EMERGENCE OF BOKO HARAM: Buhari fires back at Jonathan

...towards a better life for the people VOL. 25: NO. 61853

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ONLINE | www.vanguardngr.com

N150

THURSDAY, APRIL 4, 2013

VCs, lecturers disagree over scrapping of JAMB •P.8 exam, NECO

18 killed, nine injured in AbujaLokoja road crash •P.7

EMERGENCE OF BOKO HARAM:

OIL PRODUCTION:

Buhari fires back at Jonathan

4m/bpd by 2020 not feasible under PIB •P.44 — IOCs

BY SONI DANIEL, REGIONAL EDITOR, NORTH, DAPO AKINREFON, GBENGA OKE & EMMANUEL ELEBEKE

•Boko Haram is your baby, he says •Balarabe Musa, Sagay, Afenifere, Maku, others react

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BUJA—FORMER Head of State, General Muhammadu Buhari, yesterday, slammed President Goodluck Jonathan, de

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Qualitative education not optional Amaechi •P.27

COLUMNISTS:

Is'haq Modibbo Kawu

•P.17

Josef Omorotionmwan •P.19

Mr & Mrs

DEADLY PROTEST

—Indian police spray water on two protesters that covered themselves in kerosene, but were stopped before they could set themselves on fire over govt's plan to demolish their homes marked as illegal structures. Two others were already confirmed dead. Inset: Another member of the family already on fire. Photo: AFP.

NDIC to assist micro-finance, mortgage banks •P.9

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POCKET CARTOON

VISIT—Gov. Isa Yuguda (L) of Bauchi State with the National President, Nigeria Union of Teach-

ers, Mr Michael Olukoya who paid him a courtesy visit in Bauchi, Tuesday. Photo NAN.

Boko Haram: Buhari fires back at Jonathan Continues from page 1 scribing the virulent sect, Boko Haram, as a creation of the present administration.

President Jonathan, through his Senior Special Assistant on Public Affairs, Dr Doyin Okupe

had on Tuesday challenged General Buhari to persuade members of the sect to accept dialogue as a means of ending the orgy of violence in the North.

General Buhari, who apparently was angered

LIFEWORDS

W

BY PASTOR ITUAH

HATEVER we focus on will continue to get bigger. Problems just have a knack of getting more complex as we worry and fret over them.

Focus on what you wish to grow.

TAKE HEART

BY ELLA RANDLE

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OBODY can go back and start a new begin ning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending —Maria Robinson Nothing could be closer to the truth. But before you can begin this process of transformation, you have to stop doing the things that have been holding you back.

Stop time with the wrong people.Life is too short to spend time with people who suck the happiness out of you. If people want you in their life, they’ll make room for you. You shouldn’t have to fight for a spot. Never, ever insist yourself to someone who continuously overlooks your worth. And remember, it’s not the people that stand by your side when you’re at your best, but the ones who stand beside you when you’re at your worst that are your true friends.

Stop running from your problems. Face them head on. No, it won’t be easy. There is no person in the world capable of flawlessly handling every punch thrown at them. We aren’t supposed to be able to instantly solve problems. Because that’s the whole purpose of living, to face problems, learn, adapt, and solve them over the course of time. This is what ultimately moulds us into the person we become.

Stop being untrue to yourself. You can lie to anyone else in the world, but you can’t lie to yourself.

Our lives improve only when we take chances, and the first and most difficult chance we can take is to be honest with ourselves.

by the Presidency’s attempt to link him with the sect, asked Jonathan to leave him alone and find ways of resolving the Boko Haram crisis, which he said, was borne out of the failure of his government.

Buhari, who fired back at Jonathan through the National Publicity Secretary of the Congress for Progressive Change, CPC, Mr. Rotimi Fashakin, noted that it was wrong for the Presidency to accuse him of not calling Boko Haram to order when he did not have any relationship with the members.

He also faulted Okupe, for referring to Buhari’s presidential ambition as inordinate, saying that the attack was ill-motivated.

Fashakin said: “It is unfortunate that a presidential aide referred to the legitimate desire of a statesman as inordinate. Away from the uncouth posturing of Dr Okupe, it is apparent that this fellow is conflating two unrelated issues and scenarios.

“If the people that initiated and executed the Niger Delta problem decided to resolve it, what can anyone do about it?

The Niger Delta problem is totally different from the Boko Haram palaver.

“General Muhammadu Buhari has consistently asserted that the political Boko Haram, the most virulent variant of the menace, is a creation

of Jonathan’s regime. So why should a Buhari that did not understand the genesis of the funding and operation of this lethal unit of the PDPled federal government, now join in appeasing them?

“That explains why the Jonathan regime cannot talk about amnesty for Boko Haram because it is akin to appeasing self. As a party, we strongly advise the Federal Government to come clean to the Nigerian people. The political Boko Haram is all about the Jonathan regime and no amount of carefullywoven spin can hoodwink discerning Nigerians,” the CPC spokesman declared.

Buhari’s statement followed Tuesday’s call on him by Jonathan’s spokesman, Doyin Okupe, to lead the talks with Boko Haram to lay down their arms and embrace dialogue as a means of ending the raging violence in the north, which has claimed many lives and property.

Okupe had also asked Buhari to emulate the role Jonathan played by going to meet militants in their vast hideouts in the Niger Delta to plead with them to lay down their arms and accept the general amnesty granted by the late President Umaru Yar ’Adua on June 25, 2009.

Meanwhile, reactions

have trailed the statements issued by both the Presidency and General Buhari.

to solve the problem.

It’s a ridiculous request —Musa

— Junaid Mohammed

A Second Republic Governor of Kaduna State, Alhaji Balarabe Musa described the president’s appeal to Buhari as an insult. The former governor said “this is an insult. How can Buhari ask Boko Haram to cease fire? Is Buhari responsible for Boko Haram? Is he the president of Nigeria?

This is a ridiculous request and it amounts to some kind of insult. A security issue of this magnitude is being turned into a light matter.”

Jonathan should vacate office if...

In his reaction to the face-off, Second Republic lawmaker, Dr Junaid Mohammed, said if the President cannot stand the heat, he should vacate office. Mohammed, in a telephone chat said: “As far as I am concerned, the truth should not be subordinate to anybody’s view and people must surely express their views and opinion on daily basis. So if Mr President cannot stand the heat, he should throw in the towel because whether he likes it or not, he should expect to be criticised."

Request meant to entrap Buhari —Sagay

Boko Haram not Jonathan’s creation –Austin Opara

For constitutional lawyer, Professor Itse Sagay, the request by the president is meant to entrap the former Head of State. Sagay, said: “Is Buhari their representative? Is he the one sponsoring them? I don’t think that is fair. There is no indication whatsoever that Buhari has a link with Boko Haram.

The request is meant to entrap Buhari and so, I don’t think it is fair.”

Former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr Austin Opara said: “It is wrong for General Buhari to say Boko Haram is the creation of President Jonathan’s government. It is absolutely wrong for Buhari to accuse Mr President because we all live in this country and we all know Boko Haram did not start with this government.”

Jonathan should be tolerant — Afenifere

FG will offer amnesty if...

— Maku

On its part, Pan-Yoruba socio-cultural organisation, Afenifere enjoined President Jonathan to be tolerant. In a telephone chat with Vanguard, National Publicity Secretary of the group, Mr Yinka Odumakin said: “It is for us to appreciate that the nation is faced with a serious crisis that may consume everybody and therefore, we must find a way

In a related development, Minister of Information Mr. Labaran Maku said the amnesty being canvassed for Boko Haram could only be considered when the group opens up for dialogue and negotiation, insisting that amnesty could not be the first option when nobody had come out to discuss with the Federal Government.

6—Vanguard, THURSDAY, APRIL 4, 2013

Imo police nab alleged 3 student robbers

BY CHIDI NKWOPARA

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WERRI —THE Imo State Police Command has nabbed a three-man gang of alleged student campus robbers said to have been terrorizing their colleagues in Imo State Polytechnic, Umuagwo.

Parading the suspects in Owerri, yesterday, the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Muhammad Katsina, gave the name of one of the suspects as Anthony Ikebunna, a 22year-old final year HND Industrial Safety/Environment Technology student from Eziama Okwe, Onuimo local council area.

Katsina also named 25-yearold Okoro Chimaobi Samuel from Nchara, Ikwuano, Abia State and an ND1 Computer Science student and 26-yearold plumber, Ikechukwu Okoro, from Umuanunu, Obinze, Owerri West local council area as the other two suspects.

Anambra/Kogi border clash: Stakeholders call for restraint

BY VINCENT UJUMADU

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WKA — STAKEHOLDERS in the Omambala area of Anambra State have waded into the crisis that erupted in the area following Monday’s attack by some people suspected to be from Ibaji Local Government Area of Kogi State.

This came as the state police command said a joint police and military patrol team had been deployed in the area.

The battle for the control of the oil-rich communities in Aguleri Otu in Anambra State and Odeke community in Abaji Local Government Area of Kogi State which had already claimed seven lives and destruction of property worth thousands of naira took another dimension, yesterday, as some youths attempted a showdown in the area.

It was gathered that the youths had engaged the services of local vigilance groups in the area to assist them in a reprisal attack, but a former senator that represented Anambra North, Chief Emma Anosike, prevailed on them to sheath their swords.

Anosike, while reacting to the development, said: “The youths I met in the area received me warmly and I told them to lay down their arms. I told them to consider the socio-economic benefits of the oil and gas to their individual well-being."

Death toll in Kaduna communal clash Fulani take over sacked villages rises to 28 zzAs Refugee figure now 10,000

BY LUKA BINNIYAT

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AFANCHAN — DEATH toll from last Saturday's attack on some Atakad Community, in Atakad Chiefdom of Kaura Local Government Area of Kaduna State, has risen to 28.

The Chief of Atakad Chiefdom, Chief Tobias Nkom Wada, made the disclosure to members of the House of Representatives from Southern Kaduna, yesterday, in Tachire village, where he is taking refuge.

The chief said the suspected Fulani herdsmen who carried out the killings and sacking of four villages had fully occupied the villages high up to the Atakad mountain.

Meantime, the refugee figures has risen to 10,000, from 5,000 since last Saturday, said the National President of Atakad Community Development Association, Mr Ishaya Kudien, in one of the refugee camps.

Chairman of Kaura Local Government Area, Mr. Kumai Badang, had quoted 19 as the number killed last Saturday in the affected villages of Mafan, Zalang, Taliki and Zangkan villages that formed part of the Kagoro hills, about 300 kilometres, south-east of Kaduna, the capital of Kaduna State Wada told the five Representatives, led by Hon. Godfrey Gaya (Jaba/Zangon Kataf Federal Constituency) that he was shocked about the violence, because the Fulani were not provoked.

Addressing the refugees at the

Model Primary School in Fadan Atakad, Hon. Godfrey Gaya, said: “We have come here to tell you that any pain on any member of southern Kaduna is a pain on

all. We have come here as one.

We know how dignified, respectable and gentle the Atakad people are. For you to be reduced

Rivers State Ministry of Environment removing abandoned vehicles on major roads in Port Harcourt, yesterday. PHOTO: NAN.

JTF kills 6 in Kano operations

BY ABDULSALAM MUHAMMAD

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ANO — AN early morning encounter between the Joint Military Taskforce in Kano, yesterday, left no fewer than six suspected militants dead in two

separate operations at Yankaba and Ungwar-Dabai, all within the municipal local council of the state.

Security sources close to JTF confided in Vanguard that troops stormed the two hideouts at about 4 a.m to effect the arrest of suspected militants believed to be

CLO petitions police over late CP’s property

BY EMEKA MAMAH

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NUGU — THE Civil Liberties Organisation, CLO, in the South-East zone, yesterday, petitioned the Enugu State Police Command over alleged detention of one Henry Chukwuemeka Enwezor on trumped-up charges following a dispute over the estate of late Deputy Commissioner of Police Dr. Ann Ifeyinwa Mokwenye.

Mokwenye, a former police doctor, who retired December 26, 2010, died after a brief illness onJune 25, last year.

The CLO stated that the late female police officer adopted two children, including the said Henry, 28, and Obiageli, 10, who lived with her at her at 21A, Akpabio Street, G.R.A, Enugu, since 1991.

According to the CLO, it was after the late police commissioner ’s death that some people who claimed to be relations of the woman appeared from nowhere and

to destitute to live in primary schools, after losing your loved ones and fortunes, is indeed sad, and we grief with you.”

started using the police to deny the two adopted children of the deceased access to their mother ’s property.

In its petition to the Enugu State Commissioner of Police, signed by the Zonal Director, Mr Olu Omotayo, the CLO condemned attempts to criminalise a civil matter in a bid to get rid of Henry Enwezor and take over his late mother’s property.

The trumped-up charge The petition read in part: "In a bid to get rid of Henry Enwezor and take over his late mother's house at 21A, Akpabio Street, they wrote several frivolous petitions from one police station to another until the recent petition written to the Commissioner of Police wherein they alleged that the young Enwezor broke into 21A, Akpabio Street, and stole

his property and that of Patricia Owoh.

"Police officers from “X squad” invaded 21A, Akpabio Street, on March 21, 2013, arrested Henry, broke his late mother’s safe and collected all the cheque booklets and documents relating to all the various accounts operated by the deceased in her lifetime and took both the documents and Henry to the state Police Headquarters where he was detained for breaking into his own house and also stealing some property therein.

"Henry was detained at the Police Headquarters from March 21, 2013 to March 26 2013, when he was arraigned before the Magistrates’ Court which remanded him in prison custody for alleged housebreaking and stealing.

"This matter is purely civil in nature; there is nothing criminal about it which is an issue arising out of the administration of estate of the late DCP."

hiding inside ‘a marked building’ when they came under fire and responded with superior firepower.

The incident came barely 48 hours after unknown gunmen shot to death three police officers at Yankaba area of Nasarawa Local Government Area of the state in a local restaurant by 8.30p.m, Monday night.

The security sources further explained that the raid at Yankaba at the wee hours of yesterday led to the death of three suspected militants, while a man believed to be the mastermind of premeditated attack on security operatives in that area was captured.

Unconfirmed reports said the suspected mastermind in a bid to evade arrest fired and critically injured a police officer during the raid before he was overpowered by operatives of the Joint Military Taskforce.

However, it could not be ascertained at press time whether the injured officer survived the attack as the security goons in the city are keeping sealed lips over the development.

At Unguwar Dabai area of Dala Local Government Area, the combined team of security operatives also battled with suspected gunmen in an early morning raid at their hideout, while three suspected militants died in a shoot-out with the troops.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, APRIL 4, 2013—7

18 killed, nine injured in Abuja-Lokoja road crash

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BUJA — EIGHTEEN people were killed while nine others were seriously injured in a crash, yesterday morning, along the Kwale-Gwagwalada road involving a Marcopolo luxury bus (XG413FGG) and a J5 bus (XA726NSR) with 96 casualties.

Preliminary reports from the Federal Roads Safety Commission, FRSC, showed that the J5 was travelling to Sokoto from Lokoja while the Marcopolo bus belonging to GUO Group of Companies, was heading towards Lagos from Kano when the J5 driver suddenly swerved off his lane into the other lane apparently due to fatigue, resulting in a collision with the luxury bus.

The commission further reported that on arrival at the scene of the crash, 17 occupants of the J5 bus were confirmed dead while an additional person died at the hospital and nine others were left with serious injuries.

The rescue team also recovered N217,000 from the wrecked J5 bus which they promised to hand over to the victims’ relations.

Kidnapped corps member regains freedom in Ebonyi

BY PETER OKUTU

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BAKALIKI — EBONYI State Police Command said, Tuesday, it had rescued a corps member, Dr. Chiagozie Onuoha Bibiana, who was kidnapped last month by four armed men at Mile 50 area of Abakaliki.

The victim, a graduate of medicine attached to Civil Service Clinic, Abakaliki, was kidnapped while driving and taken into a bush in Umuoghara, Ezza North Local Government Area of the state, where a demand of N20 million ransom was made by her kidnappers.

Briefing newsmen in Abakaliki, the Ebonyi State Police Public Relations Officer, Deputy Superintendent of Police, DSP Sylvester Igbo said the timely report of the incident at the command ensured the speedy rescue of the victim and her car.

He said: “At about 7:30 pm, one Dr. Chiagozie Onuoha Bibiana, a medical Corps member attached to the Civil Service Clinic Abakaliki was at Mile 50 kidnapped in her Honda accord car by four armed men and taken into Umuoghara bush at Ezza North LGA."

Details of the fatal crash indicate that of the 96 people involved, 70 were male, 16 female and 10 children comprising seven male

and three female. Among the nine injured, two were female while all dead victims were male

adults. Thirteen of the corpses were deposited at the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital mortuary while four others were taken to morgue at Kwali General

2 students die after allegedly sighting ghost at Rivers varsity

BY JIMITOTA ONOYUME

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A commercial bus driver (middle) appealing to a LASTMA official (right) after he was arrested for unlawful driving at Costain bus stop, Iganmu, in Lagos, yesterday. PHOTO: NAN.

Two Bauchi varsity students, another drown celebrating Easter

BY SUZAN EDEH

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AUCHI — TRADEGY struck, yesterday, when three people, including two students of the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi got drowned in Gubi dam, Ganjuwa Local Government Area of Bauchi State.

According to sources, some students of the university who were on a short break came to the dam to hold a party to mark the Easter festival. It was learnt that one of the students decided to swim in the dam and got drowned.

The second student who attempted to save the life of his friend also drowned.

The situation subsequently led to the death of the third person who also drowned while trying to save the two students.

Some of the residents told Vanguard that many people had lost their lives in the dam in the past and wondered why people still swim there.

They called on the state government to enact a law that would ban people from having functions close to the dam because of past tragic incidences.

Confirming the incident to

Vanguard, General Manager of Bauchi State Water Board, Mr Aminu Aliyu Gital, said three bodies, including two students of the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University were recovered from Gubi dam water treatment plant.

Aminu who expressed shock over the incident, called on parents and guardians to always monitor activities of their children and wards.

He said: “We want to warn people against going to the dam to celebrate. There are many ways people can celebrate a festival, instead of exposing themselves to danger."

Police dismiss corporal for killing pregnant woman in Akure Mobile Policemen who fired gun

BY DAYO JOHNSON

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KURE — THE Police authorities have dismissed Corporal Abudu Alonge who reportedly shot dead a pregnant woman in Akure, Tuesday evening.

The shooting was said to have been caused by the failure of the driver of the commercial car she was in to part with N20 bribe along the Ijapo road in the Ondo State capital.

The incident which caused pandemonium and distrupted peace in Akure metropolis for over two hours occurred around 6 p.m.

It was learnt that the policeman attached to the Ijapo police post demanded from the driver particulars of the car and after producing them he insisted that he should settle which the driver refused.

Eye witness account said the driver was heading to Akoko area

of the state in a Nissan Almera car with number plate, Ondo KAA 80 AA. When the driver insisted that his documents were up to date, the policeman shot at the car and the bullet hit the pregnant woman who sat in the car.

She reportedly died instantly before she could be rushed to nearby hospital and confirmed dead by doctors.

The policeman took to his heels and was assisted by his colleagues from being lynched by the irate youths who stormed the major streets and made bonfire.

Not perturbed by the shielding of the killer cop, the youths mobilised and descended on the police post destroying it in the process.

They barricaded the road leading to the station and demanded that the killer cop be released.

It took the reinforcement by

shots into the air before the youths could leave the street and the station.

Police authorities in the state confirmed that the killer cop had been dismissed.

ORT HARCOURT— TWO students of Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, Rumuolumeni, Port Harcourt, reportedly died in the early hours of yesterday after jumping from a three-storey building within the school.

Eye witness accounts said a student raised alarm of a sudden appearance of ghost in one of the reading halls in the university, a situation that caused pandemonium.

In a bid to run for safety, according to eye witnesses, some who were reading in the hall where the ghost was allegedly seen reportedly jumped through the window.

Unfortunately, two of them were not lucky as they allegedly died when they landed on the ground.

Some students who spoke with Vanguard said they were woken up by shouts of ghost from their colleagues who were coming from the hall where the ghost was allegedly seen. According to her, their colleagues alleged that an evil spirit was moving all over the reading hall wanting to devour humans.

Continuing, she said they all quickly ran out of their rooms towards the building.

She said she saw the corpses of the two students that died before they were reportedly moved to an undisclosed morgue.

Meantime, the Public Relations officer of the school, Ms Ngozi Okiridu confirmed the death of one male student, adding that four others who sustained injuries were being treated at the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital.

Herbalist docked over damaging woman's womb

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BY ONOZURE DANIA

AGOS — A 42-YEAR-OLD herbalist, Ayemoro Funsho, who allegedly poured some ground pepper mixed with other substances into a woman’s private part thereby damaging her uterus in Ebute-Metta area of Lagos State has been arrested and charged to court.

Funsho who runs a herbal home at 81, Abeokuta Street, EbuteMetta, was said to have allegedly poured the mixture into a 36-yearold woman’s private part and collected N170, 000 from the

victim under false pretence of helping her to remove fibroid from her womb.

Funsho who was arrested and arraigned before an Ebute-Metta Magistrate Court, claimed to be a medical doctor who also deals in herbal products with which he used in damaging the woman’s private part and womb.

The victim who was taken to a specialist hospital for treatment was later informed by the doctors, that she (names withheld) can no longer bear children because of the damage.

8—Vanguard , THURSDAY, APRIL 4, 2013

BY WOLE MOSADOMI, EBERE ORAKPOR, AMAKA ABAYOMI, DAYO ADESULU, LAJU ARENYEKA & IKENNA ASOMBA

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IVERSE reactions have trailed Federal Government’s decision to scrap the National Examinations Council, NECO, as well as the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examinations, UTME, just as the Joint Admissions and Matriculations Board, JAMB, yesterday reinstated its commitment to conduct a hitch-free UTME examinations on April 27, 2013.

Professors Ralph Akinfeleye of University of Lagos, Florence Banku Obi of University of Calabar and Abayomi George Ojanuga of the Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, who are in support of the proposed scrapping said it would give true meaning to university autonomy, eliminate irregularities and help universities capture the best students.

However, Prof. Olu Jegede of Obafemi Awolowo University's, Vice Chancellor, Caleb University, Prof. Ayodeji Olukoju and Prof. Ukachukwu Awuzie, argued that the adoption of the White Paper's recommendations would spell doom for our nation’s education sector which, they believe, would be thrown into a state of confusion.

While pointing out that the move to reduce the powers of JAMB was long overdue, Professor Akinfeleye said it would give true meaning to university autonomy.

He said: “It is long overdue.

It would give true meaning to university autonomy as schools’ management would participate in the recruitment of the students as it is done in advanced climes".

Asked if this would not breed corruption as it would be a case of selling admission to highest bidders, Akinfeleye said “It would promote pedagogical purity, quality assurance and transparency in institutions of higher learning because they would want to maintain their reputation and integrity.”

It 'll promote varsities autonomy The Dean, Faculty of Education, University of Calabar, Professor Florence Banku Obi, who had similar view, said the move would promote university autonomy, as each institution will be able to decide who is admitted into the school.

“I know of someone who scored 300 in UTME but can’t speak English. This would take us back to the old system where after school certificate examination, a student goes to the institution of his choice where entrance examination will be conducted by the school.”

On NECO, Obi said “I do not know why the government will scrap it, as it was established to bridge the lapses of WAEC".

VCs, lecturers disagree over scrapping of UTME, NECO zAs JAMB reinstates commitment to conduct 2013 UTME Professor Abayomi George Ojanuga of the Department of Soil Science and Agricultural Engineering, Faculty of Agriculture, Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, said the centralization, which JAMB represents, is not proper and it does not produce the best.

He said: “I think each university should be allowed to conduct its entrance examination as was done in time past, though JAMB would act as the regulator.”

Varsities should be allowed to conduct their exams In a similar vein, the ViceChancellor, Fountain University Osogbo, Osun State, Professor Bashir Raji, said “with the criticisms trailing UTME every year, it is better scrapped. With the introduction of Post-UTME exams in the universities, it became double exams for students".

On NECO, Raji noted that NECO was created in a bid to run away from the monopoly of WAEC. “There is nothing wrong with having two, three or four examination bodies in a big country like Nigeria. NECO has gained the confidence and acceptance of the people so I don’t know why government wants to do away with it now.

Nigeria needs more examination bodies.”

Pointing out that the idea would help universities capture the best students, Professor Titilayo Kuku of the Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, said “a lot of irregularities trail JAMB’s exams. Students were buying results and that was why universities introduced post-UTME. “A survey was conducted and it was discovered that those who score very high marks in UTME struggle to pass while those with low scores make first class or second class. At Ife, 45,000 candidates applied but after the post-UTME, only 5,000 managed to make it.

The advantage in universities conducting their exams is that they are able to manage it better and again, students will stop paying double, for UTME and post-UTME.” On his part, Dr. Karo Ogbinaka, Chairman, Academic Staff Union of Universities, University of Lagos said, the scrapping of JAMB may be a step in the right direction depending on what the Federal Government is trying to achieve.

FEC MEETING—From left: Head of Civil Service, Goni Aji; Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Anyim Pius Anyim; Vice President Namadi Sambo and President Goodluck Jonathan during the Federal Executive Council meeting at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, yesterday.

He said: “Almost all the universities in Nigeria are conducting their internal exams known as post-UTME. This makes it cumbersome for the candidates seeking admission, considering the fact that they have to sit for JAMB before the Post-JAMB. This is not so in most countries because the universities set their benchmark for admission, making things easier while saving cost on the part of government.

mediate past ASUU President and current Vice Chancellor of Imo State University, Professor Ukachukwu Awuzie, said UTME will enable millions of students to compete for the few admission spaces.

On scrapping of NECO, Awuzie said one examination body is not enough, adding, “there is a reason for WAEC and there is a reason for NECO, if you scrap, you must replace it with another.”

It 'll spell doom for our educational system

Education in comatose

Leading the pack of those against the move is the Dean, Faculty of Education, Obafemi Awolowo University, Prof. Olu Jegede, who said this would cause a major setback for Nigeria’s education sector and universities will be far apart in technology due to lack of standard He said: “The problem with this decision is that it will cause a major setback in our education sector, therefore, we should be prepared for the worst. In education, there is something referred to as science and measurement which is used for setting standardized exams such as the UTME. UTME goes through standardized procedure before getting to the students.

“But with this new development, universities will be far apart in technology, because it will be garbage in, garbage out. I know that the government may be trying to cut costs, but this step will lead to a reduction in quality".

Advising government to tread carefully before adopting the recommendations, the im-

Stating that the proposed scrapping of JAMB is an indication that our education sector is in comatose, the Vice Chancellor, Caleb University, Professor Ayodeji Olukoju, said stakeholders in the sector have to be part of making such strong decision".

He said: “If admission is left in the hands of institutions, instances of some students having multiple admissions while some have none would abound, and the admission process will lack merit.

“NECO should be given another chance because it was established to help students who couldn’t get the five credits qualification for university ad

JAMB to go ahead with 2013 UTME The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, JAMB, yesterday, gave assurance that the 2013 examinations would go on as scheduled. This was contained in a statement signed by the Public Relations Officer of the Board, Mr Fabian Benjamin and made available to the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN,

in Lagos.

The statement said that the reassurance became necessary in view of reports in some national dailies that the Federal Government may have cancelled UTME examination.

It said that the board wished to state that as a responsible and responsive organisation, it was not averse to innovation, changes and government policies aimed at improvement in the education sector.

The statement further reiterated that JAMB had not changed the date of the 2013 UTME for applicants seeking admission into the country’s various institutions of higher learning.

It said that consequently, the board’s 2013 UTME, slated for April 27, would take place as scheduled.

NECO staff express fear With this development, members of staff of the National Examination Council, NECO, were yesterday gripped with fear following the purported plan by the Federal Government to scrap the examination body.

It was reliably gathered that majority of the staff of the Minnabased government agency were apprehensive of what may become their fate should the government go ahead to abolish the council.

When newsmen visited the council headquarters, yesterday, some staff who were at their duty posts were seen discussing the newspaper reports and their fate.

Efforts to talk to the Registrar and the Chief Executive Officer of the Council, Professor Promise Okpala failed as he was not on seat, while other officers kept sealed lips.

Vanguard , THURSDAY, APRIL 4, 2013—9

Presidency denies directive on Tinubu, merger of opposition parties zAPC has no alternative solution to Nigeria's problems — PDP scribe

BY EMMA UJAH &BEN AGANDE BUJA—THE Presidency, yes terday, dismissed the purported presidential directive on the former governor of Lagos State, Bola Tinubu and the planned merger of opposition parties, saying the action was the handiwork of desperate politicians who neither meant well for the country nor have the respect for the office and person of the president.

A newspaper reported that a presidential directive was issued purportedly directing that the merger of opposition parties be frustrated while the arrowheads of the opposition be investigated.

A bromide of the purported directive was published in a newspaper (not Vanguard) on Wednesday.

But reacting to the publication, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr Reuben Abati said “what is being bandied around by a section of the media as a “Presidential Directive” on Tinubu, APC and other matters, is fictitious, designed to mislead the public, discredit the person and office of President Goodluck Jonathan and cause disaffection within the polity”.

According to Dr Abati, a “careful examination reveals a mishmash of deliberately arranged and concocted lies, presented to the public as evidence of a document emanating from the Presidency. This is not only dubious but raises concerns as to the length certain persons will go to perpetuate falsehood for the sake of their selfish ambitions”.

The statement reads: “The Presidency affirms that no such directive was ever conceived nor was any such directive put forth by President Goodluck Jonathan or his aides.

“It is ironic that this is coming at a time, when the President is actively engaged in serious discussions with various interest groups on how to further deepen the democratic experience as well as build an economically viable federation.

“Nigerians should be wary of such tactic, one that seeks to undermine a current administration by creatively espousing imaginary fault lines, with the aid of fake documents to create doubt, fear and disbelief in the minds of citizens and true patriots. We unequivocally state that in this case, as in others that may follow the same path, the Goodluck Jonathan administration has no desire to create any inhibitions to the expression of democratic ideas in the country.

A

My worry over APC — Metuh Meanwhile, as the fireworks be-

tween ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and All Progressives Congress, APC, continue to rage, the spokesman of the PDP, Chief Olisa Metuh, has said his worry was not the emergence of the mega opposition party but the fact that it offered no alternative solutions to the development challenges confronting the nation.

Chief Metuh who spoke in Abuja, yesterday, lamented that his party was under orchestrat-

ed attacks from the opposition group and several allies with a recent allegation of efforts to frustrate the registration of APC. According to him, the registration of APC should not be an issue but that what Nigerians should concern themselves with should be the manifesto of the opposition group and the alternative programmes it has put in place towards solving the nation’s problems, which according to him, APC had none.

His words, “I am more worried that a group of people have come together and they think their ideology, their vision and their manifesto is to take power from PDP. There is no good programme that they have to offer.

We are faced with an opposition that comes to Nigerians and criticizes PDP and insults the president and insults everybody but do not offer an alternative. They do not offer solutions to problems".

COMMISSIONING—From left: GMD Oodua Investment, Mr Adebayo Jimoh; Professor Wole Soyinka; Chairman Oodua Investment, Alhaji Sarafadeeen Abiodun Alli and Chief Folake Solanke, SAN, during the commissioning of the Oodua Hall of Fame and Museum at Cocoa house in Ibadan, yesterday. Photo: Dare Fasube.

NDIC plans bailout for micro finance, mortgage banks

BY BABAJIDE KOMOLAFE

T

HE Nigeria Deposit Insur ance Corporation, NDIC, has said it would grant assistance to deserving Primary Mortgage Banks, PMBs) and microfinance banks (MFBs, as part of its efforts to reposition the sub-sector for greater performance of the financial services system.

The NDIC Managing Director, Alhaji Umaru Ibrahim made this remark in Abuja when the Board of Directors and management of the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria, FMBN, paid him a visit.

Alhaji Umaru disclosed that the corporation was already developing framework for granting the financial assistance but stressed that stringent conditions would be put in place for deserving MFBs and PMBs to comply with.

He reiterated in his warning that MFBs and PMBs that were deliberately mismanaged by their owners would not be eli-

gible for such accommodation bill, adding that details of the novel framework would soon be made known to stakeholders once it is approved by the Board of the Corporation.

While emphasizing the strategic role of mortgage financing in the development of the financial services sector, the MD/CE stated that the Federal

Ministry of Finance, Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, and the Corporation were working on possible measures aimed at reviving the sub-sector towards achieving the transformation agenda of the Federal Government in the area of affordable housing for all taking cognisance of the huge deficit existing in the industry.

PHCN: Privatisation council sets up transition committees

T

HE National Council on Privatisation, NCP, yesterday set up transition committees for the 15 Power Holding Company of Nigeria, PHCN, successor companies whose preferred bidders recently paid the mandatory 25 percent of their bid values.

The move is in a bid to, among others, facilitate the smooth transition and eventual handover of the management and operational control of the successor companies to their new owners.

The Chairman, Technical Committee of the NCP, Mr. Atedo Peterside, was quoted as saying in a statement that the inauguration of the committees was in compliance with the Share Sale Purchase Agreement, SSPA approved by the Council.

The statement, issued by the Bureau of Public Enterprises, BPE, also quoted the Acting Director-General, Mr. Benjamin Ezra Dikki, as saying that each successor company had a three-member committee.

The members include representatives of the BPE, management of the successor company and preferred bidder. The BPE nominee is the chairman of each committee.

According to Dikki, “Both BPE and the new owners have a mutual interest in ensuring that the companies operate in such a way as to maintain the value of the company during the transition period.”

He added that the transition period could last for a month or a maximum of six months depending on full payment by the new owners.

Also, he noted that the transitional arrangements will create a platform to ensure that both the companies and purchasers are ready for the handover process.

Jonathan appoints Ogbemudia, Iwuanyanwu, others as chairmen of varsities' councils

BY OKEY NDIRIBE

A

BUJA—PRESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan has approved the composition and appointments of the chairmen and members of the Governing Councils of 21 Federal universities in the country.

