Northern leadersblast Edwin Clark

...towards a better life for the people VOL. 25: NO. 61680

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ONLINE | www.vanguardngr.com

N150

FRIDAY, AUGUST 3, 2012

Okonjo-Iweala dazzles Terrorism: US embassy Senators, insists on 41% suspends restriction on budget performance •P 6 citizens' movement •P.45

Northern leaders blast Edwin Clark •ACF, Kaita, Junaid Mohammed, others react •Absolve IBB, Buhari of culpability; blame FG

BY EMMANUEL AZIKEN, OKEY NDIRIBE, SONI DANIELS, CHARLES KUMOLU, DAPO AKINREFON & GBENGA OKE

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AGOS—NORTH ERN interest groups and leaders, yesterday, flayed Ijaw national leader, Chief Edwin Clark’s assertion of the culpability of Northern leaders in the Boko Haram insurgency, describing his claim as extreme ethnic jingoism.

In their various reactions to Clark’s claim of northern conspiracy Continues on Page 5

•Children escape bomb blast in Abuja church •P.8

DONU KOGBARA: Reactions – yours and mine •P.17

Mr & Mrs

OKONJO-IWEALA IN SENATE—From Left, Minister of State for Finance, Dr. Yerima Ngama , with the Minister of Finance , Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala at the Senate Joint Committee on Appropriation and Finance interactive session on the implementation of 2012 budget at the National Assembly Abuja, yesterday. Photo: Gbemiga Olamikan.

07059197616 Avarice + ignorance + The journey to indiscipline = Tragedy Damaturu pyre •P.44 •P.19

Lagos goes tough on traffic rules •P.46

2—Vanguard, FRIDAY, AUGUST 3, 2012

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POCKET CARTOON

Northern leaders blast Edwin Clark Continues from Page 1 against the Goodluck Jonathan administration, the northern groups and elders said the depiction of the President as a victim was a wrong assessment of what they separately described as the inability of the regime to address a problem that has spread through ethnic and religious divisions in the north.

The northern leaders' reaction came in the face of the assertion by Clark at a public lecture in Abuja on Wednesday that powerful northern leaders are orchestrating the Boko Haram insurgency to destabilise the Goodluck Jonathan administration.

Among those who reacted yesterday were the Arewa Consultative Forum, ACF; the Arewa Youth Consultative Forum, AYCF; prominent northern leader, Alhaji Lawal Kaita; fiery northern political commentator Dr. Junaid Mohammed; prominent lawyer, Abubakar Malami, SAN, and Rep. Zakari Mohammed, the spokesman of the House of Representatives.

Clark is wrong — ACF Reacting to the assertion, the ACF speaking though its spokesman, Anthony A. Z. Sanni said: “If Chief Edwin Clark believes Northern Leaders brought about Boko Haram in order to make the country ungovernable for President

Jonathan; you in the media should remind him that President Umar Yar’Adua used force and killed 700 members of the sect and their leader in 2009 when there was no politics of zoning.

“What is more, President Jonathan’s ruling party controls about 14 northern states. The numbers 2,3,4 and 5 in the government are from the North. How would the North make the country ungovernable under such situation?

“I have made this point clear that it is unhelpful to associate Boko Haram with a region, with religion or with ethnicity. Were it strategic to think so, America would have associated al-Qaeda with Saudi Arabia or with Islam, since Osama Bin Laden and most of the 19 pilots who brought the New York twin towers down on 9/11 were of Saudi extraction.

“Nigerians passed their judgment and rejected politics of zoning when they voted President Jonathan in 2011.

As democrats, northern leaders under ACF congratulated President Jonathan and all those who won their elections.

ACF also paid courtesy call on Mr President and urged Nigerians to support the government and that politicians should go to the trenches for 2015 only when the whistle is blown by the authority.

“What else should northern leaders do in

TAKE HEART

BY ELLA RANDLE

When the world says, “give up”, hope whispers, try it one more time —African proverb N June 1985, two British mountaineers Joe Simpson and Simon Yates made the first-ever climb of the West Face of the 21,000 foot snow-covered Siula Grande mountain in Peru. It was an exceptionally tough assault - but nothing compared to what was to come. Early in the descent, Simpson fell and smashed his right knee. Yates could have abandoned him but managed to find a way of lowering him down the mountain in a series of difficult drops blinded by snow and cold. Then Simpson fell into a crevasse and Yates eventually had no choice but to cut the rope, utterly convinced that his friend was now dead.

The survival of Yates himself was extraordinary.

That Simpson somehow found a way of climbing out of the crevasse after 12 hours and then literally crawled and dragged himself six miles back to camp, going three days and nights without food or drink, and losing three stone would be the stuff of heroic fiction if it was not so true. Indeed, six operations and two years later, he was even back climbing. All because, against all the odds, he tried.

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order to assure Chief Clark that the security challenges and the national malaise have not been brought about by northern leaders? The media should also help dispel such misconceptions for national interest,” Sani said.

It's pure b lackmail — Arewa youths The Arewa Youth Consultative Forum, AYCF, in its own reaction described the assertion as pure blackmail that would inevitably compound the problems of the president.

“That is a blackmail and one is not surprised because the elder statesman, though I have respect for him, but sometimes, his utterances seem to compound more trouble for the Niger Delta people and even the president,” Alhaji Yerima Shetimma, the national president of the AYCF told Vanguard yesterday.

“One of the issues they have raised is that often time, when they talk, they say ‘our president, our son’, ‘our oil and our money’, that does not protect the unity of this country; in fact, it is a threat to national unity.

“When there was crisis in the Niger Delta, some of us did not see it as a Niger Delta crisis but as a Nigerian problem. Of what importance will it be to a northerner to sponsor Boko Haram and at the same time, the direct victim is the northerner because, over 99 per cent of victims of Boko Haram are n o r t h e r n e r s . ”Jonathan did not become President because of the support he had only from the Southsouth. In fact, some of us did the work for him to be there. Some of us pushed for the Doctrine of Necessity and I was one of the vocal voices that stood and insisted that the right thing must be done. If they continue doing that, they are treading on the wrong path and they might end up ruining. This must stop, this madness must stop. So, nobody should accuse the north, this is blackmail and we will resist it”.

Kaita, Mohammed, others react Prominent Northern leader, Kaita on his part described the claim by Clark as a lie, saying that most northern leaders no longer take Clark serious.

“That was a dishonest lie by E.K Clark. Northern elders have never been against Jonathan’s administration. And northern elders are not Boko Haram. We all want peace for this nation.

Unfortunately, the government has allowed Boko Haram to be in charge. They are not doing enough in that respect. For anybody to say that we are using Boko Haram to destablise Jonathan’s administration means that the person is telling a blatant lie. Even the casualties resulting from Boko Haram attacks are mainly northerners, how can someone now say that the elders are using it to destabilise Jonathan’s administration? We norther n elders no longer take E.K Clark serious. As far as we are concerned, he is not serious on his positions on the state of the nation, although he used to be a very good friend of the north before now.

“Jonathan’s administration will collapse by its non performance, especially non implementation of the budget,” Kaita said.

Dr. Junaid Mohammed in his own reaction said: “I wouldn’t want to go mad with a reckless statement credited to Chief Edwin Clark. I can confirm to you that the event was conceived and financed to do exactly what Chief Edwin Clark did and those who are behind the event have been handsomely paid in addition to promises made to them. ”Secondly, he is a man of age but no wisdom", he said.

Expressing his disappointment that Clark who is a lawyer could express such comments, Dr. Mohammed said: ”Where is the proof from Barrister or Lawyer Edwin Clark?

Where is the proof from

those who are peddling this irresponsible talk?

The statement he has made is very baseless and irresponsible.

“They should have enough evidence and proof before making this kind of inflammatory statement and if they cannot prove, they should be prosecuted.”

In his own assertion yesterday, Rep. Zakari Mohammed the spokesman of the House of Representatives described the depiction of northern leaders by Clark as grossly sensational.

Responding to Clark’s charge to Gen. Ibrahim Babangida and Gen. Muhammadu Buhari to condemn the activities of the Boko Haram group, Mohammed said: “These two leaders have demonstrated their commitment to the united existence of this countr y. They don’t need to openly say what they have been doing about the prevailing situation in the country.

“It is unfair for him to cast aspersions on these past leaders. There should be mutual respect in this country; that is what makes a nation. The problem of terrorism in this country is not a sectional one. Both Muslims and Christians are being killed. During the general elections, both Christians and Muslims voted for President Goodluck Jonathan.”

Prominent northern lawyer, Abubakar Malami, SAN, also absolved northern leaders of complicity in the charges against them

by Clark in the raging Boko Haram violence that has wreaked havoc in many parts of the north.

Malami said the ongoing security chal-

lenge in the land was borne out of government inability to deal with the monster, and not instigated by northern leaders.

He stated that it was the government’s total incompetence that had given rise to the state of insecurity in the country.

The lawyer said that it was wrong for Clark to accuse northern leaders of taking side with Boko Haram when they neither control security votes nor the apparatus of fighting crime.

“The man should not look for scapegoats for what the government has clearly failed to address. If the administration is incompetent to tackle insecurity, nobody should blame it on innocent citizens who have not been given any money or tools to fight crime,” Malami said.

“What we are witnessing in the country today is purely a case of incompetence on the part of the government. It is appalling that after budgeting about N1 trillion for security and doing nothing about it even with the huge sum, someone is turning round to blame other persons,” he added.

Malami, however agreed with Clark that the country did not need a Sovereign National Conference but the devolution of powers to enable other tiers of government to tackle their developmental challenges more effectively.

According to him, SNC is alien to the Nigerian Constitution and should therefore be discouraged while Nigerians who have genuine issues can initiate private bills to address them.

6—Vanguard , FRIDAY, AUGUST 3, 2012

Okonjo-Iweala dazzles senators, insists on 41% budget performance Says budget must be implemented from January to December

BY HENRY UMORU & INALEGWU SHAIBU BUJA—THE Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozo Okonjo-Iweala stormed the Senate yesterday to defend implementation of 2012 budget and insisted that the Ministry of Finance has released every kobo to Ministries, Departments, and Agencies, MDAs, as at when due maintaining that 56 per cent has been used as cash back.

She explained that N1.6 trillion has so far been released for recurrent, N404 billion released for Capital project and N324 billion as cash back-up so far used by the MDAs representing 56 percent.

The Finance Minister who also said the 2013 budget will be sent to the Senate for deliberation by President Goodluck Jonathan in September, however kicked against the present situation of budgetary year ending in March, arguing that it was not good budgetary practice.

She advised that the government should stop it and revert to January to December if the country must get it right.

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Nigeria not broke The minister who appeared before the Senate Joint Committees on Appropriation, Finance, Public Accounts, National Planning, Economic Affairs and Poverty Alleviation on the implementation of the 2012 budget, disclosed that the execution of the 2012 appropriation Act stands at 41.3 percent, just as 44 percent resources released so far has not been used by the MDAs, adding that from April to July, N1.3 trillion has been appropriated for capital, and N1.6 trillion as recurrent.

Dr Okonjo-Iweala explained that implementation of the 2012 budget was only four months since it came into effect in April, adding that she had been misquoted severally in the media over the 56 percent implementation level recorded so far.

She explained that in terms of execution of the 2012 budget, N446 billion would have been released, but N404 billion was released from April to July

we have. I want to say that when I read papers, I am amazed with some figures, some section of the media has been misinforming.

"We sent out a press release, detailing all what has been done regarding the use of resources but even with written comments, it has been twisted, thereby leading to mis-information, I appreciate this opportunity to dialogue".

Answering question on constituency projects, the Minister explained, that "we have no problems with that, the projects are there, neither the president nor any one has said that.

Ministers have launched these projects and they are on it, it takes some time to understand the whole process. We absolutely have no problem with these.

What is happening now is that ministers are pursuing procurement process on those projects. For many of the new projects, there is a need for design.”

FG has no problem with constituency projects OKONJO-IWEALA AT THE SENATE—From left: Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Director-General, Budget Office of the Federation, Dr. Bright Okogu, and Representatives of the Senate President, Senate Leader, Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba, at the Senate Joint Committee on Appropriation and Finance interactive session on the implementation of 2012 Budget at the National Assembly, Abuja.

Photo by Gbemiga Olamikan.

and out of that, N184 billion has been utilized, noting that, "As at now, 44 percent is still available for MDAs to use. The money is there with the CBN to be accessed.”

The Minister who also told the Senators that there was no problem with constituency projects and no grand design against the projects by the Federal Government, however exonerated the National Assembly from impeding the Executive from implementing the 2012 budget.

Giving a breakdown of the level of implementation of the budget, Dr. OkonjoIweala explained that out of the N1.3 trillion capital expenditure that was appropriated, "we’ve released all the funds we have for capital. Debt servicing has been done, to the tune of N289 billion, N156 billion has been released for statutory transfers while N163 billion has been released for overheads.

"There is no issue with the N1.6 trillion recurrent expenditure. In four months, N404 billion has been released and we have cash-backed N324 billion (made available to the MDAs).”

It will be recalled that the Minister failed to appear before the Senators on Tuesday as scheduled which angered the Senators who turned back from the scheduled public hearing attended by government delegation led by former Senate President

and present Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim.

The Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu had directed the Chairman of the Appropriation Committee, Senator Ahmed Maccido, to issue a warrant of arrest if the Minister of Finance failed to appear yesterday.

The Minister also appeared yesterday with the Minister of State, Finance, Dr. Yerima Lawan Ngama, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Accountant General of the Federation, AGF; Auditor-General of the Federation, DirectorGeneral, Budget Office, among others, but she answered all the questions raised by Senators from 1.41 to 4.15 pm.

Misqouted in the media According to her, "On the issue of numbers, there have been conflicting information, the first thing to note is that this budget implementation started in April, meaning we have implemented it just for four months. In talking about what we have done, we talk about utilisation of resources, what has been released and what has been used from what has been released "So far, we have used 56 per cent of the amount cash backed, meaning there is 44 per cent remaining which and we are working hard to ensure the remaining 44 per cent is

utilised. We have a proper management of the resources, we have released all the money available, Central Bank is our banker and if CBN is here, they would have testified that no money is withheld. 44 per cent of what was released is yet to be used. What we are now doing is to focus on the utilisation of the remaining resources. In two week’s time, the third quarter release would be out.

"I understand that the National Assembly has been looking at various other ratios with regards to budget performance. We should look at the best way that describe the situation we are in. Of the budget appropriated, what is the implementation so far, that is one way National Assembly has been looking at it.

"We should have released N446billion but we released N404billion between April and now, while we have utilised N184billion and that is 41 per cent. I feel we are on the same page but I am interested in letting Nigerians know how their money has been used.’’

We 'll not be scapegoat for others — Senate Earlier in his remarks while declaring open the Public Hearing, Senate President David Mark who noted that the meeting was not a family one but a market meeting where the truth must be told to one another, stressed that the Senate has been working

closely with the Executive, but the National Assembly must not be pushed to a position where it will be forced to invoke its constitutional powers.

Represented by the Senate Leader, Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba, Senate President said, "We will not accept responsibility for the failure of others.

While we are willing to take whipping from Nigerians, we won’t be scapegoat for anybody.”

The Finance Minister who started her defence at 1.41 pm, told the Senators that she holds them in very high esteem and her nonappearance on Tuesday was due to communication gap, and apologized to the lawmakers, saying that there was an earlier agreement with Senator Ekweremadu to appear before the committee on an agreed date which according to her, she probably miscalculated.

According to the Minister, ‘’I want to say two things, there is no difference between what the Senate and the president want to do. The president has been insistent on the need for full implementation of the budget and that results are achieved. As a result, he has been holding meetings on the use of resources so that Nigerians can get what they are looking for.”

Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala who accused a section of the media of misleading the people of the country, said, "We have been open and transparent on the figures

On the budget being tampered with, the Minister explained, ‘’on the 2012 budget we have full collaboration with National Assembly. We worked together and came to a reasonable budget, but there are one or two challenges inside which we have been working very collaboratively to solve, and that is that for certain projects and programmes of some MDAs. There were resources that were moved from some areas to others making it a little bit difficult to implement with that movement. This has nothing to do with constituency projects, they will be implemented as they are being designed.

According to her, ‘’N1.3 trillion was appropriated for capital project outside of the SURE-Programme, but if you add SURE-P to it, you get N1.5 trillion. If you prorate that amount month by month, because budget execution is supposed to take place month by month, you get a figure of N113 billion each month. If you want to measure it over the entire year, that means measuring it over 12 months, you get a figure of 13.7 percent. But we have been implementing for four months and we have been releasing like that because our money comes in every month, not in bulk.

“We made sure salaries have been paid, personnel costs and pension of N971bn have been released, statutory transfers (about N156bn) have been done, debt servicing has been done, overheads of about N163bn has been released. So, about N1.6 trillion has been released for recurrent expenditure."

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8—Vanguard , FRIDAY, AUGUST 3, 2012

Children escape bomb blast at Abuja Church

BY FAVOUR NNABUGWU

BUJA—A major calamity was averted at Dunamis International Gospel Church in the Federal Capital Territory, FCT when an explosive suspected to be bomb tucked under a seat in the children’s session of the church was discovered and quickly detonated.

The explosive which was concealed in an aluminium container during the midweek service of the Church in Nyanya, Abuja, which was still in progress on Wednesday at about 9.30pm when the hidden explosive was uncovered.

Vanguard investigations revealed that worshippers and members of the church ran for cover when the news

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of the bomb spread in the c h u r c h .

The Head of the Technical unit of the Church, Mr G o d s t i m e Asuquo, who was on ground at time of Vanguard’s visit on Thursday morning, said the FCT Anti Bomb squad was immediately contacted to detonate the bomb.

Asuquo smarting from the experience, said it was the grace of God upon the Church that did not allow the perpetrators of the dastardly act to succeed.

He said: ”the church is planning to recruit more security personnel to ensure the safety of lives in the church, this incident cannot send our members away, all hands are on deck to curb the situation.”

NIMASA raises alarm over influx of illegal arms

BY GODWIN ORITSE

LAUNCH—Senate President, David Mark (2nd left); Chairman, Star Times Group, Pang Xin Xing (left); Minister of Information, Labaran Maku (middle); Chairman, Senate Committee on Information and Media, Senator Eyinnaya Abaribe (2nd right) and Acting Director-General, NTA, Musa Mayaki (right) during the launching of NTA Star Times Mobile T V in Abuja. Photo: Gbemiga Olamikan.

Nigeria's crude oil production hits 2.7m mbpd As NNPC pledges to resuscitate Makurdi depot

BY OSCARLINE ONWUEMENYI & YEMIE ADEOYE IGERIAN National P e t r o l e u m Corporation, NNPC, has disclosed that the country recorded a significant milestone in the oil and gas sector as Nigerian crude oil production has increased from 2.4 Million barrels per day to 2.7 mbpd.

The Group Managing Director of NNPC, Engr.

Andrew Yakubu, who made the disclosure when the Governor of Benue State, Dr. Gabriel Suswam led a delegation on a working visit to the NNPC Towers, Abuja, stated that the increase in production was a positive sign for the industry that has faced some challenges in the recent past.

He further praised the amnesty process in the Niger Delta, noting that the security measures put in place by the Federal Government in the Niger Delta region was beginning to yield positive results as shown in the increased crude oil production in the country.

“We want to thank the President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, for his great initiative to restore security with regards to pipelines and our crude oil production facilities and we thank the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs Diezani Alison-Madueke for driving the process.

"I am glad to report to you that in crude oil production, yesterday, we recorded an

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all time high of 2.7 million barrels. This has not been recorded before,” Engr.

Yakubu stated.

He appealed to state and local governments, communities and other stakeholders to work in partnership with the corporation to safeguard the pipelines and other strategic national assets in order to reduce wastages.

The NNPC helmsman further expressed the readiness of the corporation to collaborate with the Benue State government to restore the Makurdi depot, adding that a similar collaboration with the Abia State government recently led to the re-commissioning of the Aba depot after being closed for seven years.

He assured that as soon as pipelines supplying petroleum products from Aba to Enugu and Enugu to Makurdi depots are certified all right, the corporation would commence immediate supply to the area.

“We have not had any negative report from the Enugu to Makurdi pipelines and as soon as we do our integrity check and its okay, we will commence supply to the Makurdi depot,” the GMD informed.

On efforts of the corporation on gas infrastructure, the GMD noted that various gas pipeline projects are presently on-going across the country to support the industrialisation efforts of the Federal Government.

HE Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, has raised alarm over the influx of arms and ammunition illegally brought into the country through its water ways NIMASA’s Director General, Mr. Patrick Akpobolokemi said most of the illegally imported arms and ammunition have also been traced to the activities of some shipping firms involved in unauthorized mid-stream discharge.

Akpobolokemi, however, warned shipping firms involved in such act to desist or face severe sanction.

The NIMASA boss noted that the influx of these illegally imported arms will continue if urgent steps are not taken to checkmate the activities of crude oil thieves, adding that NIMASA is now in a position to legally sanction anybody or vessels found wanting.

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VANGUARD PRESENTS GIFT TO CROSS RIVER GOV—Mrs Charity Eziegbo (right), on behalf of Vanguard Newspapers, presents a portrait of Governor Liyel Imoke of Cross River State to his Chief of Staff, Mr. Alex Aegbona, at Government House, Calabar.

2012 budget: Legislature, executive rift exaggerated—Mark ...tasks NTA/Startimes on rural TV coverage

BY LAIDE AKINBOADE BUJA—S E N AT E President, Senator David Mark, said yesterday that the on-going disagreement between the Legislature and the Executive arms of government over budget implementation was being exaggerated.

Mark who stated this at the launch of Startimes mobile television said Nigerians should not focus on figures but rather how the budget would be translated to the reality on ground.

He said the disagreement was in the best interest of Nigerians who want to see the dividend of democracy on ground.

Senate president said, “ we should not preach about the percentage but rather worry more on how these percentages have been translated to realities on ground. Let me also say that, I think there is exaggeration over the rift

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between the executive and the legislature. We are all working for Nigerians, the legislators are the elected representatives of the people. We wear shoes and we know where it hurts most and I think people should listen to us.

Nigerians must get democracy dividends “The disagreement is necessary for us to come to a conclusion. And the final objective for both the legislature and the executive is that the ordinary Nigerian in the street must get the dividend of democracy.

“So when we talk about whether we have implemented the budget to 56 or 21 or 36 per cents, the man walking in the street is not interested in this, he just wants to see structures on ground for him to utilize.

He wants to be employed, eat three square meals in his house, have security in his business and enough power. The intricacies of how difficult or easy, the

executive and the legislature would take for this thing to happen are truly not his problem. He is not interested”.

The Senate President, also challenged the management and staff of Nigeria Television Authority, NTA, and StarTimes to ensure that rural dwellers benefit from the newly introduced mobile television.

He stressed the need for the rural dwellers to be properly connected for the development of the nation.

According to him, “one thing we must emphasis is to make sure that people in our rural communities are able to benefit from this mobile television. It is only a limited percentage of people in urban areas that even benefit from DSTV or from the normal programmes that we have not only because of our incorrigible power holding, but there is no way we will talk of anything without bringing them into the discussion. Even in rural areas they like to watch television, they like access

to a television programme.

I think your present coverage needs to be extended in the rural areas.

Your coverage should go beyond urban areas.

Cost of viewing must be affordable to Nigerians You play a key role in democratic governance and you play a bigger role in developing democracy so your day-to-day activities should be a path to ensure that democracy develops in Nigeria,” the Senate President said.

He therefore urged NTA/ Startimes to ensure that the contents must be the kind that people love to watch.

Mark added: Another issue I want to talk about is the cost. The cost must be affordable to the rural dwellers. If your cost is very high the rural man would go for a cheaper programme. The standard and quality of programme you present must be commensurate with the cost. “

Vanguard , FRIDAY, AUGUST 3, 2012—9

BY MONSUR OLOWOOPEJO KEJA—IN a renewed onslaught, the Lagos State Taskforce on Environmental and Special Offences, Enforcement Unit, has arrested 52 suspected commercial sex workers.

The taskforce, acting on information, stormed Isaac John and Toyin streets in Ikeja, Wednesday night, where it arrested the suspects, whose ages ranged between 18 and 34 years.

The suspects were later taken to the Secretariat, Alausa, Ikeja, to await prosecution.

Taskforce Chairman, Mr. Bayo Sulaiman, confirmed the arrest when contacted, saying that there had been complaints and public outcry of a surge of commercial sex workers in Isaac John and Toyin streets junction.

He said: “Isaac John is where we have the Gov-

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Lagos govt arrests 52 suspected commercial sex workers ernment House and it is a criminal offence to engage in harlotry by the sides of the road. The people in the area have been crying over upsurge of prostitutes in their area and the gridlock by the night club.”

Sulaiman stated that a particular hotel (name withheld), and its night club had been causing traffic menace around Toyin Junction. He said the owner of the joints had been served notice to abate the nuisance in the area.

He said: “We have told the owner to dissuade from obstructing traffic in the area. We will not tolerate this anymore.”

Sulaiman warned that his men would extend the raid to Lagos Island,

Family sues taskforce over New Oko-Oba demolition Fashola ordered demolition —Taskforce boss

BY IFEANYI OKOLIE

KEJA—CONTRO VERSY has continued to trail the recent invasion of New Oko-Oba, Agege area of Lagos State, by officials of the Lagos State Taskforce on Environmental and Special Offences, where they demolished some structures and arrested no fewer than 18 persons.

The Olarokun Family, owners of the property, located in Olayiwola Street, New Oko-Oba, has filed a contempt suit at the Lagos High Court, Ikeja, against the Taskforce, asking the court to commit to prison, its Chairman, Mr. Bayo Suleiman, a Superintendent of Police and his assistant, Jide Agboola, also a police superintendent for allegedly invading their property and a flagrant disobedience of a court judgment.

But the Taskforce chairman, in a reaction, told Vanguard that his men embarked on a mission authorised by Governor Babatunde Fashola to rescue the area of some landgrabbers who had been terrorising the state.

In the suit filed by their counsel, Mayomi Afekhuai, the Olarokun Family accused Suleiman and Agboola of violating a high court judgment in suit No: ID/1313/98, which was delivered by Justice M. O. Obadina of the Ikeja High

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Court on June 2, 2009 in the favour of Olarokun Family against another family – Olarokun/ Orisadare.

Part of the judgment stated that: “ The land in dispute has a certificate of occupancy which covers areas known as OrileAgege, Oko-Oba, AbuleEgba and Iju Railway Station as edged red on a survey plan No.Jo61a/76 drawn by Olusola Ogunsanya and Survey Plan No. Fem3/84 dated 3/10/1984 drawn by J.Olufemi Olugbemi” The Olarokun Family also alleged that members of Olarokun/Orisadare family and their privies that were said to be unhappy with the judgment, allegedly contracted Suleiman to assist them to reclaim the lands and properties.

Suleiman and Agboola were further alleged to have unlawfully arrested some persons found inside the office of one Taiye Ologun, an agent to the Olarokun Family whom they detained in a cell at Alausa, Ikeja.

But the Task force officials told Vanguard that they acted on the orders of Governor Babatunde Fashola, who mandated them to investigate a case of harassment, intimidation and illegal destruction of property of the residents by land-grabbers and deliver justice.

Ikoyi and Victoria Island where activities of women of easy virtues had been on the increase, while urging those still in the trade to stop as the wrath of the law would soon catch up with them as the exercise

would be continuous.

He said: “The state government will no longer condone prostitution.

These people are bad examples to the youths. We have taken their photographs and finger-prints

individually and when we apprehend them the second time, the punishment will be grievous. We have arraigned several of them in court in the past and we had got conviction on some of them.

From left, Speaker, Lagos House of Assembly, Mr. Adeyemi Ikuforiji; Governor Babatunde Fashola, SAN, and the Chief Judge of Lagos State, Justice Ayoola Phillips, at the signing of the State Traffic Laws at Lagos House, Ikeja, yesterday. Photo: Bunmi Azeez.

Collapsed building neighbours appeal to Fashola over restriction order AGOS—TENANTS of numbers 1 and 5, Anikantamo Street, off Adeniji-Adele Road, Lagos Island, yesterday, appealed to Governor Babatunde Fashola to assist them access their cordoned off apartments.

No. 3, Anikantamo Street, which collapsed on Wednesday in central Lagos and rendered four families homeless and property worth millions of naira destroyed, is flanked by the two buildings.

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Our woes, by victims Mrs. Funmi Ogundiran, a resident of 1, Anikantamo Street, said the adjacent buildings were cordoned off along with the collapsed one.

She said: “Since the house fell and policemen were called in, we have not had access to our house which is 1, Anikantamo Street.

“My family and I had to go to a relation’s house to pass the night. We cannot even get money to buy food to eat. It is as if it was our building that collapsed.

“We did not take anything out; because when they came we were outside the building looking at the wreckage of the collapsed house.”

Ogundiran urged the government to give the se-

curity agencies orders to allow them enter their houses to get some necessities.

Another neighbour at 5 Anikantamo Street, who refused to give her name, said they rushed out of their apartments when they heard the sound of the building coming down.

She said: “As I am here, I came out with nothing; I don’t even have pants on. I had just a piece of wrapper tied round my body when I rushed out.

“This cloth I am wearing, someone just sewed it. You can see that it is new.”

Mrs. Adijat Oshodi, whose family resided in the collapsed building, called on the governor to extend some aid to them.

She said: “We have nothing - money, clothes, shoes - just everything that we have was destroyed in the accident.”

Another victim, Mrs. Sade Olowu, appealed to the governor to assist them to recover the twomonth rent paid to the developer, one Mr. Kilani, alias Baba Luku, barely two hours before the incident.

Olowu said it was only the mason, who was working on the building when it fell that sustained some injury.

Developer disappears According to her, Baba Luku had collected from the tenants in the building two years rent in 2011 and promised to reinforce the failing pillars in the building but did not do so.

The tenants alleged that the building was in a bad shape when it collapsed, adding that it had been under rehabilitation for two years.

Effort to get the comments of the developer was futile as several calls to his mobile phone were not answered.

Meanwhile, security men at the scene of the incident said they were ordered not to allow anybody to enter into the adjacent buildings because they (buildings) had been compromised.

They said that until the order was vacated, they could not allow tenants of the adjoining buildings to enter into their apartments.

When contacted, the Public Relations Officer of Lagos State Physical Planning Development Authority, LSPPDA, Mr. Femi Moliki, said he was not aware of any orders restraining the occupants from entering their apartments.

