GOVT SHUTDOWN:Senate rebuffs APC

C M Y K

...towards a better life for the people

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VOL. 25: NO. 62072

ONLINE | www.vanguardngr.com

N150

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2014

Mandela left $4m —estate Executors

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From left: Osun State Deputy Governor, Mrs. Titilayo Laoye-Tomori; State Governor, Rauf Aregbesola and Chairman RLG, Mr. Roland Agambire, during the official Launching of Adulawo Technology City in Ilesha, Osun State, yesterday.

GOVT SHUTDOWN:

Senate rebuffs APC •Halts move to stop Gusau, Obanikoro, others •Mark's meeting with 11 defecting PDP senators fails

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AGOS—THE Sen ate leadership has perfected plans to rebuff attempts by the All Progressives Congress, APC, to shut down government by stalling the appointment of seven of the 12 ministerial nominees recently submitted to it.

The Senate leadership in a show of strength,

Cholera kills 35 in Benue

Continues on page 5

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Civil society groups to launch campaign against sub-standard cement 4

BY EMMANUEL AZIKEN, POLITICAL EDITOR & JOHNBOSCO AGBAKWURU

Mr & Mrs

LAGOS HOMS—From left: Governor. Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State, in handshake with Alhaji. Lateef Jakande, former Governor of Lagos State; while Chief Molade Okoya-Thomas and Chief Kemi Nelson, look on during the official launch of Lagos Home Ownership Mortgage Scheme in Alausa, Ikeja, yesterday. Photo: Bunmi Azeez.

2—Vanguard, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2014

Biometric capture of banks’ customers begins Feb 14 —CBN

BY BABAJIDE KOMOLAFE

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HE Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, yesterday, said that biometric capturing of banks’ customers across the country will commence on February 14. The project is expected to start with the CBN and two branches each from 10 banks go live on the biometric project portal.

The apex bank also said that the Bankers’ Committee is working in collaboration with the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) on the integration of the biometric data to be acquired from Bank customers.

Director, Corporate Communications Department, CBN, Mr. Ugochukwu Okoroafor and his counterpart in the Banking and Payment Systems, T.O. Fatokun, said this while fielding questions from journalists in Abuja. The duo dispelled claims that the biometric project, which was a collective decision of the Bankers’ Committee, contradicted directives of the Federal Government on the proliferation of data bases in the country.

Okoroafor said, "The Bankers’ body is working assiduously with the NIMC to integrate both systems for the overall good of the country in her quest to rank among the top economies of the world within the current decade.”

On the allegation that Dermalog, the company to which the biometric capture contract was awarded, is bankrupt, Fatokun reiterated that the German firm was not bankrupt. He explained that the Bank that advised the Committee gave a Due Diligence Report, which did not identify any encumbrance in the financials of the company.

He wondered why such a report could be published on a matter of crucial national importance; even after the reporter had been shown evidence that Dermalog was an active and capable company with proven competence in the relevant area.

He also emphasized that the presence of the German Ambassador to Nigeria, Ms Dorathee Janeteke-Wenzkel at the contract signing ceremony lent credence and weight to the credibility of the company.

Cholera kills 35 in Makurdi

BY PETER DURU

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AKURDI—NO fewer than 35 persons, including women and children have reportedly died following an outbreak of cholera in Makurdi, the Benue State capital.

The epidemic has also left over 200 persons hospitalized in several hospitals across the town.

State Commissioner for Health and Human Services, Dr. Orduen Abunku, however, said his ministry recorded only six deaths as a result of the disease.

He said, ”When we visited the hospitals in town, Wednesday, we reordered six deaths, but as for the number of infected patients, I cannot give you the figure for now.”

When Vanguard visited Benue State University Teaching Hospital, BSUTH, Joluwa Hospital, Madona Hospital among several others in Makurdi town, it was discovered that majority of the patients on admission in the hospitals manifested symptoms of the disease which included frequent stooling and vomiting.

At Joluwa hospital, Dr Victor Adole told Vanguard that the hospital had been admitting about four cholera patients on a daily basis in the last two weeks.

He said, ”We started noticing patients with symptoms of the diseases in the last two weeks. The situation intensified a week ago.

In fact, it got to a situation when 80 per cent of out patients were cholera victims. At a point our facilities were over stretched and there were no bed spaces for new patients. We have so far recorded two casualties.”

He added that majority of the patients who manifested the disease were residents of the Wadata area of the town which is a

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known slum by the River Benue.

The doctor, however, noted that officials of the State Ministry of Health including the state’s epidemiologist had visited and rendered some medical assistance to the hospital, adding, ”We have received free intravenous fluids, antibiotics and other drugs to assist us combat the outbreak.”

Officials of five other hospitals visited told Vanguard that they lost between four and five patients each.

Meantime, the mother of a 10 year old hospitalised victim of the disease, Haji Aisha Adamu, has urged the state government to take urgent steps to address the water situation in Makurdi town. ”So many of our neighbours are currently in hospitals in the town and most of them are also stooling and vomiting, and the doctor says this is because of bad water.

It could be true because we all drink directly from the River Benue."

2 RALLY: Convener of Coalition of Urhobo National Youth Leaders and stakeholders, CUNYLS, Comrade Rex Emojite Ekiugbo Anighow leading Coalition of Youth groups from Urhobo in Abuja as they declare for Jonathan 2015 in a rally held at Abuja. 2. Comrade Rex Emojite Ekiugbo Anighow presenting demands of Urhobo youth to Chief Edwin Clark for onward transmission to President Jonathan. Photos: Gbemiga Olamikan.

World Bank blames Nigeria's poverty on over reliance on oil

BY DOTUN IBIWOYE

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HE World Bank has said that high unemployment in the country was caused by

Atiku formally moves to APC •As Sylva apologises on behalf of Niger Delta for presenting Jonathan in 2011

BY UMAR YUSUF & HENRY UMORU

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OLA—FORMER Vice President Atiku Abubakar, yesterday, formally declared for the All Progressives Congress, APC, just as former Governor Timipre Sylva apologised on behalf of the Niger Delta people for soliciting the votes of Nigerians for President Goodluck Jonathan in 2011.

Atiku’s declaration for the APC followed his renunciation of his membership of the PDP last Sunday. He followed up his action, yesterday, when he dispatched his resignation letter to his ward chairman in Jada II Ward, copies of which were sent to the Adamawa State and national chairman of the party.

Atiku’s declaration for the APC was made at the APC grand rally in Yola, the Adamawa state Capital, where he was

presented with the APC flag and broom by the Interim National Chairman and Interim Leader of the APC, Chief Bisi Akande and Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu respectively.

In his speech after his formal declaration, Atiku Abubakar stated that he will open up on national political issues after formalizing his declaration when he registers with the party later this week.

Also addressing the mammoth crowd at the Mahmud Ribadu Square, venue of the rally, former Governor Sylva of Bayelsa State recalled that he was in Adamawa State in 2011 to campaign for President Jonathan’s in that year’s general elections. He said that he had now come to apologize to the people of Adamawa for giving them a bad product because according to him, the PDP under Goodluck Jonathan has not

performed at all.

The ex-governor declared, “The People of Niger Delta have sent me to apologise on their behalf for coming to the North to vote for Goodluck Jonathan in 2011. We want to assure you that come 2015, we in the Niger Delta will join you to chase the PDP out of power, because the party and its leaders have failed Nigerians.”

Other speakers at the rally included, Adamawa Interim Chairman of APC, Kobis Ari Thimnu, General Buba Marwa (rtd), Alhaji Nuhu Ribadu, Senator Bindo Jibrilla, Senator Modu Sherrif, Mr. Audu Ogbe, Governor Murtala Nyako, among others.

In his one paragraph letter of resignation from the PDP, Atiku wrote: “I write to formally inform you of my resignation from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, effective February 3, 2014."

over-reliance on oil, gas and mineral extraction.

The bank noted in its recent report that though the oil and gas sector and mining activity drives economic growth, but they do not create new jobs and do not help in reducing poverty.

It said, “With more than half of sub-Saharan Africa’s population now under the age of 25, and as many as 11 million young Africans expected to join the labour market every year for the next decade, creating millions of productive, well-paying jobs will be vital to boost economic growth, significantly cut poverty, and create shared prosperity in Africa.”

It noted that despite the increase in the oil sector, 80 percent of the workforce will continue to work on small farms and in household businesses in the near future, adding, “The modern wage sector is growing very fast in some countries, it cannot create enough jobs to meet the youth employment challenge now preoccupying governments in every corner of the continent.”

World Bank’s Vice President for Africa, Makhtar Diop, added that young Africans would find their labour and skills increasingly in high demand internationally, if their governments pursued policies that improve education and job training for their youth.

10—Vanguard , TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2014

IPMAN allays fuel scarcity fears

BY KUNLEKALEJAYE

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AGOS—THE Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, IPMAN, has advised the general public to avoid panic buying of Premium Motor Spirit, PMS also known as fuel, noting that there is no intending fuel scarcity in the country and no cause for alarm.

The National President, Alhaji Aminu Abdulkadri gave the assurance in a briefing yesterday, against the rumour going round over proposed fuel scarcity in the country.

Abdulkadri who stressed that there is stable fuel supply in the country urged members of the public to avoid panic buying.

He said: “There is no scarcity of fuel in the country, marketers or Nigerians should stop promulgating wrong signals over scarcity of petroleum products.

“We are loading petroleum products adequately from all Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, depots across the country and we don’t think there is any scarcity because NNPC and Pipeline Product and Marketing Company, PPMC, have assured us of sufficient stock in the country.”

Lagos worries over extinction of wetlands

BY OLASUNKANMI AKONI

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AGOS—LAGOS State government has stressed the need for partnership with stakeholders in the preservation of wetlands from extinction in the state The state Commissioner for the Environment, Mr. Tunji Bello made the call yesterday, in his address at the commemoration of the World Wetland Day with the theme “Wetlands and Agriculture: Partners for Growth ,“ in Ikeja.

Bello, represented by Mr. Akeem Ogunbanwo, Permanent Secretary Environmental Services of the ministry, noted that the partnership became necessary as most wetlands in the state had been severely vandalisedandencroachedupon as a result of anthropogenic activities.

Mile 2/Badagry expressway grounded over students protest

BY BOSEADELAJA

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AGOS—FOR a number of hours, traffic was on stand still yesterday, along Mile 2 Badagry expressway as students of Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education, AOCOED, Ijanikin, took to the streets to protest what they termed unlawful increment in their tuition fees as well as insensitivity of the school management to their welfare.

The students who barricaded both sides of the road also carried some placards chanting solidarity songs as they kicked off their protests in front of the school gate as early as 9am.

According to eye witnesses account, although both sides of the expressway were barricaded by the protesting students prompting the gridlock to last for about two hours, the exercise was a peaceful one until the Police arrived from nowhere to disperse the protesters with some canisters.

An eye witness, Otunba Adisa Osiefa, said the gridlock lasted between the hours of 10am and12pm as the heavy presence of policemen could not hinder the students in any way. Also, some LASTMA officials had a hectic time controlling the traffic. ‘’It was a peaceful demonstration; there

were no shootings and nobody sustained injuries,’’ an eye witness said.

The students were said to have shut the school gate as they alleged that the management had increased the school fees twice within a spate of three

years.

Also, the students were said to have drawn attention to the high level of infrastructure decay due to gross neglect, citing as an example, school toilets that have been out of use for six months, forcing many of them to defecate

in unhygenic places.

According to sources, the management of the school first hiked the tuition costs in 2011 but reversed the decision following the intervention of the Students Union, but this year re-imposed the high fees prompting the students to take to the streets.

PROTEST: Students of Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education, Ijaniki, protesting alleged unlawful increment in fees by the school authorities in Lagos, yesterday.

Court reserves judgment in vehicle number plate suit

BY INNOCENTANABA AGOS—A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, yesterday, reserved judgment in a suit against the Federal Road Safety Commission, FRSC, over the issuance of new number plates.

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Trial judge, Justice James Tsoho reserved judgment after counsel to the parties, adopted their written submissions.

The judge said that the date for judgment will be communicated to parties by hearing notices.

Fashola launches affordable mortgage home scheme

BY OLASUNKANMIAKONI&

MONSUR OLOWOOPEJO A G O S —G O V E R N O R Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State, yesterday, launched the Lagos Home Ownership Mortgage Scheme, HOMS, aimed at providing affordable shelter for residents of the state.

The housing deficit in Lagos state is placed at one million units.

Fashola speaking at the ceremony said that the new home scheme gives residents of the state the opportunity to pay back for a period of not less than 10 years.

The home scheme ranges from 1, 2 and 3 bedrooms. One bedroom apartment under the Lagos HOMS is expected to cost N4.3 million.

Fashola said the state government decided to adopt the mortgage approach to home ownership since it had become increasingly difficult

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to pay out rightly for houses.

The governor said: “This approach in part explains the reason why a large number of ordinary middle class and working class people cannot afford to acquire homes on the basis of their legitimate income derived from hard work that rewards the dignity of labour. “ Our view of a home is that it is something you pay for gradually and it is a place of safety, well built, safe and sound, to protect you and your family from the hazards of nature such as rain and heat, a place that will not flood or suddenly collapse.

“Today as we flag off this scheme there are 1,104 completed homes while another 3,156 units are at various stages of construction and we intend to start more. As against this, we are starting the construction of 4,554 housing units across the state.”

The plaintiff, one Ofoegbu Emma had in the suit on September 30, 2013, prayed the court to declare that the threat by the respondents to impound vehicles of motorists, who failed to acquire the new number plates, is invalid and unconstitutional.

He argued that the old number plates were issued under the provisions of the National Road Traffic Regulations, NRTR, 2004, adding that the NRTR 2004, is a subsidiary legislation made under the Federal Road Safety Commission, FRSC Act, Laws of the Federation as revised in 2004.

According to him, the NRTR 2012, in Regulations 230 (2), provides that the revocation of the 2004 Regulations, shall not affect anything done, or purported to

be done pursuant to that Regulation.

Ofoegbu contended that there is no law made in accordance with the 1999 Constitution as amended, which prohibits the use of the old number plates, or declares its use as an offence, adding that the threat by the respondent to impound vehicles and arrest motorists who failed to comply with the October 1 deadline, was a gross violation of the provisions of 36 (12) of the constitution, which guarantees the rights of individuals.

He wants the court to declare as unlawful, the threat by the respondent, to arrest motorists using the old number plates because there is no law validly made in accordance with the constitution, prohibiting its use.

4—Vanguard, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2014

26 PDP Kano Assembly members defect to APC

BY ABDULSALAM MUHAMMAD

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ANO — TWENTYSIX members of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the Kano State House of Assembly, yesterday, defected to the All Progressives Congress, APC. Following the development, the APC now has 32 members in the House while the PDP, which earlier controlled the majority, has eight in the 40-member Assembly.

However, the Speaker of the Assembly, Alhaji Gambo Sallau, and three other members were absent while the development was announced.

Speaking on behalf of the defecting PDP members, Rabiu Saleh Gwarzo, representing Gwarzo Constituency, said the “APC is a party that has a clear-cut agenda of liberating Nigerians.”

Gwarzo stated that all the defecting members had wide consultations with their respective constituencies before making up their mind to leave.

According to Gwarzo, their defection was influenced by the outstanding performance of Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, who they said had transformed every sector in the state.

The defected PDP members include the Deputy Speaker, Alhaji Isyaku Ali Danja; former Speaker, Yusuf Abdullahi Falgore, who represents Rogo Constituency, and the Majority Leader, Hamisu Ibrahim- Makoda Constituency,.

They also included the Deputy Majority Leader, Alhaji Yusuf Babangida, SulemanGwale Constituency and the Chief Whip, Alhaji Abdullahi Iliyasu Yunusa, among others.

C M Y K

2015: Politicians laying landmines for us —EFCC zArrests UI student for defrauding Australian woman of $90,000

BY SONI DANIEL, REGIONAL EDITOR, NORTH

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BUJA — THE Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, yesterday, lamented that its efforts to tackle corruption in the country had been misconstrued by corrupt persons as a witch-hunt.

This came as the anti-graft agency arrested an undergraduate of the University of Ibadan, Orowo Jesse Omokoh, for using an internet dating site to defraud an Australian of the sum of $90,000.

Chairman of the EFCC, Mr. Ibrahim Lamorde, made the claim when he received the new American Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. James Entwistle, in his office.

Lamorde told his guest that it was normal for Nigerians to complain against the commission for doing its job, especially during an election year.

Lamorde said: “Most of the times, anything that happens, whether people are at fault, they blame it on someone else.

“Even when there is a genuine case and you go after an individual, they will start saying that he is being haunted because he is this or that. It is a situation that is laden with landmine now.

“So, we have to meander to avoid stepping on the landmine so that they don’t blow us up. It is very difficult. We went through that in 2011. Sometime when election is coming it becomes very difficult to do anything.”

He, however, assured the ambassador that the commission would not be deterred, saying the commission had decide to do its job to the best of its ability.

Lamorde commended the United States government for its continuous assistance to the commission since its inception, de-

scribing the US as a major international ally in its fight against corruption and other financial crimes.

On his part, Ambassador Entwistle assured that the US would continue to support and strengthen the EFCC to tackle corruption and economic crimes in Nigeria.

Even though Entwistle did not state the form the support would take, he said the American government was ready to support the commission in any way it could, admitting that corruption was a serious global challenge.

Meanwhile, the anti-graft agency has arrested an undergraduate of the University of Ibadan, Orowo Jesse Omokoh, for using an internet dating site to defraud an Australian of $90,000.

Arrests UI student for defrauding Australian Omokoh, 28, reportedly met the victim, Mrs. Jette Jacob, an Australian based in Johannesburg, South Africa, on a dating site and struck a sizzling romantic affair that necessitated him moving to Johannesburg in 2013 to link up with his lover.

According to the EFCC, Omokoh arrived in Johannesburg on February 4, 2013, to meet with Jacob who had been in Johannesburg since November 2012.

The commission said five days after Omokoh had arrived and taken up residence with her, Jacob was found dead in her apartment with some of her valuables missing.

After the incident, Omokoh reportedly fled South Africa and

returned to Nigeria, fuelling speculations by the South African police that he might have had a hand in Jacob’s untimely death.

Spokesman of the EFCC, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, in a statement on the matter, confirmed that the EFCC received a petition from Richard Stanford of Australian Federal Police on March 15, 2013, asking for help to track Omokoh, whom it accused of defrauding Jacob to the tune of $90,000 in a dating scam.

The commission said although it swung into action almost immediately to track down the scammer, Omokoh became elusive until a few days ago when he was nabbed.

The commission said the suspect had already made useful statement while efforts were on to track his accomplices and arraign them in court.

Chief Executive Officer, GE Africa, Jay Ireland (left) and Chief Executive Officer, Stanbic IBTC Holdings, Mrs. Sola David-Borha at the $350 million financing MoU signing ceremony between GE and Standard Bank in Abuja.

Civil society groups to launch campaign against sub-standard cement

BY MARIAM EKO

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AGOS — A COALITION of civil society groups and professional bodies in the construction industry will soon launch a major campaign for the standardisation of cement production and importation.

The coalition will also call on the relevant authorities to initiate actions to make 42.5 grade of cement the standard product in the country.

They believe that nearly all the cement manufacturers and importers in the country were in the habit of taking advantage of the lax regulation and lack of enforcement to vary

their pigmentation in favour of the lower quality cement (32.5) which is normally used in building works.

Apart from this, the groups believe that the use of low quality cement was partly responsible for incessant building collapse across the country, even as the Standard Organisation of Nigeria, SON, looked the other way.

The coalition further plans to take its campaign to the National Assembly with a plea that the lawmakers probe manufacturers and importers of cement for compromising standards in the building and construction sub-sector.

It was learnt that the agitators would enlist the Consumer Protection Council, CPC, to prompt SON to be alive to its responsibilities by ensuring the sale and manufacture of high grade cement for the Nigerian market, by punishing offenders.

They will also call for the enforcement of the National Building Code in addressing the lax control by regulatory authorities.

Among other agencies to be reached out to by the concerned civil society groups include the Council of Registered Engineers of Nigeria,

COREN. COREN would be expected to lend its voice to this unwholesome practice of cement manufacturers which, according of them, was endangering the lives of the people.

According to the group, "in the advanced countries, there is migration from the lower grade of cement or 32.5 to the higher level 42.5 specification and even 52.5 with a uniform standard set by government.

"Manufacturers and importers can be held accountable whenever there is infraction or reduction in agreed specification."

Vanguard, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2014 — 5

POCKET CARTOON

SECURITY MEETING—From left: New Chief of Defence Staff, Air Marshal Alex Badeh; new Chief of Army Staff, Major General Kenneth Tobiah Minimah; new Chief of Naval Staff, Rear Admiral Usman Jibrin and the New Chief of Air Staff, Air Vice Marshal Adesola Nunayon Amosu shortly after a security meeting with President Goodluck Jonathan at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, yesterday.

GOVT SHUTDOWN: Senate rebuffs APC Continues from page 1 Vanguard learnt last night, was determined to set aside a Senate convention that the APC senators were planning to adopt to stall the confirmation of the targeted nominees in continuation of the party’s protest of alleged reign of impunity in Rivers State.

Seven of the 12 ministerial nominees had been targeted for the APC offensive at the Senate screening that is to commence tomorrow.

The rebuff by the Senate leadership follows the equally strong snub of the APC plan to stop consideration and passage of the 2014 budget.

The Senate is set to forward the budget to its committee on supply for defence before Senate committees by the Ministries, Departments and Agencies, MDAs of the Federal Government.

Meanwhile, a meeting between the Senate President, Senator David Mark, and 11 senators who last week served him

LIFEWORDS

BY PASTOR ITUAH

Honesty is a very expensive gift; do not expect it from people who are not prepared to pay the price.

TAKE HEART

BY ELLA RANDLE

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IND something more important than you are and dedicate your life to it—Dan Dennett

But how, exactly, do we find that? Surely, it isn’t by luck. Life is more about the choices we make and how they affect and impact outcomes in our lives in living a life of fulfilment, but precisely how you arrive at your true calling is an intricate and highly individual dance of discovery. Still, there are certain factors, certain choices — that make it easier.

Worry less: Wayne Dyer says: “It makes no sense to worry about things you have no control over because there’s nothing you can do about them, and why worry about things you do control? The activity of worrying keeps you immobilized.”

What you should not do, I think, is worry about the opinion of what will people think of you. You shouldn’t worry about prestige either. Prestige is the opinion of the rest of the world. Prestige is like a powerful magnet that warps even your beliefs about what you enjoy. It causes you to work not on what you like, but what you’d like to like.

Prestige is just fossilized inspiration. If you do anything well enough, you’ll make it prestigious.

So just do what you like, and let prestige take care of itself.

with a letter of their defection from the PDP to the APC was yet to hold at press time yesterday.

Senator Mark, according to sources, waited in vain for the senators in his office but none of the 11 senators turned up.

The seven targets of the APC offensive were General Aliyu Gusau (rtd) from Zamfara State; Senator Musiliu Obanikoro (Lagos); Boni Haruna (Adamawa), Hon. Mohammed Wakil (Borno), Abdul Oyewale (Osun), Tamuno Dangogo (Rivers) and Dr. Khaliru Alhassan (Sokoto).

The APC had at the end of a National Executive Committee, NEC, meeting penultimate Thursday asked its members in the National Assembly to frustrate the passage of executive bills including the 2014 budget and the confirmation of executive appointments.

The plan to stop Obanikoro, others The seven nominees from states controlled by the APC, it was learnt, were to have their nominations derailed through the application of the Senate rule that gives latitude to senators from a state to approve any nomination from their home states.

Senator Obanikoro, it was learnt, had been especially targeted by the three APC senators from

Lagos State who it was learnt had planned to openly reject him. Senator Obanikoro was a member of the Alliance for Democracy, AD and a strong ally of the APC national leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu until he defected to the PDP in 2005 while serving in the Senate.

Besides the seven, there were also fears that the APC was also tapping into sentiments among senators of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to also derail the nominations of the two female ministerial nominees from Niger and Kaduna states. The two women were nominated by governors presently in political conflict with their PDP senators.

Asabe Asamu Ahmed, presently Special Adviser to the Governor of Niger State was nominated by Governor Babangida Aliyu who is pitched in battle with Senator Dahiru Kuta over the 2015 Niger East senatorial contest.

Senator Ahmed Makarfi (PDP Kaduna North) is also believed to be enstranged from VicePresident Namadi Sambo who is believed to have forwarded Mrs. Laurentia Mallam as the ministerial nominee for Kaduna State.

At press time, it could not be confirmed if the two senators would be joining the APC plans to oppose the two nominees from PDP controlled states.

Under the Senate convention, at least two of the three senators from a state should give approval to any nominee sent to the Senate for confirmation by the president.

Ahead of the confirmation hearing beginning tomorrow, a very senior senator, privy to the discussions at the Senate leadership meeting, yesterday told Vanguard that the convention was going to be set aside.

“We are not going to uphold that convention and if there is any person who is not qualified for any reason, we will deal with that. But if any person is qualified, we will not get involved in their local politics,” one senator within the leadership told Vanguard yesterday.

“We are going to deal with it as statesmen,” the senator confided on the condition of anonymity.

Defecting PDP senators shun Mark Meanwhile, the 11 senators who changed from the PDP to the APC, yesterday, boycotted the scheduled meeting with Senator Mark. The meeting had been proposed by the Senate President to sort out issues arising from the refusal of the Senate presiding officer to read out the letter of defection submitted by the 11 senators.

But investigations revealed that Mark waited for the 11 Senators in his office for over four hours, yesterday, but none of them showed up for the meeting.

It was further gathered that the leader of the defecting Senators and former governor of Kwara State, Senator Bukola Saraki who was said to have travelled to Kwara State was still being ex-

pected at press time, yesterday.

A principal officer who spoke to Vanguard on condition of anonymity on the aborted meeting said “they (11 Senators) complained they were not given any specific time and that Senator Saraki travelled to Kwara State.”

He said that the meeting was shifted to the Senate President's residence in the evening and that Senator Mark was ever willing to meet with the senators anytime they are ready.

But one of the 11 Senators told Vanguard that they could not attend the meeting because there was no formal communication to them that they were meeting with the Senate President.

Reminded that the Senate President waited for them in his office from 10am to 2pm, yesterday, the Senator said: “If the Senate President calls us, we are to wait for him and not for him to wait for us.

“He is our leader, and because of the mutual respect we Senators have for one another, no Senator will invite another Senator without the Senator honouring the invitation.

“Some of us who are his juniors look at him as our elder brother. But why are you journalists so much interested in defection, why are you not worried about the national conference, why are you not worried about insecurity in the country, about impunity going on in Rivers State?”

He further said: “You are aware that 11 of us signed a letter, whether they read the letter or not on the floor, it makes no difference, it is not a big deal. Even if he reads the letter are we going to form another chamber?

“We are all together as a family in the Senate".

6—Vanguard,TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2014

Three men arraigned for sodomy

BY CHINYERE ABIAZIEM

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AGOS— THREE men were arraigned before an Apapa court, yesterday, for allegedly having sexual intercourse with a fellow man.

The accused, one Prince Kalu, 28, and two others, were said to have sodomised one Joel, 20, against his will at 27, Market Street, Oregie in Ajegunle magisterial district.

Reading the charge, the prosecutor, Sergeant Kalu noted that Prince and two others at large did deliberately and unlawfully conspire among themselves to commit an offence contrary to and punishable under the law.

He said the accused, on the same date, time and place, did deliberately and unlawfully detain one 20year-old Joel Joseph with intent to have sexual intercourse with him against his will.

The magistrate, Mr M.Olubi adjourned the case for further hearing after the accused pleaded not guilty.

...3 others for rape

BY CHINYERE ABIAZIEM

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AGOS —THREE men, Kehinde Adeleye (52), Taiwo Afees (31) and Ganiyu Ibrahim (25) were, yesterday, arraigned before Magistrate M. Olubi for allegedly raping one Rafia (19).

The trio were said to have committed the crime around Alayabiagba area of Ajegunle, on January 27 in the magisterial district.

The prosecutor, Sergeant Kalu stated that the accused unlawfully conspired among themselves to commit an offence to wit: rape by unlawfully having sexual intercourse with Rafia without her consent and thereby committed an offence punishable under sections 410 and 258 (2 and 4) of the criminal Laws of Lagos State of 2011.

While the defendants pleaded not guilty, the matter was adjourned to March 10, 2014 for further hearing.

Obadina: Lagos CP berates his men over killers’ escape zKillers may be small-time robbers —Police source zAs Uduaghan, Fayemi ask Police to find killers

BY EMMA NNADOZIE & AUSTIN OGWUDA

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AGOS — LAGOS State Po lice boss, Umaru Manko, was reported to have decried in strongest terms, during the command’s yesterday security meeting, the way those that killed the Deputy Editor of Daily Newswatch, Mr. Toyin Obadina, escaped without trace.

To this end, he was also said to have issued a wake-up call to all area commanders and divisional police officers in the state to swing into action with a view to rounding up all suspected criminals in their areas of jurisdiction to ensure that such killings do not happen again in the state.

A police source also told Vanguard that preliminary investigations at the scene of the crime indicated that the armed men that shot Obadina may be "small time robbers" going by the manner they executed the operation.

According to the source, they may have shot him out of fright because they could not even ransack his car in search of other valuables.

The source, however, stated that detectives will thoroughly investigate all the clues they have been able to gather from the crime scene, assuring that they are optimistic arrests will be made in no distant time.

Why Obadina died

Meantime, sources at the La-

gos State University Teaching Hospital, LASUTH, Ikeja told Vanguard that medical experts battled hard to save the life of the journalist but for the way the bullet perforated his intestines.

According the source that pleaded anonymity, “our best hands came together immediately he was wheeled into the theatre and we commenced operation. Unfortunately, he had about 12 serious perforations from the bullet and all efforts we made to manage the case failed.

It was medically very tasking but we thought he would survive but for the gravity of the wounds inflicted by the bullet.

Obadina’s killing is most cruel — Uduaghan

Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State has expressed outrage at the brutal killing of Obadina, describing it as “most cruel murder," even as the state Commissioner for Information, Mr. Chike Ogeah lamented too.

The governor, in a statement said: “This is a most cruel murder. Even in wartime, you don’t kill a man who willingly surrenders. This is why I am particularly shocked by what these socalled robbers did. Why kill a man without any provocation?“ Uduaghan urged the police and other relevant security agencies to immediately step into the matter and bring the perpetrators to book, warning that such a heinous crime must not be allowed without the offenders be-

ing punished.

Also, the state Commissioner for Information, Chike Ogeah, has urged the police to unravel the murder.

In a condolence message to the management of Newswatch, Ogeah lamented the shooting of Obadina when he was returning late from work to rejoin his family, noting that “unresolved deadly attacks embolden the perpetrators to continue their evil game.”

Fayemi laments

Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State has called on security agencies to fish out the killers of Obadina.

The governor, in a statement, said the killing has once again cast a thick pall of gloom and grief on the media profession which has lost its brightest stars in recent years.

Fayemi, who urged relevant security agencies to do everything possible to bring Obadina’s killers to justice, said failure to apprehend them could dampen the confidence of the members of the public in the security situation.

He expressed shock that a defenceless citizen could be killed in such a brazen manner, saying that failure to apprehend perpetrators of similar crimes in the past encourages criminals to kill law-abiding Nigerians.

Abatemi-Usman commiserates with Newswatch

Vice Chairman, Senate Committee on Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Nurudeen AbatemiUsman, has commiserated with the family, management and staff of Newswatch newspaper over the demise of Obadina.

In a statement, AbatemiUsman, representing Kogi Central Senatorial District, on the platform of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, condemned the killing of the deputy editor.

Wondering why some people do not have value for human life, the Senator called on the police to do everything within their reach to fish out the culprits and bring them to book to serve as deterrent to others in the same deadly trade of killing innocent citizens for no just cause.

Soldier shoots colleague, tricyclist dead in Ogun

BY DAUD OLATUNJI

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BEOKUTA — PANDE MONIUM broke out, yesterday, in Agbado area of Ifo Local Government Area, Ogun State when a trigger-happy soldier shot his colleague and a 32-year-old tricycle rider, Sunday Samuel, dead.

An eyewitness told Vanguard that trouble started at 10 a.m. when some soldiers stormed tricycles park in Agbado, a border town between Ogun and Lagos states, demanding money from the operators. This led to argument.

The source explained that the trigger-happy corporal (names withheld) shot Samuel of Owonikoko Street, Agbado area dead following his alleged refusal to pay.

The killer-soldier also report-

edly shot his colleague who challenged him over the killing of the tricyclist because of his failure to give them money.

It was further gathered that the soldier took the corpse of his colleague in a bus and fled while leaving Samuel’s corpse at the scene.

Confirming the incident, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi, said the incident was being handled by Ogun and Lagos States commands.

He said: “The soldiers involved in the incident have been arrested and normalcy has returned to the place.

“I can confirm that the incident happened. But, Lagos and Ogun states commands are handling the matter. We have begun investigation and we will fish out the perpetrators of the act.”

A reporter with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) at Jos office, Mr Polycarp Auta, suffered burns after a cooking gas explosion in Jos, yesterday. PHOTO: NAN.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2014 —7

My encounter with robber that died in police custody —Victim L

BY IFEANYI OKOLIE

AGOS — THE controversy over the disappearance and subsequent death of a suspected robber, Joseph Jack, from police custody in Lagos, is yet to be put to rest as one of his victims, Obiora Offor, has narrated how Jack and two others robbed him of his tricycle at gun point.

Offor, who resides in Ojodu Berger area of Lagos, also debunked allegations that he was a friend of the suspect.

While narrating how he was robbed of his tricycle, he said: “I used to work to deliver the proceeds daily but I collected the particular cycle that was stolen on hire purchase at the rate of N620,000 and I used to pay N12,000 weekly. I had paid over N200,000, having worked for over three months.

“I used to ply the Ojodu Berger -Ikeja route and from Ikeja, I would then go to Ogba through Oba-Akran Way. “On that day, April 29, last year, I was in front of Area G Command, Ogba calling for passengers.

“Jack who was wearing an army cap with a bag entered my tricycle. When I got to Grammar School bus stop all the passengers except him alighted and he asked me to take him to Berger bus stop. “On our way he asked how he could get to Boundary in Ajegunle area. Because it was night and I knew he could not get a vehicle to that area, I asked him to go to Ikeja for a vehicle.

"He then asked that I should take him to Ikeja since it was my route. I went to Berger roundabout and called Ikeja passengers so two other people joined us.

“As we proceeded, I discovered that they were friends from their discussion. Whem we got to our park at Ikeja under bridge, Jack then said he had decided to go and sleep with his friend at Ikeja military cantonment and I should carry them to the cantonment that he would pay me.

“I told him I couldn’t go and he said I shouldn’t worry about police harassment and showed me his identity card.

“The other passengers now said they were also going towards Oba Akinjobi way and promised to pay me handsomely.

“I told him that I would collect total of N700 from Berger to Ikeja then to Cantonment which they agreed.

“When we got to Oba Akinjobi, few metres from the Lagos High Court, Jack brought out a pistol from his bag, used it to tap my shoulder, asking if I liked it.

One of the boys also brought out a dagger and Jack slapped me on my back and said I must take them to Sabo, Yaba and I obeyed.

“On getting to Yaba, they stopped at a bar and collected

Woman, 29, docked for failure to report robbery plot

BY BARTHOLOMEW MADUKWE

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Obiora Offor, the victim.

Joseph Jack, the suspect. the key of my tricycle and all the money I had on me. Jack then gave me N200 to buy bread and egg for him. When I returned they had disappeared with my tricycle.

“I ran into the bar asking the bar attendants if they knew the boys but they said they didn’t know them.

“I quickly ran to the Sabo Police Station and reported the matter and the Police also gave me a place to sleep in their station because I couldn’t go home that night.

“The owner of the tricycle did not believe my story and he insisted I must pay him the balance.

It took the intervention of my pastor to save me from arrest.

How he was arrested

“Fortunately, four month after that incident, I was passing around Hotel Bus stop in Berger and I saw people around this same ‘soldier with an army cap’ with the people begging him over what I did not know.

“I confronted him with the theft of my tricycle. He started beating me but people around got the policemen at Ojodu Police division

to arrest him.

