forwarding.

“Whatever certificates that are issued by the institutions are recognised all over the world, and once you get the Higher Diploma, you can use it for your Masters degree anywhere in the world,” he added.

24—Vanguard, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2012

Cashless: Restriction on third party cheques to go nationwide next year —CBN

By BABAJIDE KOMOLAFE

T

HE Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has said that the N150, 000 restrictions on third party cheques currently in Lagos state would become nationwide from next year.

Deputy Director, Banking and Payment System Department, CBN, Mr. Emmanuel Obaigbhona disclosed this at the 2nd annual conference/retreat of Committee of E-Banking Industry Heads (CeBIH) held in Calabar yesterday.

Under the cashless policy, third party cheques with values above N150, 000 cannot be cashed across the counter but through bank accounts. This restriction was however implemented only in Lagos state as part of the cashless Lagos initiative, which to test run the cashless policy.

“The N150,000 maximum limit imposed on third party cheques for across the counter withdrawal that is only available in Lagos, from January next year is going to be nationawide”, Obaigbhonna said during the panel discussion at the conference.

The theme of the CeBIH conference was, “Developing a Market Structure that works: Challenges & Prospects for the Nigeria Payments System’.

Chairman of CeBIH, Mr. Chuma Ezirim commended the CBN and NIBSS for the various policies introduced to drive electronic payment in the country.

“CeBIH is committed to development of an efficient payment system in Nigeria. The industry however needs to recognise that electronic payment is not a service but a business and it has to be driven by operators instead of regulators.

Obaigbhonna said while the industry has made significant progress in the implementation of the cashless policy, there is need for collaboration among stakeholders in the electronic payment system to improve on it.

“In terms of development in the payment system, if we look at our country, we would observe some major improvements since 2007. The aim of the CBN basically is to promote electronic payments and make sure that we have a payment system that is not only effective but a payment system that is nationally utilised and international recognised.

“We are looking at a system that even the poor can use at affordable rates.

“But to achieve this, CBN needs the cooperation of all operators in the electronic payment system. For example

all the policies introduced by the CBN to drive electronic payments were based on suggestions and contributions of banks especially the Bankers Committee.

“The role of the CBN is that of catalysts. We are there to push the system forward but we depend on the knowledge of the operators and stakeholders in the system”.

He said while operators are out to promote their individual interest, the CBN is committed to promoting the national economy and this was the philosophy behind the introduction of the cashless

policy.

The cashless policy he, said w as primarily aimed at enthroning electronic payment. “And we are making progress but we need ideas from this group. We suppose to come together because CBN encourages collaboration. We need to hear from you, you are the experts on electronic payment. It is from your own perspectives that a lot of things happen. You tell us your own views, we look at them, and we invite you to discuss, and we would be able to come up with

something for the industry.

He called on CeBIH to collaborate with the CBN and NIBSS. Banks need to go to the Nigeria Interbank Settlement System (NIBSS) and understand what is happening there. We put NIBSS in the center, NIBSS is actually in charge of retail payments and the National Central Switch (NCS), operated by the company is designed to achieve interoperability which is critical to driving electronic payment in the country. So we need to collaborate and work with NIBSS.

President/Chairman of Council, Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN), Mr. Segun Aina, presenting honorary Fellowship Award to Managing Director/CEO, Skye Bank Plc, Mr. Kehinde Durosinmi-Etti, while the Chairman, Board of Fellows, Mrs. Debola Osibogun watches, at the CIBN 2012 Fellowship Investiture, in Lagos.

Greek journalist tried over Swiss bank list

G

REEK lawyers launched their defense of a prominent journalist on Thursday charged with breaking private data rules after he published the names of more than 2,000 wealthy Greeks believed to be holding Swiss bank accounts.

The printing of the “Lagarde List” by magazine editor Costas Vaxavanis has touched a nerve in almost-bankrupt Greece, where rampant tax evasion is undermining a struggle to cut public costs and raise revenue under an EU/IMF bailout deal.

His speedy arrest and trial following publication at the weekend has enraged many here already furious over consecutive governments’ failure to crack down on a rich elite, who they blame for years of recession that has wiped out a fifth of economic output and hammered middleclass living standards.

Vaxevanis, editor of the “Hot Doc” weekly, was surrounded by fellow journalists and other supporters who packed the Athens courtroom as his lawyers began their defense.

They argued the prosecution had charged him without any of those on the list having filed a complaint about privacy violation, a rare occurrence in a freedom of speech or defamation case in Greece.

“He’s been accused without reason,” said Nicos Constantopoulous, his lawyer and a former leftist politician. “The principles of a fair trial are not being followed.”

Under Greek laws covering sensitive data, a defendant must stand trial within 48 hours if arrested within a day of charges being filed in absentia. Vaxevanis faces up to two years in prison if convicted.

First Academy combines tenets of cooperate training to develop workforce

BY ELIZABETH AMIHOR

F

IRST Academy foundation school in order to develop the First Bank workforce has said it would combine the tenets of corporate training with the intellectual discipline and rigour that underpin academic learning.

The Chief Executive Officer, First bank Nigeria Plc, Mr. Bisi Onasanya, disclosed this at the school graduation ceremony, yesterday in Lagos.

He said, “I would like to reiterate that we are determined to have First Academy stand true to its name. As our grandaunts would attest, in developing the First Bank workforce, the academy is combining the tenets of corporate

training with the intellectual discipline and rigour that underpin academic learning, as we accentuate workplace performance and productivity.”

Speaking at the event Bisi said that the Academy is committed to attracting and retaining the best human capital available in the banking market whilst a platform is also provided through the Academy to hone the skills, knowledge and capabilities of their workforce for competitive advantage.

Speaking further, bisi said that the academy was designed to offer newly hired first bankers the full spectrum of basic Banking and finance competencies (through ‘hands-on learning), while

embedding First bank’s culture at the formative stage of the employees’ careers.

“First Academy was specifically inaugurated to provide a strategic platform for competence development, knowledge management, culture change, and overall organizational transformation. The academy is made up the Foundation School for entrylevel staff, the Specialized Banking School, Management School and Leadership School. Our goal is to continually invest in our people, in order to uphold superior performance, sustain shareholder value, and assure our Bank’s future successes in a sustainable manner.”

Congratulating the gruadu-

ants Bisi said, “I am delighted to join you at this event which marks the end of the 16 weeks intensive learning journey of the pioneer set of the First Academy Foundation School. I commend and congratulate today’s grandaunts who have gone through various sessions of in-depth learning and developments, to enable them successfully navigate through their careers in the Bank.

“I am certain that the grandaunts have gained significant knowledge of the Bank’s heritage, strategy, products and services, business policies and processes, as well as people management practices, among other insights offered in the Foundation School”, he added.

Vanguard, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2012 — 25

SEC to meet BPE over listing of privatised entities

BY PETER EGWUATU

T

HE Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), yesterday, said it is to meet the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), to discuss issues on the already privatized entities with a view of making them to list their shares on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE).

The Commission also disclosed that the demutualization of the NSE is still on course as it is still

working on the framework and guideline that would be put in place before the exercise takes off.

Director General, SEC, Ms. Arunma Oteh, who disclosed this during the fourth quarter meeting of Capital Market Committees (CMC), said, “ The Commission will be working with the BPE to ensure that already privatized entities before now are listed on the NSE based on the agreement they had with the

Bureau. For instance Eleme Petrochemical, one of the companies previously privatized is doing well and the portion of government shares could be listed on the Exchange to allow the indigenes own stake and participate in the fortune of the entity.”

She expressed confidence that volume and value of transactions on the NSE will increase when some of the recently privatized entities in the power sector list

on the Exchange.

She commended the NSE on its effort in attracting more companies list of the Exchange, saying “This is the reason why the Commission approved the multiple listing requirements recommended by the NSE. This has not been in existence before now. So it is because of its importance that we approved it. We hope by first quarter of 2013, we shall see more companies list on the NSE.”

On the issue of demutualising the NSE, she said, “The committee on demutualization has finished its work and we are currently working on the frame work and guideline that will be put in place. Once we are through, the Commission will announce it. Demutualization will ensure owners of the Exchange get real value of their entity.”

Demutualization is a process of making a local stock exchange get listed on its own exchange as well as in other stock exchanges around the world. In fact, It is a process of making an Exchange becomes a publicly quoted entity.

Speaking further, Oteh, disclosed that the issue of consolidation of stockbrokers is still on course as committee on market development is still working with Association of Stock broking Houses of Nigeria (ASHON) to come up with modalities in how to address minimum capital requirement, technology upgrade, manpower development etc.

The SEC boss further noted that a new investment guideline as it affect capital market from Nigerian Pension Commission ( PENCOM) will soon be released as this will help further boost activities in the market.

FG worried by chances of oil price fall

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HE Nigerian Fi nance Minister, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo Iweala, yesterday, said she is concerned that oil and gas prices could fall as more countries uncover reserves and make plans to adapt to this new environment in the secto, minister said on Thursday.

“We are worried, we are concerned, because obviously so many countries are discovering oil and gas so the supply will be increasing over the next few years and therefore we need to plan accordingly to make sure we have the necessary buffers in our own economy,” Ngozi Okonjo Iweala told reporters during a visit to London.

She was speaking in the context of a domestic budget debate which has seen parliament press for the government to count on a higher oil price and save less of its current high revenues from the sector.

Oil makes up around 80 percent of government revenues in the OPEC member country.

The draft 2013 budget assumes a global oil price of $75 a barrel, up from $72 a barrel in 2012, but parliament has pushed to raise the benchmark to as much as $80 per barrel.

Money earned from oil over the benchmark price is deposited into a savings mechanism

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called the Excess Crude Account (ECA).

Any increase in the benchmark price will therefore reduce savings and make Nigeria less resistant to oil price shocks.

“In terms of benchmark price, we strongly believe that 75 dollars is the right benchmark for us, it will help us to build buffers,” Okonjo-Iweala said.

“The national assembly thinks differently. We are a democracy, they want to have it slightly higher (so) we’re in dialogue.”

The minister added that Nigeria was still considering issuing a Eurobond next year.

Nigeria has said over the past few months that it was looking at issuing an infrastructure bond worth up to $1 billion in 2013, but without confirming whether it would go ahead with the plan or not.

“We are planning one, we are working hard on it, we have to gauge appetite out there and see what we can do, but yes we do have that in mind,” she said.

Nigeria issued a debut $500 million Eurobond in January last year, which was 2.5 times oversubscribed.

“But I can tell you that we’re going, whatever the case may be, to maintain a tight fiscal stance.”

26—Vanguard, FRIDAY, N OVEMBER 2, 2012

Global meat production, consumption slow down

G

•Dr Nteranya Sanginga at Crawford

IITA proffers recipe to food insecurity STORIES BY JIMOH BABATUNDE

F

ood security in Africa will remain elusive with isolated successes, fuelling a sense of false optimism in an otherwise dismal situation unless decisive actions are taken to assist small-scale farmers to grow more and more valuable crops, according to the Director General of the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Dr Nteranya Sanginga.

Addressing participants at the Crawford Fund annual conference in Australia, Dr Sanginga noted that in spite of the progress made in crop improvement, low soil fertility and nutrient depletion continue to present huge obstacles to securing the needed harvests.

The Director General’s position is supported by recent studies by IITA in the Great Lakes region of Eastern Africa that show that majority of the soils in that region are now barren with very little fertility. The barren soils are a result of years of mining and insufficient replacement of nutrients by smallholder farmers, mostly practicing low-input agriculture.

Dr Sanginga suggested the adoption of Integrated Soil Fertility Management (ISFM) which is defined as ‘the application of soil fertility management practices, and the knowledge to adapt these to local conditions, which optimize fertilizer and organic resource use efficiency and crop productivity.’ ISFM is also the topic of an ongoing international conference in Nairobi, Kenya, where the Institute’s natural resource management specialists and C M Y K

experts, including the DG, are attending.

Dr Sanginga said that ISFM presented a means to overcome the dilemma of low productivity, by offering farmers better returns for investment in fertilizer, through its combination with

indigenous agro-minerals and available organic resources.

He, however, pointed out that disseminating the knowledge of ISFM and developing incentives for its adoption now stand as a challenge for national

planners and rural development specialists, and if done efficiently would result in more productive and sustainable agriculture, improved household and regional food security, and increased incomes among small-scale farmers.

Farmers get free cocoa pods from agric ministry A

strategic consideration in the transformation of the cocoa sector involving the use of improved genetic stocks (newly released CRINc1 – 8, WACRI 11 Hybrids & F3Amazon) and phased replacement of old unproductive stocks with new high yielding stocks got a boost last week at Owena, near Akure in Ondo State.

This was during the official flag-off of the free distribution of improved hybrid varieties of cocoa pods to farmers in the south west to plant and increase their farm sizes.

To stop further use of poor yielding and old varieties and systematically replace the tree stocks in Nigeria, the minister, in a speech read on his behalf by Dr. Julius Odeyemi, the south west regional director in ministry, “we have engaged specialised seed production units at Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria, Tree Crops Units of Ondo, Osun and Ekiti States to produce 3.6 million hybrid pods that will be given to cocoa farmers. This has the potentials of raising the current production on farms

from 350 kg/ha to 1,000 kg/ha and also reducing time to maturity from five years to 24 – 30 months of field establishment.”

The minister expressed the hope that, “as we flag off free distribution of these selected hybrid pods today, these will be useful to re-position cocoa as a veritable and substantial foreign exchange earning commodity, creating jobs, wealth and prosperity for our farmers, traders, warehouse merchants, processors and exporters, state governments and the nation as a whole.’

C

ocoa agribusiness, he pointed out, :”must be attractive to the youths in both operation and wealth creation.

We must harness our resources to play significantly in the global market. First we are focusing on maximizing yield per unit land area on the current 650,000 ha of active plantation through efficient use of critical inputs like agrochemicals, fertiliser and good agricultural practices. To this end, the customized Cocoa-Growth Enhancement Support Program (Cocoa –

GES) is being implemented.”

In partnership with the private sector, he added, the government is supporting the most vulnerable cocoa farmers’ access to critical yield-enhancing inputs. ?Our goal is to leverage Cocoa GES to lift these farmers out of the trap of poverty and set them on the path to become sustainable commercial farmers. The targeted support provided through the Cocoa – GES program includes a discount of 50 % off the cost of these critical inputs (1) 200 sachets of approved fungicides, (2) five 50kg bags of NPK 20:10:10 fertilizer with 5 kg Agrolyser and (3) 50 sachets of insecticides. This translates into N43,000.00 in support to the most vulnerable cocoa farmers.”

He underscored the response of the government thus: “One main goal for the Nigerian Cocoa industry is simple: Double production to 500,000 MT by 2015. To accomplish this, the Cocoa Transformation Team has developed a three-prong M.R.E Strategy: Maximise, Rehabilitate and Expand.

lobal meat production rose to 297 million tons in 2011, an increase of 0.8 percent over 2010 levels, and is projected to reach 302 million tons by the end of 2012, according to new research conducted by the Worldwatch Institute’s Nourishing the Plane.

By comparison, meat production rose 2.6 percent in 2010 and has risen 20 percent since 2001. Record drought in the U.S. Midwest, animal disease outbreaks, and rising prices of livestock feed all contributed to 2011 and 2012’s lower rise in production, write report authors Danielle Nierenberg and Laura Reynolds.

Also bucking a decadeslong trend, meat consumption decreased slightly worldwide in 2011, from 42.5 kilograms (kg) per person in 2010 to 42.3 kg. Since 1995, however, per capita meat consumption has increased 15 percent overall; in developing countries, it increased 25 percent during this time, whereas in industrialized countries it increased just 2 percent.

Although the disparity between meat consumption in developing and industrialized countries is shrinking, it remains high: the average person in a developing country ate 32.3 kg of meat in 2011, whereas in industrialized countries people ate 78.9 kg on average.

Pork was the most popular meat in 2011, accounting for 37 percent of both meat production and consumption, at 109 million tons. This was followed closely by poultry meat, with 101 million tons produced.

Yet pork production decreased 0.8 percent from 2010, whereas poultry meat production rose 3 percent, making it likely that poultry will become the most-produced meat in the next few years.

A breakdown of meat production by geographic region reveals the dramatic shift in centers of production from industrialized to developing countries over the last decade. In 2000, for example, North America led the world in beef production, at 13 million tons, while South America produced 12 million tons and Asia, 10 million tons.

Vanguard, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2012 — 27

NSITF pays N14m claims to employees

BY VICTOR AHIUMAYOUNG

M

ANAGING Director/Chief Executive Officer, CEO of Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund, NSITF, Alhaji Munir Abubakar, has said the fund has paid a total of N14, 837,005.66 as claims to companies under the Employees’ Compensation Act, ECA, 2010.

The claims were paid to employees involved in accidents including dead victims of such accidents.

Abubakar who spoke in Lagos during an interactive session with industrial unions on the implementation of ECA 2010, Lagos, said “The Fund has refunded to employers the sum of N14, 217,494.31, while N619,511.35 was paid to the next of kins of deceased employers since it started.”

Giving details of claims, he explained that the medical care support refund to the employers

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was N14, 217,494.31 while death cases involving periodic payments to the next of kin is N619,511.35, given the total as N14,837,005.66.

According to him, 412 applications for claims had been received to date without proper documentation and “NSITF has received 4,507 as notice of accidents or deaths”.

While briefing the unions on delays in claims processing, Abubakar said “failure to complete all relevant ECS forms or failure to include required attachments, glaring ignorance of the manner and type of accidents/ diseases covered by the act among others are some of the challenges affecting delay in claims” In case of injury, he said, “compensations for disabilities arising from injuries/diseases suffered in the course of work, a sum equal to 90 per cent of the injured employee’s total remuneration payable monthly”.

The MD/CEO affirmed that NSITF was committed to responsibilities of reducing incidence of negative coping strategies by the vulnerable employees, removing sufferings, anxiety, insecurity and material deprivation of the often

less privileged employees.

“NSITF is committed to

quality service that is guided by the principle of a c c o u n t a b i l i t y,

transparency integrity ”, emphasised.

and he

NAICOM appoints interim management for Goldlink Insurance

T

he National I n s u r a n c e Commission, NAICOM, has constituted a seven-

man interim Board of Directors to oversee the affairs of Goldlink Insurance Plc with effect

From left: Bishop David Oyedepo, Chancellor, Covenant University; Mr Tim Akano, CEO/MD New Horizons and Dr Oluwole Kukoyi - winners of Covenant University 10th year Founders Day award for the promotion of Human Capacity Development and ICT in Africa held at Otta, Ogun State.

from November 1, 2012.

In a statement signed by the Head of Corporate Communications of NAICOM, Mr. Lucky Fiakpa, the constitution of the interim board is sequel to the recent resignation of members of the board of directors of the company following anomalies/misstatements discovered in the audited financial statements of the company for the year ended December 31, 2011.

The interim board has been, among others, charged with the responsibility of carrying out full investigation of the financial reports and corporate governance failures observed in the course of reviewing the company ’s financial statement for the year ending December 31, 2011.

28—Vanguard, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2012

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OURISM is one of the most effective ways to preserve Africa’s national parks and protected areas while creating jobs and income for local communities. This was one of the main conclusions of the First Pan-African Conference on Sustainable Tourism in African National Parks, organized by UNWTO and the Government of Tanzania recently.

“Nature is one of Africa’s greatest assets,” said UNWTO Secretary-General, Taleb Rifai, opening the Conference.

“Many of the 50 million international tourists visiting Africa each year are driven by the continent’s unparalleled wildlife and natural scenery.

These tourists spend in the local economy, sustain jobs and provide an incentive for conservation, making tourism a powerful engine for sustainable development.”

The importance of sustainable tourism development for national parks and the people living in and around them was echoed in the Arusha Declaration, adopted by attending tourism ministers, tourism private sector representatives and conservation officials.