Briefly

Tribunal refuses ACN prayer

BY NNAMDI OJIEGO AGOS—THE Lagos State Election Petition Tribunal has dismissed an application filed by counsel to the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, Mr. Kunle Adegoke, asking for the replacement of counsel.

The Peoples' Democratic Party, PDP, had in a suit filed at the tribunal, challenged the declaration of the ACN candidate by the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission, LASEIC, as the winner of the chairmanship election in Agbado/Oke-Odo Local Council Development Area.

Respondents in the suit were LASEIC, ACN and Dr. Augustine Arogun as first, second and third respondents respectively.

The third respondent had in a motion, asked the tribunal to grant its application for change of counsel representing it from David Adeyemi to Kunle Adegoke.

However, counsel to the petitioner, Mr. Ayo Odugbesan, in a countermotion, prayed the tribunal to dismiss the application for lack of merit and in the interest of justice.

Having listened to the submissions of the two counsel, the tribunal Chairman, Justice Francis Owobiyi (rtd), in his ruling, dismissed the application on lack of merit and adjourned the case to August 9, 2012.

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Housewife docked over alleged oil theft AGOS—AN Igbosere Magistate’s Court in Lagos, yesterday, remanded a 27-year-old housewife, Rita Peter, in prison for allegedly damaging a petroleum pipeline and oil theft.

Magistrate F.O Aigbokhaevbo, who said the court would not take the plea of the accused until it got a legal advice from the Director of Public Prosecutions,DPP, however, ordered that the accused be remanded in Ikoyi Prisons.

The prosecutor, Inspector of Police, Joshua Enang, told the court that the accused with others, now at large, on July 17 about 6 p.m. in Arepo via AbuleOba, Ikorodu, tampered with a petroleum pipeline.

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10— Vanguard , FRIDAY, AUGUST 3, 2012

Briefly

Ondo govt explains biometric registration

BY DAYO JOHNSON KURE—ONDO State Government, yesterday, denied insinuations that the on-going biometric registration of civil servants in the state was meant to perpetrate fraud in the October 20 governorship election in the state.

The Head of Service of the state, Mr Ajose Ikudehinbu, said the biometric registration was not limited to the state as many other states of the federation had embarked on the same exercise to check fraud in the civil service system.

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PDP slams Akeredolu over jobs promise

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BADAN—PEOPLES Democratic Party', PDP in the South-West has described as cheap deceit and fraudulent promise by the Action Congress of Nigeria,ACN, governorship candidate in Ondo State, Mr. Rotimi Akeredolu, SAN to create 30,000 jobs within his first 100 days in office, if elected.

In a statement by its Zonal Publicity Secretary, Mr. Kayode Babade, PDP said it was fraudulent for a governorship aspirant to be asking youths to submit their CVs to his campaign office, adding that; “Ondo State people must beware of the conmen in the ACN.”

ACN promises massive rural electrification KURE—ACN gover norship candidate, Mr. Rotimi Akeredolu, SAN, has promised a massive rural electrification programme for Ondo State if elected into office.

Akeredolu made the promise during the campaign tour of Akoko SouthEast Local Government Area, yesterday. He identified power as the bane of economic cum industrial development of the country. He said: ''This project will be executed in partnership with an indigenous company with specialty in the manufacturing of transformers that are suitable for use in the tropics.''

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Oyo police parade alleged rapist of 4-yr-old ...recover guns, cartridges, car, charms from 3 ‘prophets’

BY OLA AJAYI

BADAN—A 25-yearold man, Femi Owolabi, who allegedly raped a four- year-old girl was among suspected crimi-

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nals paraded by the Oyo State Police Command, yesterday.

The suspect, who is being detained at the State Criminal Investigation Department, Iyaganku,

Ibadan, allegedly committed the crime on July 30, 2012.

According to the Deputy Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr. Clement Adoda, the mother of the

Osun State Governor, Mr. Rauf Aregbesola, his Deputy/Commissioner for Education, Mrs Titi Laoye-Tomori; Speaker of the House of Assembly, Mr. Najeem Salam (middle at the back); Chairman, O’School-Osun School Renewal Committee, Chief Layi Oyeduntan (right, in glasses); Site engineer, Mr. Gboyega Adeeyo and others, at the turning of sod for the foundation laying of Model High School, Ejigbo, yesterday.

victim, upon her discovery that the innocent girl had been defiled, reported at Agugu Police Division.

She was quoted by the police as saying that her little daughter came out of the suspect’s room with blood stain all over her legs.

“She reported further that on a closer observation, she discovered that the girl was bleeding profusely from her private part. On receipt of the report, detectives went after the suspect and got him apprehended.”

Also paraded was a robbery gang of men and women alleged to have disguised as prophets robbing their victims of valuable items.

The names of the suspects were given as Tunde Adeyinka, Sunday Olanrewaju and Popoola Omotayo.

They were arrested in a

Ogun court remands 5 robbery suspects B E O K U TA — A N Abeokuta Chief Magistrate’s Court, yesterday, remanded five persons in police custody for allegedly robbing one Tunde Bisiriyu of a Toyota Camry car valued at N1.5 million.

The suspects are Idris Alabi (27), Kehinde Raufu (32), Bidemi Damilola (28), Monday Arewa (20) and Aminat Adekanbi (24).

The prosecutor, Police Sergeant Sunday Eigbejiale, told the court

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Cross-section of participants at the Future Online Master Class for young entrepreneurs organised by Future Project in Lagos.

Martins charges Jonathan over terrorism

BY DAUD OLATUNJI

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BEOKUTA—THE Archbishop of the Metropolitan See of Lagos, Most Rev. Dr. Alfred Adewale Martins, has urged the Federal Government to step on toes so as to tackle terrorism in the country.

Archbishop Martins, who made the call at the sendforth in his honour by priests, religious and faithful of the Catholic Diocese of Abeokuta, yesterday, called on stakeholders in security sector to do all that was necessary to make the country safe for all.

He said security actions

must be intensified and refined to curtail the incessant killing by gunmen.

Martins said the nation’s security situation seems to be going from bad to worse, terrorists strike almost at will against innocent citizens across the northern parts of the country.

building along P- Ajao Area of Ogbomoso.

The police said: “One AK 49 rifle, two locallymade double barrel pistols with five live cartridges, two AK 47 rifles, one double SIM Techno handset, one Nokia handset, one Toyota Camry Saloon car with number-plate Lagos MUS 159 AG, one unregistered motorcycle, three cutlasses, some clergy garments and some charms.

When asked if he committed the crime, he confessed that he used that to deceive his victims.

According to the police: “On interrogation, the arrested notorious criminals confessed to be a gang of criminals who engaged in inter-state robberies, especially in the SouthWest. The arrested suspects who claimed to be “Woli” (prophet) will soon be charged to court.”

He noted that it was a primary duty of government to ensure security of life and property of citizens all over the nation, pointing out that there can be no excuse for failure in this primary duty.

The Archbishop noted: “The recurrent attacks on Christian places of worship, and indeed, on so many other people and places, are cowardly acts against innocent people and are to be vehemently condemned by all people of good will, ” he said.

that the defendants committed the offence at Obantoko area of Abeokuta, Ogun State.

He said the defendants later re-registered and sold the car to one Alhaji Musa Zakari in Maiduguri, Borno State.

Eigbejiale said: “This gang is very dangerous and notorious for snatching vehicles at gun-point within the metropolis.

“Idris, popularly called Aloma, is the gang leader and they have been carrying out their robbery operations with the use of AK47 and other kinds of arms and ammunition.”

He said the State AntiRobbery Squad, got a tipoff that the gang members had lodged in an hotel at Asero, Abeokuta, and were planning another robbery.

“The police moved in quickly and apprehended these ones while others escaped with bullet wounds.

“On interrogation, the gang members confessed that they had sold the car to Zakari in Maiduguri.The police later retrieved the car from the buyer. Other cars stolen by the gang were also recovered through information supplied by them.”

Chief Magistrate Ayoadele Ayobolu refused to grant the defendants bail and ordered that they should be kept in police custody until September 11 when trial would begin.

Vanguard, FRIDAY, AUGUST 3, 2012 —11

C-River Muslim leaders meet on security

BY JOHNBOSCO AGBAKWURU

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ALABAR—CROSS River State Government and Hausa/Fulani Muslim leaders, have held a workshop on ensuring that the state remains the most peaceful in the country.

Declaring the workshop open yesterday, the state Security Adviser, Mr. Rekpene Bassey, told the Muslim leaders that the state government regarded them as indigenes of

VISIT: Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State (left), presenting a Souvenir to the Minister of Education, Prof. Ruqayyat Rufai, during a courtesy call at Government House, in Yenagoa.

We'll attract devt to oil bearing communities —Isoko HOSTCOM Chair

BY FESTUS AHON

One killed as cultists sack Delta U community …14 suspected cult members in Police net

BY EMMA AMAIZE A R R I — C U LT ISTS have taken over Okurowe community in Okpe Local Government Area of Delta State.

Meantime, the police have launched an attack on cultists at Aladja community in Udu Local Government Area of the state and arrested 14 suspected cultists, who have been charged to court.

Spokesman of Delta State Police Command, Mr. Charles Muka, who confirmed the arrest of the suspects to Vanguard, said: “They have all been remanded in Prisons in Warri.”

In Okurowe community, Vanguard learnt that the rampaging cultists were invited by some indigenes of the community involved in sand dredging business to allegedly intimidate elders and leaders of the town

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for daring to stop their dredging operations, which is affecting the ecology of the town.

It was learnt that the cultists had terrorised the people, forcing many of them to flee to neighbouring towns.

However, on Wednesday, men of 3 Battalion, Nigerian Army, Effurun, swooped on the community on a rescue mission.

Commander of the battalion, Lt. Col. Otu, told Vanguard that he received a distress call that cultists had taken over Okurowe community and directed his men to go to the community and restore peace.

Our source said a gun battle ensued between the soldiers and cultists, when they got to the community and at the end of

Protesters barricade Edo Police Command over Ugolor’s detention

BY SIMON EBEGBULEM ENIN—THERE was pandemonium, yesterday, in Benin City, Edo State, when members of civil society organisations, barricaded Edo State Police headquarters’ gate over the continued incarceration

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of Executive Director of African Network for Environment and Economic Justice, ANEEJ, Rev. David Ugolor.

Tension heightened after the police command and a team of detectives from the headquarters investigating the matter, refused to allow Ugolor's wife, Ngozi, access to

SSS Director vows to crush kidnapping in Delta

BY AUSTIN OGWUDA S A B A — D E LT A State Director of State Security Service, SSS, Mrs. Florence Ikanone, yesterday, paraded eight persons allegedly involved in different cases of kidnap, including a cousin to a Senior Special Adviser to the State Deputy Governor, who allegedly aided the kidnap of his brother in a bid to collect N7 mil-

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the crossfire, one of the cultists was gunned down, while others fled.

Lt. Col. Otu said two suspects were arrested during the raid, adding that soldiers would remain on ground in the community to ensure that peace reigns.

It was gathered that peace had returned to the community with the deployment of soldiers.

ion ransom.

The SSS boss while parading the suspects at the command’s state headquarters in Asaba, said the suspects, who planned to kidnap the deputy governor ’s aide, including one of his cousins (names withheld) “ were arrested by the Service for sending threat messages to kidnap David Ighovojah, a Special Adviser to the Deputy Governor of Del-

ta State and demanding with menace, for the sum of N7 million” The Service also arrested three others at Effurun, Uvwie Local Government Area, in connection with designing and printing of superimposed pornographic pictures and sending threat messages to the Director of Weekend Programme Petroleum Training Institute PTI, Mr Peter Ekumagba.

her husband. The Police prevented her from giving food to Ugolor, insisting that they would take care of his feeding.

This compelled Ugolor to go on hunger strike, while the protesters raised alarm of alleged plot to poison the activist.

It will be recalled that detectives had last Friday, arrested Ugolor, after they claimed that one of the suspects arrested in connection with the murder of the Principal Secretary to Governor Adams Oshiomhole, late Mr. Olaitan Oyerinde, confessed that one “David” ordered them to assassinate Oyerinde.

But the civil society organisations in the state described the claim as spurious and an attempt to frame up Ugolor, who incidentally laboured to revive Oyerinde at the hospital, few minutes after he was shot.

the state and that the workshop was the third in the series of talk-shops approved by Governor Liyel Imoke to meet and interact with various leaders on issues of security.

Bassey said: “Nigeria is today experiencing what could be described as the most serious security challenge since the end of the civil war in 1970. This situation calls for sacrifice and patriotism to ensure that the current happenings do not overwhelm us.”

G H E L L I — CHAIRMAN of Host Oil Communities, HOSTCOM oil and Gas, Isoko ethnic nationality, Mr. Lucky Akpode, has promised to attract development to all oil bearing communities in Isoko nation.

Akpode, who made the promise at the inauguration of the new executive body at Oleh, Isoko South Local Government Area, said he would run a transparent government that would translate to massive develop-

ment of the area during his four years tenure.

He said projects would be distributed equitably to all the 21 oil communities in Isoko, adding, “my administration will impress it on oil companies operating in Isokoland that we have qualified graduates: young men and women in Isokoland, seasoned professionals, who should be employed into key positions in their organisations.

“We will not sit down and fold our hands when they employ people from the North while our people are neglected.”

Traders laud Oshimili North Council boss cil.

BY TOMMY ANADUAKA HAIRMAN of Os himili North Local Government Council, Mr. Christopher Okafor, has been applauded by traders from different parts of Delta State for ensuring the quick completion of the ultra modern Eke market in Ibusa which was abandoned for years by the previous administration of the coun-

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Spokesmen of the traders, Chief Peter Onyeador, for Igbo traders, Chief Dele Olaiya, for the Yoruba traders and Alhaji Inua Sambo, for the Hausa traders, in a joint statement at the end of a meeting in Ibusa, said the difficulties they had been encountering are now a thing of the past, adding that with the completion of the market, traders will now move into the stores to do their businesses.

Eghwubare for burial ETIRED Senior Executive Officer with Delta State University, Abraka, Mr. Augustine Eghwubare is dead, aged 77.

A statement by the family said his remains will leave Ufuoma Clinic Mortuary, Abraka, for Okpara Inland, Ethiope East Local Government Area, Delta State on August 4, for burial at his compound, 8, Eregbe

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Street, Okpara Inland at 10.30 a.m. after a funeral service.

Mr. Eghwubare is survived by 13 children, 16 grandchildren and one great grandchild.

Late A. O. Eghwubare

12—Vanguard, FRIDAY, AUGUST 3, 2012

Edo Election Petition Tribunal constituted ENIN—EDO State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal to entertain petitions arising from the outcome of July 14, 2012 governorship election in the state has been constituted.

A statement by Mrs. Josephine Aliyu, Secre-

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tary of the tribunal, Edo State, said the venue of the tribunal is the High Court Complex in Benin City.

She also enjoined the Police, State Security Service, SSS and the general public to take note.

Bi-Courtney begins multi-billion naira power upgrade at MMA2

I VISIT: From Left: Dr. Nelson Uwaga, Deputy President, Nigerian Institute of Management (Chartered); Chief Gabriel Mabiaku, the Oji I of Warri; his wife, Mrs. Toyin Mabiaku and Dr. Michael Olawale-Cole, President and Chairman of Council, NIM, when the Institute paid a courtesy visit to the chief in Warri. Photo: Oscar Ochiogu.

Ill-fated plane had engine replaced —Dana staff

BY ABDULWAHAB ABDULAH, ONOZURE DANIA & MICHEAL OLADAPO SENIOR manager with Dana Airline, Mr Tony Usidamen, yesterday admitted that the ill-fated aircraft had engine failure two years ago, but was quick to add that the engine was replaced.

This came as the Coroner Judge, Mr. Alexander Komolafe, said the Aviation Minister should appear before it to speak on the plane crash.

Usidamen, who also is the Head of Corporate Communication of Dana Air, was the first official of the airline to give evidence before the coroner inquest. He told the court that the ill-fated plane, had an engine failure two years before the crash.

According to him, the management of the airline discovered on April

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19, 2010, that the engine of the plane was bad, but returned to safety, which made them to “change the engine in the interest of their passengers.”

While being cross-examined on whether he was aware that the same airline had hydraulic leakages on May 23, 2012, the witness said he was not aware that the aircraft, MD 83 with registration number 9J 992

5N RAM, had such problem.

Questioned by a counsel from the state Ministry of Justice, Mr Akintunde Bakare, of the name of the engineer who certified the air worthiness of the air craft, he said he could not give the name of the engineer who certified the aircraft on June 3, 2012.

At this juncture, the Coroner Judge, threat-

ORMER FCT Min ister, Dr. Aliyu Moddibo Umar, has cleared the air over the genesis of the controversy surrounding the plot of land allocated by the FCT Administration for the building of the continental secretariat of African First Ladies Peace Mission (AFLPM) saying that he allocated the

sustain alternate power supply to the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN), begins on Monday, August 6, 2012, and will last for about 60 days.

A statement issued by the company ’s spokesman, Steve Omolale-Ajulo, said the completion of the first phase is expected to bring added advantage to the terminal.

Robbers kill 4 soldiers, cart away LG workers salary in Yobe

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USPECTED robbers on Wednesday evening opened fire on a vehicle conveying salaries of workers of Gulani local government, Yobe state, killing three soldiers escorting the bus. The accountant of the local government Ali Lawan Dachia was also shot dead. One other soldier and a policeman were killed in the assault.

Yobe police commissioner Patrick Egbuniwe

said the incident happened at around 5:40pm.

Sources said the monthly salaries for the local government workers is usually over N35 million.

The vehicle had been conveying the money from Gashua local government - one of the cosmopolitan centres of the state - and were ambushed as they arrived at the entrance to Gulani.

Oyerinde's murder: Edo PDP youths Ijaw mourn Gen Enai nation of “The pain of the loss is demand apology from Oshiomhole THEhasIjaw described the also felt directly by passing away of the Bayelsa State which

BY GABRIEL ENOGHOLASE

ENIN—YOUTH wing of Edo State chapter of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has given a two-week ultimatum to Governor Adams Oshiomhole to tender unreserved apology to the former chairman,

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Board of Trustees of the party, Chief Tony Anenih, and members of the party over his allegation that the leadership of PDP masterminded the killing of his private secretary, Mr. Olaitan Oyerinde.

In a statement in Benin, yesterday, Mr. Vincent Akhere, state youth

Tussle over First Ladies’ plot : Ex-FCT Minister carpets Turai, Aliero

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ened to sanction the witness if he did not furnish the court with the names of the engineers.

In his response, he only mentioned that the engineer who certified the airline on 3rd June 2012 and several other engineers are still working with Dana, adding that the ill-fated airline was in good and perfect working condition when it flew.

N its efforts to provide a comfortable environment and make the Murtala Muhammed Airport Terminal Two (MMA2), Lagos, the most patronised in the country, Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Limited (BASL) is embarking on a multi-billion naira power enhancement project at the terminal.

The first phase of the project, which will

plot to AFLPM in 2008.

According to Moddibo, who served as Minister of FCT between 2007 and 2008, it was his successor, Alhaji Adamu Aliero, who changed the concept of the land and reallocated it to Women and Youth Empowerment Foundation (WAYEF) belonging to former First Lady, Hajiya Turai Yar ’

Adua two years later.

The former FCT Minister made the clarifications in an interview with the Hausa Service of the Voice of America yesterday. The report was monitored in Abuja. According to Moddibo, there was no controversy about it as the land in question was allocated to AFLPM and a certificate of occupancy (C of 0) prepared for the Mission.

leader of PDP, carpeted Edo State Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, for its inability to provide adequate security for lives and property of residents, particularly, that of late Oyerinde, who he said was a senior official of the government in power in the state.

It will be recalled that the state government had, moments after the murder of Olaitan at his Ugbor residence in Benin, offered N20 million as reward for anyone, who could provide useful information that might lead to the arrest of perpetrators of the heinous crime.

Akhere insisted that with the confessional statements of six suspects arrested and paraded by State Security Services, SSS, operatives in Abuja, it was clear that “the cat had been let out of the bag.

former Commander of Ikeja Military Cantonment, Lagos, BrigadierGeneral Fredrick Kudowei Enai (rtd) as a big loss, not only to his immediate family but to the entire Ijaw nation.

In a condolence message by Comrade Joseph Evah on behalf of Ijaw Monitoring Group, the Ijaw lamented the sudden death of the former Brigade Commander who was recently appointed as an aide to Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State.

He said: “The Ijaw nation should immortalise this courageous and patriotic officer who used his position while in service to assist Ijaw and other Niger Deltans.

General Enai left us at a time we needed his service most outside the military.

needs the experience and patriotic spirit of men like Enai to help the state's survival project."

Pa Orogun for burial A GABRIEL Orogun, a.k.a. Influence, of Orogun, Delta State, is dead, aged 84. Pa Orogun, a philanthropist, died on April 26, 2012.

He will be buried tomorrow at his home town, Salubi in Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta State.

He is survived by children and many relations.

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Late Gabriel Orugun

Vanguard, FRIDAY, AUGUST 3, 2012 —13

PDP chieftain warns Okorocha on LGs' tenure

BY CHIDI NKWOPARA

WERRI—THE Na tional Vice-Chairman, South East Zone of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Col. Austin Akobundu (rtd), has warned that the party will not accept any arrangement by Governor Rochas Okorocha to reduce the tenure of the elected local council operators in the state.

Akobundu, who read the riot act in Owerri, during a meeting with the state executive members of the party, legislators and reinstated local governments'

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chairmen, also advised the governor to obey judgments delivered by competent courts in the land.

He expressed unhappiness over what he termed “the hide and seek game the state government is playing with the decisions of the Court of Appeal,” stressing that since the chairmen and councillors were properly and democratically elected, government should allow them serve out their tenure.

He said: “PDP leadership will not accept any arrangement that would reduce the tenure of the elected officials. It must be made known to all that PDP is not

unaware of a subterranean move by the Governor to make the officials serve only three months from August this year,” Addressing the gathering also, Chairman of Association of Local Governments of Nigeria, ALGON, Mrs.

Ruby Emele, lamented that since the Appeal Court judgment, government had used undemocratic moves, including declaration of indefinite public holidays in the local government system.

Presidential aide lauds Anambra on good governance

BY VINCENT UJUMADU

WKA—THE Special Adviser to President

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Abia govt wants contractor sacked

BY ANAYO OKOLI

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MUAHIA—ABIA State government has called on its federal

counterpart to direct the contractor handling the construction of an Industrial Agro Processing Estate at Olori, Ikwuano council of the state, to be serious or terminate the contract.

Commissioner for Agriculture, Chief Ike Onyenweaku, made the government’s position public at the project site during a joint monitoring of agricultural projects being sponsored by the Federal Government in the state.

Vanguard learnt that the Federal Government awarded the contract at a cost of N439.5 million to ROZI International Nig. Ltd., while the company was mobilized in September 2011, and given a completion period of 12 months.

However, almost one year into the contract, not much is on ground to show that the project would come on stream as scheduled.

The project, when completed, will accommodate two factories, amenity block, administrative block, utility block, a clinic, and two main factories as well as two-detachable bungalow, a borehole and four labour lines.

He said: “The contractor has shown that he doesn’t have the capacity to deliver the project and this will definitely affect the implementation of the Agricultural Transformation Agenda of the FG in Abia.”

According to him, despite being informed of the inspection visit, the contractor “decided not to come and explain issues”.

Uvwie monarch, 9 others for award HE UVWIE Peoples Forum, United Kingdom Chapter is to honour the Ovie of Uvwie kingdom, HRM Emmanuel Sideso and 9 other notable personalities for their immense contribution towards the peace and development of Uvwie kingdom, on August 26.

A statement by Comrades Ochuko Arisi and Whitney

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Okierieta, National President and Secretary respectively, listed the awardees as HRM Emmanuel Sideso; Evang. S.O.Olotu, Mr. Efe Ofobruku; Chief Newton Agbofodoh, Mrs. Evelyn Ojakovo, Chief Godstime Eshemamigbe, Mr. Peter Abugewa, Chief Akpos Edafevwotu, Chief Sunny Agbugbu, and Mr. Baro Minabowanre.

The Forum said: “We have decided to give recognition to deserving persons of Uvwie land and non-Uvwie kingdom who have contributed immensely to the peace and development of the area.

Goodluck Jonathan on Performance Monitoring and Evaluation, Professor Sylvester Monye, said yesterday that Governor Peter Obi’s achievements should be a source of inspiration to other governors in the country. According to him, Anambra has become a reference for good governance.

Monye, who spoke after inspecting some projects initiated and completed by Obi’s administration at the new Anambra State University Teaching Hospital in Awka, said the state had taught others some lessons on delivery of projects for the good of the people, in line with the learning principles of the Governors Forum peer review mechanism.

The presidential adviser, who was touring parts of the country for projects inspection, said he was amazed at the high level of development and quality of projects completed by Governor Obi in spite the lean revenue profile of the state.

FG registers 4.3m farmers nationwide

BY CHIDI NKWOPARA

WERRI—THE Fed eral Government has registered over 4.3 million farmers nationwide for implementation of its agricultural transformation agenda.

Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Ezekiel O. Oyemomi, disclosed this at the flag off of Growth Enhancement Support, GES, scheme, in Owerri.

He said: “The GES scheme targets five million small holder farmers annually with a target of 20 million farmers over the next three years. Presently, 4.3 million farmers have been identified and registered on the national farmers’ data base.”

The permanent secretary, who was represented at the event by the ministry’s Regional Director, Dr. Uche Nwafor, also explained that “GES is an initiative of the federal government to address the challenges of past systems."

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14—Vanguard, FRI, AUGUST 3, 2012

Emergencies: Chime urges more cooperation among stakeholders

BY TONYEDIKE

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Governor Theodore Orji of Abia State and Mrs. Kate Ononye, Comptroller of Prisons, Abia State Command, after the presentation of gift items to the prisons service in Umuahia.

Ebonyi disburses N9.3m to Fadama farmers BAKALIKI— E B O N Y I Fadama III Coordinating Office yesterday in Abakaliki disbursed a total sum of N9.3 million to 28 Fadama User Groups.

The News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, reports that the exercise was conducted by Mrs Josephine Elechi, the wife of the state governor and that 27 widow groups and one group of unemployed youths were the beneficiaries.

Dr. Cletus Nwakpu, the state Project’s Coordinator, said that the exercise was the second edition of Elechi’s interactive session with Fadama groups, especially widows and other vulnerable groups.

“The first edition held on June 13, 2011, offered us the opportunity to col-

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laborate with Mrs Elechi’s Mother and Child Care Initiative, MCCI, in achieving our objectives.

He said:“We disbursed funds to 26

NUGU—GOVER NOR Sullivan Chime of Enugu State has called for a synergy among all stakeholders and development partners in efficient and effective disaster management in the state.

The governor made the call through the Permanent Secretary, Office of the Secretary to State Government, Mr. Chidi Ezema, at a stakeholders' forum organised by the State Emergency Management Agency, in collaboration with UNICEF in Enugu .

The governor noted that

WKA—LEADER SHIP crisis is tearing apart the Nigerian Chaplaincy, a para-military organisation recognised by the presidency, with members claiming authenticity of the headship.

Following the development, the national secretariat of United Nigerian Chaplaincy, UNC, yesterday, called on its members nationwide to ignore a text message inviting them to a purported congress of the organisation today in Asaba, Delta State.

UNC Chief of Chaplains, General JideJisos Ejie, who spoke to reporters, yesterday, after a

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saving of lives and property, prevent escalation of disaster incidents and restoration of normalcy as soon as possible, among others.

The governor, noted that for the success of all these, there had to be state and local government interventions as first and second responders before seeking for a s s i s t a n c e .

He called for a proactive measure in preventing, responding and mitigating the impactofemergenciesanddisasters on the impact of emergencies and disasters on the part of local government and critical stakeholders in disaster management.

groups comprising of 17 widow groups, five groups of people living with HIV/AIDS and four groups of unemployed youths."

Christian women join in fight against insecurity

BY KEHINDEGBADA-

MOSI AGOS—DIOCESE of Lagos, Women's Wing, has stressed the need for Nigerians to be more security conscious, saying “everyone should sign on to ‘Operation know the next person to you.'”

Speaking on behalf of the women, President of the Diocese, Mrs. Oluranti Ademowo, who made the remarks at the 2012 women conference in Lagos, with the theme: ‘Lost in God-the whole duty of man,’ said that this is a measure that

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will help to reduce the rate of crime in the country.

Ademowo argued that in homes, church, and institutions of learning, Nigerians should ensure that they have eye contact with people as they enter these public places.

She said: “Solution to security challenges facing the country should be the responsibility of everyone and not left in the hands of security officials alone. Everyone must be security conscious, mentally alert and spiritually discerning at all times.”

HONOUR FOR A GOOD NIGERIAN:From right: Regional General Manager, North Central, FAAN, Mr. Chris Bature; Director-General, National Orientation Agency, NOA, Mr. Mike Omeri; award recipient and Taxi driver, Imeh Isuah; Special Adviser (Tech) to Minister of Aviation, Mr. Oche Elias and Airspace Manager, NEMA, Abuja, Mr. Nelson Nwachukwu, jointly presenting a plaque to Mr. Imeh Isuah for returning money forgotten in his cab, in Abuja, yesterday.

Nigerian Chaplaincy leadership crisis worsens

BY VINCENT UJUMADU

the number and gravity of disasters were on the increase not only in Enugu State but globally with grave consequence for survival, dignity and livelihood of individuals which were inimical to sustainable developm e n t .

According to Chime, irrespective of the nature or class of the disaster, the general objectives of his administration were to coordinate and mobilise the resources of government and non-governmental agencies to minimize damage to the environment and infrastructure.

He listed other objectives of government to include

meeting of state commandants with the National Executive Committee of the organisation at its national secretariat in Awka, said the purported Asaba meeting was not authorised by the national secretariat.

Ejie described as unfortunate the action of some of the former officers of the organisation, who, he claimed, were dismissed, adding that they were conniving with a few s officers to breach a court order.

According to him, congresses are not part of activities of para military organisations to which UNC belongs.

He said: “We have just finished a meeting of the National Executive of UNC

with State Commandants.

During the meeting, we got information through a text message being circulated to the effect that I am convening a congress of the organisation in Asaba.

“Let me inform all members of UNC nationwide that I have not discussed with anybody, or directed anyone to summon any congress as this does not exist in UNC constitution.Those who received the purported congress invitation should ignore it because it is not authorised.

