STATE OF THE NATION ADDRESS BILL: Senators fight over Jonathan's letter

...towards a better life for the people VOL. 25: NO. 61918

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THURSDAY, JULY 4, 2013

Uduaghan, DWSC, Tompolo move 58 to avert fresh Ijaw/Itsekiri war

From right: Herbert Wigwe, Group Deputy Managing Director, Access Bank; Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, Group Managing Director/ CEO, Access Bank and Mr. Oscar Onyema, CEO, Nigerian Stock Exchange, (NSE) at the presentation of Access Bank's Five years Strategy ( 2013 – 2017) and announcement of succession plan at the Nigerian Stock Exchange in Lagos yesterday.

STATE OF THE NATION ADDRESS BILL:

Senators fight over Jonathan's letter •We shouldn't resolve issues by boxing — Mark A R M Y TA K E S O V E R I N E G Y P T

BY HENRY UMORU & JOSEPH ERUNKE

A

BUJA —THE Sen ate was thrown into confusion, yesterday, as two senators were nearly engaged in fisticuffs following disagreements over President Goodluck Jonathan’s letter stating why he cannot assent to the State of the Nation Address Bill 2013 as passed by the National Assembly.

Trouble started when discussions on the President's letter degenerated into a heated debate with

Continues on page 5

ASUU, ASUP strikes ground varsities, polytechnics•P.27

COLUMNISTS: OCHEREOME NNANNA•P.19

Josef Omorotionmwan •P.19

Mr & Mrs

EGYPT AGAIN!—Egyptians salute Army tanks and celebrate upon their deployment on a street leading to Cairo University, yesterday. A top aide to Egypt's President Mohamed Morsi slammed what he called a "military coup" as the army took over power yesterday.

Photo: AFP. See story on Page 60.

Reps wade into Amaechi, 80% of teachers in North unqualified — NTI Rivers' CP crisis 9 8

2 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, JULY 4, 2013

Vanguard, THURSDAY, JULY 4, 2013 — 3

4 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, JULY 4, 2013

Vanguard, THURSDAY, JULY 4, 2013—5

POCKET CARTOON

PRESENTATION—President Goodluck Jonathan (2nd right); Vice President Namadi Sambo

(right); Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala (3rd right); Education Minister, Prof. Ruqayyatu Rufai (4th left); and Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Prof. Viola Onwuliri (3rd left) and others at the presentation of products by first beneficiaries of the YOU-WIN Programme to the Federal Executive Council at the Council Chambers, State House, Abuja, yesterday. Photo: Abayomi Adeshida.

Senators fight over Jonathan's letter Continues from page 1 tempers rising. In the heat of the debate, Senator Kabir Garba Marafa, ANPP, Zamfara Central, moved to remove his clothes (babanriga) and was ready to throw a punch at Senator Igwe Paulinus Nwagu, PDP, Ebonyi Central. It took the intervention of some senators and the Sergeant-At-Arms to stop them from exchanging blows.

The State of the Nation Address Bill, among others, will empower the lawmakers to compel the

President to appear before the National Assembly to deliver the address once a year.

It would be recalled that the President in a letter to the Senate President, Senator David Mark early last week, said that his assent to the Bill would be subject to the incorporation of some fundamental amendments that would bring the Bill in conformity with the dictates of the Constitution, especially the discretion conferred on the President by Section 67 of the Constitution.

LIFEWORDS

BY PASTOR ITUAH

Search for a beautiful heart not a beautiful face.

Beautiful things are not always good but good things are always beautiful.

TAKE HEART

BY ELLA RANDLE

Let today be the day you love yourself enough to no longer just dream of a better life; let it be the day you act upon it — Steve Maraboli

O

NE step at a time, that’s how to play the game of life, just allow yourself to hear what’s really in your heart so you can make values-driven decisions in a much more focussed manner. Instead of running from one thing to the next, make a point to stop, take a deep breath and ask yourself, “Is this what I really want to be doing right now? Is there a better — and possibly more successful way to accomplish my goals? Pausing can help you find new approaches to the same old tasks.

For instance, we all want to feel loved so we can create more love with the people that matter to us and also have deeper connections and loving relationships with our partners. Yet, under analysis, our words and actions sometimes belie the fact that we don’t feel deserving of love and worse, that we don’t actually believe an ‘unloving’ situation will change.

This belief, whether you are consciously aware of it or not, often repel love and deep connection and the means to create them. If you want love in your life, you must first accept you are worthy and also deserve it, which sets the wheels in motion to allow love to grow.

Jonathan wrote: "I am inclined to accede to the Bill subject to the incorporation of some fundamental amendments proposed to bring the Bill in conformity with the dictates of the Constitution”.

President Jonathan in the letter noted that the Constitution had made ample provisions for such an address and that the new Bill would amount to a duplication of legislation.

He, therefore, proposed a redrafting of Clause 1 (2) to make it more flexible by substituting it to read: “The State of the Nation Address shall be delivered to a joint sitting of the National Assembly within 30 days of the commencement of the legislative year”.

For Clause 3, which purports to empower the National Assembly to summon the President, where he decides not to make the address, the President said it should be substituted with a clause that conforms to the language of the Constitution.

According to him, it should rather read that: “Where for any reason the President is unable to present an address in accordance with Section 1 of this Act, the President shall in writing, inform the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives and either designate the Vice President to present the address on his behalf or transmit to the President

of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the text of the Address”.

Senators divided For Senators who spoke on the letter, it became very clear that they were not happy with the action of President Jonathan refusing to assent to the Bill which was already passed by the National Assembly. Many lawmakers argued that the President’s observations amounted to a veto of the Bill, while some advised that the Bill be reviewed to reflect observations of the President.

Confusion enveloped the Chamber when Senator Ita Solomon Enang, PDP, Akwa Ibom North East stood up to talk and drew his colleagues’ attention to the contradiction between the Senate Rule and the Constitution with respect to the Bill that has been processed by the National Assembly Conference Committee.

He told his colleagues that the President has no such powers to propose amendments to a Bill after it had been passed, adding that there were public hearings when all including the Minister of Justice and AttorneyGeneral of the Federation, Special Advisers and Special Assistants would have used to raise objections to the Bill and sections the President was not comfortable with.

Senator Ita Enang said: "I am from Akwa Ibom State, SouthSouth, a Nigerian and an unrepentant member

of the Peoples Democratic Party. Mr President, the question before us is the question of jurisdiction; it is whether we have power to determine what the president asked, it is when we answer this that we can proceed.

"He cannot make amendment or propose amendment to any bill.

Mr President, I submit this on the basis of the fact that one, the procedure for making law is this- our Standing Order requires that when a law is to be made, first, you publish that bill in the gazette, the Senate Journal of the National Assembly and this bill was published in the journal like any other bill. Hearings were held on this bill and when hearings were held, from 2003, there was Secretary to the Government of the Federation, there have always been AttorneysGeneral, there have always been Special Advisers to the President on National Assembly Affairs.

"Did any of them at any given time, when this bill was being considered either in the House of Representatives or in the Senate, come to the Public Hearing or the committee handling the bill that this is the amendment they have proposed?"

At the peak of the confusion, Senate President, David Mark, confirmed to Senators that “as it is today (yesterday), we have boxed ourselves into a corner.

We have this rule and as Ita Enang clearly pointed out, any act that is against the Constitution is null and void but it is not as simple and straightforward as that because we now have a standing rule”.

Senate President Mark who also ruled out the possibility of over-riding the amendment as proposed by some lawmakers, said, “even if we have to over-ride, it cannot be today because over-riding would not be by mouth votes. My understanding of Enang’s conclusion was for us to

get interpretation from Supreme Court but how to go about it is not clear to me”.

Mark intervenes As the debate continued, the Senate leadership sensed that if not stopped and plenary suspended with proceedings adjourned, the atmosphere could further degenerate to where the Senate President may not be able to control.

The Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu with moves to create a window of escape, suggested that the debate be adjourned to allow for consultation with members of the House of Representatives.

Ruling on the matter, Senate President put forward a question on whether or not the debate should be adjourned. The response further confirmed a terrible division among lawmakers as Nays had it. Senator Mark thereafter withheld his ruling on the matter to avert worsening the situation.

It was during the 15 minutes rowdy break and waiting to know whether or not the Senate would stop debate on the subject matter that Senators Kabir Garba Marafa and Igwe Paulinus Nwagwu were seen attempting a fight.

Angered by the development, Senate President Mark said: "As democrats, we should resolve all the problems by talking and not by boxing. In any case, for the first time in 14 years, I have seen an effort for people to put out boxing gloves. It’s never necessary, we must never do that, we are distinguished senators and elder statesmen.

"We can do all the talking but we should never resort to boxing.

"I want to appeal once more that we should suspend the debate on this for today, if nothing else but because of the way temper has risen."

6—Vanguard, THURSDAY, JULY 4, 2013

Vanguard, THURSDAY, JULY 4, 2013—7

Edo Police parade alleged gay pastor, 25 other suspects

House help arrested for stealing N40m jewelry zI was hypnotised, raped by fraudsters –Suspect

zGod will judge – Accused pastor

BY EVELYN USMAN

BY SIMON EBEGBULEM

L

B

AGOS — POLICEMEN attached to the anti-robbery section of Zone 2, Onikan, Lagos, have arrested a maid who allegedly stole her boss’ jewellery estimated at more than N40 million in Victoria Island, Lagos.