Signatories to the Declaration underlined the importance of good governance in managing park tourism, calling for collaborative action among the

Sustainable tourism central to the future of Africa’s Parks Sheraton holds relevant stakeholders, particularly between public authorities and the private sector.

The Declaration further stressed “the need to directly involve local communities in

the management of parks and protected areas to ensure they gain concrete benefits in terms of employment and income generation”.

Knowledge exchange between African countries

should be prioritized, agreed signatories, given the potential for countries with more limited experience in park tourism to benefit from best practices elsewhere in Africa.

From left: Chief Executive Officer, Koray Construction Company, Turkey, Samil Capar; Chairman, Robert Dyson and Diket Ltd, Chief Sonny Odogwu and Minister for Culture and Tourism, Chief Edem Duke, on the occasion of launching and upgrading of the Le Meridien Grand Towers to the Starwood Luxury Collection Brand, in Lagos.

$350m seven-star hotel to berth in Lagos T

HE growing profile of Lagos as investment destination got a boost recently with the signing of an agreement between the hospitality management group, the Starwood and the construction company, Koray for the construction of a seven star hotel.

The hotel initially designated as a Le Meridien’s four-star property brand before it was later raised as a luxury collection brand will gulp over US $350 million.

According to the West African Regional Manager of the Starwood Group, Mr. Alexander Gassuer, the hotel when completed will be the ‘key that unlocks the world’s most treasured destinations.’

In his address, the Chairman of the Robert Dyson and Diket Limited, owning company of the hotel, Chief Sunny Odogwu expressed his happiness that the realisation of the hotel dream was becoming a reality.

He said the property, when completed, will be the ‘first

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Starwood 7-plus star Luxury Collection mixed Resort and Apartment in Sub-Region Africa.’

He said the construction of the hotel project was painstakingly done to reflect, so that it will have a 7-star luxury finishing.

His words: “During the construction of the project, and while the development was on the 14th floor, the promoters and developers had the intuition to visit other foreign countries in Europe, American and Asia to ascertain whether their thoughts and designs of

the ongoing project fall within the standard visualised to be the finished 7+star development.

The enlightenment and success achieved during the trip convinced us to return to the drawing board, if we were to achieve the envisaged

NTDC pledges support for Ilaro festival T

he Oronna Ilaro festival has officially been endorsed by the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation.

The endorsement was made by the Director General of the NTDC, Otunba Olusegun Runsewe at the tourism village in Abuja.

Making the pronouncement during a visit by a delegation from the community led by the Chairman, Central Planning Committee, Chief Kayode Odunaro, Otunba Runsewe said that the festival will subsequently enjoy massive support from the corporation

just like the over 160 festivals evenly spread across Nigeria currently being supported by the NTDC. While promising the corporation’s support, the NTDC boss revealed plans by the corporation to introduce a book that will capture enthralling mythologies and folklore about the history of different communities in the country saying the book on Igboukwu is already underway.

He also used the opportunity to commend the governor of Ogun State, Chief Ibikunle Amosun for his efforts

at marketing Ogun State tourism destinations and establishing the State’s ministry of tourism charging others to take a cue from him.

Earlier during the meeting, chief Kayode Odunaro, during his remarks, revealed that the festival has been celebrated on a yearly bases since 1992 but has not enjoyed federal presence stressing that federal input will now consolidate on the efforts already made while hinting on several programs put in place in the build up to this year’s edition to celebrate the rich culture of the community.

check out for children

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heraton Abuja Hotel recently hosted over 1, 000 participants at the annual UNICEF ‘Road to awareness walk’ for 2012. The event is a 5km Walk interspersed with motivational music and dance from various bands. An aspect of the event was held at the Ladi Kwali Conference Centre of the hotel and had participants drawn from various organizations, government bodies, schools and orphanages.

The wife of the Nigeria’s Vice President, Hajia Amina Mohammed Namadi Sambo was the special guest of honour.

She was represented by the Minister for State for FCT, Mrs. Olajumoke Akinjide and a host of other dignitaries and family members.

Top officials from the Airfrance KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, Signature Holidays, Dufil Prima Foods, makers of Indomie noodles, Nigerian Bottling Company Plc (Coca Cola), National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons and Other Related Matters (NAPTIP), Capital Hotels plc, owners of Sheraton Abuja Hotel, True Expressions, NIPOST, Measure Evaluation Nigeria, Federal Road Safety Corps, European Union representatives, major Corporate, public and private organizations, the management of Sheraton Abuja Hotel and the UNICEF country Representative for Nigeria, Dr. Ibrahim Fall, were present to grace the event.

In her address, Hajia Namadi Sambo, thanked Starwood Hotels and Resorts World Wide and the Management of Sheraton Abuja Hotel for the initiative. She also appreciated the efforts of all the sponsors.

Vanguard, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2012—29

Singer Adokiye poses nude for $200,000

BY MUKOSOLU NZOM

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ne of Nigeria’s new singers, Adokiye Kyrian Yvonne a.k.a Adok iye who recently debuted with two singles, Baby Baby and Ku lumo Kulumo is in the news again. But this time, in a thoughtprovoking way.

The buzz is that the Imo/Rivers State born singer struck a $200,000, plus a G Wagon Mercedes Benz car deal with an undisclosed magazine tabloid in New York, USA, for a raunchy photo spread. She is seen posing nude in one of the pictures released online.

There are speculations that Adokiye has been long gone with this project even before the release of her video “Baby Baby” which she featured rap artiste, Olamide. Tongues are already wagging as Adokiye whose kind of music is deeply rooted in the Afro-fusion genre is yet to react those pictures.

AGN: Gene vie ve Nnaji Genevie vieve becomes Ibinabo’s aide

INSIDE

• Adokiye

C M Y K

•Toni payne cautions KSolo over comments against estranged •What Cossy and Ayo ! wife Adesanya have in common

• Genevie ve

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tar actress, Genevieve Nnaji is rarely known to be an active player in the poli tics that plagued the Actors Guild of Nigeria(AGN) into endless crises for the past three years. But this time around, the Queen of Nollywood is poised to be at the centre of it for good, as she has been appointed a Special Adviser on International Affairs to the newly elected president of the guild, Ibinabo Fiberesima.

Genevieve’s appointment was announced

by Ibinabo during the inauguration of the newly elected executives of the guild which took place last Sunday, at Rumors Night Club, Ikeja, Lagos. She also named Lade Bakare and Rachael Oniga as her other aides.

Surprisingly, Genevieve who was presence at the occasion was full of life and optimism. In her acceptance speech, the screen diva muted “Today, I believe that hope has been restored to AGN with the coming on board of the new administration. We have come a long way and we still have a long way to go. This guild is what made me who I am today, and I am not going to abandon it. We must put our energies together for the progress of this guild.”

The Mbaise, Imo State-born actress applauded Ibinabo for her courage in clinching the topmost position in the guild, pledging however to give her all the support she needs to move the guild forward.

Meanwhile, in her inaugural speech, Ibinabo announced the flagging off, of a health plan/insurance/pension scheme for all members of the guild, stressing: “Ï believe this can be achieved within my first hundred days in office once the data-base of members is concluded.” The inauguration, however saw to the rebirth of the guild which has been plagued into crisis since three years now. Among those that witnessed the ceremony were two past presidents of the guild, Ejike Asiegbu and his successor, Segun Arinze, Richael Oniga, Emma Agugu, BoT vicechairman, Tee Mac. Others were D’banj and Don Jazzy, Ras-Kimono, Uche Obodo Emeka Nwafor, AMP president, Zik Zulu Okafor, and DGN president, Andy Amanechi among others.

30—Vanguard, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2012

Toni pa yne cautions KK-Solo -Solo oover ver payne comments agains tr anged wif againstt es estr tranged wifee

K-Solo and wife

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oni Payne, ex-wife of music star, 9ice, has advised music producer and singer, Solomon Oyeniyi, popularly known as K-Solo, to stop the gaggle of insults he has been raining on his estranged wife, Kikelomo, and her new born baby, on social media.

Last Friday, Kikelomo was delivered of a baby boy purportedly for K-Solo, and she immediately announced the birth and posted a picture of the new born on facebook and twitter.

K-Solo started receiving congratulatory messages from fans on social networks, but rather than appreciate them, K-Solo, who recently announced his engagement to another lady, Bimbo, via his facebook page, denounced both the mother (Kikelomo) and her new baby in different twitter messages.

Angered by the tone of the messages, Payne lashed out at K-Solo describing his tweets as simply “immaturity, wickedness

of the highest order ”.

She reeled out some tweets through her twitterhandle @tonipayne: “I would not wish my worst enemy go thru wot (what) that lady is going tru (through) immediately after giving birth. Have some damn compassion In June, Kikelomo had gone to the press to reveal the details of her turbulent relationship with K-Solo.

Both had met on facebook early last year and by November, they were married. She claimed that the relationship had always been characterised by lies and infidelity.

By August, the two made up and even granted a Lagos-based television station, an interview where they claimed to have been ‘having fun’ and playing pranks with pictures of bruised faces to ascertain who their true friends are.

SYNOPSIS

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Evictions, romance in GUS 9 jam Emmanuel is the first male contender to be evicted from Gulder Ultimate Search 9 this weekend. Incidentally, his exit was at one of the tasks which was usually conceived as a male game Archer’s Quest. The task was a Gatekeeper ’s Test, meaning that the loser would automatically get evicted.

If there was any notion that males are better archers, the Gulder Ultimate Search 9 female warriors have dismissed that view. They proved to be better with the bow and arrow than the male contenders.

The game also featured the return of Michael Nwachukwu to Gulder Ultimate Search as a Gatekeeper. Michael Nwachukwu won Gulder Ultimate Search 5 held at the Awgu Hills, Enugu.

For the game, the contenders were required to aim their arrows at a target which had numbers 1 to 5 in circles. After hitting target, the contenders would then pick puzzles from a set of baskets which had numbers corresponding with those on the target. The higher the numbers the contenders target, the easier the puzzle to be solved ? with number one being the most difficult and number five being the hardest.

Contenders who do not successfully aim at any target after two trials will have to solve puzzles from baskets 1 and 5.

Both Uzor Osimpka and Onyinye Udodi hit number 5; Adah James hit number 3, the trio of Priscilla Ezeh, Bornford Patience C M Y K

and Michael Ogbuefi hit number 2, Paschal Eronmose hit number 1. Ifet Iniobong, Nuhu Zigwayi and Ujam Emmanuel missed targets and had to solve puzzles from baskets 1 and 5.

Uzor emerged the game?s winner while Ujam was the loser, thus marking the end to his Gulder Ultimate Search 9 journey. Ironically, Ujam finished his puzzle much earlier, but did not realize that the pieces were fitted upside down.

Uzor could not hold back the tears when Chidi Mokeme, the Anchor man, announced Ujam’s exit.

Whilst she said she was joyous at her victory, Ujam’s loss saddened her.

She described Ujam as a source of strength and inspiration for her. He has kind words all the time, he is noble, he is the m o s t resourceful person on the camp”, she stated.

Bond 23: Skyfall

hen Bond’s latest assignment goes gravely wrong and several undercover agents around the world are exposed, MI6 is attacked, forcing M to relocate the agency. These events cause her authority and position to be challenged by Mallory (Ralph Fiennes) the new Chairman of the Intelligence and Security Committee. With MI6 now compromised from both inside and out, M is left with one ally she can trust: Bond. 007 takes to the shadows – aided only by field agent, Eve (Naomie Harris) – following a trail to the mysterious Silva (Javier Bardem), whose lethal and hidden motives have yet to reveal themselves.

Currently thrilling audiences and breaking box office records internationally, the 23rd James Bond adventure, Skyfall has a November 8th release in North America on IMAX and other large-format screens before rolling out everywhere a day later.

Directed by Sam Mendes , ‘Skyfall’ sees Daniel Craig and Judi Dench continue their roles as James Bond and M. The cast also includes Naomie Harris as a field agent named Eve, Javier Bardem as Silva; the stories leering and sinisterly creepy lead villain, Albert Finney, Ben Whishaw as Q; MI5’s resident gadgets man, Tonia Sotiropoulou, Rory Kinnear as Bill Tanner; the MI6 Chief of Staff, Ola Rapace, Bourne Legacy TOP Bérénice Marlohe as the Single And Married MOVIES “glamorous and enigmatic” Step Up 4 OF THE Sévérine, and Ralph Fiennes as Safe WEEK Gareth Mallory.

Dictator

GUS UPDATE:

U

Movie of the week

GUS constants

Movie Schedule

Oct 26th – Nov 1st

SILVERBIRD CINEMAS, LAGOS BOND 23: SKY FALL : 11:20am, 1:00pm, 3;45pm, 4;05pm, 6:40pm, 9:20pm.

Resident Evil: Retribution In 2D : 11:00am, 6;10pm, 10:40pm.

Single & married: 2:00pm, 8:40pm Step up 4: 4:00pm.

Bourne legacy: 11:10am, 1;45pm, 6:10pm, 10:35pm.

SILVERBIRD CINEMAS, ABUJA BOND 23: SKYFALL: 12;40pm, 3:30pm, 6;20pm, 9;10pm.

SINGLE AND MARRIED: 12:00pm, 2:20pm,4:40pm, 7:10pm, 9:30pm.

Resident Evil: Retribution : 2:50pm, 6;50pm.

Savages 12:30pm, 3:00pm, 5:40pm, 8:30pm.

Total Recall: 11:40am, 4:10pm, 8:40pm, Bourne legacy: 12:05pm, 2:40pm,5:30pm, 8:10pm The Dictator: 12:50pm, 4:50pm, 8:50pm .

Single & married: 2:05pm, 6:40pm Step up4: 2;00pm, 6:00pm.

MIRROR MIRROR: 1;40pm, 6:10pm TED: 5;50pm, 8:00pm Ek THA TIGER: 9:00PM SILVERBIRD CINEMAS CEDDI PLAZA , ABUJA BOND 23: SKYFALL; 12:50pm, 3;30pm, 6:10pm, 8;50pm.

SAFE: 1;10pm, 5;00pm, 7:00pm.

SINGLE AND MARRIED : 11:40am, 4:10pm, 8:40pm.

SILVERBIRD CINEMAS PORT HARCOURT The Meeting: 12:40pm, 3:20pm, 5:45pm, 8:10pm.

Savages 12:00Pm,2:50pm,5:50pm,8:20pm Bourne legacy: 12:50pm, 3:30pm, 6:10pm, 8:50pm The Dictator: 1:10pm, 3:10pm, 5:00pm, 7:05pm, 9:00pm.

Single & Married: 12:20pm, 2:30pm, 4:40pm,6:50pm, 8:00pm.

SILVERBIRD CINEMAS UYO BOND 23: SKY FALL: 12;50pm, 3;45pm, 6:30pm Stepup4: 12:30pm, 2:40pm, 4:55pm, 6:55pm Udeme Mmi: 1:30pm, 5:20pm.

Single& Married: 11:30am, 3:20pm, 7:10pm OZONE CINEMAS LAGOS BOND23: SKYFALL: 12:20pm, 3:10pm, 6:00pm, 8:45pm The Dictator: 3:30pm, 9:10pm.

Resident Evil: Retribution 11:55am.

Savages: 8:10pm, Stepup4: 2:25pm Safe: 1:30pm, 5:20pm, 7;20pm.

Bourne legacy: 8:20pm.

Single & married: 10:35am, 12;40pm RESIDENT Evil; Retribution: 10;30am.

Madagascar 10:25am.

Vanguard, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2012—31

OFF-CAMERA What Cossy and Ayo Adesanya have in common!

NMS constants

Next Movie Stars 2012 housemates unveiled A

fter a rigorous audition process that took place across the country, and a tenday intensive training programme for 20 finalists, the 16 substantive housemates that would be competing for fame and fortune in this year’s reality television show, Next Movie Star, were unveiled early this week. They are Aitsegame Halima Sadiya, Perpetual Andy, Chigbufue Bridget, Million Santong, Okeowo Oluwatosin Speens, Okeke Chimezie Ivan, Ajuyah Sarah Onome, Obi Lilyjean, Muse Olajuju, Alabi Folake Shakirah, Mina Horsfall and Tonia Ese Oria-Arebun. Others are Ifovboa Ehijemen Jude, Esigbone Ejiro Kingsley, King Ojikemba and Samuel Babatunde Jameson.

According to the Associate

Producer of this year’s show, Uche Sam Anyamele, “it was really tough deciding the four that would be evicted because they all came very well acquitted and prepared for the show but four of them just had to be dropped. Our job was made easier because we have established and experienced thespians and entertainment buffs as judges and facilitators.”

While advising the 16 housemates to be optimally, emotionally and psychologically ready for the days ahead, Anyamele, a celebrated TV and Nollywood star too, says, “The days ahead would determine which of you can actually withstand the heat of the limelight. It is a tough world out there and what the Next Movie Star does is to prepare you for the global

stage. Please, be at your best always.”

Meanwhile, Stallion Motors has signed up as one of the partners for the NMS 2012. A representative of Hyundai, Oluwatimilehin Tairu says that the company was pleased to partner with the organizers of the reality show which has spun more stars for the homegrown entertainment industry. “The Next Movie Star has come to represent consistency and quality while also delivering topnotch entertainment for viewers and immeasurable value for advertisers. We are happy to be a part of this Proudly Nigerian initiative.”

Created in 2005 by Sola Fajobi as a platform for uncut acting talents to launch their acting career, the NMS has over the years churned out a mouthwatering number of talents for the entire gamut of the entertainment industry.

From Tonto Dikeh, Annie Macaulay, Adams (Soundcity TV OAP), to Big Brother Africa winners, Kelvin Chuwang

• Cossy Orjiakor

• Ayo Adesanya

AYO ONIKOYI

B

ooby actress, Cossy Orjiakor and Ayo Adesanya seriously have very little in common except simple facts that both ladies are very sexy. While Cossy is known for flaunting her ‘boobs’, Ayo sends blood racing for her forget-me-not sexy eyes. Cossy thrives more on music while Ayo’s life revolves around acting.

One would have thought those similarities end there but not a chance! Recently, Cossy unveiled her ‘Playgirl Mansion’ which showed that she, and Ayo Adesanya have much more in common than busty boobs and starry eyes, as Ayo Adesanya also owns a Playgirl Communications outfit.

One may want to ask: where did they get the ‘Playgirl’ nomenclature from? Of course both ladies have been known to be liberated women who don’t give a damn in respect of what people think about them and have both had their shares of controversies in the past.

Beverly Naya: I’m not dating Uti Nwachukwu

Coliseum relaunches Wednesday live gig

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iteshift Coliseum, one of Nigeria’s leading entertainment events venue, is repackaging with the reintroduction of its popular every Wednesday live gig.

The weekly gig that was suspended early this year for appraisals will be making its return on November 7, and every other Wednesday, with a new band consisting of versatile younger instrumentalists and vocalists.

Ken Calebs-Olumese, the Guv’nor of the club, said the hangout, renowned for firstclass entertainment, decided to reintroduce the weekly event in order to satisfy the yearning of the club’s patrons who complained on the dwindling mid-week night life.

He said with the reputation already built by the club as the pacesetter in the area of live music, the weekly gig has been revamped and it will now features the best in Nigeria’s music scene performing as guest artistes and DJs. And on inaugural

Wednesday, the club will unveil the new band who will share stage with some popular hip-hop artistes. The show will be a four-hour funfilled with live music starting

from 8pm to 12am.

Afterwards, guests DJs Shina and Solex of Rainbow 94.1FM will take over the proper disco session.

Olumese noted that in

Sunset for gospel singer Patty Obasi

BY EZINNE NJOKU

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enowned gospel singer, Patty Obasi is dead. He died last Friday after a protracted battle with kidney disease. Obasi shot into national limelight with the launch of his popular album, “Nwa Mammy Water.” His two kidneys were said to have failed and he was recommended for a transplant operation in India this year but could not embark on the journey, owing to lack of fund.Obasi died at his Enugu residence in the early hours of last Friday after he reportedly slipped into unconsciousness.