“Also, I received a message sent by the former chairman of the state commandant, asking every member, cadet and officers of UNC to pay an undis-

closed amount to him for an alleged project he has at hand.

“I want to inform all members of UNC that I have not assigned anybody to collect any money from anyone and because I did not instruct the former state commandant to summon any meeting or do things on his own and for his rebellion, a new chairman of state command has been appointed, he is Ntia E. Ntia, the Akwa-Ibom State Commandant and he will inform other commandants when there would be meeting.”

He said he had informed security agencies of the illegality of the action of the former commandant.

Orji to host Abuja-based Abians

BY NKEM EGENUKA

BUJA—ABIA State Governor, Chief Theodore Orji, is to host Abia indigenes resident in Abuja as part of his efforts to attract investments to the state.

A statement by the Senior Special Assistant, PR/Strategy to the governor, Mr Jenson Okereke, stated that the move was expected “to bring about a new and better face of Abia, will be brought down to concrete realities as the Abuja-based Abians are treated to an exposition of the people-oriented efforts of the governor”.

Okereke said the event, which is tagged: “Celebration of Progress in Abia State”, is also expected to have in attendance Abia in-

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digenes resident in Abuja and its environs as well as Abia State members of the National Assembly.

Passage ADAM MARGRET Oziama Obeta of Okutu Community in Nsukka Local Government Area, Enugu State, is dead. She died on Tuesday, May 29.

She will be buried on Friday, August 10.

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Late Margret Obeta

Vanguard, FRIDAY, AUGUST 3, 2012 — 15

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16—Vanguard , FRIDAY, AUGUST 3, 2012

Fed health workers threaten strike over CONHESS 10

BY VICTOR AHIUMA-YOUNG BUJA—WORKERS in Federal Health Centres have petitioned the Presidency, urging it to prevail on the Minister of Health and management of Federal hospitals and other health centres across the country to implement the July 16 agreement on staff welfare and other conditions of service to avoid

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VISIT: From left— Mr. Emma Ujah, Vanguard Abuja Bureau Chief (left), and Corps Commander Jonas Agwu, Corps Public Education Officer, CPEO, Federal Road Safety Commission, FRSC, during a courtesy visit by FRSC to Vanguard office in Abuja. PHOTO: Gbemiga Olamikan.

industrial unrest.

The umbrella body for five health workers’ unions, Joint Health Sector Unions, JOHESU, in a petition signed by Ayuba Wabba and George Ayua, Chairman and Secretary, JOHESU, respectively, argued that working environment in most hospitals had become so tense and unfriendly as a result of the reactions of some of the chief medical directors/

Religious bodies can raise standard of education— UBEC

BY FAVOUR NNABUGWU BUJA—EXECU TIVE Secretary of the Universal Basic Education Commission, UBEC, Dr. Ahmed Modibbo, yesterday, challenged Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, and other faith-based organisations to join hands

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with government to enhance the quality of education in the country.

Modibbo spoke when he received members of the women wing of CAN in his office, yesterday. He said it had become necessary for faith-based organisations and government to partner in the total transformation of the education sector.

He said: “We must bring everybody interested in partnering with government in the development of the educational sector together. I strongly believed that without religious inclination, we will not yield the desired result.

“I have been looking for an opportunity to interface with major faith-based or-

ganisations, because education as you all know is the responsibility of all. There is no way government alone can take responsibility for education.”

Modibbo said there were a lot of challenges militating against education.

He said the Education Research Development Council recently clarified

its position on a misconception that Islam and Christianity had been marginalised in the new curriculum.

He said: “The new curriculum had taken into considerations the need for children to undertake faith-based lessons to enable them have a better understanding of basic education.”

medical directors.

The petition, routed through the Minister of Labour and Productivity, read in part: “We wish to kindly call your attention to the ugly development arising again in most of the Federal health institutions in the nation.

“Sir, upon the receipt of the copies of resolution letter by the Chief Medical Directors of the Federal Teaching Hospitals and Medical Centres, CMD, the situation in some of the hospitals, rather than being conducive for smooth work relationship is becoming tense and unfriendly.”

The Minister of Health was said to have interpreted to the CMDs/MDs that the clause “status quo ante in the trade dispute” means that the circulars that were issued to stop the skipping of CONHESS 10 and reversal of appointment of consultants of health professionals, other than medical practitioners which were, among other things, responsible for the industrial dispute, must subsist.

Vanguard, FRIDAY, AUGUST 3, 2012 — 17

Sweet & SOUR

Donu Kogbara

Reactions – yours and mine

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AST week, I complained about the Bayelsa Governor’s decision to make Dame Patience Jonathan a Permanent Secretary. I echoed the many critics who have quite rightly said that it is inappropriate to give The Dame a job that is normally reserved for people who have been full-time civil servants for many years. I also wondered why she would bother with a title that doesn’t add to the seniority and status she already enjoys as First Lady of the Federal Republic.

I also took a couple of very aggrieved pot shots at The Dame’s husband and said that his unimpressive performance to date has encouraged all manner of disgruntled elements from other geopolitical zones to (unfairly, in my opinion) say that they will never support a Niger Deltan Presidential candidate again.

Most of the Vanguard readers who reacted to my comments totally agreed with me. But a small handful disagreed. And I don’t have a major problem with those who told me that they felt that I had been too harsh (as in it’s no big deal if The Dame wants to be a Perm Sec) or too impatient (as in Jonathan has not been in

charge for long and deserves more time in which to prove himself).

Life would be extremely boring if everyone responded to every issue in the same way; and I sometimes find conflicting points of view educational. But I take exception when readers contact me to talk complete rubbish! And I didn’t appreciate the two Jonathan fans who reckon that I am only complaining about the First Couple in the hope that if I apply pressure on them and draw attention to myself, they will offer me juicy government perks to shut me up.

Insulting conclusions

Bayelsa Governor, Seriake Dickson (l) swearing in Dame Patience Jonathan as Permanent Secretary

If they knew me and my life story, they might not jump to such insulting conclusions. And, for the record, guys, I am not short of high-level contacts and would have been a government billionaire by now if I’d been willing to play certain games. But stupidly perhaps! - I chose to listen to a persistent inner voice that has always assured me that money and power don’t buy peace of mind.

I have always had access to myriad golden opportunities. But I also have a rebellious streak and am unwilling to pay the price attached to cleverly exploiting this access. And, whether you believe me or not, God knows the truth. And the truth is that I am a real journalist.

The truth is that if I write negative stuff about a VIP, it is because I genuinely believe that he or she has screwed up in one way or another. I am not a blackmailer. I do not scheme to manipulate dignitaries into buying my silence.

Nor do I need to subtly and slyly

on TV and in various public fora, touch.

I received the following letter draped in costly garments and talking about your projects from from a Yoruba Vanguard reader On High. It is another thing to via Facebook. Sure, Dr and Dame actually become a hands-on Jonathan can ignore such remarks. But if I were grassroots phiin their shoes, I lanthropist who would take them as will be forever a wake-up call: loved for trans“…We all know forming the exthe President is istences of ordiFulfilling their muddling things up nary folks. potential big time…I think we I am not a And I urge The have sunk to the The Dame is a nice-looking Dame to behave blackmailer; I deepest depth we more like woman who may not be profescould ever have do not scheme sorial, but she has the ability to Mother Theresa imagined in this come across as warm and pleas- and less like a to manipulate nation…Many antly down-to-earth. And I’m frivolous social- dignitaries into people I know from sorry if this sounds sectional. But ite! the Southwest As for Mr buying my her village is less than one hour’s worked very hard drive from my village, so I regard President, I’ve silence for Goodluck her as a sister of sorts; and I want met him a couple Jonathan to be of times.

And her to do well and ditch all this president. Many of Perm Sec palaver and jewellery I’ve had some inus stood solidly bematter and concentrate on be- telligent converhind him in those dark days coming the first First Lady to es- sations with him, so I know that when we were being told to fortablish a serious charity that can he is not a moron. And I wish get about him because of the sostand the test of time. that he would ginger up and do It is one thing to prance around better and kick his detractors into called zoning formula…… “…And we are all now disappointed at what we are getting from someone we thought would use Ph.D brains to lead us out of the depth we were already in… “…Many Niger Deltans are hard working…but I feel that we has any member of the clueless Nigerian rullier concession granted to the affected corps all need to know when to call a ing elite being prepared to serve Nigeria and members by the Director-General of the spade a spade and find a way protect its unity and enhance its progress not NYSC, Brig.General Nnamdi Okore-Affia. out of this quagmire we have been to talk of paying the supreme sacrifice in the The DG, had in a statement on July 5 dipushed into. We can only do it course of doing that? During the last April rected corps members posted to Yobe to protogether…” general elections in 2011, tens of NYSC memceed to Nasarawa State, while those schedbers were murdered in the post-election viouled to have their orientation in Borno were lence that broke out in the North. Up till now Responses to: directed to Benue State. parents and relatives of the deceased have donzol2002@yahoo.co.uk or Against the background of the unrelentreceived no compensation except verbal conto 0802 747 6458 (texts only). ing and seemingly intractable ethnic and redolences from the government.

PLEASE KINDLY NOTE ligious crisis ravaging the North Eastern part THAT UNLESS YOU The argument of the Minister amounts to of the country, it is callous and insensitive SPECIFICALLY REQUEST ordering a generation of the nation’s future on the part of Alhaji Abdulkadir, to insist ANONYMITY, YOUR onto a slaughter house! Meanwhile these are that corps members must serve in volatile COMMENTS MAY BE the nation’s youth who were never catered states despite the obvious threat to their lives.

PUBLISHED IN for by the state whether in the area of health, Since when do corrupt members of the NiVANGUARD, WITH YOUR education or employment right from their gerian ruling class start obeying laws or reNAMES AND NUMBERS childhood to adulthood!

OR EMAIL ADDRESSES specting the constitution where their self•Soweto is National Coordinator of ERC ATTACHED. serving interests are concerned? Since when beg them for invites to a high table I can probably join fairly easily if I ever agree to change my troublesome ways! And, by the way, I have only whinged bitterly about The Dame and Mr President because I feel let down and want them to fulfil their potential.

OPINION

No to compulsory posting of NYSC corps members to troubled states

By HASSAN TAIWO SOWETO

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HE Education Rights Campaign, ERC, condemns the insistence of the Federal Government that National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, members must serve in the North Eastern states which for the past months have been enveloped by violence, bomb blast and killings.

We hereby demand the immediate redeployment of all NYSC members including batch ‘C’ members posted to troubled regions and states.

At a news conference in Abuja on July 10, 2012, the Minister of Youth Development, Alhaji Inuwa Abdulkadir overruled the Director General of the NYSC by insisting that corps members would be posted to Borno, Yobe and other troubled states.

This position is said to supersede an ear-

18 — Vanguard, FRIDAY, AUGUST 3, 2012 A ROAD construction that should be a thing of joy to all is turning out to be a source of acrimony between some citizens in Obohia community in Ukwa East Local Government Area of Abia State and the Ministry of the Niger Delta over alleged shoddy handling of sur veys and compensation before the commencement of the project.

The Ministry had awarded the contract for the construction of a dual carriage way that will run through Obehie and Azumini in Abia State and culminate in Ukanafun in Akwa Ibom State to be constructed by the China Civil Engineering Construction Company (CCECC). It will be a vital regional trunk road in the oil producing belt. Happily, the people whose land and physical property are being appropriated or demolished for the construction of the laudable project are not opposed to it.

Rather, some of them, as exemplified by the Okerenta family, are alleging discriminatory handling of surveys and compensation packages as, according to them, the exercise was not carried out transparently.

Obohia Demolition Crisis: Be Fair As a result, owners of some compounds that were partially demolished and rendered useless or unsafe are demanding for full compensation to enable them relocate to alternative sites. Following the apparent deaf ears upon which their pleas have fallen, those affected by the partial demolition and compensation are threatening legal action.

We are calling on the Ministry to look into this issue with the urgency it deserves and ensure that all those whose homes or economic trees and farms were partially or wholly removed for the overall public interest are properly compensated in line with the laws governing this kind of

exercise.

This is a simple process that should not be allowed to raise unnecessary dust. Some of the complainants are alleging that the expansion of the road to a dual carriage has necessitated the adjustment of electric high tension lines too close to their homes for safety. Under environmentally safe procedures, such buildings should be demolished and their owners adequately compensated to enable them relocate. By refusing to do what is right the citizens are being exposed to double jeopardy, whereby they are losing their homes and also being exposed to danger.

It will be a sad day if eventually the affected persons are forced to seek legal protection. This may lead to avoidable delay in the construction of the road. Cases like this have in the past led to the outright abandonment of projects while people whose homes were partially demolished were victimised as a result of insensitive or corrupt shenanigans of public officers.

We urge the Minister of the Niger Delta, Elder Godswill Orubebe, to step into this matter and resolve it amicably.

OPINION

BY VICTOR ALABA TATE of Osun Governor Rauf Aregbesola has continued to confound and surprise Nigerians generally and his critics in particular with his policies since he mounted the saddle nearly two years ago. Early in his tenure, he appeared to have served notice that his era was going to be a contrast to the beaten path of governance.

For instance his approach to dealing with the question of public apathy to government programmes has proved different from what was the norm before he came to the scene. Whereas it was the tendency for our leaders to keep a distance from the citizens, Aregbesola had decided that these so-called common folk would be his partners.

It's been an unusual style that has, admittedly, stressed him and state institutions. For instance, it has seen the Ogbeni jettison protocol to the embarrassment of the security apparatus. Yet it has offered infinitely greater advantages to both government and the governed. In the case of the government, it can easily "sell" its programmes to the people without fear of apathy, while with the people, government programmes are no longer to be viewed with from skeptics' point of view.

In the past the people suspected every move of the authorities since government and its agencies had been known to use socalled public projects as swindling schemes. It was a cat-andmouse game between the two. Each sought to outwit each other!

How would meaningful development take place under such negative mutually suspicious circumstances? No wonder the State of Osun slipped into such abysmal depths!

But not for too long!

Storming the scene after a temporary denial of his welldeserved mandate, Aregbesola correctly saw the solution to the barrenness of Osun. Institute programmes that leave transparency and accountability as their hallmark. Let your personal lifestyle reflect openness so you don't raise any doubt

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Aregbesola at work-in the studio! on the part of the people about your sincerity. Thereafter you can go to sleep, as it were and let the citizens do much of the work.

The strategy is working in Aregbesola's era in Osun. And because it's recording a high degree of success, the Governor is entrenching it by embarking on the second edition of the upgraded form of what he calls "Ogbeni Till Daybreak!" It's an opportunity to interact with the chief executive on governance.

Held on Monday July 9, 2012, the live programme ran concurrently on radio and TV from the studio-like setting at the Center for Black Culture and International Understanding, Osogbo, the capital of the State of Osun. It ran a marathon 10pm-5am with viewers and listeners offered uncensored questions on any topic under the sun. It was a multimedia affair as you employ your phone devices and computer to reach the Ogbeni through Nigeria's major three networks.

Along with what Aregbesola is putting on the ground to develop Osun, I aver that his decision to put up this periodic live appearance on radio and TV represents the most daring of his personal adventures meant to deepen his drive and passion for accountability. He is establishing a worthy benchmark. And the question should not be about surpassing it by those who come after him in the years ahead. Rather we must look at how we can exploit its infinite benefits the way the developed democracies of the world have utilized it to enthrone accountability in their societies.

Of course, I've heard some agencies declare that the interactive programme appears to be the ultimate in naivety and that it amounts to political suicide! How? The skeptics agree that because callers are ungagged (unscreened, uncensored), some

hired cranks could crash into the session and embarrass the Governor with outlandish questions!

Now this happens routinely where public-spirited leaders elect to open themselves up to the people. Where this happens, I insist that it is a worthy price to pay for democracy. The leader who isn't ready to be insulted isn't worthy of public service. At the first sign of impatience with the people's anger or questioning, the leader, whether president, governor or minister or commissioner or special adviser, should be thrown out! If he can't bear with the people's interrogation of his policies, then it is obvious he won't be able to be trusted as the custodian of their wealth! Simpliciter!

So what Aregbesola appears to be saying is this: I am a democrat in word and in deed. As you've trusted me with your vote (and in some respects with your blood) I'm also opening myself to you.

With this, the Governor is declaring that he is establishing a podium, a speaker's corner that enables him to subject himself to the ruthless scrutiny of the people over his policies and style of governance. Lest his claims on some specific achievements should be ridiculed as sheer propaganda Governor Aregbesola steps into the studio in blood and flesh in the full "glare" of his people to prove that what he and his team in the government are doing isn't phantom.

So here comes the Governor with a solution to end the raging argument on the pages of the newspapers. He says: You may ignore what my aides are saying. You may view them as the Governor's mouthpiece. You may suspect them of adding or subtracting to what I say. That amounts to exaggerating. Now I am the organ. You are hearing directly from the Governor, not the mouthpiece. Armed with facts and figures he presents the true picture of the state of affairs. If you are the objective truth seeker, you would, of course, be swayed by the logic he offers in defence. *Mr. Alaba, a social commentator , wrote from Ogun State.

Vanguard, FRIDAY, AUGUST 3, 2012 — 19

, ESPITE the fiery death, in recent years, of more than a thousand Nigerians, many of our people still refuse to obey a simple rule of survival: Keep away from unconstrained and unsecured petrol.

In open air conditions, where its vapour mixes with atmospheric oxygen, “petrol”--also known as ”gasoline”--is highly unstable, volatile and easily ignited. This makes it an extremely dangerous substance, except when properly secured and handled by trained individuals.

I deeply regret the loss of life at Ula Okogbe, in Ahoada West Local Government Area of Rivers State and, before that, other communities around the country, where hydrocarbon fuel escaping from petrol tankers and pipelines have erupted in flame, with disastrous consequences.

My sense of remorse is deepened, by the fact that these types of fire incidents are largely the result of aberrant behaviour. Such behaviour arises from a

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combination of avarice, ignorance and indiscipline on the part of affected individuals, compounded, as it were, by poor socialisation.

“Socialisation”, as I’m using the term, refers to the training and conditioning of individuals to behave in accordance with established norms—patterns of behaviour that is normal and acceptable in the society to which they belong.

This training and conditioning is a collective responsibility. It is achieved through the actions of various social and cultural institutions such as the family, the schools, churches and mosques, theatre, music, film, poetry, etc.

I will pick up on this theme again shortly. But before going further, I wish to dissociate myself from that school of thought—well-intended though its adherents are—which tends to shift all the blame for the fate of individuals to “society”.

I believe that mature persons, who are mentally healthy, must assume responsibility for their own actions and be held accountable

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for them. This, in fact, is an operative principle in jurisprudence. You cannot commit a crime and evade punishment because of your social background.

The reason is human intelligence. Every normal human being has—or is presumed to have—the ability to think and reason, especially when it comes to behavioural norms.

Social factors may determine how good we are at certain types of problem solving. But most behavioural decisions involve judgements that are so basic, so fundamental to group survival, that they are amenable to sound reasoning by individuals with minimal socialisation.

How much social conditioning must one have, for example, to be able to use fire in a way that is helpful instead of harmful. Not much. A person need only get his or her hand burned once or watch a neighbour’s grass hut go up in flames, to develop some awareness about the proper use of fire.

A culture of disrespect(3) Continued from Thursday pg 18

BY YEMISI OGBE

ND so perhaps the Nigerian culture of disrespect is not remarkable. Yet, the stories that mark our peculiar culture are unique and fascinating. They suggest that the Nigerian is daily, excruciatingly demeaned on all levels in Nigeria, but somehow also, remains forever optimistic that his lot in life will change, things will improve; his psyche is rarely ever completely demeaned. It will be criminal of me not to note that a betterment of lot means that one day, one will also find someone to demean as a necessary accessory of becoming elevated. The environment itself is peculiar. Everything, including all opportunities for advancement, seem to be touched with some measure of illegality or compromise of the person, or fluidity of values.

It is better not to be too virtuous in Nigeria, some people say. The man who is paid N10,000 by his employer for keeping a garden, who sometimes sells some diesel taken from his employer’s house does so with the highest sense of justification. His employer is a rich man, he can afford the loss of 50 litres of diesel every other week.

And really, he knows that his employer knows that no one can really live on just N10,000 a month. His employer knows he is stealing his diesel, but looks the other way.

The mentality is that everyone steals in Nigeria, so the aim is to hire the most considerate of thieves; the one that steals from you with the greatest “show” of modesty and skill, and always pay a salary that takes theft into consideration. The things that are left unsaid in this relationship are the most important. Why doesn’t the employer pay the employee well? The question seems almost too relative. So maybe the employer is also paying his employee’s children’s tuition fees and providing a roof over his head,

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but those things cannot be taken for granted, and for that reason, they give the employer a sense of paternity, and the employee, one of the wayward child.

There is nothing nearing equality in their relationship; also rarely is there a real sense of pride in the employee and in carrying out his work. If the employee’s work were valued highly, then his pay should indicate that value…in an ideal world. Sometimes, the employee’s self esteem is boosted by stealing from his employer. When he comes in the morning, he greets his employer by bowing himself to the floor. He adds “sir” to the end of every sentence, never looks his employer in the eye, and doesn’t speak unless he is spoken to. Sometimes, he endures berating or verbal abuses from his employer, as if he were a child, but if he can steal from him, then he has somehow outwitted him, and this employer is not so smart after all or so elevated.

Nigerians love the rungs of the ladder.

Love the fact that people are compelled to know their place, compelled to earn their place by whatever means to suit the context. The equality of all Nigerians would be a hard sell on any level in Nigeria. If we were all equal, then something very valuable would be lost.

The rungs need to be kept intact so that the top can remain as excruciatingly enjoyable as possible. If anyone can use the same crockery as I use, then my fork becomes completely functional, and I will lose the enjoyment of its curves and its reflection of light, and craftsmanship.

A Nigerian diplomat in the '80s visited a Nigerian monarch’s house in London. The monarch’s wife had recently died, and a delegation had been sent to commiserate with him. The diplomat’s first observation, or confusion on entering the house arose from the pictures on the wall. They were mostly of the revered political leader, Obafemi Awolowo and his wife. The diplomat wondered why a person would

Likewise, I do not buy entirely, the often heard explanation that “poverty” is the underlying cause of successive petrol catastrophes.

This is especially true in cases where villagers are incinerated while trying to fill their containers at ruptured pipelines.

Not every pipeline fire has the same cause. But in most instances, the people who tap into petrol flow-lines are experts, with technical training. They are illicit businessmen. In many instances, they leave the pipe flowing for villagers, in order to keep them quiet. It’s when the villagers rush to the gushing stream of petrol, to take their own, that catastrophe strikes. Let me stress, that not all villagers are poor.

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n the community of Jesse, in Delta State, for instance, where hundreds of people were burned, the person who is believed to have triggered the conflagration was using a motorcycle. The petrol reportedly exploded when he ignorantly kicked off his machine—unaware that a single exhaust spark can ignite hydrocarbon fumes.

When, and if, a thorough investigation of the Ula Okogbe incident is carried out, the explanation might well turn out to be similar. It is very doubtful, that all of the people who were trying to take petrol from the over turned tanker were actually poor.

The argument can be made, of course, that if the affected communities were economically prosperous, people would not have been seeking free petrol. I won’t deny this. But it’s speculative. It’s logical but untested.

What is not in the least

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Avarice + ignorance + indiscipline = Tragedy

The institutions responsible for instilling in the public appreciation of petrol’s highly unstable behaviour and hazardous nature have proved ineffectual

Nigerians love the rungs of the ladder; the equality of all Nigerians would be a hard sell on any level in Nigeria; if we were all equal, then something very valuable would be lost

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adorn the totality of his walls with pictures of another man and his wife. This was odd enough, but then they were showed into a living room in which the monarch was receiving guests, and there at the feet of the monarch, playing with his toes, was a former governor of a South-Western state in Nigeria. It seemed also, to be the most natural thing that these monarch’s toes were being massaged by this man.

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he incongruity of the whole picture was lost in the fact that no one seemed uncomfortable in the room. The man playing with the monarch’s toes had not only been a former state governor, he was a professional man. He was at that time, managing director of a Nigerian newspaper. He sat on the floor in his suit and shoes, and it was the most natural thing in the world. And there were the levels, the deference of the monarch to the man on his walls, and the deference of the man sitting on the floor to the one on the throne. All the progressive Nigerians in that room on that day understood perfectly the political connotations of the setting.

The Nigerian mentality is not so straightforward. If every Nigerian knows his place, and understands when to get on and massage a monarch’s toes, why is it that so many Nigerians scramble for the top? Why are we not more laid back, as we say, like the Ghanaians or

speculative, is that most Nigerians (rich or poor) would stay very clear of a ruptured pipeline or wrecked tanker if they (a) understood the nature of hydrocarbons and (b) had sufficient self-control to resist the urge to take what does not belong to them.

This is where socialisation becomes important. The institutions responsible for instilling in the public appreciation of petrol’s highly unstable behaviour and hazardous nature have, so far, proved ineffectual. The onus devolves largely on our educational system and the communication media.

Parents must also shoulder their share of the blame. How many have cultivated in their children, sufficient discipline to restrain them from rushing to take free petrol? In fact, a large percentage of those killed are themselves parents. In Port Harcourt a few months back I put up a billboard that said: Free food dey run belle, work for your money. That message rings true, especially here. Suffice to say, it was not one of my very popular ones.

Finally, I’m aware that not everyone involved, in such mishaps, are culpable. Quite a number simply happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time—hapless victims of circumstances beyond their control.

I sympathise with all the affected families, irrespective of the circumstances leading to their bereavement. This piece is a tribute to them and a reminder that we all need to preach this message to avoid a rerun.

Cameroonians? Why don’t we let the elites alone and not try to be one of them. Why are there so many Nigerian big men? In the 1980s, the British government was compelled to make up its own list of which Nigerians were truly worthy of diplomatic recognition, and this was necessitated by the fact that they were inundated with calls from Nigeria requesting that Honourable So and So be picked up from the airport and looked after for the duration of his visit. Nigerians were said to have the longest list ever of VIPs. The issue is that in order for the elite in society to truly survive, a large group of people must agree to be otherwise. In Nigeria, there is some serious crowding at the top, and the result is the creation of a nation of posers. In a country where wealth is so ostentatiously paraded, where the poor are doubly demeaned, it perhaps makes sense that everyone wants to be rich in Nigeria, as a guarantee against our scorching kind of disrespect. Everyone needs must have a title of some sort in Nigeria. One's name is either prefixed with one's choice of career such as “Engineer” or “Architect” or by one's religious beliefs; “Elder ” in the church or “JP” for Jerusalem Pilgrim. Married women are compelled to insist on their complimentary cards that they are Mrs. Sombody.

The titles Nigerians adopt border on the ridiculous, and the theatrical; titles like Honourable, Excellency...

The peculiarities do not end there. I once worked at a pre-school as an administrator. Parents were encouraged to send in gifts one day in the year to appreciate their teachers. The parents called a meeting the previous year on doing something special for teachers, like getting them manicures or taking them out to lunch. One parent registered her surprise at the suggestion by saying it was analogous to giving a manicure to her maid!

Continues on Mondayviewpoint pg •Ms. Ogbe, a public affairs analyst, wrote from Lagos.

20 — Vanguard, FRIDAY, AUGUST 3,,2012

By PETER OKUTU, Abakaliki BURU in Ohaozara Local Government Area of Ebonyi State is said to be prone to violence, especially during electioneering campaigns to elect those to pilot the affairs of the local government area or the state as a whole.

However, the incident of last Saturday was not as a result of the clash of political interest involving members of the All Nigeria Peoples Party, ANPP and the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, as was the case in the past, but because of an unresolved land dispute which had lasted only a year.

On the fateful day, a clash between two villages in Uburu, Umunaga Enuagu and Urobo led to the destruction of property worth millions of naira, including motor vehicles, farm produce, among others. Some members of Umunaga village also sustained various degrees of injuries.

Recounting his ordeal, Mr. Ogbodiya Uzor, 86, lamented the way and manner his property and those of his fellow villagers were destroyed by irate youths from Urobo village and called on the state government to assist the people of the area recoup their losses.

Other victims, including Mr. Cyprain Eze, Emmanuel Umahi, Umahi Abba, Joseph Umahi Abba, Ishiah Uzor, Chinelo Agwu, Martin Eze, Benard Eze, Mrs Bridget Uzor and Prince Matthew Nwigwe called on security agents to arrest all those behind the dastardly act. Members of Omunagu village who spoke with Vanguard Metro, VM believed that the masterminds of the attack wanted to create a situation to discredit the Deputy Governor, Dave Umahi, as being unable to maintain peace in his area.

They added that what saved the situation from escalating was the decision of the people not to carry out a reprisal attack against Urobo people who were allegedly behind the mayhem.

VM gathered that the attack on Umunaga Enuegu, Mr Umahi’s village, was intended to spark off an inter-village war which would have led to loss of lives as well as undermine the ambition of the Deputy Governor to run for the Governorship of the state probably in 2015. This possibly explains why Mr Umahi had immediately called for an emergency meeting of the two villages in order to ensure that peace was restored in Uburu community.

At the meeting, he stressed the role of peace in both

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*One of the houses razed during the attack. INSET: Ebonyi State Deputy Governor, Dave Umahi

How over 100 youths invaded Ebonyi Deputy Governor’s village ... destroy buildings, vehicles worth millions of naira ... 18 suspects charged to court human and physical development, adding that the state government was not ready to tolerate any form of violence as such development would impede infrastructural development that would come to them through the policies of government. mahi, who spoke in his dialect, charged both villages to learn to live as one and not to allow themselves to be used as instruments of destruction even as he advised the people to make it a point of duty to always convey their grievances through proper channels in the community and not to take laws into their hands.

Confirming the incident, the state Commissioner for Police, CP Maman Sule affirmed that no one was killed as a result of the incident, adding that one person was injured, while a car and motorcycles were burnt just as some houses were razed down.

According to CP Sule, men and officers of the command had been deployed to the troubled zone to ensure that peace and stability was restored, adding that 18 persons suspected to have masterminded the mayhem had been charged to court. He informed that the suspects were apprehended during the outbreak of violence in the area.

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The attack on Umunaga Enuegu was intended to spark off an inter-village war which would have led to loss of lives as well as undermine the ambition of the Deputy Governor

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ondemning the attack, Sule wondered why youths in the state would allow themselves to be used as instruments of destruction, instead of engaging in worthy ventures that would engender peace and development of the community.