This was contained in a statement issued, yesterday, by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, Sen. Anyim Pius Anyim.

Among those appointed as Chairmen of councils of the Federal universities include, former

Governor of old Bendel State, Dr. Samuel Ogbemudia, who will preside over the Council of University of Abuja.

Others are Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, who is now Chairman of the University of Calabar Council; Gen. Adeyinka Adebayo (rtd.), Chairman, University of Ibadan and former Governor of Bauchi State, Adamu Mu' azu, Chairman, Bayero University, Kano.

Others are Yahaya Mahmood, Chairman Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi; Arc. Mohammed

Dewu, Chairman, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria; Prof. Ahmed Rufai Alkali, Federal University of Technology, Minna; Dr. Emmanuel Enemuo, Chairman, Federal University of Technology, Owerri.

Also on the list are Sanusi Monguno, Federal University of Technology, Yola; Sen. Adeseye Ogunlewe, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta; Chief Cletus Udenze, Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi; Alhaji Yarima Abdullahi, Federal University of Technology, Akure,; Chief Don Etiebet, University of Jos.

10—Vanguard, THURSDAY, APRIL 4, 2013

PHCN announces 4-day power outage

VISIT : Matriarch of the Awolowo family, Chief (Mrs.) H. I. D Awolowo (left) and wife of Ogun State Governor, Mrs. Olufunso Amosun, during a condolence visit to the matriarch over the death of Chief Oluwole Awolowo in Ikenne.

BY KUNLE KALEJAYE

L

AGOS—MANAGEMENT of Power Holding Company of Nigeria, PHCN, Eko Electricity Distribution Company, EDC, has announced a four-day power interruption in parts of Lagos for maintenance purposes.

The interruption, beginning Friday April 5 to Monday, April 8, will affect mostly Lekki Phase I, VGC, Maroko, Victoria Island, UPDC Estate, Chevron Estate, NICON Town Estate, Victoria Island and other adjoining areas.

The planned power outage, according to the management yesterday, was to enable it carry out major maintenance works on two 11kv feeders for the purpose of getting them ready for evacuation of power from the newly-installed 100MVA 132/33KV power transformer at Ajah Transmission Station and replacement of obsolete 11kv switch gears at Akoka injection sub-station.

Assistant General Manager, Public Affairs of the Company, Mr. Godwin Idemudia, in statement, said the work at Akoka would affect Akoka, Yaba, Sabo and environs.

Book launch

P

ASTOR-in-charge of The Redeemed Christian Church of God, RCCG, Shekinah Zone, Lagos Province 9, Pastor Sunny Omitogun, will on Sunday, April 7, launch his book entitled Vibrant Marriage: Dynamic Sex, at Abundant Life Parish, Iju Road, Lagos.

Omitogun, who is presenting the book to the public in commemoration of his 40th birthday and his 10th year marriage anniversary, told newsmen in Lagos that his experiences as a husband for about a decade and as a counselor were some of the motivating factors which propelled him to write the book.

Falana declares bill on tenure elongation for council bosses illegal

BY ABDULWAHAB ABDULAH

L

AGOS—LAGOS lawyer and activist, Mr. Femi Falana, has declared the Local Government Amendment Bill 2013, seeking to elongate the tenure of the current chairmen and councilors from three to six years in Lagos State, being debated by the State House Assembly, illegal.

Falana, in a statement, advised the government to withdraw the bill, failing which he would be forced to challenge it in the court if passed.

He said: “We urge members of Lagos State House of Assembly to jettison the proposed elongation of the tenure of chairmen and councilors of local government councils in Lagos State forthwith.

“However, if the dangerous Bill is passed by the House and signed to law by Governor Fashola, we shall not hesitate to challenge its legal validity in court without any further notice.”

According to Falana, the bill was illegal since the people of the state were preparing to participate in fresh local government election in October 2013, since the chairmen and councilors were elected in October 2010 for a fixed period of three years.

He said: “Therefore, an amendment of the Lagos State Local Government Law, 2001, under which they were elected cannot extend their tenure from three to six years under any disguise.

“Since the proposed amendment takes effect if and when it is passed into

law, it cannot retrospectively extinguish vested rights and obligations of the outgoing chairmen and councilors.

“In other words, the proposed amendment to the Lagos State Local Government Law cannot take a retrospec-

tive effect and thereby elongate the tenure of the chairmen and councilors from three to six years.”

2 arrested over N1.5m theft aboard Abuja-bound airplane

BY LAWANI MIKAIRU & DANIEL ETEGHE

L

AGOS—FEDERAL Airports Authority of Nigeria, FAAN, yesterday, arressted two passengers for allegedly stealing N1.5 million from the luggage of another passenger inside MedView aircraft en route Abuja.

Consequently, the flight, which was scheduled to depart Lagos for Abuja by 9am, was delayed as FAAN security personnel were called to the aircraft by the cabin crew of the airline when an argument ensued between the

two passengers and the owner of the luggage.

The suspected thieves were thoroughly searched and huge sum of money was found on them.

“They were subsequently taken away and are undergoing preliminary interrogation at FAAN’s Crime Investigation Bureau, from where they would be handed over to the Police for further investigations.”

FAAN has assured the travellers “that people engaged in nefarious activities at our airports, will no longer find life comfortable, as adequate

security measures have been put in place to make our airports safer and more secure.”

Giving details of the theft, management of Med-View said the incident was reported at exactly 8.40am and its staff and the other security agents at the airport took prompt action.

The management, through David Babatunde, its General Manager, said: “During a search, the suspects, Abudu Yakubu and Ilaya Felix, were seen sitting on the money.

They were subsequently arrested and handed over to the security agents for further investigation.”

NUPENG condemns Kaduna killings

BY VICTOR AHIUMA-YOUNG

N

IGERIA Union of Petro leum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, has expressed concern over the worsening security situation in the country, lamenting that the recent killing of 20 persons in Kaura Local Government of Kaduna State by Fulani herdsmen during Easter celebrations, has added another dimension to the senseless killings in Northern Nigeria.

NUPENG, in a statement by its President, Igwe

Achese, yesterday, in Lagos, called on the Federal Government to change tactics and approach towards addressing the challenges of insecurity in the country before they got out of hand, arguing that the level of insecurity in the country is so alarming that one would think “ we are in a jungle, where no law exists.”

The statement said: “The union condemns in its entirety the senseless killings of innocent Nigerians by Fulani herdsmen and members of the Boko Haram.

“The union warns that

these killings, if left unchecked, may continue to have negative consequences to the future and development of this country. It, therefore, calls on the Federal Government to change tactics and approach towards addressing the challenges of insecurity in the country before it gets out of hand."

It observed that the economy of the North was completely crippled because of the frequent attacks on innocent people and places, which had in turn raised the prices of foods and commodities like onions, tomatoes and pepper.

Vanguard , THURSDAY, APRIL 4, 2013—11

Soyinka, Ishola make case for Yoruba language

BY OLA AJAYI

I

BADAN—NOBEL Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, has urged Yoruba sons and daughters to ensure that the language and culture of the Yorubas do not go into extinction.

Soyinka, whose comments aligned with that of a foremost writer, Prof. Akinwunmi Ishola, spoke at the inauguration of

Odu’a Hall of Fame and Museum at Cocoa House, Ibadan, yesterday.

At the programme organised by Odu’a Investment Company Limited, Soyinka lamented the extent to which things had derailed for the Yoruba nation and the country at large when peoples’ heritage and monuments were allowed to waste away.

Soyinka, who was a special guest at the event, said: “This cooperative building (Cocoa House) was a victim of deterioration simply because the normal facilities that were in place at inception had decayed. Cocoa House could not save itself.

“There is need to right the wrongs. With this initiative (Hall of Fame), I see the be-

REVALIDATION: From left— Mr. Taofeek Olabode, Chairman, Abeokuta North Local Government Council; Chief Iyabode Anisulowo, chieftain of Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN; Governor Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State and Alhaji Tajudeen Bello, Chairman, Ogun State ACN, after the party's membership revalidation exercise at Ita Iyalode Ward II, Abeokuta North, Tuesday. PHOTO: Wunmi Akinola.

Amosun tasks Obas' Council on efficiency

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O V E R N O R Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State, has charged the new Chairman of the State Council of Obas, Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona, to ensure rapid resolution of pending chieftaincy matters and other issues in each of the traditional councils in the state.

Amosun spoke at the

inauguration of Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona, Awujale and Paramount Ruler of Ijebuland, as the new Chairman of the State Council of Obas in Abeokuta.

The governor pledged government’s continued commitment to the welfare of traditional rulers in the state, saying “ we will encourage your ac-

Covenant varsity partner firms on cost, quality software

A

tripartite agreement on EstateMaster Software programme has been signed between Covenant University, International Facilities and Property Information Limited, IFPI, and Ayo Abolarinwa and Associates.

The agreement, which was signed earlier this year, was formally sealed last week at the university.

The tripartite agreement is for the collaboration arrangement of calibration of EstateMaster web-enabled programme for benchmarking cost and quality of facilities services in Nigeria.

While explaining the use of the software, a rep-

resentative of IFPI, Mr. Ayo Abolarinwa, said the software was developed based on data obtained in Europe, but needed to be adapted for use in Africa.

tive participation in the national summit that will build your capacity to contribute meaningfully to the progress of the state in particular and Nigeria in general.”

Speaking, Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Basorun Muyiwa Oladipo, appreciated the existing cordial relationship between the government and the monarchs in the state.

He said the Council in the past one year did not witness any major challenge as most of the issues affecting the traditional rulers and their communities were effectively attended to by the concerned Councils.

PUBLIC NOTICE

TRINITY REDEMPTION CENTRE

The general public is hereby notified that the above named body/centre has applied to Corporate Affairs Commission, Abuja for registration under part “C” of the Companies and Allied Matters Act, 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1.

Kingsley O. Omire 2.

Blessing shade Omire

3.

Onyeka Omire

4.

Precious Gift Eleda AIMS AND OBJECTIVES 1.

To promote the work of God in prayers and worship.

2.

To promote evangelical and missionary work etc.

Any objection to the registration should be addressed to the RegistrarGeneral, Corporate Affairs Commission, plot 420 Tigris Crescent, off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, PMB 198, Maitama, Abuja, within 28 days from the day of this publication.

Signed: Ukari E. Oduma ESQ. No. 1 Jimmy Ebi Street, Amarata, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.

08033955017

ginning of Yoruba technology. I am happy that appeal had been made earlier on the need to develop our culture.

“There is one negative aspect. Not just Ibadan, not just the South-West, but the country and its institutions just went into downward spin, including the premier university.”

He, however, expressed optimism that things had begun to take shape, saying “ what I have seen today shows that things are being brought into proper shape.

We can say that Cocoa House is the contemporary Opa Oranyan of the Yoruba.”

Soyinka commended the management of Odu’a Investment for “resuscitating and re-invigorating what is so essential to us as a people.”

Ishola said: “The idea behind setting up the Hall of Fame and museum is good.

But what will help is the preservation and promotion of Yoruba language so that the younger generation can imbibe the culture of Omoluabi.

“Odu’a must find a way of teaching the younger gen-

S/Arabia slashes Nigerian hajj slot

BY OLASUNKANMI AKONI

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AGOS—INDICATIONS have emerged that the Saudi Arabian authorities may have cut down the number of slots allocated to Nigeria for this year’s pilgrimage to the holy land by Muslim faithful.

This came as Lagos State Government, ahead of the commencement of Unified Pilgrims Electronic Registration System, APERS, opened five registration centres in the state as part of measures to ease this year hajj operations.

It would be recalled that in 2012, despite Vice President Namadi Sambo’s intervention into the detaining of over 1,000 Nigerian female pilgrims in the holy land, Saudi Arabian authorities later deported 510 of them.

12—Vanguard, THURSDAY, APRIL 4, 2013

Rep backs amnesty for Boko Haram

BY DANIEL GUMM

W

ARRI—THE con troversy generated by the recent calls on President Goodluck Jonathan to grant amnesty to members of Boko Haram sect, has been described as unnecessary.

A House of Representatives member, Mr. Daniel Reyenieju, who expressed the views, told Vanguard, that “while we must condemn violence as currently being perpetuated by the sect, I am in support of the call for amnesty to be granted to members of the Boko Haram sect, for it is well intended.”

He noted that “the counter-view being peddled by those opposed to the call, predicated on the excuse that members of the sect are not known, as amnesty cannot be granted to unknown individuals, will be difficult to defend in view of our experience with the presidential amnesty granted to former militants in the Niger Delta region."

MEND threatens to resume hostilities in Niger Delta zWe're battle ready—JTF

BY SAMUEL OYADONGHA

Y

ENAGOA—MOVEMENT for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, MEND, yesterday, said it will from Friday, resume hostilities in the Niger Delta region, in protest against the conviction of Henry Okah in South Africa.

MEND, in a statement by its spokesman, Jomo Gbomo, said the attacks would be sustained until an unreserved apology was offered to it, and the Nigerian government shows willingness to dialogue, same way the government is willing to dialogue with the Boko Haram sect.

It said: “After a careful deliberation and other considerations, with effect from 00:00 Hrs, Friday, April 5, 2013, MEND will commence with a plague of sustained attacks codenamed Hurricane Exodus.

“Hurricane Exodus is a direct repercussion of a forged

threat letter contrived by the Nigerian and South African governments purporting to have originated from MEND.” It said that the alleged fake latter by MEND, was used as evidence against Henry Okah, for which a 13-year sentence was slammed on him.

“We are now determined to conjure this imaginary trumped up threat into a painful reality.

The attacks will be sustained until an unreserved apology is offered to MEND and the Nigerian government shows willingness to dialogue, the same way they are willing to dialogue with Boko Haram,” MEND said.

But, Joint Task Force in the Niger Delta, code named Oper-

ation Pulo Shield, has said that it was prepared for the challenges ahead, citing its recent redeployment to tackle any upheaval in the region.

Warning the group to tow the path of dialogue, Media Coordinator of JTF, Lt. Col. Onyema Nwachukwu, said: “JTF, Operation Pulo Shield, has got wind of the threat prior to the issuance of the statement, Wednesday, by some persons, parading themselves as MEND. “Niger Deltans are not in any bondage and therefore, do not require armed struggle or emancipation as claimed by this threatening gang. What Niger Deltans are

in dire need of now, is peace for sustainable development having emerged from the dark days of turbulence in the region. Informed by this development, JTF has effected some redeployment to tackle any upheaval.

“These people are advised to tow the path of law and order in addressing whatever grievance they may have and desist from any action that will upset the peace and development of Niger Delta.

The good and peace loving people of the Niger Delta are enjoined to dissociate themselves, their communities and leadership from this unwholesome approach as represented by this group.”

Environmentalists indict Agip over oil spills

BY SAMUEL OYADONGHA

Y

ENAGOA—ENVIRONMENTAL Rights Action/Friends of the Earth, ERA/FoE, yesterday, accused Nigerian Agip Oil Company of alleged negligence in its operations with an alarming rate of leakages from its pipeline on the Taylor Creek area of Ikarama community in Yenagoa Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.

Agip, Monday, shut down its activities in the swamp area oil fields in the state, from which it produced about 40,000 barrels of crude oil daily, citing a growing wave of illegal oil bunkering.

The oil firm, in a statement, claimed that it was losing about 7,000 barrels of its crude production daily to oil thieves in Bayelsa, a development it described as unsustainable.

But Field Monitors of ERA/FoE, led by the Bayelsa State Coordinator, Mr. Alagoa Morris, in the report, yesterday, at the end of the tour of spill sites in Ikarama community, said, though high incidence of oil spill in Bayelsa State involved two major oil companies, Shell Petroleum Development Company and Agip, the recent cases of oil spillages in the communities, including Ikarama, occurred from Agip’s Taylor Creek Wellhead A on the company’s pipeline.

The report said: “The recent spillages are disturbing as the incidents lead to further degradation of

the environment and may even point to the existence of conflict.

“Due to constant oil spills, this community had recorded more deaths and sicknesses than any other community in Okordia clan, because sometimes, we inhaled the pollutants.

Apart from that, the burning of oil spill impacted sites is another problem.

When spills occur rather than them coming to clean up the impacted environment, they prefer to set such sites ablaze.”

On the recent oil spill recorded in Ikarama com-

munity, the group said that its investigation into the reported spillage showed that it occurred at two points close to Agip’s Taylor Creek Well A. “The sound was deafening, crude oil escaping in gaseous form from a slit on the oil bearing pipe.

Between this spill point and the next spill point was the Taylor Creek Wellhead A. And while the distance from this first spill point to the wellhead was about a 100 meters, between the Wellhead and the second spill point was about 250 metres apart."

Madam Edah passes on

M

ADAM Owin Asakpi Edah, 88, is dead. She died March 18. She is survived by five children and grandchildren.

Funeral arrangements will be announced later.

Late Madam Edah

Vanguard, THURSDAY, APRIL 4, 2013 — 13

C M Y K

14—Vanguard , THURSDAY, APRIL 4, 2013

Killings in the north: Return home if they don’t want you, Orji tells Ndi Igbo

Enugu govt approves N523m for pineapple factory, wages of new staff

BY ANAYO OKOLI.

U

BY TONY EDIKE

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NUGU — Enugu State government is to spend over N623.2 million for the execution of various developmental progrmmes and payment of salary to certain categories of workers in the state.

T h e S t a t e Commissioner for Information, Mr. Chuks Ugwoke, who announ- ced this while briefing the press at the end of the State Executive Council meeting, said approval to spend the sum was given at the meeting chaired by the state governor, Mr. Sullivan I. Chime.

According to the Commissioner, a breakdown of the amount shows that over N37. 7 million will be spent on the payment of salaries of the newly recruited staff and those absorbed into the state service from the date of their appointment/reinstatement till date, while over N467,2 million was for the establishment of pineapple industry in the state.

The project would include procurement and installation of irrigation facilities and fractional cost of cultivation of the first five 500 out of the 1000 hectares of the Enugu San Carlos Pineapple project, to be located within the three local government areas of Awgu, Oji River and Udi.

Mr. Sullivan Chime, Enugu State Governor, with Dr. Hans-Rudolf Hodel, Switzerland Ambassador to Nigeria, at Government House, Enugu.

MUAHIA — FOLLOWING the incessant killing if Ndi Igbo in some parts of the North, Abia State governor, Theodore Orji, has advised Igbo resident in that part of the country to come home if they were no longer wanted by their host communities.

Governor Orji’s position was prompted by the latest motor park bombing in Kano which caused the death of scores of Ndi Igbo.

According to him, if Ndigbo are continuously being killed in the

Governor Obi sued over alleged diversion of N5bn state fund

BY IKECHUKWU NNOCHIRI

ABUJA — FORMER member of the House of Representatives, Mr. Chudi Offodile, has dragged Anambra State government before a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, alleging that a company owned by the family of Governor Peter Obi was used to divert about N5billion from the state treasury.

The plaintiff, who listed the said company, Next International Limited and six others as defendants in the matter, further maintained that part of the siphoned funds were used by the governor to establish Sabmiller Breweries situated in Onitsha.

Other defendants in the matter are Intafact Beverages Limited, Sabmiller Nigeria Holdings BV, Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

In the suit which he filed through his counsel, Mr.

Patrick Ikwueto, SAN, Offodile, was, among other things, seeking a declaration that the brewery (Intafact Brewery) established by the first defendant, Intafact Beverages Limited, is a bon afide property of and wholly belongs to the government of Anambra State.

He equally prayed the court for an order directing the 1st, 2nd and 3rd defendants to render full and complete account of the operation including the costs of the establishment of the brewery, opened with monies belonging to the government of Anambra State and known as Intafact Brewery, Onitsha Anambra State.

Besides, Offodile, further asked the court for an order directing the 5th defendant (Corporate Affairs Commission) to rectify the records of

the 1st defendant by removing the names of the 2nd and 3rd defendants as the shareholders/ directors of the 1st defendant.

In what he termed as the particulars of the alleged fraud, Offodile averred that as at April 12, 2011, the 1st defendant did not have 300 shares of N100, 000 each purportedly allotted and as represented by the written resolution of the Board of Directors of Intafact Beverages Limited dated April 12, 2012.

Offodile further stated that “at the Commissioning of the Brewery, His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Anambra State openly stated that the value of the investment by the government of Anambra State in the Brewery is in excess of N2billion."

The matter has been assigned to Justice M.L.Mohammed of the high court who has fixed April 30 for hearing.

North, it meanT that they were not accepted and the best option for them was to think home where their safety was guaranteed.

He said: “No sane person will continue living in an atmosphere where his life is at stake.”

He pointed out that home remained the most comfortable place for anyone whose life was in danger.

Governor Orji also spoke on the death of Prof.

Chinua Achebe, saying though he was a respected Igbo son, his death had not created political leadership vacuum for Ndi Igbo because he was not a political leader of Ndi Igbo but a literary icon.

The governor maintained that Ndi Igbo still had leaders but noted that the problem of Ndigbo was who to galvanise the rest of the people and give them focus.

Orji, however, said that if Ndigbo could choose a credible leader and rally round him, the region would forge ahead.

No going back on congress —APGA national chairman ...Anambra EXCO dissociates self from congress AWKA -— INTERIM National Chairman of All Progressive Grand Alliance, APGA, Chief Maxi Okwu, declared yesterday that there were no inhibitions to the party’s state congresses, saying most members were in total support of it.

But Anambra State chapter of the party described the congress held in the state as illegal and unconstitutional.

Speaking in an interview in Awka, Okwu said the national convention also slated for next Monday would take place, adding that members of the party were tired of crisis that had helped to undermine the fortunes of the party for many years.

He explained that as provided in the Electoral Act, the party informed INEC of its readiness to conduct the congresses and national convention.

He added that a few

days to the expiration of the notice, the electoral umpire had not said the exercise would not hold However, Anambra State chapter of APGA in statement signed by state chairman and secretary, Akunwata Mike Kwentor and Mr. Williams Obiorah, respectively, described the congress as illegal and unconstitutional."

The statement was copied to the Resident Electoral Commissioner in the state, the state Commissioner of Police and the State Security Service, SSS.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, APRIL 4, 2013—15

Berth Nnaji’s Aba IPP operational next month

BY NOEL ONOJA

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BA — ABA Integrated Power Project (Aba IPP) is expected to be commissioned next month.

The project is expected to provide 95 per cent uninterrupted power supply to Aba - a commercial nerve centre, including its over 50,000 small and medium scale businesses and other surrounding towns.

The project, owned by Geometric Power Limited, also controls seven sub-stations.

Speaking with Vanguard in Abuja, the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of Geometric Power Limited, Prof. Barth Nnaji said the project was a response to the desire of Aba business people in need of reliable electricity.

Devil made me to impersonate NSA, suspect tells court ...attempts to dupe Okonjo-Iweala, Deziani, Maku, others A

BUJA — IT was drama yesterday, as a selfconfessed fraudster, Mr. Aminu Yarima, narrated before an Abuja Chief Magistrate Court at Wuse Zone 2, how the devil, sometime in December last year, deceived him into impersonating the National Security Adviser, NSA, Mr. Sambo Dasuki.

Aminu, who pleaded guilty to a one-count criminal charge preferred against him by the Nigeria Police Force yesterday, told the court that it was the same devil that commanded him to dupe four sitting ministers under President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration.

Consequently, he bought a GSM line, 08034467417, which he used and called the personal phone numbers of the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Nigerian Economy, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala; Petroleum Minister, Diezani Alison-Madueke, Information Minister, Labaran Maku and the

Minister of Education, Ruqayyatu Rufai.

Nevertheless, the operation went awry for the accused person who holds a bachelor's degree in accounting, shortly after he called the four chosen Ministers and identified himself as the NSA, demanding to have a private audience with each of them with a view to discussing certain issues of great national importance.

Sensing danger, one of the ministers was said to have notified the Police which promptly traced the call and apprehended the accused person.

Meanwhile, the prosecuting counsel who is a Deputy Superintendent of Police, DSP, Stanley Nwodo, told the court that the offence was contrary to the provisions of sections 312, 324 and 325 of the Penal Code.

However, both the accused person and his counsel, Mr. Edwin Atta, urged the court to temper justice with mercy, insisting that it was the devil that masterminded the offence.

Specifically, the accused person told the court that not only was he a first time offender, he said he had two wives and two kids that depended on him for survival, adding that his mother died of shock while he was in detention.

The defence counsel equally urged the trial court to take into account the fact that the accused person voluntarily pleaded guilty to the offence, saying he had since repented of his actions and shown deep remorse.

Commending the accused for not wasting the judicial time of the court, the prosecutor said he was ready to proceed on trial yesterday assuming the accused had not admitted his guilt.

After listening to all the parties, trial Magistrate Grace Adebayo adjourned the matter till today to convict and sentence the accused person.

The offence upon which he was charged attracts a maximum punishment of seven years imprisonment.

FG urged to tackle unemployment with Italian technologies

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HE FEDERAL Govern ment has been urged to adopt Italian technologies to tackle the problems of insecurity, unemployment, energy and food crises in the country, as well as generate huge foreign exchange through export of agro-allied products.

An agric expert/innovative technologist, Prince Adekola Okedele, Managing Director of Prince Ades Oke Interna-

tional Ventures Limited, promoter of an Italian firm FENCO Food Engineering Company in Nigeria, made the appeal while receiving a top Italian technologist and consultant, Dr. Paolo Scisciolo in Lagos.

Prince Okedele explained that the Italian technologies are active, efficient, cheap and easy to adopt in tackling many economic problems.

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16 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, APRIL 4, 2013

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Vanguard, THURSDAY, APRIL 4, 2013— 17

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Tales and travails of travel geography. But that seemed like another country. Because in 1995, as a reporter for the BBC, I did the Nigerian leg of the AFRICAN PERSPECTIVE series to commemorate 100 years of the railways in Africa. The series was titled “TALES FROM THE TRACKS”. The Kano to Lagos flight took me five nights and six days to complete, as the train broke down in Minna, Offa, Ibadan, Oloke Meji and Abeokuta. It was an unforgettable experience and I have not entered a train in Nigeria ever since! I have not been cured of my love for the railways and I keep advocating for a modern, national railways system for Nigeria.

There is no alternative to a modern railways system!

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y trip last Friday between Abuja and Ilorin took us nearly 12½ hours to complete as the road was clogged up with traffic from Gwagwalada to Koton Karfe in Kogi state. Commuters formed many lanes on what is normally a two-lane road and it just went completely anarchic.

We diverted from the main highway, through the bush and rustic villages where young people in some of the villages barricaded what passed for roads and insisted we paid them before we could move through villages with very few trappings of modernity or the presence of the state! We were tired;

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LEFT Abuja last Friday morning to celebrate the Easter holiday in Ilorin.

I had not been back home since the first week of January, because I have been sucked into the exacting job of trying to be a media entrepreneur, in the past five months. I have been travelling in many directions, but going to Ilorin was not part of the package.

Trust me, when I say that I carry the gene of travel; afterall, my forebears were nomads and I often wonder just how miserable life would be without the excitement of travel. I get a particular adrenalin surge at the thought of travel and most people who know me, can testify to the fact that I get most of my happiness from travelling. It is a clear case of life imitating the gene. My people, the FulBe, have traversed most of West Africa in search of pasture for cattle and over the past five hundred years, have also been the harbingers of literacy and learning in the old empires of West Africa.

Up to the age of 21, I had travelled more by rail than any other means of transport. I grew up at a time when the trains still functioned and were very much part of the social make-up of our society. And so important were the trains, especially in a major railway town, as Jebba was up to the early 1990s, that as a young boy, in my early teens, I had the hope that I would like to be a train driver. One of the heroes of that phase of my life was an old man who mentored many children of my generation; the late S.B. John, who was one of the best railways drivers in Nigeria during his days. He was as elegant as he was committed to his duty. He was Igbo but was such a central figure in helping us to make a sense of our lives. There were trips in lorries, buses and mammy wagons.

They were some of the most colourful elements of travel when I was growing up. There were young men, apprenticed to the drivers, who would enter the vehicles only when they had started moving. They were macho; would slap the chassis of the vehicle, run after the lorry for a couple of meters and mount with a sense of disdain for the obvious danger of their act and their daily existence on the margins of life. They were a cross between being working people and lumpens. Some of those lorries had“Second Class” compartments that were often cramped and not particularly comfortable and many also had monkeys tied to them.

In fact, there seemed to be more lorries with those monkeys! And how did lorries with monkeys and “Second Class” compartments and their “boys” eventually disappear from our roads?

Amazing stuff!

In 1981, I did the “Limited” Lagos to Kano train to attend the NLC Convention. It was one of the most controversial Conventions of the NLC. The NPN administration of President Shehu Shagari backed the Nigerian Civil Service Union’s rightwing leader, David Ojeli, against the incumbent President, Hassan Sunmonu. By taking the Convention to Kano, which was administered by the radical PRP administration, headed by the late Abubakar Rimi, the radical tendency within the Nigerian labour movement won a tactical victory, which became a rout for the rightwing and David Ojeli.

The Nigerian railways were then been administered by RITES of India.We moved out of the Iddo Terminus in Lagos on time; hot meals were served on the trains and as we moved through the various geographical zones of our country, the train announcer taught basic lessons about the nation’s

When we cannot travel in relative peace; when we might become collateral victim of sundry crimes; of a dissembling state system; when we are not sure of the security of our persons, loved ones and property, it becomes very difficult to know the country. It is not likely that most people can love what they do not know so much

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angry; dejected; were cursing and gritting our teeth and feared a holiday on the gridlocked highway. Then something happened. Soldiers appeared from, I don’t know where, including special Nigerian troops with black t-shirts that carried a message: “THE HARD WAY, THE ONLY WAY”.

They knocked order into the chaos of our day, forcing the multiple lanes to

Adams Oshiomhole: 60 garlands for the workers' leader

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ODAY, Thursday, marks Adams Oshiomhole’s 60th birthday.

Adams is the quintessential humble individual who defied the challenging background he emerged from, to burn an imprimatur on the country of his birth. Adams did not follow the beating path of children of the ruling class and the rich. On the contrary, his life reflected that of the mass of the Nigerian people: peasant and proletarian in the main. Adams Oshiomhole went to work for the trade union and working class movement and it was testimony to his character and the circumstances within which he was cultured, that he rose steadily, to become the number one Nigerian worker, as President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC).

Adams Oshiomhle led the Nigerian working people in titanic battles against the neo-liberal policies of the Obasanjo administration skewed against the working class and the poor. It was from his leadership of the Nigerian people that a new aperture opened in the field of politics. Adams entered politics with a determination to make a difference from the type of politics which has largely been responsible for the underdevelopment of Nigeria. He joined the Action Congress of Nigeria and was elected

as governor of Edo state. Oshiomhole, in the first fours years in power, provided a very liberating ambience in Edo state to the appreciation of the people; he won a landslide re-election!

In being re-elected, he de-mystified one of the fossils of Nigerian politics, the colonial-era policeman, Tony Anenih! In Adams, Nigeria found the new type of politician that can make a difference: the activist turned politician, who never forgot that he came from the people and is of the people! Accept my best wishes, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole on your 60th birthday anniversary today!

Edo State governor Adams Oshimhole

revert to two, with one facing the Lokoja direction and the other, Abuja.

That intervention took us out of the hole; it was very slow but at least it moved, with some amount of order. We eventually arrived badly shaken, drained and exhausted!

I have always wondered just how much the chaos of festive-period road gridlocks in Nigeria deeply reflect the Nigerian condition. We know the buildup would happen, but somehow, never seem able to prepare adequately for them. It is the same inability to plan practically any aspect of our nation life, which expose how much the capacity of the Nigerian state has atrophy!

There are islands of competence often sticking out like sore thumbs, but the truth of modernity, is that we must be able to do things in ways that incrementally lessen the burdens of the Nigerian citizen. I love to travel through our very beautiful country and I have been privileged to see practically every part of Nigeria. It is the knowledge I have of our country’s incredible diversity and beauty which makes me love it so intensely. But when we cannot travel in relative peace; when we might become collateral victim of sundry crimes; of a dissembling state system; when we are not sure of the security of our persons, loved ones and property, it becomes very difficult to know the country. It is not likely that most people can love what they do not know so much. Tafiya MabudinIlimi (Travel is key to knowledge), as the Hausa say. Travel is full of travails in Nigeria, but they never stop us telling tales.

Jamilah TTangaza: angaza: An elevation deser deservved

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AST week, I received a message that JamilahTangaza, the Senior Special Assistant on Information Management Systems to the Minister of the FCT, has been elevated as Director of the Abuja Geographical Information System (AGIS). I was not surprised at the elevation. Jamilah joined the FCT after working at the BBC World service for twenty years.

She threw herself into the different ambience at the FCT, and learnt very fast that the Nigerian situation is a completely different kettle of fish. I have worked with her to assist the media work she leads together with a couple of other colleagues and so can vouchsafe for her incredible levels of commitment to duty. She has brought her experience to help improve the challenging work of information management of the FCT minister. It is a pressure cooker existence, and a minister of the FCT is one of the most high profile jobs in our country. It is Bala Muhammed’s information system that Jamilah has devoted time to manage and it is her devotion which earned the elevation. I have been friend with JamilahTangaza for over twenty years. She graduated top of her class at the Bayero University, Kano and was then employed as a lecturer in the university before she joined the BBC, where she rose to head the Hausa Service, as well as making a mark in other departments and working on NETWORK AFRICA; FOCUS ON AFRICA and others. She has studied at Oxford University and Harvard University. It is quite good to see a very remarkable lady, like JamilahTangaza, rise high to serve Nigeria, even better!

18 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, APRIL 4, 2013 NELSON Mandela Rolihlahla Mandela, much loved 94-year-old icon of the antiapartheid struggle is in the news again over his health. The world wants to see him back on his feet again. We wish him a quick recovery while we ponder what would have happened if he had been a Nigerian leader, former or present.

At his age, rumours of his death have become routine. Two years ago, the South African government was castigated for concealing his illness for as long as it thought necessary. Criticisms about the media gag could have forced government to finally issue a statement.