According to Obasi’s doctor,

• Beverly & Uti

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• Patty Obasi

he needed not less than N10 million to transplant his two failed kidneys in India.

In an interview with the late singer last year, he said he had the ailment after he launched the popular Nwa Mammy Water album.

ising Nollywood actress, Beverly Naya has denied reports that she’s in a relationship with 2010 BBA winner and show host, Uti Nwachukwu.

Naya expressed her shock on Twitter saying the rumour is not only untrue but misleading too. “This insinuation is laughable..Pls let’s not start a rumor…My boyfriend wasn’t too happy seeing this,” she tweeted.

According to her, her relationship with the 30-year-old Uti, is purely professional and with no strings attached.

‘Uti makes me laugh a lot…it’s always fun and games hanging out with him and nothing more. We are not dating.”

Naya became popular after playing lead role in Lancelot Imasuen’s movie, Home In Exile. She has also featured in few other movies including Weekend Getaway along with Uti Nwachukwu, Genevieve Nnaji and Ramsey Nouah.

32—Vanguard, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2012

C M Y K

Vanguard, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2012 — 33

I’m ready to settle down with a married man —Taiwo Aromokun

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ou were in Taraba State for your National Youth Service Corps’ orientation programme.

Are you through with the programme?

Yes, I was in Taraba state for National youth service, but after the orientation, I was redeployed to Lagos. I actually asked to be redeployed not because I do not want to serve my country in Taraba state or anywhere else, but because I have some projects I am handling in Lagos at the moment. For me, to execute these projects I need to be in Lagos. But the orientation was fun and I could have done my primary assignment there if not for my engagements here in Lagos.

How are you coping with your primary assignment?

I am currently doing my primary assignment at the Lagos state secretariat in Alausa. You can say, I am doing two things at the same time What are you working on at the moment?

I am working on a new movie at the moment; it is

•Taiwo Aromokun

titled ‘Love’. The cast of the film includes notable names like Wole Ojo, Madam Lara, Sunny Dange and many others. Sokan Barro is the director while Kunle Biola Ige and I are the co-producers of the movie. By the special grace of God the movie should be premiered before the end of the year.

Is it a Yoruba movie with an English title?

It is not a Yoruba movie, rather it is an English movie.

What is the movie about?

It is about a rich man who is married, but has a child outside wedlock. The same man brought the child to come and stay with him and his new wife without telling the new wife who the boy really is. So the child was treated like a house-help and you know as they say, other things then follow but the whole idea of the film is to bring to fore what love truly means. That love does not differentiate; that it knows neither riches nor poverty.

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ou are known in the Yoruba genre, why the English movie?

Yes l do, but the reason I am doing this English movie is to prove to my fans that I went to school. There are a lot of misconceptions about Yoruba actors, the people feel we are not educated.

Do you think your twin sister, Kehinde looks very much like you?

We resemble each other but I do not think we look alike.

She cannot pass for me or neither could I pass for her, or at least that is what I think.

People say we look alike. But I am bigger than her.

Have you experienced a case of mistaken identity before?

Yes ! I have. It has happened to me many times. People mistake me for my twin sister while others see her and call her my name instead.

Is your twin sister also an actress?

No, she is a banker. She is not an actress and she doesn’t even like what I do for a living.

I am lucky to have a twin sister like her.

One who understands me like myself.

She supports me in her own little way.

You seem a little advanced to be a corp member or don’t you think so?

Actually, I graduated in 2009, but I had a little issue that affected me. The clearance process at Lagos State University is indeed a tug of war. I will say it is really not my fault that I am doing my NYSC now. Blame it on my school, LASU. I studied Banking and Finance.

G

oing down the memory lane, how did you go intoacting?

I got into acting through a friend of mine, her name is Bidemi Bamidele. Though she is not an actress but involved in acting as a costumier.

Once, she wasn’t able to get the costumes for a particular movie production. So she came to me and requested some of my father’s clothes. Both of us actually planned it. My dad was out of town at the time. She collected the clothes and went back to location. Unfortunately for us, my father returned unexpectedly because he had to attend a party the next day. Then, he searched for the dress that he wanted to wear to the party and couldn’t find it. It turned out that the dress was one of the clothes I gave to my friend. So, I ran to the lady and told her to return the clothes. She begged me to hold on for awhile. I started shouting at her. That was on Antar Laniyan’s set. I didn’t know the director needed a character who could shout and make a lot of noise. The director said he didn’t like the cast that he was working with. So when he heard me shouting, he sent for

,

Dark, beautiful and sexy Yoruba actress, even though she would never accept she is sexy, Taiwo Aromokun, has a figure that makes heads turn and a subtle voice that would want to make any man take her home to mother. She has become a big name in Yoruba films, featuring in over 30 films in a career that spans close to 10 years. In this chat with Ayo Onikoyi and Florence Amagiya, the ‘Dagiri’ star opens up on variety of issues. Excerpts:

Adekola and I are very good friends and he is someone l can marry if the need arises, because he has a very good heart, but between Adekola and I, there’s no romance in the air.

,

me. My role was just to start a scene in the movie. I agreed to do it, as long as I would be given my father ’s clothes afterward. When the film was eventually released, those who saw the part that I played in the movie told me I did very well. Thereafter, I went back to my costumier friend and told her that I was interested in acting. She introduced me to one caucus.

I got trained in the process and thereafter, went into full time acting. But professionally, I started acting in 2002.

in it, but my face was used for the poster and on the sleeve. It w a s actually my first movie.

Immediately after the film came out, people started calling me for jobs. After that I did Aya Wan ni, Girigiri , Sunday Dagboru, and many other films. I think the thing was just a gradual process. There was Dabira

Before that encounter, were you consider of becoming an actress?

No I didn’t. I haven’t thought about that, but the only thing I used to do is act in church. Although, it never crossed my mind to take it to the next level until that fateful day.

How many movies have you produced on your own?

I have produced about eight movies in all.

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an you remember the movie that launched you into stardom?

I cannot remember the particular movie but my first major movie was Agidi; I didn’t even play a major role

Which of your movies appear more challenging?

Dabira was the most challenging. Why, because the character was not an ordinary character to me. It involves my having to do things I wouldn’t have dreamt of doing. My character in the movie was a loose person who engaged in an thinkable vices.

And for me, to make a perfect character I had to do all those

things to perfection. For instance, in Dabiri the character I acted had to smoke and drink which was extreme for me because I do not drink and smoke at all.

Were you in a relationship with Adekola?

Well, I don’t know.

Adekola is a very close colleague of mine and we are very good friends.

There was this interview l read, the interview concluded that you guys would have tied the knot if he had asked you Like l said before, Adekola and I are very good friends and he is someone l can marry if the need arises, because he has a very good heart, but between Adekola and I, there’s no romance in the air.

So what’s the relationship between Adekola and you today?

He is still my colleague and my best friend. In fact, we will remain just friends for the rest of our lives. We are still close.

We also heard you snatched Olu Omo from Sikiratu Sindomother but I am the seventh child from ten of us my father had.

34—VANGUARD, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2012

With PRINCE OSUAGWU princeosuagwu@gmail.com

BlackBerryfromVisafone: CDMA subscriber in Nigeria now pings F

RONTLINE Nigerian CDMA operator, Visafone, last week, not only showed why it remains arguably the only surviving Code Division Multiple Access, CDMA operator in the Nigerian market today but also sent competition signals to the GSM counterparts with the launch of Blackberry services on its network.

It teamed up with Canadabased makers of BlackBerry smartphones, Research In Motion (RIM), in introducing the BB service in its mobile network. Visafone by that agreement, apparently becomes the first provider of CDMA BlackBerry smartphones in Nigeria and perhaps Middle East and Africa.

At the launch of the service in Lagos, the partners said the BlackBerry Curve 9310, Curve 9370 and Bold 9930 smartphones will be available to customers from all the Visafone shops for pre-booking from last Monday.

What this means is that the teeming population of CDMA subscribers can now also do Facebook, Twitter and Social Feeds.

According to the Regional Director for RIM in East, Central and West Africa, Mr. Waldi Wepener, “we are proud to support the Nigerian mobile industry with the first-time availability of CDMA BlackBerry smartphones in the Europe, Middle East and Africa region. Our partnership with Visafone demonstrates

RIM’s commitment to working with key partners in Africa to bring the widest range of BlackBerry services to people that want to be connected across the continent.”

That is also as chairman and founder of Visafone, Mr. Jim Ovia added that “this partnership represents a big step forward in Africa’s mobile history and we are very excited to be at the forefront of such a ground-breaking development in the Nigerian market. We have responded to our customers’ demands for BlackBerry services by being the first to provide them with a suite of CDMA-enabled BlackBerry smartphones that best meets the region’s growing mobile needs’.

He also described the development as a major boost to the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC’s efforts to achieve growth

of data usage and quality voice services to the country’s 100 million active mobile phone lines.

The partnership also brings CDMA-enabled BlackBerry smartphones run on BlackBerry 7.1 OS, which introduces a next-generation BlackBerry browser that is up to 40% faster than BlackBerry 6 smartphones and up to twice as fast as BlackBerry 5-based smartphones.

It explained that the NFCenabled BlackBerry Bold 9930 and BlackBerry Curve 9370 smartphones on OS 7.1 both come with BlackBerry Tag which allows users to share contact information, documents, URLs, photos and other multimedia content by simply tapping their BlackBerry smartphones together. BlackBerry Tag also enables friends to instantly add one another as contacts on BBM.

Intel inspires Samsung’s dual functional ATIV smart PC

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AMSUNG Electronic is showing by the day that it is not giving half measures to the fierce competition raging among global smart devices manufacturers. Just a few days after it launched the innovative Galaxy Note 10.1 and WoWed the Nigerian smart device and mobile markets, it has also come up with an incredible Personal Computer, PC that can serve dual purposes.

With the introduction of ATIV smart PC in Lagos Nigeria, last week, Nigerian executives and mobile geeks alike who carry the burden of Laptop and a Tablet at the same time may lighten their loads now.

This is because the smart device serves as a laptop and at •Mini iPad the same time a tablet. Get what I mean?

Leaving the device on your table, you do everything on it as your laptop but if you need to dash out and still continue your work on the move, you just only need to press a button and the PC detaches, leaving the keyboard behind and you, with a tablet that housed all your saved works.

The device is a combination of smart thinking from Samsung, Intel and Microsoft as it runs on Microsoft Windows 8 and inspired by Intel’s Core i5 processor series which prides itself as one of the fastest chips in the market today – This maximizes both productivity and mobility .

Designed for Windows 8, with Samsung’s advanced engineering and a 10-point touch screen, users can easily stay connected and productive from everywhere.

Combing revolutionary design, the power of a notebook PC and the convenience of a tablet PC, the 11.6-inch Samsung ATIV Smart PC has come to set Samsung on a new level in the smart competition. An advanced 10-finger multi-touch screen provides a technological leap in interactivity, surpassing the traditional two-finger touch features. Its enhanced sensitivity allows users to pinch-to-zoom, rotate images and scroll through pages with ease to enjoy the full capabilities of the latest entertainment applications.

HP gives Nigerian users Ink Advantage printers P OPULAR office equipment manufacturers, has announced an expanded portfolio of its Deskjet Ink Advantage printers with six new printers that offer more choices for affordable and quality printing.

With the new Ink Advantage printing systems, HP said it is making quality printing more affordable for home users and micro-business customers, enabling them to print up to two times the amount of pages for the same cost. The ranges include HP Deskjet Ink Advantage 2515 All-in-One printer which comes with an intuitive

graphic display for easy printing, scanning and copying, while delivering high-quality prints at low running costs

The new HP Deskjet Ink Advantage 3525 and 5525 eAll-in-One printers which also offer HP wireless direct printing that allow users to

easily print from wirelessenabled mobile devices without a network or router.

The HP Deskjet Ink Advantage 4615 All-in-One and 4625 e-All-in-One printers allow users to print, scan, copy and fax, and save up to 40% on energy consumption with Scheduled On/Off. The HP Deskjet Ink Advantage 3515 e-All-in-One produces brilliant borderless documents and photos, plus eye-catching flyers and more—at home.

According to the company’s IWS Product Manager, West,

East and Southern Africa, Printing and Personal Systems Group, Janet Thiong’o, “ our growing HP Deskjet Ink Advantage portfolio will offer more affordable choices that allow our customers to print more at a lower cost, without sacrificing quality or reliability,” She said that the unique selling point of the products is that they enable customers to print up to two times the amount of pages for the same cost and offers the most extensive line-up in Nigeria.

I feel Old Yeah yeah, I know all the ready feel good phrases like ‘’Age is nothing but a number ’’, and ‘’You are only as old as you feel.’’

Well I feel approximately a hundred and five...

This hit home for me a couple of days ago at my friends wedding, grooving with the bride and groom at the post wedding afterparty. I danced for approximately 2 hours, with many many intermittent breaks due to aching joints, wheezing, sweating and sore toes from the

frighteningly high heels I was wearing. I had a fabulous time, but got home before midnight incredibly knackered and curled up in front of the tv with an audible sigh of relief...

From this comfy position, I remembered with fondness my uni days, dancing the night away with five of my favourite sisters in crime, scantily clad and high on nothing but adrenalin and water, still grooving when they were switching on the lights and kicking people out in the morning and somehow managing to get to class bright eyed,

bushy tailed and full of beans...

And I felt old.

I thought about how scandalized I get everytime I see 13 year olds in the mall with hotpants on or thongs hanging out of their jeans (I didnt even know what a thong was at 13!) and I look back at clothes I had the temerity, not to mention the hot figure, to wear in years past and I’m amazed at my own one time boldness.

Vanguard, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2012—35 Sigh...

But on the plus side, I’m lucky enough to be blessed with youthful looks that mean I still have toasters who are still in University and think I’m 25 tops (hahahaha!) and most people who’ve known me for years think I look pretty much the same. (even though I know the amount of work that goes on behind the scenes to make this appear to be true.)

Also being older means you tend to have more of a sense of yourself and less of a herd mentality. You do and say what you think is best for you and hopefully have a bit more

,

Coming of Age

talking about Water, Earth, Fire and Air but Love Handles, Wrinkles, Stretch marks and Gravity- make me realise that the days of stuffing my face with wanton abandon and treating my body like an amusement park without the fear of consequences are well and truly over.

For those of you in your teens and twenties, I implore you to enjoy it now...while it lasts.

I feel particularly old when I find myself dying to punish other peoples children when I see them being rude or acting inappropriately and how peace and quiet now seems to triumph for me over thumping basslines and huge crowds...

I thought about how scandalized I get everytime I see 13 year olds in the mall with hotpants on or thongs hanging out of their jeans (I didnt even know what a thong was at 13

,

Gosh I feel old.

My day to day struggle with the four elements -no, Im not

life experience and have left most of your young and clueless days behind. You may look back with fondness on your high octane days of Red Bull fuelled fun, but you also thank God you’re not that terribly insecure, unsure young man or woman who still didn’t know what they wanted to be when they grew up and allowed other peoples views and hangups become the basis for your fears and decisions.

You’ve learned how to kick some butts and take some names, how to kiss the sky and how to dance between raindrops in the rainstorms of your life.

You may have felt real, excruciating pain in love and life and yet emerged like a phoenix rising from the ashes...

Yeah, being confronted with statistics that are not so vital anymore can seem depressing, and yes my bed on a Friday night nowadays feels like the place in the world I’d most rather be in, but I still have a lot to be grateful for and so so much to look forward to.

I may feel old, but hey I’m still here.

Why Do Women Cheat? omething really funny happened to me today.

Well, i got up early as usual, made breakfast for the kids and then lunch for the house( i like to prepare everything at once so i can relax after church). Got the kids ready for church, then decided to get myself ready for church while the kids were having their breakfast.

I put on my LBD (little black dress) which has gotten a little bit smaller now by virtue of the fact that my bum has finally decided to curve up (after all those years of praying and fasting that my flat bum would swell up while i watched with envy as my friends rolled with every step they took)lol.

Hubby playfully patted the new addition to our family (my bum of course) and gave me a knowing wink while i was hurrying to get us all out of the house on time.

I put on my accessories C M Y K

and make-up while he took the kids outside to the car.

I quickly grabbed a cup of coffee and a slice of bread and cheese which i planned to eat in the car so we wouldn’t get to church late.

We had been driving for about 10 minutes when hubby looked me over and asked where my wedding ring was. I said i had removed it when i was preparing breakfast and it was probably in the pocket of the dress i wore before taking a bath.

He sighed and said that i am always losing my ring and that since the ring is gold it wont tarnish if i do a little cooking with it on.

I tried to make a little joke about how i was actually waiting for a huge diamond ring which i swore would never leave my finger.

Truth is I’m not really big on rings, so every time i have to do some sort of housework i take

it off and wear it only when going out. Its just me .

I

’m always joking so i asked him if he thought my not wearing a wedding ring was license to flirt as it is with men.

We laughed as i reminded him of the new 6 foot2" young male attendant at the supermarket where i shop for groceries who is always quick to flash his “32 “at married women. At first i thought the young guy was only being friendly but when a guy is always following you around paying compliments, saying how gorgeous you look in your dress or how your hairstyle brings out your beautiful face, you know something dey wrong. I see how he brings smiles to the faces of women when he tells them how beautiful they look. One time he asked a lady if she was a plus size model cos she had all the attributes of being

in front of a camera and the lady blushed till all her blood left her heart!

Its a big supermarket so its easy to hide behind any of the aisles and ‘discuss’ and i accidentally bumped into a married woman taking his number down behind the electronics aisle and when i walked in, they

thing like that!

My sister worked with a real estate firm and said her MD had an affair with his head of HR which lasted for 2 years until he got a new hot sexy PA. The head of HR was married with a child but was obviously in love with her MD for whatever reason, so it killed her

,

S

My sister worked with a real estate firm and said her MD had an affair with his head of HR which lasted for 2 years until he got a new hot sexy PA

,

had this uncomfortable look and quickly said bye to each other! I no be judge oh abeg, she probably wanted to invite him to fellowship or some-

when a prettier and single girl was getting all the attention from her boss.

The affair was so open that the MD would call the PA into the office for

quickies and they would re-appear after some minutes with gloss on his lips and her blouse buttoned the wrong way up!

This office na wa, my sister quick quick resign before she turn to pillar of salt with look look.lol.

My very good friend told me about a married woman in her late 40’s who was having an affair with a young boy who had just joined the corporation. The day the bobo brought his wedding card to invite the office to his wedding, the woman collapsed and had to be rushed to the hospital! (Thank goodness, the boy no bring his babe to the office, na another story we for hear).

So now, the question is why do women cheat, we always talk about how men cheat and all that so what is the deal with women?

Please post your comments and thoughts on this matter.

Desperate Housewife

36—Vanguard, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2012

Jenifa: Branding an act J

ENIFA- aka funke Akindele, or is it the other way round- is the household name that has changed the way we do the big screen, probably forever.

Before the film Jenifa, she was only the obscure, plain looking actress on daytime television playing one of three friends on some sponsored drama telling us to beware of the downsides of early marriage, vesico vaginal fistula and female genital mutilation.

Then, she became a brand though, at the time, she was totally unaware of the transition. It was not until earlier 2012 that the Jenifa brand was effectively and formally stamped upon the public consciousness: Funke akindele herself announced her intention to turn Jenifa into a series in the mould of Tyler Perry and Madea.

There are one or two differences between the Jenifa brand and the Madea one vis-à-vis their owners, chief of which is that Madea

is quite distinct from its actor and producer in terms of age and gender, while the character Jenifa is quite similar to its creator.

Otherwise, in terms of genre (both comedy) and central themes, they are rather similar.

Rather disingenuous then, it would seem, but then which brand is completely original? A brand is innately and essentially a shallow entity, whose whole essence is the presentation of a front to its consumers. That front is not necessarily precise, but would likely slant towards the ideal rather than the reality. With a good lashing of humour however, it is easier to miss the imperfections and see the integrity of the brand.