While giving a background on the immediate and remote causes of the ugly episode, the Chief Security Officer of the area and Coordinator of Ohaozara West Development Centre, Mr. Roy Umahi stated that a 36-man Peace and Reconciliatory Committee had been set up with a view to

*A car burnt during the mayhem licence to carry out the excafinding lasting solution to the vation but that there should be land dispute even as he peace and they agreed. But warned politicians in the area the Urobo people later said to desist from using youths to no, that Umunaga people cause mayhem at the slightest should not excavate sharp provocation. sand from there.

According to him: “Consequently, Uburu as a “Sometime last year, the whole called them and said no people of Urobo village came side should go to the river to me and said the people of again or the lands around that Umunaga Enuagu were area which are in dispute. excavating sharp sand from Notwithstanding this fact, the the river and that the river Urobo people went there and belongs to them. So, I pleaded were excavating sharp sand”. with them to keep the peace VM gathered that this action and then I also pleaded with on the disputed land which Umunaga Enuagu to keep the cuts across both villages peace even as they said that culminated in the attack which the river and the land along was said to have been carried that area belong to them. out by Urobo people.

“So, I told them that both However, when VM visited sides should be fetching or Uburu community, calmness excavating sharp sand from and normalcy had returned to the river and I made them to the area as armed men police understand that under the law men were seen patrolling the everything in the river belongs two villages in order to keep to the government and that we the peace. ought to be giving them the

Vanguard, FRIDAY, AUGUST 3, 2012 — 21

NACCIMA group advocates women’s bank in Nigeria

BY NAOMI UZOR ACCIMA Business Women Group (NAWORG), has advocated a solely women’s Bank in Nigeria, due to difficulties experienced by women in accessing loan facilities.

The Chairperson, NAWORG, Iyalode Alaba Lawson, stated this during the Bi-annual national dialogue on intervention funds, on the theme“Experiences of Women Entrepreneurs with regards to accessing the various intervention funds”, adding that It has been seen working in other parts of the world, and she is definitely sure it will work outstandingly well in Nigeria.

“The Nigeria government should make conscious effort at moving women from Macro to Micro entrepreneurs through financial empowerment to enable them move on from the informal sector of the economy to the formal sector and start contributing to the GDP of the Nigeria economy” she said.

According to her, NAFDAC is another hurdle our women have to cross which could be very cumbersome and discouraging.

“We are not saying they shouldn’t do their job rather I am saying they should make entrepreneurship attractive and worth venturing into for Nigeria women. There is also the need to integrate women’s participation in national consultations that relate to economic decision making by ensuring women’s representation during such processes” she stated.

She noted that the continued neglect of the Nigerian women entrepreneurs mean postponing the economic recovery of this country.

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From right: Chike Ogeah, Delta State Commissioner for Information; Anthonia Ashiedu, Poverty Alleviation; Ken Okpara, Economic Planning Commissioner at the at the on-going Nigeria Business and Investments Summit in Dorchester, England.

Nigeria, Egypt sign agreement on products’ standardization

BY NAOMI UZOR RADE and investment relations between Nigeria and Egypt may have received a major boost, following the signing in Cairo, the Egyptian capital, of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the two countries.

Dr. Joseph Odumodu, Director General, Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON) said the agreement is part of efforts by

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SON to combat the importation of substandard products into the country, adding that the MoU seeks the harmonization of standards issued by the parties, as a way of easing trade and checkmating unwholesome products.

While Nigeria was represented at the event by SON, Egypt was represented by two key governmental agencies – General Organization for Export and Import Control (GOEIC), and Egyptian

Vision 20:2020, a mirage unless Nigeria stops importation — NASENI NLESS Nigeria reduces importation, its aspiration to rank among the world’s 20 most developed countries by the year 2020 will be a

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171.50

-2.90

2,397.00

+21.00

22.21

-0.43

106.19 88.75

+1.27 +0.69

CURRENCY BUYING CENTRAL SELLING CFA KRONER EURO POUNDS RIYAL SDR FRANC DOLLAR WAUA YEN RENMINBI

0.2709 25.5992 190.5397 241.9688 41.2916 233.6683 158.5868 154.86 232.8007 1.9808 24.3118

0.2809 25.6819 191.1549 242.7501 41.4249 234.4228 159.0989 155.36 233.5524 1.9872 24.3908

0.2909 25.7645 191.7701 243.5313 41.5582 235.1772 159.6109 155.86 234.304 1.9936 24.4697

CBN Exchange rate as at 02/08/2012 C M Y K

mirage, Dr Mohammed Haruna has said. Haruna, who is the acting DirectorGeneral, National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), sounded the warning in an interview with news men. He said that the world’s leading democracies, as well as the world’s leading economies today achieved such milestone because they were pioneers in Engineering, Science and Technology.

He advised the Federal Government to emulate such countries by taking advantage of the vast opportunities in Science and Technology to solve Nigeria’s socio-political and economic problems. According to Haruna, Nigeria must cease to be a consumer country, if it is to attain its vision 20:2020.

“Nigeria has no option than to invest heavily in Science and Technology. I always say that the government of Nigeria and the private sector in Nigeria are yet to start paying for research and development; are yet to start paying for science and technology. The world leading democracies, the world leading economies are those that are all leaders in Engineering, Science and Technology.

“If Nigeria continues to import all it needs, while it has the potential yet

untapped, we will forever remain a consumer country and the dream we expect to realise by 2020 will remain a mirage,” he said. Haruna said NASENI had the capacity to fabricate machines or spare parts needed in Nigeria using reverse engineering process, adding that there was no need to continue to import the machines.

He called on the government and the private sector to invest in Science and Technology by looking inwards and sponsoring research and development.

He said the private sector in Nigeria needed to be encouraged and to be made to realise the strategic advantage that would be open to it should it participate fully in research and development. He said NASENI was collaborating with various state governments for the establishment of an institute that would engage in machinery development through the fabrication of chemical equipment and spare parts.

“We are working with Rivers State Government to ensure the take-off of chemical equipment and machinery development institute for fabrication of equipment, small tools and components needed in petro-chemical industries.

Organization for Standardization and Quality, (EOS).

Odumodu said that both countries agreed to harmonize quality standards issued by their standards bodies in accordance to international and regional specifications and in a bid to remove technical barriers to trade.

They are also to exchange experts, training, testing as well as standardisation and conformity assessment activities.

Before the singing of the agreement, the delegates have underscored the common desire to facilitate and develop commercial exchanges between them as well as to upgrade mutual technical cooperation in the fields of standardisation and conformity assessment activities.

This is coming at the time that the SON is working doggedly to stem the incidence of substandard products in the country, and the signing of the memorandum of understanding g would help the agency to pursue and achieve its targets.

This is because Egypt is considered a major gateway to the Arab world and enjoys tremendous advantage in the areas of population and boisterous economy.

According to the MoU, each party is expected to recognize conformity assessment certificates issued by the other party, alongside the exchange of information vital to the jobs of products standardisation.

Speaking to journalists after the signing, he expressed the optimism that the MoU has now provided an opportunity to consummate a relationship that would lead to a more mutually beneficial relationship, adding that his agency would start the implementation of the agreement immediately upon return to Nigeria.

22—Vanguard, FRIDAY, AUGUST 3, 2012

Dangote Sugar records N5.7bn profit, 7up’s PAT declines by 50% recorded a profit after tax of N5.728 billion, up from N2.999 billion recorded in similar period in 2011.

The company grew its turnover by 10.31 per cent to N53.608 billion compared to N48.597 billion in half year 2011.

The turnover was eroded by cost of sales standing at 42.5 billion, up from N41.228 billion in similar period in 2011, and Administrative Expenses of N3.029 billion, down

from N3.259 billion recorded in 2011.

Its gross profit stood at N11.109 billion, rising by 50.75 per cent from N7.369 billion in 2011, while it recorded profit before tax of 8.493 billion, up from N4.410 billion recorded in half year 2011.

However, Seven-Up Bottling Company Plc recorded a significant decline in its bottom line for the first quarter ended, June 30, 2012, as its profit

From right: Mr.Femi Mokikan, Executive Director, Human Resources, Seven-Up Bottling Company Plc, Misan Rewane 7Up MBA Harvard Business School scholarship 2011 recipient Olujimi Williams the 2012 recipient and Mr. Norden Thurston, Marketing Department, Seven-Up Bottling Company Plc at a media briefing to announce winners in Lagos.

N1.432 billion recorded in 2011.

Seven-Up incurred cost of sales of N9.817 billion, up from N9.605 recorded in 2011; selling and distribution expenses of N2.962 billion from N2.578 billion recorded in 2011; Administrative Expenses of N1.123 billion, up from N879.477 billion in 2011 and Net finance cost of N598.122 million, from N478.283 million recorded in similar period in 2011.

In his second quarter unaudited results for the period ended, June 30, 2012, presented to the NSE, Paints and Coatings Nigeria Plc recorded a 39.4 per cent improvement in its revenue.

Its revenue stood at N1.252 billion in the period under review, up from revenue of N898.408 million recorded in similar period in 2011.

The company recorded other income of N7.821 million, up by 22.9 per cent from N6.365 million recorded in 2011; gross profit of N473.152 million, rising by 38.6 per cent from N341.395 million in 2011; a pre-tax and aftertax profit of N130.055 million, both rising by 76.9

Vitafoam remits N1.5bn tax in 5yrs

Maple bid for TMX wins shareholder’s approval

… Clocks 50 yrs

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BY MICHAEL EBOH ANGOTE Sugar Refinery Plc recorded significant improvement in its top and bottom line figures for the half year ended, June 30, 2012, as it recorded a 90.99 per cent improvement in its aftertax profit.

Specifically, the company in the report presented to the Nigerian Stock Exchange, NSE,

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I TA F O A M Nigeria Plc, has in the last five years contributed a total of N1.5billion as tax payment to the government.

The Finance Director, Mr. Brabindoh Ogun who gave the figure at a press conference heralding the commemoration of the Golden Jubilee of the company said, “Vitafoam for the past five years has contributed paying tax of more than N1.5 billion. On the average, we pay about N300 million every year that translate in about 1.5billion that we pay into the coffers of the government.”

Ogun said, “In terms of expanding to Ghana, C M Y K

what we do in Ghana is that, we send product from here to Ghana, and there is this element of Foreign Exchange (FX) inflow, rather than FX flying out from this country, we are bringing in FX into the West African sub-region country and this is helping the FX market in Nigeria and I think that is our contribution.”

Earlier, the Chairman Vitafoam, Chief Samuel Bolarinde noted that despite operational challenges and harsh operating environment, varying from unhealthy competition, product adulteration and low entry barrier, policies of succeeding governments which is the worst challenge, the company has been able to turn these challenges into competitive advantages by coming up with

innovative business solutions, when less robust organizations tipped over.

Bolarinwa said “over the years, the company has matured, overcoming numerous challenges while she steadily expands her operations nationwide and built brands that are now household names.

“It is heart-warming to note that what started as a small entity in 1962 is gradually evolving into a conglomerate with the establishment of the following subsidiaries, Vitapur, Vitablom and Vitavisco Nigeria Limited. We have also established our modest presence in two neighboring West Africa countries: Ghana and Sierra Leone. Erecting a modern foaming factory in Sierra Leone was recently boosted

after tax depreciated by 50.1 per cent.

The company recorded profit after tax of N713.869 million, down from N1.432 billion recorded in similar period in 2011.

Despite the decline in it after-tax profit, the company’s turnover grew by 3.1 per cent to N15.424 billion, from N14.963 billion recorded in 2011, while profit before tax dipped by 23.5 per cent to N933.044 million from

when international Finance Corporation (IFC) took an informed decision to partner with us.

“The company can be said to have settled down to serious business when in 1966 she set up a modern factory to produce high quality mattresses, cushions and pillows.”

Responding to why the company has to expand offshore, the Managing Director, Dr. Bamidele Makanjuola said that the company ’s expansion to other countries is a service to the country.

In his words, “ Why will a company leave the United States of America to come and invest in Nigeria when America is so large and the whole place is not covered up, is a sign of maturity.”

HE takeover of Canadian stock market operator TMX Group (X.TO) by a group of financial institutions has been approved by TMX’s shareholders, bringing all of Canada’s main securities exchanges under a single umbrella.

The approval of the C$3.8 billion ($3.8 billion) bid creates a new entity that combines the Toronto Stock Exchange with its main rival, Alpha. It also folds in the Canadian Depository for Securities, which clears and settles all stock trades in Canada.

Maple Group’s C$50-ashare offer secured final regulatory approvals just weeks ago, paving the way for the final goahead. Over 90 percent of TMX’s shares were tendered by shareholders in support of the deal, the companies said late on Tuesday.

“TMX Group is pleased

per cent each from N73.531 million in similar period in 2011.

Paints and Coatings Manufacturing Nigeria Plc recorded cost of sales of N779.051 million, up by 39.9 per cent from N557.013 million in 2011 and administrative expenses of N350.918 million compared to N274.230 million in 2011.

Meanwhile, Japaul Oil and Maritime Plc has recorded a profit after tax of N1.271 billion in its half year financial report for the period ended, June 30, 2012..

In the result presented to the NSE, the company ’s after-tax profit rose by 22.9 per cent from N1.034 billion recorded in 2011.

Japaul’s turnover grew by 17.3 per cent from N5.162 billion recorded in half year 2011 to N6.055 billion in 2012.

It recorded gross profit of N3.720 billion, rising by 22.7 per cent from N3.032 billion recorded in similar period in 2011; other income depreciated by 87.6 per cent to N10.081 million, from N81.062 million in 2011 and profit before tax of N1.495 billion, rising by 8.4 per cent from N1.379 billion in 2011.

with today’s outcome,” said TMX Chief Executive Tom Kloet, who will remain CEO of the combined entity.

TMX agreed to back Maple’s bid last October, after initially rejecting an unsolicited offer that the banks and their partners put together to scupper a friendly deal that was struck earlier with the London Stock Exchange (LSE.L).

Maple touted its proposal as the best way to keep Canadian exchanges out of foreign hands, having unveiled the deal amid a wave of foreign firms launching bids for global rivals in the exchanges sector.

The group, a consortium that includes some of Canada’s top banks, pension funds and insurers, said the level of shareholder support well exceeded the minimum 70 percent approval needed for the takeover to proceed.

Vanguard, FRIDAY, AUGUST 3, 2012 — 23

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24—Vanguard,FRIDAY, AUGUST 3, 2012

CBN leading economy to hard landing—FDC Stories by BABAJIDE KOMOLAFE UBSIDIZING the naira, and keeping a cap on inflation is one thing, strangling growth is another. The CBN is now treading on a tight rope that could lead the economy to a hard landing.”

This is the conclusion of the Financial Derivatives Company Limited in its review of the recent decision of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to further tighten money supply.

The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) of the apex bank at its July 24th meeting increased cash reserve requirement (CRR) of banks by 400 basis points (bpts) per cent from 8.0 per cent. The CRR is the portion of total deposit banks should keep as cash. It also reduced the amount of foreign exchange banks should keep per time (net open position limit, NOP) to 1.0 per cent from 3.0 per cent.

Commenting on these decisions, FDC said, “The impact of a 400bps hike in CRR is expected to significantly affect the lending ability of banks. The amount of cash that banks have to keep with the CBN will increase, thus lowering the volume available for transactions. As a result of this, we expect borrowing costs for individuals and companies to increase by an estimate of 2-5 per cent. According to the CBN’s annual report for 2011, total bank deposits were N6.86trn. Using this figure as a proxy, the initial CRR of 8% led to an estimate of N548.8bn being withdrawn and kept with the CBN; at 12 per cent, N823.2bn will be deducted.

Thus, the 400bps hike will reduce bank deposits available for lending by an estimate of N274.32bn, a quicker way of mopping up liquidity. This could lead to an additional increase in banks” cost of funds by about 100- 150bps. Also, the withdrawal of liquidity is expected to push money market rates higher than their recent levels. “ The reduction in the NOP will result in banks having less forex to trade with. This, we expect will increase the demand pressure at the inter-bank market and a possible widening in the spread between markets.

Notwithstanding, we expect a relatively stable naira in the short term in view of the 200bps reduction in banks’ NOP. “Nigerian Interbank Offer Rates (NIBOR) rose by about 200bps on July 25th in an initial response to the hike in the CRR. The Open Buy Back rate (OBB) rose to 16.08 per cent from 14.92 per cent , while 60-days fund rose to 19.21 per cent from 16.46 per cent.

The naira also strengthened

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across all market segments.

At the interbank market, the naira traded at N158.6 per dollar, the strongest point since May 2012. At the official and parallel market, the naira traded at N155.84 per dollar and N163 per dollar. The amount of forex sold on the 25th declined to $217.07m from $300m at the last Dutch auction. This was as a result of many banks bidding with their new NOP limit and pumping

more dollars into the system (providing support for the naira).

“After the initial buzz of the CBN’s move, money market rates have stabilized back to their normal trend, averaging 16 per cent as at July 31th.

The naira also weakened against the dollar at the interbank market to trade at N160.7 per dollar, erasing the gains made as a result of the CBN’s decision. The naira remained flat at the official and

parallel market. The initial gain was short-lived as endusers rushed to take advantage of the lower currency price and this increased the demand pressure on the dollar.

“Subsidizing the naira, and keeping a cap on inflation is one thing, strangling growth is another. The CBN is now treading on a tight rope that could lead the economy to a hard landing.”

From left: Mr. Tunde Dabiri, Director CMC Connect; Mr. Akin Opeodu, Chairman, Board Of Director, CMC Connect and Mr. Yomi Badejo-Okusanya MD/CEO, CMC Connect, at the company’s 15th Annual General Meeting in Lagos. Photo by Kehinde Gbadamosi

Cashless Policy: CBN to reconsider January date for national roll-out T

HE Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) is to reconsider the January 1st date for the national roll-out of the cashless policy.

Deputy Governor, Operations, CBN, Mr. Tunde Lemo disclosed this in Lagos while fielding questions from journalists at the workshop on Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCIDSS) and the Cashless Policy.

The cashless policy was introduced April last year with the objective of promoting use of electronic payment channels instead of cash for payment. Presently, the CBN is conducting a pilot scheme of the cashless policy in Lagos, which commenced in January 1st.

The national roll-out of the scheme, which was earlier scheduled for June this year was shifted to January 1st 2013.

Responding to a question on the possibility of shifting the January 1st date, Lemo said, “We are looking at all options.”

“What we want to do is to ensure that we perfect everything we have to do in Lagos.

I want make any policy statement on that because the decision has not been taken, but if need be, why not. What we want to do is, you see Lagos is miniature Nigeria,

that is where you have high value transactions and we want to clear all the challenges in Lagos, so that when we roll-out, we would have then have perfected the act and it would be very easy for the roll-out.”

He said that while the CBN and the banks have recorded some achievement in the implementation of the policy, telecommunication is still a major challenge with respect to the operations of Point of Sale (PoS).

He said, “We have over 185 PoS terminals in deployment, not all of them are active yet but we are working with the Nigeria Interbank Settlement System (NIBSS) to improve the activity quotient of these PoS machines from around 20 per cent that we have now to 100 per cent.

“The biggest challenge is connectivity and that we are also working on together with telcos to ensure that were we have PoS terminals deployed, there is communication and we would get over that very soon.

The licensing of Payment Terminal Service Providers (PTSP) is also helping. We have licensed six of them and many more will be licensed as we do a countrywide rollout of the Cashless Nigeria.”

B-R-I-E-F IMF pledges to stand by Greece

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HE head of the International Monetary Fund on Wednesday vowed the global lender will stand by troubled Greece and said uncertainty over the future of the euro zone was clouding the outlook for the embattled Spanish economy.

IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde told reporters the decline in global economic confidence was being fueled by weak economic data coming out of many countries and investors reacting to that.

Uncertainty over the euro zone debt crisis and a looming “fiscal cliff ” in the United States, which raised “serious questions” about the U.S. economy, were predominantly weighing on confidence, the former French finance minister said.

Speaking ahead of a critical meeting of the European Central Bank held yesterday, Lagarde signaled that the IMF believes the central bank should cut rates. If European leaders followed through on commitments made at a June summit to tackle the crisis “there are reasons to hope the situation will improve,” she added. Concerns over indebted Greece and recessionhit Spain were also weighing on market confidence, Lagarde said.

IMF inspectors are currently in Athens as part of a “troika” of international lenders, including the European Commission and European Central Bank, looking at ways to help the country back on its feet and keep it out of bankruptcy.

But with the IMF-EU program in Greece way off track and European officials already saying that the country will need further debt restructuring, questions are arising over whether the IMF’s membership will press it to change course on Greece.

“The IMF never leaves the negotiating table,” Lagarde insisted during the roundtable interview with reporters at the IMF headquarters. “We are in Greece at the moment ... and we are engaged in dialogue with the Greek authorities.”

Lagarde acknowledged, however, that Greece could do more to fix its economy, including collecting more taxes from wealthy Greeks to boost government revenues and implementing reforms to make the economy more competitive.

The IMF has recently come under attack from private economists over its handling of the euro zone crisis. They question whether the IMF can remain truly independent and give candid advice while working as part of a ‘troika” in countries like Greece, Ireland and Portugal.

Vanguard, FRIDAY, AUGUST 3, 2012 — 25

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26 — Vanguard, FRIDAY, AUGUST 3, 2012

Agriculture is business — ADESINA

BY DANIEL GUMM

S the Nigeria Export Promotion Council (NEPC) has began a new export development project that would help Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in the country, Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina has said that “agriculture is a business and we must treat it as such.”

Adesina said: “I don’t want to be minister over poor farmers, I am ready to give it all it takes to transform the agriculture sector for the good of our people and nation, therefore let us join hands and make agriculture successful and profitable in Nigeria by eating what we produce and support what we grow.”

“As a step forward I have included cashew as one of the National Transformational crop and as Minister of Agriculture, I will support and build the cashew value chain and by so doing, create employment and empower our people.”

Nigeria produces 120,000 tons of cashew

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CASHEW TRANSFORMATION — Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina (middle), displaying value-added Nigerian cashew, with him are Tola Faseru, National President, National Cashew Association of Nigeria (NCAN) (left), and Anga Sotonye, National Public Relations Officer, NCAN, at the Nigerian Cashew Industry Transformation meeting in Lagos

‘Port concession can create wealth’ HE National Council of Managing Directors of Licensed Customs Agents (NCMDLCA) has written President Goodluck Jonathan on the desirability of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) to build confidence, grow wealth and create employment in the present port system through proper organisation of port operations and legislative framework.

In a letter to the President, titled: “Creation of wealth and employment by building confidence in Nigerian port system through the adoption of Ghana model of port privatisation,” NCMDLCA told the Presidency that “seven years into the concession of the ports, we as stakeholders, who intervene and serve in various Presidential and and inter-ministerial committees of government, the recent being the ReConstituted Presidential Committee on Customs

T

Reform (RPTCR) is faced with management, operational and administrative problem in the present port concession.

National President of NCMDLCA, Mr. Lucky Amiwero, who served as the Chairman of Draft Committee on Task Force for the Review of Port Charges in 2001 and Head of Delegation to Ghana in 2001, said his delegation to Ghana was moved by the patriotism to visit Ghana this year, so as to compare note with the port concession and other matters in Ghana and Nigeria.

H

e explained that the visit to Ghana showed critical aspect of confidence building, employment generation and wealth creation in the Ghanaian port privatisation programme.

The NCMDLCA boss said Ghana port modernisation, according Amiwero, was built on the concept of Meridian Port services

(MPS) — a joint venture betwwen Ghana Port and Harbour Authority (GPHA)APMT/Maersk, and Bollore DTI group with a shareholding of 30 per cent for the government of Ghana and 70 per cent for Meridian Port holding Limited.

By this arrangement, GPHA is still invoved in 25 per cent port operation, which includes multipurpose approach, bulk, bags, containers, RORO, liquid bulk and dried bulk and still controls 25 per cent of stevedoring services.

Amiwero recommended that the Nigerian port programme should be looked into especially, now that a proper legal framework is yet to be put in place to accommodate the area of deficiency as it affects confidence building, wealth creation, and employment generation in line with section 7 (c) of No. 38 of Nigerian Ports Authority Act of 1999.

RSPO trademark licensed in 13 countries in 1 yr HE Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), the multi-stakeholder initiative that aims to promote the growth and use of sustainable palm oil, introduced its Trademark to the market a year ago. To date, 61 RSPO Trademark licences across 13 countries have been issued.

RSPO certification at the plantation level and the Trademark on the end product completes the loop from upstream to downstream within the supply chain and will reflect that sustainable oil palm cultivation does not contribute to the sustained destruction of valuable tropical forests or damage the interests of people in the regions, where the palms are grown.

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C M Y K

Producers of household products such as margarine, cookies, chocolate, soap and cosmetics are able to clearly show their commitment to sustainable palm oil through the use of this Trademark.

Palm oil is gaining increasing importance in the global economy because of its high yield and versatile application in a range of products from food to personal care to biofuels.

RSPO members are conscious that growing global demand creates risks for the protection of natural habitats and local communities in producing countries. For this reason they are actively engaged in increasing the sustainability of palm oil produc-

tion worldwide. The RSPO Trademark brings greater visibility to the efforts of the RSPO supply chain members in consumer markets.

The commitment to sustainable palm oil from growers is showcased by New Britain Oils Ltd (NBOL) which has recently launched its first certified sustainable frying oil ‘New Britain Finest’ for the foodservice industry carrying the RSPO Trademark.

Andy Worrall, General Manager for NBOL said: “Our recent UK expansion into packed products for the foodservice and bakery sectors is part of our ongoing commitment to making sustainable palm based products the affordable and natural choice for everyone in the market.”

nuts and 95 per cent of the annual production is exported as raw products.

This situation has rendered the cashew industry, which provides over 600,000 jobs to be vulnerable, impoverished and easily exploited by various countries that buy raw cashew nuts from Nigeria.

The way forward for Nigeria is to concentrate its resources on establishing cashew processing centres that will process and add value to our cashew. This way, Nigeria will create jobs, empower the people and protect our market.

Processed cashew nuts Today in the supermarkets, you find various brands of processed cashew nuts which are bought

by Nigerians even though they are very expensive. If we can look inwards, there is a huge local market for processed cashew nut in Nigeria that is largely untapped. The simple question begging for answer is, why do we import processed cashew nuts?

In line with the Federal Government transformation agenda, it is well placed to change the game plan and reposition the Nigerian cashew industry by deliberately supporting and encouraging the cashew value chain as the sector has the capacity to create over a million jobs and earn foreign exchange for the nation because cashew is one crop for which Nigeria has comparative advantage across the value chain.

Apart from empolyment generation, cashew also has some health benefits, which are as follow: Cashews are high in calories.

100 g of nuts provide 553 calories. They are packed with soluble dietary fiber, vitamins, minerals and numerous health-promoting phyto-chemicals that help protect from diseases and cancers; cashew nuts are rich in “heart-friendly” monounsaturated fatty acids like oleic and palmitoleic acids that help to lower bad LDL cholesterol and increase good HDL cholesterol.

DECORATION — From left: Compt. Dan Ugo, CAC FOU ‘A’ alongside DC Ahmed, I (DC Admin) decorating the AC CHANA, D.I

Customs decorates 69 newly-promoted officers N continuation of its trade facilitation efforts and to encourage hard working officers in that direction, the Controller Federal Operations Unit Zone ‘A’ Ikeja Lagos, Compt. Dan Ugo, Wednesday, decorated some newly-promoted officers in the unit.

The ceremony which attracted officers from other agencies such as the Nigerian Navy and family members of promoted officers took place at the conference hall of the unit.

The Controller in his comments admonished the officers to “reciprocate the gesture of the CGC, Alhaji

I

Abdullahi Dikko Inde, CFR and his management team by justifying the confidence reposed in them.”

The CAC reminded them that promotion is intended to motivate officers as he praised the present management for their track records in staff motivation and remuneration and welfare.

The CAC reminded the officers that “to whom much is given, much is expected,” even as he enjoined them to work towards ensuring the actualisation of the mission and vision of the CGC and his management team in terms of suppression of smug-

gling, generation of duty, facilitation of legitimate trade, and internal security among others.

Prominent among the promoted officers are: a.

A/C TAMBARI, J.N — S. A. to CAC b.

A/C OLOMU, B.O c.

A/C GIDADO, M.M d.

A/C CHANA, D.I e.

CSC’s NNODUM, J.J; ABDULLAHI, D.M.K; ABDULLAHI, R.F and others.

However, a total of about 69 officers and men were promoted from F.O.U ‘A’ and were decorated accordingly.

Vanguard, FRIDAY, AUGUST 3, 2012—27

is provided by Richard Rose in stating that ‘policy making reflects the combined activity of both politicians and higher civil servants: both of them have their hands on the tiller of the ship of the state. But they approach problems of governing from different perspectives - partisan or bureaucratic. …

Notwithstanding their differences, they are jointly implicated in government. In democratic systems of government, elected office holders can claim the legitimate authority to give directive to government. But higher civil servants may have the technical knowledge of government programmes necessary for effective policy making ‘.

Relationship between higher civil servants and their political masters (3)

BY AMA PEPPLE Continues from yesterday

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ERMANENT Secretaries (i) Permanent Secretaries are the administrative heads of their Ministries and are responsible to the Minister for the execution of approved policy and for the efficiency of staff; (ii)They serve as the final advisers to their Ministers; (iii)Permanent Secretaries must ensure that the Minister is kept promptly and fully informed of developments in all subjects in the Minister’s portfolio, including ensuring that the financial implication of any matter coming before the Minister has been thoroughly examined before it is submitted to the Minister and where appropriate, the advice of law officers or of other interested Ministers is made available to the Minister; (iv) The Permanent Secretary, aided by professional advice where necessary, is responsible for co-ordinating the work of all departments in the Ministry; (v) The Permanent Secretary is the accounting officer and is, therefore, responsible for the preparation of estimates for the control of expenditure, bringing to account all funds allocated to the Ministry and for the proper discharge of such additional financial responsibilities as may from time to time be delegated to the Ministry. ‘ Further details of the role of accounting officers are specified in the Financial Regulations as

AMA PEPPLE follows: (i) Ensuring that proper budgetary and accounting systems are established and maintained to enhance internal control ,accountability and transparency; (ii) Rendering monthly and other financial accounting returns

and transcripts to the AccountantGeneral of the Federation as required by Financial regulations; (iii) Ensuring the safety and maintenance of all government assets under his/her care; (iv) Ensuring personal appearance before the Public Accounts Committee to answer audit queries to Ministry/extraministerial department or agency; (v) Ensuring accurate collection and accounting for all public moneys received and expended; (vi) Ensuring prudence in the expenditure of public funds; (vii) Ensuring proper assessments, fees, rates and charges are made where necessary; (viii) Ensuring internal guides, rules, regulations, procedures are adequately provided for the security and effective check on assessment ,collection and accounting for revenue;

Report and investigation (ix) Ensuring that any losses of revenue are promptly reported and investigated; (x) Ensuring that all revenue collected are compared with the budgeted estimates with a view to highlighting the variances, positive or otherwise and the reasons for them; (xi) Ensuring that any revenue collected are not spent, but remitted to the appropriate authorities promptly.