The suspect identified as Rita Emma, reportedly told policemen during interrogation that she was hypnotised by some fraudsters who ordered her to get the jewellery.

After fulfilling their mission, Rita further stated that she was driven to an unknown destination where the fraudsters, three in number, gang raped and abandoned her.

Narrating how she came in contact with the fraudsters to the policemen, she said: “ I had gone to buy recharge card around my area when a young man accosted me and said he was a prophet. He told me everything that has been going on in my family and assured me that he was going to intervene spiritually.

“But to achieve that, he said I should go and get money with which to perform some sacrifice. I told him I was only a househelp and he advised me to go get my madam’s jewellery.

“He said after the sacrifice that the enemies standing against my family will die and that the sacrifice would also open doors of international breakthrough for me. He said I would end up marrying a white man.

“As he was talking, I lost my senses and went straight to the house to get my boss' box of jewellery for him. He, thereafter, asked me to enter their car that he was taking me to a place where the sacrifice would be performed. But when we got to the unknown destination, he raped me and his friends took turn too.

“He thereafter, abandoned me in an area I did not know, with a stern warning not to disclose what transpired between us to anyone, if I wanted the sacrifice to work. He further said I would meet with a white man two days from the time."

Benue police nab 35 suspected cultists

BY PETER DURU

M

AKURDI —FOLLOWING its renewed onslaught against increasing cult activities across Benue State, the state Police Command has arrested an alleged 35-man notorious cult gang operating in the town.

State Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Deputy Superintendent of Police, DSP, Daniel Ezeala, disclosed the arrest to newsmen, yesterday, in Makurdi, the Benue State capital.

Ezeala said members of the gang were arrested at Katugun, a remote community in the North Bank area of the town where they had gathered for a meeting, preparatory to carrying out an "assignment."

NDLEA arrests 3 clearing agents with 1.630kg of cannabis

BY LAWANI MIKAIRU & DANIEL ETEGHE

L

AGOS — THE National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, has arrested three clearing agents at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA, car park Lagos, with a consignment containing 1.630kg of cannabis meant for export to China.

According to Ofoyeju Mitchell, Head, Public Affairs of the agency, NDLEA Commander at the Lagos airport, Mr Hamza Umar, said the three suspects, Peter Madunatum, 38; Stanley Chimezie, 23, and Nlemoha Collins Chijioke, 34, were arrested with 1.630kg of cannabis.

Mitchell said: “Peter Madunatum and Stanley Chimezie were arrested when they gave a package containing 1.630kg of cannabis to a passenger at the car park. The passenger insisted on complete search before accepting the package. In the process, he discovered a parcel of cannabis and the agents took to their heels. They were, however, apprehended with the assistance of some policemen at the car park.”

He said the third suspect, Nlemoha Collins Chijioke, was caught with 1.030kg of cannabis hidden inside a bag containing garri.

In his statement, Nlemoha said he accepted the consignment because he had confidence in his colleague who gave it to him.

Internally displaced persons being addressed by National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, officials at L.G.E.A Pilot Central Primary School in Mabudi, Langtang South Local Government Area of Plateau State, yesterday. PHOTO: NAN.

We lost 14 members, N33m in two —Bodija traders

BY OLA AJAYI

I

BADAN– TRADERS in Bodija market, yesterday, counted their losses in attacks by unknown gunmen which left 10 of their colleagues dead.

While speaking on the sad incident at Bodija Market, Public Relations Officer of the market, Mr. Emiola Akeem, said they had lost a total of 14 members and more than N33 million in the two attacks.

He said: “On May 5, this year, four of our members were murdered in cold blood and N11 million was stolen from them.

This time again, after killing them, they stole N22 million we contributed to buy beans and fish.”

Meantime, even as business activities resumed generally at the popular market, the section for beans sellers was deserted with all the shops locked up. The traders who managed to come only gathered in clusters discussing the sad incident.

One of the traders, Mrs. Bola Lawal, said the action was just to sympathise with their dead colleagues.

She said: “We closed our shops just to mourn our dead colleagues. Look at their shops there. They were very nice and hard-working young men. See what these evil people have done now?”

Emiola said he had prevailed on some angry youths who wanted to attack our Hausa colleagues, adding: “We cannot pro-

test in Oyo State. The state government did not do any evil to us. It would be unfair if we now go to the secretariat to protest. It is not the state government that failed, it is the Federal Government.”

According to him, his members would never go to the North again to buy goods.

He said the relatives of the slain traders in the first attack were even fighting them asking why

15-year-old son of ...as family suspects foul play

T

HE son of a Nigerian diplomat, Hafis Kareem, 15, was confirmed dead by Police, Sunday morning, after being drowned at the New Mark Commons community pool in Rockville, Maryland, USA. It was gathered that Kareem and some other kids jumped over the fence to get into the pool area, late Saturday night.

According to the Montgomery Police, "we were told Kareem went under water and the others with him yelled for help, asking someone walking by to call 911.

The 15-year old was taken to the hospital where he died early Sunday morning."

Hafis Kareem’s father was a diplomat at the Embassy of Nigeria, Washington, DC and just recently got posted back to Abuja.

His sister, Hamidat Kareem, doesn’t understand why he was in the water because he didn’t know how to swim.

She said: “None of us knows how to swim, so I don’t know what happened, if they pushed him in. We had a pool party here and he didn’t swim, he just stood

attacks they allowed their people to travel to North when they knew the place was not safe.

Vanguard gathered that of the 10 men killed in te latest attack, only nine corpses were brought as the 10th body was said to have been dismembered through several machete cuts.

The image maker said a special prayer would be held in honour of the deceased soon.

ENIN CITY — THE Edo State Police Command, yesterday, paraded 26 suspected criminals including a pastor identified as Philips Ogbebor, alleged to have had carnal knowledge of a 20-year-old male member of his church (names withheld).

After the act, the pastor allegedly threatened to kill his victim if he disclosed the act to the public.

Speaking to Vanguard, Pastor Ogbebor simply said: “God will judge, go and talk to others” and kept on mumbling.

But his victim narrated his ordeal: “I told him I have never done this since I grew up, but he insisted. It was painful and I told him I will not allow it again. So after the second attempt, I told him I will expose the act. He then administered an oath on me, saying if I ever told any one, I will die.

“He carried sand and olive oil and poured them on my head, then he wore black garment, saying I will die if I ever leaked the secret. He killed a black fowl and gave me the liver and gizzard to eat at about 2 a.m., threatening that if I ever said it out, I will die like the fowl.

“But when I realised that it is a sin, I met a man of God to pray for me that God should forgive me and that I am ready to expose it since he forced me. There after I went to the church and told the congregation about the act. When he heard it, he threatened me by sending his younger brother and members of his gang after me.

Since then I have been running.”

Other suspects paraded The state Police Commissioner, Folusho Adebanjo, explained that among the suspects were two suspected cultists believed to have participated in the recent rival cult clash in the state and

seven suspected pipeline vandals and operators of illegal refineries.

Others were two suspected robbers, from whom a Toyota Camry car they stole at gunpoint in Kaduna State was recovered; a suspect who was alleged to have

The alleged gay pastor demanded N20 million ransom from one Joseph with death threats and three others whom the police boss said were in possession of firearms without licence were also paraded.

Woman, 35, faces murder charge for killing baby

L

AGOS —A YABA Magistrates’ Court, yesterday, said a dry cleaner, 35-year-old Aderoju Ojelabi, who allegedly killed her day-old baby, had a case to answer in court.

At the resumed hearing of the case, the Magistrate, Mrs S.K. Matepo, said: “A murder case has been established against the accused and consequently, her case will be transferred to a court of superior record.”

She said that advice from the state Directorate of Public Prosecutions, DPP, had established a prima facie case of unlawful killing against the accused.

Consequently, Matepo ordered

Nigerian diplomat drowns in US by the pool.”

However, police said that from their investigation, there was nothing to indicate Kareem was pushed, adding: "We’re told the kids were at the pool for about an hour before the incident happened - it’s unclear what happened but police believe these were teenagers playing teenage games. Detectives talked to the friends and are calling it an accidental drowning."

The whole situation doesn’t sit well with the family, who said the friends ran away after they called for help.

According to Hamidat, “they are not really his friends, real

The late Hafis Kareem friends would stay with you and be there for you.

“Residents tell us kids have snuck in before but nothing like this has happened. A new fence

There was also an alleged case of rape against two suspects who were said to have dragged a 20year-old female victim into the bush. He also paraded five persons including a middle aged woman all from Ojah, Akoko-Edo Local Government council accused of burning to death, one Funmi Abiodun on allegation of being a witch responsible for the death of a relation.

According to him, “the war against criminality is relentlessly being waged against men of the underworld. The command is not leaving any stone unturned regarding crime and criminality in Edo State.

“This man who claimed to be a pastor defiled a young person.

Another thing that is so common here and I don’t know why this defilement issue is so prevalent.