The right to be morph into the brand has been earned, as it always has to be, mostly from its influence on the industry in general. In the Yoruba genre of the Nigerian film industry globally known as Nollywood, tragicomedy had been the order of the day

long term.

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traditionally. Yet, the failure of the older and more local genres of Nollywood to influence the industry in any significant way has cost it respect and definition.

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any of the greatest stories ever told on the big screen at home as well as internationally have had love as their central theme (Ogunde’s Aiye/ Jaiyesimi, the Sound of Music, the big screen version of the epic love story of Austrian World War 11; Gone with the Wind, another classic, and of course Kelani’s Oleku).

Needless to stress, other themes are more difficult to push, particularly when the consumer cannot immediately relate with

Funke Akindele

them.

Akindele did it successfully, and created a fashionable, contemporary theme which has stood the test of time and will likely attain classic status on the

ALUU 4 KILLINGS:

E

A culture of violence

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t’ been a long way, it would seem, from the days when society wholeheartedly endorsed jungle justice. The Nigerian tyrannical leader Sanni Abacha was haunted to his death over the execution by hanging of Niger Delta Activist Ken Saro Wiwa and 8 of his associates, together with whom he came to be known as the Ogoni9. While the execution had been the fallout of a mob action that saw to the brutal slaughtering of the Ogoni4, the slaughter had attracted less of the public’s sympathy than the lack of due process in the prosecution of the Ogoni9 At the time it had been perfectly normal to roast a petty thief alive in full view of a cheering crowd, and the C M Y K

only reason most of the south kicked against the introduction of Sharia law in Zamfara state and some other northern state was that it was linked to religion.

On a good day in large cosmopolitan cities such as Lagos, vocal violence is not only a very present phenomenon, it is one that has been accepted by the norm. People settling their dubious differences by fistcuffs in the streets are mostly seen by onlookers with little more than indifference.

Slowly, we have built for ourselves a culture of violence.

Interestingly, people looked on as the four students of the University of Port Harcourt were mobbed for alleged theft.

It is baffling that the same

his could be arguable, but what is not is that Jenifa was the strongest and most unforgettable female character ever created in Nollywood. It is easy, also, to identify with her.

Everyone knows a jenifa: a caricature type young Nigerian woman with an inferiority complex, a propensity to cut corners, sell her body and live a lifestyle way above her means. Her rollercoaster life is exciting, to say the least, and is mostly so because she has neither a future to look forward to, nor a past to look back on. She is the girl the consumer loves to hate and hates to love. While the generous lashings of humour were more than tongue-in-cheek, Jenifa the film was a most apt metaphor of the times.

It is no wonder then that its influence was wide-reaching, and had various implications. A rash of movies were to follow Jenifa (Omo Ghetto, Blackberry babes) centred around the same theme: badly behaved wannabe young women who get into trouble in the end.

The humour is varied in concentration, if not as clever. Nothing succeeds like success, as they say, and what better a way to build on and consolidate that success than to make a brand of it?

people who stood by and cheered are the same ones who were crying and saying the right things on television later, after the deed had been done. The more of a permissive environment we create, the more the lines between right and wrong are blurred, and the more likely that people will stand by, and not have the moral indignation to stop events like public lynching from going on.

nabled by technology and a continually shrinking world, the new artiste was created, the one who can be innovator, producer, director and actor all at the same time.

Division of labour might be one thing, but an ailing industry can only be redirected by leadership, and this is what Akindele, via Jenifa, provided.

Beyond the industry, Jenifa has affected our urban culture in a way no other film had done before, in a way that is comparable with the Bridget Jones Diary, or DBanj of the Koko fame, or 2Face of the no long tin. At the end of the day, it is not the quality of the brand or productimportant as that is- that determines the success of a brand. It is the extent to which the brand influences and moulds popular culture.

Vanguard, FRIDAY , NOVEMBER 2, 2012—37

Your wardrobe update As the year draws to a close, an essential part of cleaning up is the cleanup of your wardrobe. If you’re still wearing last year’s maxis and platform heels, you most probably require an update now. Trending now are:-

Leggings

T

hey appear to be here to stay, and not necessary in black or in plain colours as was traditional but in refreshing golds and silvers, as well as bright colours and blings. These essentials work well for the day as well as the night look and are far more versatile than they have ever been.

The Peplum

F

or that structured, traditional look, the peplum has become huge.

The 50s trend has showed up in nearly every collection recently and ought to show up in your wardrobe. The classic peplum has morphed

into strapless, lace, short, skirt, and a million bright colours.

Oleku

T

he short sleeves and hemlines of the traditional iro and buba of the 70s has been resuscitated by the Tunde Kelani film, Oleku, seeing a trend that is catching on at such a dizzying pace that it is becoming a wardrobe essential. If Owambes and church/mosque services are your thing, oleku is a musthave.

seeing the same trend in hair and lips.

Bold reds, oranges and turquoises are just some of the hues you will see of today’s colour block lipsticks.

Print shirt

T

he shirt dress is back, but that’s not the big deal. The big deal is that the shirt, classic as it is, is still very much around. Aim towards a couple of print shirts. They are richly coloured, classy, and of course, print, in fabrics as sophisticated as silk, simple as nylon or classic as cotton.

They will surely enrich your closet, for the casual or official look.

Colour block lips

W

e have had colour blocking in dresses and shoes for seasons now, but we are now

They came, they saw, they fell in love

L

OVE works in mysterious ways, they say, and this can be said to be responsible for the attraction between two people who otherwise had very little in common.

In fact, in the case of the Solarins and the Wengers, it was more a case of falling in love with a people, a culture, a place: yorubaland.

It has been said that the legend of Tai Solarin would not have been complete without his wife and life partner Sheila. The reality is, it would never have happened without her.

C M Y K

Indeed the memory of the old Marxist Tai Solarin might not have lived had his wife not stayed true to their joint dreams and aspirations. Her death, two years after that of Susan Wenger, who spent her life studying Yoruba traditional medicine and divination, marks the end of a certain era.

Both Sheila and Susan, because of their love and devotion to it, came to a place whose inhabitants are disenchanted by it and made it home, being able to see the good in what we took for granted; taking it, and doing something positive with it.

Statistics

A

dolescent pregnancy often results in adverse maternal and neonatal health outcomes. In this context, a new study in East Africa suggests low use of contraception and high rates of maternal mortality rate make preventing unwanted pregnancies critical. --60.3% Percentage of University female students reported that they were sexually active --18.6% The number of students studied who did not use contraception in their last sexual encounter. --16 The average age at which students made their sexual debut

38— VANGUARD, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 2,

2012

Stories by Jimoh Babatunde from Saudi Arabia

Tel: 08098097290 email: isholaism@yahoo.co.uk

MOUNT ARAFAT MESSAGE:

King Abdullah urges UN to act against insults on religions, prophets are sacred to you such as the sanctity of this day of yours, in this month of yours, in this country of yours. I have informed you and my Lord stands as witness. O people: Your God is one, your Father is one, all of you belong to Adam, and Adam was created from the earth.

The most honored of you are

,

THE Custodian of the two holy Mosques, King Abdullah, last week urged the United Nations to draft a law which makes it illegal for any country or group to insult divine religions and prophets (peace be upon them all).

“It is obligatory upon each and every Muslim to defend Islam and all the prophets,” the King said during an annual reception ceremony held recently at the Royal Court at Mina Palace, for Islamic officials and heads of Hajj missions.

In an eloquent speech interspersed with quotations from the verses of the Holy Qur’an and the sayings of the Prophet (pbuh), the King said that the message of Hajj calls for unity of ranks and the rejection of fragmentation.

“We are in dire need of true solidarity which maintains the unity of the nation, protects it from fragmentation and division, and prohibits bloodletting,” King Abdullah said.

“We beseech Allah Almighty to help leaders of Muslim states for the good of our homeland and societies. We also call on Muslim leaders to fear Allah while dealing with their peoples and countries. We are responsible before Allah for our peoples and nation.”

Stressing the importance of dialogue, the Monarch said, “As renaissance and progress are achieved through prosperity and security, we Muslims, nowadays, are in dire need of dialogue with others and ourselves, in order to put an end to dissent, ignorance, extremism, and injustice which threaten the aspirations of Muslims. Out of this vision, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is still calling for dialogue between religions and cultures.”

Quoting the farewell sermon of the Prophet (pbuh), the King said: “On this blessed site, Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), whom Allah sent as a mercy to mankind, stood preaching to pilgrims, explaining to them the sanctity of souls and property, and laid down the highest sense of brotherhood, saying: ‘O people: Your blood and wealth

Hajj, the values of brotherhood and tolerance and the rejection of rancor appear clearly, since Allah wished the Muslim to lead a life which is an example of purity, and Hajj reflects the above mentioned values, in submission to Allah’s Almighty saying in His Holy Qur’an: ‘For Haj are the months well known.

If anyone undertakes that duty

There is no difference between one language and another, nor between one race and another. The rich help the poor, and the strong help the weak. All hearts are united on one call to Allah, and the unity of the nation is achieved, so that the sublime social purpose which Islam sought will be fulfilled

the most pious. There is no favor for an Arab over a nonArab except through piety. I have informed you, and my Lord stands as witness’.”

King Abdullah said: “During

,

therein, let there be no obscenity, nor wickedness, nor wrangling in the Hajj. [Al-Baqarah 197].’”

Congratulating pilgrims on performing Hajj, the King said:

...As 3million Muslims pray on Mount Arafat

A

bout three million pilgrims flocked to the plains of Arafat last week to perform the main Hajj rite.

Men, women, and children from 189 countries streamed from dawn to Arafat, praying to Allah to forgive them and

bestow His mercy on them.

Many of them went early to find a place in Nimrah Mosque.

They crowded into the 110,000square-meter mosque and its surrounding areas. Prince Khaled Al-Faisal, Emir of Makkah region and Chairman

•Muslim pilgrims at Mount Arafat, Saudi Arabia last week. Photo: Jimoh Babatunde.

C M Y K

“From the holy shrines, the sacred place of Mina, and from the neighborhood of Arafat, from these Holy Sites, where Talabiya, Takbeera and Tahleel echo, and from the vicinity of the ancient House where pilgrims perform Hajj rituals, from this land where faith has prevailed, I congratulate you and all Islamic nations, praying to Allah to accept the Hajj from all who came to this sacred House, and forgive all their sins, and to return them safely to their homelands, after Allah Almighty has honored them with the performance of the fifth pillar of Islam and the honor of standing in these sacred places, holding firmly to the guidance of the Holy Qur’an and the Sunnah of the Prophet (pbuh).”

The King continued: “On this blessed land where pilgrims repeated Talabiya, Tahleel and Takbeera, the meaning of monotheism is clearly manifested, as if Allah kept this sacred land to let the faithful renew their pledge toward Him, year after year, generation after generation and century after century.

Whenever humanity deviates

from the guidance of its Lord, we find in these sacred places, what makes humanity return to the right path. That makes the pilgrim forget everything in mundane life, and respond to the Great Qura’nic call: ‘And proclaim to mankind the Haj (pilgrimage).

They will come to you on foot and on every lean camel, they will come from every deep and distant (wide) mountain highway (to perform Haj)’ [AlHajj: 27]” “Hajj has many lessons to consider, and many aims. And that provides a chance for pilgrims who came from remote areas to devote themselves to Allah – most high be He – in order for them to return home free of sins such as on the day they were born, and have been given a new chance to reform themselves and be useful members of their societies.

During Hajj many types of sympathy prevail on this earth.

There is no difference between one language and another, nor between one race and another. The rich help the poor, and the strong help the weak. All hearts are united on one call to Allah, and the unity of the nation is achieved, so that the sublime social purpose which Islam sought will be fulfilled: “O mankind! We created you from a single (pair), of a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes that ye may know each other, not that ye may despise, (each other).

Verily, the most honored of you, in the sight of Allah, is (he who is) the most, righteous of you, and Allah has full knowledge, and is well acquainted, (with all things).

[Al-Hujurat 13]”

of the Hajj Central Committee, was in the front lines of pilgrims inside the mosque.

Many other pilgrims headed to Mount Arafat from the foot of which the Prophet (pbuh) delivered his farewell sermon.

A preacher urged pilgrims not to climb the slippery stone staircase leading up the hill, bellowing over loudspeakers: “Neither the Prophet, nor his followers have ever climbed the hill. Please do not climb it.” The pilgrims performed Zhuhr and Asr prayers — shortened to two rakas and combined, following the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). Sheikh Abdulaziz Aal Al-Sheikh, Grand Mufti of Nimrah Mosque, Arafat has called on muslims all over the world to unite, close ranks and fight schism.

Delivering the Arafat-day sermon from Nimrah Mosque, he said sedition, catastrophe, bloodshed and vandalism have spread to the Muslim countries, which is sorrowful.

“The leaders of the Muslim world should engage in dialogue and comply with Shariah in resolving differences,” said the Grand Mufti, warning Muslim leaders

against falling prey to the schemes of their enemies, which seek to spark repugnant sectarianism and destabilize the security of the Ummah.

The only way out for the Ummah is to get together and join forces. Muslim nations should exchange expertise to build economic, business, political and scientific relations.

“O Muslims. This will achieve two benefits for Muslim nations. First, there will be a political advantage. A Muslim nation should run its own affairs without interference from outside. Second, there will be an economic advantage.

Production will increase in Muslim countries and more job opportunities will be created.

Moreover, the well-educated will stay and will not leave for non-Muslim countries.”

The Grand Mufti called upon decision makers to urge Muslims to spend their money on projects inside Muslim countries to bolster their economies and warn them against depositing their funds in non-Muslim countries. “This is how we reduce poverty, unemployment and backwardness.”

Vanguard Vanguard,, YOUR LUCK TODAY

SCORPIO ; Creativity may take front in what’s happening within your base of operation and the best for you is to join them. Lovers are fairly favoured.

SAGITTARIUS ; Tomorrow is your great day. Yet your being creative today can earn you un-expected good result at the end of the day. Be family minded now.

CAPRICORN ; Needed solution to challenges along your career/business lines will come through your being creative.

Prepare to take good advice on your finances.

AQUARIUS; If you take unusual ideas coming to your mind today more seriously, thins’ll work favourably for ... you. The more financially ambitious you’re the better.

— 39

LEISURE

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

By Joshua Adeyemo Phone 08056180139 LIBRA; Happenings within your working arena’ll give genuine cause to smile and with efforts on your part you’re in for a rewarding day. Take advantage of your sex-appeal to enhance your love life. Experiment with ideas creatively.

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2012

By Richard Eromosele

A

GREAT thinker once wrote that words are the forerunner of our action.

People first hear us talk before they see us act our talk. It is what we say that first captures their attention and ensure that they give us audience.

Talking to people You may be a great actor but if you are not able to market your skill you will have a scanty audience. And if you are a leader, if you can’t communicate your intention,

TERROR MUDA

chances are that you will have a very low followership. This is where ability to speak and communicate appropriately comes in.

It is not enough to know it, the question

in “Never say goodbye”

is can you convince people that you know it?

Talking to people is a skill everyone of us should develop. The leader, the marketer, the politician, the manager etc we all need the skill.

Think about it!

By Lanre Kehinde

PISCES; The Moon in your Star sign favours aggressive approach in a favourable way. Here is a day Artist among you can create master piece. Be stead-fast.

ARIES You’ll have much to gain if you’re more co-operative and embrace creative ideas of your close associates. And it’s good to be friendly, loving and caring.

TAURUS ; Aggressive approach is not what you need at work now, but creative approach. You’ve got nothing to lose if you take good advice from your friends.

GEMINI ; Whatever anybody says about your ambition and desire success will crown your efforts today. The more creative you are the better for your cause. And lovers can make it an exciting and happy day. Show your sex appeal and be loving.

CANCER; Your ideas are brilliant and if you blend them creatively the sky’ll be the limit. Let people within your home base know that you truly care for them.

LEO; It does not matter who initiates creative idea that lead to success what is important is you should not be left in the cold all alone. The more co-operative you are the better for you. Don’t ignore your magnetic se-appeal.

KAPTAIN AFRIKA

in

“Princess Shii’

By Andy Akman

VIRGO.; Good luck and happiness indicated for you today.

But then, the scope of your success’ll depend on how cooperative and creative you are both with your loved one and at work. Prepare to take good advice especially from younger person(s).

ASTROLOGICAL COUNSELLING Send yyour our dat th ttoo the As tr ological datee and place of bir birth Astr trological Counselling, PP.M.B .M.B 1100 00 7, Apapa, Lagos 007,

Basic characteristics of Capricorn Because they rarely day dream, Capricorn natives are set of practical people. This is because Capricorn is ruled by Saturn - the planet of career, sceptical and material things Although, the spirit of pessimism often times tempt the Capricorn born people, to succeed they will need to develop strong will that is indispensable to achievements of higher order because, series of challenges will come his/ her way before he/she finally makes it to the top.

Most natives of Capricorn are forced to shoulder many responsibilities early in life. Career building comes first in their priority lists which often leads to enviable career achievements that guarantee recognition. And another name for Capricorn is PATIENCE. Yet, he/she can appear mean in the business circle. And tell you that seriousness and business are synonymous. Above all, they are endowed with leadership capacity.

Capricorn ‘s quality is cardinal, element is the earth.

The cardinal aspect makes a natural leader with strong ability for hard work. Natives of cardinal signs crave for action and strongly desire prominence and often times make success of their love of action and desire for importance through relentless efforts.

The earthly connection with Capricorn further confirms innate ability for hard work and practicality . Saturn is the planet of hard task, delay, depression, frustration, frustration but reward after so much struggles. Being a difficult teacher, Saturn usually takes its natives through many different tasks, challenges and delay. All these are meant to teach them virtues of patience and hard work.

However, Saturn usually brings its natives recognition and reward.

The cautious side of Saturn always manifest in all Capricorn born people thus, but it is necessary for them to watch that side of their characteristics as they often push their cautious side too far and most of the time it results to black mood.

VIRGINIA

Commen3

dadadekola@yahoo.com

by Lawrence Akapa

40—Vanguard, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2012

AMCON gets 21-day ultimatum over DSC workers' salaries

BY VICTOR AHIUMA-YOUNG

N

BOOK FAIR: From left— Mrs Ify Nwosu,Treasurer, Christian Booksellers Association Nigeria, CBAN; Pastor Segun Asaba, Vice President; Mrs Esther Aworinde and Mrs Modupe Ehirim, President, CBAN, during the national Christian bookfair at Baptist Shepherdhill Church, Obanikoro, Lagos.

CHARITY: From left— Mr. Oladimeji Oduyebo, Corporate Services Manager, Fidson Healthcare Plc; Dr. Yinka Akindayomi, Director of Service, and Mr. Tunde Adunola, Head of Pre-School Unit, both of Children Developmental Centre, Surulere, Lagos, during Fidson's presentation of cheque for the Centre's infrastructural upgrade. PHOTO: Joe Akintola, Photo Editor.

Five policemen bag 25-yr jail term over robbery

I

KEJA—A Lagos High Court in Ikeja, yesterday, sentenced five policemen to 25 years imprisonment each for robbing a lorry loaded with textiles in Ikorodu, Lagos, in 2002.

Justice Joseph Oyewole convicted Bestman Denner, 52; Musa Mohammed, 45; Peter Enidiok, 53; Godwin Williams, 44 and Emmanuel Ajogbor, 48, of conspiracy and robbery.

He said the sentence would start from March 3, 2005 when they were first remanded in prison cus-

tody.

He said: “I hold that there is sufficient evidence to conspiracy as to commit robbery as charged. I hereby convict each of them accordingly.”

The judge said the fact that the defendants were policemen was an “aggravating factor.”

He said: “I have duly considered the allocutus. However, the defendants are policemen trained to protect the public and not otherwise. This in itself is an aggravating factor.”

NOA to organise value orientation programme

BY VICTORIA EDEMA

P

R E S I D E N T Goodluck Jonathan has approved a request by the National Orientation Agency, NOA, to organise a value orientation programme for the Federal Executive Council, FEC, as a component part of the Transformation Agenda of the Federal Government.