Heads of Departments They are responsible to the Minister through the Permanent Secretary for the efficiency of their Departments and for the execution of a p p r o v e d Government policy.

They, however, have a right to state their views to the Minister whenever they have a disagreement with the Permanent Secretary on matters of a professional or technical nature.

The above guidelines have been provided to maintain checks and balances in the way the system is run so that key functionaries of government do not take advantage of the opportunity of serving in public offices to further their self-interest at the expense of the collective good. The additional provisions for regulating public conduct include public service rules and

Unnecessary conflicts

Prof. Adamolekun

regulations, code of conduct for public officers, laws of the Federation, executive orders and directives, as well as public information of a general nature, usually conveyed in circulars and other forms of notices.

Identifying Possible Causes of Friction Navigating through the complex network of relations within the governance architecture by the abovementioned actors in the discharge of their duties without recording any possible strains in the relationships is indeed a tall order.

The following areas are instructive: (i) Observing the concept of neutrality; (ii) Appreciating the advisory role of civil servants in policy making; (iii) Depoliticising the appointment/recruitment to the civil services; and (iv) Handling issues of frequent transfers and postings of civil servants as well as cabinet changes.

Concept of neutrality One of the cherished traditions of the Civil service in the Commonwealth is its neutrality and apolitical nature. This helps to engender confidence in the institution as a unifying force especially in a country of such huge diversity as Nigeria. In this connection, Civil servants are expected to serve the duly constituted Government of the day no matter its complexion. It is by doing so that they can win and retain the confidence of Ministers and other functionaries of Government. However, frictions may occur when Ministers attempt to drag higher public servants into the murky water of politics by coercing them to pursue narrow partisan interests which

Where this logic is not appreciated by the political masters and higher civil servants, including permanent secretaries, this may lead to unnecessary may not be in the national conflicts. interest. Conflicts may arise if the Nonetheless, it is still the public servant chooses to resist responsibility of the higher civil the pressure by acting servant to provide leadership in professionally. In the same vein, the implementation of public a civil servant may also choose to policies whether or not he or she explore the privilege of access to agrees with it. It is also the his/her political responsibility of the master to seek for public service to think unmerited gains or through the entire favours such as policy making process appointment to a and create the Frictions strategic position in scenarios for possible the Service which is may occur alternative course of contrary to ethical when actions through behaviour in the evidence-based Ministers Public Service. research and factual attempt to analysis.

The Source of unfortunate trend drag higher that in spite of severalis conflict public years of reforms, the This may also serve servants civil service is still as a source of conflict largely processespecially when the into the driven rather than political master murky outcomes-minded. chooses to act Accordingly, it is still responsibly and water of largely pre-occupied ethically by refusing politics by with administrative to bow to these routines and coercing pressures. processes thus Advisory role of them to effectively limiting its civil servants capacity to contribute pursue The popular and optimally to the traditional conception narrow shaping of public is that political partisan policy. The inability of masters are higher civil servants, responsible for policy interests and by extension the formulation while which may public service, to civil servants are e f f e c t i v e l y consigned to the role not be in the complement the of implementation. national political leadership in However, unless civil the execution of public servants are provided interest policy is a source of the opportunity to irritation to Ministers assist their political who are driven by the masters in the urge to achieve formulation of policy, the results faster.

Appointments in the Civil implementation of such policy Service may be encumbered. This is In spite of the often repeated informed by the consideration that policy formulation is a complex claims that appointment into the process which requires the input, civil service is merit-driven, buy in and support of all critical available evidence clearly points stakeholders for it to achieve its to the contrary. intended outcomes. A balanced To be concluded perspective in respect of this role

28—Vanguard, FRIDAY, AUGUST 3, 2012

important that the traditional recipes thrive. In a nut shell they are the best, with lots of reasons- the oils are natural, there are no chemical additives, I just love the food, it is very nutritious and very health.

Most countries are losing that identity but I respect West Africa as this keeps being passed to generations to

come, I sometimes wonder how old the recipes are.

On what he eats eat at home Am a simple eater apart from my grilled meat culture at home I love plain stews ‘with mostly white meat. As it’s known home food is always great. I miss chapattis sometime as I can rarely get them here they are thin flat bread very common in East Africa.

‘Osogbo festival has benefited us’

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Alex Mwaura

I love plain stews with mostly white meat —Mwaura

M

r. Alex Mwaura , the Executive Chef of Souther Sun hotels, Lagos, is a Kenyan national with over 23 years experience in the hospitality industry as a chef. Trained as an apprentice with block hotels Kenya and in the famous Kenya Utalii College in Kenya.

Alex, who joined Southern Sun Hotels and Resorts 9years ago in Rwanda , has been an executive chef for the last 15 years in various countries like Kenya, Rwanda, Dubai and now in Nigeria.

For Chef Mwaura, there is nothing greater than seeing new trainees turn into professionals under his wings. This experience for him leaves a legacy to be treasured always, for example training others who give out their best like what exists in Southern Sun Ikoyi Lagos.

In this chat with JIMOH BABATUNDE, he shares his experience as a chef. Here is an excerpt.

If he cooked growing up Started getting interest after high school as some of my friends were in hospitality industry On what made him decide to become Professional Cook Hospitality is big career in Kenya and quite a prestige as well as well paying, with a variety of offer to upcoming C M Y K

hotelier and this drove me on as I already liked the profession On how he w a s trained and what was it like I did ap- Francis Kaberere, Financial Controller Southp r e n t i c e ern Sun Ikoyi Hotel; Thobi Duma, Country Manbefore col- ager-Nigeria, South Africa Airways; Mark lege and it Loxley, General Manager, Southern Sun Ikoyi was fun Hotel and Mojisola Akpata, Deputy Head of t h o u g h Public Policy, Diageo Africa at the Southern Sun tough with Ikoyi Hotel VIP Cocktail. long hours on duty. When other people linary art for you to climb to are enjoying then you are the top very busy.

On his favourite gadget The training was tough, Paring knife – there is so needs patience and personal much you can do with it like drive, without the passion it turning food to flowers was easy to fall out.

On the funniest kitchen inciIf he will you do it again dent Oh yes, given another When a trainee was adding chance I would still get back gelatin thinking its sugar to the kitchen when making a cake result – On best cooking tip for a a cake as hard as a building novice brick Simplicity is a winner in food On his favourite food to cook industry you get all the with flavours and presentation is Coriander is one of the herb easy that I rarely do without On advice to offer a young On the importance food culperson interested in getting ture to Africans today and into the culinary industry if they still hand down tradiIt’s a tough field only before tional recipes to the younger training once you train things generations get in place and the job is well Food is a way of live and very paying. My advice is you much part of us, it is very must have the passion for cu-

s organisers of the annual Osun Osogbo festival are working round the clock to deliver a memorable festival this year, the Ajaguna of Osogboland, Gabriel Oparanti, said the festival has continued to benefit the ancient town and its people.

Speaking during a corporate forum held to herald the festival in Lagos recently, Oparanti explained that the festival has continued to attract attention to Osogbo land over the years.

He said the people of the town are looking forward to August 13, 2012, when the Osun festival will commence with the traditional cleansing of the town with joy.

Also speaking at the event, Ayo Olumoko, managing director, Infogem Nigeria Limited, marketer of the festival, said efforts being made to establish the festival on the global tourism map are yielding fruits, with a heavy delegation expected from Osun devotees, African Diaspora, culture enthusiasts, and tourists across the world.

More visitors are expected this year, following the visit to the country in May last year for a cultural exchange programme, from Brazil among others.

Olumoko also said that a six-year programme of events with specific dates had been developed as part of the efforts to sell the festival to the international community, stressing that foreign tourists needed longer time to prepare for the event.

However, tourists and fun seekers at this year ’s edition are in for a month of fun as Star Lager Beer prepares to host them at the Osun Osogbo Star Beer Village.

The month-long event, which will be held alongside the Star sponsored Osun Osogbo Festival, will see consumers of the brand enjoying performances from various musical artistes as well as winning prizes, courtesy of Star beer.

Omotunde Adenusi, brand manager, Star, Nigerian Breweries plc, stated that this year’s edition of Beer Village is a special one for Star, given that the beer brand was recently repackaged.

“As part of its growing process, Star’s label was recently redesigned and the accompanying ceremony was elaborate. This year’s edition of the Star Village is going to be special because consumers are going to enjoy the new look Star at this very unique festival,” he said.

Experience Cross River ’ll make the state accessible, tourist haven ——Nkereuwem He said that campaign now

BY JOHNBOSCO AGBAKWURU

E

xperience Cross Riv er’ online travel and event portal initiated by the private sector in state will create accessibility to the state by providing quality and affordable services for tourists and visitors.

This was the position of the Chairman/Chief Executive of Remlords Group, Pastor Nkereuwem Onung at the formal unveiling of the product in Calabar during the week.

presents Cross river State, which he described as one of the Africa best destination, an opportunity to reach more people in the world.

According to him, “Most Nigerians now make their bookings online. With about two million blackberry smart phones in Nigeria, it is believed that 50% of all travellers use the smart phone for easy and convenient bookings and enquires. w w w. e x p e r i e n c e c r o s s river.com is the latest product to make Cross river State accessible.

Vanguard, FRIDAY, AUGUST 3 , 2012—29

OLYMPIC BLUES: Nollywood Stars, Justus Esiri, Segun Arinze robbed in London N

OLLYWOOD veteran actor and father of Dr. Sid, one of Nigeria’s popular pop musicians, Justus Esiri and former President of the Actors Guild of Nigeria, Segun Arinze, got more than they bargained when they were robbed of their belongings in a London hotel.

The gifted actors who are in the United Kingdom as part of a performing crew of Wole Soyinka’s Play, The Lion and the Jewel, checked into the hotel called Travel lodge on their arrival in London.

Travelling documents According to Mr. Arinze who spoke to WG over the phone, “the hotel usually has three keys to a room; one is given to the guest on checking in, a second copy is held by the hotel manager while the third copy is given to the female Polish cleaner who cleans the apartment”.

But on the day in question, while they were out on rehearsal, they returned to their hotel only to realise that their belongings have been tampered with.

While Segun lost his Ipad, Justus Esiri was the worst hit.

He lost his international passport with various visas in it, all his travelling documents, laptop, monies and several other valuables.

When he spoke with CKN Nigeria at Stratford yesterday, the veteran actor said he is practically stranded in Queens land.

When asked what has been done to recover his properties, he said the police were called in.They had a forensic search of the place but

so far no arrest has been made.

He said the most annoying part of the whole drama is the fact that the hotel had no CCTV CAMERA to capture the robbery.

In the meantime, the Nigeria mission in UK has issued Justus Esiri a new passport on self-recognition ,being a National Honour Awardee. He has the ORDER OF THE NIGER. The cast are expected to come back to Nigeria on Monday after a one month performing tour.

Other members of the crew includes, Olu and Joke Jacob, Keppy Ekpeyong, Bimbo Akintola etc.

The play is being staged at Nigeria House, Royal Theatre, Stratford, London

Julius Agwu takes Crack Ya Ribs to America P

•Julius Agwu

OPULAR Nigerian stand-up comedian, Julius ‘D Genius’ Agwu will be performing live alongside other Nigerian ace comedians in New York, Glasgow and London as he takes the popular comedy brand from his stable to these three cities. The concert will feature grand performances from both Nigerian and Ghanaian artistes The Crack Ya Ribs brand from the stable of ReelLaif entertainment headed by Julius Agwu, producers of Life for Christ’s sake and Comedy train started in 1994 and has gained popularity in Nigeria and London for over a decade.

The comedian and his team who have been hosting the Crack Ya Ribs Comedy Show annually in London decided to take the show to other cities. And for the first time, the show will hold in New York and Glasgow.

The London show will hold on 26 August, 2012 at the Light House Hall, 262-274 Camberwell Road, SE5 ODL, which happens to be the same venue where Laff for Christ’s

sake show held in April 2012. Artistes and comedians billed to perform at the London show include MI, D’Prince, Seyi Law, Dj Abass, FunnyBone, Senator, MC Shakara and Funny Face from Ghana. Top Ghanaian acts like VIP, Guru and Khaki will also be performing at the event.

In a similar vein, the New York and Glasgow shows will hold on 1 September, 2012 at the Simphony Space Theater,2537 Broadway, NY 10025 and 24 August,2012 at O2 ABC 2 Glasgow respectively.

Speaking on this year’s event, Julius said ‘this year will mark 12 years of Crack Ya Ribs and we needed to repackage it to inject some fresh ideas to keep the brand going. We are now trying to make it bigger by turning it to a Pan-African event. So we are doing this edition with Media Ghana and Empire Entertainment from Ghana. They are the organizers of Ghana Meets Naija music concert in Ghana and they are my Ghana partners for this year ’s concert’.

INSIDE

Fragrance bags Delta soap deal C M Y K

Glitter in gold

The remote control revolution

30—Vanguard, FRIDAY, AUGUST 3, 2012

Wole Soyinka’s play excels in London

I

t was a an overwhelming stage,the crowd was massive and overwhelming.The actors were at their best and the atmosphere,that of a royal paradise.

All these words describes the staging of Africa’s first Noble laureate’s play by Professor Wole Soyinka (The Lion and the Jewel) at Ni-

Olympic torch drama:

geria House,Royal theatre ,Stratford London on July 31st 2012. The event with a hundred percent Nigerian cast started with an evening with Wole Soyinka,a question and answer session where he spoke on variety of issues about his works,the literary world and political events in Nigeria.

How Naija celebrities fooled Nigerians gerian celeb

OME weeks back, someNi carry rities said they went to London to luexc can we the olympic flame..Well, mOly don Lon the at sively report that our check t tha us to ed firm con tee mit pics organizing com not was event nothing of such happened. The ra show was dab aca abr e r.Th nde cale in the LOC y that has pan com organized by one private when next So, ics. mp Oly nothing to do with the themselves as you see these stars parading firmed that con such, tell them we have since torch. ic mp Oly l theirs was not the origina

Movie of the week

Synopsis

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arty, Gloria and Melman are still fighting to get home to their beloved Big Apple. Their journey takes them through Europe, where they find the perfect cover: a traveling circus, which they reinvent - Madagascar style.

Rating/scary rating: 2.5

e •Violenc ontent rating: 1.5 c la u x e 1.5 •S y rating: •Profanit ohol rating: 1.5 lc •Drugs/a ime rating: 2.

T •Family d family film. oo g ry e v A

S

Movie Schedule •Soyinka stage play

Super story comes with thunder

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ce Nigerian production house, Wale Adenuga Productions presents a Superstory classic titled: Invitation To Thunder.

‘I nvitation to thunder ’ is the popular Superstory title that portrayed the life of a wealthy businesswoman Susan, whose spirit was crushed when she suspected that her younger lover Henry was having an affair with one of the top attendants in her supermarket. She devised a plan to get rid of Sonia but something went horribly wrong.

Written by the astute Lamson Yesuf, Invitation to thunder reflects the extremities of jealousy, envy and vengeance.

According to Wale Adenuga Jnr, “Invitation to thunder is being transmitted due to popular demand by fans. Superstory remains a mirror to reflect and correct the ills of the society” Invitation to Thunder, features stars such as Chinyere Winifred, Jibola Oredola, Perez Egbi and others.

Wale Adenuga Productions Ltd has several award-wining programmes including Papa Ajasco and Company, Thislife and Nnena & Friends.

Fragrance bags Delta soap deal

August 3rd - 5th, 2012 SILVERBIRD CINEMAS, LAGOS Osanja: 1:40pm, 6:20pm.

Mirror Mirror: 11:30am, 4:00pm, 6:30pm.

Snow white and the Huntsman:1:30pm, 8:10pm, 10:30pm.

Madagascar 3:11:30am, 3:40pm.

Cocktail: 7:50pm.

SILVERBIRD CINEMAS, SEC, ABUJA Osanja: 11:50am, 4:50pm, 9:30pm.

Mirror Mirror: 12:10pm, 2:20pm, 4:40pm, 6:50pm, 9:00pm.

Missing Link: 2:40pm, 6:20pm.

Snow white and the Huntsman:11:10am, 1:40pm, 4:10pm, 6:40pm, 9:10pm.

Amazing Spiderman: 12:40pm, 3:20pm, 6:00pm, 8:40pm. j SILVERBIRD CINEMAS, CEDDI PLAZA, ABUJA Amazing Spiderman: 11:00am, 1:35pm, 4:10pm, 6:45pm, 9:20pm.

Hunger Games: 1:30pm, 6:00pm.

SILVERBIRD CINEMAS, PORT HARCOURT Osanja:3:50pm, 8:10pm.

Snow white and the Huntsman: 12:30pm, 3:10pm, 6:00pm, 8:50pm.

Madagascar 3:11:40am, 1:40pm, 3:40pm, 5:50pm, 8:00pm.

Amazing Spiderman: 11:50am, 2:50pm, 5:40pm, 8:30pm.

Think like a Man: 1:30pm, 4:00pm, 6:30pm, 9:00pm.

BY OPEOLUWANI OGUNJIMI

SILVERBIRD CINEMAS, UYO Missing Link: 4:15pm, 6:45pm.

Amazing Spiderman: 1:25pm, 4:00pm, 6:40pm.

Men in Black 3:11:45am, 2:00pm, 4:25pm, 6:55pm.

P

opular R & B singer who also hails from Warri, Nigeria, has hit a goldmine as she’s now one of the faces to feature on Delta soap calendar.

Fragrance confirmed this to WG in an interview, where she revealed that the deal was sealed sometimes last month.

She however explained that although the contract has been signed, it’ll take off next year.

Commenting on her singing career, she says at the moment, she’s in the studio recording.

According to her, she’ll be rolling out two unnamed tracks, produced by BJ productions next months.

Again, the singer who celebrated her birthday on July 29, revealed why she celebrated it with children instead of adults, saying “although my friends were angry at the decision to leave them out of the fun, it’s my decision to celebrate with the kids’.

“I celebrated my birthday with the kids at my place in order to make them feel at home with me. I had to dress like a girl- Wore a crown and a pink dress. I had a lot of balloons and teddy bears around. It was fun. I really miss my childhood days. We all miss something sometimes. It was an attempt to recapture some of the fond memories of my childhood days.

And guess what, the children loved it.”

C M Y K

OZONE CINEMA, YABA Snow white and the Huntsman:12:10pm.

Madagascar 3:10:15am.

Amazing Spiderman: 3:20pm, 5:50pm.

Think like a Man: 8:30pm.

GENESIS DELUXE CINEMAS, LEKKI Mirror Mirror: 10:20am, 3:05pm, 7:00pm, 9:15pm.

Snow white and the Huntsman:12:50pm, 3:25pm, 6:00pm, 8:35pm.

Amazing Spiderman 3D:12:45pm, 4:45pm, 7:45pm, 10:30pm.

Think like a Man:12:35pm, 5:20pm, 7:50pm, 10:20pm.

GENESIS DELUXE CINEMAS, PORT HARCOURT Snow white and the Huntsman: 9:50am, 4:35pm, 7:05pm, 9:35pm, Amazing Spiderman:11:40am, 6:05pm, 8:40pm, 9:25pm.

Think like a Man: 2:10pm, 10:20pm.

GENESIS DELUXE CINEMAS, ENUGU Amazing Spiderman: 10:00am, 12:40pm, 3:20pm, 5:55pm, 8:30pm.

Think like a Man: 12:35pm, 7:00pm, 9:00pm.

•Fragrance

VANGUARD, FRIDAY, AUGUST 3, 2012—31

Davido, Naeto C steal show @ Amstel showtime concert I

T was fun all the way as Benin the ancient city of Edo state, hosted the Amstel Malta Showtime concert.

It was indeed an explosive affair as the duo of Naeto C and Davido thrilled the Benin audience to a non stop excitement. Apart from the top range artistes lined up for the night, the event also had ace comedian Buchi thrilling the audience with hilarious jokes while ace dance group, Corpoate Dancers completed the outings. It was a night of fulfillment for the people of Edo state who held vigil for weeks in anticipation of the show. For students of tertiary institutions within and outside the state, it was an event to look forward to.

Last year, when the activation conceived for students in

tertiary institution kicked off, Benin was not amongst the cities where the events were held. This year’s edition saw the ancient city hosting the second leg of the event after the Port Harcourt leg earlier in June.

The students, made up mainly of students of University of Benin, Ambrose Ali University, and Federal Polytechnic Auchi as well as students from other tertiary institutions outside the state invaded the red carpet.

Expectation was high as the crowd eagerly looked forward to the performance of Davido and Naeto C, Buchi and others.

But the students had to tarry awhile for their favourite stars as the event kicked off with the talent hunt competition.

The talent hunt competition, which featured singing, danc-

ing and comedy competitions, saw the three winners emerging from the University of Benin.

Victor Chidi Ebere a. k. a Vichy emerged winner in the singing category petite dancer Emuoborsan Orogun or Emi,

HE Battle of The Musical Clans, a musical competition that will incorporate aspects of reality TV and straight stage competition is in the pipeline.

The competition which is designed to discover “King of Nigerian Musical Clans” will run on prime time and is intended to reflect today’s national musical culture.

Unlike any other music competition, the project is divided into 26 musical clans with Lagos having 15 of the clans, while the rest of Nigeria will make up the remaining 11 clans.

Some of Nigeria’s musical clans include- Festac (FTT), Ajegunle (AJ-City), Surulere (SL) Akoka (AKOKA), Okoko (Oko town), Ojo (OJ City), Port Harcourt (PH City), Be-

nin (B Side), Ibadan (IB), Imo-Enugu (East-siders), Kano-Kaduna (K Town), Warri-Sapele (Wafee), AgegeBariga-Omole-Yaba, Jos (J Town), Abuja, Calabar (Caly).

Each of the musical clans is any area/community which has more than 50 star musical artistes. Each clan will have three mentors who are popular star musical artistes who will groom the base representatives selected through a “Base Slam” (auditions) at the base.

The programme is not a talents hunt as the base representatives could be stars or up-and-coming recorded artistes. The competition will have different stages and musical tasks for the base representatives and performances by base icons (superstars

the scene for Naeto C, the audience could not hold back anymore as they exited their seats to the dance floor. All too soon, the night came to an end, and Davido and Naeto C were joined on stage by the other performers along with all the contestants in the hunt competition.

Speaking on the event, Adedoyin Owotomo, Brand Manager, Amstel MaltaNigerian Breweries Plc., stated that the Amstel Malta Showtime was conceived to give a platform for students of tertiary to express themselves.

“Amstel Malta is all about being the best that you can be and that was why we came up with Amstel Malta Showtime. It is just a platform for youths, especially students of tertiary to express themselves. Then they also the rare opportunity to interact with established superstars also,” she stated.

Amstel Malta Showtime, Benin is the second leg of this year’s edition after the first leg took place in Port Harcourt, capital of Rivers State. Up next is Ibadan where Tiwa Sawage and 9ice will be the main acts to perform on August 31. The event will also feature talent hunt competition amongst students of different competitions.

DRAMA AT NITESHIFT

...Abia Gov’s aide proposes to musician on stage

By BENJAMIN NJOKU

M

ILD drama ensued last weekend at the Niteshift Coliseum, Ikeja, when the Senior Assistant to Governor Theodore Orji of Abia State on Diaspora, Mr Eric Nwadinobi defied all

Battle of the musical clans on the way

T

as she is fondly called, became only the second female to win in Amstel Malta Showtime after the 400 level Science/Lab Tech student was adjudged the best in the dance category. Funny man Daniel Chibueze Madu, a 300 level medical student with the stage name MC Medical, completed the lineup of winners as he emerged the winner in the comedy category.

The winners got the sum of N500, 000 cash prize each, a band new iPad as well as an all-expense paid trip for two to Lagos. In addition to their exciting prizes, the winners also had the unique opportunity of performing alongside the established acts on the night.

The first and second runnersup in each category were also rewarded with consolation prizes of N150, 000 and N100, 000 respectively.

As the main show began proper, it was comedian Buchi who stepped up to ease tension with his rib cracking jokes. He was soon joined on stage by MC Medical as they combined to send the audience reeling with laughter.

Soon the crowd had a change of taste when Davido and retinue of backup singers that included Shina Rambo stormed the stage with Dami Duro, Ekuro and Back In The Days.

When Davido finally exited

from the base) which also scores. Eviction will be based on a combination of factors like successful execution of musical tasks, voting from audience, appraisals from judges etc.

protocols and openly proposed marriage to sexy singer and performer, Patience Achena, popularly known as Davina in a manner that reenacted the story of how Tuface Idibia proposed marriage to his sweetheart, Annie Macaulay few months ago.

The lover boy flew into Lagos from Umuahia unannounced the same night to perform the ‘romantic ritual’ which took the star-studded audience at the Entertainment Express newspapers’ one year bash tagged: Express Nite 1, by surprise. Davina, like other entertainers that graced the event, had just finished performing her “Femi” love song when her longstanding boyfriend stepped on the

Davina and Nwadinobi...endless love

stage to perform the unexpected.

He brought out a ring and said “We’ve known each other for almost three years now and I love everything about you.

Please, will you marry me?”

The entire crowd went frenzy as sexy and tearful Davina said ‘Yes’. The excited about-to-becouple said they would soon make the D-day known to all.

Overwhelmed by the proposal, Davina who hails from Kogi State said she met Nwadinobi three years ago after a function.

According to her, “I was not expecting this kind of surprise.

I’m overwhelmed.” On his own part, Mr Nwadinobi said “ Davina didn’t know I was going to propose to her today. I arranged with the Governor of the Niteshift Coliseum when he came to my office in Umuahia few weeks ago. The organisers also knew about the game plan.

She is somebody I know that if I’m down tomorrow, she will be there to lift me up.”

Other stars at the event include AY, Elenu, MC Abbey and his wife, Enenche D, Igos, Yemi Sax, Mr. Raw and X Project. Nollywood stars, Stephanie Okereke-idahosa, Victor Osuagwu, Cynthia Agholor, Bhaira Mcwizu, Benedict Johnson and Zik Zulu among others were also there to grace the ocassion.

32—Vanguard, FRIDAY, AUGUST 3, 2012

BY JEMI EKUNKUNBOR

B

elieved to symbolize wealth and good health, the colour gold is all about glitter and sparkle. Every girl loves to shine and a gold dress affords you the right amount of sheen you need. There are so many different shades of gold and it really is about choosing the right colour for you and for the occasion. Note that some gold hues are unflattering. Discretion is needed to choose what suits you.

Since a gold dress gives just the right amount of brightness, when accessorizing,

don’t use something too bright to take the attention off of the dress. Pair with shades that can help mute down the gold.

You can mix a little bit of silver with your gold dress but it should not be anything too flashy.

Black is also a great colour to pair with your gold dress or this Malene Birger harem pants.

If you’ve got detail along the neckline or anything, don’t over burden the dress by wearing a neck piece. Let the detail become your necklace. Just go for earrings that complement the dress.

*Gold clutch bag

•Max Azria antique gold purse

•Fairy-hem-goldcocktail-dresses

•Blssing Egbe Model in a gold dress

•Balota gold platform-sandals

•Metallic gold dress C M Y K

•Kelsi-DaggerKaden gold wedge

•Dune skin sling back sandal

Vanguard, FRIDAY, AUGUST 3, 2012—33

Hi GROOVE

By KATE OBODO Growing up

I

was born on February 3rd, 1968 to the family of the Onyealis in Mbaoko in Anambra state, Akwa North. My father died when I was young, leaving me with my mother and my younger siblings- a sister and two brothers. As a child, I was very active and I’m still active up till now. I was involved in a lot of activities. Anywhere there was fun, As I grew up, I got more involved in competitive sports (athletics).

Childhood memory As a girl getting involved in sports was a big challenge.

Then, the traditional norm was for a girl to go to school, and after which she gets married. As for me, it was different. Although my intention was not to go against traditional norms, I found myslf doing just that. I am just one individual who always does things her own way.

Of course, my mother at one point wanted to stop me from getting involved in sports.

For her, my education was paramount. She got pressurized by people; relations, friends who complained about to her on my involvement in sports. She almost changed her mind and get me out of sports.

Compromising education But I had to assure and promise her I’d not compromise with my education. She insisted that under no circumstance should my education suffer because of sports or she would force me to quit. I thank God she insisted I got focused on my education. With five credits after my secondary school level, I bagged a four year sponsorship to study in U.S.A. That explains why I always tell kids of today not to compromise their education for anything.

My journey as an athlete My journey into athlet ics was my choice. In my primary school days in Lagos, I competed in sprints high jump and long jump.

Being the team captain of my school, Amuwo Grammar School, Ojo, Lagos motivated my love for athletics. I got so involved and enjoyed competing and winning. I loved athletics because I never liked sports that had body contact like football.

My journey into athletics wasn’t rosy. At one point, my involvement affected my grades in school and my mother threatened to discontinue my participation in sports; So

I consider quality before buying clothes — Mary Onyali Omagbemi Mary Onyali Omagbemi’s exploits cannot be wished away in continental and global track and field history. She won over 18 different medals in her illustrious career, the highest by any Nigerian athlete and left a mark that is taking the African women too long to erase. This includes the African 200meters record, which stands till date. In this interview with ‘Hi Groove’’, she opens up on what drives her among other issues of her personal life style. Enjoy! anced on my feet and on the ground. Most of the shoes I wear cost from N100,000 and above, while for bags it costs between N150,000 to 200,000. When it comes to combining colours, I like matching my bag and shoes.

Sometimes, I combine it with the colour of my outfit. I cherish bags a lot. As for jeweleries, I’m not a freak.

getting my grades up became my priority. I worked towards getting a scholarship in the U.S- the rest is history.