It detailed the patient’s progress, respecting his privacy, but allayed public fears about the state of the former South African President, who has distinguished himself with his care for humanity. Worries about his health are global, with millions of internet users searching the web for the latest information on Mandela.

Mandela’s medical treatment in South Africa raises important points in the light of the secrecy of our governments, the penchant

Had Mandela Been Nigerian…

of government officials for medical facilities abroad, and the consistently deplorable state of our health services. Are Nigerians told about ailing public officials who are flown abroad at public expense? Why do our officials neglect our health facilities and government officials only visit them at commissioning or to commiserate with victims of major emergencies? How would our health system work when those who supervise it do not use it?

Mandela would not be flown to any foreign hospital. He had series of tests in South Africa, under the guidance of “The Defence Force which is responsible for all medical requirements and care of current and retired presidents,” according to a government

statement, issued when he was ill in January 2011. Nothing has changed. He is still being treated in South Africa under the watch of the Defence Force.

How do our leaders, past and present feel, when they read these lines that indict their parochial policies? Do they realise the security implications of their medical treatment abroad?

Concerns over Mandela reflect global adoration for a man who gave so much to free South Africa from apartheid. Mandela was jailed for 27 years for plotting an armed struggle against South Africa’s whites-only government. His release facilitated processes that ended apartheid and the first all race elections which the African National Congress won in 1994 and Mandela became President. He voluntarily stepped down in 1999.

Nigerian leaders should have cause to worry about Nigeria. They are not building a country that will adore them as it adores Mandela, nor one with facilities that can treat its leaders even if they suffer something as minor as a headache.

OPINION

BY JOE IGBOKWE

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REMEMBER few years back when a prominent American citizen was speaking to a graduating class of engineering students from a particular university in the United States. I remember that he told them that: “Even at the pinnacle of your career your task is not done yet because new challenges will always await you as citizen Engineers”.

At 61, encomiums will be pouring in for our own Bola Ahmed Tinubu from all nooks and crannies of Nigeria and abroad. His millions of associates, friends, well-wishers, his foot soldiers and hangers on will be fighting for spaces on the pages of newspapers, magazines, TV stations and radio stations to celebrate their leader. His achievements will be posted on every wall for the world to see. Parties will be organised by his great followers in some areas to get attention. Colloquium and public lectures will be put in place by his admirers in honour of BAT. Street drummers and dancers will not want to be left out in the big show for Asiwaju. Singers will not want their voices to be left out. What of writers and newspaper columnists? Ah! Ah!!

A million words will be printed on the pages of our print and electronic media, including this one.

However, in the midst of these huge celebrations which are not only imperative but necessary, I want to challenge the

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Tinubu @ 61: Your task is not done yet leader, Asiwaju BAT that the task to reclaim Nigeria ’s stolen future still awaits him as a ‘Citizen Engineer’. Asiwaju has received laurels both in Nigeria and abroad. He has been celebrated here and abroad. He has shown leadership even when rocked in the cradle of difficulties and pillowed pains and hardships.

He has shown remarkable and tremendous courage and perseverance in the midst of persecution. Asiwaju has shown huge capacity to lead even in the face of challenges. In his drive to make things happen Asiwaju BAT has dared to drill the deepest well in Nigeria . Through dint of hard work Asiwaju has restored leadership and glory in the South West and Edo State , Nigeria . I can go on and on!

But all these ground-breaking achievements will be nothing if Nigeria goes under. In near 16 years, PDP has systematically grounded Nigerian, bringing to ruins a promising country that need to show the way forward for Africa . In our own very eyes, this useless party and its 40 thieves have squandered our future, our children’s future and even our grand children’s future if I wanted to be strict. A country blessed with a vast preponderance of human and material resources is lying

prostrate because our good men had done nothing. A nation perishes when good men do nothing!

At 61, Asiwaju BAT must be in battle gear now, he must wear the armour now and the five stars General must lead his troops to war to reclaim Nigeria. Using the most successful South West and Edo State as a platform for lessons in good leadership, Asiwaju should reach out to other Nigerians from the East and the North to provide leadership the country needs urgently now.

There are thousands of incontrovertible compelling reasons to show the emptiness, unseriousness, incapacition, unpreparedness and unreasonableness of the ruling party to drive progress in this country and we keep quiet to our peril. Wise men suffer the rules of idiots if they do nothing!

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siwaju should throw his doors wide open for Nigerians who desire change to come in. Asiwaju should use his long undefeatable and unstoppable legs to go to them if they fail to come. Asiwaju should use his golden voice to beckon on them to join the human race. Asiwaju should use his hands that are more than handy to drive the great handshake across Nigeria in order to stop the drift in the land.

PDP and its corrupt leaders will not go down without a fight but they must go down.

In the past they talked about do-or-die elections and got away with it and now one of their own, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur says 2015 elections is war for PDP. The leadership of PDP is jittery, desperate and terribly disturbed. Today the fear of losing power in 2015 is the beginning of wisdom for PDP. From body language, utterances, actions and deeds, PDP is prepared to destroy Nigeria than losing power in 2015.

They are even prepared to hand over to the military than handing over power to APC and this is the real danger. A school of thought is suggesting that the upsurge in Boko Haram insurgence in recent times is part of the written script to create confusion sufficient enough to prove that it will be dangerous to hold elections. This will lead to the postponement of elections and PDP will remain in power because there cannot be a vacuum.

With his international connections, Asiwaju should reach out to the international community and seek help. With brazen deep pockets, oil wells, and contractors with stolen money, to unseat PDP will be no tea party. Asiwaju must lead the onslaught against these people. None but honest and wise men must rule under this roof henceforth. This is the duty Asiwaju owes us @ 61.

Happy Birthday Asiwaju of Lagos. *Mr. Igbokwe wrote from Lagos.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, APRIL 4, 2013—19

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MADIN: My brother, you should know by now that I am not easily given to pessimism. But the truth must be told. The way things are going in Nigeria, there is every cause for worry. I know you are equally concerned and that’s why I want to talk to you as often as I can.

Boyo: Quite true. I am worried.

Look at the unnecessary battle for the soul of the APC. These people keep shooting themselves on the leg. In their arrogance, they keep misfiring. This time around, they have stepped too far to grab too much and it must boomerang!

Each time there is a hatchet job, they fall back on a particular section of the country. From Arthur Nzeribe’s ABN of the illfated Third Republic to all the oddities in-between; from Syracuse Njokwu’s stale fight to keep Jonathan out of the 2015 contest to the sudden outbreak of APCs – Onyinye Ikeagwuonwu and

Oliver Ike’s versions; the people are the same and their methods are similar. Haba! Everything is commercial. After all, commerce is the soul of politics. That the people are shortchanged at every bend, including the obvious fact that theirs is the only zone in the country that has only five states, is immaterial. “Ego” is the name of the game.

Amadin: The way I see it, having attracted enough sympathy to themselves, the authentic owners of the APC should now quickly beat a retreat from that endangered sector. Then let the INEC register the APC for the bullies, thus creating a big problem for them.

Having midwifed the APC, they will now be faced with the bigger problem of nurturing it. They must feed the baby or it will die. This is an easy way of allowing the bullies to drive a knife across their throat by irretrievably breaking their own ranks.

Boyo: Bravo! I wasn’t even seeing it that way. These people keep doing the same thing, the same old way and they expect different results, eh? Look at this Otuoke CMS Church that almost pulled the President down a few months ago. He is at it again. This time, he has come with a big bang.

See how he collected all the men of means in Lagos the penultimate week to squeeze money out of them.

Amadin: We are to blame. Our tax collection machinery is utterly defective. If in a single outing, a single man doles out N2 billion in donation and in the cause of a single year, this single man donates immeasurable billions; in the US, Uncle Sam would, through the IRS, pursue this man to the hole and check him thoroughly out on the amount of tax he paid during

President Jonathan and his new men

BY JOHN MARTINS ASAGA

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OYALTY is a critical ingredient in advancing the cause of any organisation and ensuring its sustainance and survival.

That is why every organisation demands absolute loyalty from its members. In party politics, for instance, loyalty is of utmost important for the success of political organisation.

Since 1999, loyalty and discipline have been lacking in the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. Over the years, we have witnessed situations where everybody appeared to be a king maker in his own kingdom and there was so much power tussle, and moles abounded in the party.

This situation has inflicted a lot of damages on the party and it did not recover until recently when Dr Goodluck Jonathan emerged, through divine intervention, as the President of the country and leader of the PDP. Since Jonathan’s emergence, the party has adopted different approaches to party politics, a sharp departure from what obtained in the past. Ahead of the 2011 presidential primaries of the party, there were sustained agitations from some Northern elements that the region should be allowed to produce the late President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua’s successor to complete his second term in office. But they were effectively countered by some influential individuals with political values across the country who rallied to the support of Dr Jonathan in his quest to contest the 2011 presidential election. They included state governors and other committed party chieftains across the country. Prominent among them were Governors Theodore Orji of Abia State, Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State, Ibrahim Shema of Katsina, Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State and Gabriel Suswan of Benue State.

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Ahead of the 2015 general elections, with oppositions already gathering storm against Jonathan’s alleged second term ambition, the President once again needs the support of his trusted allies to help his administration succeed on its mandate and to lead his troubled party in providing the country the leadership it deserves.

It is expected that such allies should be men and women of character with sound track records of performance. It was these virtues which President Jonathan found in Governors Shema, Suswan, Uduaghan, Orji , Akpabio as well as Governor Isa Yuguda of Bauchi State that made him to recently appoint them into the national caucus of the PDP. It was a strategic appointment which the appointed governors, by all standards, merited. And it is expected that they would deliver considering their track records in governance in their respective states.

The appointment has also placed new responsibility on the governors, especially Governor Orji, as he is now the ear and eye of the South East geo-political zone in the party’s inner caucus. It is also a responsibility all the party members from the zone have absolute confidence he will carry out with utmost commitment and dedication. The explicit confidence of President Jonathan and members of the party from the South East zone in Governor Orji’s abilities to galvanise and mobilise the party in the zone for unity of purpose ahead the 2015 general elections was as result of Orji’s humility, outstanding performance in governance against all odds and unquenchable desire for peace.

It is believed that these sterling virtues, which have been part and parcel of Orji's life right from childhood, first came to the President's attention when he was the Vice President to the late Yar' Adua. Then most state governors, including those from Jonathan’s zone, had no regard for his office and his person. They abandoned him and were busy

the year. If there is no true correlation between the donations and his tax payment, a case of tax evasion is established and the only way for the man is the prison.

But in Nigeria what do we find?

The liberal donor gets the Greatest Grand Commander of the Federal Republic, GGCFR. Boyo: This benchmark of a thing is evil and certainly a height of criminality. This is perhaps the only country worldwide where the budget is not built on the amount available. Rather, our oil, which has become the mainstay, would sell for $160 per barrel. Our budget would be based on $80 per barrel.

The extra $80 would be kept in one crude account called Excess Crude Account. The amount in this account is extra-budgetary. For the Federal Government, it provides a slush fund for all sorts of unofficial transactions. Once in a while, the Federal Government would invite the states and localities to come and partake in the chop-chop. The Federal Government has just pulled out $2 billion from the fund for sharing among the tiers of government.

Amadin: Do you know that there is a subsisting court ruling declaring the Excess Crude Account illegal and asking that the account should be collapsed into a single Federation Account? The Federal Government has developed such thick skin that it now obeys the laws it wants to obey. Others, like the 2013 Appropriation Act, are discarded with impunity!

Boyo: I do not see why governments should keep sharing the proceeds from the excess crude account. Such proceeds should be invested in the building of

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Excess crude as excess fraud

For the Federal Government, it provides a slush fund for all sorts of unofficial transactions; once in a while, the Federal Government would invite the states and localities to come and partake in the chop-chop

With Orji’s appointment into the PDP caucus, it is in the interest of all party stakeholders in the zone to join hands with him to return the South East to the mainstream politics ahead 2015

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hobnobbing with the cartel running the government with Yar'Adua. But Orji who never believed in politics of desperation and suppression stuck with Jonathan even without any knowledge that he (Jonathan) would later emerge the President of the country.

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ot many Nigerians know that Orji is very close to President Jonathan and he has never allowed the good relationship existing between them to get into his head.

But he appreciates the fact that it has gone a long way in helping to bring a lot of developments to Abia State. And this has encouraged him to carry on the onerous task of governance in the state despite provocations from certain elements who are desperately in search of political relevance. Orji has been able to avoid and survive all the political landmines laid for him by his predecessor, and thank God the state has been the better for it and has remained crisis-free. Major political stakeholders in the state which include Mr Ojo Maduekwe, Chief Onyema Ugochukwu, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, Senator Nkechi Nworgu, Senator Uche Chukwumerije, Chief Vincent Ogbulafor, Chief Emeka Nwogu, Adolphuos Wabara and others, who before now were tagged Abuja politicians and were always at loggerheads with the government of the state, are now under one umbrella of unity, courtesy of Orji’s politics of ‘give and take’.

refineries in which the various tiers of government would be shareholders. Apart from helping to alleviate the pains from subsidy removal, it would also be a good legacy to leave for the future.

Amadin: I agree with you. Do you know that the whole noise of fuel subsidy is a farce? If anything, we are only subsidizing a few people’s propensity for fraud. As soon as the oil comes out of the ground, we sell 90 percent of the crude in hard currency, leaving the balance 10 percent to be refined for local consumption.

In some oil-producing countries, after making their money from the initial 90 percent crude, they are able to refine the 10 percent and issue same, free of charge, to their citizens. But in Nigeria, the reverse is the case. Because of the lack of functional refineries, the crude must be shipped abroad for refining and by the time it is reshipped to us, the price of the refined product has hit the ceiling and unaffordable to individual Nigerians. If the excess crude account must exist at all, let’s put its proceeds to legitimate use – the building of refineries here.

Boyo: Just imagine the lousy pardon granted to some Nigerians recently. Admittedly, it was a padded pardon for Jonathan’s former boss, Diepreye Alamieyeseigha. Considering the enormity of Alamieyeseigha’s loot, his was an unpardonable pardon.

That pardon is an open invitation to corruption. At the judicial level, the aphorism used to be: “Why pay a lawyer when you can buy a Judge?” The present pardon further lifts the aphorism higher: “Why listen to a judge when a presidential pardon awaits you?”

This development made it possible for the party to contest the 2011 general elections in the state for the first since 1999 as a united family and emerged overwhelmingly victorious. It was the same bond that has kept the party intact in the state since then. No wonder when the former governor of the state, Chief Orji Uzor Kalu, attempted to return to the party through the backdoor, all the party stakeholders in the state strongly resisted it, because he (Kalu) did not follow due process.

It is obvious that Orji has nothing against Kalu and nothing to fear if Kalu wants to return or if he returns to the PDP. But Kalu knows the right thing to do to be welcomed back into the party in the state. Whether Kalu should be allowed to return to PDP or not is not Orji’s sole decision, it is that of the party major stakeholders in the state and zone whom Kalu offended while he was the governor of the state.

The thinking is that Kalu should simply set his ego aside, humble himself and apologise to party members. It is believed this will pave the way for his return to the party. The argument that Kalu is a foundation member of PDP holds no water, because "I get am before no be property". Besides, Kalu should realise that he is no longer a governor and that his successor and his office deserve respect from all. Why is it that of all the exgovernors in the country today, Kalu has been the only one fighting his successor and castigating the office of the governor with impunity, even when it is clear that his successor is a peaceful and humble man who can hardly hurt a fly.

With Orji’s appointment into the PDP caucus, it is in the interest of all the party stakeholders in the zone to join hands with him to return the South East zone to the mainstream politics ahead 2015. This will attract more appointments and development to the zone before and after the 2015 general elections. The South East zone cannot afford to be in opposition because it is not in the tradition of the people.

In any case, such has not paid the zone in the past and the present will not be different.

*Mr Asaga, a public affairs analyst, wrote from Asaba, Delta State

20—Vanguard , THURSDAY THURSDAY,, APRIL 4 , 2013

Death in a well: Tragic story of two men

BY SUZAN EDEH, Bauchi

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POPULAR proverb has it that everyday is pregnant with mysteries which defy human knowledge. This saying played itself out on March 21, 2013 in Yelwa Makaranta Community, a suburb of Bauchi metropolis when two middle aged men lost their lives while working inside a well. The incident threw the entire residents of the community into confusion and mourning.

The tragic incident happened at the residence of one Alhaji Nuhu Dalhatu who gave the contract of cleaning the well in his house to one Ibrahim Jibrin.

Vanguard Metro, VM, gathered that on the fateful day, Ibrahim called his friend, Usman Ali, 35, to assist him to clean the well.

Tragedy, however, struck when Ibrahim decided to take a generator into the well to power the pumping machine. This turned out to be a tragic error for him when the fumes emitted by the generator began to circulate in the well. He subsequently lost consciousness.

An eyewitness who pleaded anonymity said: “When Ibrahim started the generator, he gradually began to lose consciousness because of the fumes coming out

sciousness on entering the well.

By this time, news of the tragic adventure of the two men had spread through the community and it was greeted with pandemonium and rage. The youths of the area immediately went on rampage, throwing stones on the vehicle of the men of the Bauchi State Fire Service who came to the scene in order to evacuate the bodies of the victims from the well. The men of the Fire Service, it was learnt, handed the corpses over to the police who conveyed same to the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa Hosiptal.

Cleaning of the well When VM visited the residence of Alhaji Nuhu Dalhatu, he was said to be still in shock over the tragic incident. But this did not stop him from saying that if he had known that the cleaning of the well would lead to the death of two people, he would have called it off, adding that he allowed the job to go on because he was not God and could not predict what would happen.

According to him: “I gave the contract of cleaning the well in my compound to Ibrahim Jibrin because the well was very dirty and I have not been using it for

,

Usman was able to hoist Ibrahim on his shoulder and had almost succeeded in bringing out his friend when he lost consciousness and fell back into the well; that was how the two of them died

of the generator. We observed that he was no longer moving but later heard him saying: ‘Help me, I am losing my strength’. After sometime we did not hear anything from him again. It was at this point that his friend, Usman, who invited him for the job, decided to enter the well to bring out his dying friend.

Losss of consciousness We cautioned him not to go into the well because we were afraid of what might happen to him. He refused to listen to us and entered the well”.

The eyewitness added that when Usman got into the well, he was able to hoist Ibrahim on his shoulder and had almost succeeded in bringing out his friend when he also lost consciousness and fell back into the well. That was how the two of them died. A brave attempt by one Dan Asabe Shehu to rescue the doomed men proved abortive as Dan was forced to abandon the idea when he also found himself losing con-

,

two years. Ibrahim accepted to do the job because he was a specialist in cleaning well for people. I was not even aware that he invited his friend to assist him with the job. That day when I returned from work, I met the vehicle of the Fire Service at the front of my house, I became afraid because I thought one of my children had fallen into the well. I enquired and was told that two men died inside the well”.

The late Ibrahim’s friend, Dan Asabe Shehu, who also narrowly escaped death, narrated to VM what transpired that fateful day.

According to him: “I was in my shop doing my work as a tailor when I learnt that two men working inside a well needed help.

So I volunteered to go and see what I could do to save the situation. On getting to the scene, I was told that the men were still stuck inside the well. At first I though I could save them, but as I was going inside the well, I began to lose consciousness and so I decided to come out. The people around the well assisted me to come out because I was

*Ibrahim Jibrin

*Usman Ali

very weak and feeling faint. All I could remember later was finding myself in the hospital bed with drips attached to my body. I was lucky to survive the incident”.

At the late Ibrahim’s residence in Bayara village, his two wives and aged mother were still mourning his death. Ibrahim’s mother, Hajiya Talatu Hamisu, said the incident was like a bad dream because on that fateful day he(Ibrahim) initially did not wanted to go and do the job, but later changed his mind.

She said: “On that day, he was at home and received a call from

his friend inviting him to go and clean the well. He initially told his friend to leave the job for the following day. But later changed his mind and decided to go ahead with it. He left the house and told one of his wives to cook his favourite meal. I did not know that was the last time I will set my eyes on my son again. It is very painful for us in the family, but we have to bear it because it is his time to die”.

VM also visited the residence of the late Usman Ali at Yelwa Tudu. It was gathered that Usman was making plans to get

married before the unfortunate incident occurred. His friend, Mohammed Lawal, said that death seemed to have beckoned on Usman because he was warned not to enter the well, but he refused and decided to make the brave but tragic attempt to save his dying friend.

“We will all miss him because he was a very good man who did not make trouble for anybody.

What is most painful is that he was making arrangements for his wedding before death took him away,” Mohammed said.

NEMA tasks media professionals on emergency management

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By BOSE ADELAJA

HE South-West Zone of the National Emergency Management Authority, NEMA, has urged the media to be objective and proactive in reporting emergency cases in order to avoid causing more damages to the existing emergency situation.

At a one-day training with the theme, ‘’Role of Media in Emergencies”, which gathered stakeholders in Lagos, Thisday Weekend Editor Tunde Rahman, South-West Coordinator for NEMA, Iyiola Akande, and several others, said the media is an important factor in managing emergency situation. They added that as a result, there is need for accuracy at all times.

In his keynote address, Akande said media practitioners should do a good, balanced and unbiased representation of government activities to the reading and listening public since the people put their faith in the media to perform this role. ‘’There is need for a better understanding between government officials and stakeholders in emergency management on one hand and media practitioners on the other hand.

This is what calls for a conducive partnership which engenders a clearer picture of the role of

the media in educating the public about disaster; warning of hazards, gathering and transmitting information about affected areas,’’ he added.

According to him, the central function of the media in disaster management is a key factor to remind government and its workers about their responsibilities to the citizens and influence them to act swiftly by exposing the risks, hazards and vulnerabilities inherent in any community while providing a workable solution to mitigate the impact of impending disasters and disseminating early morning information to vulnerable communities.

Akande said the media plays a key role in shapping the will of the people and their way of thinking, ‘’in performing this role, journalists should be neutral in their duties and leave people to judge the fact,’’ He also noted that the event, will play a major role in disaster management, especially in the area of enhancing Disaster Risk Reduction DRR, ‘’if properly harnessed, the influence of the press, both print and electronic can play important roles in disaster management.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, APRIL 4, 2012 — 21

Revenue sharing tears freight forwarders apart

By GODFREY BIVBERE

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HE imbroglio rocking the Council for the Regulation of FreightForwarders in Nigeria, (CRFFN), has been linked to disagreements over sharing of revenue accruing from recently approved transaction fees at the nation’s ports and borders.

Pastor Babatunde Shittu, Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Shiba Services Limited, identified the “percentage of the levy” due CRRFN member associations as the genesis of the problem.

Babatunde said the National President of Association of Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Prince Olayiwola Shittu, alleged that the former CRFFN leadership reneged on deals made with its member associations to give a certain percentage fees collected to them.

“Some ambitious people are behind the crises for personal gain. CRFFN is the only body backed by an act of government.”

Shittu, who welcomed attempts by the Transport Minister, Senator Idris Umar, to resolve the crises by settingup a committee to over see the Council, harped on the need for the inclusion of freightforwarders on committee to be set up.

Capacity building: NIMASA to engage oil companies

BY GODFREY BIVBERE

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IRECTOR-GENERAL of Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Mr. Patrick Akpobolokemi, has said that the Agency is set to engage oil companies operating in the country to contribute to manpower development needs of the industry.

Akpobolokemi, who disclosed this in Lagos while playing

136.8

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2,171.00

-13.00

17.57

-0.12

110.56

-0.52

96.40

-0.67

CURRENCY BUYING CENTRAL DOLLAR STERLING EURO FRANC YEN CFA WAUA RENMINBI RIYAL KRONA SDR

From left: Director General of NIMASA, Patrick Akpobolokemi; President of the World Maritime University, WMU, Dr. Bjorn Kjerfve and Chairman, Indigenous Ship-owners Association of Nigeria, ISAN, Chief Isaac Jolapamo, when Bjorn Kjerfve paid a courtesy visit to NIMASA head office.

SELLING

154.75 155.25 155.75 234.7712 235.5298 236.2883 198.699 199.341 199.983 163.4108 163.9388 164.4667 1.6588 1.6642 1.6695 0.284 0.294 0.304 231.784 232.5329 233.2818 24.9636 25.0447 25.1258 41.2634 41.3967 41.53 26.6516 26.7377 26.8238 232.3262 233.0768 233.8275

CBN Exchange rate as at 3/04/2013

host to the President of the World Maritime University, Dr. Bjorn Kjerfve, said NIMASA has concluded plans to engage the oil companies.

“We are going to engage the multinationals; they have to plough back part of the money they are making for the common man,” he said.

“We have deliberated on it in NIMASA and we are still fine-tuning modalities to bring them (multi-nationals) on board the programme so that it should not be only NIMASA spending billions. The private sector should also contribute; it is in their

best interest,” he added.

On lack of conviction for those caught stealing crude oil and other petroleum products, the NIMASA boss explained that it is not true that the Agency has become

weary but that they were awaiting an action plan being put in place by the Federal Government.

Akpobolokemi noted that the government is doing something about it, saying,

“We are still intensifying efforts in arresting oil thieves. As we speak, there are names and vessels that are on surveillance and action will soon be taken against them.”

Water transport: Boat operators task FG on intervention fund

BY WILLIAM JIMOH & JONAH NWOKPOKU

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TAKEHOLDERS in the water transport sector have called on the Federal Government to provide intervention fund and assist water transport operators to improve services in the sector.

Some of the stakeholders, who spoke with Vanguard, said with the current decline in the number of Lagosians patronising water transportation and its implication on the ever busy Lagos roads, the Federal and Lagos State government need to assist the water transport operators in a bid to rescue the sector from total collapse.

“At the moment, government has withdrawn its participation in the water transportation business, handing over the business entirely to the private

sector, but few private operators have been attracted.

Presently, there are only two private operators, and one has suspended operations due to its inability to pay berthing fees to Nigeria Inland Waterways Authority, NIWA,” one of the NIWA officials who preferred anonymity said.

One of the stakeholders, Mr. Joseph Oladehinde, a former sailor with Nigerdock, maintained that the high cost of running the boats without government intervention is forcing the private operators out of business, adding that the business is more than what the operators can do alone if it must help to decongest the roads effectively.

“The generators have to be run, the engines have to be run, they will have to pay their workers and still they

will want to make profit. With that if there is no help, the service may not be effective and efficient as it ought to be or even be able to sustain their business.

If this thing is operating well just as it was during the military regime when there was Federal Urban Mass Transit Authority, running ferries for the Federal Government just as Lagos State Government was also having its own, the masses will always see this place as a substitute to the road,” he said.

One of the passengers who preferred anonymity noted that the recent increase in the boat’s fare may have accounted for the decline in patronage, adding that there is need for government at all levels to work with them in other to ensure their growth.

22 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, APRIL 4, 2013

IHS to acquire 2,000 transmitter towers from France Telecom

BY RITA OBODOECHINA, with agency report

I From left: President, Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers, CIS, Mr. Ariyo Olusekun; Executive Director, Business Development, Nigerian Stock Exchange, NSE, Mr. Haruna Jalo-Waziri and Head, Corporate Division, NSE, Mr. Bola Adeeko at the announcement of Supplemental Market Makers at the Exchange.

NSE kicks off supplemental market making programme to drive liquidity

BY NKIRUKA NNOROM

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HE Nigerian Stock Exchange, NSE, has announced the appointment of 13 Supplemental Market Makers (SMMs) in an effort to complement the role of primary market makers, PMMs, in driving liquidity in the capital market.

Executive Director, Business Development, NSE, Mr Yalo-Waziri said the SMMs would aid the PMMs in providing two way quotes for each of the stocks they make market in so that “At any point in time anybody goes to the market with good stocks, they will be taken care of.”

Waziri said that the NSE considered the net liquidity of the companies in terms of capital, their compliance level, as well as how many issues they have sponsored, adding and “We actually looked at companies that are capable and strong enough to market make on these stocks. Those are the ones that were taken.”

“When we market make, it provides two prices for quote, bid and offer.

What happens is that it gives that stock some level of liquidity so that when you bring the stock into the market, somebody will be able to take it off you and by that, if there is no market making in a particular stock, unless there is a demand for it, you can not get it but market makers provide both demand and supply end of it so that there is movement in terms of liquidity for the market.”

It would be recalled that the Head, Corporate Communications, NSE, Bola Adeeko, had said that last week while briefing capital market correspondents on recent developments in the market that 27 applications were received, even as he added that as many company as have C M Y K

the qualification would be allowed to partake in the supplemental capacity.

According to him, the commencement of supplemental market making would birth full market making programme. He added that for each stock in the portfolio of market makers, two PMMs and one SMM would be assigned.

Adeeko informed that any supplementary market maker that outperformed the primary market maker could apply for elevation and could as well take over from PMM that

falls below its obligation.

Interested parties are required to have net capital liquidity of N250 million; for a PMM that also wants to play in that capacity, he would be required to possess N250 million, in addition to N500 million and N750 million capital requirement for PMM and broker dealer roles respectively.

Stockbrokers that want to play the role are required to have the basic N750 million capital base, as well as additional N250 million.

Nestle produces 95% of products locally N

ESTLÉ Group, the parent company of Nestle Nigeria Plc, says 95 percent of the products it sells around the world are now manufactured locally.

Paul Bulcke, Nestlé’s chief executive, who disclosed this, said approximately “We don’t build structures for weak or strong currencies. We set ourselves up to work with local materials, which is why we have 470 factories around the world.

We are in for the long term.”

According to him, the group is focusing on innovation, local production and improving the health credentials of its products in a bid to prepare for several long-term trends.

“Other core priorities for the Swiss multinational include creating a “Worldwide competency of products”.

Innovation is central to this process, especially in Europe, where organic growth is muted.

“We are definitely strong believers in research and development (R&D), that we can grow, and has been the base of our growth in Europe,” said Bulcke.

Bulcke said the group has been creating healthy new products and modifying existing parts of its portfolio to improve their credentials.

“Chocolate is an interesting business. It has all sorts of qualities you can mould. Air is a key one - you could build air into chocolate,” said Similarly, the company’s Munch chocolate line in India provides an example of the “light snacks” which are selling especially well.

Reformulating its Kit Kat chocolate bar has also achieved this objective.

Nestlé also believes that categories like bottled water - long the source of criticism by environmentalists - are able to play a constructive role in the lives of consumers.

HS Plc has signed an agreement with France Telecom to manage about 2,000 transmitter towers of the telecom firm in Cameroon and Ivory Coast The deal will see IHS acquiring some of France Telecom’s towers which was also sold to other players including Eaton Towers and Helios Towers.

With the acquisition of the towers from France Telecom, IHS which has offices in Nigeria, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Sudan and South Sudan, now manages about 5,000 sites in Africa, including South Africa’s MTN, India’s Bharti Airtel and Etisalat’s Nigeria unit.

The deal will enable IHS to rent tower space to other mobile operators, while France Telecom subsidiaries can use other towers IHS owns in Cameroon and Ivory Coast.

France Telecom, which often operates under the brand name Orange and has units in about 20 countries in the Middle East and Africa, is on a drive to stabilise operating profits.

Its subsidiaries Côte d’Ivoire Telecom, Orange Côte d’Ivoire and Orange Cameroon will retain ownership of the base stations that transmit mobile phone signals, while IHS will manage passive infrastructure such as the electricity supply, the companies said in a joint statement on Tuesday.

“It allows us to drive efficiencies, reduce costs and manage the particular conditions in emerging markets such as the cost of energy and accessibility of sites,” Marc Rennard, Executive Director in charge of Africa, Middle East and Asia for the Orange Group, a unit of France Telecom, said in the statement.

He said other units in the region might make similar deals.

Building and maintaining mobile towers in Africa is typically more expensive than in other regions because of high security costs and electricity shortages that often require towers to be powered by generators, while new roads may need to be built to reach rural areas.

Vanguard, THURSDAY , APRIL 4, 2013—23

Textile industry: Madagascar, Mauritius investors to partner BoI

BY FRANKLIN ALLI

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NVESTORS from Madagascar and Mauritius textile and garment industries will soon visit Nigeria to develop a strategic partnership with the Bank of Industry to revitalise the garment industry in Nigeria, a UNIDO source told Vanguard, Tuesday.

According to the source, the proposed visit is a follow-up to the recent tour of a delegation of Nigerian private sector investors led by the CEO of the Bank of Industry (BoI), Evelyn Oputu, to the textile and garment mills in the two countries.

“The UNIDO Representative in Madagascar, Lorence Ansermet, has been following up with the industries in Madagascar and Mauritius; while Patrick Kormawa, UNIDO representative in Nigeria, is working with the Bank of Industry to bring the necessary expertise and technical knowledge from investors in the textile and garment industries in Madagascar

people in the West African region. It is in this respect that the Government of Nigeria decided to revive the textile sector in order to create jobs and boost its economy,” said Oputu.

Seewraj Nundlall, Director

of the Goods Producing Sector, said that Mauritius, despite thehigh cost of labour and geographical isolation has succeeded in diversifying its textile sector and developing a high level niche market driven by innovation and

technology and had maintained a comprative advantage in th capital intensive textie and garment indutry. He offered supprt to Nigeria in the driveto revive its textile and garment industries.

UK punctureproof tyre sealant arrives Nigerian market

BY JOSEPHINE IGBINOVIA

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From left: Dr. Herbert Ajayi, National President, Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Mines and Agriculture, NACCIMA; Mustafa Sever, Vice Minister of Economy, Turkey; Mr Mustafa Pulat, Turkish Ambassador in Nigeria; Mr Disun Holloway, Commissioner for Tourism and InterGovernmental Relations representing Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State and Chief John Odeyemi, former President of NACCIMA at the opening of ECOWAS-Turkish Export Products fair, in Lagos.

and Mauritius.

“The mission which was organised by the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) provided an opportunity to visit textile mills and garment factories, and meet local investors and promotion agencies in the two countries.”