“It was established at the police station that Jack was a fake army officer and he confessed to snatching my tricycle at gunpoint. He was transferred to Special Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS, Ikeja.

"SARS operatives made attempts to recover my tricycle from the man he sold it to for just N150,000, but when they got to the man’s place, they discovered that the man died two days earlier.

“The most astonishing aspect of this whole issue is that relatives of this fake soldier who robbed me of my only means of livelihood are claiming that he is my friend. A newspaper also published that I gave him the tricycle voluntarily which was a lie.”

How he died

Meanwhile Jack’s mother, Bose Bajulaye, received the shock of her life penultimate Friday, when she visited SARS headquarters in Ikeja in search of her son. She however slumped when she could not

find the name of her son on the list of inmates in the cell.

“She accused the police of killing her son extra-judicially and using his body for rituals. But the Police have responded by saying her son was killed during a police operation when he attempted to escape.

“They explained that Jack was a member of a notorious robbery gang that specialized in using military uniforms and accessories to terrorize members of the public.

“They also said members of his gang were behind the killing of three policemen, including an Assistant Superintendent of Police, Longus Amuzie, and snatched their rifles, when they attacked a bank in Ayobo area of Lagos.

“They also said Jack, who was in custody before that incident, gave the police its first lead as he identified the bandits from a CCTV footage of the attack.

“According to a source, he led policemen to the home of a member of the gang at Igando area of Lagos but he was shot when he attempted to scale the fence.”

AGOS — A 29-year-old woman, Adebimpe Kosoko, was yesterday arraigned before a Lagos High Court sitting in Igbosere, for being aware of the plot by three suspected robbers to attack one Mrs Sakirat Idowu which she did not report.

Instead, she allegedly received their stolen items with $200 cash.

While Adebimpe was charged with felony and receiving stolen items, an offence which contravened Sections 319, 324, 402, 427 and 403 of the Criminal Code Laws of Lagos State, the three suspected robbers were charged with murder, armed robbery and conspiracy.

The trio are: Idowu Adedeji, 35; Mahmuni Olusoji, 34 and Rauf Anifowose, 30. They were accused of attacking their victim while armed with a gun, shot her and disposed her of two laptops, a BlackBerry phone and jewellery, all valued at N400,000, and $1,000 cash.

According to the charge, the defendants committed the offences on December 1, 2010 at Akiti Avenue, Okota, Lagos at 9.00 p.m but they all pleaded not guilty when the charge was read to them.

State counsel, Mr Afolabi Sholebo, urged the court for a trial date to enable him produce witnesses in court, noting that there was no witness and the defence counsel, Mr O. A Azeez, did not object.

The presiding judge, Justice Aishat Opesanwo, after listening to both counsel, adjourned the case to March 20.

Dollar-bribe demanding Policeman nabbed A

BY IFEANYI OKOLIE

BUJA — THE Police High Command in Abuja, yesterday, said it has identified the policeman who was caught in a hidden camera allegedly demanding for dollar bribe.

The Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Frank Mba, who made this known to Vanguard in a statement, said the policeman had been arrested and is currently in custody.

Mba, who identified the policeman, said to be attached to Isheri Police Division, Lagos, as Cpl Aniyem Chiyem, with F/No. 374171, said his arrest was se-

Cpl Aniyem Chiyem

quel to a marching order issued by the Inspector-General of Police, MD Abubakar, to the Commissioner of Police, Lagos State, Umar Manko to ensure prompt arrest and investigation of the matter.

He added that the suspect, who is now in police custody, is undergoing Orderly Room Trial and if found guilty, will face appropriate disciplinary action.

According to him, “the IGP has commended the unknown whistleblower in this case for his painstaking efforts in exposing what would have been a hidden crime. He equally enjoins other members of the public to emulate this noble and patriotic ac-

tion which will certainly go a long way in checkmating crime in our society.”

Meantime, the policeman was seen in a 45-second video, demanding dollars after apprehending a Nigerian-American and two other Nigerians at a bank in Egbeda Lagos, charging the victims for wearing a navy-like cargo pant.

The video also showed where the policeman insisted the three men must pay him in dollars or be taken to the police station.

At some point, he even offered to show the men where they can change their naira to dollars since the men said they had no dollars on them.

8—Vanguard, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2014

NASS wants efforts against Boko Haram, insecurity intensified

BY KINGSLEY OMONOBI

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BUJA — THE National Assembly, NASS, has called on the armed forces to redouble their efforts to reduce the

problems of Boko Haram and insecurity in the country to the barest minimum. Chairman of Senate Committee on Defence and Army, George Sekibo, who made the call while inaugurating the Defence

311 indicate interest in power sector

BY BEN AGANDE

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BUJA — NO fewer than 311 investors have indicated interest to support plans by the Federal Government to boost investment in the power sector of the country.

The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Power, Mr. Godknows Igali, who briefed State House correspondents at the end of the power sector meeting in Abuja, yesterday, said that the National Council on Privatisation, NCP, was putting together a conference slated for next week to get all investors in the sector to indicate their interest.

According to him, the conference already has the blessings of the World Bank, African Development Bank, Islamic Development Bank, Export-Import Banks, among the over 311 participants.

“Financing is a major aspect needed to open the gate of development in this country. Various factors need to be addressed. For

example, in the power and transport sectors, financing is needed. We cannot say now how much money we will raise, but currently, over 311 investors have indicated their interests to partner us and they have registered for the conference.

“We will sign Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, for that occasion. We believe that when this happens, we will be able to create more new infrastructure and before long, Nigerians will see the change.

Chevron to sell $800m assets to Seplat

BY MICHAEL EBOH, with Agency Report

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HEVRON CORPORATION, yesterday, said it has notified the Federal Government of Nigerian that it has selected a preferred bidder — a group led by Lagos-based Seplat Petroleum Development Company — as the buyer of its onshore oil assets,

Confab: PPA threatens litigation over exclusion

BY CLIFFORD NDUJIHE

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ATIONAL CHAIRMAN of the Progressive Peoples Alliance, PPA, one of the 25 registered political parties, Mr. Peter Ameh, has called for the inclusion of the party’s delegates in the proposed national conference or he would go to court.

Picking holes in the template that allows only five parties that have members in the National Assembly to nominate 10 delegates, excluding 20 others, especially, the PPA, which has a state lawmaker, he said that the modalities contravened the 1999 Constitution.

Ameh said: “It is good to

Intelligence Agency, DIA, quarters in Karu, said: “I urge you to spare no effort in the task of reducing the incidence of crimes and insecurity affecting our nation.”

“I charge you also to continue to be loyal to civil authority, protect our national sovereignty and defend our constitution.”

Sekibo, however, expressed gratitude for the war being waged by the armed forces in dealing with the Boko Haram threat.

He expressed happiness with the superlative standard of the buildings which fit into the quality of structures that had become the trademark of projects in DIA. In his speech, Supervising Minister of Defence, Mr. Labaran Maku commended the Chief of Defence Intelligence for providing quality accommodation for its staff.

set the record straight that our party the Progressive Peoples Alliance has met all laid down requirements for a registered political party in Nigeria both within the Constitution and the Electoral Act 2011 (as amended) Section 78 sub-section 2 which states that a party must at least have a seat in the State House of Assembly and the party met this condition.

"My party contested and won a seat in the Bayelsa State House of Assembly during the 2011 general elections. Victor Prezi is a member of the PPA and currently represents Ekenemor II State Constituency in Bayelsa State Assembly and by this PPA is a parliamentary party."

which has been a subject of controversy.

A source who disclosed it, said the Chevron is planning to sell the assets for $800 million, about N128 billion, to a group led by Seplat, which is partly owned by French independent oil company, Maurel & Prom.

A spokeswoman for Chevron declined to comment, while Austin Avuru, Chief Executive, Seplat, confirmed the firm made a bid, but declined to say if he had been notified that Seplat was the favoured bidder and declined to discuss the price.

The onshore blocks, in the eastern part of the Niger Delta, are still at an exploration stage and are not yet producing oil. The government has the last word on whether the sale will go forward.

A Federal High Court had, Monday, upheld an order barring Chevron from selling its onshore assets until a legal dispute with Brittania-U is resolved.

“The court upheld the interim order in favour of Brittania to protect the assets while the substantive case is still being determined,” Ricky Tarfa, lawyer to Bittania-U disclosed outside the court premises.

“The judge said that the order needs to be in place until the case is decided.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2014 — 9

PDD vs APC lawmakers: Court hears suit on House leadership Feb 14

BY IKECHUKWU

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NNOCHIRI

BUJA—A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, yesterday, adjourned hearing on the suit seeking to stop members of the House of Representatives that defected to the All Progressive Congress, APC, from changing the leadership of the House, to February 14.

Justice Ademola Adeniyi fixed the date after listening to arguments by the lawmakers on why the suit, instituted by the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, should be struck out.

Joined in the suit are the House of Representatives, all the principal officers of the House comprising the Speaker, Deputy Speaker (Emeka Ihedioha), Mulikat Akande-Adeola (The Majority Leader), Leo Ogor (Deputy Majority Leader), Isiaka Bawa (Chief Whip), Ahmed Mutkar (Deputy Chief Whip), Gbajabiamila (Minority Leader), Samson Osagie (Minority Whip) and Sumaila Kawu (Deputy Minority Leader).

All the APC lawmakers that decamped from the PDP were also listed as the 12 to 53 defendants.

However, the lawmakers, including the Speaker, yesterday, challenged the jurisdiction of the court to dabble into what they said was purely the domestic affairs of the House.

In urging the court to dismiss PDP’s suit as lacking in merit, the defendants, in their 18- paragraph counteraffidavit deposed to by one Mr. Mike Msenge, told the court that from prolonged practice of the House, the political party with majority members formed its core leadership.

They argued that PDP “is not a human being but one of the registered political parties in Nigeria. The leadership seats in question are being occupied by the second to eight defendants, who are human beings.’’

They also, insisted that prior to the defection of the lawmakers to APC, the plaintiff, PDP, had majority membership in the House, “hence the second to eight defendants, being members of the party, were elected into those leadership positions they are currently occupying in the House."

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BY MICHAEL EBOH

AGOS—OIL workers, under the aegis of Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, PENGASSAN, have expressed concern over the inability of the Federal Government to build additional refineries over the years, saying Nigeria’s crude output for 16 days is capable of building a refinery.

“To build a refinery today is about US$4 billion (N640 billion). We produce not less than 2.4 million barrel of crude oil on a daily basis and we sell at $108, which is the price all over the world. Going by that calculation, we are making about N41.2 billion daily,” Mr. Folorunsho Ogini, Chairman, PENGASSAN, Lagos Zone, said in an interview with Vanguard.

Delay in passage of PIB

He lamented the delay in the passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill, saying that the Bill, if passed, will address a number of challenges currently confronting Nigeria’s oil and gas sector.

He said: “The question is; why is the PIB not signed into law? Who is afraid of the PIB? These people know quite well that if PIB is signed into law, all these problems confronting the nation’s oil and gas sector have been addressed by the bill.

“These refineries we are talking about, they were built pre-1989 and those who built the refineries recently declared that the technologies used in those refineries had been phased out. What is stopping us from building more refineries?

“The next question you will ask is, where is this money going? When you look at our roads, it is nothing to write home about. In the issue of Education, you are living witnesses to when lecturers

ACQUISITION: From left: Mr. Philips Ayesu, Brands and Products, Ghana, Chief Ade Adeniji, Director, Verdant Zeal, Mr. Tunji Olugbodi, MD, Mr. Ato Sarpong, Director/Financial Adviser, Brands, Products, Ghana, during the official signing ceremony of Verdant Zeal acquisition of two firms in Ghana and Gambia in Lagos, yesterday. Photo: Lamidi Bamidele

16 days crude sales enough to build a refinery —PENGASSAN zLaments delay in passage of PIB went on strike for over five months. Electricity; we do not have and infrastructure generally, in every ramification, you cannot equate us with ordinary Ghana.

“The question that is begging for an answer is, if you are making over N41 billion daily, why is poverty still ravaging the country ? We have the capacity to produce more than 2.4 million barrels per day, but because of the ceiling by the Organisation of Petroleum Export Countries, OPEC, which we are a member.

The Singapore experience

“Singapore is a country that does not have crude oil, they import, yet they have about 62 refineries. They buy the crude, refine and make huge profit. Why is that Nigeria, that has the crude and the manpower is wasting because we cannot build refineries.”

Kicks against sale of refineries Ogini disclosed that PENGASSAN’s decision to kick against the sale of the refineries was based on its realisation that the PIB has already taken into

Boko Haram: Kogi varsity teacher remanded

BY IKECHUKWUNNOCHIRI

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BUJA—JUSTICE Gabriel Kolawole of the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court, yesterday, ordered that Dr. Mohammed Yunus, a lecturer at the Kogi State University, who allegedly sponsored a cell of the Boko Haram sect situated at Igala land in Kogi State, be transferred to Kuje Prison.

Justice Kolawole made the order shortly after the lecturer, Yunus, alongside two other alleged members of the sect, Salami Abdullahi and Umar Musa, pleaded not guilty to an eight-count terrorism charge preferred against them by the Federal Government yesterday.

The government, alleged that the trio had within May and October, 2013, at Ayangba in Kogi

State, engaged in an act in furtherance of acts of terrorism by not only acquiring weapons, but also recruiting new members for Boko Haram.

According to the charge, some of the weapons recovered from the accused persons included two AK-47 riffles, two magazines and 60 rounds of live ammunition.

The government told the court that the weapons were buried in the ground, adding that the accused persons earlier confessed that they were Boko Haram members.

Yunus, a lecturer in the Department for Islamic Studies, was identified as the spiritual leader of the terrorist cell, even as the government said it had evidence to show that Abdullahi, hosted most of the meetings held

by Boko Haram kingpins in the area.

Government maintained that the nocturnal meetings were usually held either at the private residence of Abdullahi or at his filling station, ASKA, at Ayangba market road in Kogi.

Abdullahi, who claimed he could not understand English language, was alleged to be the major financier of the sect in the state.

By belonging and supporting the illegal activities of a proscribed organisation, the government, said the action of the accused persons ran contrary to sections 4, 10, 12, 16(1) (4), 17 and 18 of the Terrorism Prevention Act, 2013, as amended.

consideration all that is needed for our refineries to work and the fact that a Turn Around Maintenance, TAM, has already been scheduled.

He said: “What many people do not know is that, the PIB has already taken into consideration all that is needed for our refineries to work and be a success story.

Do you know what, we discovered that government wanted to rush the sale of the refineries because all the spare parts for the TAM are already in the ship coming to Nigeria and will arrive at any moment?

“That was why some people were pressuring government to sell the refineries as scraps so that when the spare parts come, they would take the spare parts to do the TAM and tell Nigerians that they have done the magic and that the refineries are now working.

Turn Around Maintenance

“We have been talking about TAM for more than 10 years.

Late General Sani Abacha awarded the contract twice for the TAM, but nobody did anything in spite the fact that the contract sum was paid.

Till today, government has not apprehended anybody.

“We insisted that no, you cannot sell the refineries, you must wait for the spare parts to come, do the TAM and let us see what would happen next. Because they are people that want to rip off the nation from the sale, they were pressuring the government.”

10—Vanguard , TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2014

IPMAN allays fuel scarcity fears

BY KUNLEKALEJAYE

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AGOS—THE Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, IPMAN, has advised the general public to avoid panic buying of Premium Motor Spirit, PMS also known as fuel, noting that there is no intending fuel scarcity in the country and no cause for alarm.

The National President, Alhaji Aminu Abdulkadri gave the assurance in a briefing yesterday, against the rumour going round over proposed fuel scarcity in the country.

Abdulkadri who stressed that there is stable fuel supply in the country urged members of the public to avoid panic buying.

He said: “There is no scarcity of fuel in the country, marketers or Nigerians should stop promulgating wrong signals over scarcity of petroleum products.

“We are loading petroleum products adequately from all Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, depots across the country and we don’t think there is any scarcity because NNPC and Pipeline Product and Marketing Company, PPMC, have assured us of sufficient stock in the country.”

Lagos worries over extinction of wetlands

BY OLASUNKANMI AKONI

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AGOS—LAGOS State government has stressed the need for partnership with stakeholders in the preservation of wetlands from extinction in the state The state Commissioner for the Environment, Mr. Tunji Bello made the call yesterday, in his address at the commemoration of the World Wetland Day with the theme “Wetlands and Agriculture: Partners for Growth ,“ in Ikeja.

Bello, represented by Mr. Akeem Ogunbanwo, Permanent Secretary Environmental Services of the ministry, noted that the partnership became necessary as most wetlands in the state had been severely vandalisedandencroachedupon as a result of anthropogenic activities.

Mile 2/Badagry expressway grounded over students protest

BY BOSEADELAJA

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AGOS—FOR a number of hours, traffic was on stand still yesterday, along Mile 2 Badagry expressway as students of Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education, AOCOED, Ijanikin, took to the streets to protest what they termed unlawful increment in their tuition fees as well as insensitivity of the school management to their welfare.

The students who barricaded both sides of the road also carried some placards chanting solidarity songs as they kicked off their protests in front of the school gate as early as 9am.

According to eye witnesses account, although both sides of the expressway were barricaded by the protesting students prompting the gridlock to last for about two hours, the exercise was a peaceful one until the Police arrived from nowhere to disperse the protesters with some canisters.

An eye witness, Otunba Adisa Osiefa, said the gridlock lasted between the hours of 10am and12pm as the heavy presence of policemen could not hinder the students in any way. Also, some LASTMA officials had a hectic time controlling the traffic. ‘’It was a peaceful demonstration; there

were no shootings and nobody sustained injuries,’’ an eye witness said.

The students were said to have shut the school gate as they alleged that the management had increased the school fees twice within a spate of three

years.

Also, the students were said to have drawn attention to the high level of infrastructure decay due to gross neglect, citing as an example, school toilets that have been out of use for six months, forcing many of them to defecate

in unhygenic places.

According to sources, the management of the school first hiked the tuition costs in 2011 but reversed the decision following the intervention of the Students Union, but this year re-imposed the high fees prompting the students to take to the streets.

PROTEST: Students of Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education, Ijaniki, protesting alleged unlawful increment in fees by the school authorities in Lagos, yesterday.

Court reservse judgment in vehicle number plate suit

BY INNOCENTANABA AGOS—A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, yesterday, reserved judgment in a suit against the Federal Road Safety Commission, FRSC, over the issuance of new number plates.

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Trial judge, Justice James Tsoho reserved judgment after counsel to the parties, adopted their written submissions.

The judge said that the date for judgment will be communicated to parties by hearing notices.

Fashola launches affordable mortgage home scheme

BY OLASUNKANMIAKONI&

MONSUR OLOWOOPEJO A G O S —G O V E R N O R Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State, yesterday, launched the Lagos Home Ownership Mortgage Scheme, HOMS, aimed at providing affordable shelter for residents of the state.

The housing deficit in Lagos state is placed at one million units.

Fashola speaking at the ceremony said that the new home scheme gives residents of the state the opportunity to pay back for a period of not less than 10 years.

The home scheme ranges from 1, 2 and 3 bedrooms. One bedroom apartment under the Lagos HOMS is expected to cost N4.3 million.

Fashola said the state government decided to adopt the mortgage approach to home ownership since it had become increasingly difficult

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to pay out rightly for houses.

The governor said: “This approach in part explains the reason why a large number of ordinary middle class and working class people cannot afford to acquire homes on the basis of their legitimate income derived from hard work that rewards the dignity of labour. “ Our view of a home is that it is something you pay for gradually and it is a place of safety, well built, safe and sound, to protect you and your family from the hazards of nature such as rain and heat, a place that will not flood or suddenly collapse.

“Today as we flag off this scheme there are 1,104 completed homes while another 3,156 units are at various stages of construction and we intend to start more. As against this, we are starting the construction of 4,554 housing units across the state.”

The plaintiff, one Ofoegbu Emma had in the suit on September 30, 2013, prayed the court to declare that the threat by the respondents to impound vehicles of motorists, who failed to acquire the new number plates, is invalid and unconstitutional.

He argued that the old number plates were issued under the provisions of the National Road Traffic Regulations, NRTR, 2004, adding that the NRTR 2004, is a subsidiary legislation made under the Federal Road Safety Commission, FRSC Act, Laws of the Federation as revised in 2004.

According to him, the NRTR 2012, in Regulations 230 (2), provides that the revocation of the 2004 Regulations, shall not affect anything done, or purported to

be done pursuant to that Regulation.

Ofoegbu contended that there is no law made in accordance with the 1999 Constitution as amended, which prohibits the use of the old number plates, or declares its use as an offence, adding that the threat by the respondent to impound vehicles and arrest motorists who failed to comply with the October 1 deadline, was a gross violation of the provisions of 36 (12) of the constitution, which guarantees the rights of individuals.

He wants the court to declare as unlawful, the threat by the respondent, to arrest motorists using the old number plates because there is no law validly made in accordance with the constitution, prohibiting its use.

Vanguard , TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2014 —11

Fayose to Ekiti people: Forgive my mistakes A

BY GBENGAARIYIBI

DO EKITI—FORMER governor of Ekiti state, Mr Ayodele Fayose, who is also seeking to return to the government house in the June gubernatorial polls, under the umbrella of the Peoples’ Democratic Party, PDP, has again pleaded with his political opponents in the state not to entertain any fear that he would victimize them when he gets back to office He particularly appealed to members of his party to forget about past inadequacies and support his gubernatorial ambition during the party’s primaries to be conducted soon.

Fayose who claimed to have forgiven those who had hands in his impeachment in 2006,said he would work with everybody The former governor made the statement in Ado Ekiti yesterday at his campaign office during a meeting with the PDP wards chairmen in the 177 wards across the state.

“I want those who still have it at the back of their minds that Fayose would revenge what they have done to him in the past when he gets to power to forget such.”

He said they should not allow themselves to be misled that he

would not be picked by his party, saying he was ever ready to spend just a four year term in office He charged the ward chairmen to go back to their different homes and mobilise others for the June 21, governorship election In reciprocation of the sterling

leadership qualities of the exEkiti state governor, 172 out of the 177 Ward Chairmen at the event declared support for Fayose’s aspiration and wished him well in his quest to rule the state again.

The former governor solicited support for the restructuring

programmes being initiated by the new National Chairman, Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu, saying this would further fortify and reposition the party for positive changes .

He assured that he won’t leave the party even if not picked as the governorship candidate.

HOMAGE: From left: Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuwade, Olubuse II, Kwara State Governor, Dr. Abdulfatah Ahmed and Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu Gambari, during the monarchs' traditional homage to the governor at Government House, Ilorin.

Ogun APC crisis: Amosun, NASS members close ranks

A

BY DAUD OLATUNJI

BEOKUTA—THE unity among members of the Ogun state chapter of the All Progressives Congress, APC, was reaffirmed yesterday in Abeokuta as party faithful led by the state governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun and National Assembly members from the state attended the stakeholders’ meeting on the party registration exercise due to commence tomorrow.

Police nab 7 for defacing Jonathan's posters in Ogun

BY DAUD OLATUNJI

A

BEOKUTA —THE Ogun State Police Command yesterday, arrested seven suspects for defacing President Goodluck Jonathan's posters at the Labour Party secretariat in the state.

The suspects were accused of masterminding the recent burglary of the secretariat.

Those arrested included Ismail Odejimi, Asade Adewale, Nurudeen Ayomatokunje, Nuru Olaleye, Soji Adegbola, Micheal Ranti Adegbola and John Olaleye.

The event put paid to seeming polarisation of the party and reconciliation among its chieftains.

Speaking at the event, the state’s APC membership registration chairman, Hon Adeniyi Fabikun, called on party supporters in all the nooks and crannies of the state to troop out en masse from tomorrow to register.

He explained that registration

would start by 9am and end 5pm daily till Sunday, February 2014 when the exercise would end.

The chairman informed the stakeholders that intending APC members were expected to come with two passport photographs.

Signature or thumb-print would be required but no participant would pay for the exercise.

He urged the stakeholders to return to their constituencies for

Retired civil servants protest over pension arrears in Osun

BY GBENGAOLARINOYE

O

SOGBO—RETIRED civil servants in Osun state yesterday in Osogbo staged a peaceful protest against the delay in the payment of arrears of their monthly pensions and gratuities running to about N1.4billion by governor Rauf Aregbesola’s administration.

They also claimed that 40 of their members have died between 2011 and now as a result of lack of funds to take care of their medical bills.

But a human rights activist, Comrade Amitolu Shittu who claimed to have been rough handled by the protesters condemned their action, alleging that the retirees prevented people on special duties from

perfoming their jobs.

The protest was staged under the cover of police protection having sought permission from the State Police Command.

The protesters matched from Oke-Fia end of Osogbo through Alekunwodo and Orita Olaiya.

mobilization and enlightenment so that the exercise would be a huge success.

The state governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, urged supporters of the party to be orderly and ensure a peaceful registration exercise.

Court restrains Ajimobi, others from N16bn land

BY OLAAJAYI

I

BADAN—AN Ibadan High Court has restrained governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State, his aides and the other party members from using 404.74 hectares of land situated in the Ibadan South West Local Government Area of the state.

Ajimobi and some families in Ibadan have since last year engaged in legal tussle over the land.

Justice Adegboye Gbolagunte, who granted an interim order restraining all feuding parties from carrying out any activity there pending the hearing of interlocutory injunction filed by the families.

The families had instituted the case against Ajimobi and others over the non release of 404.74 hectares of land formerly acquired by the federal government.

Joined in the suit were two commissioners in the state. They are the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, and the Commissioner Land, Housing and Survey.

The land is said to be worth over N16 billion.

12—Vanguard, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2014

Delta hotel proprietor petitions CNS over alleged assault

BY EGUFE YAFUGBORHI & AKPOKONA OMAFUAIRE

W

ARRI—CHIEF Executive Officer, Kayriott Hotels and Suites, Effurun, Delta State, Mr Efe Afe, has petitioned the Chief of Naval Staff, CNS, Rear Admiral Usman Jibril, over Thursday’s alleged damage and assault on the hotel, following alleged naval incursion after a brush between a naval officer and staff at the hotel.

Activist, Mr Oghenejabor Ikimi, who confirmed the petition in Warri, yesterday, said the proprietor had instructed him to probe the public disturbance during which a waitress and a mobile police guard were injured.

Ikimi, Coordinator of the Forum for Justice and Human Rights Defence, said: “One Navy Lt Akalezie Uche, attached to the Nigerian Navy, NNS Delta, in Warri, Delta State, in company of a female friend and another young man, visited the hotel and were attended to at the pool bar by a waitress, Rachael Usen.

“The waitress at the end of stay of the trio demanded payment of N8,500 from them for the food, drinks and ice cream which the said Lieutenant Izokpu and his friends had ordered and consumed, but Izokpu claimed that he had already paid, to the consternation of the waitress, who insisted that she had not been paid a dime.”

The petitioner noted that following a brush with the mobile police

guard at the hotel, who tried apprehending the trio for non settlement of their bill, Lt. Akalezie allegedly alerted colleagues from the NNS Delta, who stormed the hotel.

“In the melee that ensued, workers, lodgers and customers, including Efe Afe, former Delta Assembly member, were severely beaten up and the hotel automatic sliding door worth over N10 million, was shot at and damaged by the

ravaging Naval Ratings, who in the process lined the hotel walls with bullet holes on the orders of Navy Lt Izokpu.”

Police Sgt Samson Ofoyeju, said to have been beaten up in the process on the alarm raised by Lt Akalezie, is presently receiving treatment in Bayelsa State, where he proceeded to so as to be closer to his family, after two days at the

emergency ward of the Central Hospital, Warri.

Calling for the immediate probe of the situation, the petitioner said: “The conduct of Navy Lieutenant Izokpu is no doubt condemnable and unbecoming of a Naval Officer and as such, we call on the Chief of Naval Staff, for a comprehensive investigation into this matter with a view to bringing Navy Lieutenant Izokpu and his cohorts including the nine Naval Ratings to book."

DONATION: Mr. Johnson Ikhinmwin, Deputy Director NDDC (middle); Chris Dayo Ogbeta, Senior Manager NDDC (2nd right); Engr. Jackson Eribo, and others, during the handing over of empowerment tools/equipments by NDDC to some Edo people, at NDDC office in Benin City. Photo by Barnabas Uzosike.

Police ban political rallies in Rivers State

BY JIMITOTA ONOYUME

P

ORT HARCOURT—RIVERS State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Joseph Mbu, yesterday, banned all forms of political rallies in the state.

A statement by the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Mr Ahmad Muhamaad, said the Police took the decision because of alleged increasing political tension in the state.

He said: “The Rivers State Police Command wishes to inform members of the public that as a result of increasing political tension in the state, the state Commissioner of Police has banned all political rallies in the state under whatever coloration or name.

“Accordingly, all public activities involving rallies of Grassroots Development Initiative, GDI; Save Rivers Movement, SRM; Rivers Leadership Advancement Foundation, RIVLEAF and whatever other names, are hereby banned. Rivers State Police Command will not provide security for any group in whatever guise. “ Meantime, the Police said the various political parties in the state were free to pursue their member-

ship drive in line with the Electoral Act. “Party membership drive is

allowed strictly as stipulated in Electoral Act 2010 as amended and Independ-

Group demands better funding for NDDC

W

ORRIED by the under development of the Niger Delta region, a group, Niger Delta Patriotic Initiative, NDPI, has called for better funding of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC. Speaking during a courtesy visit to the Executive Director of Projects of the Commission, Mr Tuoyo Omatsuli, the group lamented the poor funding of NDDC, saying this had frustrated its ability to deliver on its mandate.

Convener of the group, Mr. Michael Tidi, while underlining the preparedness of NDPI to partner the commission for the sustainable development of the Niger Delta, stated that the era of paying lip service to the development of the region was over and that the abandonment of the goose that lays the golden eggs would no longer be tolerated.

Responding, Omatsuli assured the group that President Goodluck Jonathan had put in place a workable template for NDDC to deliver on its mandate and that God willing, a renaissance was about to be witnessed in the region with a new board in place, led

by Senator Bassey EtaHenshaw and Mr Bassey Dan-Abia.

ent National Electoral Commission, INEC, regulations, please,” he added.

EDO 2016: PDP strategises to wrest power from APC

BY BY GABRIEL ENOGHOLASE

B

ENIN—AHEAD of the 2016 governorship election in Edo State, leaders of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Edo State chapter, met in Benin to strategise on how to wrest power from the ruling All Progressives Party, APC, in the state.

The well attended meeting in the Benin home of the chairman of the Board of Trustees, BoT, of the party, Chief Anthony Anenih, had in attendance the host, the Minister of Works, Mr. Mike Onolemenen; members of the state executive council of the party led by its chairman, Chief Dan Orbih, Senator Odion Ugbesia, Mr. Kennneth Immansuangbon, among other leaders of the party across the three senatorial districts of

the state.

Speaking with journalists after a closed door meeting, state chairman, Chief Orbih, said that PDP had almost completed a process that would return it to power in 2016.

Asked if the meeting was about picking candidates for the 2015 and 2016 elections, Orbih said: “What we discussed was a roadmap to Government House.

We are strengthening the party from the unit to the state level.

“I would have given you details, but these people now know that they are losing the battle and we don’t want to reveal our strategies. I can boldly say that 80 per cent of what we need to do on our side to bring back PDP into power in Edo State has been com-

pleted and the days of the deceptive APC government in Edo State are numbered.

“The state government has made our job simpler with the repressive and dehumanising policies it has inflicted on the people of Edo State and we are prepared to f a c e them.

We are c o n scious of the fact that the state governm e n t h a s plunged E d o

people into huge debt they have been guarding in secrecy and workers have never had it this bad in the state.

“We have seen that the Oshiomhole administration has lost focus."

Vanguard, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2014—13

Ugborodo community sacks contending groups

W

ARRI—THE crises in Ugborodo community, Warri South-West Local Government Area of Delta State, has taken a fresh twist, as an assembly of Ugborodo indigenes has sacked the two groups that have been locked in superiority tussle over the leadership of the Ugborodo Governing Board, an arm of the Ugborodo Trust since 2010.

The assembly warned that on no account should any individual, group or institution for now, or the immediate future, issue any statement in any representative capacity for and on behalf of the community.

It said that the traditional leadership structure of Ugborodo, as encapsulated in the offices of Olaja-Orori, Eghare-Aja and the Registered Trustee, have henceforth been given full mandate to handle all issues affecting the Ugborodo community, including issues relating to the siting of the EPZ in Ugborodo.

The assembly called on governments, agencies, companies and the general public to henceforth discountenance any correspondence, publication and meeting that is not entered into and signed by the trio of the Olaja Orori, Dube Omadeli, Eghare Wellington Ojogor and the Registered Trustee of the Community Trust, Pa Eworitse Tsebi.

In addition, the assembly thanked the Federal Government and President Goodluck Jonathan for choosing Ugborodo community for the siting of the proposed EPZ, and assured him of the community’s cooperation, but pleaded with the President to prevail on the state functionaries to desist

from further fomenting intracommunity crises, including meddling into the affairs of Ugborodo, even to the ridiculous point of appointing persons into the proposed committee that will represent Ugborodo community in interfacing with the authorities of the proposed EPZ authorities.

On the proposed community committee to represent Ugborodo over the siting of the EPZ, the assembly directed the towns which make up Ugborodo community to send in their representatives to the new leadership structure in consonance with the proportionate distribution of representatives, warning the two sacked groups, and the state government to stop forthwith CHIEFTAINCY: Managing Director Total E&P, Mr Guy Maurice (middle), at the palace any action in relation to the of His Royal Majesty , Eze Kingdom Elemuchukwu Elena, the Eze Egi of Ogbaland (Eze proposed committee.

Ogba-Uku), shortly after the monarch conferred the chieftaincy title of Uhwo ka egi (the great light of Egiland), on him.

Wike lied, monorail project ongoing, says Amaechi’s aide

BY JIMITOTA ONOYUME

P

ORT HARCOURT— MEDIA aide to Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State, Mr. David Iyofor, has dismissed as untrue, claim by the Supervising Minister of Education, Mr. Nyesom Wike, on a television programme, that the monorail project of the state government had been abandoned.

Iyofor said the project was still going on and nearing about 85 percent completion. He challenged Wike to visit the project site on Azikiwe Road to see

things for himself.

He said: “Work is ongoing at the monorail project. So it is funny when we hear Wike say that work is not going on.

He was a s k e d pointedly about the project and he said, ‘nothing is happening on the mono r a i l project,’ but

Hand over to me in 2016, Imasuagbon begs Oshiomhole

BY SIMON EBEGBULEM

B

ENIN—GOVERNORSHIP aspirant of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Edo State in 2012 in , Mr Kenneth Imasuagbon, who survived a ghastly motor accident recently, has commended what he described as the developmental strides of Governor Adams Oshiomhole in the state and pleaded with the governor to hand over to him in 2016, so that he can continue with his good work.

He spoke at a thanksgiving service at the New Covenant Gospel Church, Benin City, attended by Oshiomhole and other leaders of All Progressives Congress, APC, in the state.

Imansuagbon, who thanked God for sparing his life, while addressing the congregation, said "Governor, you have done very well,

C M Y K

this is the house of God and I am saying it to you for the first time, you have done well. But there is room for improvement, there is always space to do more, so we will expect you to do more and if God wishes, you will hand over to me.”

He stressed the need for politicians in the state to stop politics of bitterness, saying that “despite the fact that I am a PDP man, I still believe that we are all one in this state, brothers and sisters, so we must not allow politics to divide us.”

Speaking also, Oshiomhole expressed his gratitude to God for sparing Imasuagbon's life, saying: “Those who saw you (after the accident) attested to the condition you were in

and thereafter flown abroad and you are back.

Politics aside, you are one of the main players and drivers in the Nigerian polity, economy and society.

“Many Nigerians are aware of your contributions in the education sector, running not a mushroom school, but a school that truly teaches in the finest tradition of modern education though the problem of most of our politicians is that they get so desperate because they do not have any other business address.”

President of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, PFN, Rev. Felix Omobude, at the event, who commended President Goodluck Jonathan for his efforts in fighting terrorism in the country, urged politicians to emulate the politics of Oshiomhole.