Director-General of NOA, Mr. Mike Omeri, made this known during the flag-off of the second phase of the agency’s patriotism and ethics first training pro-

C M Y K

gramme for media practitioners, security officers and public servants in Abuja.

Minister of Water Resources, Mrs. Sarah Ochekpe, performed the formal flag-off of the training.

According to him, the agency is already working out modalities for the orientation programme.

He noted that Jonathan was of the conviction that leadership must blaze the trail in creating the required attitudinal change for national transformation.

IGERIA Labour Congress, NLC, Delta State Council, has issued a 21-day ultimatum to Assets Management Company of Nigeria, AMCON, over what it described as unacceptable ill-treatment of Delta Steel Company workers.

The union said if AMCON failed to pay the workers all their outstanding salaries and entitlements, it would mobilise all affiliates and allies to shut down its operations.

State Chairman of NLC, Mr. Williams Akporeha, said organised labour would not fold its arms and allow the new DSC management treat its workforce as slaves in their own land.

He said: “It is indeed ridiculous to have ejected labour leaders from their official residence in such

a wicked manner, all because they are demanding for their legitimate entitlement which AMCON has refused to pay.”

NLC had last week written a letter to the Managing Director of AMCON, expressing its frustration in unresolved labour issues, including payment of 12 months salaries, entitlements due to staff from 2005 till date, and the recent ejec-

tion of labour leaders from their official residence.

According to the letter, several efforts made to resolve the issue amicably had met a brick wall due to what it termed recalcitrant attitude of AMCON receiver manager in DSC. The letter called on the Minister of Labour and Productivity and Delta State governor to intervene in the matter.

Apeal Court gets 12 new justices

BY IKECHUKWU NNOCHIRI

A

BUJA—CHIEF Justice of Nigeria, CJN, Justice Aloma Mukhtar, will administer oath of office on 12 newly-appointed Justices of the Court of Appeal, Monday.

A statement, yesterday, by the Deputy Director, Press and Information, Supreme

Court, Mr. Festus Akande, said the new justices include Ibrahim Bdliya, Abiriya Shehu, Obietonbara Daniel-Kalio.

Others are Justices Ifeoma Jombo-Ofo, Onyekachi Otisi, Stephen Adah, Tinuade AkomolajeWilson, Fatima Akinbami, Habeeb Abiru, Peter Ige, Tijani Abubakar and Emmanuel Agim.

MASSOB abducts splinter group leaders ‘We summoned them for questioning'

BY TONY EDIKE

E

NUGU—BARRISTER Benjamin Onwuka, leader of Biafra Zionist Movement, BZM, whose group had announced its plan to re-declare the Republic of Biafra in Enugu on Monday, November 5, 2012, was, yesterday, allegedly abducted by members of the Ralph Uwazulike-led Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra, MASSOB. Also whisked away from their residences to an unknown destination were the BZM National Chairman, Samuel Edeson, Nweke Nweke, National Secretary and Chukwuma Orienta, a member of the group from Onitsha.

However, MASSOB has said the BZM leaders where not abducted, but invited for questioning over their November 5 plans.

Meanwhile, BZM’s Director of Mobilisation, Cornelius Anyanwu, who disclosed this in a chat with newsmen, yes-

terday, said the fiercelooking men believed to have been sent by Chief Uwazulike, stormed the residences of the four BZM leaders yesterday morning, forced them into their cars and drove them to an unknown place.

He said one of the BZM leaders called on phone to alert them that they were being driven to Uwazulike’s Okwe home in Imo State, explaining that the abduction of the group’s leaders was part of Uwazulike and his MASSOB’s plot to abort the planned re-declaration of Biafra on Monday, which, he said, had generated a lot of interest among Ndigbo, both in Nigeria and in Diaspora.

He said: “We have concluded all necessary arrangements for successful inauguration of Biafra Republic on November 5.

“The mobilisation of our supporters, including all Igbos had been intensified before this sabotage by the MASSOB leader, who has since abandoned the

Biafran agitation and resorted to working with the Nigerian government to subdue Biafra.”

According to him, the BZM had scheduled a meeting in Enugu, yesterday morning ahead of Monday’s event, before the abduction.

MASSOB’s spokesman, Mr. Uchenna Madu, confirmed that the BZM leaders were under their custody but explained that members of the Uwazulike-led MASSOB in Enugu State only “summoned” them for questioning regarding their plan for November 5.

He said: “Our men did not abduct the BZM leaders. Rather, we invited them to a meeting to find out why they

want to re-declare Biafra after it had been declared many years ago.

“We want to reason with them about what they planned for Monday. We are in support of Biafra but what they (BZM) are doing amounts to making caricature of the Biafran struggle.

“It must stop because the security operatives are disturbing our members thinking that MASSOB is behind the move.”

Madu denied allegations by BZM members that the Federal Government was using Uwazulike against their campaign for the actualisation of Biafra, saying there was no pact between the government and the MASSOB leader.

Dress Xpress opens in Abuja

A

BUJA—A CLOTH ING outfit, Dress Xpress, has opened in the Grand Tower Mall (Shoprite Mall), Abuja.

Spokesperson for the outfit, Ms Vivien Egbo, said that “dressing for success is no longer a

choice, but a requirement.

“Dress Xpress provides a vast array of sophisticated dresses to appeal to the modern woman. It is a beautiful shop that sell dresses for modern women.”

Vanguard, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2012—41

BY EMMANUEL AZIKEN & DAPO AKINREFON

J

UST few months ago the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN machine was in its strides, marching across the land. In Benue, Akwa Ibom, Niger, Imo and across the South-West, the party led by Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu was in near overdrive, threatening the dominance of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, on the polity.

After successfully uprooting the PDP in Oyo and Ogun states, and fighting the party to a standstill in Akwa Ibom and Benue states, the ACN was setting its eyes on being a truly national party.

As it looked forward on the national stage, its inability to bring the Governor of Ondo State, Dr. Segun Mimiko within its fold after his court victory in 2009 continued to be an irritation. It was an itch that turned into an ego problem.

The ACN’s seemingly grumpy attempt to redress the situation and bring Ondo under its cover ended in a near fiasco with the party taking third in a three-way race with the ruling Labour Party and the PDP. That may have now turned into a big undoing as the party’s almost dominant hold in the South-West is for once been threatened.

The party’s feat in boosting its votes from by more than 380 per cent from what it achieved in 2007 may be commended by some party enthusiasts.

However, given the party’s efforts and expectations, its third place finish has turned into an issue for the party and its rivals in the region.

It is thus not surprising that party elders have found it

Is ACN fading away?

THE defeat of the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN in the recent gubernatorial election in Ondo State has opened up discussion on the prospects of the party in a region it had lately taken as its fiefdom. Is it fairy tale or what?

•Mimiko and Tinubu: When the going was good difficult to come to terms with the result of the election.

At the end of a meeting of the party leaders last Monday, the party released a communiqué in which it shied away from

endorsing the result of the election that returned Dr. Mimiko to office for a second term.

“For us in the Action Congress of Nigeria, the Ondo

State election is a battle in a larger war; the war of deepening democracy and ensuring accountability in our country. We are therefore resolved to put the elections

behind us whilst pursuing the task of providing leadership to our people effectively.”

Putting the election behind them is, however, something

Continued from page 44

...Yoruba, party leaders speak

BY DAPO AKINREFON

They can lose if imposition continues — Ayo Adebanjo

A chieftain of Afenifere, Chief Ayo Adebanjo warned of looming defeat if the ACN fails to practice internal democracy.

Adebanjo said that “the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, can lose the South- West in 2015 if the process of imposition continues, they will continue to lose elections.

People are not happy about the ACN candidates because everybody was sure they were imposed.

"When you are talking of democracy, it must be all round but it is unfortunate though that the ACN is not practicing internal democracy.”

ACN leaders are not progressives — Falae

Another chieftain of Afenifere agrees that ACN would lose future polls in the South-West.

His words: "Of course the ACN will lose in the SouthWest. What happened was that Chief Olusegun Obasanjo bulldozed PDP into the South- West during his second term. During his first term, I defeated him (Obasanjo) in every state in the South-West, in every local government and including the polling booth in front of his house in Abeokuta in 1999.

"But in 2003, no other South western person was contesting with him. And then, he used that to bulldoze the PDP into the South-West because the PDP is a foreign entity here, the PDP is not

•Falae

•Adebanjo

indigenous to this place. The South-West is the home of progressive politics but the PDP is not a progressive party

and so, it does not belong here. From the Action Group, to the UPN, to SDP and then to AD, these were the progressive party. The PDP

has no business coming to the South West but Obasanjo used his influence to bulldoze the PDP into the South-West.

"But once his influence was no longer there, the ACN and Tinubu used their money to get rid of the PDP. "It was not difficult because the PDP has no tap root and it cannot have any tap root in the South-West because this is the home of progressive politics. And since there was no alternative progressive available, the ACN was able to win five out of the six states.

But really, as I said recently, ACN is a pretender, it is not a progressive party, it is not Afenifere party.

"Afenifere does not support ACN and because of that, they went and created the Afenifere Renewal Group.

What are they renewing in Afenifere? Is it free education

Continues on page 42

42—Vanguard, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2012

SOUTH-WEST:

A slippery political turf

BY CLIFFORD NDUJIHE

F

OLLOWING the reelection of Governor Olusegun Mimiko of the Labour Party (LP) in the October 20 Ondo State gubernatorial election in spite of the boast of the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, the Pan Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, said the outcome of the polls signposted the end of the ACN in the South-West.

In a congratulatory letter to Governor Mimiko, which was signed by Chief Reuben Fasoranti (Leader) and Chief Seinde Arogbofa (Security), the group said the outcome of the election had shown that Yoruba people were tired of the ACN and would “kick them out at the appropriate time.”

The Afenifere prediction raises the bar for future elections in the zone beginning with Ekiti and Osun governorship elections en route the 2015 general polls. The question is: will ACN retain its political control of the South-West in 2015?

From history, the zone first as Western region, later Western Nigeria and now South-West geo-political zone has always been a difficult political hunting ground for all parties. No political party has commanded control

without disruption for 10 years.

At the return of civil rule in 1999, the Afenifere-backed Alliance for Democracy, AD emerged as the preferred party of the South-West, winning all six governorship posts and the bulk of legislative seats at all levels.

AD’s reign lasted for only four years. In 2003, it was democratically toppled by the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, which cleared five governorship seats and most of the legislative slots. The only AD governor who survived the PDP’s onslaught was Senator Bola Ahmed of Lagos. However, when he joined other parties to form the Action Congress (AC), which later morphed into ACN the AD was left with no governorship seat. And since then, AD has remained on the periphery of political conquests.

Like AD, the PDP was handed a similar measure between 2007 and 2011 when it was swept away by the ACN. After the 2007 elections, PDP retained the five states it had won in 2003. However, after legal fisticuffs, it lost Ekiti and Osun to ACN, the new political bride that won outright in Lagos. It also lost Ondo through the law courts to LP, leaving only Oyo for PDP. In 2011, the PDP lost all the

•Akande states with ACN having five and LP cornering one.

ACN’s attempt to add Ondo to its kitty and pursue a regional integration of the zone was the major reason that pre-election campaigns raised much dusts in Ondo State.

Having failed to capture Ondo, will ACN go the way of other ruling parties in South-West?

In the beginning The topsy-turvy run of political parties in the area

started in the early 1950s. At the close of the 1951 polls, the Action Group with 38 seats to NCNC’s 25 emerged as the ruling party of Western Region, which included today’s Delta and Edo states.

There were a total of 80 seats.

Lagos had five seats in the West Regional Assembly all won by the NCNC in the election of November 20, 1951, while Benin had three won by Otu Edo candidates in the election of December 6, 1951.

Apart from the AG and

NCNC, there were local/ divisional parties such as the Ibadan People’s Party (IPP) led by Chief AMA Akinloye; Ondo Improvement League, and Otu Edo of Benin. At the end of poll, the standing of the parties was as follows: Action Group 38; NCNC/ Independents 25; IPP 6 and Ondo Improvement League 2.

The AG secured commanding heights in the Assembly by luring 20 victorious candidates on the ticket of the smaller rival parties and thereby tilted the balance in its favour against its primary opponent; the NCNC. However, AG could only savour its victory for three years as the NCNC reversed the trend in the 1954 Federal elections, when both parties went head to head. The NCNC won 22 seats in the House of Representatives of Nigeria while the AG secured 19 seats.

In 1959, the AG retrieved electoral superiority when it won 35 parliamentary seats to NCNC’s 21 and NPC’s 6.

The cyclical trend continued in 1964, with the AG losing grip. After the parliamentary contests of that year, the Nigeria National Alliance (NNA), an alliance of the Northern Peoples Congress (NPC) and Nigeria National Democratic Party won 36 seats while United Progressives Grand Alliance (UPGA), an alliance of the AG and NCNC won 21 seats.

In the 1979 elections, the Unity Party Nigeria (UPN) won the five Western states.

And in 1983, it lost Oyo and Ondo but later reclaimed Ondo through the law court.

In the botched Third Republic, the SDP was incharge except in Lagos, where NRC won the governorship.

Will ACN fade away?

Continued from page 41 many political stakeholders say the ACN hierarchy has definitely not done with its refusal to acknowledge the result of the Ondo gubernatorial election.

Endorsing the result of the election could, however, be the slightest of the problems of the ACN. The backlash from the party’s seeming desperation to push Mimiko out of office and the suggestion that the underbelly of the ACN in the South-West has been found could be a more troubling matter for the party.

Once otherwise quiet political voices in the South-West, who were once thought to have been retired from the political field are now finding their voices.

“Their true colour is

beginning to show, people are now seeing them in their true colour that they are pretenders and that is why I am saying that by the grace of God, between now and 2015, more than two or three ACN governors in the South-West will go,” Chief Olu Falae, former Secretary to the Government of the Federation and presidential candidate of the Alliance for Democracy in the 1999 presidential election told Vanguard in an interview.

“They have exposed themselves to the people of the South-West that they are not progressives and once that is established, the rest is history,” Falae added in assertion of his claims of the imminent demise of the ACN. Senator Gbenga Obadara representing Ogun Central in the Senate, however, dismissed such insinuations saying that

the party was waxing stronger.

“It is not only that we will retain the South-West, we will also win all seats in the House of Representatives and Senate positions in the South-West,” the lawmaker boasted.

Asserting the potentials of the party, he continued: “If you look at what is happening, where was ACN 10 years ago in Ondo State? Did you see the awakening we have done and mode of participation within few weeks to the Ondo governorship election? That tells you we have a future, that tells you we are going places.”

Senator Obadara’s optimism nonetheless, there is no doubt to the seeming sense of desolation in the ranks of the party. It was such depression that the National Assembly caucus of the party sought to address in a statement issued

on Sunday night.

The statement issued by Senator Gbenga Ashafa, the secretary of the ACN caucus in the National Assembly urged the party: “All members of our party in Ondo State deserve commendation for their loyalty and steadfastness. There is no cause for despondency at the current development,” Ashafa said in the statement made available to Vanguard in Lagos.

Such assurance, however, needs not to be restricted to Ondo State given the rising enthusiasm of those opposed to the ACN hegemony in the region.

All over the South-West, those opposed to the ACN are now seeking ways to make political capital out of what they consider as the difficulties of the party.

•Ashafa From nowhere, Labour Party has begun to find voice in Osun State raising up issues now and again against the incumbent ACN governor of Osun State, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola.

Vanguard, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2012—43

•Aregbesola: Is this the way?

•Omisore: Osun PDP leader

Labour party raises the stake in Osun

BY GBENGA OLARINOYE

T

HE last governorship election in Ondo State in which the incumbent governor, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko of Labour Party, LP was declared the winner of the contest by the has suddenly re-awakened the opposition in the Southwest region of the country. It is a region where the Action Congress of Nigeria ACN has until now held sway.

Of particular note now is the effort by the Labour Party to now spread its tentacles into the neighbouring Osun State.

The Labour Party in Osun state has as its arrow head,

Continued from page 41 that they want to renew? Is it making the welfare of the people the number priority?

These are the fundamentals of Afenifere started by late Chief Obafemi Awolowo. The can cannot control Afenifere, they needed something they could manipulate and use to deceive the people that they are Afenifere but they are not.

ACN was formed by Tinubu and AD former governors who broke away from AD because they said we were supervising them when they were in government. They broke away and teamed up with dissidents from PDP. It was because there was no alternative that was why the people endorsed them.

You are beginning to see that there is nothing progressive about them

Chief Bankole Afilaka who is the chairman of the caretaker committee of the party. He was appointed following the suspension of its embattled chairman, Comrade Rufus Oyatoro who was accused of maladministration and anti party activities. Oyatoro's travail began following his acceptance to serve in the Osun Truth and Reconciliation Commission TRC set up by governor Rauf Aregbesola on assumption of office in 2010.

Oyatoro was specifically accused of accepting reward to serve on the TRC. Oyatoro has since promptly refuted the allegations. The National

secretariat of the Labour Party, however, ratified the suspension of the chairman.

But barely three days after the announcement of Mimiko as the winner of the Ondo election, Chief Afilaka in a session with selected journalists asked President Goodluck Jonathan, the State Security Service SSS, the Economic and Financial Crime Commission EFCC and other security agencies in the country to properly investigate the role allegedly played by Aregbesola in the Ondo governorship election.

Afilaka said that the activities of Aregbesola in the last few weeks should be investigated

by the Federal Government if truly President Jonathan is the Chief Security Officer of the country.

But the Director of Publicity, Research and Strategy of the ACN in the state, Mr Kunle Oyatomi retorted “The Labour Party ’s accusation against Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola would have been ignored but for the fact that it contains stupidly wild allegations against the Governor which the party did not bother to substantiate.”

“If the party thinks it has evidence of its wild allegations, we advise them to go to court, but if they don’t have the courage to do that, then they are advised to keep their mouths shut and stop polluting the air with foul language of corruption which they cannot prove,” he added.

Afilaka alleged that Aregbesola abandoned government activities in the state which he was elected to perform during the electioneering campaign of the ACN Governorship candidate in Ondo state, Mr Oluwarotimi Akeredolu.

He also challenged Aregbesola to explain to the people of the state how much he spent to finance the governorship campaign of the ACN in Ondo State, alleging that the governor committed huge amount of money to the Ondo state governorship election.

He said" We hereby demand an open apology from Aregbesola for abandoning his primary functions as the Governor of Osun state and concentrating on Ondo state.”

“The LP in Osun state is now more than ever before , galvanized for victory in all the future elections in the state. It is the only credible opposition party in Osun state. To our credit since the victory of Mimiko in Ondo state there have been influx of new members particularly from the

ACN: Leaders speak (ACN) or democratic about them. You have seen elections in Lagos state and how the leadership handpicked them, that is no progressive politics, that is not Afenifere politics.

You saw what happened in Ondo state where the leaders handpicked somebody and asked the party to go and vote for him. That sounds like company politics and not progressive politics.

So, their true colour is beginning to show, people are now seeing them in their true colour that they are pretenders and that is why I am saying that by the grace of God, between now and

2015, more than two or three ACN governors in the South West will go. They have exposed themselves to the people of the South West that they are not progressives and once that is established, the rest is history.

We’re retaking the S/ West —PDP In a telephone with Vanguard, the Publicity Secretary of the PDP in Lagos State, Mr Gani Taofik expressed optimism of the party to stage a come back in the region.

He said “I have no doubt that the PDP will stage a come back in the South West. Let me

Ojudu: It is hogowash tell you that for every victory in Nigeria, historically, it has been traced to the PDP. As you know very well, the first party

ruling ACN into our party.

Aregbesola has mismanaged the resources of Osun state since his assumption of office two years ago.”

“It is only in LP that there is no god fatherism and no economic slavery. Mimiko who is a symbol of change has clearly demonstrated that you can win an election fair and square without influence of money, without political thuggery and with no god father supporting you.”