“I wonder if there is something about it. You see very old men defiling young girls who are five years, two years, and so on. We are not going to tolerate this and cases of rape are also increasing too but we will go all out to make sure that they are convicted.”

was put up we’re told in the past couple of years, in part, to prevent things like this from happening.”

Mincy Neil, who has lived in the area for 27 years, said: “Kids do sneak in from time to time; we haven’t had any incidents since we put the new fence but apparently they got in that way. It’s a tragedy one family is now struggling to cope with.

“He was just an amazing person, I am going to miss him so much,” Hamidat Kareem added.

Montgomery County Police are said to still be investigating but he has since been buried in Virginia.

that the case file be transferred to the Lagos High Court for trial.

Ojelabi was first arraigned on December 10, 2012, and charged with the wilful abandonment and murder of her child.

At her arraignment, the court failed to take the plea of the accused, but ordered that she be remanded in prison custody pending legal advice from the Director of Public Prosecutions.

The prosecutor, Police Inspector Chris Takim, had told the court that the accused, who resides at 1, Honourable St., Odo-Ishuti Road, Egan, a Lagos suburb, committed the offence on November 24, 2012.

He said the accused had claimed that her baby’s father had abandoned her while she was pregnant. Takim said after delivery of the baby on November 23, 2012, Ojelabi decided to get rid of it.

The prosecutor said the accused who gave birth at home, put the baby in a sack and proceeded to dump the child in a swamp at the end of Morica Salam Street, Egan.

He said the dead baby was later discovered by one Mrs Esther Adegbola, who had gone to the area to dispose off some garbage.

Takim had said the offence committed contravened Section 221 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.

The section provides that if found guilty, she could face the death penalty.

Scavenger arraigned for stealing from police

BY ONOZURE DANIA

L

AGOS — EIGHTEENYEAR-OLD scavenger, Ismaila Mohammed, was yesterday, arraigned before a Lagos Magistrate's Court sitting in Ikeja, for allegedly stealing a vehicle filter can, belonging to the Nigeria Police Force.

The defendant, who resides at Gidan-Kwali, in Ojota area of Lagos, is facing a count charge of stealing preferred against him by the police.

The police prosecutor, Inspector Iranus Nnamonu, told the court that the defendant committed the alleged crime on June 25, 2013, at about 1pm, at Ikeja police station.

He said the defendant stole 150 pieces of vehicle filter cans which is valued at N150,000, property of the Nigeria Police Force.

The prosecutor said the stolen filter cans belonged to the Anti Bomb Squad Command, Ikeja.

However when the charge was read to the defendant, he pleaded not guilty and Magistrate Abimbola Komolafe granted him bail in the sum of N50,000, with two sureties in like sum and adjourned the case to August 8, 2013.

EFCC nabs woman over N227m contract scam

BY SONI DANIEL

A

BUJA — THE Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, yesterday, arrested a woman for allegedly swindling a man of N830,000 under the pretence of securing him a N227 million contract.

The woman, whose name was given as Mrs. Ekaete Ime Sam, is said to have collected N130,000 from Jerry Ekezie, a clearing agent, to clear some goods at the Apapa Wharf and use the balance to secure the juicy contract.

However, Ekezie, who said he was introduced to the woman by his pastor, noted that the woman came back to ask for additional N1.5 million to be able to draw down the said contract for him.

The complainant said he began to smell a rat upon the request by the woman for additional money when the contract had not been given.

In the course of investigation, Ekaete admitted forging a letter-head paper of the Federal Ministry of Commerce and Industry on which she typed the contract award.

6—Vanguard, THURSDAY, JULY 4, 2013

Vanguard, THURSDAY, JULY 4, 2013—7

Edo Police parade alleged gay pastor, 25 other suspects

House help arrested for stealing N40m jewelry zI was hypnotised, raped by fraudsters –Suspect

zGod will judge – Accused pastor

BY EVELYN USMAN

BY SIMON EBEGBULEM

L

B

AGOS — POLICEMEN attached to the anti-robbery section of Zone 2, Onikan, Lagos, have arrested a maid who allegedly stole her boss’ jewellery estimated at more than N40 million in Victoria Island, Lagos.

The suspect identified as Rita Emma, reportedly told policemen during interrogation that she was hypnotised by some fraudsters who ordered her to get the jewellery.

After fulfilling their mission, Rita further stated that she was driven to an unknown destination where the fraudsters, three in number, gang raped and abandoned her.

Narrating how she came in contact with the fraudsters to the policemen, she said: “ I had gone to buy recharge card around my area when a young man accosted me and said he was a prophet. He told me everything that has been going on in my family and assured me that he was going to intervene spiritually.

“But to achieve that, he said I should go and get money with which to perform some sacrifice. I told him I was only a househelp and he advised me to go get my madam’s jewellery.

“He said after the sacrifice that the enemies standing against my family will die and that the sacrifice would also open doors of international breakthrough for me. He said I would end up marrying a white man.

“As he was talking, I lost my senses and went straight to the house to get my boss' box of jewellery for him. He, thereafter, asked me to enter their car that he was taking me to a place where the sacrifice would be performed. But when we got to the unknown destination, he raped me and his friends took turn too.

“He thereafter, abandoned me in an area I did not know, with a stern warning not to disclose what transpired between us to anyone, if I wanted the sacrifice to work. He further said I would meet with a white man two days from the time."

Benue police nab 35 suspected cultists

BY PETER DURU

M

AKURDI —FOLLOWING its renewed onslaught against increasing cult activities across Benue State, the state Police Command has arrested an alleged 35-man notorious cult gang operating in the town.

State Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Deputy Superintendent of Police, DSP, Daniel Ezeala, disclosed the arrest to newsmen, yesterday, in Makurdi, the Benue State capital.

Ezeala said members of the gang were arrested at Katugun, a remote community in the North Bank area of the town where they had gathered for a meeting, preparatory to carrying out an "assignment."

NDLEA arrests 3 clearing agents with 1.630kg of cannabis

BY LAWANI MIKAIRU & DANIEL ETEGHE

L

AGOS — THE National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, has arrested three clearing agents at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA, car park Lagos, with a consignment containing 1.630kg of cannabis meant for export to China.

According to Ofoyeju Mitchell, Head, Public Affairs of the agency, NDLEA Commander at the Lagos airport, Mr Hamza Umar, said the three suspects, Peter Madunatum, 38; Stanley Chimezie, 23, and Nlemoha Collins Chijioke, 34, were arrested with 1.630kg of cannabis.

Mitchell said: “Peter Madunatum and Stanley Chimezie were arrested when they gave a package containing 1.630kg of cannabis to a passenger at the car park. The passenger insisted on complete search before accepting the package. In the process, he discovered a parcel of cannabis and the agents took to their heels. They were, however, apprehended with the assistance of some policemen at the car park.”

He said the third suspect, Nlemoha Collins Chijioke, was caught with 1.030kg of cannabis hidden inside a bag containing garri.

In his statement, Nlemoha said he accepted the consignment because he had confidence in his colleague who gave it to him.

Internally displaced persons being addressed by National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, officials at L.G.E.A Pilot Central Primary School in Mabudi, Langtang South Local Government Area of Plateau State, yesterday. PHOTO: NAN.

We lost 14 members, N33m in two —Bodija traders

BY OLA AJAYI

I

BADAN– TRADERS in Bodija market, yesterday, counted their losses in attacks by unknown gunmen which left 10 of their colleagues dead.

While speaking on the sad incident at Bodija Market, Public Relations Officer of the market, Mr. Emiola Akeem, said they had lost a total of 14 members and more than N33 million in the two attacks.

He said: “On May 5, this year, four of our members were murdered in cold blood and N11 million was stolen from them.

This time again, after killing them, they stole N22 million we contributed to buy beans and fish.”

Meantime, even as business activities resumed generally at the popular market, the section for beans sellers was deserted with all the shops locked up. The traders who managed to come only gathered in clusters discussing the sad incident.

One of the traders, Mrs. Bola Lawal, said the action was just to sympathise with their dead colleagues.

She said: “We closed our shops just to mourn our dead colleagues. Look at their shops there. They were very nice and hard-working young men. See what these evil people have done now?”

Emiola said he had prevailed on some angry youths who wanted to attack our Hausa colleagues, adding: “We cannot pro-

test in Oyo State. The state government did not do any evil to us. It would be unfair if we now go to the secretariat to protest. It is not the state government that failed, it is the Federal Government.”

According to him, his members would never go to the North again to buy goods.

He said the relatives of the slain traders in the first attack were even fighting them asking why

15-year-old son of ...as family suspects foul play

T

HE son of a Nigerian diplomat, Hafis Kareem, 15, was confirmed dead by Police, Sunday morning, after being drowned at the New Mark Commons community pool in Rockville, Maryland, USA. It was gathered that Kareem and some other kids jumped over the fence to get into the pool area, late Saturday night.

According to the Montgomery Police, "we were told Kareem went under water and the others with him yelled for help, asking someone walking by to call 911.

The 15-year old was taken to the hospital where he died early Sunday morning."

Hafis Kareem’s father was a diplomat at the Embassy of Nigeria, Washington, DC and just recently got posted back to Abuja.

His sister, Hamidat Kareem, doesn’t understand why he was in the water because he didn’t know how to swim.