During a meeting with the Board of Investment of Mauritius, Evelyn Oputu , said that dspite the preferential trade agreements btween Nigeria, the USA and the EU, due to technical constraints the country has failed to export garments or fabrics significantly to the USA. She added that Nigerian textile and garment industries are not competitive, and this would have to change.

She also said that with the help of the Cotton, Tetile and Garment Revival fund from her Bank, Nigeria is looking for technical partners to turn the sector around.

“Unlike Madagascar and Mauritius, Nigeria is a major cotton producer that already has in place factories that are ginning, spinning and weaving textiles. Nigeria has an internal market of about 170 million inhabitants and a gateway to the 350 million

FG committed to growing local industries — Aganga T

HE Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment (MITI), Mr..

Olusegun Aganga, has reiterated the Federal Government’s commitment to the growth and development of local industries by placing emphasis on local patronage as the key enabler of growth in the Nigerian manufacturing sector.

This, according to a statement, signed by the Senior Special Assistant to the minister on Corporate Communications, Mrs. Yemi Kolapo, is contrary to the interpretation given to the minister ’s absence at the Senate hearing on local patronage, recently.

The statement said, “in actual fact, Aganga had, since his assumption of duty as the minister in charge of the ministry, pursued policies and programmes directed specifically at growing the economy through industrialisation and backward integration with passionate support for local industries.”

It added, “The Local

Patronage Bill, when passed into law, will go a long way to protect Nigerian manufacturers, boost capacity utilisation of local industries, increase the productivity and export of Made-in-Nigeria goods, create jobs , generate wealth and save foreign exchange for the country.

“It is in this regard that the passage of the Local Patronage Bill, which has passed the second reading at the Senate, becomes very important to the ministry, considering the efforts by the ministry to create enough market for local industries to thrive. The ministry ’s low quality representation at the hearing, as observed by the Senate, was due to a communication gap in the ministry, which is highly regretted.

To fast-track the reorientation of Nigerians towards the patronage of Made-in-Nigeria products and also showcase the potential of Nigeria’s local industries, the ministr y, through one of its parastatals, the Small and

Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria, is already working with the private sector to implement its grass-roots based One-LGA-One-Product initiative, OLOP. This is to serve as a complementary bottom-up multistakeholders development and investment platform for the creation of jobs and generation of wealth in the 774 Local Government Areas of Nigeria, in addition to galvanising and harnessing the potential of the informal sector of the economy.

Aganga said, “Local patronage is, in fact, one of the enablers of the Nigeria Industrial Revolution Plan, which the ministry recently kicked off.

The lack of patronage of products produced locally is one of the reasons for the low capacity utilisation and contribution to Gross Domestic Product. We are working with industries to enhance their productivity, improve the quality of their products and ensure that we significantly reduce the importation of substandard products.

VER four decades after it was designed by the United Kingdom to address issues of tyre puncture in the British Armed Forces and related industries, Oko Puncture Free Sealant tyre has been introduced into the Nigerian market.

Chief Executive Officer, Autosecure, Mr.Niyi Idowu, who is the exclusive distributor of the sealant in Nigeria, disclosed this to journalists at a briefing in Lagos recently.

Made of an aqueous and glycol-based solution containing diverse advanced sealant ingredients that are held in suspension, the sealant is said to contain strong anti-corrosives to prevent rust in the wheels or tyre bands, and also contains preservatives to ensure its ability to work in temperature as low as 40 degrees Celsius.

“Oko stays liquid and coats the inside of the tubes or tyre thread. When a hole is made, Oko immediately fills it and hardens. In other tests where bullets were fired at the tyres, Oko Puncture Proof Tyre Sealant slowed down the rate of deflation, allowing vital time for the vehicle to move out of the danger zone”, Niyi Idowu said while describing the product’s mechanism.

Dr.Babatunde Bello, Consultant, Autosecure, however emphasised that poor quality tyres might not work perfectly with the product, thereby restricting its application to tyres in good condition and of good quality.

“The best tyres to apply Oko into are tyres in good condition, which invariably means poor quality tyres cannot work perfectly with Oko. Fairly used tyres still in good condition might work well, however. If Oko must be applied, then the tyre itself must be in good condition and must meet the minimum quality standard that Oko technical experts will require for the installation of Oko because our concern is on safety, security and peace of mind”, Dr.Bello stressed.

24—Vanguard, THURSDAY, APRIL 4, 2013

Customs truncating clearing process at Apapa, Tin-Can — NCMDLCA scribe STORIES BY GODFREY BIVBERE

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ATIONAL Secretary of the National Council of Managing Directors of Licensed Customs Agents, NCMDLCA, Mr. Uchu Block, has accused the management of the Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, at both Apapa and Tin-can Commands of truncating the clearing process.

Block, who spoke to Vanguard in his office in Lagos, said officers at the two Commands are now stopping containers on yellow selectivity channel after scanning for 100 percent examination.

He explained that the selectivity channels, which determines the risk level of each container and therefore what kind of examination to be performed on it, has since December last year been discarded by the Commands.

He further noted that under the selectivity method, containers on the green channel were for companies with track record of clean importation of manufacturing materials and therefore are allowed out of the port while examination is done at the warehouse of those companies “As for containers on the yellow channel that are considered to have minimal risk, they are sent for scanning as a means of reducing the number of days they stay at the ports,” he said.

He pointed out that containers on the red channel are those considered to be of high risk following previous transaction by the importer and is therefore subjected to 100 percent examination by the Customs.

He pointed out that the same thing happened to four containers of “paraffin wax” which he

was to clear from Apapa port, explaining that the consignments which was on the yellow channel had been scanned and given clearance to exit the port

only for the containers to be stopped at the gate on grounds of suspicion. He said that the officers at the Customs Process Center (CPC) demanded to

C

HIEF Executive Of ficer of Brittania-U, Mrs. Uju Ifejika, has charged women in shipping under the aegis of the Women’s International Shipping and Trading Association (WISTA- Nigeria), to drop the cry of marginalisation and step up their performance.

Ifejika, who was the guest speaker at the WISTA- Nigeria luncheon/book launch, explained that dogged commitment by women professionals is a more productive and fulfilling enterprise.

“If I want to be given the same opportunities that are

the action delayed the containers for extra three days with the importer incurring additional cost. When contacted, the Public Relations Officer of Apapa Area 1 Command of the Service, Emma Ekpa, said it is not automatic for all containers scanned to exit the port. Ekpa pointed out that the officers at the gate are posted there to ensure that documents of all consignments exiting the port are thoroughly scrutinised to avoid any form of discrepancies.

He noted that there has been cases in the past where containers which did not pass through scanning were brought to the gate in an attempt to move them out of the port.

Similarly, his counterpart at Tin-can Island Command, Chris Osunkwo, said that the Customs

USAID decries multiple check points at Seme border Mr Fred Udechukwu, Managing Director, Global Scansystems conducting members of the Senate Committee on Finance round its fixed scanner site at Seme border. On his right is the Committee Chairman, Senator Ahmed Makarfi and former Governor of Kaduna State.

Seme fixed scanner: We need planning, maintenance to prevent radiation risk

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A N A G I N G Director of indigenous Destination Inspection Service Provider, Global Scansystems Limited, Mr Fred Udechukwu, has called for proper planning for mainte-

nance and operation of the fixed scanners at Seme border post to prevent emission of radiation.

Udechukwu, who gave the advice at Seme when the Senate Committee on Finance

Focus on performance, intellect, WISTA advised

BY DAVID EBEATARHE SAGUA

know the kind of paraffin wax in the containers which could have been done at the point of scanning. Block pointed out that

given to men, it now behoves me to bring out a superior performance to enable me stand side-by-side with the men.

The trail of what you are leaving behind will speak for you.”

She said that each individual must identify her purpose in life rather than chasing shadows in life.

She said: “There is no manna from heaven; the manna is inside you. You need to wake up that vision in you and do much more than you’re doing right now to bring it to fruition. Women in other climes are becoming presidents, originators of multi-billion dollar companies/ideas.”

Ifejika identified fear of the unknown and the opinion of

friends, as the major hindrance to actualisation of vision rather than non-availability of funds.

“Three quarters of us here have the competencies to be the best business gurus,”she stated.

The first thing you look out for is, ‘I don’t have the money.

Do you know how much a vessel costs? I however do not look at money. I consider if it is what I want to do then present it before God. If it something God wants you to do, he will position the materials, the people et cetera.” She said that opportunities abound in the Nigerian economy and likened the maritime sector to a green area that has barely being scratched.

paid a visit to the scanner site, said unless this is done, the environment could be exposed, thereby causing health problem to residents and workers in the area.

“We don’t want to risk the lives of Nigerians, if not, cancer will ravage the society,’’ he said.

Technically, there is the need for proper planning for the operations and maintenance of the scanner to control radiation exposure due to its high technology state so that the ultimate operators would know how to handle unanticipated faults, he said.

He also told the committee members that the fixed scanner must be manned by well trained hands, adding that “the health implication of nine million volts emitted by the fixed scanner is massive and requires proper training of customs officers to operate it.”

Similarly, the Globalscan boss stressed the “need for the company to work with the fixed scanner over a period of time so that both the operators and those who will maintain the equipment will have good knowledge of it.’’

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HE representative of United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in Nigeria, Dr Sola Afolabi, has decried the presence of multiple check points at Seme border.

Afolabi, who disclosed this at a workshop for government agencies at Seme, organised by Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC) and USAID, said that a distance of not more than 200 meter in Seme already has 16 check points which is not too good for the economy, stressing that majority of people manning these check points are not uniform personnel.

As a means of facilitating trade at the border, the Council has been mandated to open and operate Border Information Center (BIC) at the borders. He said the purpose and function of the Council at the border is to assist and supply information to every trader who is willing to do legitimate business along the border According to him, “we realised also that most importers prefer their goods to be taken to other ports than moved by road through Seme border because of illegitimate businesses going on a daily basis.”

He urged other government agencies at the border to cooperate with the Council in their dayto-day activities so that the decision to have BIC at every land border which was taken at the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) level could be realised.

He said some people still indulge in illegitimate businesses, thereby making government to lose a lot of revenue.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, APRIL 4, 2013 — 25

Oshiomhole: From factory to Government House

BY FUNMI KOMOLAFE ALL roads lead to Benin today, as the Comrade Governor, Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole marks his 60th birthday. Organised by some of his friends, the ceremony will feature a symposium tilted “Deepening Democracy and Enhancing Public Welfare”.

It promises to be a gathering of who is who in politics.

In this special report, we went down memory lane and present the man; Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole.

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IXTY years ago, in Iyamoh, Edo state, Hadjia Aishetu and Alhaji Aliyu Oshiomhole were blessed with a baby boy whom they named Adams Aliyu A i h a n e g b o y e Oshiomhole. Those familiar with the names say Aihanegboye means “The wicked will not catch up with you”.

The young Adams as if in a hurry to fulfill his destiny, in 1969, took up a job with Arewa Textiles Company Kaduna. He got the job after he convinced the personnel manager that though he was small in stature, he was physically and mentally fit for the job. From then on, there was no stopping Adams Oshiomhole.

In 1971, his colleagues at work saw in him, the qualities of a selfless leader when he organized a shop floor revolution. Conse-

Labour advises FG on competent hands

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Comrade Peter Esele, President of Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, TUC, Comrade Abdulwaheed Omar, President of Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, and Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, at an event nant.

A courageous leader, he often says , “ I conquered fear at the age of 18”.

Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole rose to become the general secretary of the National Union of Textile, Garment and Tailoring Workers Union in 1982. By this time the union’s membership had risen to 75,000. He was not only loved by workers, even employers could not but acknowledge his skills in handling workers grievances and negotiating skills. He also serviced workers in Peugeot Automobile Nigeria Limited and other manufacturing companies in the northern part of Nigeria.

Oshiomhole who believes that

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Oshiomhole’s activities saw him detained in Kaduna for organizing a workers strike but he remained unshaken though his young wife, Clara was then pregnant

quently, he was elected union secretary. His determination to improve the lot of fellow workers, led him to become a full time trade unionist with the Textile Workers union in 1975.

During his activities as a shop floor worker, he met a beautiful lady, Clara at the union’s office. Clara was then a secretary with the trade union. Adams got help from Clara who helped to type his letters to employers.

Within the struggle, he found time to propose to Clara who married him.

The trade union movement provided him opportunities for further educational studies and he was educated at Ruskin College, Oxford where he studied Economics and Industrial Relations.

Oshiomhole’s activities saw him detained in Kaduna for organizing a workers strike but he remained unshaken though his young wife, Clara was then preg-

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trade unions must be financially independent, led his union to invest in property just as he ensured that the union was rich in infrastructure. He also changed the face of the labour movement when his union adopted a policy of employing young graduates.

He also made a conscious effort to attract women to the labour movement. He supported all efforts to mainstream women into the trade unions. It will surprise many that he took his fighting spirit from his mother.

He once said, “My father will not go on strike for anything but my mother can fight a village”. This perhaps explains his female gender friendly disposition.

The dissolution of the national executive of the Nigeria Labour Congress in 1988 saw Adams and his Comrades play a more active role in the central labour organization. They spoke against and

fought the dissolution of the Congress and in December 1988, he was elected deputy president of the reconstituted NLC. He played similar roles in 1995 when the NLC leadership was sacked by the Abacha regime.

In the course of his struggles, he was detained. The military government subsequently promulgated Decree 4 of 1996 to stop Adams Oshiomhole from contesting the leadership of the NLC but with the demise of General Abacha in 1998, the NLC executive was reconstituted in 1999 and Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole was elected the fourth president of the NLC. His tenure saw the NLC shift focus from simply defending workers’ rights to defending the rights of the people of Nigeria.

Oshiomhole’s leadership of the NLC saw a review of the 10year old national minimum age, periodically increase in salaries and the struggle against the removal of petroleum subsidy by the federal government.

Adams Oshiomhole is on record as the first labour leader to lead a protest to Aso Rock Abuja; the seat of the presidency in 1999. President Obasanjo described Oshiomhole’s invasion of Aso rock as “Bravado Action”.

He was not done. He led series of strikes against President Obasanjo’s government attempts to deregulate the downstream sector of the petroleum industry.

During one of such strikes, the President accused him of running a “parallel government”.

Obasanjo even threatened to vacate Aso rock for Oshiomhole .

Oshiomhole after two terms of eight years as president of the NLC was elected Governor of Edo state in 2007 but had his mandate stolen. For 18 months he fought relentlessly at the election tribunal and the court of Appeal and his mandate was re-

stored on Nov. 11 , 2008. Consequently, he was sworn in as Governor on Nov. 12, 2008.

Oshiomhole is the first labour leader in Nigeria to be elected into an executive post.

With the slogan, “ Let the People lead”, and his achievements, Oshiomhole wormed his way into the heart of the electorate .

His re-election was rewarded with an unprecedented victory in all the 18 local governments on July 14, 2012. He was sworn in for the second term on Nov. 12, 2012. Oshiomhole who believes that elections must reflect the wishes of the people introduced the slogan “One Man/ Woman, One Vote”.

International reputation About two months ago, President Obasanjo was in Edo state where he commended Oshiomhole (now governor of Edo states) for the development of Edo state and the transformation of Benin from the ancient city of Benin to the modern city of Benin. Oshiomhole acquired his international reputation as elected vice president ( workers) at the International Labour Organisation ( ILO). He also served on the executive of the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions ( ICFTU) and the executive board of the African Regional Organisation of the ICFTU. As governor of Edo state, he has received commendations from the World Bank and the United States of America Consul for his remarkable achievements in Edo state.

Former military head of state, General Yakubu Gowon has also given Oshiomhole a pat on the back for his achievements in Edo state. Oshiomhole received several awards from organizations and universities and is also a recipient of

abour leaders yester day advised the Federal Government to appoint competent people into strategic positions, to enhance the socio-economic and growth of Nigeria.

The unionists expressed their views in interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos, while reacting to the advice that government should encourage its professionals abroad to return home.

NAN recalled that a former U.S. president, Bill Clinton, had urged the government to encourage its professionals abroad to return and develop the country.

Mr Peter Esele, President, Trade Union Congress, TUC, said professionals should be encouraged to return and occupy strategic positions in the nation, saying “Nigerians are everywhere and in strategic positions. It is sad that we respect mediocrity. We do not put round pegs in round holes. It is a matter of whom you know and this has affected development of the economy’’.

He advised the government to bring back the professionals and employ them in their specialised areas, irrespective of their tribe or region.

Speaking, Philip Agbonkonkon, the General Secretary, Amalgamated Union of Public, Civil Service, Technical and Recreational Services Employees, AUCPTRE, urged government to encourage professionals to return to Nigeria and give them the opportunity to help develop the nation. the Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON) presented by President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan on November 14, 2011. He also has numerous traditional titles from communities in Okpella Kingdom, Esan land etc.

Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole , is a devout Catholic . He and Clara (now deceased) are blessed with five children. At 60, he is a grandfather of two. Congratulations. It is your day. Congratulations! Congratulations!

26—Vanguard,THURSDAY, APRIL 4, 2013

National protest over pensioners’ plight gathers momentum

Labour urges EFCC to bring pension fund thieves to book

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BY VICTOR AHIUMA-YOUNG

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HE April 10, 2013 national pro test by Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, over the plight the plight of pensioners in the country is already gathering momentum. Already reports across the country indicated that state councils of NLC had begun moblisation of members for the protest.

Similarly, affiliate industrial unions have equally mobilizing members for the protest which they said was long overdue. An official of Delta State Council of NLC, who spoke to Pension and You on the preparation for the protest, said workers, pensioners and civil society allies were already looking forward to the day of the protest.

It would be recalled that leaders of NLC fixed Wednesday, April 10, 2013, for a nationwide protest that will take workers to Aso Rock and governors’ offices over the plight of pensioners in the country.

At its Central Working Committee, CWC, meeting in Labour House, Abjua, NLC leaders lamented that all efforts to get the attention of Federal Government including two letters to the Presidency for intervention over hardships and suffering of the nation’s senior citizens were of no avail.

In a communiqué issued yesterday by NLC President and Acting General Sec-

*Peter Esele, President of Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, TUC, Abdulwaheed and Promise Adewusi, President and Deputy President of Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, respectively, at a function.

retary, Comrade Abdulwaheed Omar and Chris Uyot respectively, NLC leaders decried the on the growing level of corruption and crisis in the pension industry.

According to the communiqué “The CWC after an exhaustive deliberation noted that the Congress had written at least two letters to the Presidency calling for its intervention in the pension crisis; Coupled with the correspondences, the leadership of Congress had reached out through other channels to the Federal Government; the Congress leadership had also made public pronouncements on the avoidable, but painful pension crisis.”

“The CWC noted dismay that the Presidency neither acknowledged the letters nor responded to the issues the leadership of the Congress publicly raised on the plight of pensioners. that the Congress had exploited all the lawful channels of communication to the government to no avail, despite the un-

…JAF, CDWR back protest T HE Joint Action Front, JAF, um brella body for pro-labour civil society groups, have thrown its weight behind the April 10 national protest to demand payment of pensioners’ benefits that run into years and billions of Naira.

Similarly, Campaign for Democratic and Workers’ Rights, CDWR, whiling supporting the planned protest, said it is in line with its fight against corruption and pension fraud with its associated hardship and inhuman conditions inflicted on pensioners.

JAF in a statement by its Chairperson and Secretary, Dr. Dipo Fashina and Comrade Abiodun Aremu, recalled that JAF had a month ago demanded that Labour should revisit the issue of pension management, following the ridiculous sentence of 2 years imprisonment with an option of N750,000 fine given to a former director of the Police Pensions Board, John Yakubu Yusufu, after he pleaded guilty to charges of stealing N23.3 billion from pension fund.

According to the statement “JAF noted in its previous statement that “gov-

ernments at all levels in Nigeria, irrespective of the political parties, are entrenched in corrupt atrocities, hence our resolve to the struggle for system change as the only way to rid Nigeria of this class of exploiters and looters, and putting in place a government of the working people and the poor that would be committed to using our collective wealth to better the lots of all Nigerians.

Therefore, the National leadership of JAF has commenced mobilisation and is hereby specifically requesting all its affiliates and members to join forces with the State Councils of NLC, Trade Union Congress, TUC, and Nigeria Union of Pensioners, NUP, in the mobilization of Nigerians for the APRIL 10THmass protest.”

“JAF urges Nigerian traders, students, artisans, women, faith-based groups, professionals, the unemployed, etc to massively participate in the APRIL 10THmass protest against the Pension Scam and unbridled Corruption in the country. Towards this end, JAF will soonest, after due consultation with the NLC, TUC and NUP, hold a media conference to unfold the details of its Programme of

precedented scam in the Pension regime and the raging war of words between the Executive and the National Assembly, pensioners remain the main victims with a teeming number of pensioners not being paid, congress is that nobody wants to listen to the plight of Pensioners.”

“Worried that the continued silence of the government means more hardship for its members in the fold of the National Union of Pensioners, NUP, and dtoensure justice for its members who are owed billions of pension arrears, the CWC resolved that on Wednesday April 10, 2013, all NLC affiliate unions and State councils across the length and breadth of the country will mobilise workers on a protest march to the Presidency and State Government houses.In pursuance of this objective, the CWC directed NLC affiliate unions, State Councils, friends and allies of organized labour to immediately commence mobilization for the action.”

Action in the April 10thmass protest.”

On its part, CDWR, in a statement by its Chairman, Rufus Olusesan said “Many pensioners have died in the course of making strenuous efforts to receive their pensions which are usually in backlog of arrears. For instance, one Nigeria Postal Service, NIPOST, retiree slumped and died while protesting alongside other retirees for their 49 month arrears at General Post Office at Ikeja Lagos in 2010. It will be recalled that the same pensioners had to embark on another protest and picketing of all NIPOST offices in January this year having been owed 73 months pension.”

“The CDWR is also opposed to the 2004 Pension Scheme which privatizes pension for federal civil servants and increases the contributions of private sector workers while reducing employers’ contribution.

Both the 2004 pension scheme and the previous publicly administered pension are bureaucratically controlled, which gives room for looting. Workers and pensioners should democratically manage funds set aside by employers to meet all retirees’ basic needs, including the payment of gratuity.”

RADE Union Congress of Nigeria, TUC, has called on Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to ensure all individuals standing trail for the embezzlement of pension fund are brought to book with maximum penalty.

Similarly, leaders of the umbrella body for senior staff associations in the country, called on the National Assembly to review the laws which allow pension fund fraudsters to get light judgement in court.

TUC in a communiqué at the end of its National Executive Council, NEC, meeting in Benin city, Edo State, said “The NEC-in-session is particularly miffed at the ridiculously “friendly ” sentence that was awarded by an Abuja High court against John Yusufu, the confessed pension thief some weeks ago.

We reiterate our earlier stand that the said sentence be appealed against by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

We also affirm that the provisions of the laws under which he was charged and sentenced be reviewed by the National Assembly and sufficiently commensurate punishment be given for the offences. John Yusufu and his likes should not be allowed to loot our collective common wealth and go scot free.” “The NEC-in-session also notes with keen interest the development in the pensionrelated matters. In particular, the case of Dr. Abdulrasheed Maina’s refusal to honour the Senate’s invitation – thereby provoking calls for his sack/ dismissal – was brought to the fore. The NEC-in-session observes that an individual nay public official, no matter how highly placed, should not be allowed to denigrate our public institutions. The session therefore supports the call for his arrest, investigation and prosecution to serve as a deterrent to erring public officers.”

“The Mainagate (Maina scandal) tells a sad story of the deep seated corruption that has become endemic in Nigeria. To this end, the NECin-session vows to employ all arsenal within the control of labour towards resisting any attempt to impose incompetent nitwits to head the National Pension Commission.”

VANGUARD, THURSDAY, APRIL 4, 2013 — 27

learning@vanguardngr.com

Qualitative education not optional — Amaechi

BY DAYO ADESULU

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OVERNOR Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State has charged education stakeholders, especially the Federal Government to enact a law that will ensure every Nigerian gets access to qualitative education, warning against politicising education saying, education is not optional but the right of every Nigerian.

He said; “The facade of our schools cannot deceive us into believing in educational development. We should not politicise education. Education is the right of every Nigerian. I don’t think we have done enough investment in the area of education. The problem of primary education is not solved yet from what we inherited. What I have done is to put structures in place by law and appointed people to run it. It is now left for them to run it properly.”

The Summit which was organised on the broad theme; Enhancing Sustainable Development in Education had in attendance the Governor of Rivers State, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, CON, the Deputy Governor of Rivers State, Engr. Tele Ikuru, FNSE, members of the Rivers State

Executive Council, Her Excellency, Mrs. Sarah Sosan, former Deputy Governor of Lagos State; Commissioners of Education from other states of the federation, Prof. Wole Soyinka, Emeritus Prof. Ayo Ban-

jo, Emeritus Prof. Tekena Nitonye Tamuno and Prof. Otonti Nduka, Prof. Nimi Briggs, Hon. Leyii Kwanee, Hon. Paul Ngo, Hon. Odein Ajumogobia, and other dignitaries who brainstormed on the way forward to revamp the sector.

Amaechi, while presenting his education score-card at the Rivers State two-day Education Summit held at the Banquet Hall of Government House, Port Harcourt said; “We need to study the reason we have the total malaise we have in education system in this country, I think the reason for this malaise is the constitu-

tion of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The constitution is anomalous because it gives the administration of education to local government who doesn’t have the capacity to handle it, adding, ”If you leave primary school in the hands of local government council, then, what we will be churning out at the secondary school levels are illiterates." He maintained that if we are going to have a reform the education system, it must start from primary school then up to the tertiary level of education.”

For example, “ I met 1,300 primary schools, 6 classroom blocks when I became governor. I met militants and 95 per cent of the militants were not educated, they did not even attend primary school and I knew that if this situation continues, it will bear serious consequence for citizens of the state.

He said that he wanted to ensure that there was a standard of education that will prepare these children for employment not just to make them employable, but to create awareness that will make them employ themselves.

According to him, the best way to handle this was to first get people who have the ca-

Continues on pg 28

*From right: Professor Wole Soyinka, Governor Rotimi Amaechi and his deputy at the Rivers State 2013 Education Summit at Government House, Port Harcourt.

Experts seek ways to nip hurdles of paper-based tertiary education

BY IKENNA ASOMBA

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DEKUNLE Ajayi is a 24year-old final year student of Computer Engineering in one of the country’s Polytechnics. He sat for an examination of a compulsory course in his department, and was confident of the outcome of his paper even before the release of results. This, he claimed, was as a result of the painstaking study and preparations he had ahead of the D-day.

But unfortunately for Ajayi, when the result was released, his name was missing out in the final result sheet of the said course pasted on his department’s notice board.

This was attributed to a popular cliché in tertiary institutions known as Missing Script. Perhaps, because of the paper-riddled system in operation across all Nigerian terC M Y K

tiary institutions, including Ajayi’s, he had a compulsory extra year, because his examination script could not be found either by act of commission or omission.

It is worrisome that this scenario plays out in various tertiary institutions across the country as a result of the paper system in operation. This brings to the fore, the fact that there’s need for our tertiary

institutions, including corporate organisations and government agencies to embrace at least a 50 per cent paper-based and paperless operations respectively.

However, one major concern which experts say largely contributes to this is the fact that broadband and internet access by most Nigerians is poor. It is against this backdrop that Telecom Answers Associates

No excuse for unemployment

— NYSC Co-ordinator charges corpers Page 27

(TAA), a leading telecommunication consulting firm in collaboration with the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), brought together information technology experts, academics and captains of industry to chart a way forward towards the accessibility of an expanded broadband system, which will

Continues on pg 28

Expert calls for re-introduction of history as core subject Page 28

•Mrs. Omobola Johnson, Minister of Communication Technology

TICs bridging research indus tr industr tryy gap Page 31

28 —Vanguard, THURSDAY, APRIL 4, 2013

Foundation donates GCE forms, materials to 9 schools

BY AMAKA ABAYOMI

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HE Layode Sejoro Rilwan (LSR) Foundation has distributed 20 GCE forms, exercise books, mathematical sets, biros and school uniforms, to 180 students in the nine government owned schools in Badagry Local Government Area of Lagos State.

Speaking at a youth empowerment programme tagged Role of the youths in community development, the founder of LSR Foundation, Mr. Layode Sejoro Rilwan, said the gesture is to give the youths the confidence to

believe in themselves and also help them achieve their educational pursuits. “This Foundation believes that education is king, therefore, we want to empower these students educationally for them not to feel neglected by the government. Since they are given free education, most of them are from poor homes and as such, their parents can hardly afford these things we are giving out today.

“Government is trying its best in the education sector but it can’t do it alone, making it necessary for the private sector to assist. Our time in school was different from what is

obtainable now. They need all the assistance they can get because most of them go to school in tattered school uniforms, no sandals and little or no writing materials. But we hope to make that a thing of the past with these donations which would be done quarterly.”

Commending the Foundation for their efforts, a benefiting student of Ansar-ud-deen Senior Secondary School, Damilola Abiola said the donations would help the students’ attendance to school "because we now have writing materials and school uniforms to wear to school and when we go for competitions."

Qualitative education not optional — Amaechi Continues from page 27 pacity to impact knowledge and commencement of free education covering free books, sandals, bags and sportswear for public schools, adding that without qualified teachers, the state will only continue to democratize illiteracy.

The governor who explained the reason for hiring additional 13, 000 teachers after building model secondary schools across the state said that his administration wanted teachers who have passion to impact knowledge and who are properly trained adding “the13,000 new teachers cannot be straight jacketed, it must be viewed from economic, political and social perspectives.”

However, the worry and concern of stakeholders in the state is the continuation of the vision and legacy Governor Amaechi has laid down as he leaves office 2015.

In a swift reaction, Amaechi said there is need to have confidence in our leaders adding that when he assumed power few years ago, his critics were like, what will this inexperienced young man do for the state, but today, the revolution in the education sector of the state speaks volumes for his achievements.

He, however, urged the people of the state to embrace and believe in anyone who will succeed him saying his successor might even surpass his achievements.

According to him, “The overall essence of the Rivers State Education Policy is to produce individuals who are sufficiently equipped to live and do business in the 21st Century globalised world.

Expanding activities Hon Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Diaspora being received by pupils of Bethel Academy, Jajo, Ikorodu during the commissioning of solar power motorized borehole at Jajo community in Ikorodu, Lagos as part of her constituency project. Photo:Lamidi Bamidele

Experts seek ways to nip hurdles of paper-based tertiary education Continues from page 27 make internet services available to all Nigerians in the not too distant time, just like it’s a commonplace in developed countries of the world.

Present at the event were the Honorable Minister of Communication Technology, Mrs. Omobola Johnson; Dr. Eugene Juwah, Executive Vice-Chairman, Nigerian Communications Commission; Abdullahi Maikano, Director/Secretary, USPF; Engr. Titi Omo-Etu, Coordinator, Broadband Expansion Programme (BbExPro) and Coach Sam Obafemi, Process Consultant, Barnabas House, among others.

Speaking to Quadlife after the three-day event tagged “Broadband Expansion Programme Business Workshop,” one of the speakers, Dr. Olunifesi Adekunle Suraj (PhD), a lecturer at the Department of Broadcasting & Communication Technology of the Lagos State University-Adebola Adegunwa School of Communication, asserted that if all or most of the targets set and solutions proffered by

experts at the event are immediately and religiously put into the scheme of things by government and other relevant agencies, every Nigerian will have easy access to the internet soonest, noting that the opportunities of this achievement cuts across the academic, industrial, agriculture and political environment.

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ccording to Suraj, “The issue of broadband is that it’s more of internet access. How can the internet be made accessible to everybody. In this age of multi-media, if the broadband is not enough, downloading something from the internet will be very difficult. Broadband also makes people using smart phones, i-pads and other various applications have easy and efficient use of the internet. This broadband majorly deals with data. So, in this age of ICT, the question is, how do you build enough broadband capacity that will handle data efficiently.

As various schools, corporate organizations and government agencies are going paperless, how do we achieve all these. This brings about the need for huge investments for

an expanded and efficient broadband capacity,” he said.

Continuing, he reiterated that “there must be a huge investment in broadband infrastructure and content to ameliorate the traffic congestions that makes accessibility to the internet tedious in Nigeria.”

He, however, raised the pertinent issue that the major problem to be encountered towards achieving this great feat is that “after these cables have been laid through the sea, how do you bring it to the landmine distribution, which has to go through urban centres, towns and villages across the country, so that everybody can have access to the internet. It is on this premise that I was called upon to talk about the business environment and content delivery. How people can invest in broadband capacity to make internet access available to all. What I did was to come up with various options, different infrastructures and content opportunities in Nigeria that people can invest in towards achieving the distribution and accessibility of internet services for all in the country.”

Speaking at the summit chairmaned by Professor Wole Soyinka, the Commissioner for Education, Dame Alice Lawrence-Nemi said; “ The main objective of the summit was to review what has been happening in the Education Sector since 2008 and to find ways of consolidating and sustaining the achievements so far, as well as expanding activities to other key areas not yet covered."

In a communique released at the end of the summit, it was agreed that “Curriculum implementation for the revised Basic Education Curriculum will be in phases as prescribed by the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Commission (NERDC).

There is need to review the programmes of Rivers State University of Science and Technology/University of Education to be in tandem with demands of the new curriculum. Textbooks should also be restructured in line with the revised Basic Education Curriculum.

Science and Technology education should receive a boost.

Management and teacher capacity should be built through refresher courses and re-certification programmes, ie Continuous Teacher Development. All new teachers soon to be injected into the school system will be inducted to be able to grapple with demands of classroom teaching.

Quality Assurance shall be given the expected impetus through the activities of the Quality Assurance Agency of the state.

Efforts will be made to redress all forms of disparities in learning outcomes due to gender, location and socio-economic background etc. More programmes and facilities will be put in place to ensure that persons with special needs benefit maximally from mainstream education in the state. Faith-based organisations to be involved in values re-orientation of pupils/students.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, APRIL 4, 2013 — 29

Chevron donates autocad studio to YABATECH

BY IKENNA ASOMBA

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N its effort towards promoting advanced engineering training in the country, Chevron Nigeria Limited, last week, donated an AutoCAD studio with modern equipment and software to the School of Engineering, Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH).