I’m glad you can see that work is going on in the monorail and they even work day and night, so that they could meet

the target for completion and the monorail is already 85 per cent completed."

14—Vanguard, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2014

Awka monarch, IG, others dragged to court over alleged threat

BY VINCENT UJUMADU

A

WKA — THE traditional ruler of Awka Kingdom, Obi Gibson Nwosu, Inspector General of Police, IGP, Mohammed Abubakar, as well as the Anambra State Attroney General and Commissioner for Justice and a property developer, Rock Land Ltd, have been dragged to the Federal High Court by a group of people in Awka over alleged persistent threat to life.

The applicants, Comrade Obi Ochije Modilim, Mike Okafor, Hon. Kanayochukwu Obidigbo, Kenneth Nwokike, Maduka Oti, Godwin Ndife, Obidike Mbonu, Chief Emma Mgbogu, Chukwudi Okeke, Rev. Victor Nnebe and Benjamin Ezejiokoye, claimed that the respondents were also threatening them with arrest and detention.

S/E traders protest alleged harassment of Innoson boss by GTB

BY VINCENT UJUMADU

A

WKA — MARKET leaders from the five South East states met in Awka, yesterday, and threatened to embark on a three -day protest against Guarantee Trust Bank, GTB, over the bank’s alleged harassment of industrialist, Chief Innocent Chukwuma, managing director of Innoson Group of Companies.

Addressing newsmen after the meeting, PresidentGeneral of South East Amalgamated Market Traders Association, SEAMATA, Chief Okwudili Ezenwankwo, said the protest will take place in all the towns in the five South East states simultaneously at a date to be decided, unless the bank refrained from harassing Chief Chukwuma, who is a patron of the association.

They condemned the bank for attempting to destroy "one of the country’s brightest business moguls," and called on President Goodluck Jonathan to intervene immediately to avoid degeneration of the matter.

C M Y K

Multiple registrations: Court strikes out Ngige’s suit against Obiano

BY IKECHUKWU NNOCHIRI

A

BUJA — THE Abuja Division of the Federal High Court, yesterday, struck out an application by the All Progressives Congress, APC, which sought the prosecution of the governor-elect of Anambra State, Obiano Willie, over his alleged possession of multiple voters’ card.

APC had insisted before the high court that it secured three separate voters’ cards issued to Obiano prior to the November 16 governorship election in

Anambra State.

Specifically, it alleged that Obiano was issued a Voter Registration Number, VIN, 90F5B88377091121 at 2:18p.m. on August 21, 2013, and another VIN 90F5B15E7D378200332 at 10:25a.m. on September 3, 2013.

According to APC, “further investigation revealed that Obiano, Maduabuchi Willie had earlier registered at Ifako/Soluyi Ward 2, Polling Unit 060-Junction of Ramot Oluwakemi Street, Kosofe Local Government Area of Lagos State, with a Voter Registered Number, VIN, 90F5B12B01296204172, with a

serial number 461.”

Consequently, the opposition party, through its counsel Mr. John Anietor, applied for an order of mandamus to compel the Inspector-General of Police to prosecute Obiano for the offence of multiple voters registration in accordance with section 12(2) of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended), and section 4 and 23 of the Police Act, Cap P19 LFN, 2004.

However, in his ruling, Justice Gabriel Kolawole, who noted that APC approached the court through a motion ex-parte, stressed that no supporting affi-

INSPECTATION: Minister of Aviation, Princess Stella Oduah, flanked by site engineers while inspecting construction of the new Enugu International Airport, Enugu, weekend.

davit was deposed in support of the allegations.

More over, Justice Kolawole, held that the APC ought to have joined Obiano to the suit, considering that his rights would be adversely affected should the court grant the application as prayed.

“Granting such prayer against a party who is not before me cannot be in tandem with the letters and spirit of the law. The motion ex-parte is hereby refused and the case accordingly struck out,” Justice Kolawole held.

APC earlier told the court that though it had by a letter dated November 21, 2013, four days before the Anambra poll, invited both INEC and IG to investigate and prosecute the allegation of multiple registration, “the first and second respondents ignored, failed and neglected to prosecute Obiano Maduabuchi Willie upon the facts and evidence of multiple voters’ registration.”

The applicant also tendered the said letter it wrote to both INEC and the IG and copies of the multiple voters registration of Obiano marked Exhibits A, B1, B2 and C respectively.

In their 12-paragraphed verifying affidavit deposed to by one Alhaji Shuaibu Umar who identified himself as the Executive Assistant to the interim National Secretary of the APC, the applicant, insisted that it would be in the interest of justice and democratic governance to hear and grant the application.

Anambra PDP crisis deepens, chairman accused of anti-party activity

BY ENYIM ENYIM

O

NITSHA — THE crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Anambra State, yesterday, deepened as some members of the ex-

ecutive, led by Ken Emeakayi, kicked against alleged plot to sack them from office in an on going harmonisation by stakeholders.

Addressing reporters in Awka, the state vice chairman, Sir Amechi Onowum, and treasurer,

Mr. Chudi Okasia, described as unconstitutional the on-going exercise when their tenure would not expire until October this year.

They said: “ There is no provision of harmonisation in the PDP constitution. This is a grand design by our Abuja politicians who

Indian specialist hospital crashes medical fees for patients

BY VICTORIA OJEME

A

BUJA — THE Indian spe cialist hospital in Nigeria, Primus International Super Specialty Hospital, has announced downward review of all its investigation, medicine and surgical procedure rates, including free consultation with specialist from yesterday to February 15, 2014 The hospital management said the decision to crash its fees was part of its corporate social responsibility to open its services and state-of- the-art equipment to Ni-

gerian patients, majority of whom could not afford to go abroad.

Medical tourism was reported to cost Nigeria as much as between $300 and $400 million in foreign exchange annually.

The hospital’s Public Relations Officer, Alhaji Umaru Jibia, said in a statement made available to journalists in Abuja that the hospital would provide free consultation for hip joint, back pain, deafness, ENT, gynecology (fibroid), IVF cardiology, internal medicine and diabetes, urology, kidney transplant, dialysis, plastic and cosmetic surgery, weight loss surgery, HIV, hemorrhoids

and fistular during the period.

“Also during this camp, we are going to use the most advanced 1.5 M.R.I, C.T scan machine. The management has also allocated N2 million as reserved fund which will be utilised for treatment for the poor and needy during this health camp,” Jibia said.

It would be recalled that the hospital had, in conjunction with Health and Human Service Secretariat, Federal Capital Territory Area, FCTA, last year, conducted over six free health camps in 2013 at Wuse, Garki, Deidei and Gudu markets for traders and the general public.

cause problem in the party to achieve their selfish interest.

“We want the new chairman to know the problem in Anambra PDP, that there is harmonisation going on in the state party and the plot is to remove 28 of us, leaving Ken Emeakayi as chairman, when we were elected to serve for a four-year tenure. ”We are appealing to the new national chairman to allow us to remain in office till October this year when our tenure will expire or alternatively dissolve the entire executive and not make Emeakayi a sacred cow.”

According to the duo, the problem of PDP in the state is not harmonisation of leadership but that of corruption by some leaders of the party in the state.

The duo accused Emeakayi of anti-party activity, having declared that both recent governorship and local government elections adjudged a charade were free and fair and had personally attended APGA swearing- in ceremony of its elected members.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2014—15

Defection: Atiku writes Jada Ward 11 Chairman of his resignation from PDP

BY HENRY UMORU

A

BUJA — FORMER Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, has formally written Jada 11 ward chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, notifying him of his defection from the party to the All Progressives Congress, APC. Atiku Abubakar, in a letter dated February 3, 2014 and addressed to the ward chairman, said: “I write to formally inform you of my resignation from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, effective February 3, 2014. The attached press INAUGURATION: From left, All Progressives Congress, APC, National Interim Publicstatement that I issued today outlines ity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed; Vice Chairman, North Central Zone, APC, Gen. my reasons for resigning from the PDP.” Abdullahi Ahmed (rtd); Senator representing Kwara Central, Dr. Abubakar Bukola SaIn the letter entitled, “Resignation raki, CON, and Kwara State Governor, Dr. Abdulfatah Ahmed, during the inauguration from the Peoples Democratic Party, of Kwara State Interim Executive, APC, in Ilorin, yesterday.

PDP,” the former Vice President also copied the PDP chairman, Jada Local Government Area, Adamawa State; state chairman of Adamawa PDP and PDP National Chairman, Alhaji Adamu Mu'azu.

Atiku had, in a press statement, Sunday, dumped the PDP for APC, identified marginalisation, humiliation, lack of internal democracy, lack of inclusiveness, among others, as the reason responsible for his action

BY CHRIS OCHAYI er plants were being established 2005, “we should by now have The statement read: “In 2006, without due regard to gas supply procured more than 7000 megaas a result of my firm stand in or transmission capacities. watts if we had prudently impledefence of our constitution and BUJA — THE Nigerian He said: “Today, we have powmented power procurement as our democracy, my supporters Electricity Regulatory er plants proposed or being built required by the Act.” and I were pushed out of our parThe Act, he said, provided a ty, the Peoples Democratic Party, Commission, NERC, has said in places where there are no gas a party that we worked tirelessly that the over N10 billion invest- transportation and transmission framework for procurement of power and other services to enwith other compatriots to build as ed by the Federal Government facilities.

“The case of the Nigerian Inte- sure prudence and transparena vehicle to restore democracy to to secure over 5000 megawatts of electricity under the Nigerian In- grated Power Project, NIPP, comes cy, stressing that this process had our country.

“We later returned to that party tegrated Power Projects, NIPP, in to mind. Government invested not been followed, though the in 2009 when a new leadership Niger Delta areas was wasting over N10 billion to procure over NIPP was well intentioned.

“The former President Oluseof the party and the country prom- away due to gas supply chal- 5000 megawatts in the Niger Dellenge. ta area without proper planning gun Obasanjo’s government took ised a new direction, a direction Chairman of NERC, Dr. Sam about gas supply and transmis- the bold initiative of setting up of inclusiveness, of internal deindependent power plants in the mocracy, of an end to impunity, Amadi, who disclosed this at a sion facilities.

“Today, despite the plants be- Niger Delta states as a strategic adherence to the rule of law and forum of Enugu Chamber of respect for the dignity of mem- Commerce, Industry, Mines and ing commissioned, because of gas response to both the energy and Agriculture, said most of the supply challenges which were not Niger Delta crisis. bers and Nigerians.

“But unfortunately, the NIPPs ”Sadly, however, those promis- projects were struggling to com- adequately considered before the es have not been kept. In addi- mence operations because gas project procurement, most are had been a byword about how tion, the PDP continues to be be- supply was not adequately con- struggling to commence opera- not to manage a project in the power sector. It starts with procset with many crises, mostly lead- sidered before the procurement. tion.”

He said part of the problems in Amadi recalled that since the ess of procurement that lacks ership-induced crises." the sector was the fact that pow- enactment of the reform Act in transparency and accountability.

“Thankfully today, the Jonathan administration has repositioned the NIPPs such that they have been commissioned and we expect to have additional 5000mw capacity from them,” he

BY SONI DANIEl, Regional the influence of the opposition in to as many APC lawmakers, who said.

Editor, North NASS and brighten its chances are unsure of securing their parEmphasising the effect of of winning the next election con- ty tickets for the next election, to defective procurement in the seccross over to the ruling party and tor, Dr. Amadi said since 1999, vincingly.

N A spirited move to halt Under the arrangement, said to be given an automatic ticket for over N20 billion might have mass defection to the All Pro- have been adopted by the lead- the poll. been spent on various projects gressives Congress, APC, the ership of the party after a series According to a well-placed to boost electricity.

Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, of meetings among PDP NASS source, the potential defectors According to him, part of the and the Presidency have dangled leadership, the Presidency and from the APC to the PDP are to problem was that process for proautomatic tickets in respect of the the National Chairman, Adamu be given adequate security and curing the services was neither 2015 election to its members in Mu’azu, a strong lobby group campaign funding by the govern- transparent nor prudent. the National Assembly, NASS. had been raised to railroad will- ment to ensure that they win the “They did not go through regBut the automatic tickets are to ing APC members to defect to the election and add to the fortunes ulatory review. Since the regugo to only first-timers in NASS ruling party in the days ahead. of the ruling party. lator did not approve these and opposition lawmakers willThe lobby group is said to have projects he cannot establish Findings by Vanguard revealed ing to dump their parties, partic- that the presidential lobby team recorded some achievements re- whether they were procured at ularly the APC, for the ruling PDP. is spearheaded by a pro-Jonath- sulting in the recent defections all or at reasonable prices.

Vanguard learnt that the rul- an lawmaker from Abia State, who of APC members from Benue, “One important aspect of the ing party had raised a strong lob- is also being pencilled down as Adamawa and Nasarawa states work of the regulator is to superby team with a view to convinc- the next governor of the state. to the PDP. vise transparent and timely proing many APC lawmakers to Deputy Leader of the House of curement of services in the in The brief of the team, accordcross over to the PDP and reduce ing to findings, included talking

Gas supply challenge stalls FG’s N10bn NIPP projects — NERC A

2015: Presidency, PDP offer incentives to halt mass defection to APC

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Nigeria's anti-gay law draconian — Pocock

BY VICTORIA OJEME

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BUJA — THE British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Ambasador Andrew Pocock, has described the anti-gay law recently signed by President Goodluck Jonathan as draconian, saying that informed his government’s opposition to it.

Speaking at the reception for Nigerian Chevening scholars in Abuja, Ambasador Pocock said the law was also likely to conflict with provisions of the Nigerian constitution that guaranteed the rights of the citizenry.

He dismissed as incorrect the perception of western antagonism to the law, insisting that the law would not affect the cordial relations between Nigeria and United Kingdom.

He said: “We think it is unnecessarily draconian, it seems to us to be at least potential in conflict in terms of its penalties with parts of the Nigerian constitution that defends individual rights and with parts of international instruments that Nigeria is a party to. ”We have expressed our disappointments as well as many other Nigeria’s international friends. Because we look very much at our relationship with Nigeria as a partnership we feel we can speak plainly to each other without threatening the basis of the relationship, so we have done that in this case; we hope now to be able to move on.

“There is a myth going on around that western countries have been trying to force Nigeria to accept same sex marriage, we have never tried to do that, no western country is trying to force Nigeria to accept this, that is a matter for Nigerian.

“Our disagreement with Nigerian government over this piece of legislation is in no way connected to our development programme.

“Our development programme is based on objective criteria on analysis of the needs of poor people in this country and wish also to bring input of many kinds into addressing some of the fundamental causes of poverty and of conflict in this country, those things remain extremely important to us and we think they are also very important to Nigeria.

“So we have no intention of linking our aid programmes driven by those fundamental requirements to a question like legislation. So as I said we can express our disappointment and find ways of addressing it but it is not linked to our development programme.”

16—Vanguard, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2014

Sambo, CAN, NOSCEF condemn killing of Islamic scholar, wife, son

BY SAM EYOBOKA

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HE VICE President, Namadi Sambo and two Northern Christian associations, Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN in the 19 northern states and Abuja as well as the Christian Elders’ Forum of Northern States, NOSCEF, yesterday, condemned the murder of popular Islamic scholar and preacher, Sheikh Muhammad Albani, in Zaria, Kaduna State, alongside his wife and son, weekend.

Sambo expressed shock over

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the killing of the Islamic scholar, by some unidentified gunmen, suspected to be members of the Boko Haram insurgents.

This was contained in a statement by his Special Adviser, Media and Publicity, Alhaji Umar Sani, yesterday.

Also, in separate reactions last night, CAN in 19 Northern states and NOSCEF eulogised the rare display of courage of the scholar in opposing the terrorist attacks of the proscribed Boko Haram sect, just as the forum flayed the Federal Government on the lin-

gering insecurity in the North.

Sambo said: ‘’It is with a deep sense of shock and sadness that the Vice President, Arc. Mohammed Namadi Sambo received the sudden and tragic demise of Sheikh Albani and some members of his family.

The Vice President condemned in the strongest terms these senseless killings of innocent people by mindless assassins who have no regard for the sanctity of human life. ’’I commiserate with the family of the deceased over this sorrow-

ful and great loss,’’ he said and implored members of the family of the deceased, his students and indeed the entire Ummah to have the fortitude to bear this irreparable loss. I also pray the Almighty Allah to grant the soul of the departed Aljannat firdaus,’’ he added.

However, while condemning the dastardly act, NOSCEF in a statement made available to newsmen in Kano and co-signed by the forum’s chairman, Elder Olaiya Phillips and national secretary, Emmanuel Danjuma

Subilim, said: “We in NOSCEF believe that all Nigerians have the right to speak out and worship freely, without the threat of violence or intimidation. And we demand that action be taken to protect these freedoms for all Nigerians, including both Christians and Muslims. ”He was a well-respected leader of his community and Islamic scholar. He has shown great courage in opposing the Boko Haram terrorists.

Once again, the enemies of religious beliefs have sought to silence the voice of a champion of faith,” the statement added.

NOSCEF also called on the Federal Government to ensure that the lives of peaceful Christian and Muslim faithful are protected, especially in the face of escalating insecurity in the Northern part of the country.

“We ask: how many more people of faith must be murdered before the necessary action is taken to safeguard the simple act of worship?

"Today, the people of Northern Nigeria, of all religions, stand together to mourn the passing of a fellow patriot. May he, his wife and son truly rest in peace. On behalf of NOSCEF and people of faith across Northern Nigeria, we express our deepest condolences to the family of Sheikh Muhamman Auwal Albani Zaria,” the statement added.

In a telephone interview last night, the PRO of Northern CAN, Elder Sunday Oibe urged the Federal Government as well as the state chief executives of northern to strive to find a lasting solution to the menace of terrorism.

While condemning the murder of the Sheikh and the recent killing of Christians in Adamawa State, the Northern CAN spokesman offered the condolences of Northern CAN, saying the governors in the region should not toy with the lives of both Christians and Muslims in the North at the altar of playing politics.

“Every Nigerian has a right to worship anywhere of his choice, and by the 1999 Constitution, every Nigerian has an ineniable right to speak and defend whatever he believes. It amazes one why persons should seek to defend the one who created the world and all its inhabitants,” he stated.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2014 — 17

T

HERE are an estimated 170 million Nigerians.

The overwhelming proportion of these will live and die unknown and unsung.

Airports will not be named after them. Neither will universities be established in their honour. A hundred years from now, people will not even remember they ever existed, except that they might have some children and grandchildren hanging around.

Surely, you don’t want that to happen to you. You want to be known. You want to be rich.

You want to be a man or woman of timber and calibre. There are peculiarly Nigerian ways to achieve this. The formulas have been firmly established by our good-for-nothing politicians and businessmen.

But don’t worry; they don’t own the copyright to them, so you are free to follow their vain glorious footsteps.

Don’t waste your time going to school. Don’t waste time trying to develop a cure for cancer. Nigerians are not known for such endeavours, and we don’t appreciate those who waste their lives ensuring we have a better future. We are only interested in those who are committed to today.

If you want to be a big man or woman; if you want to be well-known and highlyregarded in Nigeria, there are a few easy steps you need to take.

Here are some suggestions that are bound to ensure that you will soon become the talk of the town.

Steal public funds: Nigerians love thieves. We have a lot of respect for them.

Thieves are the men and women of the people. Thieves are deemed to be people of

How to become a highly-esteemed Nigerian then spend a few thousands sending three children in your community to school. In no time at all, you will become a superstar. Friends will donate their daughters for you to marry. Streets will be named after you long before you die.

You will be invited to seat on the high table at public functions.

Display your wealth.

Nigerians have a simple demand: “Show us the money.” Therefore, show off the money. Don’t buy a Mercedes Benz. Every Tom, Dick and Harry now drives that. Drive cars that are outrageously expensive and unusual. Make sure they are bullet-proof; not because anybody will shoot at you, but because bullet-proof cars are more highly-regarded. Buy a Ferrari, a Lamborghini or an Aston Martin. Let it be in a flashy colour. Then cruise every now and then in the Lagos traffic jam.

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Don’t speak English like an Ibadan man. Speak with the kind of phonetics that even your mother will wonder where you were born

courage and strategic thinking. In a nation of the poor, people are concerned that their kith and kin should be represented in the tabernacles of the looters.

Otherwise, we feel shortchanged. Therefore, the man who wants to be highlyesteemed knows his thievery will elicit wide support and appreciation among his people.

If you ever get access to public funds, don’t make the mistake of stealing millions of naira.

Steal billions.

Remember, you might not get a second chance. It is turnby-turn Nigeria Limited.

Commit a tithe of your stolen loot to public largesse and you are in for the good. Use a fraction of it to build a monument for yourself in your village and bring the press to the unveiling. Steal billions C M Y K

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Get a good PR firm Give them a simple agenda: to make you famous. Make sure you are at any and every happening event in Nigeria.

Hang out with celebrities.

With brown-envelopes given to strategically-placed journalists, you can ensure you are always in the news.

Make sure you are a regular feature in the Ovation and style pictorial magazines.

If you are caught by EFCC and brought to trial, buy “asoebi” for your supporters’ club.

Bring them to court with you so they can sing your praisesongs. Write a cheque and give it to the judge. The case will be promptly thrown out on the grounds of a technicality.

Run for president of the country

If you want to be highly esteemed in Nigeria, you need to run for high office. Don’t waste time focusing on being a local government chairman.

Run for president. The fact that you don’t stand a chance does not matter. You will get all the plaudits you need by the mere fact of running for the office.

Declare your candidacy long before the election, so you will have a long time to be interviewed on the radio and television and to have specials done about you in the newspapers.

Enjoy the limelight. Tell people that God appeared to you in a dream and declared that you are the next president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Don’t worry when this prophecy fails.

People are more interested in the declaration of a prophecy than in its failure.

If it fails, you can keep running for election as president every four years.

That way, people will realise that your prophecy is still on the way. When the election results are announced, go on television and declare that it was the worst election in the history of Nigeria.

Tell the people the election was heavily rigged. Indeed, you have never seen such a massively fraudulent election in your entire life. Tell Nigerians you are the people’s choice but not INEC’s choice.

Rent a small crowd and get them to riot. Let them burn a few tyres.

Appoint an unemployed graduate to be their spokesman. When the television cameras arrive, he should tell the world you are the best president Nigeria has yet to have. It does not matter if, at the end of the day, you only obtained 17 votes in the entire country. It does not matter if the only people who voted for you are the members of your immediate family. The fact is you ran for president of Nigeria. That will become a permanent part of your C.V. From then on, you will always be referred to as “expresidential candidate.”

As “ex-presidential candidate” you become

eligible to be the Minister of Agriculture. You also become an expert on everything. You will be invited regularly to “oraculate” on television about vital national issues. Any time you want to say something, preface it by saying: “In my experience as a former presidential candidate of this great country…” Then you can sponsor some eggheads to write books in your name in which you talk about “My Vision for Nigeria.”

Become a motivational preacher Don’t take too long being a pastor. Within a year or two, promote yourself to Bishop or Archbishop. Don’t allow anybody to disrespect you by calling you “Mister.” Tell them: “Call me Reverend.”

When you are introduced, you will be referred to as “Your Grace.”

Every day, cram two or three big-sounding words from the dictionary. Find ways to use them as you preach. For example, words beginning with “octo” are highfalutin.

You can say: “the whole thing is octogenarian.”

Or you can say: “Everything is octodilapidatory.” Don’t worry if they cannot find your words in the dictionary. It only means you have become more learned than the dictionary.

People will listen to your messages and will not understand anything you have said. Therefore, they will become convinced you are making a lot of sense. The discussion will be all about your English. Very soon, a university in your village will give you an honorary doctorate in the French language.

Your accent is also important.

Don’t speak English like an Ibadan man. Speak with the kind of phonetics that even your mother will wonder where you were born.

Remember this: the American accent is more nasal and more difficult to understand than the English accent. Therefore, it is more impressive. You don’t have to go to the United States

in order to talk like an American. Just study a few Hollywood films and start talking like Frank Sinatra, Keep your eye on the ball.

Remember: the agenda is to be highly esteemed. So don’t bother preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God. If you do, you will be hated. Preach, instead the prosperity gospel.

Tell your church-members that the poor will become rich, the unmarried will get married, the barren will have children, and the jobless will get jobs.

Write books with titles like: “Your Best Life Now.” Give people seven strategies and five keys to instant wealth. Tell them to get ready, there is going to be a divine transfer of wealth every year from now on. Tell them to give Jesus a wiper.

Get a local rap artist to come up with suitable sound-bites.

“Inch by inch it’s a cinch.”

“Turn your scars into stars.”

That is it: you become the flavour of the month. Very soon, you will be flying your own motivational jet.

Be a success It does not matter what you succeed at. Just make sure you are successful and Nigerians will esteem you.

You can be an armed robber; as long as you are successful, you will be esteemed. You can be a drug-pusher. Just make sure you are successful at it.

Nobody cares how you make your money. All they want to know is that you have the money.

“Money answers all things.”

So go to that wedding and spray the bride in dollars and euros. Go to your village and build a villa there. Also sink a bore-hole, so people can come to your house to fetch water. Everybody will love you and sing your praises.

Nothing succeeds in Nigeria like success. Failure is not an option.

If you fail, your parents will disown you. Your mother-inlaw will abuse you. Your wife will divorce you. Your fiancée will give you back your engagement ring. Your children will change their surname. Your friends will delete your cell-phone number. The LASTMA official will harass you on the road.

Your birthday will not be celebrated in the newspapers.

Your pastor will not remember your name. So you better not fail otherwise you will be dead, buried and forgotten.

Footnote If you try any of these methods and Nigerians still don’t like you, then you are a lost cause. There is only one option left for you. Pack your load, buy a ticket and go to Ghana. You will not be missed.

18 Vanguard, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2014 THERE is very little left for any section of Nigeria to demand in Nigeria. If a section gets whatever it wants out of Nigeria, it would be a myopic gain that would leave that part unfulfiled.

Nigeria is in a state that cannot be resolved simply by elections, or the number of people political parties get into office. Too much is at stake, but in striving for narrow personal and sectional gains, many overlook the core challenge – making Nigeria work, for everyone.

Only a section of the country working is inadequate. The richer a part becomes, it exposes others’ poverty and in time, the lengthening poverty line drags the rich parts down. With shrinking opportunities and a teeming, largely unemployed population the future is in straits.

How we use generators to tackle electricity challenges defines Nigeria. First, only the rich could afford generators, then the not so rich and later everyone had a generator, even if it was a type its noise denied the neighbourhood sleep.

Some found relief in muffling their generators. The sound-proofed generator was a statement in assumed prosperity. It

National Conference Ver sus Generat or ersus Generator Mentality separated the rich from the poor; it seemed a solution until we realised that noise was not the only problem with generators. Did we consider the fumes they belch into the atmosphere? Who is spared the hazards of fumes? We never think of our country along these lines.

How long will the rich remain prosperous with poverty around them? Will the poor ignore their excruciating poverty? Can Nigerians survive the encumbrances of the current federation?

As we isolate ourselves with sectionalism and beliefs, we are blind to the fact that Nigeria is slipping to a level of insecurity that

provides no comfort for anyone; we are all at risk. However, we are still deluded that if the president or the governor comes from one part or the other, his emergence will solve our problems.

Back to the generator analogy, without enforceable laws on noise levels, wealthy owners of soundproofed generators have wasted their resources. Their poorer neighbours’ generators are blasting unwelcome music to the surroundings, compromising the expected comfort from muffled generators.

The National Conference would have achieved a lot if it cures us of the generator mentality, everyone gets his generator and some get theirs to impress others with their importance.

Silence in the South evaporates with the restlessness in the North. Professionalism, ambitions, all dissolve in the common issues of the collective deficits of a Nigeria that is not working.

The primary assignment of delegates to the conference creating a Nigeria that is competitive, protects individual liberties and enthrones security and welfare of the people as the primary purpose of governments.

OPINION

BY BENEDICT IJOMAH

Continued from Mondayviewpoints

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ONATHAN will contest in 2015 because he is qualified to contest. Jonathan will win again in 2015 and will rule this country for another term. Therefore what he needs from Nigerians now is cooperation to enable him concentrate in giving Nigeria good governance. And I want to say that no president has ever been deliberately opposed as President Jonathan. The 37 people who decamped from PDP will not make Jonathan lose. If they understand the politics in Nigeria, they will know. All the people who left PDP to go to the opposition may have to remain with the opposition until the next election; and when Jonathan wins again, they will start coming back into the PDP when the doors will open to them. They left PDP because they believed that they will succeed in gathering a majority to impeach the President. They will not succeed in impeaching the President.

Many of them will come back to the PDP, and this country will become more stable than it has ever been before.

Those who joined Buhari to start opposing Jonathan from the word ‘go’ will realise that Buhari has nothing new to offer this country.

He has been president before. I do not need to analyse his presidency which all of us lived to watch before he was overthrown by his own very good friend. He is not going to do any better than he did before. The young politicians who are in the Assembly for the first time are living in a kind of political euphoria. They have not faced the rigours of serious politics. When the time comes, they will watch Jonathan being re-elected, and they will ask themselves “why did I do what I did?” But let me say that it is not yet too late to retrace their steps; the devil you know is C M Y K

Enough is enough, let President Jonathan be (2) better than the angel you do not know. You know Jonathan. I want to challenge those in the opposition now to put themselves in Jonathan’s position and see whether they will last one year in governance.

We need Peace

What we need is peace. We need peace to build Nigeria. We need peace to face all the crises that Jonathan is faced with. We need a united country to fight those who are stealing oil wealth. We need a united country to fight Boko Haram. We need a united country to build the roads and rebuild our educational system. The economy is bad, because those who should assist in repairing the economy are the ones creating problems for the President.

Two years ago, I spoke at a conference in Abuja. I gave solutions or what should be done to contain Boko Haram. If what I wrote had been done, the Boko Haram insurgency would have been a thing of the past. But it is not yet too late. The President must do what he has to do in order to contain Boko Haram. It is not enough to think of using conventional method to fight Boko Haram. It will not work.

Obasanjo and attacks

I was writing a commentary on President Obasanjo’s letter to President Jonathan, but haven read what the daughter wrote, I believe the daughter should be given national award for speaking the truth where others would have been carried away by nepotism. President Obasanjo’s daughter spoke the minds of many Nigerians, and I do not think I should comment after the daughter had spoken my mind. It might be necessary for us to discuss

the issues which she raised because they are important issues. The decamping of 37 members of the House of Representatives coming very fast at the heels of Obasanjo’s letter shows that they were all premeditated in order to lead to impeachment. But there will be no impeachment because Jonathan has not committed any impeachable offence.

Even if you say that he is not ruling the country well because he is not doing what you want him to do, that is not an impeachable offence.

He is doing the best he can inspite of the deliberate opposition to his government.

Now let me say this very clearly. Jonathan is the only sane President who will tolerate the deliberate opposition and falsehood woven against his government. Obasanjo would not have tolerated the kind of opposition that Jonathan is tolerating, General Buhari and General Babangida would not have tolerated the kind of opposition that Jonathan is tolerating. Democracy requires tolerance and ability to listen to the opposition without locking them in prison. I have been in this country. I have watched heads of state come and go. Jonathan has given us a country where people can criticise him without being locked up in prison. Jonathan allows people to say what they like while he remains focused. It is a testimony of a great leader who people can say what they want to say and the leader remains focused. I congratulate President Jonathan and advice that neither Obasanjo’s letter nor the opposition of APC should be allowed to distract him from standing strong and confronting the problems facing the country. No matter how much they encourage the stealing of oil in

order to make his government unable to get enough money to run the government, even those who claim to be working for his government, the god of justice will shame all of them, as Jonathan will succeed inspite of all the deliberate contrivances against him.

God has brought him to save this country, and whether they like it or not Jonathan will continue to save the country and hand over to another duly elected president when he finishes his tenure.

But let me caution those who move into the opposition with the sole aim of destroying Jonathan’s government. When a democratic government becomes totalitarian, it is because people want to deliberately topple the government under false pretences. But Jonathan has shown that he has the capability to tolerate falsehood. We have watched Obasanjo’s government for eight years, and we have watched what he did in order to get a third term. We have seen Buhari’s government and all the things that happened at that time.

We have watched General Babangida’s regime before he was compelled by circumstances to most reluctantly step aside.

We have watched the annulment of the most peaceful and credible election. Let us ask those who are creating problems for Jonathan to have the tolerance and patience to wait until they win election after Jonathan’s tenure.

Let us see what they can achieve. Until then, let us give Jonathan his entitlement to rule like Obasanjo did.

Concluded Prof. Ijomah, wrote from the Centre for Policy Studies and Research, Asaba, Delta State.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2014 — 19

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INALLY, President G o o d l u c k Jonathan has confirmed the reason for the replacement of Service chiefs which he blamed on the inter-service rivalr y. Speaking while commissioning the Air Force Comprehensive School in Yola, Adamawa State, Jonathan urged a synergy among the nation’s security agencies, adding that Nigeria is already exposed to the “cancer ” of insurgency.

Few days before the visit, suspected Boko Haram members were reported to have attacked churches and mosques and killing innocent citizens in Borno and Adamawa States. The recent attacks might have been triggered to dissuade the President from visiting the home-state of his new Chief of Defence, Air Marshal Alex Badeh who is from Adamawa.

It should also be recalled that immediately after the announcement of the new Chief of Defence Staff, it was reported that the Nigerian Airforce was attacked and a number of suspected insurgents were killed at the Cameroonian border with Nigeria. Badeh who was former Chief of Air Staff, had promised to crush terrorists by

April 2014.

During his recent visit to Yola, President Jonathan described Air Marshal Alex Badeh as a good manager of resources whom he had observed over the years, adding that other Service chiefs were carefully selected because they are close friends and thoroughbred professionals who believe strongly in national unity and cohesion even in the military.

Apart from the obvious interagency rivalry amid stiff and daring military operation, ethnic warlords and tribal champions have accused the system of plotting to retain some of the military chiefs to prosecute the 2015 general elections.

We should not loss sight of the fact that the military has so far succeeded in restricting and cornering Boko haram insurgency to few states in the North-East. Few years ago, terrorists had a field day in other parts of the country including, Kaduna, Kano, Plateau, Kogi, Niger, Sokoto and few incursions in other states including the Federal Capital Abuja.

Apart from politics, the Nigerian military has recorded tremendous success in its war against insurgency. The relative peace so far recorded in the troubled states of

The new heads of these security establishments should realise that they have a common goal of ensuring that Nigeria is safe for both Nigerians and her visitors

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Adamawa, Borno and Yobe before the recent unfortunate development even in worship centres, is attributed to the gallantry, determination, sacrifice and relentless struggles of the Nigerian security agencies. Even though it has continued to lose its finest personnel in several coordinated attacks against terrorists, it has remained undaunted and more committed to ending acts of terrorism across the country.

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t is undeniable the fact that there are security hiccups that are not peculiar to Nigeria alone. Big, independent and advanced nations like the United States of America, France, United Kingdom, China, Canada among others have their own fair share of security challenges. The aforementioned governments have continued to reel out plans, strategies and programmes aimed at

Nobel Prize and Israel's headship of the world

BY EFEROVO IGHO

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O hate Israel is actually to hate yourself, because it is inviting God to hate you. To hate Israel is to bring darkness into the world. Satan knows it, and he wants darkness here, and he has leaders driving that darkness.

Hitler once drove that darkness when he slaughtered six million Jews.

Several of the Jews that escaped his madness, became Nobel laureates because they afforded the world light and positive direction. Albert Einstein, Hans Krebs, Otto Stern, Walter Kohn and Martin Karplu fled Nazi Germany to avoid persecution; Elie Wiesel and Imre Kertsz survived the extermination camps during the holocaust and Francois Englert survived by being hidden in orphanages and children homes. All Nobel laureates, these Moseses saved from Pharaoh have made our world better.

Think about it: Supposing Hitler did not carry out his hell-sponsored pogrom on Jewry and those six millions Jews he killed and their descendants who did not see the light of the day lived! Science, technology and discoveries would have touched Everest and humanity would have been the best for it. God has made Israel the head, and not the tail.