She said: “None of us knows how to swim, so I don’t know what happened, if they pushed him in. We had a pool party here and he didn’t swim, he just stood

attacks they allowed their people to travel to North when they knew the place was not safe.

Vanguard gathered that of the 10 men killed in te latest attack, only nine corpses were brought as the 10th body was said to have been dismembered through several machete cuts.

The image maker said a special prayer would be held in honour of the deceased soon.

ENIN CITY — THE Edo State Police Command, yesterday, paraded 26 suspected criminals including a pastor identified as Philips Ogbebor, alleged to have had carnal knowledge of a 20-year-old male member of his church (names withheld).

After the act, the pastor allegedly threatened to kill his victim if he disclosed the act to the public.

Speaking to Vanguard, Pastor Ogbebor simply said: “God will judge, go and talk to others” and kept on mumbling.

But his victim narrated his ordeal: “I told him I have never done this since I grew up, but he insisted. It was painful and I told him I will not allow it again. So after the second attempt, I told him I will expose the act. He then administered an oath on me, saying if I ever told any one, I will die.

“He carried sand and olive oil and poured them on my head, then he wore black garment, saying I will die if I ever leaked the secret. He killed a black fowl and gave me the liver and gizzard to eat at about 2 a.m., threatening that if I ever said it out, I will die like the fowl.

“But when I realised that it is a sin, I met a man of God to pray for me that God should forgive me and that I am ready to expose it since he forced me. There after I went to the church and told the congregation about the act. When he heard it, he threatened me by sending his younger brother and members of his gang after me.

Since then I have been running.”

Other suspects paraded The state Police Commissioner, Folusho Adebanjo, explained that among the suspects were two suspected cultists believed to have participated in the recent rival cult clash in the state and

seven suspected pipeline vandals and operators of illegal refineries.

Others were two suspected robbers, from whom a Toyota Camry car they stole at gunpoint in Kaduna State was recovered; a suspect who was alleged to have

The alleged gay pastor demanded N20 million ransom from one Joseph with death threats and three others whom the police boss said were in possession of firearms without licence were also paraded.

Woman, 35, faces murder charge for killing baby

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AGOS —A YABA Magistrates’ Court, yesterday, said a dry cleaner, 35-year-old Aderoju Ojelabi, who allegedly killed her day-old baby, had a case to answer in court.

At the resumed hearing of the case, the Magistrate, Mrs S.K. Matepo, said: “A murder case has been established against the accused and consequently, her case will be transferred to a court of superior record.”

She said that advice from the state Directorate of Public Prosecutions, DPP, had established a prima facie case of unlawful killing against the accused.

Consequently, Matepo ordered

Nigerian diplomat drowns in US by the pool.”

However, police said that from their investigation, there was nothing to indicate Kareem was pushed, adding: "We’re told the kids were at the pool for about an hour before the incident happened - it’s unclear what happened but police believe these were teenagers playing teenage games. Detectives talked to the friends and are calling it an accidental drowning."

The whole situation doesn’t sit well with the family, who said the friends ran away after they called for help.

According to Hamidat, “they are not really his friends, real

The late Hafis Kareem friends would stay with you and be there for you.

“Residents tell us kids have snuck in before but nothing like this has happened. A new fence

There was also an alleged case of rape against two suspects who were said to have dragged a 20year-old female victim into the bush. He also paraded five persons including a middle aged woman all from Ojah, Akoko-Edo Local Government council accused of burning to death, one Funmi Abiodun on allegation of being a witch responsible for the death of a relation.

According to him, “the war against criminality is relentlessly being waged against men of the underworld. The command is not leaving any stone unturned regarding crime and criminality in Edo State.

“This man who claimed to be a pastor defiled a young person.

Another thing that is so common here and I don’t know why this defilement issue is so prevalent.

“I wonder if there is something about it. You see very old men defiling young girls who are five years, two years, and so on. We are not going to tolerate this and cases of rape are also increasing too but we will go all out to make sure that they are convicted.”

was put up we’re told in the past couple of years, in part, to prevent things like this from happening.”

Mincy Neil, who has lived in the area for 27 years, said: “Kids do sneak in from time to time; we haven’t had any incidents since we put the new fence but apparently they got in that way. It’s a tragedy one family is now struggling to cope with.

“He was just an amazing person, I am going to miss him so much,” Hamidat Kareem added.

Montgomery County Police are said to still be investigating but he has since been buried in Virginia.

that the case file be transferred to the Lagos High Court for trial.

Ojelabi was first arraigned on December 10, 2012, and charged with the wilful abandonment and murder of her child.

At her arraignment, the court failed to take the plea of the accused, but ordered that she be remanded in prison custody pending legal advice from the Director of Public Prosecutions.

The prosecutor, Police Inspector Chris Takim, had told the court that the accused, who resides at 1, Honourable St., Odo-Ishuti Road, Egan, a Lagos suburb, committed the offence on November 24, 2012.

He said the accused had claimed that her baby’s father had abandoned her while she was pregnant. Takim said after delivery of the baby on November 23, 2012, Ojelabi decided to get rid of it.

The prosecutor said the accused who gave birth at home, put the baby in a sack and proceeded to dump the child in a swamp at the end of Morica Salam Street, Egan.

He said the dead baby was later discovered by one Mrs Esther Adegbola, who had gone to the area to dispose off some garbage.

Takim had said the offence committed contravened Section 221 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.

The section provides that if found guilty, she could face the death penalty.

Scavenger arraigned for stealing from police

BY ONOZURE DANIA

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AGOS — EIGHTEENYEAR-OLD scavenger, Ismaila Mohammed, was yesterday, arraigned before a Lagos Magistrate's Court sitting in Ikeja, for allegedly stealing a vehicle filter can, belonging to the Nigeria Police Force.

The defendant, who resides at Gidan-Kwali, in Ojota area of Lagos, is facing a count charge of stealing preferred against him by the police.

The police prosecutor, Inspector Iranus Nnamonu, told the court that the defendant committed the alleged crime on June 25, 2013, at about 1pm, at Ikeja police station.

He said the defendant stole 150 pieces of vehicle filter cans which is valued at N150,000, property of the Nigeria Police Force.

The prosecutor said the stolen filter cans belonged to the Anti Bomb Squad Command, Ikeja.

However when the charge was read to the defendant, he pleaded not guilty and Magistrate Abimbola Komolafe granted him bail in the sum of N50,000, with two sureties in like sum and adjourned the case to August 8, 2013.

EFCC nabs woman over N227m contract scam

BY SONI DANIEL

A

BUJA — THE Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, yesterday, arrested a woman for allegedly swindling a man of N830,000 under the pretence of securing him a N227 million contract.

The woman, whose name was given as Mrs. Ekaete Ime Sam, is said to have collected N130,000 from Jerry Ekezie, a clearing agent, to clear some goods at the Apapa Wharf and use the balance to secure the juicy contract.

However, Ekezie, who said he was introduced to the woman by his pastor, noted that the woman came back to ask for additional N1.5 million to be able to draw down the said contract for him.

The complainant said he began to smell a rat upon the request by the woman for additional money when the contract had not been given.

In the course of investigation, Ekaete admitted forging a letter-head paper of the Federal Ministry of Commerce and Industry on which she typed the contract award.

8—Vanguard , THURSDAY, JULY 4, 2013

Reps probe banks over ATMs' fake notes

BY OKEY NDIRIBE

A

BUJA—HOUSE of Representatives, yesterday, passed a resolution to investigate the incidence of fake naira notes being dispensed by automated tellers machines, ATMs, in some parts of the country.

Deputy Speaker of the House, Mr. Emeka Ihedioha, who presided over the plenary session, mandated the House Committee on Banking and Currency to investigate the situation and report back to the House within three weeks.

The resolution was passed following a motion presented to the plenary session of the House by Mr. Yusuf Tajudeen (Kabba-Bunu/Ijumu Federal Constituency).

While moving the motion, Tajudeen observed that many law abiding citizens have been victims of this unfortunate practice which has led to the loss of legitimate funds by Nigerians.

He said: “The dispensation of fake naira notes by ATMs may grossly affect the operation, viability and success-rate of the recently introduced cashless policy."

Jonathan launches Fascinating Nigeria brand

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R E S I D E N T Goodluck Jonathan will today launch Fascinating Nigeria, a brand which is part of the Ministry of Tourism’s vision at repositioning the country as a preferred tourism destination.

The President is expected to use the occasion to talk on the economic and social importance of positioning Nigeria as a tourist destination.

Other speakers expected to make presentations at the launch are Minister of Tourism and Culture, Chief Edem Duke; Aviation, Princess Stella Oduah and Governor Liyel Imoke of Cross River State.

The event, billed for the State House banquet hall, will also showcase Nigeria’s artists, musicians, performers, comedians, poets, footballers, fashion designers and Nigerian food.

PLENARY: From left— Mr. Austin Ogbaburum, member, House of Representatives; Mr. Umaru Bago, Chairman, House Committee on Public Accounts; Mr. Adeola Olamilekan and Mr. Raphael Igbokwe, reps, during the plenary session at the National Assembly, Abuja, yesterday. PHOTO: Gbemiga Olamikan.