The studio is equipped with 21 computers with software accessories and facilities for engineering drawing and computer-aid-

ed designs in support of the college's modern teaching and learning techniques.

Welcoming the Chevron team, led by its General Manager, Nigerian Content Development, Mr. R. Wilcox, the Rector, YABATECH, Dr. (Mrs.) Margaret Kudirat Ladipo, lauded Chevron’s gesture, adding that its purpose was to drive the standard of teaching and learning in the college along contemporary trends.

She said that the studio will

Dr. Margaret Kudirat Ladipo, YABATECH Rector (5th right); Mr. R. Wilcox, General Manager, Nigerian Content Development, Chevron Nigeria Limited, and other members of management shortly after the hand-over of the AutoCAD studio. provide the opportunity for the students to acquire the requisite computer skills and knowledge that would enable them hold their own in a progressively dy-

namic and competitive technological environment.

The College, she said, provided structural rehabilitation of the studio as well as electrical net-

working to demonstrate its commitment to the laudable project with the hope that it will herald a new dawn of collaborative partnership.

According to her, “l look forward to a bright future that would see a greater number of our graduates finding ready and useful employment at Chevron after passing through relevant courses tailored for this purpose” She added that this is of paramount importance for the achievement of Federal Government's Vision 20:20:20 and Transformation Agenda in the need for the nation’s tertiary institutions to produce graduates with skills and competencies relevant to the socio-economic and technological development of the Nigerian society.

Group donates to physically challenged

BY DAYO OJERINDE (NYSC, Nasarawa State)

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STUDENT group at the Adekunle Ajasin University, Corporate Swaggz International (CSI), has donated to the School of Physically Challenged in Ikare-Akoko, Ondo State, as part of its effort to give back to the society.

The donations include waste bins and parkers, bags of rice, packs of noodles, toiletries, clothes, biscuits and drinks.

Speaking on the idea behind the donation, the team leader, CSI-AAUA, Toyosi Ayeleso, a 500 level Law student said, “this initiative was only one of many other charity works done by the team, as Team CSI is not just about showbiz but social responsibility too.”

While receiving the team, the representative of the school, Mr. Abubakar thanked the group for remembering the physically challenged. He challenged well meaning Nigerians not to forget the physically challenged members of the society.

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30 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, APRIL 4, 2013

Expert calls for re-introduction of history as core subject

BY HAMMED HAMZAT, UI

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HE first female Senior Ad vocate of Nigeria (SAN), Chief (Mrs.) Folake Solanke, has charged stakeholders to reintroduce history as a core subject in primary and secondary schools, as this will engender inter-ethnic relations and coexistence amongst the

different ethnic groups in the country.

Solanke made this charge while speaking at the presentation of a book entitled: The dynamics of intergroup relations in Nigeria since 1960 by the Department of History, University of Ibadan, in honour of Professor Obaro Ikime, who was former Head of the Depart-

ment.

According to her, history has lost its status in Nigeria, therefore, the need for its reintroduction into the nation’s education curricula.

“The re-introduction of history as a core subject in our education curricula will enable students of this generation to know and appreciate those that have

contributed immensely to the progress of our dear country.”

The book, which explored the major dynamics of intergroup relations among people, is a compendium of 24 scholars. Professor Ikime was described as the father of inter-group relations in Nigeria; little wonder Professor Ikime’s PhD thesis focused on Niger-Delta crisis amongst ethnic groups in the region and the influence of Europe.

*Corporate Swaggz International (CSI)Team of the Adekunle Ajasin University with inmates of the School of Physically Challenged in Ikare-Akoko, Ondo State

BY ABUTU AGADA, UNN

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ANAGEMENT, staff and students of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu State, are in a state of mourning following the death of world renowned literary icon, Prof. Chinua Achebe.

Consequently, the Faculty of Arts of the institution has opened a condolence register for students, staff and well wishers of the literary colossus at the faculty building.

In his tribute, Vice-Chancellor of the University, Prof. Bartho Okolo described Achebe as “one of the academic titans whose presence on the faculty served as a beacon of light that drew the world to the University of Nigeria.

“The University of Nigeria commiserates with his family, the global literary and academic communities and all mankind on the loss of our distinguished former faculty member.”

The chief principal officer opined that as part of preparations to honour Achebe, flags in the university will fly at half-mast while UNN will unfold a programme to honour C M Y K

UNN mourns Achebe him.

Dr. Chijioke Onwura, Associate dean of the faculty posed a rhetoric question in his tribute when he asked, “finally, the eagle on the Iroko departs.

What happens to the Iroko?”

Students, not to be outdone by their lecturers also had one or two things to write about Chinua Achebe. Ukoenang Linus, president of Mass Communication Students Association, said; “Nigeria has lost a ‘truth teller’ and the stu-

dents will miss his academic prowess and skills. May he rest in peace.”

It will be recalled that Professor Achebe was a lecturer at the Faculty of Arts, UNN, where he still has an office till date. He however, left the country after an auto accident which confined him to the wheel chair.

10 make first class as AAUA graduates 5,497

BY DAYO OJERINDE, AAUAA

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en out of the 5,497 students that graduated in the 2009/2010 and 2011/ 2012 sessions of the Adekunle Ajasin University, AkungbaAkoko (AAUAA), Ondo State, bagged first class.

Addressing journalists before the convocation ceremony, the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Femi Mimiko, gave the break down of the graduating students as follows: 4,874 will receive first degree, 292 will be conferred with post-graduate diploma, 327 will get master's degree and four will go home

with PhD. Of the 4,874 to obtain first degree, 10 are in first class category, 343 second class upper, 3,294 second class lower, 693 third class and 34 pass.

One unique feature in the 4th AAUA convocation ceremony was the delivery of the convocation lecture in Yoruba language by an eminent professor from the University of Ibadan, Akinwumi Isola.

Also, the choice of the honorary awardees was different as three eminent achievers - Bishop Bolanle Gbonigi, retired bishop of the Anglican Communion of Akure Diocese; Professor Toyin Falola,

a distinguished professor of African Studies; and Major General Olufemi Olutoye (rtd), a former member of the Supreme Military Council and also a former federal commissioner, were honoured.

In his address, the visitor to the university, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko gave kudos to the university for running an uninterrupted academic calendar for the three sessions. Dr. Mimiko also lauded the efforts of the university management for the different developmental projects going on in the school, part of which he commissioned before he left.

Students’ Union inaugurates freshmen

BY PHILIP OKORODUDU, DELSU

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HE National Association of Urhobo Students (NAUS), Delta State University (DELSU), Oleh campus, has inaugurated its new executive to pilot the affairs of the union in the 2012/2013 academic session, even as it welcomed newly admitted students into its fold.

In an elaborate ceremony that was well attended by old and new students of Urhobo extraction, the immediate past President of the association, Igbighogho Ernest, a 500 level Law student, who is now the national president of the association, crowned the new student and handed over to him and his new executives, all documents related to the association.

CCF students mark end of tenure with concert

BY OLASUNKANMI AROWOLO, LASU

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N line with activities marking its one year end of tenure, the executive members of the Communication Christian Fellowship (CCF) of the Lagos State University-Adebola Adegunwa School of Communication, last Tuesday, brought together students, teaching and non-teaching staff, gospel artistes, dramatists and cleric to celebrate with them in a concert tagged: Touching Heaven, Changing AASOC. In his welcome address, President of CCF, Moses Imohi, commended the Dean of the Faculty, Prof. Lai Oso, teaching and non-teaching staff and student members for their onerous support for the association through out his tenure.

In his message, the invited guest preacher, Rev. Tunji Babajide, admonished the students to “always rely on God Almighty not only in times of need, but also in times of happiness and greatness.”

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HIV, cancer: Bee venom to the rescue

By EBELE ORAKPO with Agency Reports

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CIENTISTS have discovered that apart from pollinating crops, producing honey, beeswax , propolis, pollen and royal jelly, bees could also be the solution to the deadly Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and cancer.

Recently, a team of scientists at the Washington University School of Medicine, USA, used nanoparticles carrying a toxin found in bee venom to destroy HIV without harming nearby cells.

The report was contained in the current issue of Antiviral Therapy.

Explaining the modus operandi, Dr. Samuel A. Wickline, one of the researchers said; “Bee venom contains a potent toxin called melittin that can poke holes in the protective envelope that surrounds HIV and other viruses. It has even shown melittin-loaded nanoparticles to be effective in killing tumor cells."

In an interview with Van-

guard in Ibadan recently, Mr. Ayodele Salako, an apiculturist (beekeeper), corroborated the assertion of the researchers.

“The bee sting is very medicinal. A bee keeper who is stung by a bee every now and then, will not complain of any ailment because the bees have taken those things away from you by enhancing your immunity. That is one of the best works of bee venom.”

He demonstrated this by administering bee venom therapy on some people with pains in various parts of the body like the waist, hands and knees. All recipients said the pains stopped after a few minutes.

Comparing the bee venom and other anti-HIV drugs, Joshua L. Hood, another researcher said “most anti-HIV drugs inhibit the virus’s ability to replicate. But this anti-replication strategy does nothing to stop initial infection, and some strains of the virus have found ways around these drugs and reproduce anyway. The bee venom toxin is different because it attacks an essential part of the virus’ structure.

The melittin forms little pore-like

attack complexes and ruptures the envelope, stripping it off the virus.

“We are attacking an inherent physical property of HIV, ” said Hood, "and there isn’t any way for the virus to adapt to that. The

virus has to have a protective coat, a double-layered membrane that covers it," so if the covering is destroyed, the virus is destroyed.

"Because the bee venom toxin has been engineered not to

attack healthy cells, a vaginal gel loaded with bee venom particles, could be ideal for couples where one partner has HIV and they want to have a baby," the report said, adding; "It’s also theoretically possible that intravenous injections of the nanoparticles would be able to clear HIV from the blood stream, a virtual miracle for those who have tested positive."

No excuse for unemployment — NYSC Co-ordinator charges corpers

BY DARE ADEKOYA, Batch A Corps member, Lagos

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HE Lagos State Coordinator for National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Mrs. Adenike Adeyemi has charged the 2013 Batch A corps members to utilise the opportunity given them to acquire requisite vocational skills that will make them employers of labour rather than fervent job seekers, even as she warned that they have no excuse to be unemployed after their one year compulsory youth service.

Adeyemi who made this

charge in one of the Skills Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development Programmes (SAED) organised to empow-

er youth corps members, noted that it is geared towards helping them acquire vocational skills that will help them contribute to national development.

“There is no excuse for anyone of you to complain of unemployment after your one year compulsory service to your fatherland, as government has put in place the NYSC scheme to help talent-

ed graduates via planned programs of actions like SAED. In the SAED programme, we have skills acquisition, training, job search centre, ICT training powered by Microsoft and a host of others.”

On her part, the Lagos NYSC SAED Coordinator, Mrs. Rachel Adaewoh, said the scheme is determined to help corps members develop their potentials to the fullest during their service year. “Youth corps members are enjoined to embrace the programme so as to become better skilled professionals alongside their course of study,” she admonished.

36 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, APRIL 4, 2013

TICs bridging research, industry gap —Mohammed Jibrin DR.Mohammed Jibrin is the Director, Technology Incubation Centre, Kano and also Co-ordinator of the National Board for Technology Incubation for the North-West.

In this chat with Vanguard Learning recently, the civil engineer who had his first, second and third degrees from the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, speaks on the concept of technology incubation centres in Nigeria and says it is all about closing the gap between research and industry. Excerpts:

By EBELE ORAKPO

WHY technology incubation?

According to Dr. Jibrin, “Technology incubation is an integrated programme initiated by the Federal Government under the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology in collaboration with state governments and entrepreneurs. The whole idea is to identify researches that are targetdriven and specifically needed for the development of Nigeria so they can be initiated to become new knowledge-driven sustainable businesses. The mandate of the programme is to commercialise researches from our universities and research institutions so that knowledge-driven businesses can evolve. This will discourage unnecessary importation of what our talents can produce. So it's about closing the gap between research and industry.”

Technology incubation He said the programme started in 1993 with the establishment of the Lagos Technology Incubation Centre at Agege, followed by the Kano centre in 1994 in appreciation of the progress recorded by the Lagos centre.

“Today, we have 27 technology incubation centres around the country and the target is to ensure that each state of the federation has one centre plus a model technology incubation centre to be sited in Abuja. Memoranda of understanding were signed with numerous organisations to ensure that this technologybased entrepreneurship is taken to various corners so as to create jobs, wealth and reduce poverty.

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The first MoU was signed with the National Universities Commission and National Board for Technical Education to create institutional-based centres so that researches in the universities can be commercialised within the proximity of the initiators,” he said.

The Process: “If a prospective entrepreneur has an idea and wants to be incubated, he will put his proposal in writing together with the technical and business plans for consideration by the management of the centre and if it is analysed and found to be proactive, then he will be admitted.

For the first six months as a preincubatee, the ideas will be reanalysed, business plan re-articulated and technical plan redesigned in such a way that benefits will be derived.

The entrepreneur will stay in the centre for three years learning how to translate his ideas into reality. At the end of three years, he will be required to graduate into the technology park. While at the centre, the entrepreneur enjoys all the facilities such as operating space, utilities, security, workshop equipment, quality assurance laboratory, marketing, technical/business support, market research etc. These are aimed at ensuring that the cost of production is brought to the barest minimum as the entrepreneur produces and sells his products and use his savings at the end of his stay to get additional equipment or relocate outside the technology park if he so wishes.“ He noted that there are four classes of incubation viz - Preincubation(for the actualisation of the ideas); full residence incubation during which the entre-

*Dr. Mohammed Jibrin...It's easy to create jobs in Nigeria preneur is required to stay in the centre; extended/ virtual incubation where for one reason or the other, the entrepreneur cannot move to the TIC so he is provided with extended services; then post-incubation during which he is monitored in the technology park or any other place of his choice after leaving the centre.

He said the programme is highly subsidised.

Success: "The programme has recorded tremendous success as quite a number of the graduates are now occupying fully-owned

factory buildings, employing numerous dealers, sub-dealers and distributorship. And the idea of technology parks which is the graduate’s destination is being sold to state governments and quite a number of them have taken up the idea of providing technology parks so that the graduating entrepreneurs can comfortably relocate and the synergy being enjoyed at the centres will continue," he stated.

Jibrin said the Kano centre has been concentrating on fabrication of agro-allied and food pro-

cessing equipment as Kano is an agrarian state so they are paying attention to what is happening in the farm. “The time has come for us to simplify the problems encountered by farmers. We should dissuade farmers from using human muscles to solve their problems in the farm because that will lead to low output. So we encourage our entrepreneurs and universities to give us designs in respect of agric processing equipment.”

The Hammer mill: “One of our products is the hammer mill, a crop residue crushing machine. These are raw materials that can be used by the industry for production of ceiling boards, doors, windows and particle boards. On the other hand, it could serve as feed for animals.

But by the virtue of the fact that it cannot be processed in that part of the country, it is being wasted as the animals cannot even consume 30 per cent of it, so for that reason, the machine was fabricated and developed and is now into operation. Farmers having realised the value are really buying it and it has made most cattle rearers to stay in one place since the feed can be made available to the cattle in one place. Also this will settle the issue of cattle destroying farmlands and farmers clashing with cattle rearers.Cattle should not be left to scavenge if they are required to produce good quantity of meat or milk," he said, adding; " One interesting thing is that as a result of this machine, hundreds of jobs have been created and with the campaign of sensitisation the centre has embarked upon, quite a number of people are coming to place orders and the task before the entrepreneurs now is how to meet demand. We have other related fabrications like rice processor, fertiliser granulator etc."

Stakeholders blame students’ performance on absence of public libraries

BY JOSEPHINE IGBINOVIA

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HE absence of functional public libraries across the country has been identified as a key reason for the continued decline in the general performance of students in SSCE, UTME and various examinations in Nigeria over the years.

Asserting this claim at a recent reading competition between secondary students in Lagos State, stakeholders in the education and nonprofit social service sectors lamented the deplorable state of library services in the country, reiterating that the generation which produced the likes of Chinua Achebe and Wole Soyinka had functional and accessible public libraries.

Speaking at the event organised by Rotary International District 9110 in commemoration of Rotary’s Literacy Week, Kayode Aderinokun, former chairman, Association of Nigerian Authors and Chairman, Book Project Committee, Rotary District 9110, emphasised the need for a better articulated focus from government at various levels as he also noted the importance of private sector support.

“Government has a very huge role in this,

especially in the formulation of policies. Look at the budget for example; the amount allocated for defence is outrageously far above what is allocated for education! This, however, does not undermine the relevance of the support of the private sector. In countries like the United States, the contribution of the private sector to educational development far exceeds that of government,” he said.

According to Rotarian Kamoru Omotosho, Governor, Rotary District 9110, with the dearth of public libraries, students have adjusted to the patronage of film adaptation of certain books, thereby sabotaging unconsciously their imaginative and creative abilities. “With films taking the place of books, we find young people becoming lazy and more relaxed. Their imaginations are not challenged because they do not have to put in any effort into understanding what they are watching, whereas, reading stimulates imagination and helps bring the best out of them.”

Bolstering the views of the Rotarians, Principal, Nigeria Model High School, Dr. Kunle Labinjo, who affirmed that public libraries eased educational needs in the past, called on all stakeholders, including parents, to prioritise the restoration of the reading culture for the benefit of the nation’s development.

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TRANEX donates relief materials to home

BY DAYO ADESULU

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S part of its corporate social responsibility, members of staff of TRANEX Courier recently visited Modupe Cole Memorial Child Care Home School, Akoka to identify with the less privileged children and the physically challenged.

Speaking at the presentation of assorted gifts to the school, the Human Resource Person, TRANEX Plc, Mr. Steve Ogar said; “In fulfillment of our line up of activities for 2013, we hereby present this token for the benefit of the pupils of Modupe Cole Memorial Child Care Home School.”

According to him, over the years, TRANEX has extended similar gestures to other homes, orphanages, schools, etc.

Asked why Modupe Cole Memorial Child Care Home School was chosen amongst other schools in Lagos, Ogar said since it was part of their programme for 2013, he googled the schools in Lagos and after going through the history of the school and what they do, the company decid-

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ed to choose Modupe Cole Memorial Child Care Home School founded in 1960 by the late Mrs Modupe Cole.

Overwhelmed by the kind gesture of TRANEX, the recipient of the gifts, Special Teacher, Mr. Adeife Michael who spoke on behalf of the Vice-Principal (Administration), Mrs Florence Kayode, thanked TRANEX for the laudable gesture, adding that it will go a long way to alleviate the sufferings of the peop l e .

Adeife who gave a brief history of the school said; “The late Mrs Modupe Cole founded it in 1960 when she ran it as a non-governmental organisation.

However, in 1976, we partnered with the Lagos State Government. However, before the founder died in 1980, her major aim was to care for the less privileged and the physically challenged. It was established to change the attitude of people towards physically challenged children and to equip them with skills to make life meaningful.

Adeife who pointed out

the need for more accommodation in the school said; it is because "the intake is more, we have 350 students made up of boarders and day students.”

Because of the peculiarity of the students, Adeife noted that they are taught using both verbal and gestures and a lot

of repetition.

However, he explained that for those who can cope academically, “ we have a school for them as we operate the same curriculum with other schools. We have computer department and training centre, we have home economics department, also, we have

sewing and laboratory under the training class.” According to him, the oldest in the physically challenged department who still wears pampers is 59 years old adding; “he was brought here and abandoned at age six and ever since, Modupe Cole Home has been responsible for his upbringing.”

Council boss calls for increased budgetary allocation to education sector •Partners financial institution on quiz/debate competition

BY OLASUNKANMI AKONI

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HAIRMAN of Ifako-Ijaye Local Government Area, Oloruntoba Oke, has stressed the need for government at all levels to increase budgetary allocation to the nation’s education sector.

According to him, the move became necessary since the growth and development of every country largely depends on the knowledge acquired by the youths who are the leaders of tomorrow.

Oke made the call at the flag-off of the maiden quiz and debate competition jointly sponsored by the local government and Diamond Bank, Plc, for pupils in both public and private schools

in the council area.

He explained that the competition, which will have about 500 participating schools was put in place to inculcate reading culture as well as create healthy rivalry among youths in the local government so that they can contribute their quota to the development of the area..

Oke noted that the council also intends to use the event to foster peace among students and youths within the council area.

“The competition is intended to create robust rivalry, promote better understanding, cooperation amongst schools and students in the council area and more importantly, create a platform for mental test and showcase academic capability amongst pupils,” Oke declared.

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20,000 Indomie kids celebrate birthday with Easter funfair

BY DAYO ADESULU

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O fewer than 20,000 Indomie Children Fan Club celebrated their birthday with funfair at Easter as they converged at the National Arts Theatre, Iganmu, Lagos.

Speaking at the occasion, Head, Public Relations and Event, Dufil Prima Foods Plc, Mr. Tope Ashiwaju said the programme is an annual Indomie quarterly birthday party

designed for children born between January and March hosted nationwide. ”Today is the birthday celebration mixed with the Easter funfair. We have close to 20,000 kids in today’s programme and like I said, it’s a nation-wide programme and all together, we will be celebrating with close to 50,000 kids.

It’s happening in Lagos, Abuja, Benin, Ibadan, Akure and Abeokuta.”

It’s a week-long programme and we move the

location of the event everyday because there is no way we can bring everyone together in one place because of the distance, so we take it to other locations to ensure that we cater for everybody.

The programme, Ashiwaju added, is a way of relaxation for kids because apart from school and home, it is an opportunity to mix up and see what other kids are doing in terms of expressing themselves and recreation.

According to him, the whole objective is to bring kids together to celebrate their birthdays with them because these are children born between January and March and also to celebrate Easter with them.

His words; “We partner with schools most especially because of kids who belong to the Indomie Fan Club. We are always there for them and the birthday celebration is also a value added to being a member of the Indomie Fan Club.

The children here today are all going to go home with goody bags, noodles and drinks and its not the first time we are doing this. The quarterly birthday party is not the only thing we do for kids, there are other activities throughout the year.

Student invents power generator from urine

BY LAJA THOMAS

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STUDENT of AviCenna International School, Ikeja GRA, Lagos, Gbenga Bamidele Joseph, has invented a urinepowered generator that capable of generating six hours of 300-voltage electricity.

Explaining the procedure at a science fair last

week, Joseph said he had picked up the project because it is creative and an alternative source of energy that is in vogue around the world.

“The urine, through a cell device, is converted into hydrogen gas and nitrogen. Both are again separated by a water filter and pushed into a gas cylinder for storage. A liq-

uid bora removes the moisture, and then it changes to dry hydrogen gas that is pushed to the generator as fuel.” Joseph said.

The science teacher and science coordinator for AviCenna International School, Mr. Adefowope Adesanya, who said the procedure was simpler than imagined, added “You know that urine is a

Leso-Rond Schools boss counsels on physical exercises

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HE Proprietress of Leso-Rond Schools, Mrs. Eyiwunmi Oyeyinka, has described physical exercises as antidote to cardiovascular disease as well as childhood and adult obesity which are fast becoming a great concern.

Speaking at the school’s 6th bi-annual inter-house sports competition, Oyeyinka said frequent exercises boost the immune system and help prevent cardiovascular diseases, childhood and

adultobesity.

“To show how important exercise is, healthcare providers call it the miracle or wonder drug due to the various benefits it provides. Therefore, there is the need for parents to expose their wards to sporting activities.”

Noting that those who excel in sports have become celebrities the world over, Oyeyinka added that sports have become a unifying factor in Nigeria and also make us forget our individual differences.

chemical which contains urea and hydrogen. All we needed to do was to make hydrogen come out of urine and send it to the fuel tank to be used to ignite the engine. Hydrogen is the fuel for the future.”

Joseph was one of about 150 young scientists that showcased different projects at the science fair themed: Beyond your horizon 2013.

Shobande Tirenioluwa, a Year 7 pupil, made a remote controlled helicopter using cardboard, plastic, small electric motor, three low emission device (LED) light bulbs (for landing), remote sensors and a wireless directional remote control.

Another scientist, Precious Ufomadu, a Year 10 student, discovered a valuable alternative energy source from trash (manure) to methane gas (fuel), while Jefferson Agbebaku made a mini-turbine or hydroelectric generator capable of 2.16-voltage.

Success energizer W

HAT could spell the difference between winning and losing? What makes work fun rather than drudgery? What is so contagious and yet people feel good infected by it? What makes a life interesting rather than a drab? What makes a personality appealing rather than appalling? What gives energy to life rather than sapping the zest out of life? What is so expressive and also interesting? What can wade through defeat after defeat and come out unperturbed having the staying power until success becomes a reality? Enthusiasm is the key that unlocks the answers to these questions.

Enthusiasm is faith in action; it is living life with depth of joy and excitement on the platform of optimism. Enthusiasm is a state of mind that is expressive in one’s disposition. Enthusiasm is one of the most important assets that a salesman possesses. Everybody is in the business of selling; we are either selling products or services; ideas or even our personality. Enthusiasm is one of the vital keys of persuasion; what you say; the manner and tone with which you say it; what you do and what you think must harmonize with an indepth sincerity and belief if you want people to buy into your way of thinking or ideas, products and services and your personality. Enthusiasm is stirred up within when you hold consistently in mind the vision of your future with a workable plan to get there.

Enthusiasm does not focus on the pains of the past neither the pressures of the present, rather, it focuses on the gains of the future. A purposeless person is a morose soul; aimlessness stabs enthusiasm. Enthusiasm thrives and blossoms when it is fed with a definite aim or purpose that drives you day and night.

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he big question is; how can a vibrant life and enthusiasm be developed? As mentioned earlier, you must have a purpose for which you are living; an aim in life which you want to accomplish and goals that will lead you to accomplish your purpose. Write down your purpose and your goals. Read it aloud at night before going to sleep and allow your imagination to develop the mental image or equivalent of what is desired. Mix this visualization process with faith and “see” yourself receiving or possessing what you desire. Remember, consistency is the key. When your subconscious mind is impressed with your dominant desire, it will translate it into reality.

As the body is energized and revitalized by daily physical diet so must enthusiasm be nourished to sustain the vibrancy of life.

Enthusiasm is maintained when we are engaged in an occupation that we love; an occupation that taps into our potentials. Work becomes drudgery when we are engaged in an occupation that we hate. When you love your work, you do not watch out for a clock; work becomes enjoyable no matter how long you stay at it. Therefore, if you are not presently doing what you love, you must make plans and prepare yourself to be engaged in a work that you love best so that you can create or seize opportunities at the right time.

Associating with people who are optimistic will help you maintain yours because enthusiasm is contagious. Pessimistic people are like wet blankets who dampen and put out the “fire” of enthusiasm and they should be avoided.

When you serve others in a helpful manner; life has meaning; you are aware that you matter in life and you are easing the burden of someone. Therefore, you have joy because you are a solution to somebody and that keeps your enthusiasm stirred up.

Good clothes boost your confidence level and make you feel good about yourself and spark enthusiasm. Shabby clothes downgrade your feeling of importance and turn off enthusiasm.

To energize success, maintain an enthusiastic attitude.

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Corporate Nigeria in centenary celebration PLANS for the 100 birthday celebration of Nigeria as a corporate entity have kicked off and corporate Nigeria is deeply involved in it.

BY JUDITH UFFORD, FEATURES EDITOR

L-r: Former President Olusegun Obasanjo, former Head of State, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, former Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon, former President Shehu Shagari, former Head of State, General Abalami Abubakar, Vice President Namadi Sambo and President Goodluck Jonathan at the exhibition of past Leaders during the flag-off of the Centenary celebration in Abuja.

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Political entity It was a dinner and there was laughter amidst dining and clinking of glasses. Historically, the southern and northern protectorates were united under a single administrative and political entity on January 1, 1914 under British colonial rule. It is this epoch event that the government has lined up a series of activities to celebrate and has given the private sector the task of funding.

From the outset, the government had said it would not be financially involved in celebrating the 100th anniversary of the founding of Nigeria but that the private sector would fund it.

Earlier, at the unveiling of the project on February 4 at the Presidential Villa in which all former living heads of state, except Ibrahim Babangida were

present, it was corporate Nigeria that bankrolled the event. At that occasion, Jonathan had declared that “the amalgamation of 1914 was not a mistake but an act of God to create a a unique entity of called Nigeria, a beautiful country richly blessed and which had turned out innovative people across the world.” Therefore, the dinner for chief executive officers of major Nigerian companies hosted by Jonathan on Thursday, March 14, Jonathan opined that the support of corporate Nigeria was crucial to the successful hosting of the year-long activities marking the centenary celebrations.

Coopers had been appointed financial consultants for the project. Anyim noted that frontline advertising agency, DDB, Lagos had been appointed the official marketer of the centenary activities while Sterling Partnership was appointed the legal consultant.

“The entire celebration is planned to be investment driven such that nobody should put in a kobo without getting value for it”, he said.

Okonjo-Iweala assured that government was taking necessary steps through the formulation of appropriate

Jonathan emphasised that the involvement of the private sector in the project was a demonstration of his government’s confidence in the sector

,

HEY were there: Mrs Folorunsho Alakija of Famfa Petroleum, Reginald Ihejiahi of Fidelity Bank, Segun Agbaje of GT Bank, Aig Aig-Imokhuede and many others. Aliko Dangote and Mike Adenuga Jr. sent representatives. It was a national call and they obliged President Goodluck Jonathan, who had sent an invitation to chief executive officers of major Nigerian companies to come to the Presidential Villa, Abuja, to further talk about the centenary celebration of the amalgamation of Nigeria.

On the government side, President Goodluck Jonathan led the table. Secretary to the Federal Government, Anyim Pius Anyim and coordinating minister of the economy, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, were present, alongside other ministers and high-ranking government functionaries.

The president emphasised that the involvement of the private sector in the project was a demonstration of his government’s confidence in the sector. He added that the Federal Government wishes to commemorate the 100 anniversary of the amalgamation of Nigeria in 1914, with the development of a new city in Abuja to be called “Abuja Centenary City”.

He disclosed that beside the centenary city, which would provide all the facilities that Nigerians travel out of the country to enjoy abroad, unity squares.

In his remarks, Anyim said that the production of the Centenary city’s final master plan was at advanced stage while foremost consultants, Price Waterhouse

,

policies to ensure that the discernable growth in the private sector would be sustained.

Anyim, whose office is coordinating the project, had last January while briefing members of the House of Representatives on the centenary project, said the project would create a total of 15, 000 jobs even with the government not putting one naira. “With the support of and active participation of the private sector, the centenary celebration will provide 5,000 jobs directly and more than 10,000 jobs indirectly.

“We must celebrate because our unity is the common symbol of our collective existence that has put the nation on the path of development and potential global ascendancy,” he had said.

Documents on the centenary

project reveal that till January 1, 2014, activities have been lined up to make the celebration a memorable one. These activities would involve Nigerians at home and in the Diaspora; corporate organizations in Nigeria and abroad; and friends of Nigeria from across the world.

Besides Abuja, the nation’s capital, the celebration is expected to hold in all state capitals, some historic towns and cities in Nigeria and in other cities around the world.

The project is anchored on three main pillars centred around the enduring legacy initiative, commemorative projects and the history and heritage programme.

The enduring legacy initiative is a collective name for a number of specially selected initiatives.

These are needs-driven, socially impacting projects and events designed around strategic national institutions/assets and or local communities in each state of the federation.

Existing projects New projects and restoration/ rehabilitation of existing projects in communities will focus on such projects as a new Abuja City Gate, Abuja Centenary City, Unity Squares recommended in every state capital, a medical diagnostic centre in each geo-political zone; ICT Centres in all the universities that are yet to have one, modern libraries in six universities (one in each geo-political zone); science laboratories in six universities, one in each geopolitical zone; building/ Renovation of Sports Facilities, one in each of the Federal Universities in the country; and

upgrade and naming/renaming of historical sites in the country.

The commemorative aspect of the centenary project began in February 2013 and will reach its peak in the centenary month of January 2014 and end with independence celebration on October 1, 2014. It will involve official flag-off by the president, military and para-military parades, music and fireworks, special legislative sessions and unity rallies in all state capitals and Abuja.

Others include Special Centenary Prayers (Christian/ Muslim); Exhibitions, Symposia, Youth and Children Programmes; Women-Related Programmes; Programs for the Physicallychallenged; Awards among other activities.

Centenary celebration The history and heritage programme, which is the third component of the centenary celebration, according to the organizers, draws out the nation’s soul for the world to see and creates a new understanding of Nigeria’s history, strengthened by art and culture.

This component is expected to feature art exhibitions, literary festivals, essay competitions; photo exhibition, festivals and carnivals, a film festival; presentation of some of Nigeria’s landmark plays; re-enactments of Nigeria’s story through captivating poetry and an interpretation of Nigeria’s globally acknowledged music; and acknowledgement of the exploits of young people, through sports, science, inventions and literature.

40 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, APRIL 4, 2013

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HE self esteem and the total confidence must be there. You must believe in yourself because you must do things for yourself before you can do it for your children. A woman that is not well placed cannot do anything for herself, her children or others in the society. So, for me, the key word is that we should educate women. There are different ways to do this. Everything is not about formal education. Let government help women to set up enough training institutes.

Build affordable shop where women can learn and trade, no matter how small.

•Mrs. Henrietta Onwujei Okonkwo, Managing Director, Buchees.

Sade Alli: Women have been left alone for a long time and I think we need to stand up and actually grab what is required from us. But before we can do that there is an adage that says ‘when you educate a woman, you are educating a whole nation’ Therefore, the basis of everything we are going to discuss should be on education because when you learn something, it becomes a part of you and nobody can take it away from you.

Let us look at how we can give education equally to a girl child as well as to a boy child. When a girl gets training then she will know what her rights are and she will be able to stand up and say ‘this is my right’ and be able to claim it.