From Adolf von Baeyer, first Jewish recipient of the prize in Chemistry in 1905 to 2013 when six Jews won the Prize, that is: James Rothman and Randy Schekman (2) in Medicine, Arieh Warshel, Michael Levitt and Martin Karplus (3) in Chemistry, and Francois Englert (1) in Physics, the C M Y K

story of the Nobel Prize may well be one of the stories of Jewish headship of the world. That headship is God’s sign! And even age is no barrier in this ‘headship-achievement’: Whilst the oldest Nobel laureate, Leonid Hurwicz, a Polish-American Jew got the prize in Economics at age 90, Rita Levi-Montalcin (Italian Jew who had the1986 Nobel Prize in Medicine), until her death at age 103, was the oldest living Nobel laureate! Just to say too that Boris Pasternak declined his 1958 Nobel Prize in Literature for political reason; but letting it go at all is a message of some sort.

If you don’t know that Israel is a sign you better know it by the number of Nobel laureates Jewry has produced over time. No one nation, no matter the size, and probably no single continent, has produced Nobel laureates as Israel. All of Asia (including China and India with their billions of people), Africa and South America put together have not come close to this amazing feat of Jewry. A people making up less than 0.2percent of the world population producing 22percent of world Nobel laureates!

There is one Jew in every 500 people in the world: Yet, Jewry has produced 41percent of Nobel laureates in Economics, 28 percent Nobel laureates in Medicine, 26 percent in Physics, 19 percent in Chemistry and Nine percent in Peace. That is average of 26 percent in the four research fields.

And among women laureates in the four research fields the Jewish percentage (world and US) are 38 percent and 50 percent. It is even more

overcoming their individual security challenges which appeared to have hampered their progress. Change in strategies, plans and complete overhaul of the security apparatchik just to ensure success are at some point very necessary in such countries.

Citizens of such countries believe that changes within the security sector are tailored towards guaranteeing their safety, so they hardly question them when implemented.

Without doubts, we still have a long way to go in banishing terrorism from our land. More re-organization, strategy reviews, policy alteration, shake-up, alignments and realignments are part and parcel of what to expect in positioning the Nigerian military for optimum performance.

It is the wish and prayer of all Nigerians, irrespective of tribe, religious, ethnic or political aspiration for Nigeria to overcome its security challenges as soon as possible.

The human and material loses so far recorded are too massive to be quiet about. We cannot continue to act as though those precious lives we keep losing in separate attacks are not precious to us. We have every reason to be worried about this sad occurrence. Every soul lost in any of these attacks should be a source of concern to any Nigerian. All the government requires of us is full time cooperation and understanding as it goes about making necessary changes in the nation’s security make-up

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BY FATIMA GONI

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Ending security inter-agency rivalry

Israel is a sign you better know it by the number of Nobel laureates Jewry has produced over time.

No one nation, no matter the size, and probably no single continent, has produced Nobel laureates as Israel

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startling if you go to other special fields of expertise.

Great inventors who are Jews are listless. No continent may boast of such a list? Even in our time there may well be no institute in the world like the Technion Institute in Israel, and just to say in addition that almost all the institutes in the continents that made waves in history did because of the Jewish impact and almost those making waves today in the world do because of the same factor. That is true and it is baffling to the world out there.

But you can’t change that. Hatred for Jewry cannot stop that. It is divine.

And you better lean on that God and get your own best, for to be otherwise attracts curse.

I

f there is Nobel Prize for Psychology for instance, Jewry would have garnered anything above 50percent of that, and leave the rest of the world with less than 50percent.

The list of leading world changer Jewish Psychologist runs ad infinitum: Erik Erikson, Alfred Adler, Sigmund

to overcome challenges posed by insurgent groups.

We all desire to see that peace and normalcy returns to all trouble spots across the country.

The successes so far recorded in the war against insurgency must be sustained.

We need not allow unnecessary primordial and clannish issues distract us from consolidating on the gains so far recorded. Even members of the international community are happy with Nigeria’s modest achievements in its efforts to end terrorism in the country.

Nigerians should cooperate with the security agencies in providing necessary supports and information for the protection of lives and property.

The new heads of these security establishments should seek to breakdown the wall of mutual suspicions and interagency rivalry among their chiefs and their personnel.

They should make effort to share intelligence report. They should all realise that they have a common goal of ensuring that Nigeria is safe for both Nigerians and her visitors. The government should not tolerate any unnecessary competition that will bring retrogression to this country. They should work collectively in harmony to ensure that the nation overcomes her security challenges.

*Mrs. Goni, a commentaor on national issues, wrote from Kofar Dukawuya, Kano State.

Freud, Max Wertheimer, Abraham Maslow, Kurt Koffka, Erich Fromm, Herbert Simon, Kurt Lewin, Kurt Goldstein, Edgar Rubin, Sandor Ferenczi, Anna Freud, Melanie Klein, Otto Rank, Theodor Reik, Lev Vygotsky, Jerome Bruner, Noam Chomsky and countless others; all qualified to get the highest honour in Psychology. They were all Jews; American Jews, Austrian Jews, Russian Jews, German Jews and so on and so forth. You really can go on and on telling the story of Jewry in the advancement of Psychology but let it suffice to say that of the seven major fields or systems of thought in psychology viz. Structuralism, Functionalism, Behaviorism, Gestalt Psychology, Psychoanalysis, Humanistic Psychology and Cognitive Psychology, Jews were instrumental to the development of four of these schools of thought. The representative list above evidently proves that.

God uses Israel to move and to drive the world to affluence, wellbeing and security. Hate Israel, and plunge into darkness. That Satan, forces of darkness and his men in international politics and religion would, in their socalled New World Order (a world ordered by Satan and after Satan) play renewed and more dastardly acts against Israel is not in doubt, for the Scriptures say so; but stay on the side of Israel. It will be eternally wise you stay on the side of Israel no matter what, FOR ISRAEL WOULD STAY FOREVER AND SHALL BLOSSOM BEYOND IMAGINATION ETERNALLY. Satan has not the knowledge and power to do it otherwise.

*Mr. Igho, a commentator on national issues, wrote from Warri, Delta State.

20 — Vanguard, TUESDAY,

FEBRUARY 4 , 2014

Lagos unveils plans to register 21m residents — Ibirogba

BY BOSE ADELAJA

Continuing, Ibirogba said, ‘’We don’t have difficulty in reaching the rural areas. The problem of electricity is not a barrier as our machines have rechargeable batteries as well as back ups. Apart from these, all our machines have generating sets to power them; so that registration of people will not be a problem.’’

He explained that the response so far is a proof that people have confidence in the State Government. ‘’This is a proof that people have confidence in the government

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HE Lagos State Government intends to register about 21 million residents of the mega-city in the ongoing residents’ registration exercise which was flagged off four months ago by Governor Babatunde Fashola.

The State Commissioner for Information, Mr. Lateef Ibirogba disclosed this while reacting to our story ‘Echoes of pains as Lagos residents’ registration enters 4th month’ which was published on Friday January 24.

The Commissioner appealed to Lagosians to be patient with the exercise, promising that Lagos State Residents’ Registration Agency, LASRRA will use everything at its disposal to ensure a successful registration in all the nooks and crannies of the state.

Ibirogba who said the Government is aware of some the challenges the residents are grappling with, assured that the challenges would soon be overcome.

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We don’t have difficulty in reaching the rural areas. The problem of electricity is not a barrier as our machines have rechargeable batteries as well as back ups

Planning of programmes “We understand that the exercise requires us to register 21 million people and we are not shying away from this. We want to ensure that all Lagosians are registered and whatever teething problem arises from this, shall be corrected.

Problems always arise whenever a new idea is introduced but we implore Lagosians to show understanding the same way they have been doing with all our programmes.

The LASRRA exercise will help all of us; when we know our residents as well as their geographical area, we will be able to site our projects and plan our programmes based on their need rather than get worked up. This will interest many of us to be part of the exercise,” he said.

He commended those who have visited the various registration centers but felt frustratedwith the slow pace of the exercise. “ They should not be discouraged in any way, rather, they should see it as a sacrifice,’’ he said.

C M Y K

besides the ones in Ikorodu Central adjacent the General Hospital while another one was located at Ita-Elewa as well as Ayangburen area. We implore Lagosians to be patient and get themselves registered.

They should not allow unscrupulous ones to frustrate their effort. If somebody is on the queue, he should ensure nobody jumps the queue or frustrate others.

Also, Lagosians should oragnise themselves and refuse to be intimidated in

•Mr. Lateef Ibirogba

Registration centers

The Commissioner disclosed that there are about 211 registration centres scattered all over the the state. ‘’Many Lagosians belong to one Local Government or the other and as a result, we have centers in all the 20 Local Governments and the 37 Local Council Development Areas, LCDA’s and we are making the exercise flexible to the best of our ability.

If we receive an invitation that there are about 100 residents who can come together for registration, we shall quickly deploy our officials to such locations.

Perhaps you reside in an estate or you belong to a church, group or an association and you are about 100 in number, you can invite us and we shall respond immediately.

The only thing is that our officials are not permanent in such places; they leave the

area to respond to invitations from others,’’ he clarified.

Operation in rural areas

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which will not disappoint them. We know that everybody belongs to a group; be it religion or social group. All they need to do is to write us and we shall bring the exercise to their doorstep,” he said.

The Commissioner enjoined Lagosians to take advantage of the mobile team in their areas. ‘’As our mobile team are going round, Lagosians only need to take advantage of their presence. Getting in touch with the various Local Council Areas should not be a problem to Lagosians. For example, Ikorodu has six LCDAs which has a registration centre each

any way. We should understand that the programme is for all of us and no self centered ones should be allowed to frustrate our effort or jump the queue.

Apart of the LASRRA officials, there is a team from Ministry of Information which are mandated to monitor the exercise.

I am in touch with leaders of various communities to ensure the exercise is a success. So far, no fewer than One million people have been registered and our target is to register about 20 millions more, so it will be immature to castigate the exercise in the fourth month,’’ he said.

NSCDC commandant tasks cooperative societies on transparency BY: AZEEZ SANUSI

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HE Commandant General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, Dr. Ade Abolurin has urged the leaders of NSCDC Cooperative Society in all the states of the federation, to be resolute and firm in their dealings. He charged them to shun all acts of corruption and maintain integrity and credibility in their transactions.

Abolurin who addressed executive members of NSCDC Cooperative Society at a two-day seminar organised by the National Headquarters Cooperative Society, said the

government has created a soft landing policy for personnel and cooperative members to have their own houses, vehicles and property.

According to him, the essence of the Cooperative Society is to avail the members of their dividends and proceeds from the revenue of business conducted through out the year.

He declared that there will be zero tolerance for compromise and corruption in the organisation.

President of the Society, Mr. Abi David said the organisation is built upon the foundation of credibility and integrity.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2014 — 21

Ethanol firm commended for engaging 8,000 cassava farmers

BY FRANKLIN ALLI

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TOUR: From left: Director, Edo State Internal Revenue Services, ESIRS, Mr. Saylor Juwobor; Board Secretary and Legal Adviser, Lagos State Lotteries Board, LASLB, Miss Olafadeke Akeju; MD/CEO, Mr. Lanre Gbajabiamila, and the ED, Edo State IRS, Prince Felix Isuku, during an understudy tour by the ESIRS to its Lagos State counterpart, in Lagos. Photo: Kehinde Gbadamosi.

PanAfrican Equipment hands over $35m equipment to Dangote Sugar Group

By PETER EGWUATU

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HE PanAfrican q u i p m e n t Group, a recognized leader in providing mining, construction grade equipment has announced the sale of USD$35 million worth of Komatsu construction equipment to the Dangote Sugar Group.

The equipment was handed E

over to the Dangote Sugar Group during a handover ceremony which took place at Tin Can Island Port Complex, Apapa, Lagos, Nigeria. This landmark sale is PanAfrican’s largest within the agricultural sector and in Nigeria and is in line with the Nigerian 2010 transformation agenda to drive growth in the agricultural sector.

124.85

4.85

2,896.00

-16.00

15.63 0.64 107.16 106.52 98.22 CURRENCY BUYING CENTRAL DOLLAR POUNDS EURO FRANC YEN CFA WAUA RENMINBI RIYA KRONA SDR

154.75 254.8114 209.6553 171.5252 1.513 0.3013 236.9715 25.5274 41.2623 28.0904 237.7424

155.25 255.6347 210.3327 172.0794 1.5179 0.3113 237.7371 25.6103 41.3956 28.1812 238.5106

-0.79 -0.01 SELLING 155.75 256.458 211.0101 172.6336 1.5228 0.3213 238.5028 25.6933 41.5289 28.2719 239.2787

CBN Exchange rate as at 03/02/2014

Commenting on the sale, Scott McCaw, Group Managing Director, Panafrican Equipment stated, “We are delighted to have

been chosen by Dangote Sugar as a major supplier for their agricultural expansion project in sugar production in Nigeria.”

He further stated “We look forward to building on this relationship and being their partner for development in Nigeria now and in the future.

As the sale includes a longterm maintenance support and parts supply contract, we fully expect to maintain a critical role in helping Dangote achieve their goals”.

In addition, Graham Clark, Group Managing Director, Dangote Sugar Refinery, said

“This purchase is in line with the B a c k w a r d Integration Policy (BIP) of the Federal Government of Nigeria and National Sugar Development Council (NSDC). This is another milestone in the Dangote Sugar journey as we work towards our master plan to produce 1.5 million metric tonnes of sugar per annum, from locally produced sugarcane in Nigeria.”

Forte Oil posts N6.52bn PBT, declares N4.31bn dividend

By PETER EGWUATU & NKIRUKA NNOROM

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orte Oil Plc (formerly AP Plc) has announced a 467 per cent increase in its full year Profit Before Tax, PBT to N6.524billion for the period ending December 31, 2013, just as it proposed a dividend payout of N4.31billionn to its shareholders.

The company ’s revenue grew by 41 per cent to N128billion

compared to N91billion in corresponding period of 2012.Profit After Income tax increased by 397 per cent to N5.00bn compared to N1.01billion in the corresponding period of 2012.

Earnings Per Share (EPS) grew 365 per cent to N4.32 compared to N0.93 same period in 2012.

The company achieved a 1164.55 per cent share price growth to emerge the best performing and investment stock on the NSE in 2013.

Commenting on the result, Mr. Julius Omodayo Owotuga, Group Chief Financial Officer, Forte Oil

said: “We closed 2013 with a 41%, 467% and 365% growth in revenue, profit before taxes and earnings per share in that order. These growths are by-products of a well executed b u s i n e s s transformation strategy in the last 24 months covering c o r p o r a t e governance, risk management and controls, business revitalization, development and expansion”.

HE Minister of Agriculture, Mr. Adewunmi Adesina, and Ogun State governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, have commended Allied Atlantic Distilleries Limited (AADL), an ethanol manufacturing plant for making farming attractive in Ogun and Oyo states by hiring 8,000 cassava farmers for its operations.

They gave the commendation during the commissioning ceremony of the new ethanol plant at Igbesa in the state.

The minister praised the initiative, noting that it is a record breaking event and a testimony of the success of the Federal Government policy on cassava and sugar. Adesina said “Cassava is a commodity in focus with value addition in five points including the confectionery and pharmaceutical sectors and a massive job creator.

He regretted that even though the country was the largest producer of cassava globally, it has no place in the international market unlike Thailand that controlled 84 per cent of the global market even as the third largest producer.

Represented by the Technical Adviser on Cassava in the ministry, Mrs. Olatunji Oluwatoyin , Adesina said government intervention on cassava comes with different advantages such as the creation of jobs for millions of people while growing the small and medium scale enterprises (SMEs) engaged in the sector.

Governor Ibikunle Amosun said the nation can only record economic growth, sustainability, security through initiatives such as this where a lot of people are gainfully employed and farming made attractive because farmers know they have a ready market for their products.

Amosun said the value addition into cassava will reduce the dependence on foreign exchange, stressing that any nation that fails to develop her agricultural sector can neither grow her economy nor her people. The governor noted that in Malaysia, cassava has been put into 23 uses which have grown the economy as one of the largest in Asia.

Mr. Ola Rosiji, Chairman, AADL, said the company currently engages over 8,000 farmers in Ogun and Oyo states, providing indirect employment to more than 40,000 people.”

According to him, AADL had earlier expanded its farm support services to farmers through the provision of agronomy package practices, improved variety, seed planting, mechanization and harvesting support.

He said that the investment was the company’s response to backward integration policy of government on cassava.

22— Vanguard, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY

4, 2014

Share verification: Weapon

for favourable IST ruling during the verification exercise a mutual trust simply because the applicant was still an employee of the 2nd respondents who is the sole owner of the 1st Respondent.

“The Applicant himself stated in paragraph A of his further statement on oath of 11th December, 2012 that “a business of this nature and magnitude is never transacted

BY BABAJIDE KOMOLAFE

Y

What could have ordinarily been a simple issue to resolve has thus been turned into a knotty issue by the unseriousness of the parties

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ou can institute legal action against your broker and registrar at the Investment and Securities Tribunal (IST) for negligence of duty, if the verification and dematerialisation of shares takes more than three weeks.

According to the Tribunal, “Ordinarily, verification and dematerialisation of share certificates should not take more than two weeks. But this is where there are no irregularities alike what happened in the instant case” (Eze A. Eze Vs Fidelity Securities, Fidelity Bank, Securities and Exchange Commission, and First Registrar).

The following are however necessary to get a favourable ruling. First and most important, you must conduct your interaction with the stock broker and registrar formally.

Don’t just visit their offices, and discuss verbally, write to them for any request and enquiry, and keep copies of all such letters. Copies of such documents are critical to

proving the case of negligence against before the IST. Though, Eze A. Eze got a favourable judgment, with the Tribunal awarding him N3 million as damages, he could have gotten a more favourable judgment. This was because he conducted most of his interaction with the First Securities informally, hence he had limited document to back up his case.

Commenting on this, the

Tribunal stated, “What could have ordinarily been a simple issue to resolve has thus been turned into a knotty issue by the un-seriousness of the parties.“This is because the parties communicated with each other orally most of the time. Most of the transactions between the Applicant and the respondents were done orally.

This is not too neat, although it is not surprising. There existed between the parties

by oral communication between parties.“But the Applicant has not been able to prove before the tribunal that his business with the 1st and 2nd Respondents between 2007 when he lodged his share certificates with the 1st Respondent and 2009 when the share certificates were finally dematerialised, was

Top 10 performing stocks T

ransnationwide Express Plc, Cosatin (WA) Plc, IPWA Plc, African Prudential Registrar Plc, Great Nigeria Insurance and Wema Bank Plc were among the stocks that pooled enough patronage from the investing public last week to make it to the top 10 league.

Others were Vono Products Plc, Cornerstone Insurance Plc, National Salt Company Plc and University Press Plc. Transnationwide Express, which has for the second week running emerged top on gainers list, recorded 48.65 percent or N0.90 price appreciation to close at N2.75 from N1.85. Listed on courier/ freight/delivery sector, Transnationwide engages in transportation, express delivery, logistics and freight businesses. The company has for some time now been struggling with bad fortune as indicated by the 2012 year end financial statement. Within the stated period, the company recorded loss after tax of

conducted in anyway other than orally.”

Most shareholders conduct transactions with brokers and registrars orally, and as a result, when they start complaining to regulatory authorities, they have no prove to substantial their claim. Meanwhile, stock brokers and registrars aware of this attitude, and exploit it to the fullest. Secondly, you must persistently follow-up your share verification request. Don’t just submit the certificates and wait till three weeks or months before you follow-up. Begin to follow-up, with a letter, a week after submitting the certificates.

Write to the registrar, to

N345.39 million in comparison to a profit after tax of N48.653 million recorded in the same period of 2011, while profit before taxation stood at N56.168 million, which was four percent less than N58.518 million posted in 2011. Also, the shareholders fund declined by 27 percent to N314.517 million from N431.126 million in 2011. However, revenue for the period grew by 6.8 percent from N563 million in 2011 to N601 million in the review period. Despite the dwindling fortune, the company rewarded its shareholders with 5kobo dividend for the period, which amounted to N9.91 million gross dividends.

Transnationwide was incorporated in 1984 as a private company with the name, TNT Skypak Nigeria Limited.

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osatin (WA) again emerged second on the list of top 10 performers, rising by 29.09 percent or N0.48 to close at N2.13 from N1.65 per share. Analysts believe that successful liquidation of its debt to First Bank of Nigeria Limited is the reason behind

renewed interest in the shares.

The company had penultimate week notified the Nigerian Stock Exchange, NSE, that it has finally liquidated its debt with First Bank of Nigeria, FBN, Limited for which a Receiver Manager was appointed against it by the bank late last year. Costain is presently operating below the post-listing rules of the NSE as it is yet to file its audited financial report for period ended March, 2012 with the Exchange, which attracted a fine of N3.6 million. Listed on the building structure/ completion/other subsector of the NSE, Costain undertakes construction and civil engineering infrastructure projects. It also produces furniture and joinery for buildings.

IPWA’s shares rose by 10.94 percent or N0.07 to close at N0.71 from N0.64. Listed on

the building materials sector, IPWA is a supplier of paints to service companies in oil and gas, steel plants, petrochemical and the refineries. Presently, it controls about 30 percent of the total market in the marine and protective coatings in Nigeria, according to information on its website. Available financial statement of the company for the third quarter ended 30th September, 2011, showed that gross earning declined by 13 percent to N241.07 billion from N276.06 billion. It recorded loss before tax of N59.21 billion, a four percent decline over negative N61.56 billion reported in the same period of 2011.

Africa Prudential Registrars Plc (formerly U B A Registrars), a sole listed registrar firm on the NSE gained 6.33 percent or N0.19 to close at N3.19 from N3.00. It was a fully owned subsidiary of UBA Plc. However, following the directive of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) that banks

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ascertain receipt of the certificates from the broker.

Write to the broker, to ascertain the location of the certificates.

The tendency is that these letters would be ignored, but by doing so, they are placing in your hands the evidence you need to prove your case before the Investment and Securities Tribunal.

By NKIRUKA NNOROM should divest from all nonbanking businesses, the company was granted autonomy in 2012. It is a leading share registration service provider in Nigeria and ranks No.1 in terms of automation and innovation among all corporate registrars in Nigeria. Available financial statement for the half year ended June 30, 2013 showed a revenue growth of 56.9 percent to N667.42 million from N425.38 million posted in the same period of 2012. Profit after tax rose to 312.23 million as against N220.99 million in 2012.

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reat Nigeria Insurance gained 5.56 percent or N0.03 to close at N0.57 from N0.54; Wema Bank advanced by 4.76 percent or N0.05 to close at N1.10 from N1.05; Vono Products went up by 4.61 percent or N0.07 to close at N1.59 from N1.52; Cornerstone Insurance rose by 2.00 percent or N0.01 to close at N0.51 from N0.50; NASCON advanced by 1.69 percent or N0.23 to close at N13.87 from N13.64, while University Press appreciated by 1.40 or N0.06 to close at N4.35 from N4.29 per share.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2014 — 23

INVESTORS SPEAK

Should shareholders refuse gifts from their companies?

BY WILLIAM JIMOH ALADE DAIRO WILLIAMS: any companies are taking advantage of loopholes in the market. The regulators on their part acts as if they cannot see certain issues that have to do with companies and shareholders relationship, the misuses of which are threats to the wellbeing of the market.

That companies give gifts to shareholders is acceptable in the case of the Annual General Meetings when it is not based on any criteria other than being a shareholder of the company. But because of the level of illiteracy on the part of the shareholders, many companies are engaging in irregularities, taking advantage of this weakness.

A situation whereby companies organise preAGM, the hidden agenda is always to buy shareholders over. They do this to ensue that what happens at their AGM is put under control, not because they will do the right things but because at the preAGM, they buy the conscience of the chairmen and representatives of the shareholders associations that attend the meeting.

At the pre-AGM, they give the so-called shareholders associations’ representatives cash, sometimes running into

Nearly all the companies that hold what they call preAGM do the same thing, giving out money to corrupt the system and the shareholders and they are really succeeding on this.

Eventually, like what happened before 2008 market crash, they kept giving out money at the AGM and the pre-AGM, which allowed them to keep cooking the books and at the end of the day, the companies failed and we know that this year, some of these companies that do this will fail because they have been cooking their books and records.

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•Alade Dairo Williams thousands of naira to ensure that they dance to their tune by accepting their proposal without objections at the detriment of other shareholders.

This is something many other shareholders are particularly worried about because they are not going to use the money to help members of their associations.

For instance, I once attended one of such meeting organised by one bank, not because I was invited, but because I heard from some investors, and since I did not know that it is for certain special people, I got there but

•Folorunsho Lateef Olatunji was not allowed to go inside.

The reason they gave was that all they wanted are those people they invited which according to them includes, chairmen and other representatives of shareholders associations and not the common shareholders.

Though they successfully did not allow me in, I stood outside till they finish the meeting and I saw and heard what was given and what was discussed at the meeting. It was from this that I discovered that what the company did was to give tangible money to each person that came for that meeting.

MARKET NEWS

ando plc has announced that financial close has been met on its acquisition of ConocoPhillips’ Nigerian assets.

Commenting, Mr. Wale Tinubu, Group Chief Executive, Oando PLC said: “We are immensely pleased to have secured all funding to complete our acquisition of ConocoPhilips Nigerian assets. We are tremendously excited about the future of our organisation as this acquisition will not only provide significant growth in size and scale; but will substantially strengthen our position in the upstream sector.”

In December 2012, Oando Plc through its subsidiary, Oando Energy Resources, entered into an agreement with ConocoPhillips to acquire ConocoPhillips’

Nigerian businesses for a total cash consideration of US$1.55 billion.

An initial deposit of US$450 million was paid and a combination of equity and debt was raised to secure financing towards the acquisition including US$200 million from a special placement of two billion shares, US$100 million through the sale of its subsidiary East Horizon Gas Company and debt from financial institutions totalling US$800 million.

The company highlighted that whilst Oando has duly completed all financial commitments regarding the acquisition, closing of the ConocoPhillips acquisition remains subject to satisfaction of closing conditions, including approval from the Nigerian Minister of Petroleum Resources,

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Complaints and Investigation

Oando completes COP financial consideration, awaits govt approval

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FOLORUNSHO LATEEF OLATUNJI: he way companies treat shareholders at their AGMs is not good enough.

We were at Mutual Benefit Assurances Plc AGM and 70 percent of people that attended the meeting were not able to collect the gifts they distributed, and some of the people who were able to get the groundnut oil and the rice found out after they collected them that the groundnut oil had expired.

Some of the shareholder activists tried to stop the distribution of the gifts, as well as correct the impression of looking down on shareholders, but the company did not mind them.

When the meeting took off, the company did not want shareholders to express themselves, while the chairman picked certain people who were sitting at a particular section of the hall.

Others that wanted to say something were completely ignored if not for the intervention of the other shareholders that compelled the chairman to let them say something.

One of the issues that the shareholders expressed dissatisfaction with was the issue of the statement of account that was given so late to the shareholders. It was about five minutes to the commencement of the meeting that they started distributing the report to the shareholders, and that bring about a situation where 90 percent of the people at the meeting could air their view because they did not have the time to go through the annual report. Also, the company is saying they want to raise additional capital from the market which the shareholders are even trying to oppose because the motion was not properly presented.

But the chairman with the support of some shareholders went ahead with the passage of the proposal without allowing those that had something to say on it to express themselves.

although ConocoPhillips has already submitted an application to the Nigerian Minister of Petroleum Resources in this regard.

In light of this regulatory requirement Oando Energy Resources has entered into an amendment agreement with ConocoPhillips to extend the outside date for completion of the ConocoPhillips acquisition from January 31, 2014 to February 28, 2014. Pursuant to this agreement, OER will pay an additional deposit of US$50 million. Accordingly, the total deposit for the ConocoPhilips acquisition will now amount to US$500 million.

“We are confidently optimistic that ministerial consent is a near certainty and expect final approval will be granted within the next month” a statement from the company reads.

Datamax Registrar, pay my GTBank dividend!

I have unpaid dividend from GTB Bank Plc for about four years. I have written letters to the registrar of GTB (Datamax) without any response. There contact phone or email is not on their website. I have also submitted completed form to process e-dividend to my account, yet they have not processed it. Please kindly help me investigate am counting on your support as a final resort to solve this impasse.

(Folayele Adesoji Olabisi) Investors Forum Below is the response to our enquiries at Datamax.

“We refer to your below mail in respect of Dr. Folayele Adesoji Olabisi and state as follows.

Our records reveal that the shareholder has received nine dividend warrants out of thirteen while three are outstanding in our records.

We have contacted the shareholder through email and post (hard copy) giving details of the status of his shareholding in GTBank Plc. Appreciation to Investors Forum Following my letter to you some time ago concerning my shares which l sold through Amyn Investments Ltd. I wish to inform you that Amyn Investments has since paid my money. A million thanks. (Amos John, Avworu Yuke, Warri)

24 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2014

Ultimatum to power firms, unnecessary —LCCI

BY NAOMI UZOR

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AGOS Chamber of Com merce and Industry, LCCI, has declared that it would be impossible for the new investors in the power sector to provide uninterrupted power by June this year, as directed by President Goodluck Jonathan.

President of LCCI, Alhaji Remi Bello, made this known in an interview with Vanguard, pointing out that Jonathan’s directive was uncalled for.

According to Bello, the new investors in the power sector invested their money in the project with a view to making profit and therefore, did not need an ultimatum from the president if they were poised to make their money or stay in business.

“The President gave the new investors an ultimatum of June 2014, but what I am saying is that they do not need to be given an ultimatum. They are in the private sector. It is a profit making venture. If they are poised to make their money, they don’t need an ultimatum. Who will put his money into a business without thinking of how he would recoup his money?

’’I want to believe that even the June ultimatum is too far, but as we are talking, the supply is low, some of them, I think Ikeja DISCO is apologizing to their customers that they had challenges. That is the kind of thing we will be seeing, we will be seeing responsiveness from these providers unlike what obtained in

the past. ’’Now you have where you can go and report your problems and I am more than too sure that, before you know it, except there is a law, but I don’t think there will be that law, you will see people challenging these companies in the court of law, that will serve as the impetus that will nudge

them; if you don’t give me electricity, you can’t bill me” he said.

He said it was important for the government to ensure that the prepaid meter was emphasized, so as to ensure uninterrupted electricity, adding that, the moment they know that if they don’t give electricity, they will not make their profit.

VISIT: From left: Chief Don Ubani, Commissioner for Energy & Mineral Resources, Abia State; Kenneth Onyejiaka, Company Secretary, Techno Oil Ltd; Tony Onyeama, Managing Director, Techno Oil Ltd; Governor Theodore Orji of Abia State; Emeka Amanaba, Deputy Governor of Abia State; Mrs. Nkechi Obi, Executive Vice-Chairman, Techno Oil Ltd and Kenneth Abazie, Head, Strategy and Legal, Techno Oil Ltd, during a courtesy visit of Techno Oil's management to the Abia State Governor.

Paucity of funds, others hindering marginal fields devt — Operators

BY SEBASTINE OBASI

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ARGINAL field oper ators in the nation’s oil and gas industry have bemoaned their challenges and handicaps since they got their fields in the aftermath of the bid round held in 2003.

Their concern emanated from the fact that out of the 24 oil fields awarded in 2003, only 7 fields are producing (averaging an aggregate gross production of 27,200 barrels of oil per day and 35 million standard cubic feet per day of gas).

This accounts for about two percent of national production.

Speaking at the marginal field workshop organized in Lagos, Mr. Debo Fagbami, Chief Operating Officer, COO, Xenergi Limited, said that lack of access to fund is the greatest challenge facing the marginal field owners.

According to him, most of the field owners have not been able to raise about $30 million to invest in their oil fields.

Apart from that, they lack technical know-how. As a result, they have not been able to put up credible and bankable business plan. He explained that

some of the oil field owners also have partnership complications as they were strange bed fellows from the outset, thereby stalling whatever fruitful decisions that might signal their take off.

Also speaking, Mr. Chiedu Ebie, Managing Director, Millennium Oil and Gas Company Limited, said lack of collaborative spirit among Nigerian entrepreneurs has negatively affected the non development

of most of the marginal oil fields. According to him, the oil and gas industry is highly technical and capital intensive and therefore requires collaboration in terms of fund raising and technical know-how.

Access Bank to increase funding for MSMEs

BY MICHAEL EBOH

A

CCESS Bank Plc, has stated that it intends to partner with Micro Small and Medium Scale Enterprises, MSMEs, especially contractors, providing them with the much needed financing to enable them benefit from the numerous opportunities in the sector.

Speaking at a forum for contractors in Lagos, Mrs. Titi Osuntoki, Executive Director, Business Banking Division, Access Bank, said the bank will be partnering with the contractors to develop solutions tailored to meet the specific needs of the MSMEs. She said numerous opportunities exist in the economy and that only properly financed

and adequately supported MSMEs, will be able to tap into the benefits.

Also speaking, Mr. Diji Atoyebi, Head, Support Desk, Access Bank Plc, said this year will be remarkable for MSMEs, especially contractors, noting that the MSMEs will only be in a position to benefit from the contracts to be awarded this year if they are adequately supported and financed.

He said, “This year is crucial for contractors, especially as it is the period of electioneering and the year before the general elections. This is especially as the current administration, both at the Federal and State levels, will want to wrap up on-going contracts and issue new ones, in order

to win the support of electorates.

“The N4.92 trillion proposed in the 2014 budget had N1.54 trillion budgeted for capital expenditure. It is estimated that contractors will take up over 60 per cent of the capital expenditure in the budget.

“Also, it is estimated that over N1.7 trillion worth of contracts are awarded by companies in the private sector annually. This is the market that MSMEs, especially contractors are expected to participated in this year.”

He further stated that despite the high number of players in the contractor segment of the MSMEs market, the sector is still profitable, noting margins are as high as 30 per cent in some instances.

Third stakeholders’ conference on downstream holds

A

CHIEVING domestic and regional capacity for refined petroleum products will form the fulcrum of the forthcoming downstream stakeholders’ conference slated for March in Abuja.

Speaking on the event organised by the House of Representatives, Mr. Dakuku Peterside, Chairman, House Committee on Petroleum Resources (Downstream), said that the conference would deliberate on the effective management of Nigeria’s petroleum pipeline products, as well as maintenance of security against vandalism. He also said that the conference would discuss the challenges of petroleum products distribution and highlight the strategic investment opportunities and partnership potentials for investors in the downstream sector, with the aim of establishing Nigeria as the refining hub for West Africa.

According to him, “the management of the downstream sector of the Nigerian oil and gas industry continues to pose serious challenges for the Nigerian economy. As the world’s 6th largest crude oil producer, the country has the potential of producing and supplying petroleum products to meet domestic, regional demands and indeed global demands.

L’Oreal, ATF partner on women empowerment

BY WILLIAM JIMOH

L

’OREAL West Africa, a cosmetic and beauty company, has identified with Awesome Treasures Foundation, ATF, a Non-Governmental Organization, NGO, to boost the foundation's efforts towards enlightening and empowerment of Nigerian women and the youths.

Speaking at the just concluded summit organised by the foundation in Lagos, tagged; “Metamorphosis 2: Becoming all you are Born to be”, Titilola Igri-Offor, Head Education Department of the company said, “L’Oreal, shared the same ideology with the Foundation in believing that women could be powerful agents of change and development if they are properly build to have confidence in themselves.

Mrs. Olajumoke Adenowo, Founder of Awesome Treasures, noted that Metamorphosis 2 is all about youth and women empowerment and becoming all they can be; having the courage to pursue their dreams and fulfilling them whilst at the same time raising transformational leaders.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2014 — 25 YOUR LUCK TODAY

By Joshua Adeyemo Phone 08056180139 TAURUS: Opposition between the Moon and Pluto may induce personality clashes you don’t need at lest for now.

What can help you now is love and your being persuasive.

Think of the future.

GEMINI: Positive events that started yesterday will continue today. Rely more on your ability to be as bold as necessary so that you can get things done your own way at work.

CANCER: Good luck will smile at you. Romantic interlude that started last yesterday may become excitingly louder and melodious to the satisfaction of your soul.

LEO: If you allow domestic pressure to affect your working pattern, your senior colleagues may not understand and make things a bit more difficult. IF you’re stable, you will have more to gain financially.

VIRGO: After snappy aggressive approach exhibited by you yesterday ,you are back at your being pleasant self to the admiration of others. This is the wrong time to take law and it’s agents for granted. Youngs-at-heart are favoured so also commercial activities.