Reps wade into Amaechi, Rivers' CP crisis zC'ttees get one week to report back

BY OKEY NDIRIBE & KINGSLEY OMONOBI

A

BUJA—TO prevent breakdown of law and order in Rivers State, following the row between Governor Rotimi Amaechi and the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Joseph Mbu, the House of Representatives, yesterday, passed a resolution to address the situation.

The resolution was adopted based on a motion by Mr. Peter Edeh (ANPP, Ezza North/Ishielu).

Deputy Speaker of the House, Mr. Emeka Ihedioha, who presided, directed the House Committees on Police Affairs and Justice to liaise with the office of the Inspector-General of Police, the Police Service Commission and the Rivers State Government to fashion out ways of improving working relations between the Rivers State Police Command and the Rivers State Government and report back to the House within one week.

This came as the InspectorGeneral of Police, Mr. Mohammed Abubakar, said he did not have any petition from Amaechi against the Commissioner of Police, while Rivers State AttorneyGeneral and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Worgu Boms, advised Mbu to act within the law.

During his presentation at the plenary session, Edeh pointed out that in recent times, the media had consistently reported a break-down in the working relationship between Amaechi and Mbu. He said: “The situation has

so deteriorated to the level of the governor accusing the Commissioner of Police of deliberately undermining security of the lives and property of the people of Rivers State.

“The commissioner in turn accused the governor of being a power-hungry dictator, statements which confirm that their working relationship had broken down irretrievably.”

The lawmaker further noted that the InspectorGeneral of Police had thus far refrained from addressing the matter or commenting on it publicly.

Edeh further stated that the existing situation in Rivers State was not only untenable but constituted a grave danger to peace, security and orderliness in the state and if left unchecked, would not only constitute a bad precedence, but could lead to a total break-down of law and order and threaten democratic institutions in the state and beyond.

He reminded his colleagues that section 14 (l)b of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) clearly states that the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government.

I don’t have Amaechi’s petition — IG

However, the IG yesterday dismissed allegations that Governor Amaechi had written him a letter requesting the redeployment of Mbu to

another state.

The IG made the disclosure just as a senior police officer told Vanguard that no governor had the right to stampede the Police High Command to do his bidding on issues of security, posting and redeployment of commissioners.

The IG, who spoke shortly after presenting awards to deserving police officers of the Force Criminal Investigations Department, FCID, reacted to reporters’ questions regarding the widely publicised mistrust and strained relations between Amaechi and Mbu, stressing that he had not received any petition or letter as regards the conduct of his officer.

However, shedding more light on the development, a senior officer said: “The IGP in conjunction with the Police Service Commission vets and promotes CPs to State Commands.

“The IG, who is the operational head of the Police Force does not need to be dictated to as to who to post to a particular command or redeployed. So this whole hullabaloo about security breaches and security risk is just extreme.”

On the award for deserving officers, the IGP disclosed that FCID was being repositioned to take the lead in crime investigation in the country.

He told newsmen, after the presentation of award to eight officers, that “the FCID is supposed to be the apex in terms of investigation of cases and we are doing everything possible to ensure

that they take the pride of place.”

Mbu urged to act within law

Meanwhile, Rivers State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Worgu Boms, yesterday, advised Mbu to discharge his responsibilities within the precepts of law and not allow himself to be used by political forces against the state and Governor Amaechi.

Speaking in Port Harcourt, yesterday, he bemoaned Mbu’s utterances and conduct, which he said could lead to anarchy and decried his ban on street processions.

Boms said the Police Commissioner had no legal power to ban protests, explaining that the Public Order Act authorises only the state governor to grant permission for any street procession.

He said: “The Commissioner of Police is a Commissioner of Police and not a lawmaker or a law interpreter, functions that statutorily and constitutionally belong to the parliament and the judiciary, respectively.

“The Commissioner of Police is only a law enforcer and no more. Yet, being neither a lawmaker nor a law interpreter, he (Mbu) has continued to act in both capacities through his speeches and conduct.

“All of these have combined to signpost a preference for anarchy in place of observance and maintenance of law and order for which the Police are established and for which he was employed.”

Vanguard , THURSDAY, JULY 4, 2013—9

80% of teachers in North unqualified— NTI

BY LUKA BINNIYAT

K

ADUNA—NATIONAL Teachers’ Institute, NTI, has said that about 80 percent of all school teachers in most states in the north were not qualified for the job.

Director-General of the Institute, Dr. Aminu Sharehu, said this yesterday in Zaria, Kaduna State, at a national conference on Quality Assurance and Control in Teacher Education as a Tool for Achieving Millennium Development Goals, organised by Federal College of Education, Zaria.

However, Governor Muhktar Yero of Kaduna State, who also spoke on the occasion, said that only 50 percent of the teachers in his state were not qualified and not 80.

Sharehu said: “Over 80 percent of teachers in the North are under-qualified because there is no motivation.

“You need to train and retrain teachers because the National Certificate in Education, NCE, is just a start point.

In the teaching profession, we do not have learned people, but learning people be-

cause we believe that there is no end to learning.

“So it is only lawyers that are proudly calling themselves learned. As for what are really responsible for poor qualification of teachers in the north, I will keep that for another day.

“But there is need for increase in teachers’ salary and continuous increase in their remuneration to make them better teachers.”

Governor Yero, who was represented by the state Commissioner for Education, Mohammed Usman, said: “The Federal Ministry of Education stipulates that the minimum teaching qualification in our schools should be NCE. “But majority of teachers we have today in the system are not NCE holders.

So how can they qualify to teach the new curriculum?

“As a measure to improve education in the state, Governor Muhktar Yero has given an approval to recruit 1,800 teachers.

“This time around, we will make sure that for anybody to be recruited, he

must be qualified. We will not allow every Dick and Harry to become a teacher. This is a noble profession.

It's 50%, says govt

“When I came on board as the Commissioner for Education in Kaduna State, I discovered that 50 percent of the teachers, particularly the pri-

mary school teachers are under qualified. There is no way they can do the job very well.

“I had to give them a time frame of five years within which to upgrade themselves and become NCE holders.

“There are teachers in Kaduna that, for the past 20 years, have never attended any education programme. What do you think

of such teachers?

“As a teacher you need to attend programmes to enhance your capacity and scale up your knowledge.

“If you do not do that, you are left behind because the world is changing. We had to flush out close to 1,840 teachers within the system because of fake certificates."

FOR EWHERIDO: From left— Chief Great Ogboru, Democratic Peoples' Party, DPP, governorship candidate; Gen. Magashi (rtd.), DPP National Chairman; Chief Austin Ogbaburhon, DPP House of Representatives member, representing Ughelli/Udu Federal Constituency; and Gen. Jeremiah Useni (rtd.), Chairman, DPP Board of Trustees, during a condolence visit to the family of late Senator Pius Ewherido in Abuja, yesterday.

NLC cautions FG over ASUU strike

BY VICTOR AHIUMA-YOUNG

A

S the ongoing nationwide strike by Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, enters the third day, Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, has warned of the impact of the strike on students and the educational sector in the country.

It called on government to not only end the strike immediately by implementing the agreements it entered into with ASUU, but also declare a state of emergency in education.

NLC said in a statement, yesterday, that while the strike was completely avoidable, but made inevitable by Federal government’s insensitivity and penchant for reneg-

ing on agreements, Congress found it completely unacceptable that government refused to implement agreements it willingly entered into.

The statement by NLC President, Abdulwaheed Omar, argued that the issues articulated by ASUU were not selfserving but tenable, valid and germane to the sustenance of a qualitatively viable education system.

According to the statement “in a nutshell, these issues include, the lingering crisis at the Rivers State University of Technology, RSUST; the continued violation of the rights of the re-engaged 49 academics at the University of Ilorin; the non-release of the White Paper on Special Visitation to the University of Abuja; the parlous state of the economy and government’s disregard for its agreements.”

CBN registers first agent bank

BY BABAJIDE KOMOLAFE, PETER EGWUATU & ROSEMARY ONUOHA

C

ENTRAL Bank of Nigeria, CBN, said it

LOSS OF TITLE DOCUMENT I, Mr. Ukuti Henry Ewogharaw is the Bonafide owner of flat 2, Block 5, C Close, 401 Road, 4th Avenue, Festac Town.

I, hereby state that sometime in 2011, the FHA letter of offer, acceptance letter of offer, the purchase receipt got loss on transit. All effort made to recover it proved abortive.

Federal Housing Authority and the general public should be aware.

had registered its first agent bank in the country which is likely to commence operation soon.

It will be recalled that CBN released the guidelines for agent banking in the country earlier in the year.

Director, Development Finance Department of CBN, Mr. Paul Eluhaiwe, who disclosed this yesterday in Umuahia, Abia State, said more agent banks are expected to be registered before the end of the year.

Agent banking is a sys-

tem whereby non-banking outfits are licenced to carry out banking activities.

It was introduced in the country last year as a measure to further promote the financial inclusion strategy of the apex bank.

Speaking at a seminar organised by CBN for finance correspondents and business editors in Umuahia, Eluhaiwe, who was represented by Mr. Polycarp Isiaku, said agent banking was important for economic development.