Shola Oladeinbo: Education is either formal or informal.

Formal is the one you get from school while the informal is the one you get from your mum at home and if the mum is not up to the task then this can create a problem for the girl child. You must build confidence in your girl child.

She should know how to do the right thing at the right time.

Whatever you teach her from the beginning is what she takes along with her when she gets to school and starts getting along with her teachers and peers. I know a lot of women now who say that when they graduated from school, they were unable to get something to do. Most of the female graduates we have now are unemployable graduates. They are just there, they don’t have anything upstairs. They have the papers but please put them to test and they can’t do anything. I believe that for a girl who knows how to turn N5 into N15 while in school, after school, such a girl will never be unemployed. These are areas mothers should look at. As mothers, we have a lot of work to do.

Moderator: In a previous discussion, one of the challenges of parenting was that women now have to leave their home and children to work and contribute to the upkeep of the family. Dr. Alli, your work must be demanding of your time as a medical doctor. How far is this true?

Sade Alli: As a medical professional and a mother, in my place of work, I let everyone realize that I am a mother and that my family comes first. If I become a successful woman and not a successful mother then I am nobody. Being a mother also does not make me lag behind in my place of work.

Spending time with the family I am very good at my work and I give any duties assigned to me my utmost best. As parents, we should be good role models to our children. Children normally follows their parents footsteps and most times, what they see are often more than what they hear.

As a mother, you must have time for your family in whatever you do, whether as a business

•Mrs. Idera OshinusiMartins: Business Woman, Politician.

c i r f A g n i r e w o Emp e r e f f i D a e k to ma

•Mrs. Funmilayo Adesegun, Wife of the Deputy Governor, Ogun State.

,

ON Tuesday, we published the first part of this roundtable in which the discussants said the women have neglected their roles as mothers and should be alive to theiir responsibilities. Today, we publish the concluding part of the roundtable

A woman that is not well placed cannot do anything for herself

,

woman or civil servant. Create time in order to spend time with your family.

Ajike Osanyin: For you to be successful as a parent, it takes a lot of sacrifice. We cannot say that because we want to work, we will not have children and because we want to have children, we will not work. We all want to love our children but love is not sweet on an empty stomach, therefore, we must go out and work.

You cannot just do anything or any kind of job because parenting demands sacrifices and the only dignity you have as a woman is because you are financially okay.

All those women that married for economic survival are the ones that usually suffer the most in their husband’s places because they have to rely on their husbands for everything.

So, the advice we should give to women is that they should choose the kind of work that will allow them to also pay attention to their homes.

Funmi Ajumobi: Talking about working hours for women, it is not only women in white collar jobs alone that are

•Prof. Tunde Babawale, Director General, CBAAC.

affected. Business women as well as market women are also affected by this. They normally leave home very early in order to beat traffic and because they do not have enough money to employ house helps, they leave their children at the mercy of neighbors who may even abuse the children. I think we also need to educate market women very well. Some of them, their children will go straight to their

•Mrs Janet Mba-Afo Publisher, Scroll Maga

stores after closing from school and they will be there until 10pm. The child does not even have time to study after school and we call that training a child? The only thing that parent is teaching that child is how to sell in the market and that is not the most important thing in life. A child also needs home training. We need to educate women especially market women on how to train

Vanguard, THURSDAY, APRIL 4, 2013 — 41

olabi, azine.

•Dr. Sade Alli, Consultant, Physician and Cardiologist, Lagoon Hospitals. their children so that the country at large will have peace and the issue of child abuse will be reduced.

Moderator:Mrs. Oladeinbo, how well have we done in politics? What has happened to the much touted 35 percent affirmation for women?

Sola Oladeinbo: It is unfortunate that we are not

•Professor (Mrs.) Ajike Osanyin, Department of Earl Child Education, Faculty of Education, University of Lagos. even close to that figure at all.

Women are far above 50 percent in this country’s population but we are under-represented in government and you know that if you don’t have quite a sizable number of women in politics, you can hardly do anything.

That is a challenge.

Most women are not educated, some of us are lucky but we have a larger percent of women who are illiterates.

Being able to read and write

Moderator: Is there no way that you can lobby your parties to say look, there are 20 local government councils in Lagos, we want 20percent of those councils ceded to women, so, in the chosen councils, only

,

can Women ence

does not mean we can get that far. For instance, if there is an opening and we are asked to submit our CVs, if we have six men submitting their CVs, we should not have less than four women also submitting their own CVs too. There are women who can come out and contest for positions in government, they have what it takes but they don’t have money. They have great ideas but ideas without money will die. Campaigns are expensive and without money, there is nothing that can be done. Some women rely on godfathers but godfathers don’t come free of charge and only women without self esteem trade their bodies for favors.

Women should join hands and work hard to put fellow women in high position in government so that out interests will be well represented. Without good representation, we are nothing and can’t move forward.

complain that those representing us are not well read but those women who are well read are not coming into politics. If you leave things to those who don’t know anything, whatever laws they come up with, we all have to abide by it.

So I am putting it to you that if you are well read, you should come into politics.

Moderator: Dr. Alli, you are here on two counts, to enlighten us about women’s health as well as participate in the discussion. What exactly is happening to the Nigerian woman and her health status?

Suddenly, we are battling with an avalanche of diseases especially heart failure and the various forms of cancers. What is wrong here?

Shade Alli: The health issues of women is a global concern, it is not only in Nigeria.

In fact, just as every other aspect of life concerning women has been relegated to the background, so also their health. In several researches that have been conducted, the focus has been on men.

Majority of drug trials and so

We want them to give us one of the three slots for the Senate

female candidates can contest from the parties and that will ensure that only a female chairman can eventually emerge, no matter the party?

We are already trying to work out something similar to what you just described. However, rather than the councils, we are more interested in getting women into the National Assembly. We want them to give us one of the three slots for the Senate. That is where the laws are made that is where the changes can be effected. So, if this pulls through, we will have at least, one female Senator from each State of the Federation in the next general elections. We

•Mrs. Funmi Ajumobi, Kiddies Editor, Vanguard Media Limited.

time a woman will visit a doctor is when she is pregnant, therefore, we have been asked not to look at the pregnancy alone but at the woman’s heart, blood vessels, brain and so on.

We also find out that as women, we always relegate ourselves to the background so much. We are always concerned with our children, husband, marriage, work and so on. As women, we should begin to look at ourselves as the first in the family because it is the way we see ourselves that we will be addressed. If you see yourself as the last person in the family, you will be treated as the last person in the family. So, we need to stand up, we need to be affirmative and do what we need to do. We need to do a lot to ourselves concerning our health.

Henrietta Okonkwo: Talking about women’s health issues, we also need to address

,

on are on men. Men are more studied because the belief is that it is a man’s world. But globally now, the beam of light is upon women and there is a slogan that we now use ‘go red alert for women’s health’.

Body system of a woman What this means is that every time a doctor comes in contact with a woman, the doctor should make sure that everything concerning the woman, starting from her head to her heart, to her womb, cervix, breasts and so on are being examined. Just as a doctor would pay attention to every organs of a man, so also every part and body system of a woman must also be checked and taken care of.

In health, women also have various disparities concerning health problems with regards to men and also symptoms that we exhibit also differs from that of men even in the same categories of disease. We are now looking into the various differences in health issues as per the symptoms, complaint and signs, particularly with regards to women differently from a man’s angle. Again, because the only

•Mrs. Shola Oladeinbo, State Woman Leader, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). eating habits. Most women are too busy and sometimes too lazy to get fresh things for meals.

Because of the various pressures, most of us cook meals that will last for weeks and store in the freezer. This is not good for our health. Also, we are now used to getting food from eatery outlets as meals even for our children because we don’t have enough time to cook. We all know that the quality of these meals is not usually good enough. I think we need to address this. In a way, it is affecting our health status.

MODERATORS: •Dr. Gloria Chuma-Ibe: Director, Exhibitions, CBAAC •Mrs. Yetunde Arebi: Deputy Woman Editor, Vanguard Newspapers.

Photographs: Lamidi Bamidele Transcription: Tolu Falola Edited by Yetunde Arebi

42 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, APRIL 4, 2013

Delta assures flood victims of assistance

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ELTA State Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Mr. Misan Ukubenje, has assured flood victims in the state of government’s assistance.

He gave the assurance in Kwale, while flagging off the distribution of bags of fertilizer and crop seedlings to victims of the flood in Ndokwa West Local Government Area of the state.

He said Delta State Government had decided to partner the Federal Government in implementing policies that will give succour to flood victims.

Transition Committee Chairman of the council, Mr. Engri Okwaji, who was represented by the Vice Chairman, Mr. Greg Ikoko, said the gesture was aimed at empowering flood victims, who are farmers.

LCA holds two-day workshop for Lagos State judges

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AGOS Court of Ar bitration, LCA, has completed a two-day training workshop for Lagos State judges on arbitration and alternative dispute resolution in Nigeria.

Tagged The role of Judges in the ADR Process, the training in Lagos, focused on the invaluable importance and benefits of commercial arbitration and mediation in dispute resolution as opposed to litigation, which is the commonly used method in Nigeria.

Speaking at the event, President of LCA, Mr. Babajide Ogundipe, said: “There is a strong need to promote arbitration in Nigeria given the current situation in the courts and the number of years it takes to resolve cases in the courts.”

Ogundipe noted that the LCA was committed to supporting and promoting alternative dispute resolution in Nigeria through the use of the Lagos Court of Arbitration by aggrieved parties.

Mudiaga-Odje decries exclusion of Urhobo ...says it's marginalisation from FEC

BY FESTUS AHON

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G H E L L I — D E LT A State-based lawyer, Dr. Akpo Mudiaga-Odje, has decried the exclusion of the Urhobo ethnic group from the Federal Executive Council, describing the non-appointment of an Urhobo indigene as a minister in the country as gross marginalisation of the fifth largest ethnic group in Nigeria.

Odje, at Olomu, during the 25th coronation anniversary of the Ohworode of Olomu Kingdom, said the Nigeria Federation owes the Urhobo nation an apology.

He said: “Without mincing words, it is a tragedy, not for the Urhobo nation in particular, but the Nigerian nation as a whole, that a people who have been so supportive, creative, industrious, majority of whom, by the grace of God, had made their wealth and contributed to this nation, cannot be seen in the Federal Executive Council.

“I think something is wrong with this government. Even if we have some issues relating to our unity, government itself must ensure, going by section 42 of the Constitution, that there is no discrim-

ination against any particular group of people. We contribute oil and gas resources to this nation. It is not in dispute.

“The fact that we contribute means that we need a representative at the Federal Executive Council, where the resources that we produce are shared and allocated. At least, we need some-

body that will represent our interest by virtue of the fact that we contribute.

“We are not talking of demographic structure or strength, we are not talking about our population here; we are talking of our economic importance. We have Utorogun Gas Plant; Delta Steel Company; Delta Power Station, Ogorode, Sapele,

AWARD: Chief Akpos Edafevwotu, Chairman, IPMAN, Delta State (left), and Mr. Kingsley Gborhohwo(PHF), President of Rotary Club of Effurun G.R.A, during the presentation of an award to Edafevwotu by the club in Efurun, Delta State.

Rivers bans Keke-NAPEP in P-Harcourt

BY EGUFE YAFUGBORHI

P

ORT HARCOURT— RIVERS State Government has banned tricycles, better known as Keke NAPEP, in Port Harcourt, the state capital and adjoining communities.

The ban in Port Harcourt City Local Government Area also extends to Obio/Akpor, Oyigbo and Eleme areas.

Controller-General of Rivers State Road Traffic Management Authority, TIMA-RIV, Mr. Nelson Jaja, who made the announcement, yesterday, said it was to check the spate of traffic offences by the tricycle riders.

He said: “We have banned Keke operators in Port Harcourt metropolis to checkmate their criminal activities and reduce the traffic challenges posed by their activities. We don’t want to see them in prohibited areas henceforth.”

The TIMARIV boss also hinted on plans to “arrest traders, who have converted major roads in Port Harcourt to their shops. They should vacate these major roads because apart from constituting a traffic offence, it is also very risky and dangerous.”

The ban of tricycles has sparked off angry reactions from residents, who see the ban as insensitive on the part

of government.

Grace Hart, who lives at Oyigbo, said: “Since the ban of “Okada” (commercial motorbike) in Port Harcourt years back, the Keke has served as a reliable alternative for street movements in remote areas not plied by taxis. Why is government interested in frustrating the poor?”

Justus Madu of Elelenwo, argued: “When Governor Chibuike Amaechi banned Okada in Port Harcourt, he introduced city buses to cushion the effect. Nothing of the sort had been considered here.

So what does TIMARIV want those without cars to do, trek all the way?”

Edo LG Polls: Monarchs task politicians on issue-based campaigns that members of the political

BY SIMON EBEGBULEM

B

ENIN—AHEAD the April 20, local government elections in Edo State, traditional rulers from Edo North senatorial district of the state, yesterday, tasked candidates from all the political parties to base their campaigns on issues and not mudslinging and name call-

power station, and so many other things that we host.

“The economic well being of this nation is also sitting at the foundation of the Urhobo nation. Then why are we denied ministerial apponintment? We should not be punished for political misadventure or any other oversight of individual as the case may be.”

ing.

The Otaru of Igarra, in Akoko-Edo Local Government Area, HRH Oba Adeche Saiki, who briefed newsmen at his palace to herald this year’s Ubete festival, an annual festive of the kingdom, urged politicians to emulate the performances of the state governor, Mr. Adams Oshiomhole, noting

parties should back candidates that have been chosen instead of “ writing petitions against each other,” which, according to him, does not suggest good neighborliness.

He said: “It is my belief that Governor Oshiomhole's administration has created a record that anybody, who wants to come in must be able to emulate or beat the record."

Delta oil communities tasked on peace, security

BY EMMA ARUBI

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ARRI—NEWLY elected Chairman of Egbema Gbaramatu Communities Development Foundation, EGCDF, Chief Micheal Johnny, yesterday, said that it was incumbent on indigenes of the oil bearing communities in Egbema and Gbaramatu Kingdoms to ensure that the existing peace and security was sustained.

He gave the charge, yesterday, in Warri, Delta State, during the inauguration of the new executive of the foundation, noting that the various oil and gas communities in both kingdoms should desist from acts capable of causing a breach of law and order in the areas.

Johnny commended the immediate past Chairman, Mr. Edmund Doyah- Tiemo, for his achievements, assuring that the new leadership of the foundation will improve on his work by addressing the agitations of the various oil communities.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, APRIL 4, 2013— 43

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44—Vanguard , THURSDAY, APRIL 4, 2013

BY CLARA NWACHUKWU, SEBASTINE OBASI, MICHAEL EBOH & KUNLE KALEJAYE

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AGOS—OIL majors have said Nigeria’s plan to achieve four million barrels of daily oil production and 40 billion barrels in reserves by 2020, are not feasible under the new fiscal terms being proposed by the Federal Government in the Petroleum Industry Bill, PIB. The International Oil Companies, IOCs, under the auspices of Oil Producers Trade Section, OPTS, of Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, LCCI, said the suspension and lack of new invest-

Akoko Devt Group meets

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socio-economic group, Akoko Development Group, ADG, holds its first 2013 quarterly meeting on Sunday, April 7 at Pacific Comprehensive College, Fakoya Street, Off Shasha Road, Dopemu, Agege, Lagos at 10 am.

Transition

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RS.Momeyijuaghaan Mejebi (nee Amoruwa-Onofomi) alias EmughoNeghorobite, of Otujeremi, Ughelli South Local Government, Delta State, aged 101, is dead.

She died February 1, 2013.

A devout Christian, Mejebi is survived by two sisters, five children, 26 grandchildren and 36 great-grandchildren.

Late Mrs. Mejebi.

ments in the oil sector were negatively affecting the planned production increases.

During a visit to Vanguard Newspapers, led by Mrs. Lola Delano, the oil companies noted that for Nigeria to achieve the target of four million barrels of daily oil, it has to produce about 260,000 barrels daily or the equivalent of one new deepwater field every year for the next eight years.

The fact that there is no deepwater field with a capacity of 260,000/bpd and no new fields are coming on stream, make achieving the target more difficult and now compounded by the “harsh fiscal terms in the new PIB.” She said the old fields were facing constraints under current fiscal terms and might discontinue production if the PIB currently before the National Assembly is not restructured and is passed as it is.

Specifically, in the onshore arena, the team said current projects are experiencing more than 33 percent rate of decline, with about 30 percent of them or $10 billion worth of investments at risk.

They argued that the PIB terms will not enable the investments needed to sustain Joint Venture, JV, oil production, due to bunkering and insecurity, adding that the new bill will make JV fiscals extremely uncompetitive.

In other countries

In comparison with some oil producing countries, they said in Equatorial Guinea, government’s stake in the onshore/ shallow water oil is 44 percent; Ghana, Kazakhstan, Russia and United Kingdom, it is 52 percent, 61 percent, 65 percent and 68 percent, respectively.

Trinidad, UAE, Norway, Venezuela and Angola, is 73, 77, 80, 82 and 83 percent, respectively.

They argued that without new investments, production will decline by 40 percent, while production with new investments will increase by 44 percent.

On investments in deepwater,

4m/bpd by 2020 not feasible under PIB— IOCs 'We had no input in the Bill' the oil majors said it could attract $66 billion worth of investments up to 2025, and add 900,000bpd, which they argued, will impact on the broader economy in terms of Gross Domestic Product, GDP, growth and job creation.

However, with the PIB frustrating new investments, deepwater production will decline by 82 percent, they added.

They equally expressed concern about their inability to fully explore and prospect for oil compounded by inadequate duration for frontier and deepwater exploration, stringent work commitments and multiple rounds of relinquishments.

They are also worried about uncertainty sorrounding renewal of current leases, nonprotection of investments, no deepwater gas terms and the absence of royalty from the PIB. According to them, some disputes are settled unilaterally by agencies, thereby preventing access to judicial or independent arbitration.

Gas development

The OPTS team, represented

by Shell, Total, Chevron and Mobil, argued that most of the incentives being touted in the gas sector were only meant for companies producing solely for the domestic market.

“When people hear about five or 10 years tax holidays for gas, they ask, ‘So why are they complaining?’ But none of us gets any tax holidays because we are not producing solely for the Dom market,” they noted.

They added that the PIB will make the sector extremely uncompetitive, significantly re-

duce the number of viable gas projects and therefore, negatively affect the planned increase in gas production, especially in its contribution to boosting Nigeria’s power situation.

Aside from the absence of incentives, Delano said about $10 billion gas development projects are at risk, adding that Nigeria required between $50 and $60 billion to achieve 40 Giga watts by 2020, while about 16GW are currently available.

The IOCs said lack of infrastructure and inadequate pricing are two major challenges facing development of Nigeria’s gas sector.

They said: “Gas cannot be stored. Infrastructure chain needs to be in place and customers need to be able to utilise the gas immediately. Gas to power infrastructure development is still in its infancy.

“Power prices are still too low to make projects economically viable to raise the required funds for infrastructure chain.

A system that incentivises investment in gas and transportation infrastructure is required.

“Imposition of Domestic Gas Supply Obligation, DGSOs, without addressing key issues such as infrastructural deficit and low pricing will not increase gas supply needed for power generation.

“To address these issues and deliver sufficient gas for power generation, a balanced set of fiscals and prices are required.

“Government has laid out bold aspirations to optimise gas supplies, particularly for power supply and industrialisation.”

Breaking the silence

The oil majors accused the Fed-

By Bartholomew Madukwe

PEOPLE SPEAK

08102479985

eral Government of double standards as regards its attempt to reform the petroleum industry, alleging that all the fiscal proposals government is bandying about were not in the PIB. When challenged to name their terms, the oil majors explained that it would be difficult for them to dictate the terms, as this would be unethical and anti-competitive, but insisted that “we have made our positions on the fiscal terms known to government, and government knows exactly what to do if they really wanted to make the environment more investment friendly.”

They maintained that the OPTS is not against reform in itself, as this is absolutely necessary from time to time, but that all interests must be taken into consideration in the implementation of such reforms.

Furthermore, they said the group was not consulted before the Bill was drafted and that they did not make any input.

“What we are saying is that there should have been negotiations between the oil majors and the Federal Government before the Bill was drafted and submitted to the National Assembly,” they said.

Other knotty issues they pointed out include increase royalties from between five and seven percent to a productionbased rate of between five and 12.5 percent; price-based rate of between zero to 21 percent and tax increased to 80 percent from 30 percent.

Against this backdrop, the oil majors called for independent analyses of the PIB, while urging government to dialogue with them on the issues raised before the bill is passed.

(nwamad@yahoo.com)

On amnesty for Boko Haram

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HE Federal Government has a better means of tackling this Boko Haram issue than you and I can think of. Members of this group live within Nigeria and they can be reached. So let them bring an end to this menace.— Miss Ani Chioma, Model.

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ELL, I think there should be room for meaningful dialogue with the rebellious group because people and property are being destroyed daily. The victims, of course, have always been the ordinary man.—Mrs Chioma Ekwe, Businessperson.

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EFORE any talk on amnesty can proceed, let the governors of those troubled states in the North be more sincere with the Boko Haram issue and then it can be dealt with once and for all. Enough is enough!— Miss Alice Udoyoh, Basketballer.

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EFINITELY no body of integrity would grant amnesty to an invisible group. First, they have to ceasefire, agree to government’s terms and come out. That is when any sane person will dialogue with them.

— Mr. Solomon Bombata, Pensioner.

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MNESTY is just the best that can bring an end to this destruction of lives and property by the Boko Haram sect. This is not the first time that Nigeria is having a rebellious group. So lets do the right thing.— Miss Ofomata Ogechukwu, Student.

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F they want amnesty, let them come out and tell Nigerians that they want amnesty. I believe that in a democratic nation, the people’s voice matters and such voice can compel the President to grant the group amnesty.— Miss Esther Adichie, Student.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, APRIL 4, 2013— 45

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46—Vanguard, THURSDAY, APRIL 4, 2013

Lottery Commission reads riot act

BY CHIDI NKWOPARA

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WERRI — THE National Lottery Regulatory Commission, NLRC, has clamped down on illegal lottery operations involving some very big corporate interests.

Director General of NLRC, Mr. Peter Igho, who read the riot act, yesterday, in Owerri while flagging off the stakeholders’ forum, also said the operators preferred to use their clout to fight the Commission than do lottery the right way.

He said: “We are aware that, there are lots of leakages arising from lack of transparency in declaring true proceeds.

“We will not be deterred until lottery is done the right way. If lottery is properly done with the requisite monitoring and compliance infrastructure, it can modestly fetch N365 billion per annum for government.

“Lottery is still waiting to be fully tapped, and this is the reason for our being here (Owerri) today.”

Governorship aspirants spoil for war over alleged imposition

BY ENYIM ENYIM

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NITSHA — GOVERNORSHIP aspirants from Anambra North senatorial zone are spoiling for war against the state governor, Mr. Peter Obi, over alleged plot to

impose a candidate on the people of the zone.

The governor had at different fora pronounced that the next governor of the state would come from Anambra North senatorial zone.

Speaking while formally

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BUJA — THE Minister of State for Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mrs. Olajumoke Akinjide, has reiterated the commitment of the FCT Administration to ensure world-class healthcare delivery in the territory.

BY VINCENT UJUMADU

Amb. Godknows Igali, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Power, (left) and Mr. Tetsuo Seki, chief representative of Japan International cooperation Agency, JICA (right) and Alhaji Abdulsalam Usman, Assistant Director, Policy Issues, Ministry of Power, at the JICA advisors' team workshop, with the Ministry of Power, in Abuja, yesterday

She stated this in Abuja while declaring open a free training organised for biomedical technicians and engineers by the FCT Administration, in collaboration with a nonprofit organisation in the United States of America, Medshare.

Community to sanction kinsmen over alleged sack of President-General

BY ENYIM ENYIM

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NITSHA — ORAUKWU community in Idemili South Local Government Area of Anambra State has vowed to sanction two persons, Okey Udegbunam and Innocent Okonkwo, for endorsing a newspaper publication alleging that the PresidentGeneral of the town, Prince Emeka Udodeme, had been sacked by a group known as Oraukwu Stakeholders Congress.

Addressing journalists on the matter after an emergency C M Y K

state for failing to allow the people of the state to enjoy full blast democracy by not conducting local government election for the past 13 years.

Iwuoba promised to conduct local government poll within six months after assuming office if elected governor in the scheduled November 16, 2013, governorship election in the state.

On the issue of security in the state, Iwuoba said he would make the youths and entire people of the state to embrace God, to stem the tide of kidnapping, armed robbery and other violent crimes in the state.

National confab, panacea for lasting peace in Nigeria — Ohanaeze chieftain

FCTA committed to world-class healthcare delivery — Akinjide …to overhaul public healthcare facilities in FCT

BY LAIDE AKINBOADE

declaring intention to contest for the plum position at Otuocha, one of the aspirants, Chief Basil Iwuoba, said the aspirants had vowed to resist any attempt by the governor to impose a candidate on them.

"Mr. Peter Obi cannot impose any candidate on us. He can only do that in his party, APGA,” Iwuoba said.

He said the aspirants should be allowed to sell themselves and their manifestoes to the people who had the mandate to choose who should govern them.

He berated past and present governments in the

meeting with members of the traditional rulers’ cabinet, the Regent of the community, Chief S. N. Chiedu, who was represented by the palace secretary, Chief B.C. Onyekwullume, said there was no crisis in the community as portrayed by the newspaper report.

“The Regent-in-council shall investigate this matter.

We shall invite them to know if actually they are members of this community and, thereafter, take the necessary action because we do not condone such rascality,” Udodeme said.

The minister she said over 50 biomedical technicians and engineers, drawn from the public, private, military, police and para-military, were participating in the training from 2nd April 2-5, 2013.

The minister, who was represented by her Special Assistant on Social Development, Mrs. Uchenna Nwafor, said the provision of quality and affordable healthcare delivery remained a top priority of the administration.

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WKA — A CHIEF TAIN of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Prince Chukwuemeka Onyesoh, has said that the convocation of a national conference for all the ethnic nationalities in Nigeria would be the solution to the lingering mistrust among Nigerians.

He said the conference became necessary because the framers of the 1999 constitution did not envisage the present problem in the country.

Onyesoh, who is the president of Front Against Impunity, a non governmental organization, NGO, said in a statement in Awka yesterday that he was totally in support of the call by Igbo Delegates Assembly (IDA) for the country to convene a National Ethnic Conference as a way of solving the problem posed by Boko Haram members.

Nneka Ugwuanyi is dead

M

RS. NNEKA Ngozi Ugwuanyi (Nee Ezeh) is dead, aged 38.

The late Mrs. Ugwuanyi died March 11, 2013 after a brief illness.

A statement from the family, said that wake-keep and funeral service will hold on Thursday, April 4, 2013 and Friday, April 5, 2013 respectively at late Gilbert Ugwuanyi’s compound, Onuakachi Village, Alor-Uno, Nsukka, Enugu State.

Late Mrs. Ugwuanyi

The late Mrs. Ugwuanyi is survived by her husband, children, parents, brothers and sisters.

He said: “Nigeria has remained a fractured entity since these ethnic killings commenced way back in 1945.

Having lived and worked in most Northern cities all their life, members of IDA understand better than most other Nigerians the burden and risks on non-Northerners living and working there.

“They are the ones who get killed and their properties looted or burnt in the serial riots dating from the Jos riots of 1945 and 1953 to the present ones in Kano and other places.”

According to him, Nigerians should not continue to shy away from holding a conference to determine their stake in the Nigerian project.

Onyesoh added that the outcome of the conference would safeguard the various ethnic nationalities residing outside their areas.

He Ohanaeze chieftain said he was aware that given the chance, most Northern Muslims would prefer Nigeria to be declared a Muslim state with full blown Sharia, even though at Independence, the North accepted the secularity of the Nigerian state in order to belong to it.

He also said that it was open secret that most Muslim Northern Nigerian politicians had openly or secretly overworked themselves to subvert the secular aspect of Nigeria as most riots in Northern Nigeria since 1960 had resulted from that subversive effort to force other Nigerians to become Muslims.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, APRIL 4, 2013—47

MEETING—From left: Zainab Sheriff, MD/CEO, NMPDC; Dr Paul Orhii, DG NAFDAC and Prof Thomas Omo Oleabhiele, President NANTMP, at a meeting with NAFDAC on regulation of herbal medicine in Nigeria. Photo: Biodun Ogunleye.

JAZZ FESTIVAL—From left: Minister for Tourism, Culture and National Orientation, Edem Duke; MD, Quintessentially Nigeria, Queen Ahneva Ahneva and Senator Florence Ita-Giwa, at the MTN co-sponsored Calabar International Jazz Festival, at the Cultural Centre, Calabar, Cross River State.

CLEARANCE— Workers of Lagos State Waste Management Authority, LAWMA, led by Mr Adekunle Gbolahan, LAWMA South West Marine Manager on routine clearance of waste at the Vanguard Avenue waterfront, Kirikiri, Apapa, yesterday. Photo: Lamidi Bamidele.

FESTIVAL—From left: Alhaji Balogun, Manager, National Mirror Newspaper; Comrade Ayodele Akele, Guest Speaker; Otunba Gani Adams, Chief Promoter, Olokun Festival Foundation and Eze Pat Eneh, Eze Igbo of Ojo, Ezediorama 111, during the 2013 Eledumare festival, organised by Olokun Festival Foundation at Fagba Junction, Ifako-Ijaje, Lagos. Photo: Kehinde Gbadamosi.

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BIRTHDAY—Prelate, Methodist Church Nigeria, Dr. Sunday Ola Makinde (left); Conference PRO, Bro. Aramide Noibi (right), Director of Evangelism, Bishop Sam Amuta (2nd left) and Bishop of Ikorodu Diocese, Bishop Olumuyiwa Odejayi (2nd right) at the Archbishop of Lagos birthday service.

COMMISSIONING—Abike Dabiri-Erewa, member, House of Reps (right) and Jamiu Osho, ACN Chairman, Igbopa in Ijede during the commissioning of Solar Power motorized borehole at Igbopa, Ijede in Ikorodu. Photo: Lamidi Bamidele.

COMMISSIONING—From left: Chief Tornge Tor-Anyiin, Permanent Secretary, Benue State Ministry of Education; Mr Akin Salu, General Manager, Trade and Distribution, MultiChoice Nigeria; and Honourable Ihor, Chairman, SUBEB, Benue State, at the commissioning of MultiChoice Resource Centre Project in Makurdi, Benue State.

VISIT—From left: Dr Doyin Okupe, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Affairs and Mr Gregory Lawless, Counsellor for Political Affairs, United States Embassy in Nigeria, during a visit by the counsellor to Dr Doyin Okupe in Abuja.

LAUNCH— From left: Chief Operating Officer, RLG Communications Ltd, Mr. David Afugani, Head of Operations, FRSC, Lagos, Cdr. Adeoye Irelewuyi; Country Director, RLG Communications Ltd, Mr. Tosin Ilesanmi, Mr. Taiwo Latilo, RLG Communications Ltd and Data Information Officer of FRSC, Mr. Olaseinde Egbontan at the launch of RLG Communications free ride for commuters in Lagos.

48 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, APRIL 4, 2013

NITEL: Labour leader slams El-Rufai

Kogi gov condemns bloody communal clash

L

BY EMMANUEL AZIKEN

L

AGOS—THE Presi dent of the Senior Staff Association of Communications, Transport and Corporations, NITEL unit, Comrade Elias Kazzah has bemoaned the politicisation of the illfortunes of the one time viable national carrier.

Speaking against the background of recent exchanges between former vice-president Atiku Abubakar and erstwhile Director-General of the Bureau for Public Enterprises, BPE, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, Kazzah affirmed that the downturn in the company’s fortunes started with the management contract with Pentascope.

Kazzah sharply disagreed with recent claims by el-Rufai insisting that the management contract foisted on the company by the BPE under elRufai led to the demise of the company.

53 charged to court over Wukari crisis

J

ALINGO—THE po lice in Taraba said that 53 people have been charged to court over the recent Wukari crisis.

Mr Jubril Adeniji, the Commissioner of Police, told newsmen in Jalingo that 125 people were arrested by the command, but 72 were freed after investigations.

“We arrested 125 persons in connection with the crisis; 72 were freed after investigations and 53 were charged to court,” he said.

The commissioner, however, said normalcy had since been restored to the area.

The News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, recalls that crisis broke out in Wukari in February where many lives and property were lost.

VISIT—Emir of Dutse, Alhaji Nuhu Sanusi with the Vice Chancellor, Federal University, Dutse, Prof. Jibrila Amin (right) during the monarch's visit to the institution, yesterday.

Jonathan not in position to advise on political leadership — CNPP

BY PETER DURU

M

AKURDI —THE Conference of Nigerian Political Parties, CNPP, has said that President Goodluck Jonathan lacked the moral justification to caution Nigerians against fighting over political leadership of the country, saying that he had failed to lead by example, hence the need for another to take over his job in 2 0 1 5 .

Benue State Chairman of the CNPP Mr. Baba Agan spoke to Vanguard in Makurdi, yesterday, while reacting to the admonitions by Jonathan in Enugu weekend that Nigerians should not struggle for political offices as such positions were transient.

Agan said: "Was it not the same Jonathan who told the world that he would rule for a single term of four years from 2011 to 2015?

"From all indications, the President’s body language in the last few months is in contradiction with the promises he made to the people when he was seeking power in 2011.

"At that time, he made it clear to all Nigerians during rallies that if elected he would rule for one term after which he would step down, but today the story is different. Some of his henchmen are now leading subterranean campaigns for his reelection.

"He has reneged on his promise to rule for one term

and vacate the scene; instead, he is now asking Nigerians not to challenge him in 2015. Our leaders should learn to be men of honour,

men whose words can be taken to the banks. We cannot continue to feign ignorance of our yesterday because of our tomorrow’s inordinate ambition."