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

By Richard Eromosele

S

O you are … alive? All the suicide bombing of last year did not consume you: What about the economic hardship? All the retrenchment of last year did not affect

A New Beginning (2) you? What about the business you started part-time, did I hear you say it is now a full time business? Fine! Inspite of the chal-

lenges of last year you are still alive.

There must be a reason why the author of the universe still keeps you alive. Find out why.

TERROR MUDA in “Never say goodbye”

Ask yourself what kind of result do I want to achieve this year? Why did I not make it last year? What lessons can I take with me and invest it in my new project?

Where and what can I improve on?

By Lanre Kehinde

LIBRA: Some of you will wake up from slumber and realise mistakes about your finances early enough and make amendment but those who are reckless will commit more blunder. Beware of joint venture.

SCORPIO: Although erratic people from unexpected quarters may oppose you openly, your being self assertive will earn you both victory and financial success. Then tomorrow will prove more successful.

SAGITTARIUS: The more ambitious you are the better for you. Then you will need to ignore those with queer characteristics within your working arena.

CAPRICORN: Mixed trends are indicated. If you take good advice from your cool headed friends, you will benefit more than you imagine, but if you take to unpredictable attitude, you will today start fire that will burn with great intensity tomorrow.

AQUARIUS: If you take the veterans within your base for granted, they will fail you painfully. Yet here is a lucky day for you when your being secretive and self reliant will earn you success. Be more ambitious.

KAPTAIN AFRIKA

in

“Princess Shii’

By Andy Akman

PISCES: Some of the people around you may get on your nerve via careless remarks, you must not allow them to disorganise your plans. The closer you are to the influential people the better for you.

ARIES: “Money is the root of all evils” says an adage. And if care is not taken, money may set you and some other people fiercely against each other to the detriment of your cause. Be cautious.

ASTROLOGICAL COUNSELLING Send yyour our dat th ttoo the As tr ological datee and place of bir birth Astr trological Counselling, PP.M.B .M.B 1100 00 7, Apapa, Lagos 007,

What is my luck?

Dear Joshua, I am deeply interested in Astrology: and the way you analyse people is great, keep it up. Kindly tell me whatever you think I should know about my life together with my luck, social life and my lucky number.

Azeez, Abia.

Dear Azeez, Thank you for your words of encouragement. Too many things are important but I think what both your immediate and far future have for you must be revealed to you so that you will be prepared.

Mars in Aquarius together with Uranus are pointers to an active social life. The more influential social circle you belong to, the better for you. You’re the cool-headed type beloved by many but once your anger manages to fly off, it can be very difficult if not dangerous; it’s because of your natal Pluto. Yet they keep coming your way.

Saturn can not help forcing challenges on your way, luckily for you however, you have what it takes to live up to the challenges. And as Saturn will never deny it’s worthy native the deserved success, it also gives recognition.

Saturn or no Saturn, good relationship bet Mars and lucky Jupiter when you were born, are green tumb for WEALTH; you will be wealthier more than having liquid cash; nobody can stop your becoming wealthy.

Best colours for you include YELLOW, golden, black but not coconut white. Your sleeping posture should be on East/ West axis with your head to the West.

5 is your destiny number, 9 is your ambition, 8 is your expression, your other numbers are 1, 6, 7 & 11. Thus, they are as superior as listed.

Between now and your 48th year on earth (three and half years) women, money, youngster will greatly feature in your life and a few publicity cum commercial success equally indicated for you.

However come your 49th year (around that period) tough challenges which will border on stiff competition, avoidable accident, treachery and money will come your way.

Although it sounds somehow, it’s the needed tonic for and or pillar for an endless cycle of success that will follow.

Therefore whatever can be shaken to the foundation or be uprooted by that time should not be initiated now.

VIRGINIA

HOME & ABROAD

dadadekola@yahoo.com

By Lawrence Akapa

26 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 4 , 2014

By Theodore Opara

Weststar unveils all-new Jeep Wrangler W

ESTSTAR Associ ates, general distributors of Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge and Ram brands is kick-starting the year with the introduction of the all-new award winning Jeep Wrangler.

The Jeep Wrangler, which has dominated the all-wheel drive vehicle segment for many decades, is available in Sahara, Rubicon and Sport models.

The Wrangle ended the year 2013 with the Four Wheeler of the Year award, from Four Wheeler Magazine, an award it has won for three consecutive times.

The Jeep Wrangler, revered for its off-road prowess has witnessed remarkable improvement with new features targeted at ensuring high comfort for the occupants.

According to Funmi Lawuyi of Weststar Associates, the all-new Wrangler and other Jeep, Dodge, Ram and Chrysler products are available at Sunny Motors and M-B Automobile showrooms.

The three Wrangler versions, Sahara, Rubicon, and Sports are in a class of their own.

Wragnler Sahara: At Weststar, the attractive four-door Unlimited Wrangler Sahara comes with a rugged but refined interior.

There’s ample storage space, thoughtfully designed ergonomics and improved Noise, Vibration and Harshness (NVH).

Protection, comfort and convenience features like: Sahara embroidered heated leather-trimmed front seats, illuminated cup holders, lighting in the foot well and an autodimming rear-view mirror with integrated LED are part of the attractive package.

Also available is the Uconnect System with entertainment features, phone, web, Travel Link + Navigation by Garmin and Uconnect Voice Command with Bluetooth, as well as an Audio Jack Input for mobile devices, plus Remote USB Port.

The Wrangler Sahara on C M Y K

offer comes with a 5-speed Automatic transmission and strikingly arrives with a black 3-piece Removable Hard Top. Rubicon:The Four-door Wrangler Rubicon version offers tunable monotube shock absorbers, which feature low speed tunable valve technology that’s firm on the rocks and relaxed at higher speeds.

Standard Dana 44 front and rear axles are equipped with Tru-Lok locking differentials and offer the ultimate in traction. The front axle sway bar disconnect allows for better articulation off-road.

Wrangler Sport: The two-door Wrangler Sport has full metal doors with roll-up windows, comes with rear compartment storage space and a front stabilizer bar.

Every Wrangler vehicle, including the Sahara is fortified with under body armor that protects its critical components with 2.5-mm stamped steel skid plates on its fuel tank and transfer case. Heavy duty forged-steel dual front and single rear framemounted tow hooks for pulling less capable vehicles out of ditches, come standard. Also standard, are the Highefficiency round fog lamps which include chip-resistant polycarbonate plastic lenses with halogen bulbs that provide a low, wide beam of light.

The 2014 High-End Luxury Wrangler boasts a powerful and efficient

3.6L Pentastar V6 VVT engine. Voted as one of Ward’s 10 Best Engines for 2013, this 285-horsepower engine is ready to provide you with power, satisfying fuel efficiency with up to 600 km on a tank of fuel, and will deliver up to 260 poundfeet of torque. The Command-Trac 4WD system

helps deliver more control and more torque at the wheels to help you go virtually anywhere you point your vehicle.

The Wrangler comes with a wide range of standard and available safety and security features. An example is the standard advanced multistage front airbags

which help provide occupant protection by matching airbag output to impact severity.

There are also sidesupplemental airbags with sensor detection, an on-road four wheel disc Antilock Brake System (ABS), Brake Assist and more. More would include Hill Descent Con-

trol which helps monitor throttle, speed and braking when travelling downhill, plus Hill Start Assist which keeps your brakes applied for a short time after you’ve removed your foot from the brake to give you time to accelerate without rollback.

Nissan CEO meets Jonathan on Nigerian plant T

HE highpoint of a sideline discussion between Mr. Carlos Ghosn, CEO, Nissan Motor Corporation and Nigeria President Goodluck Jonathan at the just ended World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, was on Nissans plant to start rolling out new sports utility vehicles in Nigeria by April.

Mr. Ghosn told President Jonathan that Nissan can produce two to three million vehicles annual-

ly, using the facility at the VON Automobile assembly plant along LagosBadagry Expressway and consequently creating thousands of direct and indirect jobs.

“We are interested in producing popular cars, totally adapted to the needs of Nigerians, he said, adding that the company also plans to bring its global suppliers to make vehicle components in the country.

Nissan CEO assured

the President that the Japanese vehicle manufacturer seeks to increase its investment in Nigeria and establish its own vehicle production plants in the country.

This initiative is coming on the heels of the new National Automotive Policy authorized by the Federal Government to encourage domestic production of automobiles and attract foreign direct investment (FDI).

Already work is ongoing at the VON Automo-

Mr. Carlos Ghosn, CEO, Nissan Motor Corporation (left) and President Goodluck Jonathan in Davos, Switzerland.

bile multi-vehicle assembly plant, where Ashok Leyland buses and trucks as well as light duty Hyundai trucks are currently being assembled.

Mr. Tokunbo Aromolaran, Managing Director, VON Automobile Nigeria Limited has also said: One of our biggest hopes is to stimulate some area around this location and make them components manufacturing village where components can be manufactured.

Meanwhile, President Jonathan has said his administration is fully committed to rapidly developing Nigerias automobile industry through the diligent implementation of the countrys new national automotive policy.

He said the key objective of the new policy was to make new cars affordable to more Nigerians.

“The only way to reduce the preponderance of second hand cars on our roads is to produce good quality cars with affordable pricing, President Jonathan reasoned.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2014 — 27

By Theodore Opara

Toyota Camry

Toyota restates commitment to quality after-sales T

HE chairman of Toyota Nigeria Ltd, TNL, Chief Michael Ade Ojo has restated his company’s determination to continually raise the bar for after-sales service delivery to their customers nationwide.

Chief Ade Ojo, who was speaking at the unveiling of the all-new Toyota Yaris, in Lagos recently explained that business climate across the country and indeed the world is witnessing some form of lull which has resulted in reduction of cash flow.

As a result, “public, private as well as individuals are becoming increasingly conscious of the value and quality of what they spend their hard earnings on,” he said.

As a responsive organisation, the chairman said that their response has been to continually raise the bar in terms of quality of their aftersales service delivery to their esteemed customers as well as improve upon their response time in all ramifications of the business in order to interminably sustain the confidence level of their customers on the brand.

To this end, he said Toyota Nigeria Limited had set up the first world class body and paint training centre in Oregun, Lagos. This ultramodern facility, he explained will train ToyoC M Y K

ta dealer technical staff on body and paints works, adding that this is in addition to the various other trainings they undergo at Toyota Lekki head office free of charge.

The Toyota boss also noted that the company has sustained its annual

skills contests organised amongst its dealer technicians whereby winners of the contests are usually sent to Toyota Corporation headquarters in Japan every year for further training and exchange of ideas with Toyota service experts from other parts of Toyota glo-

bal community.

All these, he said, are aimed at enhancing delivery of superior quality service in the area of after-sales to their numerous customers and ultimately break new grounds in the realm of customer satisfaction in the Nigerian.

Complementing the remarks of the chairman, the managing director, Toyota Nigeria Ltd, Mr. C.K. Thampy noted that the company’s commitment to customer satisfaction after-sales delivery has earned it many laurels, among which are Car of the Year award on the Toyota Avensis and Camry by the Guild of Motoring Correspondents and Nigeria Auto Awards respectively, as well as Auto Workshop of the Year to a Toyota deal-

er, Elizade Motors.

“For two of our models to clinch such coveted awards and for our dealer to win in the workshop category well substantiates the fact that we deliver on our promises to our customers, not only excellent products but also provide excellent after-sales support,” he said.

He however, informed that the company surpassed its business target last year, which he attributed to the customers patronages.

ABC commences integrated refleeting for 2014 A BC Transport Plc has commenced an integrated re-fleeting programme for 2014.

According to a statement by the company, a total of 80 new trucks will be added to the company’s haulage operations.

The first set of trucks, sixteen (16) in number, have since been taken

delivery of, while the remaining set of sixty-four (64) is due for delivery before the end of February 2014.

For passenger operations, 10 new coaches and 16 midi and mini buses are due for delivery between the first and second quarters of the year. In addition, ABC

Cargo Express will get 13 new trucks to enhance its ever-expanding operations. Plans are underway to commemorate the companys flagship service, Coach West Africa, on its tenth year of revitalizing travel and tourism in the west coast of Africa.

The company also com-

mended its customers for keeping faith with the company in the just-concluded operational year 2013. The Group Head, Passenger Operations & Logistics, ABC Transport Plc, Mr. Ifeanyi Izuka has expressed satisfaction with the manner in which travellers comported themselves during the

We place enormous value on CSR, says BriscoeFord boss B

RISCOEFORD, an authorized Ford dealer in Nigeria has received the 2013 CSR Company of the year Award from the Guild of Motoring Correspondents, an umbrella body of Motoring Journalists in Nigeria. It was a night of pomp and pageantry for the automobile stakeholders who trooped in their numbers to be part of the epoch making event at Sheraton Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos. The event

was attended by stakeholders in the industry, including Mr. Kayode Opeifa, the Commissioner for Transportation, Lagos State.e Reacting to the award, the Managing Director/CEO of R.T. Briscoe Nigeria PLC, Mr. Seyi Onajide, expressed gratitude to the organizers for recognizing the enduring efforts of both R.T. Briscoe Nigeria PLC and Ford Motor Corporation in giving

back to the society where they operate. This award exemplifies the enormous value placed on social responsibility by the two organisations in Nigeria, the first through the Global Week of Caring Activities and the Nigerian Environmental Grants, where Ford gave out the sum of $25,000 to five research institutes and other educational research institutions in December last year.

We value our custom-

ers and are responsible to the larger society which provides the necessary conducive environment for our business to thrive. Our operations have grown from strength to strength numerically over the years and it owed to their patronage and trust reposed in our ability to deliver on our promise of global products and quality after sales service nationwide, the RT Briscoe boss stated.

peak periods. According to him, the level of maturity and understanding exhibited by ABC customers amid all the hectic operations was very impressive.

ABC Transport witnessed a most challenging operation induced by high traffic surge in both passenger and cargo operations, from late November 2013 to early January 2014.

The company, Nigerias most innovative coach operator, has always striven to put in place adequate measures to contain the enormous demands, which normally arise from handling passengers and cargo operations during peak periods; however, its management was amazed at the massive turn-out of customers.

To manage the seasonal upsurge, ABC Transport had earlier injected additional coaches, minibuses, and cargo trucks into its existing fleet.

28—Vanguard, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2014 that have to be on hold for now, because Governor McDonnell walked out of state house and on January 24, 2014 walked into the dock in a court of law to answer a 14-count charge of inappropriate behavior while in office. This is how the New York Times (January 21) described the charges: ‘The indictment accuses the McDon-

HE downside to being in public office in the U.S. is becoming an object of intense, and often irritating, highly intrusive and critical, media and public scrutiny.

Your action and inaction invariably become subjects of serious debates, even from uninformed quarters and from people with less than noble in-

tentions. What choice do you have? None.

Especially when it comes to the question of public officers being accountable for their deeds and misdeeds, it can at times be frightening how far the media can go to microscopically examine the balancesheet of public officers. And, woe betide any of them who

falls short of maintaining a clean slate. Ask a man called Bob McDonnell.

Mr. McDonnell left office at the dusk of 2014, having served his term as the governor of Virginia State. He was even being put forward as a possible flag-bearer for the Republican Party in the 2016 presidential election. But, all

,

Accountability in Governance T

office. He was sentenced on December 7, 2011. Blagojevich is just an example of how public officers who fail the accountability test are treated in the U.S. He followed the examples of two of his predecessors in office by getting involved in some fraudulent and corrupt activities. And, like those predecessors, he is now

When our governors crush accountability, they do so with the sound of billions of Naira or millions of dollars

nells of accepting some $135,000 in cash from Mr. Williams, thousands of dollars in golf outings, designer clothing and a Rolex watch engraved “71st Governor of Virginia” on the back. It accuses the former first couple of lying about the gifts on loan statements and to government investigators.’

The loan and gifts came from Mr. Jonnie R. Williams Sr., who is the chief executive of Star Scientific, a company that makes dietary supplements. The quid-pro-quo was that the governor and his wife would use his position to promote the company ’s products.

The central theme in the allegations and indictment was that the governor and his wife indeed used state facilities and influence to promote his friend’s dietary products. But, of course the couple denies it.

Late last year, Governor McDonnell returned the gifts and refunded the loan. That is not in dispute. The question is: why accept them in the first place to support his friend in return? Why lie about the loan and gifts? The governor and his wife Maureen are now in the dock facing justice, and if found guilty, both of them will surely end in prison for some years.

Governor McDonnells is not alone in the league of exgovernors and public officers who have been called upon to answer queries regarding the abuse of their oaths of transparency and good governance. As I write, Rod Blagojevich, the former governor of Illinois, is serving a 14-year jail sentence for official corruption while in

,

in prison to atone for his misdeeds.

When I look at Governor McDonnell’s case and juxtapose it with the flagrant abuse of power and office that goes on practically in all countries in Africa, Nigeria perhaps leading the pack, I shudder to think in which direction the continent is headed. We are talking about the paltry sum of $135,000 which is even a loan, and which the former governor has returned. We are looking at gifts of all sorts including designer clothes and a Rolex wristwatch which, again, the man has since returned.

But, more importantly, is the act of abusing his position as governor for personal reasons.

That is the crux of the matter.

Uproarous laughter If Governor McDonnell had been in similar position in Nigeria, wouldn’t he be an object of uproarious laughter for being caught over a loan of some nonsensical sum of $135,000? And, for receiving golf equipment and a Rolex watch? In fact, my satirical sense tells me that his indictment in Nigeria would not be because of what really happened but because of cheapening and disgracing the exalted office of governor by stooping so low as to be involved in such ridiculous sum of money. When our governors crush accountability, they do so with the sound of billions of Naira or millions of dollars.

But, isn’t there a lesson in Governor McDonnell’s fate?

Zero-tolerance of official misdemeanor is the way to sustain the soul of any nation and move the country forward on the path of good governance and nation-building.

You may argue that America is afflicted by venoms of all types, but on this score of accountability for public officers, they got it right. When you pledge to serve the people in any public capacity in the U.S., you better keep to the spirit and letter of your oath of office. The system does not tolerate public officers shortchanging and hoodwinking the people they swore to serve. Whoever fails the accountability test goes to jail, cikena!

Is there any chance that Nigeria and other African countries can philosophically and practically adopt this position?

Vanguard, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 4 , 2014—29

Lagos developer partners TUC to build 100,000-unit workers’ estates

•Illustration of Rock City

BY JUDE NJOKU

R

OCK of Ages Properties Limited, a subsidiary of Chicason Group, in collaboration with Trade Union Congress, (the umbrella body for senior public and private sector workers in the country), will on Thursday in Abuja, flag off the construction of 20,000 housing units under the United Workers Housing Scheme. The scheme is targeted at building 100,000 units of affordable housing in all the 36 states and Abuja The flag-off ceremony which is expected to be graced by FCT Minister, Senator Bala Mohammed and his Labour counterpart, Chief Emeka Nwogu, will hold at Women Development Centre in the FCT. Disclosing these facts to newsmen last weekend, the Executive Director of Chicason Group, Mr Chux Adike explained that the public private partnership, PPP scheme would provide affordable housing across the country for the benefit of senior public and private sectors. Adike explained that the two sites selected to flag off the scheme in Abuja are located along Airport Road, very close to AMAC estate in Lugbe and Deidei.

The Airport Road site measuring over 600 hectares is about seven minutes drive to the city gate while the over 300 hectares site at Deidei is about 12 minutes drive to Maitama.

Adike described the estates as a kind of social housing schemes because the government is providing the land at very subsidised rates while long-term mortgage loans would be given to the subscribers.

“The interesting thing about the project is that apart from us as the private developers and the Trade Union Congress which is the umbrella body for senior staff C M Y K

in both public and private sectors, other agencies in both public and private sectors like the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria, FMBN, the Nigeria Mortgage Refinancing Company and the Primary Mortgage firms are queueing into the project. The dynamics of the project is that the house types range from twobedroom semi-detached bungalows to two-bedroom apartment block, three bedroom detached bungalows, three bedroom semi-detached bungalows, three bedroom

apartment block, three bedroom terrace houses, four bedroom terrace apartment and fourbedroom semi-detached houses.

The buildings will be tastefully finished. ” he said.

Prominent facilities to be provided in the gated estates include centralised water supply system, tarred roads, walkways and drainage channels, ample parking spaces, street lights, schools, recreation facilities, power supply and markets.

On what the subscribers stand to gain from the scheme, Mr

Adike said the land has been subsidised by the government hence the value of each house is less than what obtains in the property market today. “For a contributor to the National Housing Fund, NFH and who also has a retirement savings account, that is, he is a pensions fund contributor, all he need to do is to pick up our application form for N10,000, fulfil the application formalities and we do our verifications and give him a provisional offer which would require him to pay just between

10 and 20 percent of the cost of the house depending on the house type. If the cost of the house is 18 million Naira, because land has been subsidised, the price may come down to N9 million. He (subscriber) will pay 10 percent, that is 900,000 Naira which is less than the annual rent he pays in a good satellite town, not even in the city as annual rent, to own an apartment for life. On subscription, we group them into batches and the mortgage banks will now package the mortgages.

Lagos HOMS: FFashola ashola e xplains crit eria ffor or allocation explains criteria

BY MONSURU OLOWOOPEJO

A

S Lagos residents await the commencement of allocation of housing units under the Lagos Home Ownership Mortgage Scheme, Lagos HOMS, Governor Babatunde Fashola has said tax card and the temporary resident’s registration card are some of the criteria that would be used for allotment of houses under the Scheme.

The State government had during the celebration of 100 days of the present administration, disclosed that over 5000 housing units have been completed so far and would be available to the public in the pilot scheme.

Fashola who disclosed the allocation criteria after inspecting various ongoing projects in the Kosofe and Ikorodu axis, assured residents that the Government will start the allocation of the houses this year.

“I know that people have been very anxious, but they should bear with us because it is not just about handing them houses, we want to give them homes and there is a distinction between the two. So we are closing up now

and almost done so that it would be a lifelong asset. For us, it is just not about building houses and giving it to people. We want to use this opportunity to solve that problem once and for all in Lagos so that the next government will only continue from where we stopped. So we are ensuring that there is enough

supply of houses so that once we start, we don’t stop again and people can now really see hope that they will get on that ladder and become a house owners.”

He said. “All the conditions that will take us there include payment of tax, residency card, so you must go and register. We won’t build houses with tax

payers’ money in Lagos and then allocate it to people leaving outside Lagos. Those are one of the reasons why I said people should register; people should pay their taxes and so on. As we progress, you would see what this is really all about”, he explained.

Aluminum roofers and fabricators move to regulate sector

T

Association of Aluminum Roofers and Fabricators of Nigeria, AAROFAN, will soon enact a law that would regulates the activities of roofing and fabricating industry in Nigeria. The National President of the Association, Comrade Adeyemi Lukman disclosed this during the inauguration of the national executives of the association in Sapele, Delta State.

Lukman explained that it is now mandatory for members to register with the association as a condition for bidding for HE

contracts. According to him, it is now a criminal offence for any member to carry out roofing and fabricating works without being registered with the association.

The AAROFAN president further hinted that the association will make the laws available to both the Federal and State governments with a view to getting their support and recognition for effective and proper management of the industry in Nigeria. National executives inaugurated at the event include, Comrades

Adeyemi Lukman, President; Simon Edegwa, Vice President; Denis Aniokuzu, Secretary; Osagie Osakpanwan, Assistant Secretary; Oghenemobore Whiskey, Treasurer; Teddy Okparaji, Financial Secretary and Akpoyibo Omas, Public Relation Officer.

Others are, Lucky Owhowhiabene, Organizing Secretary; Lucky Owhojero, Chairman Task Officer; Stanley Ubhimhinye, Vice Chairman, Task Force; Osakwe Steve, Publicity Secretary and Benjamin Shakara as Provost.

30—Vanguard, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2014

BY JUDE NJOKU & CHARLES KUMOLU

A

200-member Stakeholders’ Forum to review the 53 year-old master plan of Obafemi Awolowo University, OAU, Ile-Ife in Osun State, was last week, inaugurated by the authorities of the university. The forum has the mandate to expose the extent of existing development and also assess the adequacy and physical condition of residential, academic, commercial and recreational environment.

The stakeholders are expected to make inputs into the proposed master plan review project being undertaken by a Lagos-based firm of Town Planners, Messrs Femi Olomola and Company which has been engaged as project consultant..

Already, the firm has commenced inventory of the existing services, facilities, utilities and the changes brought by trends in development activities.

The University’s first master plan was prepared in 1961 while the preset one was prepared 31 years ago. At that time, the main core of the university ’s master plan focused on campus development. The original plan was later modified in 1963 and 1969 to accommodate growth of new facilities and increased density. The university ’ s existing land use system comprises 11,855 hectares of land. Out of it, 5,605 hectares was captured in the first master plan and additional 6,250 hectares was acquired sometime in 1973 for further development.

Concrete proposals The consulting town planner is charged with formulating concrete proposals aimed at evolving harmonious and aesthetic environment conducive to various activities taking place within the university community for a period of 15 years.

The firm is also expected to highlight the problems and potentials of the sectors and sub-sectors in the campus. It will also undertake detailed studies of physical, economic, socio-cultural, engineering, aesthetic and ecological components and other subjects relevant to the development of the university.

At the inauguration of Stakeholders’ Forum and Presentation of Findings in the on-going master plan review project which was held in the University, the Deputy Vice Chancellor in charge of Academic, Prof. Ayobami Salami tasked the participants to make valuable contributions to ensure that the university produces an enduring master plan.

C M Y K

L-R: Dean, Faculty of Law, OAU, Prof. Ade Adediran; Deputy VC (Academics), Prof. Ayobami Salami; Dr Femi Olomola, Prof.

(Mrs.) Ebunoluwa Adejuyigbe, Chairman, Committee of Deans Prof. Wasiu Muse, Mr. Adebayo Owolabi and Provost, College of Health Sciences, Prof Adesegun Fatusi during the stakeholders’ inauguration.

53 years after, OAU sets up 200-member forum to review university’s master plan •Appoints Femi Olomola as consultant He said the project is in line with the vision of the founding fathers,. The review, according to the deputy VC arose because of the dynamics of the time. His words: “There is a need to review the master plan to see what can be taken or remodified to ensure that Ife, remains Great Ife.” The Director, Physical Planning and Development Unit, PPDU, Mr. James Ayodeji, who was represented

by Mr. Adebayo Owolabi explained that “ with rapid population growth and changes experienced by the university over the years as well as pressure which has led to the overstretching of academic, social, economic and infrastructural facilities, it became a necessity to undertake a review that will accommodate changes besieging the old plan.”

He said: Our expectation is that after these stakeholders’ consultations, accelerated actions will be taken by the consultant to conclude the project.

This include recommending strategies, policies, actions and concrete proposals aimed at improving the existing situation taking into cognizance of the university strategic plan, the university environment policy and the National University Commission (NUC) minimum standards for preparing master plan of universities.”

According to the Principal Partner, Femi Olomola and Company, Dr. Femi Olomola, the firm is adopting citizens’ participation approach in the project. “The entire university community will have a say at every stage of the project so that they will see the end product

as our master plan and not their master plan,” he said. Olomola disclosed that the stakeholders’ forum members were selected from all the sectors/units within the university such as Head of Departments, Provosts, Directors of units and representative of the Vice Chancellor office, Academic Staff Union of Universities, Non Academic Staff Union of Universities and Regional

Centre for training in Aerospace Surveys.

He added that the forum members are expected to comment on findings from the studies conducted on all existing land use systems and infrastructure within the university, which will form the basis for other stages of the project. The forum will also offer recommendations on the sources of assistance in terms

of funding to implement the revised master plan. Olomola further explained that the project has been delayed due to some unforeseen circumstances such as getting the survey plan of the 6,250 hectares of land acquired for OAU in 1979, delay by consultants to conclude studies, trade union strikes, and getting the up-to-date base map of the university.

Experts decry high cost of construction in Nigeria

BY KINGSLEY ADEGBOYE

C

ONSTRUCTION experts who gathered in Lagos last week, have decried the excessive cost of construction in the country.

Apart from the high cost of construction, the experts lamented that Nigeria’s construction sector is characterised by prolonged delay in project delivery and poor quality of construction works Gathering under the International Council for Research and Innovation in Building and Construction, CIB, the construction industry stakeholders argued that construction of buildings, roads, dams, airports, seaports, power plants and stadia can only be made possible if there is an efficient and effective construction industry in Nigeria that is sustainable.

The theme of the two-day conference cohosted by the University of Lagos, UNILAG Akoka, Yaba and Heriot Watt University, Edinburgh, United Kingdom was Construction in Developing Countries and its Contribution to Sustainable Development. CIB is an association established in 1953 with the objectives of stimulating and facilitating international cooperation and information exchange in building and construction between nations and organisations that engage in technical fields of research especially research institutes.

The Commission is concerned primarily with

promoting the development of construction in developing countries. The co-chairman of the conference and Head, Department of Building, UNILAG, Prof. Godwin Idoro explained that the construction industry has the potentials for generating employment and training opportunities.

"Nigeria has adopted the Vision 20:20:20 in which the country aims at becoming one of the 20 leading economies in the world in year 2020. But the question is, can the construction industry in Nigeria provide the needed enabling environment for achieving the Vision? The answers to these questions are not far-fetched.

"The construction industry in Nigeria is characterised by several vices such as excessive high construction cost, prolong delay in project delivery; poor quality of construction works, incidents of collapsed buildings and civil engineering structures, high level of corruption and poor or, lack of regulation, dominance of fake/inferior construction materials, non patronage of indigenous contractors.

"Others are high dependence on imported construction materials and components; noninvolvement of the right professionals or the use of non-professionals in project delivery, use of fake or sub-standard building materials and components, ineffective physical development control regulation, structures and processes.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 4 , 2014—31

REDAN demands urgent land reforms, viable mortgage sector

BY JUDE NJOKU & KINGSLEY ADEGBOYE

AGAINST the backdrop of the difficulties in getting titles to land for real estate development, real estate developers under the aegis of Real Estate Developers Association of Nigeria, REDAN, have called on the Federal and State governments to simply the process of getting titles to land.

The developers also called for a viable mortgage sector that would give loans to property buyers at single interest rates.

The developers who brainstormed on some key issues affecting the real estate sector in 2014, posited that so long as the process of getting titles to land remain cumbersome, real estate development in the country will continue to progress at a snail’s speed.

The one-day brainstorming session which focused on ‘’Real Estate Trends 2014,’’ was put together by the South-West Zone of REDAN and the Centre for Housing Studies, University of Lagos, Akoka.

allocation of land without certificate of occupancy cannot bring about housing development in Nigeria, arguing that when there are no houses, insecurity will be order of the day in the country.

“Housing is the solution to the country’s dilemma. We have to be involved in urban regeneration to reduce housing deficit in Nigeria.

Rather than looking for virgin land for development, we can partner Lagos State Physical Development Agency, LASPHYDA to regenerate some of the old settlements within Lagos metropolis as the

state has demonstrated at Oluwole area of Shasha, Lagos. Real estate developers can make money going into partnership with government in its urban renewal programme rather than going to tie capital down in rural settlements without good roads and other infrastructure to attract sales in the estate.

A primary mortgage operator, Mr. Roland Igbinoba posited that there is hope for real estate developers in the country with the establishment of Nigeria Mortgage Refinance Company.

According to Igbinoba, the

major problem with developers has been inability to source long term funds for development, stressing however, that with the establishment of the Refinance Company, there will be enough funds in the company to service real estate developers across the country who are qualified to access the funds, as the company will refinance itself from turn overs from sales of bonds and loans granted to customers.

Commending the conference organisers, Mr. Yemi Ejidiran, Director, Business Development at UPDC

however pointed out that the fund available for real estate development in the country is not enough to bridge the gap of housing deficit in Nigeria.

Calling for creativity in the various schemes of developers to be able to bring down the cost of housing in the nation, Ejidiran said “technology has to play a role in our construction of houses in order to bring down the prices of houses to affordable level”.

In his reaction to the issue of delayed issuance of certificate of occupancy by Lagos state government, Folusho Dipe, an architect and a director in Lagos State Ministry of Housing who represented Commissioner for Housing, said issuance of C of O is not unduly delayed if applicants comply with instructions as required.

Political climate Looking at the current political climate in Ekiti and Osun States and what it portends for the real estate sector, the President of REDAN, Mr. Olabode Afolayan explained that due to political instability in the country, developers must be very careful about their transactions.

According to him, they (developers) should structure their businesses in such a way that they will succeed. ‘’Ensure you perfect all legal issues, perfect your dealings. This period of elections in the country is the best time to get what you want from governments. We need to be concerned about what happens tomorrow. We need to be innovative in our dealings as developers’’, Afolayan said.

Pointing out that real estate can effectively be funded through capital market, a trustee of REDAN, Prof.

Timothy Nubi of the Department of Estate Management, University of Lagos, said it is when a developer is able to enlist in the capital market that he can say he has come to stay in the business.

“We have to be innovative as developers in order to survive the harsh economic climate of Nigeria, he said, adding that refinancing is what the developers need in the country to succeed. He stated that

•A housing estate in Delta State

FG to begin construction of Gombe-Kaltungu road soon — Minister

BY FAVOUR NNABUGWU

T

HE Federal Government will soon award the contract for the construction of GombeKaltungu Road. Minister of Works, Mike Onolememen, an architect said the contract would be awarded as soon as the road’s design is completed. He spoke when the Governor of Gombe State, Ibrahim Dankwambo visited him in his office at Abuja.

Onolememen told Dankwambo that the government will make good its promise to the people of Gombe to construct GombeKaltungu road.

“Gombe-Kaltungu road design is ongoing and it would be contracted out as soon as the design is ready. Government would intervene on the GombeBauchi road while the Gombe-Biu road has been penciled down for rehabilitation under the World Bank intervention and would come on stream very soon” On the issue of reimbursement to the state government for the construction of some Federal roads in Gombe, the Minister

assured the Governor that the ministry would ensure that the state gets reimbursed as soon as due processes are followed.“The guidelines for State’s intervention on Federal roads are very clear and states are expected to comply with the guideline. It has been gazetted as part of laws of Nigeria and has been circulated to all the states of the federation and once any state complies with the guideline, we won’t have any problem reimbursing them” he assured.

Continuing he said, “About N8billion was paid during the last quarter of last year out of the first phase of refund to state governments. Gombe state has demonstrated how to truly partner with the Federal government to bring dividends of democracy to the people”. Onlememen also praised the the Ibrahim Dankwambo administration for construction large network of roads in both metropolis and the rural areas.

Stating his mission to the Minister ‘s office, Governor Ibrahim Dankwambo commended the Federal government for its intervention on the Gombe bypass.

32—Vanguard, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2014

•Saraki: Weighing his options for 2015

•Atiku: Back again with former friends

•Tambuwal: Pair with Oshiomhole is K.O

APC: Atiku unsettles permutation THE defection of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP to the All Progressives Party, APC may have altered, if not complicated the choices of the opposition party in the coming match up with the ruling PDP

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ESTERDAY’S defection of former VicePresident Atiku Abubakar to the All Progressives Congress, APC was celebrated with boisterousness at a long planned for rally of the party in Yola, Adamawa State.

The event which had been scheduled well ahead of Atiku’s defection from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, had initially been organized to herald the formal defection of Governor Murtala Nyako to the APC. Nyako’s switch followed a trenchant battle between him and the immediate past national chairman of the PDP, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur.

However, beyond the celebration of yesterday is the dawning reality of the import of Atiku’s presence in the APC. For Atiku, it is a return to a fold he once jilted. In 2006 at the peak of the face-off between him and former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Atiku had joined other politicians to form the Action Congress, AC, on whose platform he made an unsuccessful bid for the presidency in 2007. Following the defeat, and apparently sensing what was then believed to be the unassailable lead of the PDP in the country, Atiku returned to the PDP in 2009.