10—Vanguard, THURSDAY, JULY 4, 2013

Ladipo Market ex-President accused of embezzling N46m

BY ABDULWAHAB ABDULAH

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GRADUATION: Lagos Deputy Governor, Hon. Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire (middle); member representing Ikorodu Constituency at the State House of Assembly, Hon. S.O.B Agunbiade (left), and wife of Oba of Ikorodu, Olori Olayinka Oyefusi, during the graduation ceremony of the short-term skills acquisition programme, at Ikorodu town, yesterday. Photo: Kehinde Gbadamosi

AGOS — JUSTICE Olabisi Akinlade, of an Ikeja High court, has been told how the embattled former president of Aguiyi Ironsi International Market, known as Ladipo Market, Jonathan Okoli, allegedly failed to remit the sum of N46million trade permit to Lagos State Motor Vehicle Association Agency, MVAA. This was exclusive of other funds he allegedly collected on behalf of the market’s association, but allegedly converted to his personal use.

A prosecution witness, Anthony Mark, led in evidence by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, counsel, Anselem Ozioko, said the defendant only remitted fund he allegedly collected from 430 shops instead of about 1,500 to government’s coffers.

According to the witness, “In 2007 the Agency confirmed through the letter written to the association that he (defendant) only paid N700,000 out of the N8.7 million made that year.”

He said the letter indicated that state government should only collect N5,000 instead of the ex-

cess of N5,500 being paid by the traders..

The witness claimed the money allegedly paid between 2008 and 2009, amounting to N18.7million was diverted to the defendant’s personal account.

He alleged that the defendant failed to remit the sum of N8.5million collected from the traders in 2011 and 2012 to the state government instead, he allegedly paid same to his personal account number 126101014690.

Okolie was arraigned on April 22, this year by the anti-graft agency on a three-count charge of obtaining money by false pretences and stealing.

FASHOLA VS JANG:

Court fixes July 17 for hearing

BY IKECHUKWU NNOCHIRI

A

BUJA — JUSTICE Peter Affen, of an Abuja High Court, sitting at Jabi, Abuja has fixed July 17, to commence hearing on the case instituted by Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State, seeking to restrain Governor Jonah Jang of Plateau from parading himself as the factional chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum, NGF. Fashola is praying the court to stop Jang from parading himself as the leader of the NGF and also issue an injunction restraining him from using the name ‘Nigeria Governor’s Forum’ in respect of any other organisation that does not have the 36 governors as members and/or in any other manner inconsistent with the Constitution of the Governor’s Forum.

The court fixed the date amid controversy over who was duly briefed to represent the Board of Trustees of the NGF which was joined as the 4th defendant in the matter.

After Chief Awa Kalu, SAN, announced his representation for the 2ndand 4th defendants, another lawyer, Mr. Friday Nwosu, stood up and told the court that he was the person with the mandate to represent the 4th defendant.

Aside Jang who is the 1stdefendant, the other defendants in the suit are the Director-General of the

NGF, Asishana Bayo Okauru, and the factional Sole Administrator of the body under Jang, Mr. Osaro Onaiwu, who were all joined as 2 ndand 3rddefendants respectively.

Meanwhile, the court, was, yesterday, told that the two Senior Advocates of Nigeria, who had on the last adjourned date, engaged in war of words over who the court should recognise as the bona fide lawyer representing Jang had peacefully resolved their differences.

Consequently, only Chief Tayo Oyetibo, SAN, appeared for Jang yesterday.

It will be recalled that a mild drama had ensued on June 25 when two SANs, Oyeibo and Paul Erokoro, locked horns in the open court over who should represent Jang.

At yesterday’s proceeding, Erokoro, rather opted to transfer his legal services to the 3rddefendant, Onaiwu.

On controversy over who should represent the 4thdefendant, Kalu, SAN, informed Justice Affen that he made attempts to peacefully resolve the issue with Nwosu, but their meeting ended in stalemate.

He said: “I invited my learned friend, Nwosu to a meeting, which he attended, but unfortunately, our meeting had been unproductive, leading to this situation in which we find ourselves in.

In such a situation, I therefore invite the court to resolve this matter for us.”

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JULY 4, 2013—11

Osun PDP, ACN trade words over Assembly nominations

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BURIAL: From left, Mr. Sola Adeeyo, son of the deceased; Governor Rauf Aregbesola of Osun State, and Ogun State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, at the burial of Alhaji Sulaimon Ajasa Adeeyo, in Ibadan, yesterday.

SOGBO — OSUN State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has called on the Inspector -General of Police and other security outfits in the country to check the activities of the ruling Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, over what the party called, "recent mayhem unleashed on the people of the state."

Chairman of the party in Osun State, Alhaji Ganiyu Olaoluwa, who made the call in Osogbo, yesterday, stated that the recent happenings

Tinubu adopts Fayemi for 2nd term .As ACN leadership resolves Ekiti intra-party differences

BY GBENGAARIYIBI

ADO EKITI — THE National Leader of Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu, yesterday, adopted

Dr. Kayode Fayemi to run for 2014 governorship election. He announced this at a meeting of party chieftains, at Ado-Ekiti as the party leadership intervened in the simmering crisis rocking the party in Ekiti State.

This endorsement may have sealed the hope of Hon. Opeyemi Bamidele and other gubernatorial aspirants within the party who were equally warming up to contest the party’s governorship primaries with Fayemi.

At a meeting attended by the chairman of the ACN, Chief Bisi Akande, the National Leader of the party, Asiwaju Tinubu, Otunba Adeniyi Adebayo, Evang.

Bamidele Olumilua and other chieftains of the party in Ado Ekiti, inside sources said former Lagos State governor made the party's stand known.

He said that Bamidele has a right as a Nigerian to contest for any post of his choice, but he should tarry a bit and allow Fayemi to run for second term.

He said the leadership of

the party was encouraged to support the governor based on the good work he is doing in the state.

He, therefore urged Fayemi to extend an olive branch to Bamidele and other disgruntled members.

in Ifon, where the ACN allegedly unleashed terror on its members during one of their meetings “shows that they have stocked up arms and other dangerous weapons which they will use to disrupt the 2014 gubernatorial elections in the state.”

According to the PDP chairman: “The ACN is known for acts capable of

Mimiko renews fight against child-killer diseases

T

HE ONDO State Governor, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, has said his administration will not relent in its war to rid the state of all preventable child-killer diseases.

According to a statement by governor's Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Eni Akinsola, the governor gave this assurance at the official flagoff of Pentavalent Vaccine Introduction in Ondo State at the State Specialists Hospital, Akure.

He said that the state would continue to sensitise the general public on polio eradication initiative, routine immunisation and all maternal and child health programmes in the state.

The governor, who explained that the Pentavalent Vaccine combines five different vaccines in one injection to protect against five diseases such as Hib diseases, Diptheria, Pertussis, Tetanus, and Hepatitis B, also noted that the Pentavalent Vaccine will replace the DPT vaccine in Nigeria’s routine immunization (RI) schedule.

He added that an estimated 27,143 children below one year will be saved annually from Hib related deaths.

According to Mimiko, it has been estimated that nearly 400,000 cases of Haemophilus Influenza type B (Hib) associated illness will occur in children aged less than five years every year in the country.

He said that the majority of these will serve as pneu-

monia and potent vaccines, with the potential for disease elimination.

He said that Nigeria had got approval from GAVI to introduce the Haemophilus Influenza B antigen as a pentavalent vaccine in a phased manner into its EPI schedule beginning with 13 states and FCT in Phase 1, seven other states in Phase 2 and 16 states, Ondo State inclusive, in the third phase of introduction.

breaching peace of Osun State, adding, "how can they throw caution to the wind by their irresponsible actions.”

It was gathered that crisis started over attempt by the House of Assembly member, Kamil Oyedele's alleged surreptitious moves to return to the House of Assembly for the third term consecutively The decision did not go down well with some members of his party which led to free for all.

The ACN, in a swift response to the PDP, admitted that, “there was a heated disagreement over representation at the next House of Assembly election.

"But we are proud that, unlike the PDP, nobody ended up in a mortuary.”

The party, in a statement by its Director of Publicity, Research and Strategy, Mr. Kunle Oyatomi, a lawyer, stated: “As for the allegation of stock-pilling of arms, that is in the usual lying tradition of the PDP in Osun.

“There is no such thing, and the PDP bears the onus of proof and if they can’t, they should shut up. We still demand that those who have killed their own members at Edunabon in Ife North should be brought to justice."

Army officers' wives frown at Ogun child abandonment rate

BY DAUD OLATUNJI

A

BEOKUTA — Nigerian Army Officers’ Wives Association, NAOWA, 35 Artillery Brigade, Alamala in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, yesterday, expressed worry over the rate of child abandonment in Ogun State.

The Assistant Coordinator of NAOWA in Abeokuta, Mrs. Teejay Oluwatoyin as part of the activities to commemorate Army Day this year in the state, led some members of the association to pay a visit to Stella Obasanjo Motherless Babies Home in Ibara GRA, Abeokuta.

Speaking shortly after she presented some of the gifts to the repre-

sentative of Commissioner of Women Affairs and Social Development, Mrs. Elizabeth Sonubi, the Assistant cordinator berated the perpetrators, who according to her, did not consider the pain they went through during the labour before they threw away their children.

“How can a reasonable woman who carried a baby for nine months in her womb abandon such child?