Daily (beauty) routine I start off my day with a morning devotion after which I outline what to do for the day. I actually plan the night before, so by the next day it will be executed. I always pre-plan my activities, that is how I was able to combine athletics with marital chores being a married woman.On my daily beauty routine, honestly speaking, I prefer wearing my natural look. I don’t like too much make-up, I recently started making up after my athletics career in 2004.

Mood and dressing My mood affects the way I dress and that is what defines my fashion sense. I could feel like dressing sexy (but not

Men and I Of course, I have a thou sand of them and they never stop coming, I’m being not boastful. At the same time, I don’t snub any man that appreciates me. I also had my fair share of admirers when I was a competitor, but God gave me the grace to overcome them. I ended up with the best man as a husband, Victor Omagbemi. For now, I keep my admirers at arms length because I’m married and I have children. I’m committed to one man and one man alone.

Meeting your husband, was it love at first sight?

Meeting my husband was not really love at first sight. We were team mates during my active days. We trained under the same coach, Tobias Igwe but without any strings attached.

We actually met in Nigeria before we left for United States of America for sponsorship at Texas Southern University, USA. At the University, we got close and soon found out we were both compatible.

From that momen we realisedwe could not hide our affection for each other again.

Soon one thing led to another and the rest as they say is history.

Today we are blessed with two kids - a girl and a boy.

Athletics and married life

Secret of my good looks

I have a lovely husband who has been an encouragement to me and my career.

Throughout the thick and thin days, he was always there for our only daughter when I had to train and compete during my active days as an athlete.

I believe it is hereditary and it comes from my parents. In my family, we don’t age fast and being a sports woman contributed immensely too. But the most important thing is that I discipline myself when it comes to eating. I eat little but five times in a day. Some people are not aware that it is healthy eating with fruits and vegetable in between.

Those eating habit I cultivated during my active days is what I still practice to date.

An ideal home A good home is when you have a loving husband alongside beautiful children. Both parents should be able to serve as an example to the kids and the outside world. In good homes, you don’t have parents who fight day and night.

Style and Fashion I put on whatever fits and looks good on me. I’m not crazy about brands if the fabrics is of good quality, I buy. I prefer trousers because I got attached to trousers and track suits as an athlete for many years. Now, I try to wear skirts and gown especially when the occasion demands. In a nutshell, I feel more comfortable in trousers. Talking about the worth of my clothes, I don’t go for the expensive type but what I consider most is the quality of the fabrics along-

community, especially our youth.

•Mary Onyali Omagbemi side good texture. Even if It costs N50,000 or more. What matters most to me is the quality and how well it fits me.

Shoes, hand bags and jewellery’s One thing is obvious to everyone who knows me, I am a shoe and hand-bag freak.

You can only find quality shoes and hand bags in my wardrobe. I love good shoes with high heels, well bal-

Best meal/fruits provocative) and when on sports occasion, I go sporting, like track suits, jeans and Tshirts, shorts etc.

Life outside sports Right now, I’m into sports’ wear manufacturing. It’s my own empire called ‘’Yali-Yali’’ Global Enterprise. I used the four last letters of my father ’s names. The idea came after I retired from athletics in 2004.

This is to give back to the

I don’t have a best meal but I eat any good food. I eat the right meal at the right time and it has to be home made and not fast food. I barely eat outside my home but if I have to eat out, the food must be appealing. I like coffee a lot.

Usually I take a cup of coffee and two slices of bread and an egg for breakfast. For fruits, I like the Africa pineapple.

C M Y K

34 — Vanguard, FRIDAY, AUGUST 3, 2012

C M Y K

Vanguard, FRIDAY, AUGUST 3, 2012 —35

C M Y K

Vanguard, FRIDAY, AUGUST 3, 2012—33

Hi GROOVE

By KATE OBODO Growing up

I

was born on February 3rd, 1968 to the family of the Onyealis in Mbaoko in Anambra state, Akwa North. My father died when I was young, leaving me with my mother and my younger siblings- a sister and two brothers. As a child, I was very active and I’m still active up till now. I was involved in a lot of activities. Anywhere there was fun, As I grew up, I got more involved in competitive sports (athletics).

Childhood memory As a girl getting involved in sports was a big challenge.

Then, the traditional norm was for a girl to go to school, and after which she gets married. As for me, it was different. Although my intention was not to go against traditional norms, I found myslf doing just that. I am just one individual who always does things her own way.

Of course, my mother at one point wanted to stop me from getting involved in sports.

For her, my education was paramount. She got pressurized by people; relations, friends who complained about to her on my involvement in sports. She almost changed her mind and get me out of sports.

Compromising education But I had to assure and promise her I’d not compromise with my education. She insisted that under no circumstance should my education suffer because of sports or she would force me to quit. I thank God she insisted I got focused on my education. With five credits after my secondary school level, I bagged a four year sponsorship to study in U.S.A. That explains why I always tell kids of today not to compromise their education for anything.

My journey as an athlete My journey into athlet ics was my choice. In my primary school days in Lagos, I competed in sprints high jump and long jump.

Being the team captain of my school, Amuwo Grammar School, Ojo, Lagos motivated my love for athletics. I got so involved and enjoyed competing and winning. I loved athletics because I never liked sports that had body contact like football.

My journey into athletics wasn’t rosy. At one point, my involvement affected my grades in school and my mother threatened to discontinue my participation in sports; So

I consider quality before buying clothes — Mary Onyali Omagbemi Mary Onyali Omagbemi’s exploits cannot be wished away in continental and global track and field history. She won over 18 different medals in her illustrious career, the highest by any Nigerian athlete and left a mark that is taking the African women too long to erase. This includes the African 200meters record, which stands till date. In this interview with ‘Hi Groove’’, she opens up on what drives her among other issues of her personal life style. Enjoy! anced on my feet and on the ground. Most of the shoes I wear cost from N100,000 and above, while for bags it costs between N150,000 to 200,000. When it comes to combining colours, I like matching my bag and shoes.

Sometimes, I combine it with the colour of my outfit. I cherish bags a lot. As for jeweleries, I’m not a freak.

getting my grades up became my priority. I worked towards getting a scholarship in the U.S- the rest is history.

Daily (beauty) routine I start off my day with a morning devotion after which I outline what to do for the day. I actually plan the night before, so by the next day it will be executed. I always pre-plan my activities, that is how I was able to combine athletics with marital chores being a married woman.On my daily beauty routine, honestly speaking, I prefer wearing my natural look. I don’t like too much make-up, I recently started making up after my athletics career in 2004.

Mood and dressing My mood affects the way I dress and that is what defines my fashion sense. I could feel like dressing sexy (but not

Men and I Of course, I have a thou sand of them and they never stop coming, I’m being not boastful. At the same time, I don’t snub any man that appreciates me. I also had my fair share of admirers when I was a competitor, but God gave me the grace to overcome them. I ended up with the best man as a husband, Victor Omagbemi. For now, I keep my admirers at arms length because I’m married and I have children. I’m committed to one man and one man alone.

Meeting your husband, was it love at first sight?

Meeting my husband was not really love at first sight. We were team mates during my active days. We trained under the same coach, Tobias Igwe but without any strings attached.

We actually met in Nigeria before we left for United States of America for sponsorship at Texas Southern University, USA. At the University, we got close and soon found out we were both compatible.

From that momen we realisedwe could not hide our affection for each other again.

Soon one thing led to another and the rest as they say is history.

Today we are blessed with two kids - a girl and a boy.

Athletics and married life

Secret of my good looks

I have a lovely husband who has been an encouragement to me and my career.

Throughout the thick and thin days, he was always there for our only daughter when I had to train and compete during my active days as an athlete.

I believe it is hereditary and it comes from my parents. In my family, we don’t age fast and being a sports woman contributed immensely too. But the most important thing is that I discipline myself when it comes to eating. I eat little but five times in a day. Some people are not aware that it is healthy eating with fruits and vegetable in between.

Those eating habit I cultivated during my active days is what I still practice to date.

An ideal home A good home is when you have a loving husband alongside beautiful children. Both parents should be able to serve as an example to the kids and the outside world. In good homes, you don’t have parents who fight day and night.

Style and Fashion I put on whatever fits and looks good on me. I’m not crazy about brands if the fabrics is of good quality, I buy. I prefer trousers because I got attached to trousers and track suits as an athlete for many years. Now, I try to wear skirts and gown especially when the occasion demands. In a nutshell, I feel more comfortable in trousers. Talking about the worth of my clothes, I don’t go for the expensive type but what I consider most is the quality of the fabrics along-

community, especially our youth.

•Mary Onyali Omagbemi side good texture. Even if It costs N50,000 or more. What matters most to me is the quality and how well it fits me.

Shoes, hand bags and jewellery’s One thing is obvious to everyone who knows me, I am a shoe and hand-bag freak.

You can only find quality shoes and hand bags in my wardrobe. I love good shoes with high heels, well bal-

Best meal/fruits provocative) and when on sports occasion, I go sporting, like track suits, jeans and Tshirts, shorts etc.

Life outside sports Right now, I’m into sports’ wear manufacturing. It’s my own empire called ‘’Yali-Yali’’ Global Enterprise. I used the four last letters of my father ’s names. The idea came after I retired from athletics in 2004.

This is to give back to the

I don’t have a best meal but I eat any good food. I eat the right meal at the right time and it has to be home made and not fast food. I barely eat outside my home but if I have to eat out, the food must be appealing. I like coffee a lot.

Usually I take a cup of coffee and two slices of bread and an egg for breakfast. For fruits, I like the Africa pineapple.

C M Y K

Vanguard, FRIDAY, August 3, 2012—37

BY BASHIR ADEFAKA NDOUBTEDLY, the Sul tan of Sokoto is the head of the Seat of Caliphate and Muslim Community in Nigeria. The 20th occupier of that exalted position, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, is most time of the day occupied with issues about bringing peace and stability to the northern part of the country. The Boko Haram insurgency has seriously undermined the peace and unity of this country.

It is only unfortunate that few years into his reigns, a big national security challenge, virtually unprecedented in the history of the country, erupted from his own side of the country, the North, which has placed more burden on the shoulders of the retired General than it should ordinarily have been. A recent visit, on the eve of the ongoing Ramadhan fasting by this writer, to the palace of the foremost Nigerian leader, who was rated 4th most influential African leader, showed the many efforts he is making to see Nigeria intact.

At the occasion to announce the moonsighting for the beginning of the fasting, the Sultan appealed to those behind the current wave of violence in the country to sheath their swords and embrace dialogue because, according to him, dialogue remains the best option in resolving all problems. “It is also pertinent here, to express our total commitment to ensure peace, peaceful coexistence and unity of our great country,” he said in a statement issued through the Secretary to the Sultanate, Alhaji Attahiru Hussaini.

At several fora, the Sultan, in his characteristic leadership manners, moved not only to douse the tension from the callous insurgency of the terrorist group but also to disabuse the minds of those who erroneously believe that the action of the group is supported by Islam.

Speaking at the 2012 symposium organised by NASFAT in Abuja, recently, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar said it was wrong for anyone to nurse

U

Tel: 08098097290 email: isholaism@yahoo.co.uk

Sultan's efforts in the face of security challenges

,

Both the Muslims and Christians can only join forces with the constitutional authorities in tackling the menace

such a belief. He then cautioned religious leaders against inflammatory comments capable of causing disunity among the adherents of various religions in the country saying the concept of Jihad in Islam had been misconceived and misinterpreted “as fighting or killing people who refused to accept I s l a m . ” For the fact that he is seen as the leader of Muslims in the country, the statement by the Sultan should be taken as that which represents the entire Muslims instead of giving listening ears to what the group said especially as it bothers on Islam. Of course, Sultan is the leader of Muslims and he alone can speak for the Muslims.

Although the Christians continued to blame the Muslim Community for not doing enough to curb the activities of the terrorist group but failed to believe that the Muslims are also at the mercy of the terrorists as figures showed that

,

more Muslims had died in the terrorists attack put together. Besides, it is also difficult to stop or curb what one does not initiate. Since the Sultan or Muslim Community in Nigeria did not start and is not responsible for the killing of people and destruction of properties and places of worship, both the Muslims and Christians can only join forces with the constitutional authorities in tackling the menace; especially now at a time that the sect had even disrespectfully defied the noble call of the Sultan and Muslim Community as well as disregarded the Holy month of Ramadan to launch fresh attacks, this time, in Sokoto the Sultan’s domain.

Wise and well meaning Nigerians know that there are many dimensions to the problem. The

Release Gawat in the spirit of Ramadan — Muslim journalists plead The Lagos State branch of the Association of Muslim Media Practitioners of Nigeria (AMMPON) has pleaded with abductors of the missing journalist, Alhaji Rasak Gawat to release him without further delay in the spirit of Ramadan.

Speaking after a meeting of the group in Lagos, the interim chairman, Alhaji Taiwo Junaid explained that the release of Gawat at this period would put

smiles on the faces of many Nigerians.

Alhaji junaid stated that the abductors should consider the trauma the family is going through as a result of the continued absence of their breadwinner, adding that Muslims and non-Muslims benefit spritually and materially throug the Edide-Ejisari anchored by Gawat during Ramadan.

The association also used the

opportunity to alert security forces on the need to be alive to their responsibilities.

AMMPON wondered “how a Television personality could have been taken away for three weeks without any clue of his whereabouts”.

The organisation called on Nigerians to pray for divine intervention inoder to re-unite Gawat with his family.

Pupils of Penckers School, Isolo during their graduation at the school premises recently.

C M Y K

•The Sultan, Sa'ad Abubakar III former Garrison Officer Commanding, Three Division of the Nigerian Army and former Minister of Communications, Major-General Tajudeen Olanrewaju said: “You see, the collapse of Ghadaffi was why those fundamentalists migrated from Libya and Islamic State has been declared in Mali so that, from Libya, people are migrating with arms and ammunitions to cause Boko Haram. That is the assumption. There are people that are trained with arms and ammunitions in Nigeria and so the NSA should look at it in those two ways. If that is the case, he has to be proactive. What you have as Boko Haram in the North is what you have as militancy in the South; the banditry, the robbery, the kidnapping and it is the same urban terrorism,” he stated.

“So these people can migrate to

anywhere. The arms are coming from all the borders and people are making money from it just like the subsidy money. You have to look at that side and tackle it from the source,” General Olanrewaju had said in an exclusive interview with Vanguard recently.

Another prominent Nigerian, who spoke under anonymity, also wondered: “Where Boko Haram’s violent activities have become the Muslims’ headache or doing is unfounded. It is basically a national and general problem that must be tackled collectively if truly solution is desired. Because hiding under the Boko Haram challenges to call for the break up of the country will know no success; not in the sense of impossibility but - in reality - in the sense that even the broken pieces will at each level continue to see the same problem,” he said.

The former Sudan experience is not far in memory: it was claimed

by Southern (Christian) Sudan that the problem of former Sudan was Northern (Muslim) Sudan and frantic effort was made to break up the country into Sudan and Southern Sudan each now independent of the other. It’s not for this piece to state if the Southern Sudan has ever known peace since the break up or not but Sudan under Al-Bashir has never regretted it took place.

Hence, the earlier Nigerian leaders (Muslims, Christians, politicians) return to the basis and think out a common front against the bloody challenges, the better. Boko Haram is not the basis for judging the acts of Muslims but the Qur’an and tradition of Prophet Muhammad. When Prophet Muhammad entered Madinah, he met Christians, Jews and pagans on ground.

He did not enforce his faith on them neither did he declare war on them; rather it was the pagans who later thought they could not subject themselves to the faith propounded by another mortal.

So, neither the Sultan, nor Islam is the cause of Nigeria’s insecurity.

The problem is insincerity and cheer hypocrisy on the part of people who are supposed to banish poverty in the land but are now spreading it by their unchecked corrupt practices, self-centredness, greed and wickedness. They laugh in their native regalia smiling to the bank while their people languish in abject poverty; playing politics with the destiny of this country. We must work together with one mind, one spirit, and one purpose for Nigeria; our fatherland to move forward.

Importance of Iftaar

BY HARUN RAZAQ Iftaar: means breaking the fast, (or the first meal eaten after the sunset by a fasting Muslim especially during the month of Ramadan).

Iftaar is one of the meritorious acts of the month of Ramadan and is often done in jama’a (congregation), with people gathering to break their fast together. The importance of providing Iftaar to the fasting Muslim cannot be overemphasized in Islam because the Prophet (SAW) stressed its importance. For example, Zayd Ibn Khaalid alJuhani said: The Messenger of Allah (SAW) said: “Whoever gives iftaar to one who is fasting will have a reward like his, without that detracting from the reward of the fasting person in the slightest.”

(Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 807; Ibn Maajah, 1746.Classed as Saheeh

by Ibn Hibaan, 8/216 and by alAlbaani in Saheeh al-Jaami, 6415).

It is also reported that Abdullah Ibn Umar would not touch his meal for Iftaar except in the presence of some indigent and orphans who will share the meal with him. (See “Sab’una Mas’alah fis Siyaam) Also, many of the earlier Muslim such as Dawuud al-Taa’i, Maalik Ibn Dinar and Ahmad Ibn Hanbal used to give up their Iftaar for

others. (See Fatwah of Shykh Salih Munajih no.12598)etc.

As regard what is meant by giving Iftaar, Shaykh Ahmad Ibn Taimiyyah said, is giving him food that would be enough for him to break his fast. (Al-Ikhtiyaaraat Fiqhiyyah 109). In other words, those who cannot afford to give enough food should give the little they have. Because there is a report, which states that “Allah grants this same reward to him who (does not have enough) gives a fasting person a single date or a drink of water or a sip of milk to break the fast”.

No doubt, Iftaar is famous among Muslims world-over owing to its importance during the month of Ramadan. Prominent in the act of sponsoring Iftaar are some individuals and organizations from Saudi Arabia who feed fasting Muslims in selected area annually.

Also, recognizing the importance of Iftaar is the United State of America, which has Muslims in the minority, has since 1996, through United States Department of State, held an annual Iftaar dinner for community leaders from US society and faith groups as well as foreign policy officials.

But, it is disheartening that many of the present Muslims in Nigeria particularly the rich do not value

38— Vanguard, FRIDAY, AUGUST 3, 2012

Disqualified badminton player quits

•Blessing Okagbare (left) battling Gabon's Rudy Zang Milama at the Africa Championships, can she live up to expectations?

NE of the Chinese bad minton players disqualified from the Olympics for trying to lose a match has said she is quitting the sport, accusing the badminton governing body of ruining her dreams.

“This is my last match,” Yu Yang wrote on her microblog account late Wednesday.

“Farewell Badminton World Federation, farewell my beloved badminton.”

Yu; her women’s doubles partner, Wang Xiaoli; and six other players were kicked out of the competition Wednesday by the Badminton World Federation in one of the most controversial episodes of the London Games so far.

Meanwhile the coaches of the four women’s badminton pairs who were disqualified from the Olympics after deliberately trying to lose matches are being investigated, the IOC have announced.

O Tony Ubani’s f-l-i-c-k-s

Please, buy Brazilian hair for me!

I

got a strange request the other day. After my piece on the stunning beauties of Brazilian girls at the London 2012 Olympics, I have been inundated with messages.

Some good. Some bad. Some ugly. Some funny.

One of my fans( ofcourse, a lady) wants me to buy her a Brazilian hair. I laughed at first and decided to ask for Brazilian hair at the imposing Westfield Mall here in Stratford, London. The price is outrageous and depends on the quality. The real Brazilian hair for discerning ladies who expect heads to turn when they wear the long-lasting gorgeous hair that does not tangle range from £500 to £200 and £50 pounds. A quick calculation with exchange rate of Naira to Pounds at N250 to £1 means that to buy the real Brazilian hair, one needs to cough out N125,000 only. To buy hair? And how long would it be worn? Eternity? I know that a lot of Nigerian ladies wear the Brazilian hair, but I have not noticed the difference. If you buy hair for that much how much will a Brazilian lady cost if she is to be married?. I know that

fashion aficionados would brush me aside as a novice. I thank God my wife does not wear Cotonou hair or Ghanaian hair not to talk of Brazilian hair. Anyway, I am made to understand that most of the stunning beauties that I admire wear Brazilian hair. Its so natural and its texture blends perfectly with their natural hair type and skin tone The hair comes in various types of style including straight virgin brazilian hair, brazilian body waves and curly brazilian hair.

The virgin brazilian hair and machine weft comes in packs of that weight between 90 105 grams that are ideal for weaves and extensions.

All brazilian hairs are smooth, silky, thick hair full of volume and will be perfect to provide you with that WILD FACTOR that excites men and bring out the real men in them. I am going to stare more on the Brazilian beauties and ask if their hairs are natural. It will be a big flourishing business to marry a Brazilian and get the type of locks that women are desirous of having.

Lu

Brazil women accuse bus drivers of sabotage B

RAZIL’S women’s soccer team has accused London 2012 organizers of a “disgraceful” plot that led to its shocking defeat against Great Britain on Tuesday.

Members of the Brazilian side were infuriated when they were stranded by the side

of a highway for five hours as their team bus broke down on its journey to London the night before the Group E clash at Wembley Stadium.

Britain won the game 1-0.

“It was a disgrace,” head coach Jorge Barcellos said. “I wasn’t impressed; a tourna-

Nigeria's ban on media fails

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IGERIAN officials have been banned from talking to the media. The decision was taken befo re now but it was only revealed yesterday.

"They have told us never to talk to the media and that Nigeria will have a spokesman who will talk to the media on all issues," one top official told us yesterday at the gate of the Games Village.

The official added that this decision was even taken before the games and it is expected to still be enfo rced throughout the games.

All officials and athletes are affected. But it is doubtful if this will work because, by internationa l and Olympic standards, athletes and coaches are man dated to meet and talk with the media at the Mixed Zones and press conferences shortly after their events. The Mixed Zon es are the paths athletes walk through after their events to the dressing rooms.

And press conferences are held immedia tely after each event. Sports, they say, are media even ts. International bodies know that sports cannot grow without the media. They need the media hype for marketing, they need the media to attract fans to the venues and they need the media to promote athletes and their sports. Sports cannot thrive without the media. They know this and after the athletes the media come next in order of priority in the Olympic Gam es.

•Juan Mata C M Y K

ment of this size, and the delay in taking any initiative to resolve the situation was absurd.”

Brazil left its base in Cardiff, about 150 miles to the west of London, for its journey to the capital, but the trip was quickly disrupted when the bus pulled over to the side of the road with mechanical trouble.

The defeat consigned the South Americans to second place in Group E, meaning they will now play World Cup champion Japan in Cardiff on Friday.

Several unnamed Brazil players have been reported in the Brazilian press as saying they believe the delay in finding a new driver or transportation was part of a deliberate attempt to affect their preparation.

“It was unacceptable,” Barcellos said. “It is hard for the players to understand how this could possibly take so long. And playing Great Britain the next day…”

Brazilian soccer officials initially wanted to file a complaint to the International Olympic Committee, but were persuaded not to by their national Olympic committee.

Brazilian committee members felt it would be counterproductive to inflame the issue with Rio de Janeiro set to host the Games in 2016.

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S the athletics events begin today, there is a general conclusion by track and field analysts that Nigeria’s Blessing Okagbare can settle for a bronze.

Okagbare will step into the fray this morning when the heats of the women 100m start at the London Olympics Stadium. It is ex-

pected that she will reach the final and stake a claim for a medal. Here is a form guide to the women sprints.

Defending Olympic champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce is the world leader this year with a time of 10.70.

The biggest obstacle to another gold for the Jamaican is likely to

Lennox Lewis LYMPIC judges and ref erees came under fire with one fighter accusing them of “a fix”, another successfully appealing a loss and even boxing great Lennox Lewis questioning some of their calls.

Iran’s Ali Mazaheri cried foul when the heavyweight was disqualified after being warned three times for persistent holding against Cuban Jose Larduet Gomez despite leading by two points going into the second round.

“It was a fix. I could have got a bronze easily if it hadn’t been for that,” an irate Mazaheri, who walked out of the

O

ring before the decision was officially announced, told reporters through a translator.

“In my previous fights I had done really well. It was a set up.”

The International Amateur Boxing Association (AIBA) responded to Mazaheri’s allegations in an email saying: “The Iranian boxer received three warnings during his bout.

“According to Rule 12.2.1 of the AIBA Technical & Competition Rules, ‘only three warnings may be given to the same boxer in one contest. The third warning brings automatic disqualification’.”

Two bouts earlier, Japan’s bantamweight Satoshi Shimizu, trailing by seven points going into the last round against Magomed Abdulha-

Vanguard, FRIDAY, AUGUST 3, 2012 — 39

•Richard Ross

come in the shape of world champion Jeter Carmelita of the U.S. - the second fastest woman in history.

Another Jamaican-American duo likely to be in the mix are Veronica Campbell-Brown and Allyson Felix although both will have a closer eye on the 200 metres.

Felix made the U.S. 100 team after training partner Jeneba Tarmoh pulled

out of a controversial thirdplace runoff at the Olympic trials following a dead heat in the original race.

Okagbare, who will also compete in the long jump, aims to gatecrash the London party and become Nigeria’s first Olympic 100 medallist.

She beat Jeter and Fraser-

Pryce in July, going under 11 seconds for the first time, and improved a week later to post 10.96.

200 metres Another instalment of the Jamaica v United States rivalry is likely to define the halflap sprint.

World champion Veronica Campbell-Brown of Jamaica is going for an unprecedented third successive gold medal in the event but will have her work cut out against a string of rivals who have run faster this year.

Chief among them is triple world champion Allyson Felix who finished second behind Campbell-Brown in Athens in 2004 and Beijing in 2008 and ran the quickest time of the year to win the U.S. trials.

Carmelita Jeter and Sanya Richards-Ross, who is doubling up in the 400, complete an American team made up of genuine medal contenders.

Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, the 100 champion, is the fastest Jamaican this year and will double up in the sprints while Russian Aleksandra Fedoriva offers a possible European challenger to the Jamaicans and Americans.

400 metres Amantle Montsho won Botswana’s first world athletics title last year and will hope to earn the African country a maiden Olympic medal in London.

A surprise winner when she held off Allyson Felix on the home straight in Daegu, Montsho has got faster since and will be tough to beat.

Felix is sticking to the shorter sprints in London but fellow American Sanya RichardsRoss, dethroned as world champion by Montsho, is feeling healthier than she has for years and has the best time of 2012.

Russian Antonina Krivoshapka and Jamaica’s Novlene Williams-Mills have also been quick while Britain’s Beijing champion Christine Ohuruogu has finally found form to put her back in the frame.

rates boxing judges low midov, knocked the Azerbaijani down six times, the first of which he struggled to get up from.

Before sitting down to commentate on the session for British radio, former world heavyweight champion Lewis said he was impressed by the talent on show but had concerns about the judging.

“What I’m concerned about is probably the judging. You never know who is going to win until the end of the fight,” said Britain’s Lewis, a dual citizen who won gold for Canada in 1988.

•Ihab Almatbouli (L) of Jordan defends against Lukmon Lawal (R) of Nigeria during their first round Light-heavyweight (81kg) match of the London 2012 Olymipic Games

When is President Jonathan coming?

London, August 2: A Nigerian approached me here in Streatham area of London and asked me “When is President Goodluck Jonathan coming to the Olympics?

The question probably arose after it was announced that President Putin of Russia will be coming to the Olympics. And this was after many world leaders attended the opening ceremony. USA First Lady even stayed back to cheer US athletes in some events here.

Serena Williams thanked her for coming for her match and inspiring her. Putin was a Judo champion and would be at the judo venue to cheer Russia’s athletes here although he will also be visiting Downing Street. It will be his first visit to Britain in seven years and the Olympic Games influenced this. I told the woman at Streatham that I was not in the position to know if our President would be here and that I was not sure our President has been briefed on the importance of sports as not only a great unifying factor but also a huge business employing millions and moving some economies. “Please, tell our President to come-o,” she said. What did she take me for? Anyway, I promised to do that through Vanguard.

My sleeping “pill”.

Many times I suffer insomnia in Nigeria.

But since I came here I have been sleeping very well.

What is the magic? The stress of covering the Olympics, normally, should add to the problem.

Foreign journalists often wonder how media houses in Africa cope while covering Olympic Games. During interactions they ask which sport you cover, is it basketball, soccer, or track and field? Here they specialise and you meet journalists who are here to cover, for example, volleyball. They are amazed when you tell them you are here to cover all sports or as many sports as possible. At the media centre yesterday, a television crew was going round getting reactions on the badminton players disqualified and expelled from the games. Two Chinese female players, in order to avoid meeting stronger opponents in the next round, deliberately played to lose against their South Korean opponents.

Their opponents followed suit, hitting the shuttlecock into the net and missing points. And this was at the venue spectators had paid equivalent of N20,480 to watch matches.

They became furious and booed. A second match between another South Korean team and an Indonesia pair, in a “domino effect”, was also lousy and appeared fixed. The International Olympic Committee is outraged and has expelled all the players. IOC President, Jack Rougges said there could be more penalties. The badminton shame is the biggest scandal of the games so far and yet one American journalist sitting near me told the television crew that he didn’t know what they were talking about and that “I’m here for track and field.” Not so for a Nigerian journalist.

After visiting the Weightlifting venue to watch our Felix Ekpo compete I couldn’t help watching two female rowers win Britain’s first gold medal here. Interestingly it was the first time British women would win gold in rowing. Rowing is not a Nigerian sport but I really enjoyed watching it here.

The fans made it more exciting. Some pursued the Rowers on bicycles to cheer and the power the athletes displayed in their rhythmic rowing were a delight to watch. Having searched for gold since the games started everybody including the royal family joined in cheering and inspiring their first gold. I filed a story on it. Duro Ikhazuagba of Thisday told me the other day that their Editor, Ijeoma Nwangwugwu was telling him to report more camp stories of teams here. That is the challenge of the Nigerian journalist. And we trek a lot in search of stories here. When you trek from Stratford train station to the media centre you would have covered about three miles and you have to do same on return. You trek long distances to other venues. From your hotel or where ever you are you trek to the next train station to go anywhere. Sometimes the distance is short, sometimes it is long. But the trekking to venues and around the Olympic Stadium can be exhausting.

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40—Vanguard, FRIDAY, AUGUST 3, 2012

Probe INEC's refusal to allow staff join trade unions—ASCSN

BY VICTOR AHIUMA-YOUNG SSOCIATION of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria, ASCSN, has called for a public probe into why the leadership of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, refused to obey a court order directing INEC to allow its staff to join the union even after the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Mohammed Adoke, advised INEC to so.