Afilaka also stated that governor Aregbesola as the chief security officer of Osun state should not be seen to be fomenting trouble not only in the state but in other states.

"How can you spend such a colossal amount of money to pursue a misadventure in Ondo state? President Goodluck and EFCC should probe him how much he spent there, how can you use the state fund to fund insurgency if Aregbesola is properly probed and investigated this will go a long way in checking his excesses.”

He also claimed that the ACN had on several occasions invited the Labour Party to come and join it in the administration of the state, “but we said no that we do not want to fraternize with the ACN because we do not have confidence in the present administration in the state and that is why we have been turning down their invitations.

We don’t want any political patronage, all we want is that Osun must be free from god fatherism and economic slavery.”

Mimiko who enjoyed the support of Chief Afilaka in the last election was quoted to have told his political admirers and supporters after his reelection to make incursion into the Southwest politics particularly the neighbouring Ekiti and Osun states and threatened to ensure that those two states are lost to Labour.

that was formed was the PDP but if you are looking at the personalities that have won election, 90 per cent of them are products of the PDP. If anybody thinks that PDP is not going to stage a come back should know that the major opposition to the ACN is the PDP. And in any case, the election history in Nigeria has shown that when we go into elections, but fails at the court for lack of proper representation. And so, I see that from 2014, when we will be having the Ekiti elections, we are winning the state because a candidate like Ayo Fayose, who has declared for the party, is a heavy weight in Ekiti state. With that, I believe that from 2014, PDP Continues on page 44

44—Vanguard, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2012 LAST week, I wrote on political and economic necessities for ensuring national stability and progress. I touched briefly on the success of the completion of the Ondo gubernatorial contest.

The reaction of the President after that election was great in forestalling the recriminations which often followed elections in the past, and also, the acceptance of the defeat of his party (PDP) in those enlightened states (Edo and Ondo). One is not suggesting that any election conducted fairly and freely would always result in the defeat of the ruling PDP in other areas.

The lesson to be drawn from our local elections is far greater than the defeat of the ruling party or the triumph of the opposition. As I have noted before, the cardinal element in previous elections has always been a poor attitude, or rather the apathy of the voters.

It might be that the voters would not see any difference in the programs of the contesting parties or that the party candidates themselves could not advocate eloquently the difference in their manifestos.

In Nigeria, as usual, all parties want political stability and economic growth without stating clearly how these objectives could be achieved in a peaceful atmosphere.

It could not be ascertained to what extent the heavy presence of security agents could contribute to voters‘ decent behaviours or could lead to voters not coming out in large numbers to exercise their civic responsibilities. It could, one day, be a glory to democracy if voters would troop out in great

recommendations of Uwais Commission on Electoral Reforms.

07059197616

Signposts of political and economic progress number to vote for the party of their choice (on the basis of what each party stands for).

If voters could cast their votes unmolested, and their votes counted at the designated centers (without any incidence of stuffed or missing ballot boxes), then democracy would at last have arrived in the country. This is based on an assumption that security forces are placed at such distance that their faces are not seen to cause fear and their actions are not interpreted to intimidate voters.

It is being suggested, if the wise people of INEC would approve, that immediate voting should take place after accreditation. This means that after an eligible voter is accredited; such voter should go directly to cast his vote, there is no reason why accredited voters should be allowed to go home first and return later to cast their votes.

The

intervening period between accreditation and voting (proper) could induce apathy.

Voting in many democratic states is straight-forward and ours should not be subject to encumbrances.

Voting should be direct and easy, and the result, crystal clear.

A fair and just electoral system is an important ingredient in the theory and practice of democracy. The political parties should help INEC to function impartially while INEC officials are expected to be above board in the discharge of their responsibilities. The National Assembly, either by itself or through a Bill by the President should provide the missing link for the nation to have a reformed and credible electoral system. My conviction is that President Goodluck Jonathan should have another look at the

Economic policy Since Independence, the Federal Government (either Civilian or Military) had always stated its goals to beprosperity through macroeconomic stability without inflation. The aim had been to pursue a policy of economic growth with less unemployment.

However, Nigeria of today has achieved neither economic growth without inflation nor enduring prosperity. In fact, the country has been described as two nations of the very rich and the very poor.

The incidence of mass unemployment of (21 percent – 30 per cent) has created a dangerous class of armed robbers and kidnappers (rampant in the South) and the bloody insurgence of Boko Haram represented in the North with its terrible traits of killing innocent people.

Worried by the political and economic implications of mass unemployment, the Federal Government under President Goodluck Jonathan has embarked on a formidable economic reforms programme which would result in a better Nigeria with progress and prosperity.

The economy is put in the hands of an able and progressive looking Minister of Finance and Coordinator for the economy, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo Iweala (and her top economists) and also the conservative Central Bank Governor, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi and his Policy Advisory Committee. Unhappily, the mixture of modern and

Cabinet reshuffle in Anambra

BY CLETUS OKEREKE

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HOOSING a cabinet is undoubtedly one of the most important ways in which a governor can exercise power over the whole conduct of government. But what is not always understood is how real the constraints under which such choices take place. One has to achieve even distribution across the state.

The recent cabinet reshuffle carried out by Governor Peter Obi of Anambra State has been heralded as a good omen.

Changes are of course required in the cabinet when a governor has been in power for six years.

In order not to give the impression that things are getting stale, certain changes were made to free up posts and bring in new faces.

Anambra State is blessed with abundant human resources from whom choices of successors could be made. It was even understood that some of the erstwhile appointees had wanted to leave the cabinet to concentrate on their own business interests.

Even some honorable

*Gov Obi members of the state legislature seemed jittery about the mood before this shuffle.

By removing the Commissioner for Justice and Health ministries, the Governor seemed to be responding to criticisms leveled against them during the weeks and months

of strike that affected their ministries.

In the Ministry of Information there was need to have someone with great skills in publicity with the ability of communicating better to the people. His Excellency, Governor Peter Obi apparently

noticed the discontent in the ministries and hastened to reshuffle the cabinet.

In the case of Ministry of Environment- presentation of environmental matters always seemed to be all the expense of substance. There was need to have somebody in this ministry that would be bold, courageous and imaginative in sanitizing the cities. With the change, Onitsha and environs have tremendously improved as more shacks and kiosks are removed from the streets. The city now wears a new look.

When the reshuffle was completed both private and public figures roared with jubilation as it had been long overdue. The inauguration was brisk and business like.

By adding other young men of energy and idea to his cabinet, there is probability of government moving ahead instead of dropping. Much has been said of and written of Governor Obi’s supreme self confidence. All of it whether it was said for a friendly purpose or not, he felt he had been given a grand opportunity to do something about the

conservative factors has failed to produce a satisfactory growth rate with less unemployment.

What looks like a promising over 6% growth rate last year left the unemployment rate of about 30% untouched. The problem is that the country has been operating a “tight money” policy in an atmosphere of depression (with weak demand and idle plants).

In recent months, the Federal Government (with its array of brilliant economists), has been under severe criticisms for being unable to manage the economy effectively and efficiently.

It is the conviction of many that a government which embarks on the plan of expansion would be prepared to intervene directly, by threats, by incentives or by whichever methods appear to be appropriate technique in the private sector of the economy.

The private sector had to be convinced that increase in money supply would be for entrepreneurs ready to engage in certain activities for which the demand is currently insatiable. This means extra funds would lead to extra investments in idle plants and other new businesses.

However, the tight monetary policy embarked upon by the Central Bank to curb inflation or to stabilize prices is a way of reducing demand by increasing interest rates and thereby reducing the supply of funds for lending and for investment funding.

The high interest regime distorts the market system which depends heavily on borrowed funds.

problems that beset the state.

The Ministry of Economic Affairs was left untouched supposedly because of the need to have the trusted commissioner’s support on key issues on commerce and industry. Moreover, Prof.

Akunna did well on budgetary matters and Millennium Development Goals. There was never a scandal in her office. It was Prof. Akunna who in an interview said government should establish a manpower services commission to seek for services of experts in various fields to also supervise the training needs of civil servants.

The governor has completed the initial task of getting the government on the sound footing. What remains is to send signal of change not business as usual. All ailing sate owned businesses, industries etc ought to be revived.

Government ought to create opportunities for individuals to buy their own homes at large discounts with possibility of 100 per cent mortgages.

*Cletus Okereke writes from Awka.

Vanguard, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2012—45

No power vacuum in Taraba State — Bello MR. Emmanuel Bello, former journalist is the Commissioner of Information, Taraba State. In this interview, he sheds light on developments in the state following last week's air crash involving Governor Danbaba Suntai, affirming that there is no vacancy in the State.

W

HAT is the situation in the State now?

Last Thursday, our governor, Mr. Danbaba Danfulani Suntai, was involved in a plane crash at Yola. He was in the plane with three of his aides.

Only four of them were in the plane- a small aircraft.

Now at the point of landing, the plane crashed just a few miles away from the Yola airport.

The miracle that followed is still one that is mind boggling. All of them survived with just some injuries. They were promptly moved to the Specialist Hospital, Yola.

From here, the governor was moved the next day to the National Hospital, Abuja.

Nigerians saw all these on national television and read of all these movements.

So I would probably be repeating everything a whole lot of things folks already know. From Abuja the governor was taken to Germany. And all the while, he was in a very stable condition.

There are criticisms that the aides were not well treated like the governor.

That is not true and again, we have explained all of these.

They weren’t abandoned. Truth is that the CSO and the Chief Detail were really stable than the others. The governor got moved immediately because he had stabilised for such movements.

The ADC couldn’t be moved immediately because of the medical advice that he can’t just be moved given his critical condition at the time.

He needed time to be more stable for such a trip. Like I said, the CSO and the CD were really in good shape.

The CD was even walking around the hospital. In fact, some people even think the CSO and the CD don’t need to go abroad for any treatment, considering how they are faring.

Be that as it may, they were all moved from Yola to the National Hospital, Abuja. The doctors are observing them now and would soon make the decision of whether to move them to Germany or not.

So in terms of treatment, the aides got the same kind of protocols extended to the governor. After the governor

13 men, who want to rule Ondo

•Bello:

trooping to Taraba. They may want to come by air. So this is how we are opening the air literally.

The nature of the state geographically means that we should be able to fly above to show some of these potentials.

And we have been doing this, using the planes to ferry many potentials investors above to see the assets we have. Our tourism potentials can better be appreciated from an aerial view. We have done a lot of this. When, for instance, President Goodluck Jonathan came to assess the impact of the flood, we took him up on ride across the plains. So he had a very accurate view of the damage that the flood caused. So really, as a state, these aircraft have been helpful.

What about road transport?

We are not neglecting the roads. In fact, no governor has done more for road construction than Danbaba.

He is fixing many of these roads even federal ones. So we are working real hard on that. Some of these roads are federal roads abandoned over the years. Take the Ardo KolaGarba Chede road. It would link up the state in many radical ways. Or the Karim Lamido-Balaiffi road. There is another one going from Marraraba to Abong in the Cameroon borders. Even inside Jalingo, the transformation has been astounding. So we are opening up Taraba. Yet we need air transport because some of the places are not accessible.

was moved to Abuja, the aides too enjoyed the same attention. The governor of Adamawa state, Murtala Nyako was really helpful as he personally supervised the evacuation of the governor first, and of his aides later. He was at the hospital and the airport. And in all cases- that is the governor and his aides, all of us-commissioners, special advisers, state officials – were in attendance. So the aides were not abandoned.

They were given full attention and accorded all the protocols the governor was given. Their family members have been overwhelmed with the show of solidarity from everyone in the state.

poor state like Taraba doesn’t need planes.

I disagree with them. We are expanding our aviation potentials in the sense that we want to finish our airport.

Right now, air travel is a nightmare for Tarabans. You would have to go to Yola before flying out. So what we are doing is building our airport. In fact, it would soon be completed. The aircraft we bought is to be part of fleet in what we call Air Taraba- a registered company to cater for that sector. Taraba has a lot of tourism potentials, apart from agriculture and solid minerals. And we know that many investors would soon be

Was Governor Danbaba the pilot of the crashed plane?

Yes.

ACN: Leaders speak

But why should the governor fly the plane?

Well, he is a trained pilot.

He has had successful flights before now. So this is just one mishap but you can see that everyone survived. Would that be because of his flying skills?

I don’t know. But it is a miracle all the same.

Do we know why the plane crashed?

Well, this is still being investigated by the appropriate authority. So we can’t comment on what is being investigated.

Some have argued that a

Continues from page 41

will begin to reclaim the South West. Lagos State will incontrovertibly be taken over by the PDP.

ACN is going places — Sen Obadara

While faulting the prediction that the can might lose the South West, Senator Gbenga Obadara, who represents Ogun Central Senatorial District, said “there is nothing of such.”

In addition, he said “as at now, it is not only that we will retain the South West, we will win all seats in the House of Representatives and Senate

Are the planes owned by the governor?

The planes are bought and owned by the state government.

Back to the issue of the aides, where are they now?

They are in stable conditions. The CSO and the CD are almost well and by any standards they could be

positions in the South West.

If you look at what is happening, where was ACN 10 years ago in Ondo State?

Did you see the awakening we have done and mode of participation within few weeks to the Ondo governorship election? That tells you we have a future, that tells you we are going places.”

Commenting on the allegation of imposition of candidates, the lawmaker said “let me just enlighten people.

We have direct and indirect primaries but what we are having is indirect primary.

The party sets up a committee that will interview you and

treated here. But if the doctors say they need treatment abroad, so be it. The ADC is the worst hit of the lot. We are making frantic arrangement to fly him to Germany. The reason for the delay, as I pointed out was to make him stable. He is now fit to make the rigorous trip to Germany.

These are all findings by the doctors. They are the ones who are making these decisions and not one single person. These are not political, humanitarian, decisions to make. They are medical in nature.

There are insinuations that these events have left a power vacuum in the state.

There is nothing like a power vacuum. The deputy governor has the constitutional duty to take charge while the governor is away. That is what he is doing now. Government is working smoothly. Nothing is amiss. The Deputy Governor, Alhaji Garba Umar (popularly known as UTC) is performing his role. The government is still working smoothly. The legislative arm, the judiciary and the executive are working well.

The Deputy Governor has since addressed the state where he reaffirmed his faith in the state and said that government was still fully in place. He warned mischief makers that the security forces would deal with any breach in the peace and security of the state.

So there is no vacuum. The other day, he gave orders that relief materials should start getting to the affected people.

He was also at the council of state meeting in Abuja. He is being supported by the state cabinet and all the security apparati of the state. So this is how governance is still in force at Jalingo and the rest of the state.

Meanwhile, the entire state is praying for the governor ’s speedy recovery and his eventual return to continue with the good job he has started.

that committee will look at your pedigree and character before it takes a decision.

That is how our candidates emerge”.

It is hogwash — Sen Ojudu Lampooning the leadership of Afenifere, another the lawmaker elected on the platform of the ACN, Senator Femi Ojudu said “can anyone of them (Afenifere) win elections in their ward? Whast South West are they talking about? Are they in control of anything in the South West?”

Ojudu, who represents Ekiti Central Senatorial added that “I don’t recgonise them as Afenifere other than Afenifere Renewal Group. That talk is hogwash.”

46 — Vanguard, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2012

Vanguard, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2012 — 47

IOC, NOC fault PIB

BY KUNLE KALEJAYE & EDIRI EJOH

T

HE Petroleum Industry Bill, PIB, currently on the floor of the National Assemble, has received knocks from International Oil Companies, IOC, and Nigeria Oil Companies, NOC. The bodies said the bill would not meet Federal Government’s aspiration in the oil and gas sector.

The position taken by IOC contradicts widelyheld belief that the PIB is tilted very much in favour of the international

C M Y K

oil companies, who, for decades had dictated the tone of the industry operations.

Shell Group had earlier declared that the draft Bill, before the National Assembly, was not only lopsided, but will also frustrate current investments in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry and impede on the ability to meet set targets on power generation.

MD/CEO, ExxonMobil Nigeria, Mr. Mark Ward, said significant amendment needed to be done on the bill.

MONEY LAUNDERING: PDP raises fresh issues in Ajimobi wife’s defence

BY OLA AJAYI

I

BADAN—THE ripples generated by the alleged money laundering by the wife of the Oyo State Governor, Mrs. Florence are yet to settle as an opposition party, Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the state said the public is waiting to get the accurate number of times that Mrs. Ajimobi travelled since her

husband, Senator Abiola Ajimobi assumed office.

The First Lady in the state had denied that she had traveled 52 times as alleged by the publication.

PDP through its Publicity Secretary, Mr. Lukuman Agboluaje, said in as much as it would not want to join issues with the governor ’s wife on the money laundering allegations, there were

more salient issues which should not be glossed over.

According to the party, it is improper for the governor, who had made much noise about quality free education to now send his daughter abroad for a mere secondary education.

Agboluaje said: “As much as we are not in a position to join issues with Mrs. Ajimobi on the alleged money

laundering charges as reported by a local newspaper using an online publication as its source, we are constrained to ask some fundamental questions, especially from her own defence on arrival.

“We are aware of the free education policy of the present administration in the state and our concern is the inability of the state’s first couple to allow their kid daughter enjoy the free education being dished out to the populace rather than for the First Lady to incessantly visit her daughter every three weeks in a UK secondary school.”

This, the party went further, was more so critical as the First Lady, though, had promised to tell the public the number of times she travelled abroad since her husband’s assumption of office 17 months ago, up till now the public was still waiting.

Another thorny issue which the PDP claimed was more curious to learn through the online publication was that the State Agency for the Control of Aids, SACA, was now placed under the office of the First Lady.

Wondering why this could be, Agboluaje said it was an indication that either Mrs. Ajimobi was more qualified than officials of the supervising Ministry of Health or that the ruling Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, in the state was suffering from dearth of qualified politicians that could be saddled with such sensitive responsibility.

The release further stated that it was a good thing that Governor Ajimobi had sued the offending medium to the law court as the public was very much interested in knowing how the case goes in court.

“This is more so important when it is realised that a major shareholder of the offending publishing house, Independent Communication Ltd, is Senator Bola Tinubu, National leader of the ACN and the godfather of Governor Ajimobi,” the release added.

48 — Vanguard, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2012

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Vanguard , FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2012 —49

Boko Haram names Buhari, 5 others as mediators FG welcomes move, Buhari cautious

BY EMMANUEL AZIKEN, Political Editor, BEN AGANDE & NDAHI MARAMA

M

AIDUGURI— LEADERSHIP of Jama’atul Ahlis Sunnah Lidda’awati Wal Jihad, also called Boko Haram, has named the former Head of State and presidential candidate of Congress for Progressive Change, CPC, General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd), among six prominent northerners, to mediate between the group and the Federal Government.

The Federal Government in a statement by Dr. Reuben Abati, Presidential Spokesman, yesterday, welcomed the move.

Boko Haram, however, said that for the group to observe ceasefire, the Federal Government must heed its demand by arresting and prosecuting the former Governor of Borno State, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff.

Governor Ibrahim Shettima of Borno State also, yesterday, said security agencies should be allowed to do their job on those they suspect are sponsors or sympathisers of the Boko Haram sect.

Shettima told state house correspondents after a meeting of the National Economic Council that the security challenge in the country required the efforts of all Nigerians to overcome.

Meanwhile, spokesman of the group, Abu Mohammed Ibn Abdulazeez, who doubles as the Second-in-Command (Amir) to their leader, Imam Abubakar Shekau, made the group's intention known in a tele-conference with journalists in Maiduguri, yesterday.

Mediators

Abdulazeez said other people, who could mediate with the government if its conditions were met, include Dr. Shettima Ali

Monguno, former Yobe State governor, Bukar Abba Ibrahim, Ambassador Gaji Galtimari and Hajia Aisha Wakil and her husband, Alkali Wakil.

Dialogue venue

He insisted, however, that such dialogue must not take place in Nigeria, but Saudi Arabia.