“We are here to celebrate with motherless babies. They are great leaders of tomorrow.

They are the future of the nation.

"We know we are going to have commissioners, ministers and President among them,” she said.

12—Vanguard , THURSDAY, JULY 4, 2013

Edo Assembly moves to probe killing of UNIBEN student

Lori-Ogbebor condemns killing of 4 Itsekiri by Ijaw youths zCalls for Federal Government’s intervention

BY SIMON EBEG-

BY DAPO AKINREFON &

BULEM

JONAH NWOKPOKU AGOS—SOCIAL critic and activist, Chief Rita LoriOgbebor has condemned the killing of four Itsekiri youths by suspected Ijaw youths, Tuesday in the riverine areas of Warri, Delta State. She called on the Federal Government to nip the crisis in the bud before it escalates.

Addressing newsmen in Lagos, yesterday, Chief Lori-Ogbebor, said aside those killed, houses and property were also destroyed by the Ijaw youths.

She said: “The crisis in Delta State started on Tuesday morning, when Ijaws launched an attack on Itsekiri villages. The first village is a place called Ayurode (Mount Zion), where 16 houses were razed. They proceeded to Gbokoda where they razed 26 houses. The most beautiful house there was brought down by a rocket launcher. They went on to Ajamita, where they razed seven houses and killed six people.

Three of those killed are in Sapele mortuary.

“They went on to Udo, where they shot a man and threw a five year old boy into fire, a man called George was also killed. In the afternoon, they continued their raid.

The Ijaw/Itsekiri crisis is with us again. History is repeating itself because in February 27, 1997, the Warri crisis started. The reasons were not known. Some said the Itsekiri were the only benefactors of the oil wells in Delta State, some said the matter was about the creation of a local government area for the Itsekiri.

“Today, we know that all the al-

L

B

ENIN CITY—THE Edo State House of Assembly, yesterday, said it would set up an independent panel of enquiry to investigate the death of the University of Benin, UNIBEN, student, Ibrahim Momodu, allegedly shot dead by the Divisional Police Officer of Ogida Police Station, Mrs. Carol Afegbai in May. Speaker of the House, Mr Uyi Igbe, made the disclosure when he addressed protesting students of UNIBEN, bereaved family, and members of the civil society organisation led by the Executive Director of Africa Network for Environment and Economic Justice, Reverend David Ugolor.

The protesters also stormed the palace of the Oba of Benin and the state Ministry of Justice, calling for a panel of Inquiry to investigate what they described as extra-judicial murder carried out by the police, who they claimed was being shielded by the police authorities.

However, Speaker Igbe assured that the leadership of the House would meet to deliberate on the matter, adding “the House Standing Committee on Security will constitute a separate panel of enquiry into the killing of the UNIBEN student.

We are also considering a public hearing into the killing of the Principal Private Secretary to the state governor, the late Olaitan Oyerinde.”

legations are not true, the Itsekiri did not benefit from the oil bloc allocations. They were not the big contractors. They were not the big illegal oil bunkerers, they did not even participate in the petty illegal oil bunkering nor are they petty oil thieves, who supply the mother ship in the high sea. The local government area created from the Itsekiri land was supposed to have been the other reason, but today, the headquarters of that council has been moved to Ogbe-Ijaw.”

Calling on Ijaw leader, Chief

Edwin Clark to intervene in the renewed crisis, she appealed to security operatives to unravel the cause of the hostility.

“We do not know the cause of renewed fighting, which started Tuesday morning. We are baffled.

At this stage, we are asking the Ijaw leaders, especially Chief Clark to find out and call his people to order. We ask Chief Clark to urgently do something about the situation because the Ijaws have been preaching the unity of the so-called Niger Delta.

“It is a big test for the region which they have conjured. We

know that there is nothing like Niger Delta. It is a region conjured by the Ijaws for their own good. There are so many reasons we don’t believe in the Niger Delta or how else do the Ijaws terrorise, frighten, kill and maim people. The challenge of the conjured Niger Delta region is left for the Ijaws to convince us that there is something like that.”

She accused the Ijaws of wanting to acquire lands of other tribes to create their Toruebe state.

This ambition, she maintained, had brought them into conflict with all tribes of the so called Niger-Delta. She also called on President Goodluck Jonathan to intervene in the crisis before it gets out of hand.

COMMENDATION SERVICE: From left: Princess Ifueko Eweka; Prince Festus Eweka, husband; Mr. Harris Igiehon and Princess Ehi Eweka, during the the commendation service for late Princess Miranda Oni Eweka, at the First Baptist Church, Festac, Lagos, yesterday.

Biodun Ogunleye.

Pregnant widow petitions Police over alleged murder of husband

BY EGUFEYAFUG-

BORHI

P

ORT HARCOURT— A SEVEN months pregnant mother, Mrs

Evidence Nwachukwu has petitioned the Police and human rights groups in Rivers State, to allow justice prevail in the case of her late husband, Lucky Nwachukwu, who was murdered recently by a police officer attached to the Nigerian Agip Oil Company.

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The deceased, a welder and Public Relation Officer to Ogbegene Community Development Committee, CDC, in Ogba/ Egbema/Andoni Local Government Area of Rivers State was allegedly shot at Agip Oil Company field in the community by a police attaché simply identified as Mallam.

The grieving widow and mother of three, said her husband was shot April 18, 2013 by the police while returning to Agip from a community site, where he was supervising the company ’s sponsored community water project.

“They have made me

widow overnight and I am calling on Nigerians and Police authorities to assist me and my children to address this injustice because all efforts to reach Agip to take responsibility for their action has been rebuffed,” she lamented.

Chairman of Ogbegene CDC, Ishmael Odili, added “When the decreased was shot, I was the first they called as he died after the police rushed him to Deye Hospital, Omoku. The man is innocent. He had done no wrong and that explains why the company (Agip) is afraid to own up, but I know we will get justice in the mat-

ter.”

Rights activist and counsel to the widow, Mr. Higher King, said: “The Police Commissioner has signed our petition. All the poor widow is asking for is justice. We had invited the company several times, but they refused meeting us.”

When contacted, Rivers Police Public Relations Officer, Angela Agabe, said “The police are still investigating the matter.

A lawyer just left my office in respect of the case but I want the media to always differentiate between spy police and the Nigeria police because the suspect ][not with the Nigeria police. He is a Spy Police.”

Vanguard, THURSDAY, JULY 4, 2013 — 13

14—Vanguard, THURSDAY, JULY 4, 2013

BY LEVINUS NWABUGHIOGU

A

BUJA—THE Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, yesterday, disclosed that violence and unruly conducts by some politicians led to the inconclusiveness of Oguta constituency election held June 29, 2013, insisting that eight polling units remained cancelled.

The commission also indicted officials of Imo State government and some members of the National Assembly for flouting the restriction order on the election day.

A statement by the Chief Press Secretary to INEC Chairman, Kayode Idowu, said “the commission received reports that the election witnessed incidents of violence and unruly conduct by politicians, necessitating cancellation of the election in eight polling units. This cancellation made the election inconclusive.”

The commission further revealed that the total population of registered voters in the polling units affected was over 4,000, saying that the difference between the leading candidate and second runner-up in the collated results was 2,011 votes.

The commission said it was already making necessary arrangements to conduct election in the outstanding polling units.

The statement read in parts: “The commission finds it worrisome that politicians and

Violence, unruly conducts marred Oguta re-run, says INEC hooligans brazenly flouted the restriction order on movement during the election.

Indicts Imo govt officials, lawmakers "Reports showed that officials of the Imo State government and some members of the National Assembly across party lines moved around freely despite the restriction order – some of them with security escorts! Worse, some of these politicians aren’t even from Oguta constituency where the election held.

“Field reports showed that even though security agents mobilized appreciably for the exercise, there were cases of violence as well as ballots and result sheets snatching by thugs, as a result of which the election was cancelled in the following polling units: PU 001 in Ward 05 (Ndeloukwu/Umuowerre) – with 768 registered voters; PU 007 in Ward 03 (Izombe) – 939 registered voters; PU 009 in Ward 09 (Oru) – 708 registered voters. ”Others are PU 010 (Ward 09) – 657 registered voters; PU 011 (Ward 09) – 407 registered voters; PU 012 (Ward 09) – 408 registered voters; PU 013 (Ward

....As ACN accuses Presidency of moves to usurp INEC's role

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HE Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, yesterday, slammed the Presidency for seeking to usurp the role of INEC by describing the rerun election to Imo House of Assembly in Oguta as inconclusive.

In a statement issued in AdoEkiti by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said it was up to INEC to determine whether the election was ‘inconclusive’ or marred by ‘violence and irregularities’, not the Presidency.

"It is either the candidates or the parties involved in an election that can take a legal recourse over any perceived irregularities. It therefore baffles us that the presidency has rushed to declare the election inconclusive and marred by rigging, and to call for the prosecution of those involved, simply because its preferred candidate lost. ‘’According to the information at our disposal, INEC cancelled the results in eight of the 232 polling booths for one reason or the other. That is less than four percent of the total number of booths, and it is definitely not enough to make an election ‘inconclusive’, as the presidency did by assuming the role of an

umpire, " ACN said.