President of ASCSN, Olakunle Olaitan, who spoke at the 2nd quadrennial National Delegates conference of the association in Lagos, said the probe should, among others, determine the beneficiaries of billions of public fund that INEC had allegedly been investing in engaging Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs) to be prosecuting frivolous court cases on unionization and membership or otherwise of INEC workers.

He said: “You will be surprised to hear today that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the institution statutorily em-

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WORKSHOP: Mr. Deji Elumoye (standing), Chairman, Nigeria Union of Journalists, (NUJ), Lagos Council, addressing participants at a workshop organised by Lagos Civil Society Disability Policy Partnership with support from the NUJ, Lagos Council, in Lagos.

GRADUATION: From left: Mr Sebastine Osakwe, Sales Manager ,East-South Pfizer; Mrs I. E Essien, Deputy Director, Graceland Montessori Nursery/ Primary School, Port Harcourt and Group Capt E. U Essien (rtd), Director, Graceland Montessori Nursery/Primary School, during the Pfizer-sponsored graduation of the school in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. Photo: Nwankpa Chijioke.

Rainstorm wreaks havoc in C-River 2 persons missing, 50 homes, 200 farmlands washed away

BY JOHNBOSCO AGBAKWURU ALABAR—TWO persons are feared missing while 50 homes and 200 farmlands have been washed away by a down pour that ravaged six riverine communities of Agwagwune in Abi Local Government Area of Cross River State.

Similarly, property worth several millions of naira were destroyed.

The whereabouts of the two missing persons, a girl, 12, and a man, 55, who were asleep in the night when the torrential rains that inflicted the havoc on the villages, were still unknown at press time as divers were still searching for them in the river.

This development had led to women and children to be living under inhuman conditions lacking potable water, food and medication.

As a result of the trag-

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edy, the six villages along the coastline of the Cross River could only be accessed by canoes with the capacity of two to three passengers even as the canoe has to meander through the forest trees amidst reptiles and dangerous insects.

The grunting of chimpanzees, hissing of

snakes and snacking of crocodiles could be heard a distance away.

One of the affected,Mr. Ekuma Bassey, who lamented that the flood was the first of its kind in over 10 years, said he and his family had no place to move to as they could not afford to rent a home upland.

Bassey said their market and school had also been submerged, creating economic and social problems for the victims.

Some of the residents appealed to the state and federal governments to expedite action on the relocation programme so that they could have a sense of belonging.

Evah urges CJN to probe killing of 7 N-Delta youths by JTF

BY EMMA AMAIZE

W

ARRI—NATION AL Coordinator of Ijaw Monitoring Group, IMG, Mr. Joseph Evah, has called on the Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, Justice Aloma Mukhtar, to set up a probe panel to investigate the controversial killing of seven youths of Niger-Delta, branded as sea pirates, by Joint Task Force, JTF, on the Niger-

Delta, in Bayelsa State, last month.

Evah told Vanguard on phone, yesterday, that “The killing of the youths is a crime against humanity. We want those soldiers, who carried out the killing to be brought to book. JTF claimed that they were sea pirates and were killed in a shootout, but available information showed that the youths did not open fire on solders, as claimed by the

task force, but were allegedly murdered in cold blood.

“The CJN should institute a special probe into the killing because when Boko Haram was killing people, it said that its leader was arrested and killed without trial and as I speak, the sect has overwhelmed the security forces, which was why the Federal Government paid compensation to the family of their slain leader."

powered to nurture democratic ideals in the country, has bluntly refused to allow its employees to belong to trade unions. This is in spite of various court orders by the National Industrial Court (NIC), Federal High Court, Abuja, and the Court of Appeal, Abuja, that the commission should allow its workforce to join trade unions as specified in the Con-

stitution of the country.

Indeed, the Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity had told INEC in clear terms that the broad mandate of the Commission and the specific nature of its duties all constitute democratic functions and that it is paradoxical that the Commission has barred its employees from enjoying the constitutional right of belonging to trade unions."

LASAA evolves new advert plan for Apapa-Oshodi Expressway AGOS State Sig nage and Advertisement Agency (LASAA), is revamping Apapa-Oshodi Expressway for outdoor advertisement. This move is in line with the agency’s plan for a new signage and outdoor advertising master plan.

Speaking on this development, the Managing Director of the Agency, Mr. George Kayode Noah said: ‘’This is part of LASAA’s plan to redefine out-of-home advertising in the state in line with the directives of Governor Babatunde Fashola (SAN). We have developed a new design for

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Apapa-Oshodi stretch taking into consideration modern and innovative outdoor structures that will complement the environment.

“All outdoor practitioners whose structures have been affected, particularly the spectacular types (unipoles), have been notified of this exercise. We have engaged them on the benefits of the exercise to get their buy-in.”

He said that all outdoor practitioners whose advertising structures are affected will have the first right of refusal on the stretch after the exercise is completed.

Group urges support for Okorocha

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RESIDENT-Gener al of Awa Town Union, ATU, in Oguta Local Government Area of Imo State, Mr. Canice Offor, has urged the people of the state to support the government of Governor Rochas Okorocha, stressing that it would bring developments closer to the masses.

Offor, who said this

recently, when the people of Awa autonomous community held a thanksgiving service to appreciate God for his life as well as appreciating his leadership qualities as the first-elected President-General of the town, said the governor is a grassroots man, who knew what it takes to touch the lives of rural dwellers.

Relinquish one of your positions, group tells Ogba

BY FESTUS AHON

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GHELLI—EXEC UTIVE Director, Excellent World Foundation, a non-governmental organisation, Mr. Enahoro Michael, has charged the commissioner representing Delta State on the board of Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, Chief Solomon Ogba, to relinquish one of his three positions to any other qualified Isoko indigene.

Enahoro, in a state-

ment, yesterday, said; “Chief Ogba is holding three positions; which are Commissioner representing Delta State on the board of NDDC, Secretary, Peoples Democratic Party, Delta State Chapter and President, Athletic Federation of Nigeria.”

Calling on Isoko natives at home and in the diaspora to fight oppressors and self-centered politicians in Isokoland, he said: “Most present day political leaders lack leadership qualities.”

Vanguard, FRIDAY, AUGUST 3, 2012 — 41

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42—Vanguard, FRIDAY, AUGUST 3, 2012

*Obasanjo

*Babangida

*Clark

OBJ, IBB, CLARK

The sayings of our elders: Ka-ta-ka-ta, bla-bla-bla

“There is nothing special about Obasanjo and Babangida calling for national dialogue or constructive engagement.

When Obasanjo was in government for eight years, people were clamouring for national conference. Odi people reacted, they went and THREE of the country’s foremost elder-statesmen: Olusegun Obasanjo, Ibrahim finished the whole village, Babangida and Edwin Clark have, in the last few days, given significantly opposite ransacked every where and killed everybody because they postulations on their thoughts on the federation. The language of the builders of the killed one soldier. Today, he is Tower of Babel is seemingly not different from that spoken by these fathers of modern out of government and talking about dialogue. Babangida did Nigeria! the same thing.

“Babangida and Obasanjo

BY EMMANUEL AZIKEN, Remarkably, just four days that he was ready to put his joint statement of the two are senior members of the POLITICAL EDITOR after their joint declaration, military uniform on again to former presidents was the Council of State. Let them go another man in their age fight for the continued existence matter of corruption as a threat to the Council of State and ask group, Chief Edwin Clark, a of the country as it is. Obasanjo to the fabrics of the council to call AST Sunday ’s former Federal commissioner of on his part has in his attitudes the society. It is for dialogue; they unprecedented joint information, former senator, and actions asserted as much an issue which don’t have to statement from former and presently the reputed and has won praise from far some have continue to deceive Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo godfather of the incumbent and wide for putting Nigeria picked to attack us through all and Ibrahim Babangida would President, Dr. Goodluck even above his own sectional the two former these paper talks”.

The joint have jolted many. interests.

Jonathan intervened. l e a d e r s .

The only other The joint declaration from the The joint statement from However, the statement from former ruler that is two elder-statesmen asserting Obasanjo and Babangida was Direct j o i n t Obasanjo and presently engaged their belief in the inviolability principally directed at an inference declaration was politics, Gen. of the existing structure of the Babangida was in appeal for the cessation of welcomed by a M u hammadu polity was received with shock. hostilities presently being But what was remarkable in s i g n i f i c a n t principally Buhari, has, Not for the content or the waged against the Nigerian the joint statement was the section of the however, shied message, but for the fact that directed at an state by the insurgent Boko complete absence of the s o c i e t y away from joining the two men could produce a Haram group. appeal for the including the mention of President Jonathan the duo. Engr. common message. Nearly a by name or by direct inference. A r e w a cessation of Rotimi Fashakin, year ago, the two former That was an issue for some, Consultative spokesman of the leaders had thrown rubbish at Joint hostilities F o r u m , statement given the fact that both men are Buhari led one another in a public spat A f e n i f e r e , reported to have issues to grind Congress for presently being over the superiority of the though the What could be distilled from with the president.

Progressive legacies they left behind in Babangida lost out in his O h a n e z e waged against the joint statement was the Change, CPC, office.

Ndigbo flayed drive for the presidential ticket deep concern of the two former said Buhari would the Nigerian So when the two supposed the two former of the Peoples Democratic leaders on the progress of the not join them as he enemies sat down together to for state by the insisted that Buhari discuss the fate of Nigeria, nation and the impact of the Party, PDP, in the run up to the leaders has already made inevitably the two men must recurring insurgency on the 2011 presidential election what it claimed insurgent Boko was their while Obasanjo is alleged not stability of the nation. his mind known on have been pushed by superior Haram group hypocrisy. to be too happy with the “For us, and we believe for the Boko Haram fears of the fate of a common Engr. Ralph insurgency. love for Nigeria as it is. The two millions of other Nigerians, the actions, attitude and affinities “These people former leaders according to continued unity of this nation of the incumbent who he almost N d i g w e , N a t i o n a l single handedly ferried from is not only priceless but nonhave not said sources close to them met in his position as deputy governor negotiable,” the duo asserted.

Publicity Secretary of the apex Abuja last week prior to the anything new, except we want Igbo socio-cultural to be economical with the truth. release of the unprecedented Not too long ago, Babangida to the presidential villa.

Conspicuously missing in the organisation told Vanguard: was widely quoted as saying statement on Sunday.

Continues on page 43

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Vanguard, FRIDAY, AUGUST 3, 2012—43

Constituency projects: Ekwunife succour in Anambra WITH the shadow of the face-off between the presidency and the House of Representatives over the implementation of constituency projects, a member of the House forges ahead to showcase her own constituency empowerment projects.

BY VINCENT UJUMADU

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ROMISE keeping is said not to be a virtue of many politicianss. So it was a surprise for many in Anambra State when recently, Rep. Uche Ekwunife gathered friends, associates and political supporters to say thank you to her constituents for re-electing her to the House of Representatives.

“This gathering is not only to say thank you for returning me to the National Assembly, but also to fulfill a promise I made to God before the rerun election that I will publicly appreciate God’s favour to me,” Mrs. Ekwunife the member representing Anaocha/ Njikoka/Dunukofia federal constituency told the gathering that day.

Among those at the gathering were Governor Peter Obi, the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Emeka Ihedioha, former Senator Annie Okonkwo, national chairman of All Progressives Grand Alliance

(APGA), Chief Victor Umeh, and a couple of the celebrant’s colleagues in the House of Representatives, including Victor Ogene, Ogbuefi Ozomgbachi, Cyril Egwuatu Akpan Umor, Peace Nnaji, Ofochukwu Egbo, among others were there to support their colleague.

Umeh, in particular, was outstanding in his praise of the legislator saying that the selection of Ekwunife as the party’s candidate had shown that it is always good for political parties to identify people who would give the people adequate representation, adding that APGA was proud of her.

Effective representation The federal lawmaker, who said she used her first tenure between 2007 and 2011 to learn and master the ropes of effective representation at the National Assembly, promised that she would continue to meet their aspirations by offering them

*Uche Ekwunife acknowledging cheers from the crowd quality representation.

She recalled that every community in the constituency had benefited from her representation through one project or another in the past.

Among the packages given out by her were computer centers, a library, ICT centre, solar street lights, classroom blocks, healthcare centers, roads, rural electrification and erosion control projects.

On that occasion she promised to do more.

Governor Obi who also attended the ceremony commended Ekwunife for remembering those who worked for her and urged other lawmakers to emulate her.

The opportunity was one for Ekwunife to distribute gifts to

supporters and other constituents.

The star handouts were six cars to six supporters of Ekwunife.

The lucky beneficiaries of the cars were 40 year -old Mrs. Nkoli Muoghalu from Nri in Anaocha local government area, 25 year old Ify Onyekaonwu from Agulu in Anaocha local government area, Amaka Onyika from Dunukofia local government area and 40 year -old Ngozi Njelita from Umunnachi also from Dunukofia.

The other two cars had earlier been given out by the lawmaker.

The significant thing was that those who received the car gifts did not even know they were the chosen until the lawmaker

herself began to call out the names. According to her, it was in appreciation of their genuine support for her even when hope was almost lost.

Many others also benefited including 153 widows who each went home with electric fans, bags of rice, wrappers and N5000. A faith-based secondary school, St Loretta Girls’ Special Science School, Adazi, received N4 million for the renovation of dilapidated buildings in the school.

Other items distributed at the ceremony include 10,000 standing fans, 10,000 bags of rice, one million cartons of noodles and 5,000 umbrellas, 30,000 pieces of wrapper, 200,000 treated mosquito nets and 300,000 exercise books.

Haram was formed. I had expected that somebody like Babangida should have spoken since. I thought he would have spoken with his friend Buhari.

Two of them have been meeting. So why is he now with Obasanjo?

“At 72, Babangida said he will wear uniform and fight for the unity of Nigeria, he should, therefore, stand up now and condemn Boko Haram from the bottom of his heart, not with Obasanjo. Obasanjo has gone to Maiduguri to meet the people, why has Babangida not gone?”

Remarkably, Clark did not overlook the matter of corruption as a threat as was done by Obasanjo and Babangida.

In a stunning rebuke of the lackadaisical prosecution of crimes committed by former governors, Clark called for the diligent prosecution of their cases lamenting that in one case one of the former governors, even obtained a perpetual injunction against prosecution.

Remarkably, while Obasanjo and Babangida called for the sustenance of the structure of the polity in its present configuration, Clark demanded the convocation of a national conference to discuss the fate of the country.

With our elders yet divided on their thoughts for Nigeria and confusion in their ranks, it is not surprising that the nation continues to totter.

The sayings of our elders Continues from page 30

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Quite a number of people have said it in the past,” Fashakin told Vanguard.

“The unfortunate thing is that there are many people who are waiting to hear what Gen. Buhari says and use it for cheap political points and that is why the man has often refrained from making statements because he knows that we are not dealing with sincere people but we are dealing with very dishonest people, the party said.”

“Buhari is not like one of the normal Nigerian people that are ready to lie through their teeth. Buhari has never believed that getting political power is a do-or-die affair. He

behaves in true service to the Nigerian people.”

Noting why Nigerians should not expect a statement from Buhari again, he said: “You don’t need to expect a statement from him because he has said Boko Haram is in three variants and one of the variants is the political variant which the Jonathan government represents."

Perhaps that may have galled Clark who in his own shoot out on Wednesday hit at Buhari, Babangida and Obasanjo.

Speaking at the State of the Federation lecture organized by the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies in Abuja, Clark pooh-poohed the joint declaration of Obasanjo and Babangida alleging that

some northern leaders were behind the insurgency and that their ambition was to unsettle the Jonathan presidency.

He specifically challenged Buhari and Babangida to openly come out and condemn the activities of the Boko Haram insurgent group, a group that has killed hundreds of innocent people in its attacks against security agencies and churches in the north.

Growing level of insecurity Clark had said: “Two former heads of state recently made this kind of appeal against the growing level of insecurity in the country, as if they were not part of the system when Boko

44—Vanguard, FRIDAY, AUGUST 3, 2012

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N SPITE of various appeals by many Nigerians, the dastardly attacks on various places of the Boko Haram sect have continued unabated.

It appears as if the choice of targets by the sadists has switched from Churches for no reasons which are intelligible to ordinary Nigerians. If Damaturu in Yobe State has always been a favourable target and Maiduguri, a soft landing spot for Boko Haram bombs, the widening of targets to include Sokoto and other places calls for serious re-examination of this type of insurgency.

Last year, cities like Abuja, Kano and Bauchi have had nasty and bitter taste of the Boko Haram insurgency. Jos has its own problems. Some areas of the Plateau State have been visited by the notorious sect and ravaged by those sectarian war boys.

There is no week without sorrowful wailings of the victims and the ugly scenes of burnt houses and vehicles.

The surprise to foreigners and corporate Nigerians is the apathy of many Nigerians to the inferno ranging in many parts of Northern Nigeria.

Comical disposition The comical disposition of many leaders, including those of the North, could hardly be sensibly understood.

It is gratifying that two former Presidents of Nigeria, one military and the other civilian (with military background and in action) have added their voices loudly on the state of insecurity in the country.

Both General Ibrahim Babangida

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review of the Constitution and allow Nigerians to dialogue on how to live together in peace and harmony, an aspect of the problems would have been solved. If those clamoring for the creation of more States are aware that the “36 States Structure” is economically unviable, the less would be more problems in the future. The more cogent argument is that the present Six Zone Structure should be critically examined and supported, if necessary.

Rational economic policy

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The rational economic policy in the face of looming economic depression and serious unemployment situation is to embark on industrial expansion.

The injection of more funds into the national economy would tend to stimulate effective demand for goods and services; this would allow for the Babangida (as the Military President) growth in output and increase in mercilessly assaulted the naira in the employment. At this stage, there mistaken belief that it was over- would be no need for any tightened valued. monetary policy which has proved to The massive devaluation under a be inimical to the growth of business harsh economic environment did not and employment generation. allow for expansion in the Going side-by-side with real manufacturing industry. It marked economic reform is also the electoral the beginning of cost-induced system reform to increase the inflation. General Obasanjo (rtd) confidence of the people in those who during his period as President was represent them. unable to reverse the trend of high It is a pity that many Nigerians have interest rates and low value of the not yet placed absolute confidence in National Currency. the system that has produced the It is easy to assume that the political National Assembly members and the and economic policies of the former President. Since the return to President were not realistic enough to democracy in 1999, the election of promote economic growth and stop each President has dragged to and mass unemployment. ended at the Supreme Court. There should be an electoral system which Poverty and gives right to every citizen to contest unemployment for every post, whether as a party member or as an individual.

Also, measures which have seen the Some believe, and justifiably so, that the rise in poverty and unemployment cure for snatching of ballot boxes and have contributed immensely in one stuffed ballot boxes should also way or the other to the growth of ensure that voting materials and election officials get to the voting areas violence and insecurity.

The inequality and injustice at the stipulated time.

Though it may be associated with bad difficult for a ruling party political system and to vote itself out through bad economic policy political reforms, the could be cited as advantage to a Statesman justification for as opposed to a party insurgency while no leader is the assurance of sensible Nigerian a future political stability. would support A visionless leader would violence and killings always look at party in any part of the advantages or winning country.

It is elections under any reasonable to believe dubious arrangements, as that the answer to a virtue. peaceful co-existence There is no higher noble lies in the common virtue for a leader than to sense politics and be elected under an sensible economics election which is free, fair backed by a sound and just. administration.

Once Nigerians believe This needs a change that their representatives of attitude by the are properly elected, the present leaders who tendency towards violence should now see the would be reduced. insecurity of the It stands to reason that nation and the with a good political deepening poverty of structure (as designed by the people as the Nigerians themselves gravest challenges to There is no through dialogue), a the country. sound economic Many patriotic higher noble expansionist policy and Nigerians are of the virtue for a an atmosphere free of firm belief that a solid much corruption, the political structure and leader than to enlightened economy be elected under slippery road to anarchy and disintegration would could reverse the be easily reversed. This journey towards an election looks like an agenda for a anarchy and eventual which is free, genuine National dis-integration.

Government.

If the Senate does fair and just sms 07059197616 not indulge in fanciful

The journey to Damaturu pyre (rtd) and General Olusegun Obasanjo (rtd) have warned that Nigeria must not break up. According to them, “A deeply worrying trend that is emerging from this terrible situation is that a pervasive cynicism is beginning to set in, so much so that millions of true Nigerian patriots are starting to question the platform upon which the unity of this country rests.

This is simply untenable”.

Many analysts believe that both retired Army Generals seem to be a part of the Nigerian problem - one for egocentricity and the other, poor knowledge of economics. The first failed woefully to douse the embers of ethnic and religious feelings in the North during his reign while

Vanguard , FRIDAY, AUGUST 3, 2012—45

Terrorism: US embassy suspends restriction on citizens' movement

BY KINGSLEY OMONOBI BUJA—THE United States embassy in Nigeria, yesterday, ended the restrictions imposed on its personnel and families, especially from visiting religious places of worship due to the bombings and gun attacks in several northern states.

It noted that henceforth, US citizens were free to visit places of worship.

In a security message sent to US citizens by Carol A. Cox, Consular Section

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Chief at the American embassy, the US said it was issuing the statement because of noticeable improved security response from the Police, Army and other security agencies in the war against terrorism.

It, however, urged its citizens to be cautious and vigilant in the visits as the situation in the country still remained fluid and unpredictable.

The message read in part: “After reviewing the current threat environment and increased security measures instituted by the Nigerian

security forces throughout Abuja, the US embassy in Abuja has decided to end temporary restrictions on US mission personnel and families from visiting places of worship and the curfew instituted at the end of June.

“All US citizens should use caution and discretion when deciding to attend large functions or visit establishments identified as potential targets and respond appropriately, if they detect suspicious activities.

“Because of ongoing

security concerns within the Federal Capital Territory, US citizens should continue to expect heavy traffic, congestion, road blocks, and significant police/security force deployments.

“All citizens should remain vigilant of their surroundings, limit exposure to large crowds, and keep their cellular phones in close proximity for use in cases of emergency.

“This year, extremists have attacked many locations in Nigeria, killing and injuring hundreds of people.”

KHC BOARD: From left— Mr. Yusuf Abdulwahab, GMD/CEO, Kwara Holdings Company, KHC; Elder Peter Kisra, Kwara State Deputy Governor; Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed; Mr. Mohammed Issa, Deputy Speaker, Kwara State House of Assembly, and Prof. Haliru Abubakar, Chairman, KHC, after the inauguration of the KHC Board at Government House, Ilorin, yesterday.

Ogun PDP sues national officers GUN State chapter of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has commenced contempt of court proceedings against some national officers and members of the party, alleging disobedience to court orders and judgment.

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In a Motion on Notice filed at the Federal High Court, Lagos, on behalf of the State Executive Committee by Mr. Adebayo Dayo and Alhaji Semiu Shodipo, Chairman and Secretary of Ogun State PDP, respectively, against

PDP, its National Chairman, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur; National Publicity Secretary, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola and erstwhile National Auditor, Mr. Bode Mustapha, the party said it was compelled to initiate the action following

FCT launches land-for-infrastructure swap scheme Private-Partnership Ini- to create an 18-hole golf

BY FAVOUR NNABUGWU

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BUJA—FEDERAL Government will, tomorrow, flag-off a N26 billion land-for-infrastructure swap for the Caraway Dallars district in the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Abuja.

FCT Minister, Senator Bala Mohammed, who disclosed this in Abuja, yesterday, said the Caraway Dallars district was the first ever land-forinfrastructure exchange in the West African subregion driven by Public-

tiative.

Mohammed said: “The FCT Land Swap Model will open up new districts if all goes according to plan, where the private sector will be incentivised to provide the required infrastructures within the districts in exchange for 60% of buildable plots in the district, while 40% would be retained by the Federal Capital Territory Administration for allocation.”

He said the new district was designed to have 9-hole golf course with potential for adjoining site to provide land

course, a school, police station, fire service station and car parking facilities.

The minister said: “The Caraway Dallas District involves residential areas grouped into smaller communities and villas, stunning views over the valley.

“There will be green spaces which are softlandscaped parks to provide “green lungs” and recreational areas for the community as well as central area to house the mosque, church, shopping mall, farmers’ market and the health centre.”

the “willful disobedience, violation and defiance of the orders” contained in the judgment of the court delivered on May 2.

The party is seeking to commit to prison the Deputy National Chairman, Dr. Sam Jaja; Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, Chief Olisa Metuh and Bode Mustapha.

Others include Senator Lekan Mustapha, Dave Salako, Ogun PDP Caretaker Committee Chairman, Mr. Ireti Oniyide; Tunde Oladunjoye and Fasiu Bakenne.

Presiding judge, Justice Mohammed Idris, yesterday, ordered that the motion and other processes be served on the alleged contemnors through substituted service “by delivery of same to an adult inmate of the addresses, which the said alleged contemnors had given as their address in previous communications and/ or as listed in the motion.”

He adjourned hearing on the Motion on Notice till August 8.

The act of giving in Ramadan HE non-Muslim cannot possibly im agine the joy that Muslims feel as Ramadan approaches.

The wealthy and the poor, the environment and economy, including all strata of the society are inundated with the spirit of Ramadan.

Apart from the spiritual blessings which every Muslim yearns for, the spirit of giving and care for the have-not enlivens the society and every Muslim is happy.

The giver gives cheerfully, while the receiver receives with joy. Overtly or covertly, this is the rahma of Allah on us. No amount of words can describe how important Ramadan is or the blessings and benefits we, as Muslims, take from it.

No words can describe how good it feels to complete a day’s fast or the joy and feeling of festivity when each day’s fasting is over with gifts exchanging hands.

We cannot pretend not to know that there are many Muslims in our environment, whose fast will not end. In fact, thousands are starving merely because they have no food to either commence fasting or break their fast. We cannot pretend not to know the extent of poverty in this country.

So, not only giving our time to Allah, but also giving our material goods to others is a way of celebrating Ramadan. It really costs us very little to give out of our plenty to those who have nothing. By

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doing so in Ramadan, we learn to thank Allah for all his blessings on us.

We can go round, identify the needy and help them. We can arrange sahur and iftar for fellow Muslims through Mosques, communities and individual.

There was a time a ‘man’ was craving for food to break his fast. As the food was being presented to him— when it was time to break his fast— he heard someone saying, ‘Who will give to the rich, the reliable and the Self-Sufficient One?’ The righteous man answered, ‘His servant who is deprived of all good. He then rose up, took the plate of food and gave it to the beggar and passed his night in hunger.’

It does not matter whether you have so much or not, feeding of people in Ramadan is a huge ibadaa that attracts great reward. The Qur’an amplifies this episode by saying: “And they give (others) preference over themselves, even though they were in need of that.

And whosoever is saved from his covetousness, such are they who will be successful.” (Al-Hashr: 9)

Prayer of the day “O Allah, on this day, beautify me with covering and chastity, cover me with the clothes of contentment and chastity, let me adhere to justice and fairness, and keep me safe from all that I fear,

by Your protection, O the Protector of the frightened.” Amin.

Safety engineers get new exco MERICAN Society of Safety Engineers, ASSE, Nigerian chapter, weekend, inaugurated a new executive to steer its affairs for year 2012/2013.

Outgoing President, Mr. S. Fregene, performed the swearing-in ceremony of the new executives.

They are: Mrs. Justina Okoro, President; Jeff Obahor, President-elect; Daniel Osadiaye, Secretary; Ese Ebinum, Treasurer; Abayomi Akin, Delegate I, and Adewumi Ojo, Delegate II. In her maiden address, Okoro thanked members for their unflinching sup-

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port and commitment to the safety profession and the association.

She said: “ASSE is committed to the professional development of members, student empowerment, and community development through safety training and enlightenment.

“Other lofty goals and objectives, of the society shall include organising of HSE workshop, Professional Development Conferences, PDC, technical papers presentation during chapter meetings, seminars, and community outreach activities.”

46—Vanguard, FRIDAY, AUGUST 3, 2012

Fuel tankers and containers on Apapa-Oshodi expressway...now restricted Okada operators...cannot ride on the expressways any longer

Lagos goes tough on traffic violation

roundabout N20,000; disobeying traffic control will be N20,000; while violation of route by commercial vehicles will attract N20,000. Riding motor-cycle without crash helmet for rider and passenger will attract N20,000 or three years imprisonment or both.

•To test alcohol level of drivers The law also prohibited under aged persons•Smoking, phone calls, eating, others outlawed while driving under 18 years old, from •Restricts okadas operation on bridges to between 6am and 8pm riding a motorcycle with fine of N20,000. Operat•Dismissal, prosecution for compromised enforcement officers ing a motor-cycle in a re•Enforcement not immediate —Ipaye stricted area on or prohibited route will be fined

BY OLASUNKANMI AKONI that in response to agitations one will be above this N20,000 or the motor-cy& MONSUR OLOWOOPEJO of members of the public on op- law. cle impounded.

“Those who are ready AGOS State Governor, Ba erations of National Union of In schedule II, section batunde Fashola, yester- Road Transport workers, to live with the realities Lagos State governor, Babatunde Fashola (4) lists prohibited routes day, signed the traffic bill into NURTW, and other transport and the complexities of assenting to the law, yesterday for motorcycles and tricycle. road workers unions, the gov- our state are welcome law.

The highways include LagosThe new law repeals the old ernment set up a tribunal of and those who can’t should stay stipulates that driving in a diIbadan expressway, Apapaenquiry into operations of the one and makes provisions for away. Those that drive against rection prohibited by the road Oshodi-Oworonshoki; Lagosroad traffic and vehicle inspec- unions headed by Mr. Dolapo traffic when we queue are traffic law, that is driving Akinsanya and that a white cheating us and we will not al- against traffic, popularly Ikorodu; Lagos-Abeokuta, Bation offences in the state. bangida Boulevarde way. OthThe Lagos State House of As- paper was submitted after- low such to happen again. If known as one-way driving now ers are Eti-Osa Lekki Epe exwards. sembly, on July 12, 2012 we cannot reclaim pressway, Funsho Williams avattract a three year passed the bill for the goverour sane society for enue, Agege motor road and jail term, while a first Response to nor’s assent. the coming generaEti-Osa-Lekki coastal road. offender gets one The bill which emanated from security issues tion, I think we have year term and the the executive arm, sought to refailed. vehicle forfeited to Controversy He noted that in 2007, in return sanity to the roads by reg"Between January the state government. over the law sponse to security issues arisulating vehicular movements and July, 2012, there Bullion vans are not and imposed strict sanctions ing from operations of transport were 722 reported exempted from the This bill has continued to and enforcement on any erring workers, another committee cases of accidents on law as any bullion generate controversy in the vehicle operator in the state. was set up, headed by former okada at the Lagos van that is driven in state as some stakeholders are Inspector General of Police, Yesterday's public assent to the State University a direction prohibited for the law while some are bill was the first ever to be wit- Musiliu Smith, which had sub- Teaching Hospital, by the road traffic law against it. nessed by representatives of mitted its reports. Similarly, LASUTH,. Out of this Nobody will be forfeited, Enforcement not immediate, the three arms of government, Waheed Rasheed, a retired number, 568 were should be while abandoned vesays Ipaye Deputy Inspector General of Executive, Judiciary and Legmales and 154 were hicles on highway However, the State’s Attorney arrested islature and the law enforce- Police, DIG, also headed a females." will be fined N50,000 General, Ade Ipaye said: “In committee set up last year to ment agencies.