OKOJA — KOGI State Governor, Captain Idris Wada, rtd, has expressed concern over the clash between the people of Odeke in Ibaji Local Government Area in the state and Otu-Agulueri community in Anambra State, which led to the killing of seven persons and the burning of 52 houses.

Wada who spoke when delegations from the two communities visited him over allegations and counter allegation of brutality against each camp said that he had mandated his deputy, Mr. Yomi Awoniyi to intervene.

He condemned the killing of people because of quarreel over land pointing out that he was working for the release of the two people reportedly kidnapped from Ibaji by the people of Anambra State as he had been in contact with the Governor of Anambra State, Mr Peter Obi on the matter.

Two varsity students, one other drown in Gubi Dam

BY SUZAN EDEH

B

AUCHI—TRADEGY struck, yesterday, in Bauchi State, when three people, including two unidentified students of the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Bauchi State, were drowned in Gubi Dam, Ganjuwa Local Government Area of the state.

According to sources, some students of the university went to the dam for picknic to mark the Easter celebrations when one of them reportedly decided to swim in the dam and got drowned.

The second student, however, got drowned while attempting to save the life of his friend, just as the third victim died while trying to save the lives of the two students.

Some residents of the area, however, told Vanguard that many people had lost their lives while trying to swim in the dam in the past, wondering why some people still toyed with their lives by swiming there.

They called on the state government to enact a law banning such activities in the dam due to the tradgic incidences which had occurred there in the past.

Confirming the incident, the General Manager of Bauchi State Water Board, Aminu Gital said three bodies, in-

cluding two unindentified students of the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University were recovered from Gubi Dam water treatment plant.

Aminu who expressed shock over the incident, called on parents and guardians to always monitor the activities of their children so as to prevent future occurences.

Stakeholders want Lokoja as centenary celebration centre

By BOLUWAJI OBAHOPO

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OKOJA — THE people of Kogi State and other eminent academicians at the end of a three-day tourists summit which ended in Lokoja, Tuesday, asked the Federal Government to include the state capital as one of the centres for the Centenary celebrations slated for next year.

The summit tagged, “Conquering Mount Patti,” resolved that ‘’Lokoja occupies a prime position in the history of the country.’’

One of the speakers, Prof.

Micheal Omoniwa, in a pa-

per entitled “Lokoja and the Migration of Nigeria Capital Cities” spoke of the importance of Lokoja as a former capital of Northern Nigeria, and the hub of military, commercial and religious activities during the colonial era.

Omolewa, a renowned historian and immediate past Nigeria Ambassador to UNESCO said that it was on Mount Patti in Lokoja that, the late Flora Shaw, who later married Lord Lugard, coined the name “Nigeria” for the country, as she viewed the River Niger from the height of the mountain which is 1,500 feet above sea level.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, APRIL 4, 2013 — 49

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50—Vanguard, THURSDAY, APRIL 4, 2013

Three nabbed as police discover bomb factory in Jos J OS—THE Police in Plateau State have arrested three persons in connection with a bomb factory they discovered around the Angwan-Rogo Area of Jos. A competent source, craving anonymity, said in Jos, yesterday, that the suspects were arrested after officers of the anti-bomb squad cordoned off a building, believed to be housing assorted explosives.

“The Police anti-bomb squad got information that a house, near Sani-Santi Bread bakery, at Agwan Rogo, in Jos North, was suspected to house Improvised Explosive Devices, IEDs, and bomb making materials.

“On the strength of the information, the anti-bomb squad cordon off the area and conducted a search in conjunction with other police officers,” the source said.

According to reports the police command had initially indicated that it would

parade the suspects along with the explosives on Monday, but later shelved the idea. The explosives were, however, sighted but they were later evacuated after the command cancelled the briefing where the suspects and the IEDs would have been paraded.

The source had said that several bags of ammonium nitrate fuel, capable of making 150 IEDs, were discovered.

“Also recovered were seven different kinds of IEDs with remote controls, 26 re-

lay remote controls, 21 relay remote control sensors, 26 Qlink remote controls, 24 pieces of hi-way 9- volt batteries and two soldering iron/lead.

“Others included Vehicle Improvised Bond materials (VIB), four different vehicle plate numbers, firing/ electrical cables, one metal drilling machine and several strands of detonating cords.

“Also found in the building were 12 clocks for timing devices,” the source added.

Women screened for cervical cancer in Ondo

A

KURE—NO fewer than 200 women from Ondo State were, yesterday, screened for cervical cancer under the Women Health Screen exercise put together by the Maternal Pulse Foundation.

Wife of the governor, who is the President of the foundation, Mrs. Olukemi

Mimiko, said in Akure during the flag off of the programme, that cervical cancer should not be treated as death sentence by the women folk in the state.

Mrs Mimiko said: “Cervical cancer should not be treated as death sentence.

We should create awareness on regular screening."

Vanguard, THURSDAY, APRIL 4, 2013 — 51

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52—Vanguard, THURSDAY, APRIL 4, 2013

I N S I D E

Lawyers’ education should start with rules of discipline — 52

Much ado about Alamieyeseigha’s pardon (2) — 53

NBA holds human rights summit tomorrow — 53

Is NJC biting again?

BY JOSEPH CHU’MA OTTEH

‘N

O system of justice can rise above the ethics of those who administer it” The recent decision by the National Judicial Council (NJC) to recommend the retirement of two Judges is probably the strongest evidence yet that a new administrator is now in charge and that business will not, under her, be as usual.

The NJC has finally brought to definite closure matters which had smouldered for an interminably arduous period, some of them, since 2008, like the case of Hon. Justice Thomas Naron, against whom petitions had been unresolved by the Council since 2008.

What this reinforces is that leadership is what tips the scale concerning how an institution delivers on its mandate.

In this piece, we explore how the NJC can go the full distance with its current resolve, and outline the challenges that the Council should, in its new incarnation, take on as a matter of urgency, to restore confidence in the Nigerian justice system again.

Restore Credibility of the NJC The NJC’s credibility has been a key issue in the fight to make the Judiciary function accountably and ethically. Just a few years ago, we all thought that the problems within the Judiciary were down to its lack of independence and its inadequate funding.

Let’s recall what the Eso Panel Report said on this, “the root cause of all the problems of the Nigerian Judiciary was

Hon. Justice Mariam Mukhtar (GCON) both the Federal and the States’ Judicial Service Commissions as independent bodies from executive and legislative control.

Unfortunately, a few years after, with significantly improved funding and a robust judicial oversight agency made up substantially of persons within the Judiciary, the problems still subsist.

Let us recall, that shortly after he became President in 1999, Chief Oluse-

,

,

NJC should pursue constitutional reforms to reconstitute the Council and reduce the powers and influence of the Chief Justice of Nigeria over the membership of the Council

its total dependence on the Executive and its consequent treatment by the latter as a mere parastatal of the executive arm of government, a department of the Ministry of Justice.”

The establishment of the NJC was expected to give the judiciary greater autonomy over matters pertaining to the affairs of the judiciary and reduce the overreaching range of political influence over the way the Judiciary was recruited and functioned. The NJC, after a review of the Justice Eso Panel report in 2002 through a Committee chaired by Hon. Justice Bolarinwa Babalakin (rtd) concluded that the 1999 Constitution, through the establishment of the NJC, had effectively taken care of the concerns and problems identified by the Eso Panel including issues of independence (recruitment, security of tenure and funding), and had adequately secured C M Y K

gun Obasanjo had candidly conveyed this sense of anger and frustration with the judiciary, when he told the All Nigeria Judges Conference that “[t]here is prevailing disenchantment of the populace with the Judiciary, an attitude which has arisen out of the lapses or failings of the Judiciary”.

Thirteen years down the line, and after substantial investments in improving the lot of the Judiciary, ex-President Obasanjo had cause to remark again in 2012, that: “Now, the judiciary has been riddled by corruption, which has affected other sectors of the country. And if the judiciary becomes corrupt, where is the hope for the nation? Justice has become the highest bidder. That is what we have now. “For election, we now have democracy of the judiciary, substituted for democracy of the people.”

At the same event where these com-

ments were made, retired Chief Justice of Nigeria, Mohammed Uwais also said that: “It is true that Nigeria needed a strong judiciary that started on a strong footing from the colonial masters. But corruption has affected the judicial arm of the government. When I was the CJN, I worked with the President to remove quite a number of the judges from office on the recommendation of the [the NJC].

That was the standard we expect from the NJC. But unfortunately, judges who are corrupt are allowed to go scot free.”

In other words, the NJC, over the years went from being effective (or at least considerably so) to being mostly symbolic, a lame duck, and a window dressing. The reason? Leadership!

Therefore, if the Judiciary’s survival and honour depends on the leadership and effectiveness of the NJC, then we must learn to take adequate measures to ensure that irrespective of the complexion of its leadership, the NJC can manage to function at some credible level in any weather.

In other words, that the NJC can function considerably - if not effectively irrespective of the calibre of its leadership. There are two ways we think this can be accomplished. The first is this: the NJC must itself adopt standard and enforceable internal policies or systems that can sustain effective outcomes in any case. For example, petitions to the NJC will only be investigated if they are listed in the business agenda of the Council. This is not good enough. What it means is that a Chief Justice who does not want something discussed by the

Council will simply decide against its being tabled for discussion. Second, even where petitions are tabled, the Council can still decide to not investigate it, or, if it does, it largely does a ceremonial, rough-shod job of that. This is the reason why some petitions will probably never be investigated or decided in any forthright sense. To avoid against this, the NJC should adopt credible intake and disposition safeguards or guidelines for the reception, listing and determination of all complaints brought against Judges and no one person should be able to determine the fate of any complaint against a Judge.

Second, the NJC should pursue constitutional reforms to reconstitute the Council and reduce the powers and influence of the Chief Justice of Nigeria over the membership of the Council. The Council, for one, is too egalitarian and exclusive. The Ghana Judicial Council, to make a comparism, has a membership drawn from a wide spectrum of governmental and other interest groups, including representatives of Magistrates, traditional Chiefs, the Judicial Service Staff Association, the Police, Military and the Bar. We need to show that the NJC is not just an elitist institution whose memberships do not exist in the realms in which ordinary people do. Also, the CJN selects 60% of the membership of the NJC, and when you consider that five representatives of the NBA only participate when the NJC is considering judicial appointments, you find that for most of its business, the NJC is composed of persons 78% of who are selected by the CJN alone.

If the leadership of the NJC falls into the wrong hands, as we probably have experienced at some point, Nigerians pay dearly. Therefore, the structure of the NJC’s composition and leadership is lopsided and weakens the integrity and independence of that body. This needs to change. Third, the NJC can press for Continues on page 53

EDITORIAL TEAM Dayo Benson (Editor) Innocent Anaba Wahab Abdulah Ikechukwu Nnochiri

Vanguard, THURSDAY, APRIL 4, 2013 —53

'Lawyers’ education should start with rules of discipline' Mr. Dele Oye, is a former Vice Chairman of Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, Abuja branch, where he served the body in several committees both at branch and national levels. Oye, graduate of the university of Ife, now Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) Ile-Ife, was between 2000 and 2004, president of the University of Ife Alumni Association and member of the University Governing Council, where he led the council to construct one of the largest halls of residence for the students of the university.

He was the President of Abuja Chamber of Commerce, Industries and Agriculture (ABUCCIMA) for three years.

Until recently, he was the NBA prosecutor at the Body of Benchers Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC). In this interview, he spoke of his experience at the Committee. He also discussed the role of Chambers of Commerce in economic development and sundry national issues.

Excerpts:

Y

OU have served the NBA in various capacities, which of these was the most challenging?

The one I cherished most was my membership of and later a prosecutor and coordinator of the NBA legal team at the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee of the Body of

LEFT: Emek a Obegolu, NBA Sec-Gen., Mr. Okey Wali, SAN, NBA President and Mr. Austine Alegeh SAN, at the event.

Mr. Oye Benchers, which I served continuously and uninterrupted for a period of 11 years.

What were the challenges you experienced while serving in that committee?

I strongly believe that every Lawyer should serve in that committee.

Why do you say this?

Because it fully exposes you to the basic tenets and norms of the profession. It exposes you to the problems in the profession and also helps you as a lawyer, to be careful in whatever you do, because it is not the big things that put people in trouble, it is little things you neglect. Indeed, I too have been investigated for two thousand Naira. It was that my investigation and

clearance that led to my appointment into that committee by the then president of NBA, T. J. Okpoko SAN. When they were setting up the disciplinary committee, he said look, Dele Oye should go and serve there. While serving in that Committee I saw the kind of mistakes that Lawyers make. Sometimes such mistakes are made out of ignorance of the rules of the profession and sometimes they are made deliberately.

I think that every lawyer ought to know the rules, because it is the rule that determines your ability to practice and in dealing with your clients, but most lawyers are not aware of the rules and that is why they run foul of

Is NJC biting again?

Continues from page 52 reforms that could separate or divide the Council into two, creating a separate disciplinary arm and giving the new body exclusive functions and an independent Chairperson who is not a serving Chief Justice.

The body could be called a Judicial Disciplinary Council (JDC), or Judicial Performance and Disciplinary Council (JPDC), a nomenclature similar to that proposed by the Justice Kayode Eso Panel.

Reform Judicial Appointments Much has been said about reforming judicial appointments, and the Justice Uwais Committee set up by retired CJN, Hon. Justice Musdapher made insightful recommendations in that regard. The NJC needs to take those recommendations very seriously and implement them. Current procedures of judicial appointments will not help Nigeria identify the generation of judges who will be our best foot forward going into the future.

Our current system does not offer equal and fair opportunities to access judicial

office, neither does it promote transparency and accountability and needs to be replaced in this regard.

Conclusion By a single stroke of resolve, Hon. Justice Mariam Mukhtar (GCON), the Chief Justice of Nigeria has rekindled hope that

the Nigerian Judiciary will rise again out of the ashes of disappointment and failure and serve Nigerians in the spirit, and beyond the letters, of our Constitution. She is making good on her promise to ensure leadership by example and ensure internal discipline in the judiciary. She has set herself on

the rules.

What should be the role of legal education in this?

I think that legal education should start from teaching lawyers what are the rules of discipline and how they should relate with their clients, because after the duty of the lawyer to the profession, the next is the duty to our clients.

You have not talked about the challenges that you confronted while serving in that committee?

While serving in that committee, we handled a lot of cases. One of the challenges that faced the committee was the issue of the jurisdiction as it related to appellate matters.

That matter came up in Okike’s case against Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC). That was the first appeal from the committee to the Supreme Court, because under the

,

BY BARTHOLOMEW MADUKWE

budget, no office and virtually nothing to work with, even as lawyers, we had to dip hands into our pockets to support the committee at that initial stage, but I am happy now that they have court room of their own and the Body of Benchers is paying serious attention to it.

The NBA chips in its own support but the NBA should support it more, especially in areas where most of our colleagues refuse to submit themselves to the profession by either rushing to court or taking other steps to frustrate the efforts of the committee.

There is also the need to amend the law because under the current law, the chairman is quorum.

That means that the committee cannot sit in two of three places simultaneously.

Looking at Nigeria as it is today and with the volume of disciplinary matters we have, there is need for thorough

One of the challenges that faced the committee was the issue of the jurisdiction as it related to appellate matters

rules, appeal goes directly from the committee to the Supreme Court.

So, what would say are the advantages and disadvantages of serving in that committee?

Initially when the committee was set up, like every new organization, they had no a worthy cause and is entitled to praise. However, the road is still a long one, and the challenges, as well as the uncertainties are many. Having started on a promising note, the expectations will be stronger. She will need to keep a steady and resolute hand on the plough.

May she be resourced with more strength, courage and wisdom to pursue this good cause.

,

investigation and trial to be conducted within three months in order to make meaning to the complainant.

Right now, we have a load of cases, not due to any fault of the NBA or the committee trying those matters, rather, the fault of the law itself which makes quorum to be five and must include the chairman. When you do such things, what it means is that the well being of the chairman eventually determines whether the committee would sit or not. I must commend the efforts of the current chairman of the committee, Mr. J.B Daudu, SAN who is ready to sit every month, which is a very unique innovation, because once our members know that the committee is working, they become very careful.

54—Vanguard, THURSDAY, APRIL 4, 2013

Much ado about Alamieyeseigha’s pardon (2) A

FTERALL, an African adage of ancient progeny enjoins that when you hit a child with your right hand, you use the left to draw him/her nearer for comfort. In addition, modern inclination is no longer towards a ‘tit for tat’ or the proverbial ‘eye for an eye’ in criminal justice administration for which reason, for instance, the death penalty is fading away in many jurisdictions.

In respect of financial crimes, several jurisdictions are no longer over anxious about custodial sentences but reach for the convict’s financial jugular which requires that he be stripped of the assets derived from unjust enrichment, or other corrupt practices.

An examination of the section of the Constitution which relates to the President’s exercise of the ‘prerogative of mercy’ shows clearly that the constitution considers it of high premium. It would pay great dividends to reproduce the provisions of section 175 of the constitution (which deals with Prerogative of mercy) verbation. In section 175(1) it is provided that ‘the President may – (a) grant any person concerned with or convicted of any offence created by an Act of the National Assembly a pardon, either free or subject to lawful conditions; (b) grant to any person a respite,

either for an indefinite or for a specified period of the execution of any punishment imposed on that person for such an offence; (c) substitute a less severe form of punishment for any punishment imposed on that person for such an offence; or (d) remit the whole or any part of any punishment imposed on that person for such an offence or of any penalty or forfeiture otherwise due to the state on account of such an offence’. More telling is the provision in subsection (2) indicating that the ‘powers of the President under subsection (1) of this section shall be exercised by him after consultation with the Council of State’. Thus, the constitutional safeguard aimed at preventing an abuse of the prerogative of mercy is the interposition of the Council of State in the exercise of that power.

For the avoidance of doubt, the Council of State is established for the Federation by section 153(1)(b) of the constitution and its composition is spelt out in part 1 of the third schedule where it is specified that the council shall comprise the following persons (a) the President who shall be the Chairman; (b) the Vice-President, who shall be the Deputy Chairman; (c) all former Presidents of the Federation and all former Heads of the Government of the Federation; (d) all former Chief Justices of Nigeria; (e) the Presi-

‘kparakpoism’ and even political calculations. It has even been suggested in some quarters that the President has cleared the way for the beneficiary of the pardon to contest for Senate in the 2015 general elections. ‘Na wa o’.

Even if that is a possibility, can the people of Bayelsa State within the radius of the relevant senatorial district, not be given the benefit of the doubt by being credited with the ability to choose who can lead them? Can we not expunge speculation from fact? I dare say that the fact that D.S.P.

•Awa Kalu, SAN dent of the Senate; (f) the Speaker of the House of Representatives; (g) all Governors of the States of the Federation; and (h) the Attorney-General of the Federation.

It is my humbly held view that a decision taken after consultation with a body so populated with men and women of ‘timber and caliber’ ought to be accorded due weight. The combined wisdom of the members of the council of state ought to be taken for granted and for that reason, the venom that has been poured on our President for granting pardon to D.S.P. Alamieyeseigha is in itself suggestive of other grievances not occasioned by the pardon. There has been too much conjecture about motives ranging from nepotism to

that singular act would deter all others who are tempted by filthy lucre. Corruption is now so deeply rooted that the current debate about one man ought to achieve a wider spectrum in order to make it possible for the nation to discover a more potent medication for a terminal illness which is corruption. For me, we ought to get back to the drawing board and re-examine ourselves, our economy, our politics, our attitude to wealth, our overall wellbeing as a nation and everything else about this nation. The wail-

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BY AWA KALU

The combined wisdom of the members of the council of state ought to be taken for granted and for that reason, the venom that has been poured on our President for granting pardon to D.S.P. Alamieyeseigha is in itself suggestive of other grievances not occasioned by the pardon

Alamieyeseigha was convicted for corruption related offences does not make him an unpardonable criminal. It does not suggest, as has been argued in some quarters, that soon-to-be-corrupt public officials will join in the bandwagon of beneficiaries of the now derided pardon. Occasionally, I wonder whether those who presently clamour for a withdrawal or reversal of Alamieyeseigha’s pardon imagine for a moment that

,

ing about an act of pardon is a great disservice to the right of our political leaders to rule us with appropriate compassion. If the leaders who make up the Council of State deliberated over the grant of pardon and decided in its favour, it is reasonable to suppose, until the contrary is shown, that there were good grounds for it. Let us tarry a while and reflect on why our arteries of corruption are hardening.

Tolling of Lekki-Epe has done more harm than good —Adegboruwa

BY BOSE ADELAJA Mr. Ebun Olu-Adegboruwa is a human rights lawyer. He attended Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife and thereafter the Nigerian Law School in 1995. He had worked with late Chief Gani Fawehinmi’s Chambers before he set-up a law firm, Adegboruwa & Company with corporate office in Lekki-Ajah.

Also, he has led series of protests especially against tolling of Lekki-Epe expressway by Lagos State government and Lekki Concession Company LCC. In this interview, he speaks on the state of his people as well as the effect of the tolling on residents. Excerpts;

T

HE Lagos State govern ment made good its promise to start the collection of toll on Lekki-Epe expressway on December 18, 2011.

One year is gone and what impact does this have on residents?

The tolling has done more harm than good, in the first place, it was a mistake to have concession Lekki for tolling.

One year is already gone and by now, Lagos State government ought to have lifted the toll and engage the conces-

Mr. Ebun Olu-Adegboruwa sionaire. Through this, it will be able to refund the money because the government is saddled with responsibility to provide infrastructural facilities for its people which tollgate is part of.

You said the Lagos State government ought to have lifted the toll...

Yes, as a matter of fact, we have discovered through a diligent search that LCC and African Resource Manager obtained a bank loan worth billions of Naira and investigations revealed that the loan was granted for the purpose of Lekki/Eppe expressway.

Many of us are privy to the document which stipulates that the loan should be disbursed but the Concessionaire acted contrary to this.

According to the document, about 10km of the road should

be constructed simultaneously with the alternative road which is supposed to be directly on the Sand fill area.

Also, LCC stipulates in the document that the condition for constructing the alternative road is for the government to construct the Coastal shore lines or embankment road in a way to avoid been washed off by the Ocean. However, Lagos State government has failed to construct the alternative route, in order words, the coastal road which is about 30 Km ought to have been

constructed simultaneously with tolling. We don’t need a soothsayer to tell us that the government has made a lot of money on the tolling.

Are you suspecting a foul play?

It is a fraudulent practice on the part of both Lagos State government and LCC to use Oniru as an alternative road.

Oniru is a owned by individuals and not the government, so, the government cannot dictate to the owners of the land.

Had the government not

changed its decision, second tolling of the express-way would have kicked off last December. How did you see this?

As I said earlier, the tolling has done more harm than good; The government announced suddenly to commence tolling on December 15, 2012, at Chevron toll gate, Ikota, without revealing the amount that has been recouped so far. We are all in darkness and we must know the justification for this, a good question is, how much have we realised so far?

NBA holds human rights summit tomorrow

By BARTHOLOMEW MADUKWE

T

HE Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, Human Rights Committee will tomorrow organize a one day regional human rights summit at Jogor Centre, Ibadan, with the theme: “The Protection of Human Rights in Nigeria- A Collective Project.”

According to the Chairman of the NBA Human Rights Committee and First VicePresident of the association, Mr. Justy O. Erhabor, “the summit will be declared open

by the Oyo State Governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi and it will run for one day.

It will approach issues of public interest litigation and human rights from a multidimensional perspective in order to expound on issues relating to the role of lawyers and Judges in fundamental rights enforcement and Public Interest Litigation.”

Erhabor noted that former NBA President, Mr Olisa Agbakoba SAN, will present a paper on the topic: “The role of lawyers in the protection and enforcement of

fundamental rights in Nigeria.”

Speaking ahead of the summit, Oyo State AttorneyGeneral and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Adebayo Ojo said: “we welcome our colleagues to the Pace-Setter State, Oyo State and wish the NBA successful deliberations at the Summit.

“The Government and people of Oyo State, will like to partner with the NBA in promoting and protecting the Human rights of all Nigerians.”

Vanguard, THURSDAY, APRIL 4, 2013—55

of works being produced these days because rather than being original and take time to conduct research, students copy from existing images. At the end of the lecture which earned Buhari a deafening applause with an accompanying standing ovation, the crowd proceeded to the Gallery where works of the celebrant occupied the halls of the one story building, for viewing.

According to Kunle Adeyemi, the Head Curatorial team, due to the fact that Oshinowo Studio and Gallery was stuffed with quality works, they went through a rigorous exercise of selecting works to be featured at the fiesta, but at the end, the team wiggled out of the dilemma by digging into some of the iconic artist's early paintings and drawings at different periods both classical, experimental and exploratory works that have been less often exhibited or reproduced.

Esteem of the the women

Yusufu Grillo and Kolade Oshinowo at the event

Oshinowo’s exploration with Romantic Expressionism F

ROM the Niger Delta, Abeokuta and from all over Nigeria as well as different parts of the world, art enthusiasts, collectors, students, art lecturers, scholars and artists congregated at the prestigious Grillo Pavilion, Ikorodu, Lagos, for the 5th Annual Visual Art Fiesta which held at the weekend.

The unique fiesta which was instituted to celebrate, appreciate and recognise visual art masters who have contributed to the development of visual art practice, has over the past five years expanded its engagement as well as choice of master artists celebrated.

After icons such as Prof. Yusuf Grillo who was the first recipient of the award, Pa Demas Nwoko, Bruce Onabrakpeya and Uche Okeke, Kolade Odekunle Oshinowo, who was described

by Chief Rasheed Gbadamosi, OFR, as perhaps,the most celebrated citizen of Ikorodu who has gained fame as a visual artist, teacher, mentor and a real international star, was the centre of attraction at the event. He was honoured as the 5th Visual art Master and so, was celebrated in his hometown, Ikorodu, amidst a

mammoth crowd. Roll call included Kabiyesi Shimawa, Professors JP Clark, Bruce Onabrakpeya, Ebun Clark, Yusuf Grillo and Omoba Yemisi Shyllon, Kunle Filani, Major Gen. Seun Oshinowo, Sammy Olagbaju, Femi Esho, Toyin Akinosho and others.

In his detailed and researched lecture, entitled, "The Master of Romantic Expressionism," Professor Jerry

,

By PRISCA SAM-DURU

reality". Speaking further, he pointed out that the suggestive character of romantic painting engages viewers in an interactive dialogue with the artist where their imaginations are locked up on the picture plane, yet in a free and individual exploration of the world created.

In an effort to draw a line between his kind of art which involves drawings and

The uniqueness and mastery of his technique and style can be found in the way the artist is able to fuse the transcendental with tangible reality

Buhari, of the Department of Fine Arts, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, described Kolade Oshinowo as "a creative colossus who is well documented and anybody that is interested in this great institution can easily have access to existing rich materials", adding that the icon represents what can be described as the "Father of Lagos School of Painting."

Explaining why he described Oshinowo as Master of Romantic Expressionism, Prof.

Buhari said "the uniqueness and mastery of his technique and style can be found in the way the artist is able to fuse the transcendental with tangible

,

paintings of female folks, and the term feminism, Oshinowo who was overwhelmed with the turnout of people, explained that, "the use of female subject is a universal one and it has been through the ages. The female is endowed with a form that is as complex as it is beautiful. The women also add to their beauty by wearing various forms of head gear and adding accessories such as earrings, necklace and bangles of various sizes and materials.

The female body represents the beauty and challenges of womanhood. These I try to capture in my paintings."

He, however, warned that there is a decline in the quality

Aso ebi: mixed media work

by Oshinowo

Apart from his respect for and esteem of the women, as seen in Lady with red Beads (Mixed Media), Taiye (Charcoal), Young Girl (Charcoal), Aso Ebi (Mixed Media) and The Matriarch (Oil On Canvas), some titles such as The Revolt (Oil on Board), Solidarity ii (Mixed Media), Press Freedom (Mixed Media on Board), Migration (Oil on Canvas), Abacha Protests(Mixed Media), Someone Burnt The Bush (Mixed Media), which are on display at the Grillo Gallery, also portray him as an activist as the works are used as objects for advocacy. An after party which featured a discussion session based on the theme of the lecture, several comments by scholars, friends and family members of Oshinowo with Chuka Nnabuife as compreme, took place at the garden.

Cross country tribute in honour of Achebe

F

OLLOWING the sudden exit of Chinua Achebe, doyen of African literature, founding editor of the African Writers Series and one of the founders of the Association of Nigerian Authors, the national executive council of the Association of Nigerian Authors is organizing a cross-country tribute by all its chapters of the federation in honour of her departed grand trustee.

Each chapter is hereby directed by the National EXCO to organize sessions of tribute to Chinua Achebe between April 1 and 15, 2013 where writers who have encountered the novelist in academic, communal, literary or other contexts would render or submit tributes to the memory of the departed icon of African literature in English. The tributes would subsequently be featured in a national publication by the National EXCO of the Association of Nigerian Authors.

56— Vanguard, THURSDAY, APRIL 4, 2013

Dislocated democracy in Delta councils

BY AUSTIN OGWUDA

T

HE lot of the 25 local councils in Detla State has been that of one dislocation or the other.

Inevitably, the culture of democracy has suffered.

It all started during the tenure of former Governor James Ibori, who ran the state between 1999 and 2007 and that dislocation has continued till date. Democracy is absent in all but one of the councils, the exception being Oshimili North Local Government where the incumbent Chairman, Mr. Christopher Okafor is still presiding via a court pronouncement following the delay in his inauguration that was earlier hamstrung by litigations At the tail end of the Ibori era, the State House of Assembly had dissolved all the local councils on the ground that their three-year tenure had expired. The legislators then ordered the various Heads of Personnel Management (HPMs) to formally take over from the chairmen within 24 hours.

Two weeks after the dissolution precisely, on May 2, 2007, Ibori made it clear that he was not in the mood to conduct local government elections before his exit on May 29, 2007 as he prepared the grounds for the incoming administration of Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan to carry out the exercise.

Threatening litigation Uduaghan eventually conducted the council polls in April 2008 and that was the last elections were conducted at the grassroots in the State. The present scenario which has sole administrators in charge of the third tier is raising anxiety among stakeholders, who are opposed to caretaker committees with some of them threatening litigation.

Governor Uduaghan recently said even though the councils were not run by democraticallyelected officials, he was effectively filling in that gap.

Receiving the National President of NULGE Comrade Ibrahim Ali on a courtesy visit to him at Government House, Asaba, Uduaghan said the time had come for local governments to receive allocations directly because local government workers and teachers suffer unnecessary delay in the payment of their salaries.

Disclosing that he was releasing N274 million monthly to augment council funds, Uduaghan also stated that “It has become necessary for the Federal Government to either take over the burden of paying teachers salaries," if it would not support

the increase of allocation to the states and local councils.

The chairman of Labour Party, LP in the state, Comrade Emeka Nkwoala why lamenting the present situation said: “Why should the governor go ahead in constituting caretaker committee? “We in the opposition have been clamouring for local government elections. The governor has appointed PDP members as chairmen of the various councils. Is PDP the only party in the state? It is totally unacceptable to us. All over the country there is a call for democratic governance at the grassroots level. We urge the governor to feel the pulse of the state and conduct the election. This scenario takes us to the constitutional amendment as regards local government autonomy in election. We shall continuously engage the governor on this until election is conducted.”

•Uduaghan Enraged Chairman of Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN in the state, Chief Adolo OkotieEboh, said that the party would go to court to challenge setting up of caretaker committees.

Sheathe your sword, Uduaghan’s aide tells opposition Delta State Information

Commissioner, Chief Ogeah said “it is a hasty decision for the opposition to be considering court action.

All as all the governor has done is taking an interim measure pending the screening and subsequent confirmation of members of the State Electoral Commission which has the responsibility of choosing a date and thereafter conduct free and credible elections.”

Senior Political Adviser to the governor, Chief Ighoyota Amori said "ACN should start preparing for election instead of wasting time in litigation as all ACN governments in old Western region have been running their councils with caretaker committees. Pot should not call kettle back.”

Former governorship candidate of the Peoples Redemption Party, PRP, in the last governorship polls in Delta state, Comrade Emmanuel Odafe Igbini now in the employ of the Delta State Government as Director General Direct Labour Agency (DLA), in a statement said the plan of the political parties to drag the state government to court over appointment of Caretaker Committees for the councils was not the best option because it could delay conduct of council polls.

“The plan will only help PDP-led Delta State Government to buy time to keep the Caretaker Committees as long as they wish as they will drag the matter up to the Supreme Court for final determination.”

Of Hosannas and nail him to the cross chanters

BY OLUWAFEMI AINA

I

T is that season of the year again, the season of the year that Christian faithful around the world reminisce on the final days of the Lord Jesus Christ on earth.

Yearly, around this period, the world is regaled with stories of love, Christ’s love and the betrayal of men.

The unchanging and undying love of God and the erratic loyalty of mankind are two things that keep coming back every Easter period.

The people who chanted “Hosanna to son of David, blessed is he who cometh in the name of the Lord,” would later shout “nail him to the cross,” revealing the deceit and hypocrisy that are second nature to humanity.

It is, therefore, not a surprise that some Nigerians have chosen a glorious period like Easter to carry out their grand design to pull down and destroy the innocent. In the last few days, the Nigerian media have been awash with one story or the other about the Akwa Ibom State governor, Chief Godswill Akpabio.

But the stories have not been about his unprecedented transformation of his state through several achievements in human development and infrastructure; they have not been about how he is changing the way governance is perceived in Nigeria; they have not been about his rising political profile as reformer governor and a loyal party member, as evident in his emergence as a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Board of

Trustees member and chairman of the PDP Governors Forum.

The stories, which have brought about severe criticisms of the governor, have been about only one thing—destroying Akpabio at all cost—and that too through his acts of benevolence which have not inhibited the developmental works in his state.