According to him, the choice of Saudi Arabia was informed by the insincerity of the Nigeria government for dialogue and its betrayal in the past.

Abdulazeez insisted that for the group to ceasefire completely, the government must not only apprehend, but prosecute Senator Modu Sheriff according to the laws of the land as well as compensate members of the group and rebuild their places of worship destroyed during 2009 uprising, which led to the alleged murder of their leader, Mohammed Yusuf.

Conditions for ceasefire

The Boko Haram spokesman further stressed that, all their members, who were arrested and are under the custody of security agencies must be released immediately, just as their wives and children who were displaced following the crises should be rehabilitated into the society to allow room for the much talked about dialogue with the Federal Government.

Commenting on the series of recent killings and destruction of property in Maiduguri, Abu Abdulazeez dissociated Boko Haram from the action, saying such attacks were not only politicallymotivated, but carried out by those seeking power in the Borno Emirate council or in government.

He stressed that recent killings and destructions in Maiduguri were against the ideology of

the sect, which he said was fighting the cause of Allah.

Abdulazeez also said the burning of old and newly-constructed primary schools witnessed across the state were not carried out by the sect, insisting that they were perpetrated by aggrieved politicians who were denied contracts by the state government.

Last Febr uary, the group had also nominated Monguno, Bukar Ibrahim, Aisha Wakil and Jinadu Idris as part of a team to mediate between it and the Federal Government, but the negotiation never got off.

Buhari reacts

Yesterday was, however, the first time the group would be proposing Gen. Buhari as part of a mediation team between it and the Federal Government.

Buhari, who returned to Kaduna from Daura, Katsina State, yesterday

evening, said he was yet to be formally contacted on the development.

Buba Galadima, an associate of the former Head of State speaking on behalf of the General said: “His first reaction is that he has not heard about this news and nobody has contacted him.

“He said he wouldn’t want to say anything on this matter that has not yet been authenticated, but he remains prayerful that peace and tranquility will return to this country.”

50 — Vanguard, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2012

Sandy evokes memories of 9/11 came to the United (PHCN) cuts power in September 11, 2001 terI States to cover the most urban areas in Ni- ror attacks on the World presidential election, but geria the ugliness of the Trade Center’s twin tow-

T

HE number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits fell last week, a sign the labour market’s slow recovery was gaining traction. Initial claims for state unemployment benefits dropped 9,000 to a seasonally adjusted 363,000, the Labor Department said on Thursday. That was below the median forecast in a Reuters poll of 370,000.

An analyst from the department said New Jersey and Washington, D.C., did not turn in data due to the mammoth storm Sandy, which hit the Northeast earlier this

week. The Labor Department estimated results for the state and for the nation’s capital. Economists have said the storm could lead to volatility in jobless claims over the coming weeks. There were no signs the storm had any impact on last week’s data, the Labor Department analyst said. The four-week moving average for jobless claims, which smoothes out volatility, dropped 1,500 to a 367,250. Economists generally think a reading below 400,000 points to an increase in employment.

The U.S. economy has recently shown some signs

•Obama of health, with consumers spending more freely and home construction picking up. But business investment sank in the third quarter, a sign companies lack confidence in the strength of the economic recovery. The prior week’s estimate for jobless claims was revised slightly higher to show 3,000 more applications than previously reported.

•Mitt Romney on campaign trail

Where Obama, Romney stand on issues Abortion and Birth Control: Obama: Supports access to abortion. Health care law requires contraceptives to be available for free for women enrolled in workplace health plans.

Romney: Opposes access to abortion. Previously supported that. Says state law should guide abortion rights, and Roe v. Wade should be reversed by a future Supreme Court ruling. Said he would end federal aid to Planned Parenthood.

Debt: Obama: Promises to cut projected deficits by $4 trillion over 10 years, a goal that will require Congress to raise the capital gains tax, boost taxes on households earning over $250,000 a year, impose a minimum 30 percent tax on incomes above $1 million, and more.

First-term pledge to cut

deficit he inherited by half will fall well-short.

Romney: Promises to cut $500 billion per year from the federal budget by 2016 to bring spending below 20 percent of the U.S. economy and to balance it by 2020, but vital specifics are lacking. At same time would increase military spending, reverse $716 billion in Medicare cuts and cut taxes.

Economy: Obama: Term marked by high unemployment, a deep recession that began in previous administration and officially ended within six months and gradual recovery with persistently high jobless rates of over 8 percent, until the rate dropped to 7.8 in September, the same as it was in February 2009, Obama’s first full month in office. Businesses have added jobs for more than two years

straight while public sector jobs have lagged. Responded to recession with a roughly $800 billion stimulus plan, expanded auto industry bailout begun under George W. Bush, inherited and carried forward Wall Street bailout.

Romney: Lower taxes, less regulation, balanced budget, more trade deals to spur growth. Replace jobless benefits with unemployment savings accounts.

Energy and Environment: Obama: Ordered temporary moratorium on deep-water drilling after the massive BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, but U.S. produced more oil in 2010 than it has since 2003 and all forms of energy production have increased under Obama.

•Continues tomorrow

I have ended up, like most Americans, paying more attention to a more powerful natural interloper; what some now call the Great October Intrusion: Hurricane Sandy.

Its effect was so powerful that the President of the United States, Mr Barack Obama, temporarily dropped his race for reelection and returned to his core duty of leader of a nation under invasion from a force greater than any man.

My original itinerary has also been altered. I had intended to move to Washington DC during the weekend and observe the election from there. I have changed my mind.

I am staying put in New York and environs because this is where the news is, primarily. My proposed train ride to Washington is off. Next time, perhaps. In any case, Amtrak, the main rail service provider on the New York – Washington corridor, has not announced its date for resumption of services due to the extent of disruption caused by Sandy.

When disaster strikes, it is usually fallacious, plastic to get the full import of the event just watching it on television.

It is like watching the casket containing the dead body of a stranger being driven past. You feel it is a log of wood being taken past. But if that dead body belongs to your relation the feeling is different. That is the effect of going out there to see things for yourself if you can.

By 4.00pm on Tuesday, the rains had died down, and so had the storming, substantially. From our cozy “ refugee camp”, three of us – Leon Ibeka, Chief Abogo “Ugwokegbe” and I decided to visit Ibeka’s district, Rockaway (which lies about one hundred metres from the Atlantic Ocean) to assess the damage and to rescue whatever we could from his refrigerator.

They were among 8.2 million people and businesses in New York plunged into a total.

Leon told me that his 15 year-old first son was seeing a power blackout for the first time!

Honestly, by the time we left there at about 7.30pm, that area looked worse than Surulere under blackout. At least when the Power Holding Company of Nigeria

blackout is vitiated by the presence of droning, smoking generators.

There were not many generator owners in this middle class high rise housing project, and I doubt anyone would be allowed to operate one in this district for fear of pollution and fire. The only lights that showed were car headlamps and tail lamps.

On the way, the havoc was evident. Trees brought down, sometimes on vehicles, sometimes on houses, and in a good number of instances, on humans! About 40 lives were lost to Sandy at report time, and 22 of those took place in New York and New Jersey, plus another 69 dead earlier on in the Caribbean.

When we reached Leon’s

ers and other sites in the US east coast.

In 2010, Hurricane Irene cost $15 billion in damages. But Sandy’s destructive scale was three times more. About $30 billion was lost to business closure. Insurance companies alone

,

US job market brightens Obama’s chances

Leon told me that his 15 yearold first son was seeing a power blackout for the first time!

,

were being expected to foot a third of the provisional estimated bill of $45 billion. The rest will, of course, be born by taxpayers, in that public facilities need fixing. Sandy

•A rescue worker and a woman affected by Hurricane Sandy in New York City home, we found that his left many districts quiet wife’s car had been total- and under water. The ly ruined and the salty bustle of New York busiflood water, though now ness took a holiday. No totally receded, had com- trains ran, no planes flew pletely drowned the poor (12,000 flights were cancar. She had neglected to celled and thousands of drive it to safety in Jamai- passengers were strandca. ed in the four airports Americans were on the around New York and run. Those who (like New Jersey). Public bus Leon) had heeded the transit services were skelwarnings of the authori- etal. Cars and refuse bins ties, came back to evacu- littered the roads like fallate perishable food items en leaves. More than 100 from their fridges. Others homes remained under who ignored the adviso- flood in Queens and a ries still had to leave af- whole street went up in ter the storm because the flames. New York had winds were still fierce and never seen anything like the cold bitter, tending to this in 108 years! The sub-zero. With no light- Governor of New Jersey, ing and heating, people Chris Christie, called the stood in danger of freez- devastation unthinking to death in their hous- able”. The Mayor of New es, as the authorities had York, Michael Bloomberg also warning of four said it was “may be the chilly nights after Sandy. worst that we have ever No one was sure when experienced”. power supply would be The next question is obrestored in their areas (in vious. With this massive fact the prognosis was amount of disruption, that it would take a whole what will be the fate of the week in some districts). It elections that were comwas a sad irony seeing ing up in a week’s time the citizens of the great- when millions of people est country on earth turn- are expected to be still ing into internally dis- picking up the pieces, placed persons or refu- cleaning up, burying gees. Never had the res- their dead and counting idents of New York City their losses? And who, experienced anything between Obama and quite like this since the Romney, will lose more?

Vanguard, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2012 — 51

Barack Obama: A profile

Great orator, poor salesman

Obama, Romney back on campaign trail

B

ARACK Obama put politics aside and Republican challenger Mitt Romney tempered his criticism of the president for three days as superstorm Sandy battered the U.S. East Coast, but both dived back into the presidential campaign with gusto on Thursday, with just five days left until Election Day. The president’s advisers insist his break from campaigning while managing the federal response to the superstorm had minimal impact on his standing. If anything, it gave Obama a chance to offer the type of comfort and command in a crisis that only a president can deliver.

Advantages of the early vote With more than 19 million people already voted in the presidential, either by mail or in person.

Democrats have an edge in votes cast in Florida, Iowa, Nevada, North Carolina and Ohio. Republicans have an advantage in Colorado. No votes will be counted until November 6, but some key states are releasing

•Governor Christie of New Jesrey and Obama the party affiliation of are neither reliably Rethose who have voted. publican nor Democratic.

Obama’s campaign The U.S. president is not planned to keep pressing elected according to the its criticism of the ads as nationwide popular vote, it seeks to block Rom- but in state-by-state conney ’s prospects for a tests that make these breakthrough in Ohio, a states especially imporstate every Republican tant in such a tight elechas needed to win the tion. Romney campresidency. paigned yesterday in VirThe storm created head- ginia, while Ryan was aches for Romney, divert- appearing at events in ing the public’s attention Nevada and Colorado. away from the campaign Obama started his day as he was trying to build in Green Bay, Wisconsin, momentum. Still, the making up an event that Democratic campaign was cancelled earlier in tried to make up for the the week because of the lost time with a heavy storm. He had a rally travel itinerary in the com- planned later in Las Veing days, including ral- gas, as well as Boulder, lies yesterday in Wiscon- Colorado, a heavily Demsin, Nevada and Colo- ocratic area.For the morado. However, the polls ment, Obama appears to show Obama with a have a slight lead in the slight edge in nine key state tallies. “battleground” states that

How would Sandy affect the election?

T

HE most important question is: will the hurricane’s destructive aftermath force a postponement of the election scheduled on Tuesday, November 6 th 2012?

Fears have been entertained in several quarters that it might. But USA TODAY Newspaper ’s David Jackson’s insightful analysis entitled: “Sandy Unlikely to Postpone Election”, portrays such a possibility as remote for several political and legal reasons.

Federal law prescribes that elections in the US must take place in the first Tuesday after the first Monday of November in the election year. In other words, if the first Tuesday of the month of election year happens to be the first of November the next Tuesday will be Election Day. Even though some states are not strictly in tune with this regulation, it certainly applies to all presidential elections.

The meaning of this is that if for any reason the poll date is shifted there will be a flurry of lawsuits that could torpedo the outcome. To this extent, there are parallels with the electoral law in Nige-

ria where an election tribunal could upturn an election due to failure to conform to minimum number of days between the emergence of candidates and elections.

Besides, a postponement will be blamed on the Obama administration even though the federal government never conducts elections nor has any control over the electoral authorities. David Jackson’s analysis observes further: “The United States had held elections in difficult situations before – including the middle of the Civil War in 1864 when Abraham Lincoln won reelection over one of his former generals, George Mclellan”. But that is not to say elections have never been postponed. The 9/11 terror attacks on New York led to the post-

ponement of election primaries which were scheduled to take place that day in the City. But that was an extraordinary situation; a situation of extreme emergency far

BY HUGO ODIOGOR, Foreign Affairs Editor

W

HEN Barack Hus sein Obama was elected the 44th President of the United States of America on November 4, 2008, General Colin Powell, Reverend Jesse Jackson and millions of other black men, around the world wept. They wept because the dream of the likes of Rev. Martin Luther King Jnr, had come to with a blistering reality, in their time and age, in a country where the first black man to enter the White House did so through the kitchen door. Those who know the odyssey of Black man in America for over 500 years could not but wonder whether they were dreaming in daylight. So, for the past four years, it has been the lot of a black man to do a rescue mission on God’s own country. His is not a mean feat.

Bio Data Born on August 4, 1961 in Honolulu, Hawaii, Barack Hussein Obama is globalization personified.

Here is one man with roots across races in more than three continents, and across religions. His humble beginning not withstanding, Obama defied stigmatisation, racial stereotypes and aspired to the apogee of his chosen part. His father, Barack Obama Snr, hailed from the Luo tribe in Nyanza province of Kenya. His father was herding goats in his native East African country, before he got a scholarship to study in America.

He went to Honolulu, Hawaii, where he met Ann Dunham as a student and married her in February 1961. They had Barack six months later, but the marriage crashed.

His father went ahead to obtain a Doctorate degree at Harvard University, before returning to Kenya.

•Mitt Romney visiting some of the victims of Hurricane Sandy. more extraordinary than to vote in New York and a usually controlled situ- New Jersey, which are considered safe grounds ation of civil war.

Obama made it clear in for Obama and the Dema broadcast he was not ocrats, it might hurt the worried about how Mitt Romney but it will definitely hurt Obama the Sandy.

If fewer voters come out more.

Obama’s mother, Ann, got re-married to Lolo Soetoro from Indonesia, took young Barack to Indonesia, but he could not stay for long in Indonesia owing to racial rejections and family tension.

Barack came back to Hawaii to stay with his grandma, whom they nicknamed “Tutu.” The proud old lady saw her boy obtain education, become a lawyer, a Senator and a Presidential candidate. She died just a few days to Obama’s election on November 4, 2008.

Young Barack schooled at Punahou Academy where he graduated with honours in 1979. After his high school, Obama went to Los Angeles where he studied at Occidental College for two years. He transferred to Columbia University in New York,

er, he ran for the Senate in 2004 and won in that same year. He grabbed national attention when he spoke at the national convention of Democratic Party where he was nominated by Senator John Kerry to give a key note speech during his nominated as the presidential candidate for the Party.

In a bewildering act of courage, Obama announced in 2007, that he was going to seek nomination to run for the White House in 2007 and the rest is history. For the past four years Obama has been on a rescue mission. He inherited an economy that had gone into a recession and a country that fought two wars in Asia and in the Middle East.

The war in Iraq was

•Obama to earn a degree in Political Science in 1983. He moved to Chicago in 1985 and worked as a Community Organiser.

Faith and family It was in 1985 that he found his bearing in Christian faith when he joined the Trinity United Church of Christ. He visited Africa that same year and went to the graveside of his father who died when he was 22 years old. His visit to Africa was an exercise in self discovery, although he did not meet his father, he reconnected with his roots and realised why he has suffered acceptance and rejection as a black man. In 1988, Obama went to Harvard Law School. In 1989, he met Michelle Robinson an associate at Sidley and Austin Law firm in Chicago. He married Michelle in 1992 and they have two daughters, Malia and Sasha.

Political career His work as a community organiser and advocacy gave him the audacity to dare. He ran for the Illinois State Senate as a Democrat and won in 1996. He became the Chairman of Illinois Senate Committee on Health and Human Services Committee. In 2000 he failed to win the primary for U.S. House of Representatives. Four years lat-

debilitating as U.S was known to have spent over $1 trillion and lost over 4,000 men. In 2011 Obama repealed the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy that prevents the gays from serving in the military. In 2011, he gave the order to U.S. Navy SEALS to kill Osama Bin Laden, the leader of Al Qaeda.

He ended the war in Iraq and began phase withdrawal of the military in Afghanistan. He passed the Health Care Act called Obama care.

He signed the Civil Marriage Act, known as Same sex. He bailed out the auto companies in Detroit and Ohio. He tightened the tax regulations that allowed the fat cats to Wall Streets to perpetuate fraudulent deals which almost crippled the U.S. Financial sector. |His economic policies have seen gradual recovery in the Housing and auto industries. There is a gradual improvement in the job market. Obama is a great orator and an intelligent man but his greatest undoing in this election has been his failure to sell his accomplishments to Americans. He faltered in his first debate with Romney and has since been on the defensive. He is still running with Joe Biden from Delaware as his vice presidential candidate.

52 — Vanguard, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2012

Foods that are great for the skin I

By CHARLYNE IKPE

T doesn’t take much more than common sense to realise that what you put into your body is going to have an impact on how your body looks and feels.

It pays to look young and supple by paying attention to what types of foods you are putting into your body.

The following foods are essential for good skin.

WATER

The number one ingredient for great-looking skin is water.

The more water you drink, the more you flush all of the other stuff out of your body and the healthier your skin is going to look.

GREEN TEA When you are not drinking water, you should be drinking green tea. It has many, many different health benefits including benefits for the skin.

You can drink it cold or warm.

Avoid adding sugar or milk to it if you want the best benefits for your skin.

TOMATOES This food is rich in anti-

oxidants and so has great skin-boosting benefits.

BERRIES Strawberries, blueberries and blackberries are all berries that are also rich in antioxidants. Eat them alone, toss them in cereal or add them to the sides of other dishes to increase the healthiness of your skin all throughout the day.

SWEET POTATOES This is a vegetable alternative to the cantaloupe and tomato options that you may want to try to get those free radicals flowing

healthfully throughout your body and fighting off skin problems.

CARROTS: If you want to get your Vitamin A, then you may want to turn to carrots to improve

your skin with this vitamin.

OMEGA3 Omega3 is that “good fat” that we are always trying to get even though we try to avoid the “bad fat”. One of the things that the Omega3 fats do is ward off any kind of inflammation. This means they are good for the skin.

You can find these in many different fish dishes including tuna, shellfish, sardines and salmon.

WALNUTS These are yet another option that you can choose in addition to flax seeds or fish dishes if you want to improve your skin with those

essential fatty acids.

GRAPEFRUIT This food is really rich in Vitamin C. Vitamin C is great for people concerned about skin problems because it delays or reduces wrinkles.

ORANGES Just like with grapefruits, these are great for the skin because they are so rich in Vitamin C.

•From left: Pharm. Uche Moronu, National Agency For Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, Obi Chukwuemeka, Chief Operating Officer, Pharmacy Plus; Pharm. Jimi Agbaje; and Azubuike Okwor, President, Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria during the media launch of Reload Multivitamins, in Lagos. Photo: Lamidi Bamidele.

Your skin is you, respect and protect it

By CHIOMA OBINNA

U

NDOUBTEDLY, to keep your skin as healthy as possible, you need to nourish your skin. But are you getting enough of the right nutrients from the foods you eat? Could you benefit from taking a supplement or trying an antioxidant-packed lotion?

A Dermatologist, Doris Day and also the author of Forget the Facelift, says the beauty of the skin is that you can affect it from both inside and out. For Day, your skin is you and there is need for you to respect it. Again, what you eat also matters.

Eating plenty of fruits and vegetables rich in antioxidants is good for your whole body, including your skin.