Presidential primary But just like 2006, the new lords of the PDP still gave him a cold shoulder and Atiku apparently saw that there was little difference between Obasanjo, the father and son, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan. The cold shoulder rubbed home well to the extent that the Adamawa State chapter of the PDP chose Dr. Goodluck Jonathan ahead of their son in the 2011 presidential primary of the PDP. Given the rebuff of the presidential primary, it was interesting that Governor Murtala Nyako on hearing of Atiku’s return to the PDP on Sunday, sympathized with him telling Vanguard that he was not ignorant of the humiliation the former vice-president was subjected to in the PDP. Nyako who spoke through his director of press, Ahmed Sajo, gave concurrence to Atiku’s assertion in a statement on Sunday, that he had been denied C M Y K

of his statutory privileges such as invitations to high level meetings of the party. Atiku’s exit from the PDP inevitably clears the way for Dr. Jonathan to easily pick the presidential ticket of the party for the 2015 election.

While things would apparently look calmer in the PDP, given the exit of the strongmen that would have ordinarily fought Dr. Jonathan for the party’s ticket, the outlook for the APC is bound to be much more competitive given the drive by some of the leading lights of the party to claim the presidential ticket of the opposition party.

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BY EMMANUEL AZIKEN, POLITICAL EDITOR

Nuhu Ribadu and former military governor of Lagos and Borno States, Gen. Buba Marwa.

Speaker Tambuwal remains a member of the PDP, but his inclination towards the APC is about one of the most openly talked about secrets in the country today. Many sensitive issues on the party’s plans and prospects are not discussed in high level meetings Tambuwal attends. The speaker ’s fitness for the presidency became an issue last year at the Vanguard Man of the Year investiture ceremony when former Military President Ibrahim Babangida openly called on him to aspire for higher office.

“When leaders like Tamuwal delivered on their electoral promise, we advise them to try something higher. For Tambuwal, your guess is as good as mine. Well done,” Babangida had said to the ringing endorsement of those present.

But whatever presidential aspirations Tambuwal may have would be juxtaposed with the reality of the claim that the political authorities in his native Sokoto State have already set aside the gubernatorial ticket of the APC for him.

Also of note is the increasing speculation of the aspiration of Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, the governor of Edo State. While Oshiomhole has been generally applauded for his incisive approach to governance in Edo State, permutations have generally put him as a positive balance as a running mate to any candidate that may emerge from the North. But many others are also looking at the prospects of pitching Oshiomhole as the APC presidential candidate with a Muslim running mate in a fixture that would undoubtedly be a Technical Knock Out for the PDP. With a popular APC candidate from the SouthSouth, matching the PDP’s Jonathan, whatever prospects of the PDP laying claim to the South-South vote would eviscerate. The PDP would be left to struggle in all other zones, probably except the Southeast. With such dreams in mind, the prospect of Atiku entering the fray in the APC is bound to unsettle many existing and exciting permutations.

Others are also looking at the prospects of pitching Oshiomhole as the APC presidential candidate with a Muslim running mate in a fixture that would undoubtedly be a Technical Knock Out for the PDP

It is no surprise that the level of pessimism on the party’s prospects have multiplied.

Atiku, who has participated in all presidential elections in the country since 1992, it appears, has set his sight on another contest in 2015.

However, he is bound to meet his match in the face of a determined ambition by some other members of the APC. While the intentions of General Muhammadu Buhari remain unclear, a number of prominent opposition figures are already being penciled down for the APC contest. Among these are Governor Rabiu Kwankwanso who is said to be the favoured candidate of some leading northern political figures, Senator Bukola Saraki, the immediate former governor of Kwara State who is also a rallying point for the opposition in the Senate and newspaper publisher, Mr. Sam Nda-Isaiah.

Though Saraki has not declared his intention, the 2011 presidential aspirant is believed to be consulting stakeholders on his prospects.

While Kwankwanso and Nda-Isaiah have fully thrown their hats into the APC circle, the intentions of Speaker Aminu Waziri Tambuwal and Governor Adams Oshiomhole remain in the realm of speculation. Also in the realm of speculation are the ambitions of the former anti-graft czar Mallam

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Vanguard, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2014—33

My unusual government, my critics and my judgment day, by Aregbesola OSUN State Governor, Mr Rauf Aregbesola agrees with his critics that he is running an unusual government. In name, structure and philosophy, Osun State is unusual, drawing flaks and favour from foes and friends respectively. In this interview, Aregbesola responds to some of the issues that have trailed his three year administration of Osun State. Excerpts:

H

OW have you been faring with the challenges of governance in the last three years?

We are being driven by the passion to turn around the economy of Osun State. We believe strongly in the divine intervention for guidance and success. This foundation made it possible for us to be guided in the appointment of the right people in the right places.

We cannot ascribe the success to ourselves but to the Almighty who will continue to support and make it possible for us to achieve our plans to execute mega projects that will attract investments to the state. And that passion definitely inspired more than ordinary effort to get our resources to drive our vision.

However, God has established His laws; it is left to human beings to take maximum advantage of the laws of God for their benefits.

So, with the abundance of God’s provisions, human beings only need to put their minds in what they want and help from sources that are never envisaged will just come.

Management of resources Yes, what we are doing in all spheres of life are definitely beyond the capacity of a state.

So, effective, efficient and prudent management of our resources have helped to push the frontier of development.

Our success in that regard is beyond the capacity to prudently, effectively and efficiently manage the economy.

That is where the divine angle comes in. You just realize that even with the best management skill, which we have on ground is just beyond the human comprehension. It is the gargantuan scope of our development strides that has inebriated the opposition to the point of hallucination.

Now, they don’t even know what to say or what to do, others promote lies about debt burden.

They cannot talk about lack of performance because that is beyond them to do, even

•Aregbesola: It's true we are unusual with their somewhat skilled sense of evaluation to whittle down our achievements and appreciation by the people.

They still go about this totally uncoordinated hype on phantom debt burden which is unsustainable if you are going to be honest with it.

So, I used to tell people, in addition to what I just told you that I served under one of the best public finance experts in the person of the former Governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

The tutelage paid off so handsomely and the result is what you are witnessing in Osun today.

You are one of the most criticized Governors in the country, what are you doing to limit the criticisms against your government?

When a man is criticized the way we are criticized, it is due to success. Success brings criticism definitely. In fact, what I will say is that success largely brings controversy.

Probably that is what is making people to criticize our government. Success brings controversy, success brings hostility and success brings envy.

We are indeed successful in our programmes and projects.

You see, we were not unconscious of the reactions

some of our programmes, projects and activities would attract.

Don’t forget, we heartily called our administration even during the campaigns ‘an unusual government’.

We branded our government ‘an unusual government’ even during the campaigns. So, it would be difficult to be abnormal not to have the spate of antagonism that we have experienced over this period of time. It would be totally abnormal not to have such reactions.

Election for your second term in office is just few months away, how prepared are you for the election?

We have been working from the very first day with the firm belief that there will be a day of reckoning which elections usually mean to politicians.

Elections are the days of reckoning.

Days of reckoning They are the judgment days for politicians. So, from the day we were sworn-in until now, we have been working assiduously for that auspicious day that our electorates will have the opportunity to renew our

mandate for another period of time. For a thing that we have been working at for the past 37 months, I will want to say we are doing well at it.

The PDP has been engulfed in leadership crisis for some time now, what are the effects of the PDP crisis on the APC? There was no crisis in PDP when we assumed office. To us, whether the party is one, fragmented or weakened by internal crisis, it is their own headache. We are engaged by the people and that is important to us.

Our engagement with the people has been so firm, so serious, so symbiotic and so wholesome. Whatever is the situation of PDP in Osun, it is of no importance to us. If they are together, they do not matter because the people are the sovereign. The people are the sole decider of victory or defeat in an election. Parties will only mobilize support from the people.

Parties cannot force the people. Parties can stimulate the interest of the people in their activities. Parties cannot compel the people to adopt or accept their programmes.

So, since we realized this from the very beginning, our works, our programmes, our activities are directed at meeting the needs of the people, satisfying the people, mobilizing the people to accept our programmes and

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BY GBENGA OLARINOYE

matter anymore. Whether they are together or divided, weakened or strong, as long as we are one with the people and represent the aspirations of the people to give our people the hope of realizing their desires and wants, let other parties do whatever they wish to do. God be with us, success is our own.

How will you rate the economy in Osun State today?

For a state within such badmanaged nation to seek to isolate a constituent of such a nation, in economic analysis will be very difficult.

This is particularly a hard task when you bear in mind that this is a state that has been administered along the line of the Laize Faire economic management for over 19 years before our advent. Indeed, this will be very tough and I want you to see it from that angle.

Attracting investments Bearing that in mind, we are turning the economy of Osun around. Even with the obvious challenge we have as a nation, we have grown the income of the state. For instance, Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) of the state has jumped from N300 million to over N1.6 billion per month. We are attracting investments to specific sectors of the state and hope to achieve over N3 billion IGR. We are supporting farmers at all levels, from peasant to new generation farmers and high commercial farmers. We are empowering our people to produce food and help them with the market for their products. We are supporting market men and women in their businesses.

Elections are the days of reckoning.They are the judgment days for politicians. So, from the day we were sworn-in until now, we have been working assiduously for that auspicious day that our electorate will have the opportunity to renew our

policies, believe in us as their friends and people who are committed to their progress, welfare, peace and prosperity.

Our people-oriented programmes are also designed to adopt us as their own representatives. So once those critical or those fundamentals of engagement with the people are met, the rest is little.

With what we have done with the people, with the response we have from the people, it does not matter the crisis or no crisis in PDP. The crisis in PDP doesn’t

,

Part of the industrial development that took place since we assumed office is the Omoluabi Garment Factory where uniforms are being made for our students on a commercial and large scale basis. This was initiated not only to reduce the cost but increase the quality of wears.

Today, the factory is not only producing uniforms but it is producing other garments and uniforms for school children nationwide. It is producing other garments from other wears to T-shirts and sports wears.

34 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2014

BY OLASUNKANMI AKONI

A

LAGOS BOMB BLAST:

Crisis over compensation lingers, 12 years after “They promised us some compensation and employment in the state civil service which have not materialised. We appeal to our amiable governor to intervene by fulfilling the promise as an encouragement to others in future,” he said.

There were also complaints of unfulfilled state promise of scholarships to the children of victims of that dark Sunday catastrophy.

The Special Duties Commissioner, who was a Special Adviser, during the

given to the children in order to make sure that they are not at a disadvantage in their education having lost their parents to the blasts. ``We believe that the death of their parents should not signal the end of their studies.

That is why we are coming with this support.

“Right now, we are still conducting an enumeration exercise of children who lost their parents to the incident .This is to ensure all those affected benefit from the gesture,” he said.

Right now, we are still conducting an enumeration exercise of children who lost their parents to the incident

,

T the 12th anniversary of the scary Ikeja Cantonment bomb blasts, late last month, two groups embarked on protests at the memorial arcade built in remembrance of the victims.

On Sunday, January 27, 2002 at about 1 pm, staccatos of bomb explosions from Ikeja Military Cantonment rocked Lagos and its environs. During the race to escape from the blasts, at least 1,000 people to died in the Oke-Afa Canal, in the then Oshodi Isolo Local Government Area.

The groups of protesters at the anniversary - bereaved families and the divers, who retrieved the bodies from the canal, showed their unhappiness with the way the state government handled the issue of compensation Some families of the victims, numbering about 20 clad in black attire, stormed the venue with placards of different inscriptions, to drive home their complaints over their exclusion from the beneficiaries of government’s compensation till date.

Speaking on behalf of the families, the Vice Chairman of the group that calls itself ‘January 27th Struggling Group’, Mr. Christopher Isedigu, raised some concerns, saying, the master and a comprehensive list earlier computed was manipulated as some of them were excluded in the final list.

According to Isedigu:“The issue of compensation would have been settled if the Lagos State Government had used the master list of verified victims submitted to the Federal Government in 2003.

“Lagos State Government should go back to the list to know the true victims worthy of compensation.

“Now 79 families and relatives of victims had been compensated while 84 of us are left. This is unfair, that is why we are appealing to government to come to our aid.”

Also President of the divers group, Mr Ola Majekodunmi, who led some members to the commemoration event, expressed disappointment with the way they had been neglected.

Majekodunmi claimed that the state government was yet to compensate some of their members as well as fulfil the promise to employ some of them in the state civil service.

His words: “After this event, we are planning to stage a peaceful demonstration to the state House of Assembly to register our profound disappointment with the way and manner they have left us to our fate, having made several unfulfilled promises to us.

10th anniversary, two years ago, Dr Wale Ahmed explained then that:“The state government was carrying out an enumeration to ascertain the exact number of children orphaned by the incident, saying the step was to ensure that all those affected benefitted from the gesture.”

According to him:``The scholarship grant and other forms of assistance would be

,

Sadly though, nothing has happened in that direction.

Fashola reacts

F

ashola, at the official handing over of the Ajao estate to Oke Afa link road in old Oshodi Isolo Local Government Area, observed a minute silence and prayers in remembrance of the over 1000 victims of the dark Sunday, saying, the disaster would

have been avoided if the Federal authorities were alive to their responsibilities.

He recalled that, women, children and men perished in the Oke-Afa canal because a national government failed to do its duties, there is no other excuse. That was their responsibility to manage bombs and explosives and to look after the Nigerian military, but they dropped the bombs. Since then, they have pretended as if nothing was wrong".

The governor noted that the inensitivity of Federal Government prompted his government to intervene by rebuilding the schools and hospitals located within the Ikeja Cantonment which were destroyed by the incident.

On the inauguration of the Ejigbo-Ajao Link Road as Janaury 27th, Fashola, affirmed that it was another fulfilment of the state government promise in 2002 to open up the area as part of government's drive to renew inner city roads.

"My predecessor promised you then that a bridge will be built to link Ejigbo to Ajao Estate, I have come here today to fulfil that promise", he stated.

Responding to the call for compensation made by some families of victims of the bomb blast, Fashola said it was impossible for government to

compensate survivors of victims every year. He however, assured that genuine beneficiaries not yet captured will be paid soon.

"No amount of compensation can bring back those who died during the blasts and as much as we are willing to pay, you must assist us to verify who the real beneficiaries of compensation are", he added.

BY MONSURU OLOWOOPEJO

F

EW years before now, the major demand of millions of residents of Ikorodu from the Federal and Lagos state governments was the reconstruction of the Mile 12-Ikorodu road to respond to the population explosion in the axis. But today, there are fresh challenges as the work progresses.

The expansion process of the over 50-year-old road originally constructed by the Federal Government began last quarter of year 2012, as the state government mobilized the contractor- Chinese Civil Engineering and Construction Corporation, CCECC, to site.

Though the expansion work

Vanguard, TUESDAY,

FEBRUARY 4, 2014

— 35

BY DOTUN IBIWOYE

T

HE advantage of Lagos being located along the coastline has not been fully utilised because the waterway has not really been developed and the water transportation is still in its rudimentary stage.

In a place with over 20 million inhabitants, the water transportation needs to be more attractive to reduce road transportation prone to gridlock, which is one of the major issues of the magacity Although the state government has improved some jetties recently, several still remain unattractive, unsafe and might not have available passengers and investors soon.

There are 59 jetties all over Lagos but more emphasis is laid on the mega jetties such as Mile 2, Ikorodu and Badore.

When Vanguard asked about poor development, the Lagos State Waterways Authority, LASWA, Head of Operations, Mr Tayo Gbajumo, said that the development of all the jetties an ongoing process and the other jetties will be developed.

According to him: “We all know that development of the jetties require fund and time. It is an on-going process. The jetties are being developed phase by phase. Some require renovation while others needs to be rebuilt. The recent include: Epeme and Iya Afin jetties Oke Afa-Mile 2 , Ikorodu-Badore via Oreta, Baiyeku-Ijede, Ikorodu-Osborne, and others in addition to dredging ferry routes, so we are not relegating any jetty. All the jetties in this state are important to us.

“There are 59 jetties around Lagos. I cannot specifically say when the all the jetties will be fully developed and renovated, but the on going process will not stop.

“Whenever we finish work in an area we move to another area. When we move to Epe area we know we are going to develop all the jetties in that area.

When we move to Falomo, we know that we will develop the jetties in its environ.

A resident of Ijanikin area of Lagos , Toluwani Akinfenwa, whose business is located at Ibeche Island, in Ojo local government and the mode of

Lagos jetties, abundant yet under-developed • City link jetty Badore transportation is water, was aggrieved with the authorities.

For Akinfenwa; “When the jetties are so bad how can I be confident about employing more hands? How will I make profit? The waterway is also filled with water hyacinth. Sometimes we spend up to two hours in a day cutting them. The only way to my own work place is by water. I can't fly so I have to go through all this every day. The government needs to help us.

Phillip Ubong who lives in Ijora: “At least there is a jetty. That is the first stage, development is another stage that we are expecting. So far the waterway is safe from armed robbers I dont have a problem. I use the jetty in my area three times in a week. The jetty in my area is not good enough.

Recently, the the Managing Director, LASWA, Yinka Marinho, said about 1.

8 million people now travel on Lagos waterways every month and the pressure on the services being rendered by ferry operators in the state was as a result of increase in patronage of water transport systems.

Marinho noted that as a result of this development, the state government is encouraging more private operators to

come in.

“We now have an average of 1.8 million people travelling on our waterways every month and this has caused more demand for the operators that we have. To that effect, the state itself is starting a ferry service with the

•Old Agboyi-Ketu Jetty

Lagos State Ferry Services Corporation, while it is also renovating five aluminum vessels with 80-seater capacity each, he said “With this, the capacity of vessels in the waterways will increase considerably, while more operators are also starting operations. These efforts will try to jumpstart the process of having bigger vessels on the waterways and add more capacity to the movement of people along the waterways.’

He added: “We have a well trained team that performs rescue operations on our waterways, while our emergency numbers are out there with the operators who can call us anytime in case of

emergencies,’ ’ Ferry service in Lagos State started in the 1970s when Lagos was still the federal capital. The effective and efficient service run by the corporation has still continued to be a reference point in the state well over 25 years after.

The State Ferry Service Corporation is no more in operation as the National Inland Waterways Authority Act (Repeal) Law 2008 created the Lagos State Waterways Authority, which is already functional with a supervisory board inaugurated by Governor Fashola to monitor the private operators and ensure they operate within the provisions of the Inland Waterways Law.

Mile12-Ikorodu road: New challenges emerge had since started and 50 percent construction work done according to the Managing Director, Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority, LAMATA, Dr. Dayo Mobereola,who spoke at the fourth stakeholders’ forum on Mile 12-

•Construction of Majidun Ikorodu road

Ikorodu road expansion held at the Ikorodu-West Local Council Development Area, LCDA secretariat, Owutu.

The residents are happy with the progress made on the expansion work

but now demand that the state government should urgently build the inner roads and fly-over -linking the expressway.

Speaking at the forum, the residents argued that the inner roads are in bad shape.

Mr. Ola Omotayo, a resident of Ikorodu, lamented: “For instance, the road on Thomas Street, which is the only alternative road for residents to link the six-lane, is in total disrepair. And this is an inner road expected to serve the residents.

Another resident, Mr. Femi Idris said; “The only inner road that was included in the 2013 budget was the Ishawo road.”

Idris noted that larger percent of the streets are yet to feel the impact of the ongoing expansion because the inner city roads are still in bad shape.

According to him “The residents will be happy if at least 10 meters of the inner roads that are linking the major road

are constructed.”

Responding, Mobereola said; “For those expecting more from LAMATA, we appreciate you but we need to understand that every project has financial implication.

The problem of drainage and inner city road can only be handled by the state government. We are willing to construct inner road but there is paucity of fund.

The fund for this project has been provided and inner city road were not included in the scope of work.

The project manager, Mr. Femi Fayombo however said “When we finish the road construction at the end of the year, as part of our Corporate Social Responsibility, CSR, we will handle some of the inner roads.”

Fayombo explained that it is the responsibility of LAMATA and CCECC to ensure that the entrance of some of the inner roads from the expressway are tidied-up.

“We will try and tidy-up some of them,” he said.

36—Vanguard, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2014

DELTA 2015: PDP guber aspirants from Anioma allegedly hold secret meeting with Nwaoboshi

BY AUSTIN OGWUDA

A

SABA—NOTABLE aspirants from Delta North senatorial district of Delta State, eyeing the governorship seat in the 2015 general elections, weekend, met behind closed doors with the Chairman of the ruling Peoples’ Democratic Party, PDP in the state, Chief Peter Nwaoboshi, pledging to put away their differences and forge a common front towards the race.

The meeting, attended by most of the aspirants and some leaders from the area, passed a vote of confidence on Nwaoboshi and charged him to ensure that as a father to all in the party, equity and justice prevailed.

Chief of Government Staff, Government House Asaba, Dr. Festus Okubor, later briefed newsmen in company of Dr. Cairo Ojougboh after the closed door meeting.

Feelers from the meeting revealed that it was attended mostly by those interested in succeeding incumbent governor, Emmanuel Uduaghan. They agreed to support whosoever successfully emerges as the candidate of the party during the primaries in order to achieve a united front.

He said: “After very useful discussions on the state of affairs of the party in the state, we congratulated the Chairman for his able leadership and urged him to continue to work very hard for the unity and stability of the party in the state."

Oshiomhole battles Edo APC leaders over party's registration

BY SIMON EBEGBULEM

B

ENIN—AHEAD of Wednesday's registration exercise of All Progressives Congress, APC, in Edo State, there is uneasy calm between Governor Adams Oshiomhole and some leaders of the party, led by former governor of the state, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, after the leaders complained of being shut out in the exercise.

Indication of the crisis emerged last week, at a leadership meeting where the governor announced the names of three persons selected from the state, who will work with the two national officers to conduct the exercise in the state.

Former South-South Vice

Chairman of the party, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, who is one of those eyeing the Osadebey Avenue after Oshiomhole, faulted the nomination of Godwin Adenomo as the member representing Edo South district in the committee.

His argument was countered by majority of the leaders, including the deputy governor, Dr. Pius Odubu, and the nomination of Adenomo was accepted by the leaders.

But there was a twist on Sunday between the leaders and the members, who came from Abuja to conduct the registration exercise, when Chief Oyegun complained that they were not involved in the nomination of those to carry out the exercise in the state.

It was learnt that Oshiomhole, who was shocked by Oyegun's outburst, reminded him that same issue was raised at a previous meeting and was settled amicably. The governor wondered why the former governor decided to raise same issue at the meeting. Vanguard learnt that the governor expressed disappointment and insisted that the list will not be tampered with.

When contacted, the Political Adviser to the Governor and Leader of Edo Solidarity Movement, said: “Anyone who wants to steal the structure of the party from the governor is wasting his time because it will not work. They said they want the Binis to

NCS records 1,102 seizures, rakes in N8.5bn in Seme Area Command

BY IFEYINWA OBI

D

ESPITE environmental challenges, the Customs Area Controller, Nigerian Customs Service, Seme Area Command, Lagos, Mr Willy Egbudin, weekend, said that the command recorded 1,102 seizures with a Duty Paid Value, DPV, of N548. 390 million for the year ended 2013.

Egbudin, who reviewed the activities of the command for 2013, told newsmen that the revenue collected for the period was N8.5 billion, which represents about 65 percent of its annual target.

With the command’s monthly revenue target of N1.095 billion, which translates to N13.

140 billion, annually, he said that the command did not only meet its target, but surpassed same by N161. 7 million, which represents 14.77 percent.

Noting that the command’s management had identified and blocked all perceived sources of revenue leakages, he said, “discussion is on going with our Beninoise counterpart to address the problem of appropriate transit of imported vehi-

cles from Republic of Benin to Nigeria.

“We have been utilizing every opportunity at various fora to enlighten the citizenry on the ills of smuggling and this is an area where we also seek collaboration with the media."

Delta Flood Relief Committee issues cheques to farmers

T

HE activities of the Delta State Flood Relief Committee will be concluded in March, after issuing cheques to owners of commercial farms.

The committee was set up in October 2012 to superintend the utilisation of the N500 million grant from the Federal Government to the state as relief to victims of the 2012 flood.

The first disbursement of N237 million was made to the committee in March 2013. The money was used to provide 54,217

bundles of hybrid cassava; 546,632 yam seedlings; 50,000 plantain suckers; 72,474 sachets and seeds of vegetable items (Okra, Green, Groundnut and Pumpkin) to the flood victims.

The fund was also utilised as grant to 242 churches devastated by the flood in the 14 local government areas impacted, construction and rehabilitation of boreholes in the 14 councils, construction and distribution of chairs/desks to 150 schools in the affected areas.

DESOPADEC commissions medical facilities in Ughelli

BY FESTUS AHON

U

GHELLI—NEW accident/emergency and theatre buildings built for the Ughelli Central Hospital by Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission, DESOPADEC, has been commissioned.

Commissioning the projects, the member representing Ughelli North and Ethiope East Local Government Areas on the board of the commission, Chief Ominimini Obiuwebvi, said the projects were in fulfillment of the threepoint agenda of the state government.

Saying that the buildings have been adequately equipped by the commission, Obiuwevbi said “the buildings will pave way for the hospital to accommodate more persons in the theatre and the accident/emergency units. 80 per cent of funds available for my mandate area have been expended on the completion.

“The decision to embark on the construction of health care centres in the various oil bearing communities is to decongest the hospitals and enhance effective health care service delivery to rural communities."

By Bartholomew Madukwe

PEOPLE SPEAK

08102479985

speak with one voice. Is politics Igue festival? Some of us decided to shun the meeting called by Chief Oyegun last time because we knew that those behind the meeting were not sincere. As leader of ESM, I cannot allow any body to take the governor for granted. That is what is happening and we will not allow it.”

(nwamad@yahoo.com)

On the National Conference

TIME will tell. I am just watching. I wonder the efficacy of this confab which has its principal officers, chairman, deputy chairman and secretary being nominated by the Federal Government and not by the people. Mr. Jimoh Akanni- Worker

THIS is an exercise in futility as it falls short of the demands of Nigerians. Any sincere conference that will meet the expectations of Nigerians will require the postponement of the 2015 general elections. Mr. Emmanuel Ijanna- Bussinessman.

THIS is a very positive effort. I believe that this National Conference has a higher probability of being successful. If the President successfully restructures the polity, he would have achieved more for this nations’ destiny. Mr. Obim NwosuCustomer Care Agent.

MY take is that this conference is dead on arrival. There is no sincerity of purpose, and it is a farce. There is nothing here to convince me that the National Conference will be different from the past jamborees. Mr. Ogwu Nwachukwu- Student.

HOLDING the National Conference without an agreement to stay as one united country is to continue the amalgamation by the back door. We need to discuss our union so that everyone can decide the terms and condition for remaining in the union.

Mr. Uchenna AzukaBusinessman.

THE unity of Nigeria is the only no-go area. Anyone who expected the unity of the country to be debated is unaware of the true weight of such a discussion. If I were president, the country would wait until I’m done before that matter is tabled. Ms. Ogbue Immaculate- Reporter.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2014—37

Rep demands apology from Rivers PDP over alleged blackmail attempt

Atiku'll bring desired change to S-South —GROUP

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BY JIMITOTA ONOYUME

P

ORTHARCOURT—A House of Representatives member,Mr Dakuku Peterside, has demanded an apology from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Rivers State, for alleging that he made effort to block the clearance of General Kenneth Minimah as Chief of Army Staff in the National Assembly.

Describing the allegation as malicious and deliberate falsehood, Peterside, who represents Andoni Opobo Nkoro federal constituency in the House, in a statement, yesterday, said the party should apologise to him over the alleged falsehood.

He said that there was no way he would have tried to block the emergence of General Minimah, who is one of his constituents, from being confirmed as Chief of Army Staff, adding that the PDP deliberately chose to distort the truth.

He said: “It has been brought to my notice, the deliberate falsehood and malicious mischief being circulated by the Rivers State chapter of PDP to the effect that I blocked the clearance of Major-Gen. Minimah as Chief of Army Staff in the National Assembly. Nothing can be farther from the truth.

“This is patently cheap lies by PDP to curry favour from their paymasters in Abuja that have consistently promoted division amongst people and elevated impunity to new heights. Common sense will tell any broad-minded person that I am one person out of 360 members of the House that cannot, on my own, block the clearance of anybody in the National Assembly more so my constituent, friend and relative.

“My duty in the National Assembly is primarily lawmaking and representational. That duty of representation I owe primarily to my constituents including Gen. Mininmah, whom I have related with over the years and have come to have great respect for as a gentleman, honest and hardworking patriot."

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VISIT: From right: Rt Hon Victor Ochei, Speaker, Delta State House of Assembly; Rev Thomas Father Treacy, Ex- Principal, St Thomas' Secondary School, Kano; Mr Fidel Emeni, former Youth Corps teacher at the College (2nd left), during the ex-principal's unscheduled visit to the Speaker in Asaba, Delta State.

2015: I’ve nothing against Utuama —GBAGI

BY CLIFFORD NDUJIHE

F

ORMER Minister of State for Education and Delta State chieftain of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Olorogun Kenneth Gbagi, has said that he has nothing against the state deputy governor, Professor Amos Utuama, SAN, over the 2015 elections other than protecting the interest of Deltans and the Urhobos.

In a chat with reporters in Lagos, Gbagi, lamented that people were blowing out of proportion his advice that a septuagenarian should allow the youths to aspire for Delta governorship.

He said it was sad and evil that people were fabricating stories that he said he had Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan in his pocket.

Saying Utuama was his Law teacher at the University of Lagos, a course he did as a second course after reading Criminolo-

gy and managing many companies, he said: “I don’t have any problem with the Delta State deputy governor, Prof Utuama. I only made a simple statement that I know him to be between 71 and 73 years old. The Utuama that I know will not say he wants to contest for governorship at 71. They are taking it out of proportion. Utuama told me he won’t contest. As my benefactor, I did not expect him to lie to me. As my law teacher, I did not expect him to lie to me. It is sad that people are fabricating stories that I said Governor Uduaghan is inside my pocket. I can’t say that my last son, who is eight years old, is insider my pocket, talk less of a man who has ruled a complex state like Delta for eight years.

“Most categorically, the is-

sue is when I met Utuama, he said he was from Udu. Today, he says he is from Ughelli South Local Government Area; another information says he is from Otuama Local Government Area of Bayelsa State. I am from Oginibo. My father ’s and grand-father ’s graves are in Oginibo. My mother ’s father ’s grave is at Imode in Ughelli South council. My mother’s grave is at Jesse in Ethiope East.

“The issue is people are saying Utuama is not from Ughelli South. We are pleading so that Urhobos will not be deceived again. Where is Utuama from? I will respect Utuama as somebody who I sat in his class as professor of Land Law, but the truth must be told. I do not believe anybody of sound mind should be talking about contesting a governorship election at 71."

Fraudster dupes 50 job seekers in Delta to Wisdom, some above, othover EPZ project ers below the amount I parted

BY EGUFE YAFUGBORHI

W

ARRI—A MAN simply identified as Wisdom, is now on the run, for allegedly defrauding over 50 job seekers, who jumped at his offer of mouthwatering jobs at the yet to take-off Federal Government Export Processing Zone, Ogodigben in Warri South-West Local Government Area, Delta State.

It dawned on the job racketeering victims that they had been duped when they arrived, weekend, in Ode-Ugborodu to the bemused host community folks of the EPZ project, where the fraudster had directed them to meet a fake

associate expected to accommodate and take them to the project site for jobs placement.

Narrating their ordeal during interrogation at a community gathering in Ugborodo, Josiah Mathias, who spoke on behalf of others, said he paid N70,000 to the said Wisdom after a neighbour in Bonny, Rivers State, intimated him of several job opportunities at Ogidigben on January 2, 2014.

Matthias, said: “All of us here paid various sums of money through various contacts from different locations

with. We were told work would be ready in two weeks.

“On January 2, virtually all of us received a text message to proceed to Ugborode on January 31, to resume work almost immediately after issuance of identity cards at the presumed establishment’s conference hall. We got here now to meet a different story. It is so painful.”

The community, which initially held the victims, over their surprise appearance in the volatile Ugborodo later freed them to return to their respective destinations at the end of the interrogation.

S the former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, formally pitched tent with All Progressives Congress, APC, a group, the South-South Movement for Atiku, SSMA, has said that the Turaki Adamawa, by joining APC, would bring the desired change that is urgently needed in the South South region as well as the entire country, come 2015.

In a statement by its National Youth Coordinator, Chief Benjamin Nomuoja, the group said: “We wish to welcome Alhaji Atiku to our great party, the APC. As a party formed on the basis of change and good governance for the entire Nigerian nation, we are happy that Alhaji Abubakar has decided to be part of the great wind of change currently blowing accross the country.

“As a group, we have resolved to be part of Atiku’s political structure both at home and in diaspora. We have a strong track record of our global presence as well as in the South-South region of Nigeria."

Group hails Kuku over increase in crude oil production

A

NIGER Delta youth group, Niger Delta Youth Peace Initiative Movement, NDYPIM, has commended the Federal Government’s amnesty programme under the headship of Mr. Kingsley Kuku, for the increase in the country’s crude oil production to the present 2.5 million barrels per day.

The group, in a statement

by Edon Ebikabowei and Donald Etiete, President and Secretary, respectively, said Kuku deserves commendation for ending militancy in the region, adding that the mono–economy of Nigeria suffered a great setback during the days of militancy, bringing crude oil production to about 700,000 barrel per day.

The group, meanwhile, has called on the Federal Government to complement Kuku’s efforts, who, it said, brought militancy to a halt in the region by providing the desired infrastructure for the people.

38—Vanguard, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2014

Jonathan tasked on 2015 polls

BY ANAYO OKOLI

U

MUAHIA — CHRISTIAN graduates in the country have tasked President Goodluck Jonathan to keep faith with his promise of ensuring no blood was shed on account activities leading to 2015 presidential election.

Acting under the aegis of Nigerian Christian Graduates Fellowship, NCGF, immediate past president of the group, Professor Vincent Iyawe, gave the charge in an interview with Vanguard.

Iyawe, who is the Provost, College of Medical Science, University of Benin, spoke shortly after their all night prayers for Nigeria, churches, body of Christ, all Christians and NCGF as part of the preparation for the group’s forthcoming national conference billed for Anambra State.

Flanked by his successor, Dr. Samuel Itina, Iyawe also advised the President to ensure that representatives of the people in the proposed national conference were appointed through their senatorial districts on equal basis as well as from the grassroots.

Gov Chime, others support

Mu'azu's rejection of imposition

BY TONY EDIKE

E

NUGU — GOVERNOR Sullivan Chime and other leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Enugu State have expressed satisfaction with the declaration by the new National Chairman of the party, Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu that candidates would not be imposed on the electorate.

Mu'azu made the promise during a solidarity visit to him by Governor Chime and the leadership of the PDP in the state, saying, there would be no more impositions from Abuja under his watch.

“If you want anything from the party, then you must go back to your people and it is what they decide that will stand,” Muazu had pledged.

Chime said the PDP national chairman’s stance was bound to change the fortunes of the party and rid it of the intermittent crises that had continued to bedevil it.

According to Chime, Mu’azu’s declaration is in line with his own personal belief that the surest way for the party to reposition itself and eliminate opposition was for the leadership to follow the dictates of its constitution in all its activities.

C M Y K

Abia 2015: Power must shift to Ukwa/Ngwa — Gov Orji

BY ANAYO OKOLI

U

MUAHIA — GOVERNOR Theodore Orji of Abia State, weekend, restated his resolve to ensure that Ukwa/ Ngwa people produced the next governor of the state, saying he wanted to lay a good foundation for power shift in the state.

Speaking in Aba where the people of Abia South senatorial zone organised a reception for him, Orji said shifting power to Ukwa/ Ngwa people was the fairest thing to do as they had not produced a governor since the state was crated over 22 years ago.

He said to bridge the marginalisation gap, he had given Ukwa/Ngwa people a sense of belonging in the affairs of the state since he came on board.

“I have given a sense of belonging to the Ukwa/ Ngwa people to assert themselves. In every century, God brings out a person that comes to lay a foundation.

“It is my belief that once you lay a good foundation as to how power will rotate as far as governorship is concerned, it will remain. Once it is laid, it is going to be in the interest of Abia state.

“No section will be marginalised in Abia; Ukwa/ Ngwa have never been governor, what is wrong in allowing them produce a governor? A lot of people from other zones have come to me to say, I want to be governor and I'd told them straight away my stand.

“Equity demands that the right

thing should be done. They may hate me but within me, I am convinced that I am doing the right thing. Our party, PDP believes in power rotation and sharing according to political blocs,” Orji said.