The grouses against Akpabio included the presentation of a Prado Jeep and N3 million to Annie Macaulay, a daughter of Akwa Ibom and wife of the award-winning international hip hop act, 2Face; the donation of N1million each to the executives of the six chapters of the PDP in the South-South geopolitical zone and the promissory donation of N230million on behalf of all the

Continues on page 57

Vanguard, THURSDAY, APRIL 4, 2013 —57

Ondo: Democracy still far at the grassroots

BY DAYO JOHNSON

D

EMOCRACY has been distant from the third tier in Ondo State as local government administration has been in the hands of caretaker administrators since Governor Segun Mimiko came on board a little over four years ago.

The journey to the constitution of caretaker administrator in Ondo state started on March 4 2009 when the governor assumed office after the Court of Appeal in Benin, Edo State declared him winner of the 2007 governorship election.

Governor Mimiko’s first official declarations after his inauguration on March 4, 2009 were to freeze the accounts and dissolve the 18 local councils.

Peoples Democratic Party, PDP chieftains, who were at that time yet to recover from the shock of their sack from the state government fought back and headed for the law court. The matter is still in court and is presently at the Supreme Court. The House of Assembly then led by the PDP initially rejected the move but following a lot of intrigues which saw the diminution of the strength of the PDP in the legislature, the House subsequently caved in.

Justifying his action then, Dr Mimiko said the dissolution was “in view of pending litigations restraining the former Government of Ondo State from conducting the local government elections held on December 15 2007 and the flagrant disregard for court orders which the Olusegun Agagu government demonstrated by going-ahead with the said elections.

However, a breather came the way of the sacked council chairmen when an Akure High Court aside restraining them from parading themselves as chairmen, equally restrained the state government and the House of Assembly from nominating or passing the list of caretaker committee members to run the affairs of the lcouncils.

While, the court tango was on Governor Mimiko dissolved the caretaker administrators, re-constituted the committees and populated them with LP members. He has since extended their stay in office twice through the House of Assembly.

However, to show his seriousness about conducting council polls, the governor towards the end of last year reconstituted the State Independent Electoral Commission. The opposition, however, kicked against the members of the commission alleging that many of them are card carrying members of the ruling LP. A lawyer and former governorship aspirant of the Action Congress of Nigeria, Dr Tunji Abayomi described the composition of the third tier of government in Ondo State “by a team of hand-picked loyalists of the state governor and his Labour Party at the detriment of elected officials”, as detrimental to democracy.

Although he condemned the December 15, 2007 emergence of the dissolved councils through a controversial election organized by the then PDP government, Abayomi said the process of holding fresh election to pick new council administrators “has been deferred and deterred by the state government for far too long.”

•Mimiko

Abayomi in a letter to Governor Mimiko said handpicking occupants of positions recognized by the constitution as elective “is an aberration that is capable of destroying the fundamental binding principle in our democracy.”

Citing Section 7 (1) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, which defines the emergence of council authorities as only tenable through election process, Abayomi urged the governor to organize council elections in the state within a short period to correct “the anomaly that currently exists in the system.”

Abayomi argued that “it is only a local government constituted by election, secured by the fair and free votes of the people and ordained in the manner

prescribed by the law, that can legitimately, lawfully and duly participate in public development at local government areas, expend money on behalf of the people, give command or enforce law or duty over our people.

“Government by appointment as it is fashionable under your administration amounts to disabling the people, a mere usurpation, an insult to collective right of our people and a disrespectful mockery of democracy. It is iniquitous and tends to increase the courage of despotism in a democracy. It has to be resisted and totally condemned.”

The PDP Director of Publicity in the state, Ayo Fadaka, in his reaction said that Mimiko had rendered Local government councils impotent since he

assumed office almost four years ago.

Fadaka said that there is no meaningful development across the council because of starvation of funds by the government which has taken over the functions of the council especially in the construction of markets.

The Publicity Secretary of the A C N Rotimi Agbede said that “”it is not surprising that the government is not interested in the conduct of council poll because it has been taking advantage of that situation to mis-manage the council funds.

Agbede added that “”with this type of situation the governor is not favourably disposed to having elected chairmen at the helm of affairs so that he can continue to maximise profit at the expense of the people at the grassroots who are supposed to be direct beneficiaries of that arm of government.

Meanwhile, the state government however said it cannot conduct any council election until the various litigations arising from the controversy are settled.

Of Hosannas and nail him to the cross chanters Continues from page 56 South-South governors towards the Otuoke Fund.

In all of these, Akpabio was said to have erred by making the donations or the presentations, as in the view of critics, they were waste of public funds. But are they right?

How has a gift to a daughter of the state, who showed candour and perseverance by staying committed to a relationship in which the entire world would have expected her to back out, amount to waste of public funds?

For the state government, Annie’s life taught a lesson in perseverance, a virtue adored by the governor and coveted for youth in the state in every area of life; so the gift was to tell the youth that there would always be a reward, not necessarily from Akpabio or Akwa Ibom State government, but rewards always

•Akpabio come.

The second count charge— giving money to party chiefs— was least expected to generate any hassle but trust mischiefmakers, they have turned a simple act of strengthening the PDP to a premise to further their

denigration mission. That Akpabio said he would give a million naira each to the party chiefs to buy Mr Biggs does not mean that was what the money would be used for, it was just a jocular way of supporting the party so that people’s loyalty would not wane.

But does the mafia behind the “Destroy Akpabio War” really think? What is wrong in a political office holder giving money to his party members?

The third ‘offence’ was that the governor made a donation on behalf of his brother governors in the South-South.

But would these people rather have it that he didn’t announce the donation in public, a coy employed by political office holders in the country to perpetrate mindless looting of the public treasury?

*Mr. Aina, a public affairs analyst wrote in from Kaduna.

58—Vanguard, THURSDAY, APRIL 4, 2013

Govt should resuscitate rail transportation

W

HEN news of the re suscitation of the Lagos-Kano rail line broke late last year,, Nigerians especially the upcountry dwellers hoped that the usual hustle and bustle that is characteristic of railway stations in the past would be restored to the Port Harcourt -Maiduguri railway stations before the 2013 Easter festivities. But contrary to the people’s wish, these stations are still inhabited by rats, rabbits and other rodents Government should be sensitive to people’s needs and aspirations, especially the masses who are the major source of their prominence.

Rail transportation was serviced and maintained during the first republic. Its existence then, gave meaning to people’s lives. Unfortunately rail transportation collapsed immediately after the civil war.

The present government should emulate their predecessors and revive this life enhancing sector, especially the abandoned Port Harcourt Maiduguri rail line in order to bring succour to the masses.

Since 2008 when the then

FG pardons Alams and other IT is very unfortunate that this government has been aiding and abetting corruption and profoundly rewarding people that have disgraced themselves and Jonathan has simply deceived the country by mixing those who were unduly incarcerated for their political views with criminals that have enriched themselves while in office. “ If he was desirous of such a pardon, what Jonathan should have simply done was to say that Nigerians should pardon Alamieyeseigha and that he has reformed himself instead of trying to insult Nigerians intelligence. What a smokescreen!

Emmanuel writes in from Lagos State

Still on pardon for Alams and others

President Jonathan has taken Nigeria back in the fight against corruption by pardoning those who have wasted our common wealth. President

Transport minister, Alhaji Isa Bio started making inroads into this sector, rail corridors were cleared and new coaches imported into the country. But up to this moment, rail transportation in the country has continued to elude the masses. Government should arise to its responsibility and do something positive in order to bring a lasting solution to this phenomenon.

It has become very necessary for Mr. president to galvanize this sector to cushion the effect of fuel subsidy re-

moval which he has already promised to implement in no distant time.

Is it because the rich are not likely to board the train that they are apparently toying with this life enhancing asset.

They should stop heating the polity with "who rules next" syndrome and face the reality Nkemakolam Gabriel Port Harcourt 08072257360

US Supreme Court hearings on gay marriage Dear Sir,

T

HE whole issue of samesex marriage is really about the normalization of homosexuality rather than marriage.

Give us police station in Ayede-Ekiti Dear sir, would be grateful if you al low me to use this medium to appeal to both the Federal and Ekiti State governments to build a new police station at AyedeEkiti, in Oye Local Government Area. They should also deploy policemen to the area in view of the security challenges our people are presently contending with.

It is public knowledge that armed robbers wrote a letter threatening to invade the town in retaliation for two of their members who were recently

I

Jonathan should stop deceiving Nigerians; he should scrap the EFFC and all anticorruption outfits because it appears that Mr. President is no longer interested in the war against corruption. The masses are suffering, what a shame!

,

Dear Sir,

gunned down by the local security men. As a result of this development, there is panic in the town and its inhabitants have been sleeping with one eye open.

We are indebted to the Ekiti State Police Commissioner for deploying his men for constant patrol of the town. Our thanks also go to the local vigilante men that complement their efforts.

It beats one’s imaginations that the presence of policemen that were taken for granted in the 1960s to 90s is no longer in existence. The police station

built shortly after our political independence has become a monument of sort and no longer suitable for modern policing.

Apart from the threats from armed bandits, a community where policemen have no barracks or station is vulnerable to breakdown of law and order if there is any dispute or mere misunderstandings among its inhabitants. We shall be grateful if the authorities concerned hearken to our distress call.

James Osho Adeyemi, Oke-Odo, Ile-Epo, Abule-Egba, Lagos.

removed from pension contribution. What happened to the money they have contributed so far?

In a decent society, such money will be refunded to various individual's accounts.

The Inspector General of Police and the Police Service Commission should act accordingly.

Anonymous 08123494202

groups that abhor western education.Boko Haram is a terrorist group and should be regarded as such.

Alhaji Muhammed writes in from Kaduna

and widows of peaceful and lovely families?.

Anonymous writes in from Kano

Boko Haram and Sultan's call for total amnesty

Olusegun Obasanjo’s hold on the PDP cannot be taken for granted by any serious minded member of the party aspiring for top position.

Alhaji Bamanga Tukur ’s only advantage is that he hails from the North, but he should be mindful of the former president’s clout.

Obasanjo will continue to leverage on the loyalty of many PDP members in high places who determine how Nigeria’s political pendulum swings.

Eunice 08031550923

Sultan seeks amnesty for Boko Haram How can a person of the stat-

Jonathan has simply deceived the country by mixing those who were unduly incarcerated for their political views with criminals that have enriched themselves while in office Anonymous 080308924497

Police Pension Fund It is relevant as a retired police officer to collect his or her retirement benefit, but in Nigeria the reverse is the case due to corruption in the system as 55 percent of retired officers are still unable to collect theirs.

It was alleged that the Nigeria Police Force has been

Sexuality has an intrinsic meaning and direction which is not homosexual. The meaning and direction of sexuality is to bring about the union of man and woman, and in this way give humanity posterity, children, future.

This is the determination internal to the essence of sexuality. Everything else is against sexuality’s intrinsic meaning and direction. This is a point we need to hold firm, even if it is not pleasing to our age.

Homosexuality is not innate. Behaviors are changeable. There are serious medical and psychiatric illnesses, and risks, of the homosexual lifestyle.

Pediatricians, mental health professionals, physicians, nurses, school counselors, parents, politicians and the media have a clear legal and moral responsibility to inform the public of this and that homosexuality is ultimately not an acceptable lifestyle.

Let us hope the U.S. Supreme Court will recognize the obvious and act swiftly to condemn same-sex marriage.

Paul Kokoski 234 Columbia Drive Hamilton, Ontario. L9C 3Y9. Canada.

,

ure of the Sultan openly suggest to the President what will jeopardies the unity of Nigeria? Their agitation has no moral basis and should not be compared to the Niger Delta militants, who are youths that took arms to ensure equity in the distribution of wealth from oil explored in their domain.

We all know Boko Haram as a faceless group with link to Al-Qaeda and other terrorist

Why would Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar ask President Jonathan to grant total amnesty to members of the Boko Haram sect? What are the Boko Haram agitating for, unlike the Niger Delta militants who have a good case?

What does the Sultan mean by injustice in relation to the activities of Boko Haram sect when members of the group are a bunch of fundamentalists who kill, maim and deform Christians and make orphans

Division in PDP

SAYINGS OF OUR ELDERS 1.The feathers on a fowl do not let one know that the fowl sometimes sweats.

Amarachi (08162271104), Ebonyi State.

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,

Vanguard, THURSD AY, APRIL 4, 2013 — 59 THURSDA

Ailing Martha seeks N6.5m for kidney transplant

BY FESTUS AHON & GODWIN OGHRE

W

• Martha Adimora

ORRIED by her fast deteriorating state of health, Martha Adimora, 33, is appealing to the Delta State Government, corporate organisations and well- meaning individuals to assist in raising N6.5 million with which to undergo kidney transplant at the Delta State University Teaching Hos-

pital, Oghara.

Martha, who lamented her plight from chronic kidney disease for about a year now, fears she may lose her life if help does not come her way urgently.

“My father died long ago while we were young; so my mother brought us up. I took to trading and dealing on clothes after my secondary school education. “I became the bread winner since we moved from Imo State to Sapele.

“I have since relocated to my mother’s home at 46, Lawrence Road, Sapele. I

GSK to improve dentine health with new Sensodyne Rapid Action

G

LAXOSMITHKLINE Consumer Nigeria Plc said it seeks to improve dentine health in Nigeria with the launch of its new variant Sensodyne toothpaste – Sensodyne Rapid Action.

Dentine hypersensitivity is a common problem affecting 1 out of 3 people, yet many do not actively address it. People develop sensitive teeth when the soft, inner core of the teeth, becomes exposed.

This can happen due to factors such as abrasion from tooth-brushing, acid erosion which dissolves the enamel or tooth grinding that causes the enamel to worn away leading to sensitivity. The new product, unveiled to dentists in Lagos last week is formulated to offer relief within 60 seconds to consumers who are experiencing sensitive teeth. With more fluoride, more mint

and less abrasion, the new variant provides rapid relief from the discomfort of sensitive teeth.

The toothpaste according to experts at the launch would give desired relief to individuals with dentine sensitivity who desire quick and easy solution. The new Sensodyne Rapid Action is said to give relief when massage directly onto the exposed sensitive dentine. It also provides the benefits of ordinary daily toothpaste including all-round protection, cleaning and freshness.

Presenting the product to thousands of dentists present at the launch, the Managing Director, GSK Consumer Nigeria Plc., Mr. Chidi Okoro noted: “So many people are not aware of the available treatment options and are also under the per-

ception that treating sensitive teeth can be a time consuming process. However, with this Sensodyne rapid action variant’, many will immediately experience quick and effective teeth sensitivity relief in the most practical way”.

Speaking, Global Clinical Director for Sensitivity and Acid Erosion, GSK, Dr. Steve Mason explained that Sensodyne toothpaste has been clinically proven to relief the pain of teeth sensitivity with continuous use. According to Mason, Sensodyne should be use as regular daily toothpaste for people with dentine sensitivity, adding that it also contains fluoride which protects against cavity formation”.

Sensodyne was first marketed in 1961 as the first desensitising toothpaste

am experiencing acute pain around my abdomen and my stomach is swollen. I have been on treatment at DESUTH for six months at the cost of N100,000 per week.

“I am unable to raise this sum, let alone N6.5 million for the transplant. I can no longer urinate or walk. I have been bedridden for three months.

Reliving the nightmarish experience, she said: “It started like malaria and I went to the Sapele Central Hospital. I was treated for malaria and referred to the DESUTH, Ogharawhere I was diagnosed of chronic kidney disease.

“To confirm the result from DESUTH, I went for a test at the University of Ibadan Teaching Hospital, UITH, and it was again confirmed that I have kidney disease and needs kidney transplant.

The situation is made worse as my siblings have all dropped out of school due to lack of funds. I am therefore appealing to Nigerians at large, government agencies and other organisations to come to my aid.”

A statement from DESUTH signed by one Dr. Okoye O.C., a Consultant Nephrologist, remarked that “Martha has been diagnosed of having chronic kidney disease and has been on dialysis in the institution; she dialyses once instead of two to three times every week.

“She needs kidney transplant; a treatment that will cost N6.5m. The treatment will last three months.” If you are moved to assist Martha, call 08033954381.”

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Later d person sent a text saying” I am disappointed in u. I can’t marry a girl who is not straight forward”.

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60 — Vanguard Vanguard,,

THURSDAY, APRIL 4, 2013

LEISURE

YOUR LUCK TODAY

By Joshua Adeyemo Phone 08056180139 PISCES; As the day progresses you will encounter challenges you will need to handle with maturity or else the whole thing would be compounded. 8.48pm till mid-night can be more sensitive for those working at night especially.

ARIES; Although there will be challenges they will serve as the needed tonic to make head-way; certainly success indicated for you. Be cautious from 8.48pm till mid-night TAURUS; You are likely to over do things to the resentment of people within your base of operation. It is important you respect your superiors. Be family minded.

GEMINI; If you don’t accord the law and it’s agents needed respects you may walk your way into avoidable trouble. Deception is around; be warned.

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

By Richard Eromosele

...Let me ask you few questions – If you are asked to go and hunt for an elephant on top of a tree, will you go? If you are asked to go and fish in the desert, will you go?

And if you are told a

Beware of false prophet ship has berth in the desert, will you believe? If your answer to the above questions are no respectively, then why will you believe prophecies that do

not seem to agree with your natural chemistry, do not agree with the word of God, do not agree with Quranic provision (in case you are a muslim) and seem to lack basic

TERROR MUDA in “Never say goodbye”

element of truth and integrity?

There are prophets and there are prophets. But every prophecy must be tested against the spirit, the word of God and the integrity of the vessel.

Think about it!

By Lanre Kehinde

CANCER; You may find yourself between some difficult people who want you to do their different biddings. Let reason be your guard so that you are not used painfully.

LEO; If care is not taken you may be deceived just to pick cashew nuts from burning fire for others the way you can get your fingers burnt. Watch carefully from 8.48pm.

VIRGO; Those of you working late this evening will need to be on your guard, especially between 8.48pm till mid-night as minor but costly mistake is possible.

All of you should think of the law and say no to whatever cant be placed above board.

LIBRA; Friends may unconsciously disappoint you today; that is to say it is better you don’t expect too much from promises made to you especially from 8.48pm.

SCORPIO; Those of you who have been rigid of recent may be paid back in your own coins. Try your best to pacify your spouse and/or other important partners of yours.

KAPTAIN AFRIKA

in

“Princess Shii’

By Andy Akman

SAGITTARIUS; This is the wrong time to fan embers of discord, especially within your working arena. Get things done properly before 8.48pm today. Be loving.

CAPRICORN; Deception is in the air today. Unless you are very cautious those who thought they are more clever would take undue advantage of you to the detriment of your finances. Do away with gambling with matters-of-the-heart.

AQUARIUS; If you allow minor domestic challenge to go out of hands you would be the loser to the detriment of your cause. Make sure temper don’t overshoot acceptable limit, especially around 8.48pm till mid-night.

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,

Can colour help?

VIRGINIA

dadadekola@yahoo.com

Dear Joshua I have it nice in some areas of my life while other side can not be said to be Ok Why? Somebody tells me that combination of good colours can assist; is it true? Anyway what are my colours, love life, socials, luck and the future?

Vivian. Enugu Dear Vivian, Yes good colours can enhance good prospects and mitigate some hard aspect if applied at the right time rightly.

Here is where a few challenges are indicated.

Although you are the disciplined type, because of closeness between Venus (love) and difficult Saturn (tough challenges/delay) you just can not totally escape frustration here. But as Saturn will not put one on trial without adequate reward you will eventually be rewarded and be happy. Yet have it at the back of your mind that you must not expect too much here. Luckily for you as Lucky Jupiter will soon be at a positive angle to your natal planets very soon, things will soon improve very rapidly.

Yours is an active and happy social life. But then if POLITICS comes your way do not say no. It is important you don’t give in to negative spiritual side of life.

Your POWERFUL MIND, both YOUR PERSONAL and OTHER PEOPLES’ INFLUENCES are many times sources of your SUCCESS. Then eleventh hour help assistance and or help always come your way some times when hopes are almost lost. You are meant to achieve GREATNESS. YELLOW/GOLDEN and black are your favourable colours.

Your 38th year on earth will bring you unexpected break-through which you can build on. And I am saying congratulations.

Commen3

by Lawrence Akapa

Vanguard, THURSDAY, APRIL 4, 2013 — 61

N/Korea closes access to industrial zone

N

ORTH Korea, yesterday closed access to a joint factory zone with South Korea , officials said, putting at risk $2 billion a year in trade that is vital for an impoverished state with a huge army, nuclear ambitions and a hungry population.

The move marked an escalation in North

Korea’s months-long standoff with South Korea and its ally Washington.

On Tuesday, Pyongyang said it would restart a mothballed nuclear reactor, drawing criticism from the international community, including China, its major benefactor and diplomatic friend.

In Beijing, China’s deputy foreign minister

met ambassadors from the United States and both Koreas to express “serious concern” about the Korean peninsula, China’s Foreign Ministry said, in a sign China is increasingly worried about events spinning out of control. The ministry said the meetings with Deputy Foreign Minister Zhang Yesui took place on Tuesday.

AU urges CAR rebels to hold elections

R

EBELS who seized power in Central African Republic should consider holding elections in one year not three to speed up the return to democratic rule, a senior official from the African Union said yesterday.

African leaders including South African President Jacob Zuma are meeting in Chad’s capital N’Djamena to hash out a regional response to the coup.

Thousands of insurgent fighters, who accused the government of failing to honor past peace agreements, stormed Central African Republic’s crumbling riverside capital Bangui on March 24, ousting expresident Francois

Bozize.

African and Western leaders have so far

condemned the rebellion in the mineral-rich former French colony.

Mandela makes ‘steady improvement’

F

ORMER South African President Nelson Mandela is making “steady improvement” under treatment for pneumonia, his doctors have said.

South Africa’s presidency said in a statement that Mr Mandela had been visited by his family as he continues to make progress.

He was responding well to treatment and was much better than when admitted to hospital on 27 March, it said.

The hospital stay is Mr Mandela’s fourth in just over two years.

In December he was treated for a lung infection and gallstones - his longest period in hospital since leaving prison in 1990.

In February, he was treated for a stomach condition.

Last week the former president, 94, had fluid drained from his lungs at the hospital, the name of which has not been disclosed.There are no details yet on how much longer he will stay there.

EU urges Iran to respond to nuclear offer

E

UROPEAN Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton yesterday said Iran must

respond to an offer proposed by world powers if this week’s nuclear talks were to succeed. Ashton

Western envoys to attend Kenyatta’s inauguration

T

HE United States and several other European nations are expecting to send ambassadors to attend the swearing in next week of Uhuru Kenyatta, Kenya’s president-elect who is indicted for crimes against humanity at The Hague.

Western diplomats said this level of attendance was in line with their policy of having only “essential contacts” with indictees of the International Criminal Court. A European Union official also said EU envoys were seeking to meet Kenyatta.

Western nations have to strike a delicate balance, adhering to their oft-stated policy that will limit

contacts with Kenyatta while ensuring a trade partner and a nation seen as vital to stability in a volatile region does not swivel towards China and other Asian states as they expand their influence.

was speaking in the Turkish capital Ankara before talks on the nuclear dispute with Iran in Kazakhstan on Friday and Saturday, at which she will lead negotiations on behalf of the United States, China, Russia, Britain, France and Germany.

“I remain always cautiously optimistic. But I am also very clear that it is very important that we do get a response (from Iran),” she told reporters when asked about the talks in Almaty.

African forces suspend hunt for warlord Kony

A

FRICAN troops in Central African Republic, CAR, have suspended the hunt for the fugitive warlord Joseph Kony because the new government there is not cooperating with the mission, Uganda’s top military official said yesterday.

Operations against Kony

were put on hold until the mission’s status is clarified by the African Union, under whose mandate the forces are deployed in the expansive central African country where rebels deposed a president and took the capital, Bangui, more than a week ago, Ugandan army chief Gen. Aronda Nyakairima, said.

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62 —

Vanguard, THURSDAY, APRIL 4, 2013

Emenike promises goals on return A

FCON hero Emmanuel Emenike has said on return to training from injury that he hopes to reward Spartak Moscow with goals.

“It is great for me to return to training after several weeks of absence, I am happy and I must thank everybody that has been supportive to see to my return. It is my pleasure to say I love them all and I will try my best to ensure I return with better form,” said Emenike, who sustained a thigh injury while representing Nigeria at the recent AFCON in South Africa in the semifinal against Mali.

“It’s been tough for me being out of action for several weeks, while my mates were playing. I really missed the game, but I am grateful to God for the smooth progress so far.”

Emenike further told MTNFootball.com,”I am getting to my best but my target is to return with better form.

“The fans and mates have been waiting to see me in action and I can’t wait to start scoring for them because they have been the inspiration behind my return to full fitness so far and I will definitely pay them back with goals.”

Russian club Spartak Moscow travel to face Rostov in a Week 23 game on Saturday.

They are seventh on the league table on 37 points from 22 matches with former Karabucspor of Turkey goal machine Emenike notching five goals in 15 league games thus far this season.

BY BEN AGANDE, Abuja

T

Emenike celebrates after scoring a goal at Afcon 2013

Nations Cup final referee comes visiting

A

MID claims of suspect officiating by referees during the just concluded Nations Cup in South Africa, one referee stood out and was consequently given the honour of refereeing the final match between Nigeria and Burkina Faso.

Just when Nigeria was stepping out of a very tricky first round, Algerian Haimoudi Djamel was given the job of refereeing the quarter final encounter against Cote D’ivoire and he was impeccable.

The Super Eagles met him again in the final match and had nothing to complain about. This week end, Djamel leads compatriots Omari Bouabdallah, Bitam Mahmoud and Amalou Mohktar to han-

Partizan Belgrade chief Continues from BP London’s Mail Online yesterday.

‘He joined us saying he was 28. We only later found out he was 40, but he was still playing well so I don’t regret having him on the team,’ Zecevic said.

But according to the Croatian media, the former defender known for his colourful hairstyles also lied when trying to join Croatia’s Rijeka club.

At the age of 44, they

FG to concession Lagos, Abuja stadia

said West told club doctors he was only 32.

It was only after an examination that the doctors raised suspicions with the club because West’s knees suggested he was older.

He wasn’t signed to the team but later joined Plymouth and then Iranian side Paykan FC, where he ended his career at the age of 46 in 2008.

Today, his Wikipedia entry says he is 39.

dle the CAF Champion League return leg encounter between Rangers International and Vital O of Burundi. The first leg match ended scoreless.

In another development, NFF Referees Consultant, Linus Mba will be heading to Mali as Match Commissioner for the CAF Confederations Cup encounter pitching Union Sportive Bougouni againstRecreativo Caala. Recreativo won the first leg 4-0 in Angola, making the task very herculean for the Malians.

Yobo Continues from BP

•Djamel

ARS partners Samsung Telecommunications services provider Airtel and Samsung Electronics, a global leader in technology have announced a partnership to support the largest under 17 grassroots tournament on the African continent, Airtel Rising Stars (ARS) tournament.

Under the multi-million dollar agreement, Samsung will also become the Official Device Partner of the tournament.

Working with various educational institutions in

17 English and French speaking countries, the youth soccer initiative involves 0ver 18,000 teams and more than 400,000 young boys and girls across the continent.

The initiative recorded a 65% growth in participation in 2012 and looks set to grow even larger. It is also supported by two of the biggest soccer clubs in the world; Arsenal FC and Manchester United; and aims to identify and nurture future talent in Africa.

Taribo Continues from BP rubbish.”

The Atlanta ’96 hero said he could not

HE Federal Gov ernment yesterday said the Abuja and Lagos National stadia are to be concessioned to interested private organiations as government could no longer fund the maintenance of the stadia.

Minister of Sports, Bolaji Abdullahi who disclosed this while briefing state house correspondents after yesterday’s Federal Executive Council meeting noted that the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC) is working on the details of the planned concessioning.

According to him, the maintenance of other national stadia located in Enugu, Bauchi, Kaduna and Ibadan in Oyo States

are to be taken over by the State Governments who expressed interests in such stadium, noting that the President has already approved the request by Enugu State Government to take over the stadium in the state while Bauchi’s request was being considered.

According to him, the Federal Government would encourage Kaduna and Oyo States to also make similar request to take over maintenance of the stadia located in the two states.

Abdullahi explained that out of the 42 Sports Federations, the Federal Government have decided to concentrate on the funding of sixFederations in the country which include Football, Boxing, Wrestling, Athletics, Shooting, weightlifting.

comprehend what the Serbian was talking about as “it does not make any sense.”

against the Harambee Stars of Kenya in Calabar. Keshi had reportedly said yesterday that he struck a rotation deal with Yobo, which allowed the coach to decide which matches to invite his captain and which to leave him out.

But in an angry reaction, Yobo said he never had any such arrangement or meeting with Keshi..

“There is absolutely no truth in that statement that Keshi said he called me after the Nations Cup. He did not call me to say that some games I will play and some games, I would not play.

It is absolutely untrue.

“I am on top of my game right now, I am atop of my career and I am playing in the Europa Cup. If I’m not that good, I won’t be playing in this competition. This is not about football. This is about principles. Why is Keshi trying to make me a part-time player.? If that is his decision, fine but I’ll not accept it. I’ll not respect that decision. If he feels that he does not need me and he tells me that, I’ll respect that decision.

But to say that he called to inform me of his plans, no, that is not true.

“I cannot agree to be a part-time player for the national team. If I’m not fit to play or good enough to play, I personally would opt out. I have a reputation to protect. Nigeria is so huge , we have so much talents and as a player, its difficult to come out there and put your head out for competition. So if I am not ready and fit enough, I would say it myself ”, added Yobo.

He also said that he was planning a documentary of the many wrong things that happened in the Super Eagles camp at the last Nations Cup and Faro camp.

The Fenerbache defender also defended outcast, Osaze Odemwingie, who had publicly rapped Keshi over the way he was managing the national team.

“Some of the things that Osaze said are actually true. But probably the time he said them and how he said them, were probably not right but the fact is that he said the truth”, he said.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, APRIL 4, 2013 — 63

C M Y K

VANGUARD, THURSDAY, APRIL 4, 2013

Page 62

Yobo attacks Keshi again

BY JOHN EGBOKHAN

Taribo West ‘was 40 when he said he was 28’, claims former Partizan Belgrade chief

SUPER EAGLE: The Nigeria defender coloured his hair green to go with his national side’s kit at France 98 president of Partizan, ORMER Derby Zarko Zecevic, has County, Plymouth accused him of lying, and Inter Milan saying the defender was defender Taribo West has actually 40 according to been accused of lying Continues on Page 62 about his age.

The former Nigeria centre half, now retired, joined Serbian team Partizan Belgrade in 2002 after leaving Derby HE former Super County and told club Eagles defender, bosses he was 28.

Taribo West has But now the ex- described the allegation

S

UPER Eagles captain, Joseph Yobo has branded as a lie the statement credited to Coach Stephen Keshi that he agreed to be invited for some matches and be left out in some.

Speaking yesterday on phone from his Turkey base, a furious Yabo, who is Nigeria’s mostcapped player, told STV, that Keshi was being economical with the truth over the latter ’s decision not to invite him for last month’s World Cup qualifier Continues on Page 62

F

SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST: Taribo West (r) in an aerial battle with an attacker

It’s absolute nonsense — Taribo T

about his age by a former President of Patizan Belgrade, Zarko Zercevic as rubbish.

PUZZLE

on mail, “That’s nonsense. It’s not relevant. It’s absolute Continues on Page 62

•Yobo

QUICK CROSSWORD

Sudoku TODAY'S

In his reaction, the former Nigerian international said about the publication

YESTER DAY'S YESTERDAY'S

ANSWERS

ACROSS 2 Hut (5) 7 Way (5) 8 Call (5) 10 Pungent (5) 12 Gender (3) 13 Ruse (5) 15 Bragged (7) 17 Fester (6) 19 Cereal (3) 20 Component (7) 23 Grim (4) 25 Threesome (4) 26 Revoke (7) 30 Suitable (3) 31 Diatribe (6) 34 Refuge (7) 37 Evaluated (5) 38 Wonder (5) 39 Pin (5) 40 Upright (5) 41 Material (5) 42 Harmony (5)

DOWN 1 Snake (5) 2 Pile (5) 3 Interrupt (6) 4 Cot (4) 5 Disagree (7) 6 Blessed (5) 9 Clique (3) 11 Asleep (7) 13 Commerce (5) 14 Risk (5) 16 Yes (3) 18 Voted (7) 21 Handle (5) 22 Promised (5) 24 Muse (7) 27 Pose (3) 28 Straight (6) 29 Quota (5) 32 Recover (5) 33 God (5) 35 Sheep (3) 36 Horse (4)

YESTERDAY'S SOLUTIONS ACROSS: 2, Humid 8, Mire 8, Umpire 9, Wine 11, Sip 13, Fop 15, Hell 16, Bus 18, Bill 19, Caption 20, Rumption 22, Wing 23, Miracle 25, Fret 27, Lee 28, Have 30, Fat 31, Led 33, Feint 36, Nimble 37, Rave 38, Delay.

How to Play Sudoku

THE VIGILANTE

DOWN: 1, Pixie 2, Hew 3, Men 4, Due 5, Opt 6, Drool 10, Coup 11, Sheriff 12, Plummet 13, Finical 14, Plugged 16, Bemal 17, Style 18, Bow 21, Pit 24, Cede 26, Rapid 29,Verve 32, Ebb 33, Fed 34, Ill 35, Try.

e-mail: rowolove@yahoo.co.uk

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.

Printed and Published by VANGUARD MEDIA LIMITED, Vanguard Avenue, Kirikiri Canal, P.M.B.1007, Apapa. Phone: Newsroom: 018773962. Deputy Editor: 01-8944295. Advert Dept: 01-7924470; Hotline: 01-8737028; Abuja: 09-2341102, 09-2342704. E-mail: editor@vanguardngr.com, news@vanguardngr.com, letters@vanguardngr.com. Advert:advertproduction@yahoo.com Website: www.vanguardngr.com (ISSN 0794-652X) Editor: MIDENO BAYAGBON. Phone: 01-7742861, All correspondence to P.M.B. 1007, Apapa Lagos.

C M Y K