Antioxidants such as beta-carotene and vitamins C, E, and A can curb the damage caused by unstable molecules known as free radicals. These molecules can harm skin cells and cause signs of aging. Although, one of the best ways to get more antioxidants is to eat a wide variety of fruits and vegetables but the ideal way to get the nutrients you need for a radiant complexion is eating a healthy, balanced diet. With

Reload multivitamins debuts for healthy living

• The skin

4 types of breast cancer identified

A

COMPREHENSIVE study has categorised breast cancer into four types, already leading to new ideas on how to treat the different strains.

Scientists are now a step closer to understanding the genetic origins of the four major subtypes of breast cancer.

According to Nature, the study is part of a project that includes similar studies of lung and colon cancer.

A consortium of researchers analysed tumours from 825 patients, using six different technologies to examine subsets of the tumours for various defects.

The four main subtypes confirmed by the study are luminal A, luminal B, HER2enriched and basal-like.

One key finding shows that one of the subtypes is genetically more similar to ovarian tumours than to other breast cancer

the current harsh economy, nutritionists recommend taking an over-the-counter daily multivitamin with minerals to boost nutrient intake if an individual is not eating a balanced diet.

Paying attention to your skin’s overall health is also important as it is to eat a healthy diet, your skin also needs you to not smoke, get enough sleep, exercise regularly, and drink enough water.

No matter what you eat, be sure to wear sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30 every day.

To get results, give it time. It may take three months to a year to really see an improvement in your skin. Go with what is tried and true and give it a solid chance to work.

tumours. Patients with that specific mutation, categorized as basal-like, may benefit from the same type of chemotherapy used to treat ovarian cancer, the researchers said.

Cancer patients with luminal A had much better prognoses than those with luminal B, which could help doctors understand when to treat patients more aggressively.

And researchers are planning a new clinical trial based on the findings for HER2 patients, who often -- but not always -- respond well to a drug called Herceptin, allowing a more targeted group to get the drug (and others, who may not respond to it, to avoid it).

I

N a renewed fight against malnutrition as well as provide Nigerians with their daily vitamins and minerals needs, Pharmacy Plus Ltd, has unveiled a new range of Reload multivitamins.

Registered and certified by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, Reload is a multivitamin, multi-mineral and antioxidant in a vegetable and fruit blend product.

According to the Chief Operating Officer, Pharmacy Plus Ltd, Mr. Obi Chukwuemeka, “Multivitamins are needed to keep the body healthy, to prevent future health problems, supplement one’s diet, particularly when one does not eat right, and to fuel the body with energy and strength.”

Chukwuemeka who spoke at the Media Launch of the product in Lagos said; “Reload contains 24 fruits and vegetables. Taking one tablet daily would give you all the nutrients you need on a daily basis. Taking it in the morning will keep you

‘Reloaded’ for the entire day.’’

According to him, eating right is a big problem that cuts across both the rich and the poor in the country and the company understands that as human beings grow there is a resultant change in the nutritional requirements. The Reload brand is specially formed to cater for the nutritional needs of everyone irrespective of age and gender.

Speaking, President of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria, Mr Azubuike Okwor, recommended Reload range of multivitamins to Nigerians.

Okwor who endorsed the product added that the product was a beautiful inclusion to a market that is fraught with unsafe drugs - a problem that is currently a focus for the society.

In his views, Pharm. Jimi Agbaje, who recounted the role of Reload multivitamin in the diet stated that 70 per cent of Nigerians are living in poverty and obviously do not take a balanced diet while the remaining 30 per cent tend to eat more of one group of nutrients.

Vanguard, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2012 — 53

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OSAGIATOR—I, formerly known and addressed as Miss O s a g i a t o r Omorovbiye Joy, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Otabor Omorovbiye Joy. All former documents remain valid. NYSC and general public please take note.

OJINTA—I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Oluoma Charity Ojinta, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Oluoma Charity Ibe. All former documents remain valid.

ESUT, NYSC and general public please take note.

MORAKINYO—I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Yetunde Oluwayemisi Morakinyo, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Yetunde Oluwayemisi Ayoh. All former documents remain valid.

American International School, Lagos; GTBank; Zenith Bank; First Bank; First Registrars and general public please take note.

OKEKE—I, formerly known and addressed as Ifeoma Christiana Okeke (Nee Agu), now wish to be known and addressed as Ifeoma Christiana Ene. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

EZEUKWU—I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Ezeukwu Jennifer A., now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Okosa Jennifer A. All former documents remain valid.

General public please take note.

OFORDILE—I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Nneoma Bethel Ofordile, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Nneoma Bethel Azike. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

EMENUGA—I, formerly known as Dr. (Mrs.) Chinwe H e n r i e t t a Emenuga, now wish to be known as Dr. (Mrs.) Chinwe Henrietta Edebeatu. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

AGU—I, formerly known and addressed as Agu Maryrose Chinenye, now wish to be known and addressed as Ezeh Maryrose Chinenye.

All former documents remain valid.

General public please take note.

IKHISEMOJE—We, formerly known and addressed as Ikhisemoje family: Ikhisemoje Derrich, Ikhisemoje Wilson and Ikhisemoje Philip Junior, now wish to be known and addressed as Mark family: Derrich Mark, Rodney Mark and king Mark. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

OKOLI—We, formerly known and addressed as Okoli family: Dr. Okoli Ndukaku Erasmus, Okoli Ifeyinwa Loretta, Okoli Ijeoma Tracy, Okoli Ugochukwu David, Okoli Obikaibeya Joshua, now wish to be known and addressed as Nwajiofor family: Dr. Nwajiofor Ndukaku Erasmus, Mrs. Nwajiofor Ifeyinwa Loretta, Nwajiofor Ijeoma Tracy, Nwajiofor Ugochukwu David, Nwajiofor Obikaibeya Joshua. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

C M Y K

ADEWUSI—I, formerly known and addressed as Abidemi Felicia Adewusi, now wish to be known and addressed as Abidemi Felicia Azeez.

All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

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PETER—I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Esther Peter, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Esther Abu. All former documents remain valid. Nigerian Police Force and general public please take note.

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All former documents remain valid.

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ITEKE—I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Iteke .E. Abomejera, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Enifome-Omobi .E. Abomejera.

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54 — Vanguard, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2012

has gone wrong with Nigeria? Yes, I “WHAT would like to come and share our success story with you in Nigeria. When I was competing Nigeria was at the same level with Jamaica. But I don’t know why you have gone down. Yes, I’ll come to Nigeria.”

These were the words of track and field icon, Bertland Cameron when I contacted him for a sports summit in Nigeria. The contact had been made during the London Olympic Games after Governor Emmanuel Udughan called to show concern over sports in Nigeria. He had actually called to encourage Blessing Okagbare and he asked that the phone be given to me. When he spoke you couldn’t mistake his passion for sports. Uduaghan was deeply sad Nigeria couldn’t win any medal at the London Olympics and he immediately set out to give a helping hand with a sports summit and ensure the implementation of its report. And when Bertland Cameron agreed to visit Africa for the first time I was elated that a former world champion was coming to Nigeria. And when he spoke at the Delta Sports Summit, the audience was spellbound. His delivery was superb and the points very educative. He read some points from the paper he was presenting but in most cases he spoke from his heart.

He was so emotional and the audience keyed in too.

His delivery was moving and awed the audience.

“I was almost in tears when Bertland was speaking,” Uduaghan said as he walked out of the hall. He spent the whole day at the summit and even participated in the Study Group Sessions. It only takes some one with passion for sports to confess this.

Cameron went as far back as 1948 when Arthur Wint won gold in the London Olympics in the 400m and silver in the 800m. In the same year Herbet Mckinley won silver in the 800m. The winning spell continued at the 1952 Olympic Games in Helsinki with Jamaica winning gold in the 4x400m relay, Wint winning silver in the in 800m and Mckinley silver in 100m. Lennox Miller won medals in the 1968 and 1972 Olympics.

Donald Quarry won four Olympic medals including gold in 200m at the Montreal Olympics and in 1976 where he also won silver in the 100m. Marlene Ottey won 13 Olympic and World Championship medals.

Bertland himself won gold in the World Championship in Helsinki in 1983 and silver in the 4x400m relay at the Seoul Olympics in 1988. The winning spell continued and the interesting point Cameron was making was that in Jamaica pupils are thought about their heroes and heroines right from the times of McKinley in 1948 to date. So kids in school have role models and the tradition and culture of athletics have stuck with them. This inspires. Cameron told Nigerians that

When Uduaghan almost shed tears Jamaica should be looking up to you and not you looking up to us. they could make use of the facilities in Europe and America but warned that “America will not train you to become Olympic champions,” insisting that “you have to do it yourself.”

Before he climbed stage, he told me that Blessing Okagbare was an Olympic medal potential who was not well guided before the London Games. She burnt out before the games. “American coaches and agents are more interested in the money-spinning meets than the Olympics and they will not make you Olympic champions,” Cameron told me and repeated same on stage. He emphasized on youth development and insisted that Nigeria would have to develop their coaches and athletes, citing practical examples where such helped Jamaica.“I have met a couple of Nigerian former athletes and they are still in America. They complain about everything back home but you cannot fight from outside. You have to go back home and join them to build your country. I know that it could be tough but America will not give you gold. We reasoned the same way Nigerians are probably doing now but you never give up in sports, he told me after.”

Cameron was exceptional when he delivered his paper. “We are a country of 2.5m and Nigeria with over 150 million people and all the potentials you have, we in Jamaica should be looking up to you and not you looking up to us.” Ovation followed. Cameron

Eko 2012: Lagos not ready yet

BY JACOB AJOM

I

T is 25 days to the 18 National Sports Festival, Eko 2012. So much has been talked th

about the state’s level of preparedness, yet a visit to some designated venues for certain events leaves much to be desired.

Sand sand Eagles zoom to S/finals Continues from B/P quarter finals at last year ’s FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup in Ravenna, Italy had on Wednesday prevailed 76 over Switzerland to brighten their chances of a place in the last four, having lost 3-6 to Brazil in their opening game on Tuesday.

On Thursday, veteran Bartholomew Ibenegbu scored four goals to steer the African vice champions past the Japanese in Dubai.

The other two goals came from Abu Azeez.

But even after the victory, the Nigerians had to wait for the last match of Group B, between Brazil and Switzerland, to be confirmed as semi finalists.

In the event, four-time world champions Brazil narrowly edged the Swiss 4-1 to finish at the top of the group.

Finishing top of the pool enabled the South Americans to avoid reigning world champions Russia in the last four. T

Yesterday was set aside by the Main Organising Committee for the final inspection of facilities but what was found on ground in some venues begged for answers. This reporter was among the group that inspected Abalti Barrack venue for Langa and Dambe (traditional sports).

After inspection, Barrister Emmanuel Egenamba, Technical Director, Traditional Sports Federation of Nigeria expressed dissatisfaction with the state of the pitch, where Langa would be played. He also observed that the ring for Dambe(traditional wrestling) had not been constructed.

“The pitch for Langa could be passed as okay what it needs is just pegging but for Dambe, the ring has to be constructed,” the technical director said, but was quick to add that all that could be

achieved in a day or two.

At the Yaba College of Technology, the handball court was described as substandard and relegated to “only good for training” while the Abula court at the University of Lagos sports complex was also categorised as “not satisfactory ” by the technical director of the traditional sports body.

He said, “the court needs a facelift and that requires reflooring, painting and marking.

A spectators’ stand is also ideal but that could be ignored, in view of the limited time.”

Head of the Main Organising Committee and a director in the National Sports Commission, Aba Yola said there will be a meeting of the technical committee which will

gave an insight into the Boys and Girls School Competition in Jamaica and said that to Jamaicans it could it was more than the Olympic show. “The prime minister, all the top government officials and entire Jamaicans don’t miss this competition among schools.

Tickets are sold out days before each event and we are talking about secondary school competition. The best athletes in Jamaica first compete at this level.

There are sponsors at different levels and we have data base for athletes from ages 5, 7, 10 12, 16 etc and you know where they are and what they are doing at any time.” All the points Cameron made were applauded. And for the sake of space I may not be able to produce them here. But he was practical and tremendous. Delta State and Nigeria will be richer if they implement his recommendations. It was equally so for Rogger Barrow, the coach who led South Africa to win Olympic gold medal at the London Olympics. He delivered paper on medal prospects of Aquatic Sports in Nigeria and if I got Dr. Emmanuel Uduagban right Rowing could be their contribution to Nigerian sports. Delta State wants to develop aquatic sports, taking into consideration the aquatic life in the country. Uduaghan mentioned track and field and Rowing as specific sports that Delta could turn around in Nigeria. Barrow told this reporter how he accomplished the gold medal in the London Olympics and Amaju Pinnci, the Executive Chairman of the Delta State Sports Commission wants Delta to adopt his ways and explore the possibility of Delta State producing the first medal hopefuls in Rowing.

The summit was a huge success and Dr. Udughan promised to provide the political weight that could see Delta implementing the report and winning laurels for Nigeria in sports. The federal government can as well key into this.

Adokiye Amiesimaka, Paul Bassey, Ikeddy Isiguzo, Ejiro Omonode were among those who presented papers. Tony Urohobo, Henry Amike, Yusuf Ali, Gabriel Okon, Mary Onyali, Brown Ebewele, Seigha Porbeni, Davidson Owunmi, Austin Popo were among the former star athletes who attended and contributed in various sessions. The media had the likes of Larry Izamoje, Mumuni Alao, Kunle Solaja, Ade Ojeikere, Tony Ubani, Chris Opara, Duro Ikhazuegbe, Callistus Ebare etc.It was a complete Delta affair which other states and even the National Sports Commission could be free to adopt if necessary. I will keep you posted with the report and even my own paper which I could not present but which I have submitted for study and possible implementation. I was very busy with the organization and I’m happy many have commended it and called it a huge success. harmonise the facility tour reports of all the various groups before coming up with a statement today.

The 18 th National Sports Festival begins on November 27 th to December 9th.

Ref abused Mikel, Chelsea insist Clattenburg.

Continues from B/P evidence to proceed.

The complaint has left Clattenburg feeling ‘angry and confused’ according to former ref Graham Poll.

Chelsea’s formal complaint regarding Clattenburg’s inappropriate language during Sunday ’s 3-2 home defeat by Manchester United was lodged with the FA’s governance division last night.

A club statement said: “We today lodged a formal complaint with the FA regarding inappropriate language directed at John Obi Mikel by Mark

“This is a result of a thorough investigation.

It was not a decision the club took lightly.

“There was not sufficient evidence to support a second claim to the FA with regard to the alleged verbal abuse of another first-team player.”

Although there was no mention of racist language in Chelsea’s statement, it is understood that the witness statements allege that the word ‘monkey’ was used to Mikel.

Poll said: “Mark is feeling angry and confused because he doesn’t feel he’s done anything wrong.”

Vanguard, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2012 — 55

Williams sisters in Lagos

•Williams sisters dancing with girls.

•Venus Williams teaches a girl how to hold a racket. Photos: AFP

•Venus and Serena pose with pupils.

Faces at Delt aS e Spor ts Summit in Asaba Delta Sttat ate Sports

Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State, Dr. Awoture Eleyae, former Secretary General, Supreme Council for Sports in Africa and Mr. Amaju Pinnick. Photos: Henry Unini.

Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State, Senator Adamu Gumba, Chairma, Senate Committee on Sports and Senator Ifeanyi Okowa

From left, Roger Barrow, National Rowing Head Coach of South Africa, Mr. Ikeddy Isiguzo, Editorial Board Chairman of Vanguard, Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State and Mary Onyali.

Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State (right) and Adamu Gumba, Senate Committee Chairman of Sports and Senator Okowa from Delta.

VANGUARD, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2012

Ref abused Mikel, Chelsea insist

C

Falcons peck Ethiopia thrice N

IGERIA won their second group

•Nkwocha

TODAY'S

game at the 2012 AWC 3-0 against Ethiopia in Bata, but they were far from convincing.

The Ethiopians were more comfortable on the ball, while the defending champions made heavy weather of this game until after more than an hour of action before they put the game beyond their less fancied opponents.

Esther Sunday broke the deadlock in the 26th minute after a catalogue of misses by the Nigerians with Esther the culprit in the ninth minute with a poor first touch when she was face-to-face with the goalkeeper.

The Ethiopians gave good account of themselves with good exchange of passes in their own half, but they hardly threatened Precious Dede in goal for

PUZZLE

HELSEA have formally accused referee Mark Clattenburg of racially abusing John Obi Mikel.

Blues made their move by handing witness statements to the FA from their players.

But the Champions League holders dropped allegations Clattenburg also insulted Juan Mata after an internal investigation failed to provide sufficient

AWC Results Cameroon 4 C/IV 1 Ethiopia 0 Nigeria 3

Nigeria as she was virtually on holidays.

Stella Mbachu’s rocket inside the 18-yard box in the 65th minute poured cold water on the ambitious Ethiopians, who enjoyed more possession for the better part of second half.

Perpetua Nkwocha made it 3-0 for Nigeria when she rounded the goalkeeper before putting the ball into an empty net.

Two other goals were chalked off for offside, but Nigeria could not really impose themselves on a game they were expected to run up the scores against a team who lost 5-0 to Cote d’Ivoire in their first match.

YESTERDAY'S

ANSWERS

Continues on Page 54

Sand sand Eagles zoom to S/finals •Beat Japan 6—5

T

CARD SHARP ... Mikel is booked with Welbeck on floor

ACROSS 1 Trade (6) 5 Climb (6) 9 Melody (5) 10 Mend (6) 11 Ripen (6) 12 Seized (5) 14 Orient (4) 17 Guided (3) 18 Repast (4) 20 Dismal (5) 22 Cordial (5) 23 Twist (7) 24 Release (5) 26 Cede (5) 29 Separate (4) 30 Vigour (3) 32 Destiny (4) 33 Distribute (5) 35 Duty (6) 36 Approved (6) 37 Loathed (5) 38 Staggered (6) 39 Blush (6)

HE Beach Soccer National Team, other-wise known as Supersand Eagles, stormed into the semi finals of the on-going Samsung Intercontinental Cup Invitational Tournament on Thursday with a 6-5 defeat of Japan.

The COPA Lagos kings, who reached the

Continues on Page 54

DOWN 1 Banned (6) 2 Rest (6) 3 Discharge (4) 4 Rustic (5) 5 Directed (5) 6 Inspect (4) 7 Evaded (6) 8 Profoundly (6) 13 Falcon (7) 15 Boxing ring (5) 16 Understood (5) 18 Theme (5) 19 Grown-up (5) 21 Deer (3) 22 Attempt (3) 24 Tumult (6) 25 Triviality (6) 27 Merited (6) 28 Numb (6) 30 Beg (5) 31 Problem (5) 33 Pain (4) 34 Season (4)

YESTERDAY'S SOLUTIONS ACROSS: 4, Harsh 7, Recess 8, Cot 10, Sob 12, Poppy 13, Coin 15, Label 17, Before 19, Lure 20, Sheer 22, Rat 24, Desired 27, Tic 28, Louse 31, Miss 33, Gallon 35, Handy 37, Mire 38, Buxom 39. Era 41, Nod 42, Endure 43, Sleek.

How to Play Sudoku

THE VIGILANTE

DOWN: 1, Crocus 2, Scribe 3, Ass 4, Hope 5, Atoll 6, Suppress 8, Solo 11, Barricade 14, Need 16, Bear 18, Fret 21, Habitual 23, Tell 25, Sign 26, Doom 29, Unique 30, Eyelet 32, Shone 34, Lyre 36, Amok 40, Ant.

e-mail: rowolove@yahoo.co.uk

Place a number (1-9) in each blank cell. (No line can have two of the same number).

Each row (nine lines from left to right), column, (also nine lines from top to bottom) and 3 X 3 block within a bold block (nine blocks) contains number from 1 through 9. This means that no number can appear twice in any block, column or row.

No mathematics is involved – no adding, subtraction, division or multiplication, just plain logic and your imagination.

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