The governor, however, advised the governorship aspirants and people of the area to come together to realise their dream of

producing a governor, warning that it would not be in their interest to work at cross purposes.

He said: “I want you people to help me, I don’t like if I convince people but when I come to this zone, I will start having problems.

I will not like to have any problem in this zone. What we know is Ukwa/ Ngwa. It is open for you; go and contest.

“Any person who emerges as the guber candidate of our party from this zone, we are going to support that person. People should not be afraid because this is something that involves contest; you have to put in your best, your finances and everything you have.

We have made a statement and it is in the best interest of the state.”

MEETING: From left, Global Chairman, General Electric, Mr. Jeff Immelt; MD/CEO, Bank of Industry, Ms. Evelyn Oputu; Executive Director, Business Development, Bank of Industry,Waheed Olagunju, during a meeting at the bank’s headquarters, Abuja.

Our focus is to reposition Nigerian aviation industry, says Oduah

BY DANIEL ETEGHE

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VIATION MINISTER, Princes Stella Oduah, said weekend, that the focus of President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration was to reposition the aviation industry in the country to become a major player in the world.

This came as PDP Women Leader and a Former Minister of Aviation, Mrs. Kema Chikwe, applauded the government for its efforts in the on-going remodelling of 22 airports across the country.

Speaking during a tour of some airports in the country, Princes Oduah affirmed that Nigerians deserved to have an aviation sector recognised across

the world, noting that the sector was also a driver for economic growth.

She said it was necessary to take a tour of the airports to see the pace of work and prepare them for commissioning within the first quarter of the year, stressing that facilities at the various airports were upgraded for the comfort of Nigerians.

Princes Oduah said: “We want to say to Nigerians that in aviation, there are more of this to come and we are not just focusing on the terminals, we are also focusing on ensuring that Nigeria aviation industry is repositioned, we are ensuring that we have aviation that we deserved.

“In doing so, we have to put in place all the safety facilities and

infrastructure, the power, the runway, the fencing and we are almost completing the fencing of this terminal in Sokoto airport, so there are so many things that are going on simultaneously and this administration has graciously mainstreamed aviation in order to ensure that it remains pivotal in social and economic growth in our dear country, so we are really grateful to President Goodluck Jonathan.”

Meanwhile, PDP Women Leader and a former Minister of Aviation, Mrs. Kema Chikwe, applauded the Federal Government for its efforts in the on-going remodelling of 22 airports across the country.

Chikwe, who was also a former Nigerian ambassador to Ireland,

27 indigent families benefit from Anglican Church housing scheme in Imo

BY CHIDI NKWOPARA

OWERRI — TWENTY-SEVEN families, especially indigent widows, are now proud beneficiaries of the housing scheme for the poor, initiated by Okigwe South Anglican Diocese in Imo State.

Bishop David O.C. Onuoha,

who disclosed this to newsmen, yesterday, also said the project had already gulped over N40 million.

“We decided to begin the new year with deeds of love by giving a touch of hope to some of our indigent brothers and sisters.

“The size of the family determines if we will build a two or

three-bedroom house for the beneficiary,” Bishop Onuoha explained.

The Anglican cleric noted that a widow at Odenkume, Obowo Local Government Area of the state, and her six or seven children, had a three-bedroom bungalow built for them.

noted that Nigerian airports had been in deplorable condition until the present government stepped in to reverse the trend through upgrade in facilities and airport re-modelling.

She said: “When I was the Minister of Aviation, there were so many competing needs as the country had just ushered in democratic governance and every sector was in dire need of attention, as military rule seemed to have neglected every aspect of the nation’s economy.”

Chikwe commended Princess Stella Oduah for the transformation of airports, describing her as a determined and hardworking woman who had shown dedication to duty.

She said the next step was for the private sector to move into the industry and develop it to grow to what was obtainable in the western world.

She, however, said it was the level of deterioration of airports infrastructure that prompted the Federal Government to take the revolutionary step of total overhaul of the facilities and improvement of security in the airspace, adding that President Jonathan wanted to carry out urgent intervention in order to salvage the industry.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2014 -39

PRESENTATION: Governor Godswill Akpabio (right), presenting a souvenir to Brigadier I. Attahiru, the new Commander of 13 Brigade of the Nigerian Army, at Government House, Uyo.

PRESENTATION: From left: Ekiti State deputy governor, Professor Modupe Adelabu, Governor Kayode Fayemi, Commissioner for Education, Science & Technology, Mr. Kehinde Ojo, and a participant, Mrs. Emily Adelusi, at the closing ceremony/presentation of certificates to participants, at the 2014 Cluster Schools Model For Teachers' Professional Development Training programme, in AdoEkiti.

DECORATION: Superintendent of Customs, Ernest Olottah (middle), being decorated with his new rank by Comptroller Willy Egbudin (right), assisted by D/C Joseph Ochelede.

BIRTHDAY: Children of the celebrant; from left, Mrs. Feyi Oludipe, Mrs. Gbemisola Omonubi, Mrs. Abosede Kuti, Mr. Lawson Shokunbi, Mrs. Anthonia Ajayi-Bembe, celebrant, Mrs. Peju Omolara and Mrs. Sunbo Adeyanju, cutting the birthday cake, during the thanksgiving service/celebration of 80th birthday of Mrs. Anthonia Ajayi-Bembe, in Lagos. Photo: Lamidi Bamidele.

PRESENTATION: From left: Kannywood Producer & Presenter, Ghandi Dz, a wiiner in the 13-Million Naira MTN Cash Smash Promo, Dr. Abayomi Fisher and MTN Trade Partner, North, Chief Peter Ojemen, at the second-tier of the prize presentation in the ongoing MTN promo in Abuja.

INSTALLATION: From left: Ven. & Mrs Abel Ajibodu, the new Dean of the Cathedral, Archbishbop Vining Memorial Church Cathedral, Ikeja, Rt Revd. & Mrs. James Odedeji, Bishop of Lagos West, Justice Babasola Ogunade, Chancellor of Lagos West, Rev. Canon Jonathan Kolawole, and Rt. Rev. Samuel Sowale, Bishop of Ilesha, at the installation of Ven. Abel Ajibodu, as the Dean of Archbishbop Vining Memorial Church Cathedral in Lagos.

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PRESENTATION: Governor Rauf Aregbesola of State of Osun (left), presenting a key of an Ambulance to state Chairman, Nigerian Red Cross Society of Nigeria, Osun State chapter, Mr. Ademola Ojo (4th right), Onirun of OkeIrun, Oba Isaac Ilori (right), Deputy Secretary of the Red Cross, Evangelist Folorunso Bamidele (2nd left), Divisional Secretary, Alhaja Ajileye Muyibat (4th left), Divisional Chairman, Red Cross, Osogbo branch, Mr. Nathaniel Fajoye (3rd left) and others, during the presentation in Osogbo.

LAUNCHING: Mr. Paul Gbededo, Group Managing Director, Flour Mills of Nigeria Plc (standing), supported by senior members of management addressing members of staff, at the launch of the company’s new core values, “PIILOT” in Lagos.

RECEPTION: From left: Dr. Steve Onye, MD, Chi Pharmaecitical Ltd, Dr. Paul Orhii, DG, NAFDAC, Mr. Tosin Jolayemi, MD/CEO, Daily Need Group, and Sir Nnamdi Obi, MD, Embassy Ltd, at the reception in honour of Dr Paul Orhii, on his re-appointment as the DG of NAFDAC in Lagos. Photo: Biodun Ogunleye.

40—Vanguard, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2014

Aondoakaa lauds FG’s rice production policy

Kwara royal fathers seek stronger traditional institution

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BY GABRIEL EWEPU

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BUJA—FORMER Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Mr. Michael Aondoakaa, had lauded the various agricultural policies initiated by the Federal Government, especially in rice production in the last two years.

Aondoakaa who is Secretary, Rice Processors Association of Nigeria, RIPAN, spoke with newsmen in Abuja.He said he was overwhelmed by the transformation recorded in the agricultural sector within a short time.

He said that the successes recorded in the rice production sector was unprecedented in the history of the country.

His words: "I have been in government before and I have not seen more focused and articulate policies formulated than in this government. The policies are articulate and well defined."

Kano Govt to establish 24 cottage industries

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ANO—THE Kano State government, yesterday, said it would establish 24 additional cottage industries under its women empowerment programme.

The Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Dr. Binta Jibrin disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, in Kano.

She said the state government has set aside money in the 2014 budget for the project, noting that, “the decision is aimed at improving the socio-economic status of rural women.

“It is also intended to complement the existing 20 cottage industries located in 20 local government areas of the state,” Jibrin said.

TRADITIONAL TITLE—Immediate past Chief Judge of Niger State, Hon Justice Jibrin Ndatsu Ndajiwo (left) with the Etsu Nupe, Alhaji Yahaya Abubakar, when the retired Judge was conferred with the traditional title of Magajin Garin Nupe in Bida at the weekend.

SSANU rejects committee’s report on Needs Assessment

BY VICTOR AHIUMAYOUNG

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BUJA—SENIOR Staff As sociation of Nigerian Universities, SSANU, has rejected the findings and recommendations of the Prof. Mahmood Yakubu-led Committee’s report on the Needs Assessment of Nigerian Public Universities.

The union argued that the findings were tilted towards victimizing non-teaching staff in the universities and threatened industrial action should any of its members be sacked on account of the report.

SSANU in a communique called on the Federal Government to empanel another properly constituted committee, comprising equal representations of the four university-based unions and other relevant stakeholders in the system, such as the students and professionals and compare the report of such committee with that of Prof. Yakubu’s Committee.

The communique at the end of its National Executive Council, NEC, meeting in Bauchi State, said: “NEC-in-session roundly condemns the phantom findings and recommendations of the committee on the Needs Assessment of Nigerian Public Universities.

"Council wonders why some intellectuals could so glaringly sacrifice objectivity and intellectualism on the altar of group interest and parochialism. Council notes with great concern all the negative recommendations

of the Committee on the nonteaching staff, particularly the veiled recommendations for retrenchment and transfer of the non-teaching staff from the University system. NECin-session observes that, the findings and recommendations were highly prejudiced and were not based on any rigorous and empirical research as claimed by the Committee. Council-in-session observes that the government has been treating the non-teaching staff reaction to the report with levity.

"NEC-in-session warns that, any attempt to retrench its members based on the cacophonous, myopic and pa-

rochial reports, will be seen as an open invitation to yet another crisis in the University system.

“NEC-in-session notes with serious concern the directive of the Federal Government through its agency (Budget Office of the Federation) to exclude University staff Primary Schools in the University Budget with effects from 2014. NEC-in-session notes further that the case of Universities Primary Schools has been a product of collective bargaining since 1999 when it was agreed that the government will bear the full responsibility of University staff schools."

LORIN—SOME tra ditional rulers in Kwara have called for the strengthening of the nation’s traditional institution to promote good governance.

The monarchs told the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, in Omu-Aran, Kwara, that such efforts would also assist government to tackle insecurity and boost socioeconomic development.

The Olomu of OmuAran, Oba Charles Ibitoye, said a constitutional role for the traditional institution would boost the electoral process.

“The traditional institution had never relented in its responsibility of ensuring peace and harmony among the people irrespective of their ethno-religious background.

“It is then not out of place to seek constitutional roles for monarchs so that they would be able to discharge those responsibilities to the best of their capabilities."

Oba Daniel Dada of Egosi-Ile, on his part, said traditional rulers needed more recognition from government to meet up with the rapid socio-economic development taking place at the grassroots.

He said majority of the youths were now returning to their communities to embrace farming and other vocations in order to earn a decent living.

Dada said traditional rulers in various communities had in recent times executed projects through communal efforts, adding that this had impacted positively on the living standard of the people.

Killing of Islamic scholar, family members satanic — Yero “Albani stands for truth; he

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A D U N A — GOVERNOR Mukhtar Yero of Kaduna State on Sunday described the killing of renowned Islamic scholar, Sheikh Muhammad Albani and members of his family, as ‘satanic and wicked’.

This is contained in a statement issued by the governor’s Director-General on Media and Publicity, Alhaji Ahmed Maiyaki in Kaduna.

The statement quoted the governor as assuring the people that the government

would work with the security agencies to ensure that the perpetrators were apprehended.

“We shall leave no stone unturned in unravelling those behind the dastardly act; we shall work with the security agencies to ensure that the perpetrators were arrested.

“The killing of Sheikh Albani is an indication that despite the improvement in security situation of the state some people are still bent on creating tension in our communities.

contributed in no small ways in impacting Islamic education on the people, particularly the younger generation,” the statement quoted the governor.

The governor in the statement commiserated with the family of the deceased, urging the followers of the late scholar to remain calm and law abiding.

He promised the followers of the scholar that their leader would not die in vain as government would ensure that the perpetrators of the killing were brought to justice.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2014—41

Illegal border trade: Seme Customs arrests 29 suspects •Steps up security surveillance at border •Discussion on-going on transit of imported vehicles

BY UDEME CLEMENT

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EME, the border between Nigeria and Benin Republic has a vast area, which covers a large expanse of land. The challenge in policing this particular border is the swampy nature of the environment that tends to retard movement of patrol vehicles.

When Vanguard visited the border recently, security personnel were seen at strategic positions screening people crossing from Benin to Nigeria, aside from economic activities in both countries.

The border information point surrounded by Customs officers was placed at the centre of the border line. Also, numerous seizures including second hand shoes, textile materials, bags and rice, were seen in the Customs warehouse, while vehicles, motor cycles and frozen poultry products among other seized items surrounded the warehouse.

Our investigations revealed that smuggling of contraband items as well as petroleum products across the border, which was prevalent in Seme, has reduced drastically due to the new security network

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put in place by the current Customs Area Controller, CAC, of the Command. The CAC, Comptroller Willy Egbudin, spoke on the new look of Seme. He said, "Seme now wears a new look despite the unwillingness of some border communities to embrace changes in government’s fiscal policies to protect the nation’s economy.

What measures did you put in place to ensure effective policing of the border?

"To start with, I took over the Command on November 28, 2013. We blocked revenue leakages, even as discussion is ongoing with Nigeria and Benin Republic to tackle the problem of appropriate transit of imported vehicles from Benin to Nigeria.

The Command is basically an enforcement unit with mandate to suppress smuggling to the barest minimum, even as we are saddled with the responsibility of revenue collection, legitimate trades facilitation and general security of the nation’s border. Immediately I took over, we embarked on a familiarisation tour of the entire communities where we met with traditional rulers to enlighten

them and their subjects on the dangers of smuggling and the consequences on the economy.

"Aside from awareness campaign, we deployed skilful officers to strategic areas of the border to curtail illegal activities within the region. We recorded tremendous success using this approach, with outstanding revenue generation of N1,260,736,639.35 in December 2013 alone, which is the highest monthly revenue collection in the last three years in the Command.

We did not only meet our revenue target in December but we surpassed it by N161,666,179.35, representing 14.77 percent increase.

"The Command also realised total revenue of N8,482,231,289.81 in 2013, which represents 65 per cent of the annual target. We commend the Comptroller General of Customs, Abdullahi Dikko Inde, for his initiative in reforming the Service and providing us with logistics and work tools to function effectively."

We learnt that the Command arrested 29 suspected smugglers

the people, including market women to know that we will not hesitate to intercept those items and arrest the offenders, because we must enforce the policy effectively. That is why we have the huge seizures of rice this period as you can see here in the warehouse. In carrying out our operations, we apply intelligence to prevent casualties. So, we do not need to shoot a bullet during operations because our work Comptroller Egbudin, Customs Area Connow is intelligence drivtroller, Seme Area Command en. has a way of and no casualty has been record- punishing Dikko erring officers to ined in your operations since you still discipline in the Service. took over. How did you tackle What sanctions do you give to the issue of incessant conflicts some officers who collaborate between your officers and the with smugglers to sabotage the border communities, which was economy? a major problem facing the Well, we have not experienced Command in the past? anything like that here since I What you have seen at the bor- came on board and no officer had der now is a fresh impetus by my been caught in sharp practices team to curb illegitimate trade at here. the region. The 29 suspected Can you give us the statistical smugglers were arrested for eco- analysis of the ECOWAS Trade nomic sabotage and we have also Liberation Scheme in your Comstepped up security surveillance mand? to check the activities of border The ECOWAS Trade Liberalitraders, to prevent importation of sation Scheme, ETLS, is a trade offensive goods into the country. facilitation tool adopted by the It is important for the public to ECOWAS member states to pronote that we must enforce gov- mote regional trade and integraernment’s fiscal policies to pro- tion. Last year, which is the petect our economy, because this is riod under review, the Command our statutory responsibility. For cleared ETLS compliant goods instance, no one is allowed to with a CIF value of import rice through the border, N6,821,862,901.38. according to the fiscal policy of government. So, we enlightened

42—Vanguard, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2014

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Vanguard, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2014 — 43

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44—Vanguard, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2014

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V anguard anguard,, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2014 — 45

We are not imposing same sex culture on Nigeria — US Envoy Last week we published the first part of the media roundtable with the new US Ambassador, Mr. James Entwistle, in this concluding exerpt, the envoy clarifies his country's position on Nigeria's same sex Prohibition Act. By Hugo Odiogor HERE is the military aspect; there is the economic system aspect; there is helping the civilian population; there is the aspect about having a policy of transparency in the detention of Boko Haram suspects. All of these things fit together into a successful counter-terrorism campaign and policy. I was very pleased the other week in Abuja when we heard a session where some of our counter-terrorism experts came in and this was done not in the spirit of arrogance but in the spirit of humility: ‘look we have had counter insurgency and terrorism challenges…’ Our experts came and sat with your experts sat and shared ideas and see if they will be helpful here.

That is the kind of things we should be doing as partners and exactly the kind of things I will work to continue while the ambassador here.

What has happened to the reward for justice on Shekau?

The reward for justice is a useful tool we use to fight terror around the world sometimes. I’m not aware Shekau is dead. It is very difficult to track him and figure out where he is, but, to my knowledge, he is still alive.

Again, it is very difficult to know.

The challenge of fighting terror is that you don’t lose your own soul when it comes to human rights and you must maintain the rule of law. .

Maintaining rule of law When you apprehend Boko Haram suspects, you should take them into detention and treat them fairly and find out: Were they in fact members of Boko Haram? Or just some guy who happened to walk down the street at the wrong time?

Carefully sort them out and even when you have gotten the people you know are the bad guys, there is no need to brutalise them. It is much better to treat them fairly and walk them through the judicial system.

Yes, it is hard, but do it that way…Part of the challenge of counter-terrorism is that you are fighting an enemy who mixes with the population and I am a civilian; I am not a military guy, but I have to imagine that is one of the most difficult things for the military guys, to go into a mixed setting like that, figure out who is a terrorist and who are the innocent civilians. Carefully

separating them is not easy.

These are enormously difficult thing to do and that is why we are trying to help your government do better on this front as a friend, as a partner.

How much international collaboration do we need to win the war on terror?

Whether it is fighting terror or the war on drugs or any of these international problems that cut across borders, no one nation can do it by itself. To really get at Boko Haram, your government needs to continue working with Cameroun and Chad because these guys cross the borders.

These are guys for whom international borders are largely meaningless. The only way to deal with these guys is to collaborate with your neigbours and relevant international organisations.

I think in my conversation with your government and military, I think there is a growing concern over finding an enemy who mixes with the civilian population.

Civilian population So, that needs to be a focus. I think one needs to look at why did it start in the first place? What drew people to this organisation in the first place? Was it lack of employment opportunity? Was it education system? I am not sure what the reasons might be.

Sometimes it is hard to do but we need to ask why is it happening in our country and what can we do better in our country to make sure that this type of thing does not happen again. But we know that it is hard to look at yourself like that, but sometimes in life you have to.

How has the US prepared for the feared break up of Nigeria?

If this country is going to break up in 2015, to me, I don’t see any sign of it. You have challenges in this country, but you are moving forward towards a bright future. There is no issue that the country might break up.

Yes, your country had a devastating civil war just like my own country. It almost tore us into two. I think both of our countries have learnt how difficult it is to hold a country together and that has certainly been a big factor in my country.

The idea that Nigeria is going to fall apart in the coming months, I am not sure where that idea is coming from.

•US Ambassador James Entwistle at the roundtable in Lagos.

What is your view on the issue of Oil theft in Nigeria and the allegation that the proceeds from this crime finds its way into the U.S.?

It is difficult to prove that (stolen crude oil find their way to the U.S.) because the international financial market is so amorphous. When you take oil and it goes out of the country, exactly where it ends up is very difficult to determine. But what is clear is that there is the issue of oil theft in this country…Reading about the Niger Delta before I came into this country, I had this idea that oil bunkering was a very clandestine, surreptitious activity…, but flying over the Delta in a helicopter and you can see huge (illegal) bunkering operations. Everyone knows where it is; everyone knows who is in it. It was quite an eye opener for me about how in the open it is.

Radar stations

Yesterday (Wednesday), I spent the afternoon with your navy, looking at some trainings we are doing together and one of the observations we had was that your navy is quite capable.

They have what they need. We have provided some over the years. They are well-trained. In addition, there are some stations onshore, radar stations and other sort of things that can help tell who is on the water. I think physically in terms of having the tools that you need to prevent physical act, you are in pretty good shape. But of course, the other issue is after a barrel of oil is pumped, where does the money go? That is a much more complicated equation. What we have said to your government is that we see this as a Nigerian problem, but one that has a very clear international element. If your investigation uncovers a

money trail that it may head towards the United States, then please share that information with us and we will be delighted to have our law enforcement officers look into that.

But most times the stolen finds stashed abroad If there is a clear evidence that stolen money finds its way into the United States, we want to know about it. Obviously, I cannot go into specific visa cases, but corruption is a factor and sometimes some Nigerians did not receive U.S. visa or had their U.S. visas revoked because of their involvement in corrupt activities. I cannot go into details. We have very strict privacy laws… Corruption begins to end, especially when the average guy who does the

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in two-third of the country. May be someday a federal court will make it the law of the land, but for now it is not. So, we understand that same-sex marriage is a very controversial issue. Quite frankly, the issue of what defines a marriage in Nigeria should be left to the Nigerian people. I think even before this bill was passed the Marriage Act specified that a marriage is between a man and a woman.

That is a Nigerian issue, but as a friend of Nigeria, what worries us about this law is that, (I am not a lawyer) but when I read this law it looks to me that it puts restriction on freedom of assembly and the freedom of expression, which, I think, U.S. journalists will be particularly concerned about. I understand the issue of homosexuality is a hot topic here, but if you can no longer talk about it, if you can even meet to talk about it, it means to me it is a slippery slope.

What is the next topic you will no longer be able to talk about or meet about?

I think in a hard-won democracy like yours, when you start limiting the freedoms, it is a very worrisome thing. Take the bill, take out the word gay, put in the word ‘journalist’, how do you feel about that? The other point I will make, we are very concerned as a huge HIV/AIDS partner. Since the inception of our PEPFAR programme, I think we have spent about three and a half billion dollars in this country on the struggle against HIV/AIDS. We and many partners were concerned that…it might affect people coming for HIV/AIDS treatment and that kind of thing.

I was very pleased the other day that NACA, I think the director came out to clarify that nothing in this bill should be misconstrued to mean people should not seek healthcare.

So, I was very glad to see that.

I was very concerned. Finally, the other thing that concerns me is that sadly there have been incidences around this country

,

I think even before this bill was passed the Marriage Act specified that a marriage is between a man and a woman

right thing; pay his tax and goes to work every day begin to say: ‘Wait a minute. I want to know what you are doing with the taxes we are paying’. That is what begins to make a difference. First it is up to your law enforcement agencies and when they see it they should point it in our direction so that we can investigate. Second, citizens like you should ask where all the money is going into. That kind of civil society effort. I think it is also about using effective watchdog, like your EFCC. Also, you have to do quite a lot in the public arena.

Same-sex prohibition law We have tremendous respect for the sovereignty of other nations. Now, on the same-sex marriage bill, let me be very clear: same-sex marriage is a controversial issue all over the world, including in my country.

I think it is now legal in 17 or 18 states; that means it is not legal

where the bill has been used to justify violence against gays, breaking into their homes, things like these and I have to think that all well-meaning Nigerians, regardless of what you think of homosexual conduct, you have to condemn this kind of thing, that kind of violence against any Nigerian.

Increasing length of visa time Visas are huge issues here.

The demand for visa has gone up by 45 per cent this year. But what I can guarantee the people is that whether they get the visa or not, they will be treated with courtesy and respect. On the issue of length of visas, those things are done on the basis of reciprocity. We extend to Nigeria what Nigerian government would extend to American citizens. Right now, it is two years multiple entry, If your government is willing to start discussion on increasing it, we will welcome it.

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Vanguard, TUESD AY, FEBRUARY 4, 2014 TUESDA

Why children with cancer are not surviving in Nigeria

By CHIOMA OBINNA

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VER since five-year-old Feyisayo Ayomide was diagnosed with cancer, life has taken a downturn for his entire household. Ayo, as he is fondly called was hit by the disease shortly after his second birthday. His right cheek was slightly swollen. On close observation, his mother discovered a pimple-like rash around his chin.

Before long, the rash became a lump, then a tumour that began to grow out of proportion, and little Ayo knew truly what pain is. For three years, he was in and out of hospital, in pain.

His parents ran from pillar to post.

Several hospital visits began including series of medical examinations, with no definitive outcomes. Today, they have exhausted their life savings yet no change. Ayo, is one of the estimated 50 Nigerian children suspected to be affected by cancer annually who would have had a better outcome but could not due to lack of supportive treatment.

Lack of supportive treatment In Nigeria, where there is no supportive treatment plan for children with such terminal illness, the burden of treatment lies solely on the families of such patients. They bear the cost of treatment alone. Ayo, to date, has undergone two surgeries at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, LUTH. Presently, his mother, Adewunmi Adewale, who works in one of the popular fast food chains, is struggling to care for him. His father has abandoned him to his fate.

Medical experts say Ayo is plagued by fibrosarcome, (cancer of the right jaw). He has been transferred from the Oral Maxillofacial department to the Paediatric Oncology (child cancer) ward of LUTH. The doctors say he requires another surgery and facial reconstruction surgery estimated at over N3 million.

Cases: Consultant Paediatrician, Oncology/Haematology Unit of the

childhood cancer is now common place in developing countries like Nigeria and kills faster in developed countries due to absence of supportive treatment.

Professor Edamisan Temiye of the Department of Paediatrics, Faculty of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Lagos, says cancer in children grows faster and more rapidly and kills faster than in adults.”

Temiye said 80 percent of children with cancer live in developing countries and have no access to health care and often present at the advanced stage of the disease, making the chance of cure slimmer.

While children in rich countries have a probability of survival of more than 75 percent of all cancers combined, adding

•Prof. Edamisan Temiye to lack of supportive treatment. “A lot of them, especially, cancers of the blood will come with very low platelets; which make them susceptible to regular bleeding. And the bleeding doesn't tell us where it will come from. The child can bleed into the brain and that means death. A simple prevention or treatment for that is to get them the part of the blood we call platelets. Unfortunately, the centrifuge machine (bloodseparating machine) is not available in most hospitals.

Poverty is a problem; people cannot afford two square meals a day and when the child is stricken with cancer, where treatment a day may cost between N20,000 and N30,000, it is a huge burden to the family Lagos University Teaching Hospital, LUTH, Dr. Adebola Akinsulirie, said about four or five cases of childhood cancer are seen monthly at the LUTH. Speaking at a seminar by the Children Living With Cancer Foundation, CLWCF, she asserted: “And that's a lot because if you multiply that, that will give you about 50 children in a year.

And that is big as far as cancer in children is concerned. To nurse one child with cancer, you need about N2 million on the average in a period of about two years.”

She regretted tha many children with cancer are not surviving in Nigeria due

“On the average, a child with low platelet may need up to 50 units of platelets. Apart from the fact that the whole blood itself is not available. We take this blood and separate it to its parts in order to get the platelets but the machine is the challenge.

“Treatment of cancer in children can be through chemotherapy; the use of drugs to kill cancer cells; radiation, the use of radiant energy to kill cancer cells; and surgery, removing cancerous cells or tumours with the type of treatment needed based on the type and severity of cancer and the child’s age.

Childhood cancer: However,

•Feyisayo Ayomide after the first surgery for fibrosarcome, (cancer of the right jaw). there’s a lot of treatment abandonment.

The parents come and when they see the enormous cost, they just go away.

And the next time you see them, they tell you the child died at home.”

Increase: Painting the big picture, Temiye said: “There has been increase in the incidence of childhood cancers from 11.5 cases per 100,000 children in 1975 to 14.8 per 100,000 children in 2004. During this same period, however, death rates declined dramatically and five-year survival rates increased for most childhood cancers. For example, the five-year survival rates for all childhood cancers combined increased from 58.1 percent in 1975 and 77 to 79.6 percent in 1996 to 2003.

•Dr. Nneka Nwobbi that as the diseases of poverty decline, childhood cancer emerges as one of the important killers in childhood.

A newly diagnosed child with cancer will be met by a group of health workers consisting of paediatricians, oncologists, clinical nurses, a surgeon, pharmacists, anaesthetist, dieticians, social workers and sometimes, a radiotherapist.

Cost of treatment is a major problem.

To treat nephroblastoma in Lagos costs between N186, 000 and N240, 000 for six months, excluding surgery. In Nigeria, poor families pay out of pocket for health care with household contribution about 63 percent of total cost of health care, while donors, private firm, and the various forms of government cater for the 37 percent.

Expensive: Temiye said: “Childhood cancer treatment is very expensive. For example, a complete treatment for kidney cancer (nephroblastoma), which lasts for less than six months and is not as costly as cancer of the blood, will cost parents of an affected child nothing less than N1 million.

And we will have to monitor the child up to five years before we can say he is okay. It costs between N7 million and N10 million to cure blood cancer, which lasts two or three years.

“So, it’s not feasible for an average Nigerian family to afford the cure for cancer. That is one of the reasons why our cure rate is very, very low because

Improvement in survival rates

This improvement in survival rates in developed countries is due to significant advances in treatment, resulting in a cure or long term remission for a substantial proportion of children with cancer.”

Poverty: “Poverty is a problem. People cannot afford two square meals a day and when the child is stricken with cancer, where treatment a day may cost between N20,000 and N30,000. It is a huge burden to the family. The treatment is very expensive and requires different cadres of doctors.

Sometimes, when diagnosis is made, health officers cannot make progress and treat because the support system and facilities are not there in the hospital; so we need to build this support system. And to build this support, we need not look at government alone, let us help ourselves and the government so that we could get some things going for ourselves.”

President, CLWCF, Dr. Nneka Nwobbi, lamented the rising incidence of Childhood cancer in Nigeria, “Childhood cancer is not a death sentence, it is curable though expensive to manage; but there should be enough money to make cancer treatment free for children in this country.

If about 10,000 people contribute N1, 000 monthly and with N10 million, it would go a long way to bringing relief to parents because access to drugs is not the problem, but affordability.”

Vanguard, TUESD AY, FEBRUARY 4, 2014— 47 TUESDA

Same sex marriage Act will not affect access to HIV treatment — IDOKO •Project HOPE faults NACA’s position

BY SOLA OGUNDIPE & VICTORIA OJEME

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IRECTOR General of the National Agency for the Control of AIDS, NACA,Professor John Idoko, has assured that the Same Sex Marriage (Prohibition) Act 2013, will not deny access to HIV/AIDS treatment to anyone, even as Projekthope Nigeria, an HIV/ AIDS-focuse NGO has faulted NACA’s official position on the matter.

Idoko, in a signed statement stressed that no part of the HIV/AIDS support and care programme currently on-going in Nigeria will be negatively impacted by the law.

Debate “The law has generated much debate and anxiety on the implications of the passage, especially as it affects HIV programming for the LGBT community. “ A perusal of the Same Sex Marriage Act 2013, makes clear that the provisions thereof do not have any negative effect on the HIV/AIDS Prevention, Treatment, Care and Support Programmes or any other such programmes currently in operation in Nigeria. Nothing in the same sex Marriage (Prohibition) Act 2013 refers to or prohibits programmes targeted at Prevention, Treatment, Care and Support for People Living With HIV or affected by AIDS in Nigeria. No provision of this law will deny anybody in Nigeria access to HIV treatment and other medical services.

“The Government of Nigeria remains fully committed to improving the health of Nigerians and preventing all AIDS related deaths, and therefore will continue to ensure that Nigerians have access to the requisite services that they may require as guaranteed by the constitution” he added.

Asylum seekers Meanwhile, gay asylum seekers to Canada may have hit a brick wall, as the country’s immigration laws does not allow those seeking refugee status to apply directly from their country of origin.

Head of Communications, Canada Citizenship and Immigration Bureau, Sonia Lesage, told Good Health Weekly that “Individuals cannot make asylum claims at Canadian embassies.

Canada has a fair and generous immigration system. Refugee claims are heard by the Immigration and Refugee Board, IRB. The IRB is a quasi-judicial, independent body, which provides a fair hearing to asylum claimants. Extracts from Canadian immigration laws, made available to Good Health Weekly observed thst to be granted asylum in Canada as a refugee, a person must be outside his or her home country and have a well-founded fear of persecution.

According to the Geneva Convention, the fear must not only be well-founded, the persecution must also be based on reasons of race, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion. However, a less restrictive interpretation of the feared persecution may also lead to refugee status.

Diplomatic sources confided that most

Nigerians seeking asylum to Canada usually start the process from neighboring Ghana, so as to meet the criteria set by the Canadian government.

“At year end 2013, 20 applications for asylum seekers from Accra, Ghana had reached 80 percent completion. Majority of these applicants were Nigerians.

Nigeria’s LBGT community may likely go the same route,” she said.

and NACA to deny the negative impact that criminalization and prejudice poses for individuals who already face all forms of blackmail, family rejection and brutality without a reprieve from our security apparatus. We expect that NACA should also know how difficult an effort it is to establish HIV initiatives for most-at-risk groups in the face public hostility.

“The proposed bill, for emphasis, goes

projects is now in jeopardy,” he noted.

Arguing that HIV/AIDS prevalence amongst the gay population is above 12 percent compared to the 4.1 percent in the general population, he lamented: “The intersection with the general population where about 50 percent have ongoing sexual interaction with the general population in the light of the high HIV prevalence in the group, to us, is enough reason to reappraise the kind of access they have to HIV services.

“We must be mindful that the gay population in Nigeria is speculated at about 15.4 million. This important intersection with the general population is something this law has ignored.

Expectation: “With this background,

• Anti-Gay Law: Whither HIV treatment?

• Prof John Idoko

Projekthope faults NACA’s position In a related development, Projekthope Nigeria, an NGO focused on HIV treatment and prevention as well as on the rights of People Living With HIV/AIDS, has faulted NACA’s official position on the Same Sex Marriage Act. In a statement entitled NACA’s DG Misrepresents Facts on the Same Sex Marriage (prohibition) Act“, the Coordinator, Projekthope Nigeria, Mr Steve Aborishade, issued a rebuttal to statements credited to the NACA DG. According to Aborishade, who is also Founder/Editor-in-Chief, HIV Info: “To us, Prof. Idoko’s statement and NACA’s position represents the height of hypocrisy and insensitivity by an agency in charge of the national HIV/AIDS intervention of a country like Nigeria which bears the second largest global burden of the HIV/AIDS epidemic.

“Even when the issue involved is as sensitive and touchy to majority of Nigerians and its government as it is, we had expected that NACA and Prof.

Idoko could at least be guided in their response by prevailing facts on the situation of things which makes a mockery of their assertion and is a direct contrast to their advertised position.”

In his response, Aborishade said; “To say that a law which criminalizes an identified Most At Risk Population and prescribes jail terms for those who work with them will not ‘deny anybody in Nigeria access to HIV treatment and other medical services’ is in the least, a disservice to the spirit of the efforts to curtail the impact of HIV/AIDS in our country.

“We were not expecting Prof. Idoko

and given our inability to treat our people who require HIV treatment, our failure to halt new infections in both children and adults and with our faltering ART regime, our take is that NACA must be seen as concerned that in the real sense we have a long way to go, while such journey calls for more openness and sensitivity to the real challenges bedeviling our programmes.