Main kernels of now, we or three years impris- introducing the bill, compreThe event which was spear- look into the security challeng- the law: onment, or both fine hensive sensitisation is to be need to es posed by Okada riders . headed by Governor Fashola Some of the items and imprisonment. embacked upon in the coming The governor said: “There are contained in the new gazette the had in attendance; Speaker, Schedule (1) sec- days. It’s customary that a law, Lagos State House of Assem- rules that operate in many cit- state Road Traffic tion (2) of traffic of- unless otherwise stated, takes bly - Adeyemi Ikuforiji; the new ies that compare with this state, Law, are the restric- provision fences and penalties effect when it is signed. Of we have been to many of these Chief Judge of Lagos State, tion of trailer move- of the law states that a first time course enforcement may not Justice Ayotunde Adeyoola cities and we comply, why is it ment in the state to offender who rides a take immediate effect, after sigPhillips; members of the state difficult to comply at home. Our within the hours of motor-cycle against nature, the ordinary citizens Executive Council, High Court lives will be better if we com- 6am and 9pm as well traffic and riding on will have access to the gazette. ply with this law.

Some of us Judges and Magistrates, state as the ban on okada the kerb, median or It is only then, real enforceCommissioner of Police, Umar have some parts of the law that on bridges with their road setbacks, will be ment will begin Manko; Area Commanders, Di- we like and some parts that we activities prohibited "We will wait for the law to be fined N20,000, while a subsevisional Police Officers, senior don’t like. That sits well with on 443 routes in the state. gazetted before the enforcequent offender will pay me, maybe not all of us.

The ranking officials of the Lagos Smoking, pinging on phones, State Transport Management deputy governor and I are the eating, making calls and other N30,000 or the rider's motor- ment commences. It is only then that real enforcement will Authority, LASTMA and Vehi- only ones that have immunity dangerous acts while driving cycle will be impounded. start. Nobody should be arrestSmoking while driving will cle Inspection Officers, VIOs, from arrest, but we will subject are offensive to the new state ed now, we need to gazette the attract N20,000; failure to give ourselves to the law because no among other stakeholders. traffic law. provision of the law first." way to traffic on the left at a Governor Fashola explained The new Road Traffic Law

•as new traffic law debuts

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Vanguard, FRIDAY, AUGUST 3, 2012 — 47

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48—Vanguard, FRIDAY, AUGUST 3, 2012

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Vanguard, FRIDAY, AUGUST 3, 2012 — 49

Serial Killings: Women take to the streets in Enugu community

By CHINENYEH OZOR

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his cronies as a personal enterprise to achieve his political ambition using the blood of our children. We are surprised that some of these elements loyal to the civil servant are against our demand for tighter security in Aji. Why are they saying we should not protest the killings? Do they have skeletons in their cupboards?

Our sons are being killed and their private parts removed and people are saying we should not protest.”

Aji monarch, Igwe Osisi Itodo: “Our problems started after the former vigilante was dissolved in December 2012. Before now, the community was very peaceful.

We had an election, but I was surprised to see that the names the community sent to the commissioner for poverty alleviation were substituted. Only half was approved by the commissioner, while another half presented by the top civil servant unilaterally, was also approved. Between December 2012 and now, crime has been on the rise here and three of our children were killed with their vital organs removed. We are worried about this and want urgent stop to this ugly trend. I demand immediate dissolution of the present vigilante so that those we can trust the security of Aji into their hands can be appointed.”

Chairman of the LG Mr. Bonaventure Onuh: “The crime rate in Aji is worrisome.

The local government is concerned about the deteriorating crime situation in Aji. My

JI, a community in Igbo Eze North Local Government Area, Enugu State, has been riddled with bizarre stories of ritual killings since December 2011.

The upsurge of crime in the erstwhile peace-loving community irked the women numbering over 1000 to take to the streets in protest against the incessant killings.

The ritual killers always remove private parts of their victims. So far, the community has witnessed the gruesome death of three of their relations between December 2011 and now and this has sent shock waves all over the area.

The women chanting sorrowful Christian songs, marched the streets of Aji community, demanding immediate dissolution of police assisted vigilante group led by one Joseph Azegba. The women not only demanded the dissolution of vigilante but pointed accusing fingers at one of the councillors representing the area as the alleged brain behind the mayhem in recent past in the area. The peaceful protest was witnessed by the police, army and officers of State Security Service, SSS. Worst among the killings was that of one of the victims, Uche Nwaossai, who was killed and thrown into the family water tank. Festus Idoko was hacked to death while a brother to chairman, Igbo Eze North Local Government Council was killed and his lifeless body found on the road.

The protesting women who spoke to Crime Alert complained of mismanagement and abuse by the vigilante group alleging that criminals have infiltrated the group.

They also pointed accusing fingers on 'disgruntled politicians who want to use it to achieve •The protesting women. their political ends.'

The chair lady of the protesting women, Mrs. Amaka Urama, own brother, a staff of the local governa secondary school teacher and chairper- ment, was a victim. He was hacked to death son Catholic Women Organization, CWO, while coming to work.”

Aji parish told Crime Alert that the women Commissioner of Police reacts: When were demanding immediate stop to the Crime Alert spoke with Enugu State Poheinous killings in the area. She said: “We lice Commissioner, Musa Daura over the gathered ourselves to cry out to the gov- phone, he reacted thus: ernment, the chairman of Igbo-Eze North Reporter: May I know if you are aware LGA, the traditional ruler of Aji and all the of the protest in Aji by the women over the community stakeholders that we are no rise in crime wave since you installed a longer comfortable with the escalating new vigilante? crime rate in Aji. Our sons are being killed Commissioner: I don’t know what you under mysterious circumstances. are talking about. I am at a meeting, call me one hour later. he killings started after the previous Reporter: Hon. commissioner, it’s one vigilante was dissolved. Since then, hour now. we have lost three of our children. Before Commissioner: Yes, what is your probthe dissolution, our town was peaceful and lem? our Igwe, His Royal Highness Simeon Reporter: Sir, I have no problem. I am Osisi Itodo, even received an award as seeking your comment on the protest by the most security conscious traditional ruler Aji women over the killings in the area in the South East. We don’t know what since the inauguration of a new vigilante? happened. Those who were killed had Commissioner: I don’t know what you their vital parts removed. As mothers who are talking about. Whatever you want, put carried these children for nine months in it down in writing and bring it to the Govour wombs, we are tired of passing through ernment House and we study it. these avoidable, gory and horrible experiReporter: It is not the practice. We just ences. needed your comment because by your “We want it to stop. The way it can be portfolio, you install vigilantes. stopped is easy and that is the dissolution Commissioner: I am not the commisof the vigilante which has been hijacked sioner of police (and he switched off his by a highly placed civil servant (name with- phone) held) who is running the vigilante through

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50 —Vanguard, FRIDAY, AUGUST 3, 2012

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Vanguard, FRIDAY, AUGUST 3, 2012 — 51

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52 — Vanguard, FRIDAY, AUGUST 3, 2012

Vanguard CLASSIFIED OPARA—I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Opara Chinwe Rita, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Achike Chinwe Rita. All former documents remain valid.

General public please take note.

Confirmation of Name This is to confirm that the name Abudu Jafaru refers to one and the same person as Gambo James Jafaru. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

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Vanguard, FRIDAY, AUGUST 3, 2012 — 53

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Syria: Annan quits as UN envoy ORMER U.N. Secre tary-General Kofi Annan is quitting as international peace envoy for Syria, frustrated by “fingerpointing” at the United Nations while the armed rebellion against President Bashar al-Assad becomes increasingly bloody.

As battles raged on Thursday in Syria’s second city Aleppo between rebel fighters and government forces using war planes and artillery, U.N. Secretary General Ban Kimoon announced in New York that Annan had said he would go at the end of the month. “Kofi Annan deserves our profound admiration for the selfless way in which he has put

pointing and name-calling” at the U.N. Security Council for his decision to quit but suggested his successor may have better luck. “The world is full

F

Assad accuses Turkey of arming rebels

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•Kofi Annan his formidable skills and prestige to this most difficult and potentially thankless of assignments,” Ban said. Talks were under way to find a successor.

Annan’s mission, cen-

tered on an April ceasefire that never took hold, has looked irrelevant as fighting has intensified in Damascus, Aleppo and elsewhere.

Annan blamed “finger-

ing support to the Tutsidominated insurgency, and on Saturday Congolese President Joseph Kabila called Kigali’s backing of the movement “an open secret”.

Rwanda has repeatedly rejected the allegations and accused the report’s authors of failing to verify their information or consult Rwandan authorities.

Early on Wednesday worshippers poured out of churches and into the streets brandishing banners calling for peace in the east and for unity in the vast country, which is home to nearly 70 million people and around 400 different ethnic groups.

no to violence, to balkanisation and to the pillage of our resources,” said Augustin, a young resident of the capital, Kinshasa, where the largest march was organised by Catholic Church leaders.

M

HE drought intensi fied in most major farm states, including Illinois, Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri and Iowa, the top U.S. corn and soybean producer, as temperatures were five to 10 degrees (Fahrenheit) above normal and rains were largely scattered and light. Crop

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ervations about bond-buying and further efforts would be needed to persuade the Bundesbank before a final vote to take action.

•Mario Draghi open market but would only act after eurozone governments have activated bailout funds to do the same, Draghi said.

Draghi indicated that any ECB intervention would start at the earliest in September and would depend on countries in trouble on bond markets making a request and accepting strict conditions and supervision.

He also indicated that Jens Weidmann, the German central bank chief, had expressed res-

fected to Turkey and the nominal commander of the Free Syrian Army, a loosely coordinated group of insurgents fighting Assad’s forces, is also based there. “The Turkish government plays a fundamental role in supporting terrorism by opening its airport and borders to host al Qaeda elements, jihadists and salafists,” Syria’s foreign ministry said in a statement circulated on state television. “The Turkish government has set up on its soil military offices where Israeli, American, Qatari and Saudi intelligence agencies direct the terrorists in their war on the Syrian people,” the statement said.

Severe drought ravages US

ECB battles to save single currency ARIO Draghi, the head of the European Central Bank (ECB), has reaffirmed his pledge to “do whatever it takes” to save the single currency. Draghi said economic growth in the eurozone remained weak and was affecting confidence in the fiscal bloc.

His remarks were made during a news conference on Thursday, held after the bank’s monthly meeting at which the main eurozone interest rate was kept at a record low of 0.75 per cent.

But markets were disappointed that the policy meeting did not result immediately in concrete crisis fighting measures.

The ECB will also gear up to buy Italian and Spanish bonds on the

YRIA accused Tur key on Thursday of playing a “fundamental role” in supporting terrorism by opening its airport and border to al Qaeda and other jihadists to carry out attacks inside Syria.

Once close allies, the two countries’ relationship quickly deteriorated as President Bashar al-Assad intensified a crackdown in a 17month-old uprising against his rule.

Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan has called on Assad to leave and Ankara has set up a sprawling refugee camp along the border which houses thousands of Syrian refugees. Several military officers have de-

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War wary Congolese protest against conflicts “We’re marching to say HOUSANDS of peo ple took to the streets across the Democratic Republic of Congo to call for an end to violence in the east of the country, where government troops and United Nations peacekeepers are struggling to halt advancing rebels.

The protesters on Wednesday were angry over the four-month-old uprising by the M23 rebel group that has displaced some 470,000 civilians in the mineral-rich North Kivu province on the border with Uganda and Rwanda.

A UN experts’ report found that senior officials in Rwanda were provid-

of crazy people like me.

So don’t be surprised if Secretary General Ban Kimoon can find someone who can do a better job than me,” Annan said.

condition ratings for corn and soybeans have fallen to the lowest since the major drought of 1988, propelling prices of both crops to all-time highs last month.

Extreme drought covered about 32 percent of the nine-state Midwest and about 5 percent of the region was under exceptional drought, the most dire classification which results in widespread crop and pasture losses and shortages of water in reservoirs, streams and wells. About 31 percent of Iowa was under extreme drought

•Obama as of Tuesday, up from 28 percent the prior week.

Exceptional drought covered much of southwest Indiana, portions of southern Illinois and southeast Missouri, far west Kentucky and a wide swath of northern and central Arkansas.

Spain arrests Al-qaeda operatives PANISH police have arrested three suspected members of al-Qaeda in the southern provinces of Cadiz and Ciudad Real.

In a news conference on Thursday, Jorge Fernandez Diaz, the interior minister, said: “There is a clear indication that those arrested could have been planning an attack in Spain or in Europe.”

The suspects were identified as a Russian, a Chechen and a Turk and were in the possession of explosives and poison

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when they were arrested, the ministry said. Fernandez Diaz said one of the two arrested near Ciudad Real was a senior al-Qaeda operative who had extensive experience in bombmaking.

He said that the operation was conducted with the help of other international police forces, and that the explosive material was being analysed.

Repoerts from Madrid, said that the interior ministry were not offering any more details at this point

“but they are satisfied by the arrests and discovery of explosives”.

“They believe that one of the suspects arrested is a senior operative in alQaeda and is considered a big catch, and there is a lot of satisftication with these arrests. “It is clear that authorities see this as the biggest breakthrough since the bombings in Madrid in 2004.”

The attacks on the capital’s train system eight years ago left 191 people dead and 1,800 wounded.

54 —

Vanguard, FRIDAY, AUGUST 3, 2012

Nigerian-born athletes beseech Team Nigeria secretariat H ORDES of visitors have continued to beseech Team Nigeria’s secretariat at the Olympic Village. Many of the visitors, mainly, are Nigerian athletes representing other countries at the Olympics and those who are living in the Diaspora, coming back to identify with their roots.

Great Britain are the greatest beneficiaries of Nigerian born athletes and they have popped into the secretariat to wish Team Nigeria well.

Sometimes, some of the athletes try to speak their mother tongue or come to ask or exchange Nigerian pins.

Christine Ohuruogu. ‘’Yes, I am a Nigerian.

My Dad told me I am from Imo State. It’s incredible. I love Nigeria”, she said in her GBR uniform Marilyn Okoro Okoro. ‘’I came to identify with my people. I wish you the best of luck in the Olympics”.

Abiodun Oyepitan: It’s lovely to be here. You get good feelings being around your people”.

Besides athletes, there have been scores of Nigerians who are volunteers in the Olympics streaming to the Nigerian Secretariat to identify themselves and speak the language. They ask

F – L – I – C – K- S Snow white teeth I

•Ohuruogu

serious questions from politics to the state of the nation and ofcourse, sports in Nigeria. One asked; ‘’Is there stable light in Nigeria now. I

•Okoro

came around with my Dad but we had to change our date of departure because I was scared of darkness”.

For us who have been

•Oyepitan

hardened, either in darkness or bad roads, or unemployment or in killings, Nigerians we are and Nigerians we are going to be . Nigerians for life!

Man who gave Nazi salute at a basketball match fined £2,500 A Lithuanian man who gave a Nazi salute during an Olympic basketball match has become the first person to be convicted of a racially aggravated offence at the Games and fined £2,500.

He was told that his behaviour and that of other Lithuanian fans was “despicable”.

Petras Lescinskas, 36, an accountant from Lithuania, was arrested

on Tuesday at the Olympic basketball arena during the Lithuania-Nigeria match. Stratford magistrates court was told that he and other Lithuanian supporters had been behaving in such a loud and aggressive manner that other spectators moved away from them. There were “monkey-style noises when Nigerian players had the ball”, the court heard.

Becky Owen, prosecuting, told the court.

“He was seen to make a Nazi salute,” while placing his fingers across his lips. Lescinskas, a married man who had come to London for the Games, told police after his arrest that it was common practice in his country to celebrate in that way and it was something he has been doing for some time the court was told.

2012 Telecomes Games: MTN reigns supreme ELECOM Games football event Cup holders, MTN not only

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staved off a spirited challenge by Etisalat to suc-

cessfully defend their title but also made a near clean sweep of the medals in other events as the Nigeria Telecommunications Games came to an exciting end last Saturday at the University of Lagos Sports Complex.

It was a well attended closing ceremony with former Super Eagles Manager, Samson Siasia and ex-international Waidi Akanni joining the top level executives of MTN and Etisalat to cheer the teams. Some of those in the VIP pavilion from MTN included An-

drew Ezemezie, the General Manager, Planning & Customer Management and from Etisalat were Rotimi Akapo, the Senior Manager Commercial Legal and John Murray, the Chief Information Officer, who earlier in the tournament won the 1500m race.

One goal each from Yusuf Abubakar and Alichie Iheukwumere sealed victory for MTN in the final which was dominated in the first 45 minutes by their opponents.

REALLY love adventure. My only fear is that most times adventure turns to misadventure. There are lots of side attractions in the Olympics. Many people come for the Olympics for many reasons. The diehard supporters come to see the heroes of their sports, many others come to make new friends, others come with their families for holidays. For me, I came here on a professional job; to watch, support and report the Olympics. But like they say, ‘all work and no play makes Tonero a bad boy’. Night clubs are alive in London and people are swarming there to have fun and drink away their sorrow. One of my newly acquired friend is going to lead me astray(if I allow him).

He knows all the nooks and crannies of London. There is no difference between morning and night, out here.

Many people prefer nocturnal movement. It is safer. What a contrast to where I am coming from(Lagos).

We have visited places here that made me remember my humble beginning. A young boy who went to Seminary School and would have been a Reverend Father(if not for people like you). After storming out from the underground club, I told him that I need to be alone. Just yesterday, he came back with new ideas that will according to him that will bring sparkles to my life. ‘’Lets go and brush and whiten our teeth. When you smile, people will fall for you. You will have snow white teeth. Your white teeth will be legacy for the London Olympics”. Good idea, until I met another person who relayed a scary story. ‘’It’s not that easy.

Its painful”, he said with a swollen mouth. It was then that I asked myself questions. ‘’What if something goes wrong? I quickly remembered those who died trying to either re-shape their looks, protruding tummy(Tummy tuck) or re-making their faces. It was then I remembered that I am a child of God who should not change what God has created. But my friend was disappointed. He said the truth was that I was scared of the amount. He could be right but my teeth is already white. Who cares about snow white teeth. After all, there are no snows in Nigeria.

Olympic Village News

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O Smoking; LOCOOG officials have warned Delegation leaders that smoking remains prohibited in the Olympic Village and offenders will face severe times. · No Noise: Athletes and officials have been reminded that noise making will not attract any medal at the Olympic Village instead it will attract sanctions. Noise making in the Olympic Village is only limited, tolerated at the Dinning Hall. · Beware of your medals and your necks: Some athletes who are lucky to have won medals at the ongoing London Olympics have been warned to desist from wearing their medals while going to town especially moving to Stratford near Westfield. There are fears that thieves who operate like lightning could rob them of the precious medals or in the process injure their neck.

Ocheho commends teams as Delta maintains winning streak From right: Samson Siasia former Super Eagles coach presenting a gift to one of the Guinness VIP winners at a special meeting of the winners with him in Lagos where he was made the brand ambassador of Jonny Walker alcoholic beverage from the stable of Guinness Nigeria Plc. C M Y K

ELTA State female team continued their good run in the Sam Ocheho Handball Invitational Championship beating major rivals, Lagos I 22-18 in

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yesterday’s first game at the Mobolaji Johnson Sports Complex, Rowe Park, Yaba.

The match was tough but the Delta girls, just like they did in their pre-

vious games, used fast breaks to gain control of the game. The Lagos team enjoyed massive home support but it wasn’t enough to give it the win that would have

seen them go clear at the top of the log.

In the other game, Lagos II had something to cheer, as they edged past Osun 19-18 in a closely fought encounter.

Vanguard, FRIDAY, AUGUST 3, 2012 — 55

Nigerian official bitter over N2b Olympics money•Begs President Jonathan to

Ogba promises handsome rewards for athletes

restructure sports

N official from a sport neglected in Nigeria yesterday pleaded with President Goodluck Jonathan to restructure sports in Nigeria and make it more result-oriented.

The official who begged for anonymity cried out to the President when reports had it that more than N2b had been released for the Olympic Games here in London. He was bitter that the money was released so late that it did not help Nigeria’s preparation for the ongoing London Games.

“N2b can help our sports and help us win gold medals at the Olympic Games if it is released in time and spread over four years for preparation,” the official said, lamenting that the last minute release of funds only creates room for corruption as the whole money is hardly used for the purpose for which it was meant.

“About N2.3b was said to be the total so far released for the London games but I am sure that they have not spent more than N800m on our preparation and they couldn’t have spent more than N200m here in London because the host is providing accommodation, feeding the athletes and providing some other logistics for all teams,” the official said.

He continued: “From the last Olympics in Beijing till date if we used N2b to develop our athletes, train them, expose them and enter them for competitions I will be telling you how many gold medals we can win here in London. But we are still running sports according to government lines and all monies approved and allocated each year must be spent that year and when we have the Olympic games we will be waiting for budget approval and implementation to start preparation at the time others would have finished theirs. The whole thing is wrong. As far as I’m concerned the N2b released for the London Games was more of a waste because the money did not do much for our preparation. It came

RACK and Field, the premier sport in the Olympic games begins today Interestingly, it is the sport that Nigeria banks on most to lift them here although not much was done for them by the sports ministry during preparation for the Olympics.

And apparently aware of the need to motivate the athletes, Chief So-

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A

C M Y K

lomon Ogba the President of Athletics Federation of Nigeria yesterday announced incentives for the athletes.

Any athlete who qualifies from the heats to the semi-final will earn $500 and any one who reaches the final gets a $1000. It is same for coaches whose athletes get that far. These are personal incentives from Ogba and not from the sports ministry.

Murray sets up semi-final clash with Djukovic Continues from B/P

Joseph Sullivan and Nathan Cohen of New Zealand celebrate winning gold in the men’s Double Sculls final of the London 2012 Olympic Games. late and we could have done better with such an amount. I want our President to restructure our sports so that funds released for sports will be useful to sports because we are not developing sports in Nigeria, we only attend competitions where we spend a lot without spending when it matters most.”

What the official com-

plained of has been the practice in Nigeria for years but appears more pronounced now than ever before. The National Sports Commission was even said to have borrowed money to execute some Olympic qualifying events. But now they could have more than they would need to compete here.

Gay ready for Jamaican onslaught Continues from B/P seconds, but his career has been beset by injury problems.

He failed to make the final at the 2008 Games after his preparation was hampered by a hamstring problem.

‘For me this Olympics is really special,’ the softly-spoken former world champion said. ‘To come here and compete for a medal really means a lot after I came up short in 2008. There is a lot of pressure for me, I am not going to lie.

‘There would still be pressure if I did get a medal in 2008, but it’s a lot more now because I really feel the missing piece of my heart is an Olympic medal.

‘I have a lot of driving

force coming into these Games. I am fully focused on leaving with a medal.’

Long-standing injuries have certainly been the key factor in Gay, who has run 9.69 and 9.71secs, struggling to challenge the dominance of Bolt.

He has not won a major global medal since taking World Championship silver in 2009, while he missed almost the whole of last season with a hip injury - a time he described as the toughest of his career.

He is back after a year out running 9.86s this year, though, and insists he is confident in his fitness.

But how his body holds up over three races in two days remains to be seen.

Court One at Wimbledon.The Scot raced to a first set win in just over half an hour before Almagro suffered a recurrence of a shoulder injury and crumbled in the second to leave Murray with a superb 6-4, 6-1 win.The British No 1 will now play Novak Djokovic who defeated France’s Jo-Wilfred Tsonga the semi final.

Golds for New Zealand, South Africa EW Zealand won gold in the men’s Double Sculls and South Africa took top honours in the men’s Lightweight Four after a close final.

World champions Nathan Cohen and Jo-

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seph Sullivan won the Double Sculls in 6:31.67, ahead of Italy and the Slovenian crew who were looking to reclaim the Olympic title they won 12 years ago in Sydney.

Great Britain’s pair

made a promising start, leading the field after 250m and were in medal contention heading into the second half of the race. South Africa won gold in the men’s Lightweight Four.

TEAM NIGERIA: EVENTS SCHEDULE, FRIDAY AUGUST 3, 2012 SPORT

EVENT

ATHLETE

LANE

VENUE

Men's 400 Hurdles

RND 1-Heat 1

Amechi Morton

Lane 3

Olympic Stadium

Women's 400m

RND 1-Heat 3 RND 1-Heat 7

Omolara Omotosho Regina George

Lane 3 Lane 6

Olympic Stadium

Minister goes tough on Team Nigeria Continues from B/P Hassan Yakmut warned that no athlete can achieve success without discipline. ‘’Where there are difficult personal relationships, discipline is down and it is difficult to succeed. We don’t want you to lose but if you must lose, it must not be to other factors outside the pitch – like staying out late at night”.

The Minister also harped on attitude and said; ‘’no country can succeed with bad attitude. We are here because of Nigeria. If we take pride in our country, it comes first and we should learn to make sacrifices. I saw 15 yearolds, 19 year-olds defy impossibilities and make sacrifices as teenagers.

This is first about you.

People still remember Nojeem Maiyegun who won the first Olympic bronze medal for the country in 1964. We remember him but none of you can remember who was the Minister of sports in 1964. I was not born then but we remember Maiyegun because of what he achieved.

They achieved immortality. If you win, you will always be remembered but nobody will remember the Minister of sport.

It is all about you. Nigeria has won medals since Barcelona Olympics and I pray that you will not be the generation of athletes who will break that order by not winning a medal. You stand on the threshold of history and we still have great chance to do well”. A

sporadic applause followed.

Responding, Team Captain of Team of Nigeria, Chika Chukwumerije thanked the Minister and his team and said that his advise has been well received.

He assured that Team Nigeria have 10 days to get things right. ‘’We must believe in our heart what we want to achieve. By August 12, Team Nigeria will have a lot to cheer about”, the Beijing Olympics bronze medalist assured and the athletes concurred with a resounding applause.

The Minister thereafter met personally with the athletes and the atmosphere became double-charged as the athletes get ready to rumble on the tracks of the London Olympics.

VANGUARD, FRIDAY, AUGUST 3, 2012

Minister goes tough on Team Nigeria •Charges them on sacrifice

Murray sets up semi-final clash with Djukovic

S the zero hour ap proaches swiftly for the all-important Athletics event of the London Olympics which starts today, Sports Minister Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi has reminded Team

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Nigeria that no athlete can achieve success without discipline, a good attitude and making sacrifices.

The Minister who spoke to the contingent alongside President of the Nigeria Olympic Committee, Engr Sani Ndanusa, Chef de Mission, Dr Patrick Ekeji, NOC Scribe, Hon Tunde Popoola, Chief Medical Officer, Dr Abdulkadir Muazu and Deputy Chief de Mission, AlContinues on Page 55

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NDY Murray put on a dazzling display for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge as he crushed Nicolas Almagro to move within one win of an Olympic medal.

Murray produced his best performance of the tournament in front of the Royal couple on Continues on Page 55 TODAY'S

•Bolaji Abdullahi, Sports Minister

PUZZLES

•Ndanusa, NOC President YESTERDAY'S

ANSWERS

•Blake

•Bolt

•Gay

Gay ready for Jamaican onslaught YSON Gay, the sec ond fastest man in history, has set his sights on finding ‘the missing piece of my heart’ in London by finally winning an Olympic medal.

The American is likely to be one of the leading

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Nigerian official bitter over N2b Olympics money — P.55

challengers to Jamaican pair Usain Bolt and Yohan Blake in the 100 metres final on Sunday.

The 29-year-old is only the second person after Bolt to run under 9.7 Continues on Page 55

Medals Table Country China USA South Korea France Great Britain Germany Russia Italy South Africa Japan

Gold 18 15 7 6 5 4 3 3 3 2

Silver 11 8 2 4 6 8 5 5 0 4

Bronze Total 4 33 9 32 4 13 6 16 4 15 5 17 7 15 2 10 0 3 11 17

More Olympic stories on pages 38, 39, 54 & 55

QUICK CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 Revenue (6) 5 Self-satisfied (4) 8 Worth (5) 9 Distant (3) 10 Rested (4) 11 Bucket (4) 12 Skilled (5) 13 Faucet (6) 16 Sharpen (4) 18 Box (4) 20 Friend (3) 22 Previously (3) 23 Stray (3) 24 Valley (4) 25 Standard (4) 28 Cowardly (6) 30 Ridge (5) 32 Leg-joint (4) 33 Direction (4) 34 Insect (3) 35 Shell (5) 36 Compassion (4) 37 Serene (6)

DOWN 1 Overrun (6) 2 Fundamental (8) 3 Mature (6) 4 Obligatory (9) 5 Assume (7) 6 Flesh (7) 7 Chasm (4) 8 Through (3) 14 Unprofitable (9) 15 Ban (3) 17 Self (3) 19 Copious (8) 20 Cushion (3) 21 Lust (7) 26 Intellectual (6) 27 Wavered (6) 29 Hop (4) 30 Denomination (4) 31 Obese (3)

YESTERDAY'S SOLUTIONS ACROSS: 3, Attic 9, Relish 10, Turgid 11, Price 12, Swap 15, Dome 17, Kinsman 20, War 21, Topic 23, Hill 25, Thud 26, Model 28, Dug 30, Lunatic 33, Elam 35, Tone 36, Earth 38, Unfurl 39, Recess 40, Alien.

How to Play Sudoku

THE VIGILANTE

DOWN: 1, Brisk 2, Glean 3, Asp 4, Throat 5, Itch 6, Cue 7, Aglow 8, Adder 13, Wishful 14, Psalm 16, Maudlin 18, Novel 19, Wit 22, Cheat 24, Lop 27, Lustre 28, Demur 29, Gaffe 31, Towed 32, Cease 34, Ball 36, Era 37, Hen.

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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