“Our expectation is that NACA and its leadership will join the clamour by concerned civil society groups that there is a compelling need for our government to revisit several provisions of this law which are a direct threat to the modest gains of our public health intervention,” Aborisade argued.

beyond the banning of gay marriages (it are already illegal in our constitution), but what it actually does is to spell new crimes of homosexuality while criminalising HIV/AIDS services to sexual minority.”

Threat Aborishade said it is ironic that NACA and Prof. Idoko’s view is contrary to the views expressed by majority of service providers that the law seriously threatens the fragile health and community based HIV initiatives for the community which are sprouting up across the cities of Nigeria.

“The general consensus, if NACA cares to listen is that the future of these

LUTH commissions genome screening, molecular biology centre

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PUBLIC lecture/seminar titled “Unlocking DNA Biotechnology in Nigeria” takes place at the Hall 36, Lagos University Teaching Hospital, LUTH, Idi Araba, Lagos tomorrow, February 5, 2014.

Focus of the seminar is on medical applications such as carrier screening: Sickle Cell genetic testing; pre-natal and neonatal genetic testing; cancer screening BRCA1/2 testing; DNA paternity testing; DNA fingerprinting & forensic research, among others.

International invited speaker is Professor J. Irobi-Devolder, VIB, Department of Human Molecular

Genetics, University of Antwerp, Belgium.

The event will be chaired by the Chairman, LUTH Management Board, Dr. Olatokunbo Awolowo Dosunmu.

Among dignitaries expected are Professor Olu Akinkugbe and Professor Gabriel Ogunmola.

This event precedes the official commissioning on Thursday, February 6, 2014, of the Genome Screening/ Molecular Biology Research Centre opposite Hall 36, LUTH, donated by Chevron Nigeria. Minister of Health, Professor Onyebuchi Chukwu is Special Guest of Honour at the commissioning.

48—Vanguard, TUESD AY, FEBRUARY 4, 2014 TUESDA

Mary, 10, seeks N4m for heart surgery

By SOLA OGUNDIPE

T

EN-YEAR-OLD Mary Opeyemi Adekunle, a JSS1 student at Glasshouse School, Lagos, is lying seriously ill at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, LUTH, Idi-Araba, Lagos, following a diagnosis of a cardiovascular heart problem.

A medical report by Consultant Paediatrician, Dr. E.N. Ekure, notes that she is afflicted with Rheumatic Heart

•Mary Opeyemi

Disease with severe mitral regurgitation, mitral stenosis and severe pulmonary hypertension with aneurysmal left atrium and left ventricle.

The physician recommends immediate medical and surgical intervention to prolong and sustain her life. The intervention which is by way of a corrective surgery in an Indian hospital, runs to the tune of N4 million.

Lamenting his daughter ’s ordeal, Mary’s father, Mr Adekunle Shakiru, of 17 Olagunju Aina, Agiliti Street, Mile 12, Lagos, cried for assistance.

Shakiru, a tailor based in Maryland, said he had expended his life savings on the ailment. Along with his wife Abike, also a tailor, and their two other children -Israel 8, and Janet 4, life had become very hard since mary took ill.

“It all started with a cough. She has always been sickly since she was six months old, but whenever she became ill like this, we would take her to the Ikeja General Hospital from where we were directed to the Massey Street Children Hospital, Lagos, and then back to the Ikeja General Hospital. She was taken to the Infectious Diseases Hospital, IDH, Yaba, where she spent a week.

At IDH they suspected allergy to asthma. I was taking her back and forth.

We did x-ray but no diagnosis. We took her to the Church for prayers. This was six years ago, She is now 10 and still not cured.

When she started again, we took her to the General Hospital, Ikeja ay 10pm.

The place was choked. She was then transferred to LUTH. She could not breath well and was sweating profeusely. At LUTH emergency, we

•L-R: Clinic Manager, Nordica Lagos, Mrs. Ranti Ajayi; GM/Editor-in-Chief, Vanguard Media Ltd, Mr. Gbenga Adefaye; Nollywood Star, Rita Dominic with the Medical Director, Nordica Lagos, Abuja & Asaba, Dr Abayomi Ajayi, during the fund raising for the million Woman March for Endometriosis held last week at the Radisson Blu, Victoria Island, Lagos.

were well attended to, The nurses dis their best. They put on the fan, and she was on oxygen all through the week.

We did several tests, and from one xray, it was discovered she had a heart problem. I was shocked and asked if they could replace hers with mine. but they said it was not possible.

The final decision is that she has to go to India for treatment. I am a tailor, where

will I get money for treatment in India?

We are seriously praying for her recoverybut it is not easy. We are only managing to survive. What I want is for Nigerians to help Mary. Please help raise this sum for the life saving surgery.

God bless you as you respond. If you are moved to help, kindly send donations to Mary Opeyemi Adekunle, GT Bank 0140568641.

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Sometimes new stock takes time to import – Uche Thank you so much for that Exploding Thunder Supplement. I have really suffered because of this weak erection problem but things are okay now and I feel like a man again – Mr Mike You are welcome – Uche During intercourse, when I ejaculate, what comes out is really small. I worry that this will affect my chances of getting a woman pregnant – Tony Dear Tony, sperm quality has nothing to do with semen quantity. Sperm quality is what determines your ability to get a woman pregnant. So if you chose to increase your semen quantity just for the fun of it, then start taking Max Load Supplement. Max Load increases semen quantity and makes ejaculation much more intense and enjoyable – Uche That’s it for today. The names of the people featured here have been changed for their privacy. Adults in need of these treatments/novelties can call 07086754515 or 08051924159 or any other number here to order or they can order online at www.zeevirtualmedia.com. Zee Virtual Media delivers to you wherever you are in Nigeria.

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Vanguard, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2014—49

Customs, PAAR and its ignorant critics

BY OKEY IBEKE

D

ESPITE the general applause and commendation that has greeted the full takeover of destination inspection by the Nigeria Customs Service, it is amazing that there are pockets of sponsored critics who do not see anything good in the takeover. It is equally amazing that while the maritime industry and even the government is commending Customs for a smooth take off after taking over from destination inspection agents (Service Providers), those uninformed critics and pessimists are seeing confusion and problems where none exists.

To such a group belongs the Secretary of the Mr. Lucky Amiwero-led faction of the National Council of Managing Directors of Licensed Customs Agents, NCMDLCA, Mr. Uchu Block. This group or factional association has for long derived its relevance in the industry by creating confusion and making loud noise and going left when everyone is going right.

It is not surprising, therefore, that the Secretary of the discredited association would come out to say that the new Customs document, the Pre-Arrival Assessment Report (PAAR) was “dead on arrival” just five weeks after take off. According to Vanguard of January 16, 2014, Mr. Uchu Block said that PAAR which was put in place to replace former Risk Assessment Report, RAR, has failed and even made a case for ex-service providers to continue.

One cannot begin to point out a whole lot of ignorance displayed by Mr. Block in that interview. But suffice it to ask how someone who has been in the industry

Comptroller General of Customs, Inde Dikko Abdullahi

As the problems and myriads of complaints continued, the manufacturers association organized a workshop in May 2006 to assess the implementation status of destination inspection. At the workshop, they articulated the woes at the ports then as follows: •Delay in clearing industrial raw materials, machineries, spare-parts, and other production inputs imported for local manufacturing.

•Wrong and disputable classification of imported cargoes.

•Delays in resolving queries between Cotecna (one of the service providers) and the banks.

•Inability to clear imported cargoes within reasonable period resulting in the payment of fines, charges and huge demurrage.

•Inadequate scanning machines and other port handling equipment.

Unlike the situation prevalent in the ports when the service providers kickstarted the destination inspection scheme, the full takeover of the process on Sunday, December 1, 2013 by Customs was very smooth and work has been going on effectively without any disrupWith the full takeover of the scheme, tion or dislocation of Customs now became responsible for the process with its resultant confusion. managing all areas of the inspection This smooth takeprocesses over and improved as a clearing agent and claims to un- efficiency in the clearing process could derstand the goods clearance process can not have been achieved without adesuggest that the Service Providers RAR, quate preparations by the Service beRisk Assessment Report, and Customs fore the take over.

PAAR, Pre-Arrival Assessment Report, With the full takeover of the scheme, should run alongside ‘till all lapses are Customs now became responsible for sorted out? managing all areas of the inspection proBecause of these sponsored comments cesses. These areas include: Processing and uninformed criticisms by people like of the electronic Form M, issuance of Block, it has become necessary to com- the Pre-Arrival Assessment Report pare the start of destination inspection (PAAR) to replace the Risk Assessment

by Service Providers in 2006 and the Report (RAR) formally issued by the recent takeover by the Nigeria Customs Service Providers, control of scanning Service. equipment and operations in all the It can be recalled that the take off of scanning sites in Nigeria. destination inspection in January 2006 All these took off smoothly because adwas marked by confusion and chaos in equate preparations had been made. the ports. As the scheme took off with Prior to the take over, Customs deployed the destination inspection agents (ser- a robust risk management system organvice providers) in charge, confusion and ically developed by the Service in conanarchy was let loose on the ports re- sultation with partner agencies. sulting to excruciating congestion and As part of the preparation, a state of block stacking of containers. Consign- the art ruling centre was put in place for ments spent a minimum of 35 days be- issuance of PAAR in Abuja. The ruling fore it could be cleared while vessels lit- centre has the following features: world tered the Lagos waters because of ber- class data centre with disaster recovery thing space. There was lamentation ev- plan, robust internet connectivity with erywhere by importers, manufacturers backup and a dedicated power supply and all the port users. backed up with 2 units of 1000 KVA genThe situation at the ports on take off of erators and 350 trained officers working destination inspection by service provid- round the clock in 3 shifts. ers was amply captured by the ManuTo be concluded facturers Association of Nigeria, MAN.

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50 — V anguard Vanguard anguard,, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2014

NEWS BRIEF

Al-Qaeda disavows ISIS militants in Syria

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L-QAEDA has insisted it has no links with the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIS), which has been locked in deadly clashes with rebels in Syria.

An online statement purportedly from the group’s general command said ISIS was “not a branch of al-Qaeda”.

Last May, Ayman al-Zawahiri rejected an attempt by the Iraq-based group to merge with the al-Nusra Front in Syria.

Since then, ISIS has been condemned for attacking fellow rebels and abusing civilian supporters of the opposition.

As many as 2,300 people are reported to have been killed in the confrontations between ISIS’s predominantly foreign fighters and rebels from both Western-backed and Islamist groups.

Nelson Mandela ‘left $4m estate’ S

OUTH Africa’s former President Nelson Mandela left an estate provisionally valued at 46m rand ($4.13m; £2.53m), the executors of his will have said.

The Mandela family trust will receive $130,000, plus royalties. Others to benefit include the governing ANC, personal staff and several schools.

Mr Mandela’s third wife, Graca Machel, was likely to waive her claims to the estate, the executors said, although she is entitled to half of it.

The former president left behind an estate that includes an upmarket house in Johannesburg, a modest dwelling in his rural Eastern Cape home province and royalties from book sales, including his

autobiography Long Walk to Freedom.

Speaking at the Nelson Mandela Foundation in Johannesburg, Mr Moseneke said the 46m rand was based on “rough and ready estimates” and the final amount could be very different.

“We are yet to get down to the business of finding the asset, listing them and valuing them and accurately reflecting them.

We have a duty to file a provisional inventory.”

The final amount “could be one 10th of what we’ve said the value is, it could even be double”, he said.

Justice Moseneke, who is also deputy head of South Africa’s Constitutional Court, said some of the estate would be split between three trusts set up by Mr Mandela,

UK bans controversial French comedian

•Late Nelson Mandela including a family trust designed to provide for his more than 30 children, grandchildren and greatgrandchildren.

The family trust will receive 1.5m rand, plus royalties.

Schools the former president attended are due to receive 100,000 rand each, as are Wits and Fort

Hare Universities, for bursaries and scholarships.

The ANC (African National Congress) will also receive some royalties, to be used at the discretion of the party ’s executive committee, to spread information about the party’s principles and policies, particularly concerning reconciliation.

Russia warns Ukraine opposition as protests continue reform”. on Sunday, with opposition

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USSIA has urged Ukrainian opposition leaders to end their campaign of “ultimatums and threats” and to step up negotiations with the government.

Russia’s foreign ministry said Moscow was concerned by activists’ attempts to “inflame” the situation.

Protesters in Kiev have repeated their calls for the resignation of President Viktor Yanukovych, who is now back at work after four days of illness.

The EU and US are considering a big loan to help debt-laden Ukraine.

“We are looking at how we could support the Ukraine in the times of the crisis when it comes to the economic and political situation,” a spokeswoman for EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said yesterday. Both EU and US

•Putin officials say the aid package would be conditional on Kiev embracing “ real

No further details of the plan have been revealed.

Protests have continued since November, when President Yanukovych backed away from closer EU ties and agreed a loan with Russia.

Thousands of people joined a new rally in the centre of the capital, Kiev,

leaders calling for international help.

The Russian foreign ministry denounced their actions in a statement on Monday, saying they were particularly “puzzling” in the wake of a summit held in Munich last week on Ukraine’s future.

Thai officials warn over difficulties in re-staging votes

T

HAI election officials have warned that it could take several weeks to re-stage voting in areas where Sunday’s election was disrupted by protesters.

Anti-government protesters halted voting in parts of Bangkok and the south by blockading polling stations, rendering millions unable to vote.

Former PM and opposition leader Abhisit

Vejjajiva told the BBC the government had “lost the trust of the people”.

He said people had no faith in the system and that reform was essential.

“We are saying the government needs to recognise it has lost trust of people because of its abuse of democratic processes,” Mr Abhisit told the BBC’s Jonathan Head in Bangkok.

The ruling party of Yingluck Shinawatra is expected to win the election but legal challenges and a lack of MPs as a result of the disruption to voting may create political limbo.

The protesters, many of whom are still out on the streets, allege that Ms Yingluck’s government is controlled by her brother, ousted leader Thaksin Shinawatra.

EU report: Corruption widespread in the bloc

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ORRUPTION affects all 28 member countries of the European Union and costs their economies about $162.19bn (120bn Euros) a year, according to an European Union report.

The report, the EU’s first on corruption, was issued yesterday by Cecilia Malmstrom, EU

Commissioner for Home Affairs, the AP news agency reported.

Malmstrom said in a statement that “corruption undermines citizens’ confidence in democratic institutions and the result of law, it hurts the European economy and deprives states of muchneeded tax revenue.

Many protesters are still on the streets, with reports saying they are moving to block key intersections

F

RENCH comedian Dieudonne M’bala M’bala has been banned from entering the UK after he was reportedly planning a visit to support the footballer Nicolas Anelka over his use of the “quenelle” gesture.

The UK Home Office said it had imposed an exclusion order on Dieudonne, who has a series of convictions for anti-Semitic speech in his homeland, on the grounds of public security.

“We can confirm that Mr Dieudonne is subject to an exclusion order,” a Home Office spokeswoman said on Monday in a statement.

“The home secretary will seek to exclude an individual from the UK if she considers that there are public policy or public security reasons to do so.”

Kenya charges Mombasa terror suspects

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ORE than 100 people arrested in the Kenyan port city of Mombasa have appeared in court on charges of membership of Somalia’s Islamist militant group, al-Shabab, police have said.

Police raided a mosque in the city on Sunday, saying militants were carrying out training there.

At least two people are feared dead in ensuing riots, which lasted hours.

Kenya has been under pressure to crack down on militants blamed for a spate of attacks, including the Westgate siege.

Somalia’s al-Qaeda-affiliated al-Shabab Islamists have carried out a series of attacks in Kenya, in what they say is retaliation for Nairobi’s decision to deploy troops to Somalia to hunt them down.

Two Koreas to hold talks on family reunions

S

OUTH Korea and North Korea have moved a step closer to resuming reunions for families separated by the Korean War with an agreement to meet to discuss the issue.

South Korea’s Unification Ministry said yesterday it had agreed to talks with the North on Wednesday at the border truce village of Panmunjom, where the truce for the 1950s conflict was signed.

It is the first time in three years that the two countries will meet over reunions, although final agreement could be derailed by a row over South Korea-US military drills due to be held later this month.

“We welcome that the North has finally come forward to discuss the reunion,” said Kim EuiDo, a Unification Ministry spokesman.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2014—51

2015 elections and the outset of silly season Dear Sir,

states and local governments, Nigerians are more likely to blame the Federal Government, and not those who receive billions of Naira monthly to develop infrastructure in the states and local government areas and fail to do it.

It is this failure of Nigerians to vigorously interrogate what the state and local governments are doing with the billions of Naira they receive that has allowed Governor Amaechi to get to this sorry pass.

Additionally, considering the many important matters that a serious state governor should attend to, Amaechi would not have the luxury of time to engage in silly season politics if the people of Rivers State were to demand a comprehensive account of his stewardship from him. It is for this reason that one must commend the Rivers Integrity Coalition for presenting a table of the amounts of money that Amaechi’s government has received from October 2007 up till September 2013 under the Federation Account Allocation system and the Internally Generated Revenue for the same period.

According to that that table, Amaechi’s government received a total in excess of N1.9 trillion. If one chooses to convert this amount to USD even at a conservative rate of N160 to the dollar, this amount is in excess of $1.1 billion of real money, not the phantom money that Amaechi and his silly season cohorts are still trying to make jokes about. The question then arises, with such Nigerians in the states, where the a huge sum of Amaechi NGF group is supposed to serve, real money flowing into deserve to know how their governors are River State idling about in Abuja, playing school-boy coffers, why has Rivers State not pranks become an number down to $12billion. He was Eldorado? Or, if Eldorado is too much again called out for this new error by like the phantoms that Amaechi and his the Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi colleagues like to chase, why has Rivers Okonjo-Iweala, who explained that what State not become like Dubai? was outstanding was $10.8 billion, which These are some of the questions the expenditure books were still being people of Rivers State need to ask the reconciled by the relevant government Governor in order to help get his mind agencies. on real issues such that he may have little time to engage in the phantomSilly chasing pastime of his silly season politics. It is understood that once season general elections are approaching many Virtually every other Nigerian now politicians begin grabbing at straws to knows these facts and has moved on garner media attention, but it is the duty from the silly joke. But because silly of all Nigerians not to allow silly season season is exactly what the name implies, politics to detract focus from the serious Amaechi’s NGF faction is still waving issues of the day. the tattered $49.8b flag in the faces of certain media outlets. I would not have bothered with their attention-seeking antics if not that Nigerians in the states, where the Amaechi NGF group is, supposed to serve deserve to know how their governors are idling about in Abuja, playing school-boy pranks.

Dear Sir, A major misunderstanding of Nigeria’s present democratic structure ERMIT me to use your widely read is that many Nigerians routinely forget paper to call for the early completion or may not even know that the Federal of the culvert near Ijora Railway Crossing.

Government is not responsible for every The culvert collapsed a few months ago single aspect of development in the and was a no-go area for motorists until country. the government waded in about two Under the Federation Account months ago. But the works is moving at a Allocation system, state and local snail’s speed and commuters who ply that governments receive monthly statutory axis, are not finding it funny at all. allocations to carry out certain duties in The government should deploy enough their domains. Moreover, they also human and material resources to complete have additional money brought into this portion of the road. A stitch in time, their coffers through Internally saves nine.

Generated Revenue (IGR). But sadly, •Jude Azoro when things are not going well in the Amukoko

B

,

,

Expedite action on rehabilitation of Ijora-Badiya culvert

P

DPO harasses governors for us hope the opposition will be able holding meeting in Abuja I seem not to understand the type of democracy being practised in Nigeria where a citizen is deprived his right of association!

How can a Divisional Police Officer harass governors for holding a meeting in a Governor’s Lodge? Are we in the military era?

Anthony 08161705946

Rivers state and PDP crisis I really commend the courage and strength exhibited by Gov. Amaechi despite his ordeal. Just like other governors of the G- 7, Amaechi has shown he is on the side of the masses. He has the right of expression just like every other citizen, especially in

to put their acts together till the end.

Francis 07036372566

Nigerian Police Force and Jonathan’s administration It is unfortunate that President Jonathan gives enormous powers to his wife making her so powerful to even control the security agencies.

What is happening in the Police Force today is allegedly caused by the First Lady.

Yinka 08028035891

Still on Police and Jonathan’s administration The Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Mr. Frank Mba, can

,

ARELY a year before the 2015 general elections, some politicians are adopting laughable political antics just to attract media attention and better their chances of retaining a semblance of relevance in the run-up to the elections. Pranks of this nature make up what, in a sense, is referred to as silly season. And one politician who is well into his personal silly season is Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State. As every discerning Nigerian now knows, Amaechi is constantly engaged in the tiresome antics of trying to sully the government of President Goodluck Jonathan in one way or the other.

Lately, operating under the auspices of the faction of the Nigerian Governors Forum, NGF which he leads, Amaechi sought to fly the alleged missing $49.8b phantom kite, which was first flown by the Central Bank of Nigeria Governor, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi. The outgoing CBN Governor began the $49.8b joke, which many Nigerians immediately questioned, for it was inconceivable that such an amount of money from the sale of the nation’s crude oil could be missing, yet the country continued to meet its financial obligations.

Faced with evidence of his error, the CBN Governor admitted that he had made a mistake. Yet, for a man who, on that occasion, looked like a rain-beaten chicken, Sanusi still sought to revise the

I seem not to understand the type of democracy being practised in Nigeria where a citizen is deprived his right of association; how can a Divisional Police Officer harass governors for holding a meeting in a Governor’s Lodge?

,

situations where the president is weak and his affiliates have held the country to ransom due to their personal pursuits. The governor and other governors of the G7 have the right of association.

Blessing 08034899325

Defection of PDP Govs With the defection of five PDP governors to APC, PDP is in for the battle of its life to hang on to the reins of rulership. And I can foresee more PDP lawmakers in the National Assembly joining forces with Rotimi Amaechi and company to drive the last nail into the coffin of PDP. Wale 08089864304

Still on defection of PDP Govs Promising as the scenario appears, I want to sound a note of warning to the opposition that it is not yet uhuru because it is not the beginning of a matter that really matters, but the ending. Let

say anything he likes to defend the force. We all know the police in Nigeria is working for the ruling party in the country. The police deliberately disrupted the G7 meeting , rallies and processions as if we are still in the military era.

The anti- fuel subsidy protest was a typical case of police brutality in Nigeria. Jonathan should note that he will not be in power forever.

Mike 08055318061

Still on defection of Govs

PDP

Apart from those sycophants, political jobbers and hawks in the PDP, Nigerians are tired of PDP’s misrule and earnestly want a change come 2015. It is hoped the mega party, APC, will remain united to bring the country out of the woods. All hands must be on deck to salvage the country and deliver it from the current inept leadership.

Onome 08057118717

SAYINGS OF OUR ELDERS The game of life is the game of boomerangs. Our thoughts, deed and words return back to us sooner or later. Be kind to get kindness back in return.

Simon Adewale08056180103, Send us your Sayings of Our Elders. They must be African sayings or proverbs. Biblical or English proverbs are unacceptable. You will be paid N100.00 for every saying published. Address your sayings to: The Co-ordinator, Sayings of Our Elders,Vanguard Media Ltd., PMB 1007, Apapa,

52 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2014

C M Y K

Vanguard, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2014 — 53

Leapai: I will break Klitschko

World Cup hopefuls on display in Africa A

S more African play ers continue to find homes at top European clubs, it is becoming increasingly difficult for domestic-based players to break into their national teams. The CAF-organised African Nations Championship (CHAN) is put on to showcase players who are active in their local national championship, and that afforded a big opportunity for Ghanaians and Nigerians to play themselves into contention for a ticket to the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil.

FIFA.com looks at some of the players on display at the African finals, which took place in 2010 FIFA World Cup hostcountry South Africa.

Keshi told FIFA.com that he had no hesitation in calling up Nigerianbased players for his squads. “I have worked with them. They know what I want, I know the standard I want them to be at before they can play. I have studied the

•Klitschko

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LADIMIR Kl itschko will defend his WBA, IBF, WBO and IBO heavyweight titles against Australia’s Alex Leapai at the KönigPilsener-Arena Oberhausen, Germany on April 26.

“It impressed me how Alex Leapai dominated Boytsov,” Wladimir said.

“He has shown strong punching power and a lot of heart. But moreover, that he can take a punch and feels confident in the role of the underdog."

Leapai said: “People talk about how great Wladimir is and the 61 victories he has had in his career. I on the other hand think of the fact that he has been comprehensively koed three times by people who cannot punch nearly as hard as me.

“I will break Wladimir and it will not be my hardest fight.”

•Uzoenyi

players and managed to instil confidence in them.

Once achieving those goals, they are ready to go, just like the professional players in Europe,” he explained.

Keshi said that he had been impressed with the standard of play of his squad at the CHAN finals. “It was good to spend five weeks together. These players are do-

ing well and that is the bottom line. They will have a chance to be called up for the World Cup, though it is too early to name any names.

That will happen closer to the time,” he said. “Nigerians expect a lot from the team at the World Cup, so we will have to work very hard and make sure we can make them and ourselves proud.”

Man U defeat thrills Osaze S TOKE City striker Peter Odemwingie has admitted he was initially hesitant to confirm his move to the club, but was pleased to make his

Nadal stays on top •Nadal

•Ali

Britannia Stadium debut.

Former Cardiff City striker Odemwingie joined the Stoke-onTrent club on January 28

Serena

R

AFAEL Nadal re mains top of the men’s ATP tennis rankings released on Monday.

The Spaniard tops the standings ahead of Serbia’s Novak Djokavic and Australian Open winner Statislas Wawrinka of Switzerland.

With Davis Cup being played at the weekend there were few changes in the rankings with no movement in the top 10 players.

The only alteration in the top 25 saw Kai Nishikori of Japan skip Spain’s Nicolas Almagro to go 17th.

Serena remains top Serena Williams retains her commanding advantage at the top of the WTA women’s tennis rankings issued on Monday.

Williams remains on 13,000 points, well clear of next challengers Vic-

toria Azarenka (Belarus) on 6,581 and Australian Open winner Li Na on 6,570.

There were no changes in the top 10.

The next stop on the women’s tour is the Qatar Open which begins in Doha February 10.

as part of a swap deal that saw Kenwyne Jones head the other way.

And the Nigerian admits he was not about to jump the gun regarding the announcement of his move, following his bizarre deadline day antics last January where he showed up at Queens Park Rangers with only hours remaining trying to force through a move from former club West Bromwich Albion.

“This time, I was the last to confirm the move.

99% wasn’t enough for me,” the 32-year-old tweeted.

The former Lokomotiv Moscow man also expressed his delight at making his home debut in the 2-1 win over champions Manchester United while wishing his former Cardiff City team-mates well for the future.

“Had a fantastic day yesterday (on Saturday),” he added.

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54—Vanguard, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2014

Vanguard, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2014 — 55

Flamingoes ready for FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup C

OACH Bala Nikyu of the national under-17 women team on Monday in Abuja said his team was ready for the 2014 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Costa Rica.

Nikyu made the assertion on the strength of his team’s 3-0 defeat of their Ghanaian counterparts on Sunday in an international friendly at the Abuja National Stadium.

The match played at the stadium’s FIFA Goal Project pitch is the first leg of a double-legged friendly between the two countries.

The matches are to prepare both teams for the Women’s World Cup scheduled for March 15 to April 4, where Nigeria are already grouped alongside Mexico, Colombia and China.

Speaking on the team’s state of preparedness, Nikyu said there was already an improvement in the team compared to its performance in the last three weeks.

“The match was a trial

game and there was an improvement on what we had in the past three weeks, even though we have not gotten to where we want.

“So, we (the team’s coaching crew) are hoping that by the end of February we would have gotten what we want.

“But, as far as I am concerned, we already have a World Cup team that we will work with for a month and a half now before the tournament starts,” he said.

The coach however noted that the only challenge the team had presently was “for the players to grow faster in their learning rate”.

On the meeting with Ghana, Nikyu said the team would not underrate the Ghanaian team in the return leg match.

“Any team that qualifies for the World Cup should not be underrated, and you never can tell because, after this game, they can go back and stabilise to step up their game.

T

GETTING READY . . . Members of the female national U-17 soccer team, the Flamingoes shaping up during one of their training sessions

Ancelotti rues Ronaldo red card R EAL Madrid c o a c h Carlo Ancelotti believes Cristiano Ronaldo’s sending off was the turning point during Sunday ’s 1-1 draw against Athletic Bilbao.

After a goalless first half, the Whites took the lead midway through the second half as Jese Rodriguez poked home from close range, but the Lions responded through a great strike from substitute Ibai Gomez.

Ronaldo then received his marching orders in the 75th minute following a coming together with Carlos Gurpegui.

Kojo Williams Continues from BP Odunlami Kunle making the CHAN Team of the tournament, while Uzoenyi was adjudged the Most Valuable Player of the tournament, won by Libya, at the expense of Ghana.

But speaking to Sports Vanguard yesterday, Kojo said that he was not impressed with the performance of the local players, who he noted were not the best the Nigerian league could offer.

While berating captain and goalkeeper Chigozie Agim as the biggest flop in the team, Kojo said that the players have nothing to offer in Brazil, warning that any attempt to take them to the World Cup would spell doom for Nigeria.

“These players have no international standard. They are not polished and have nothing to offer. As far as I am concerned, there are bet-

ter players in the league.

May be we can talk about Ejike Uzoenyi. Maybe he can be considered but the rest are not good for the flight to Brazil. I wonder where Keshi brought them from.

“Look at that goalkeeper (Agbim) who was jumping about and conceding cheap goals. He was an embarrassment to us. The others also did not fair better. And your coach is thinking of taking some of them to World Cup? They are going to Brazil to do what? They will fail and it will be to our shame”, added Kojo, who challenged Keshi to scout for better players from the Nigerian league scene.

“Keshi should go scouting for better players in the league because we surely have better players in our league than these jokers we took to South Africa”, said Kojo.

Para-athletics Federation gets date for National open trial

•Ronaldo

Eto'o Continues from BP of players considered good, but the group of great players.”

The Cameroon international joined the Stamford Bridge side in August 2013 in a oneyear deal after spending two seasons with Anzhi Makhachkala where he scored 25 league goals.

Out of 18 appearances so far for the London side Eto’o has bagged eight goals in 18 games.

Eto’o added that manager Jose Mourinho had been a big influence in his decision to move to the Premier League side,

saying he accounted for “80%” of his decision, having had a good experience of working with the Portuguese boss at Inter.

“We had a fantastic team that season [20092010] when we practically won everything (League, Italian Cup, Champions League). I like someone frank. I like people who can tell me things to my face and we can discuss. I have not always known that in my life. That’s why I’ve always had this respect for him.”

“ We played a good game, with high intensity and in the second half, we were very good,” said Ancelotti.

“It could have been different because we scored first and controlled the game, but later Athletic scored a fantastic goal.

“In the first half Athletic pressured a lot and we had some difficulty, although we didn’t concede more than one chance to them.

“In the second half it was a different matter, we had more possession and control.”

“Generally speaking, I’m satisfied with how we’ve played.”

HE Nigerian Paraa t h l e t i c s Federation has concluded plans for a national open Para – athletics trials holding from February 8-11-2014 at the main-bowl of the National stadium, Surulere, Lagos.

President of the Nigeria Para- athletics Federation Dr. Frank Thorpe who made this known in Lagos,said the tournament which would be held in three categories for both men and women would be used to select Nigeria Para-athletes to the forth coming 6 th Faaza International Paraathletics championship.

Commonwealth Games: Emogahwve assures of good outing for Para-athletes

T

HE Nigeria Paralym pics Committee (NPC) on Monday said it would take all measures to ensure Nigeria’s Para-athletes excelled at forthcoming Commonwealth Games.

The competition is scheduled to hold from July 23 to Aug. 3 in Glasgow, Scotland.

Monday Emogahwve, the committee’s President, said that the Paraathletes would soon be invited to camp at a yetto-be ascertained date on the approval of the sports authorities.

Nsofor to earn 300,000 Euros at Chievo

O

BINNA Nsofor will pocket 300,000 Euros for the five months he will be at Italian club Chievo Verona, MTNFootball.com can specially reveal.

Nsofor is on 1.5 million Euros a year at Russian club Lokomotiv Moscow and it is now believed ‘The Railway Men’ will likely stomp up the balance for the time the Nigeria forward is on loan in Italy.

Lokomotiv are chasing for the Russian

league crown as they are equal on points with leaders Zenit Saint Petersburg half way through the season.

But Nsofor, who joined the Russian club in June 2011, has only managed a handful of games this season for ‘The Railway Men’.

He has rejoined a Chievo team who are in 16th place and just a point above the relegation pack and in dire need of firepower having only scored 16 goals in 22 league matches.

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V anguard anguard,, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2014

Uzoenyi good enough for Brazil — Ogbeide

E

X-WARRI Wolves coach Solomon Ogbeide has tipped Ejike Uzoenyi to impress for Nigeria at the World Cup after the winger was adjudged Most Valuable Player at the African Nations Championship.

Ogbeide, who is the sec-

Brazil 2014:

Kojo predicts doom for local Eagles

BY JOHN EGBOKHAN former Chairman of the Nigeria Football Association (NFA), Anthony KojoWilliams has slammed Coach Stephen Keshii for mooting the idea of taking about four Local Eagles to the forthcoming FIFA World Cup in Brazil.

The Local Super Eagles finished in third position at the just ended African Nations Championship in South Africa, with three members of the team, Ejike Uzoenyi, Rabiu Ali and Continues on Page 55

Eto’o: I’ve nothing to prove

A

C

•Agbim

PUZZLE

•Uzoenyi

•Keshi

HELSEA striker Samuel Eto’o has said he has nothing to prove anymore.

The 32-year-old, who has played for the likes of Real Madrid, Barcelona and Inter Milan, told French newspaper Le Monde: “I have nothing to prove. I’m Samuel Eto’o. And I do not think I have to prove anything to anyone. I do not belong to the group Continues on Page 55

•Eto'o

Flamingoes ready for FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup — Pg 55

Sudoku TODAY'S

retary general of the Nigeria Football Coaches Association, told News Agency of Nigeria: “Without Uzoenyi that Chan team would not have achieved as much success as they did.

“And if he can reproduce this same form or even better in team A, then I think Nigeria will go very far in the World Cup.” Uzoenyi scored three goals and provided four assists as the Super Eagles went on to bag 13 goals, the most in the tournament.

The Enugu Rangers man also won three consecutive man-of-the-match awards, before being eventually crowned as the best player in the competition.

YESTER DAY'S YESTERDAY'S

ANSWERS

‘ACROSS 1 Scanty (6) 5 Leader (4) 8 Forward (5) 9 Odd (3) 10 Roster (4) 11 Cultivate (4) 12 Upright (5) 13 Decapitate (6) 16 Lake (4) 18 Discharge (4) 20 Conifer (3) 22 Fellow (3) 23 Faucet (3) 24 Charter (4) 25 Thought (4) 28 Imagined (6) 30 Fragment (5) 32 Rotisserie (4) 33 Fish (4) 34 Wrath (3) 35 Readjusted (5) 36 Act (4) 37 Gift (6)

DOWN 1 Writer (6) 2 Seat (8) 3 Current (6) 4 Honed (9) 5 Axe (7) 6 Revise (4) 7 Drab (4) 8 Consumed (3) 14 Devoted (9) 15 Energy (3) 17 Wand (3) 19 Periodical (8) 20 Healthy (3) 21 Responded (7) 26 Fleet (6) 27 Thoroughfare (6) 29 Employed (4) 30 Beget (4) 31 Place (3)

YESTERDAY'S SOLUTIONS ACROSS: 3, Beard 9, Looked 10, Outing 11, Title 12, Oval 15, Tube 17, Deleted 20, Sad 21, Ditch 23, Drew 25, Tart 26, Later 28, End 30, Desired 33, Aged 35, Tide 36, Civil 38, Tartan 39, Severe 40, Beast.

DOWN: 1, Flood 2, Local 3, Bet 4, Edited 5, Role 6, Due 7, Minus 8, Ogled 13, Vending 14, Level 16, Battled 18, Dived 19, Act 22, Habit 24, Wad 27, Remiss 28, Earth 29, Decry 31, Rider 32, Deter 34, Mine 36, Cab 37, Let.

How to Play Sudoku

P

lace 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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