ACN also accused the Presidency of being selective in its quest to prosecute those who rigged or engaged in violence during elections, wondering where the presidency was when the last Ondo State gubernatorial election was marred by rigging and violence.

It said: "It is not the business of the presidency to pronounce any election inconclusive or marred by violence. That is the business of INEC. The presidency is wrong in trying to pre-empt INEC, simply because the PDP candidate lost the election to the Okorocha faction of APGA. "Would the Presidency have raised the alarm if the victor had come from the Obi faction of APGA? Why didn’t the presidency speak up over the Ondo State Governorship election that was marred by violence and rigging? Is it because its favoured candidate won? ‘’We are the undisputed advocate of free and fair elections, one man, one vote and of peaceful conduct of polls. But we will not support selective perception, as the presidency is now doing. There must be no sacred cows".

09) – 667 registered voters; PU 003 in Ward 02 (Egwe/ Egbuoma) – 212 registered voters.

“The procedure is that where the number of registered voters involved in a cancelled election exceeds the difference in the

votes of the two leading candidates in collated results, the election will be declared inconclusive".

AWARD— From left: Mrs. Chioma Obinna, presenting the Media Award for Medical Research Reporting 2012 she received to Mr Eze Anaba, Deputy Editor Vanguard Newspapers, in his office, at Apapa, Lagos. Photo: Bunmi Azeez.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, JULY 4, 2013—15

FG to link geo-political zones with dual carriage ways

NUPENG, suspends strike

A

A

BUJA—THE Federal Government, yesterday, said it would construct dual carriage way to link the six geographical zones in the country to reduce travel times as well as ease the hardship being encountered by

travellers.

This was disclosed by the Minister of Works, Mike Onelememen when he received members of the Association of Luxury Bus Owners of Nigeria in his office.

The luxury bus owners who were forced out of transport business in the past following deplorable condition of roads visited Onolememen to commend the Federal Government on the

INSPECTION— From left: Delta State Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Works, Engr. Donatus Umukoro and Commissioner for Works, Funkekeme Solomon, during the governor's visit to Inter-Bau Roundabout, Asaba, yesterday.

improvements made on federal highways.

They also said their buses had started plying the roads again as a result of the new improved condition of Nigeria roads.

However, the Minister promised that before the end of this administration, government will embark on the project of connecting the six geo-political zones of the country with dual carriageway.

He stated that the illegal activities on the Right of Way, ROW, along federal highways would be addressed as such roads would be physically demarcated and secured.

The luxury bus owners led

by Chairman of ABC transport company, Mr. Frank Nneji, told the minister that they had travelled round the country, pointing out that, the good condition of roads nationwide showed the c o m p e t e n c e , professionalism and speed on the side of government.

Onolememen, who was delighted to receive the bus owners, expressed appreciation that such words were great encouragement for government to improve further on the condition of roads.

He noted that President Goodluck Jonathan had during inception of his government in 2011 made a commitment to make roads motorable in the country adding, ‘‘it is that article of faith that is driving us to deliver on his transformational promises.’’

BY JOHNBOSCO AGAKWURU BUJA—THE National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, yesterday, suspended the threeday warning strike it embarked upon on Monday after the intervention of the Group Managing Director of Nigeria National Petroleum Cooperation GMD NNPC, Engr. Andrew Yakubu .

NUPENG had on Monday, a few hours after the union downed tools, met with the Minister of Labour and Productivity, Chief Emeka Wogu, to resolve some of the problems facing the oil and gas sector that led to the strike but the meeting was inconclusive as it did not produce any meaningful result.

Some of the reasons that led to the warning strike, according to the union, were demand for labour rights for workers in major oil companies, higher pay from their employers, insecurity in the country, crude oil theft and poor funding of the Nigeria Navy,and repair of dilapidated roads that had led to the death of many.

Briefing newsmen , NUPENG President, Comrade Igwe Achese, said due to inability of the Federal Government to meet demands of the union, the strike would continue and announced that the Joint National Executive meeting of NUPENG and PENGASSAN was going to meet to review the situation.

However, after the joint NEC meeting of the two affiliate unions, NUPENG called off the strike and advised its members to go back to their duty posts.

National President of NUPENG, Comrade Igwe Achesem said: “In the interest of the public and intervention of the GMD, NNPC, and well meaning Nigerians, the three days warning strike embarked upon by NUPENG is hereby suspended.”

FG approves procurement of SCRs for voters' authentication

BY BEN AGANDE

A

BUJA—THE Federal Executive Council yesterday approved the procurement of 17,000 smart card readers, SCRs, for the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, for verification of voters card during election.

Minister of Information, Labaran Maku, who addressed newsmen after the Federal Executive Council, FEC, meeting said the contract for the smart card reader was the first batch of contracts to be awarded by INEC. The contract, which is in

the sum of N459 million, is to be delivered within six months.

Maku said: “In its desire to ensure free, fair and credible elections, the INEC is to procure, customise and configure 17,000 smart card readers that will be deployed during elections for voters authentication.

“The SCR will be used to verify the rightful owner of the voters card presented for identification during elections.

“In to show the commitment of this our administration to free, fair, and credible elections, Council approved the procurement of 17,000 smart card readers in favour of Zinox Technologies Ltd at the rate of N27,000 in the sum of N459 million with a completion period of six months”.

16—Vanguard, THURSDAY, JULY 4, 2013

Muslim leaders blame Boko Haram insurgency on FG

BY LUKA BINNIYAT

K

A D U N A — NORTHERN Muslim leaders have blamed the insecurity occasioned by the Boko Haram Islamic sect’s insurgents on the inability of the Federal Government to prosecute people arrested or accused of perpetrating violence in the past.

They said that such abdication of responsibility was one of the cardinal leadership problems that smacked of insensitivity in governance.

This was contained in a communiqué issued after their conference in Kaduna, yesterday.

The communiqué which was signed by the Chairman of the Communiqué Drafting Committee, Prof.

S. Junaidu and the Secretary General of Jama’atul Nasril Islam, JNI, Dr. Khalid Aliyu also frowned at the increasing cases of corruption in the country and asked government to do everything possible to

address the issue.

The communiqué read in part, “the prevailing security challenges are partly as a result of individual and collective inability of the Ulamah to stand up to their responsibilities in terms of teaching, disseminating sound knowledge and giving effective leadership.

“That government’s refusal to institute judicial inquiry or prosecution as the case may be, against people arrested and accused of perpetrating violence is an abdication of cardinal leadership responsibility that smacks of insensitivity in governance. ”That since the unity of Muslims is a cardinal obligation, the conference implored scholars to uphold, foster and promote it; scholars must stand up to their rightful position as heirs of the Prophets and shun vices and tread the path of piety and righteousness in order to discharge their obligation of guiding the Ummah duly and effectively, especially as it per-

tains to the issue of unity.

“That Muslim scholars must uphold the principle of fairness, clemency, tolerance, love and respect towards one another as a way of fostering and promoting unity in the Ulamah.

“That since national security is such a necessity for all and sundry every Nigerian citizen must take sustenance of peace, tranquillity and security as a duty which must be sincerely championed by government officials, religious and community leaders.”

VISIT: From left: Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi; National Chairman, Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, Chief Bisi Akande; National Leader, ACN, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and wife of Ekiti State Governor, Erelu Bisi Fayemi, during a meeting by the ACN national leadership with stakeholders of the party, in Ado-Ekiti, yesterday.

The governor maintained that his return to the NSGF was borne of out his respect made it clear that both of whatsoever between Gov- for the elders and leaders of them were working as- ernor Jang and I, who also the North, who pleaded siduously to bring about has deep respect and love with him to rescind his earpeace and development in for me and my administra- lier decision to withdraw from the body. tion. the areas.

“As elders, who I respect so “We shall continue to The governor explained that as a strong supporter work for the interest of the much, I cannot say no to them. and ally of Jang, there was two states and Nigeria and They have beckoned on me to reno way he could have shame our detractors. As I consider my decision and return turned round to accuse have said before, Jang re- to the forum, which works for the mains my Chairman of the interest of the people. That is why him of any wrongdoing.

The governor said: “I can NGF and I cannot recog- I am returning to the NSGF,” he said. tell you that there is no rift nise anybody else.”

No rift between Jang and I —YUGUDA

BY SONI DANIEL, REGIONAL EDITOR, NORTH

B

AUCHI—BAUCHI State Governor, Mallam Isa Yuguda, has said that there was no rift of any kind between him and his Plateau State counterpart, Jonah Jang.

Yuguda, who spoke to Vanguard, yesterday,

Vanguard, THURSDAY, JULY 4, 2013 — 17

C M Y K

18 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, JULY 4, 2013 HOW many prison breaks would it take to secure our prisons? What will happen after the rash of media reactions to the break in Akure, in which 175 criminals were let loose?

Before Akure there have been jail breaks in Ibadan, Warri, Bauchi, Kano, Abuja (at the anti-robbery detention centre), and Port Harcourt. The reactions have always been the same – media talks, promises to address the situation, and forgetfulness until the next criminals free themselves.

A jail break is one of the highest points of criminality. Its consequences depend on the criminals involved and their motives.

What all these point at is that the authorities have failed to realise the importance of securing convicts while they serve their sentences. There is still a high tendency of dismissing the schemes criminals can plot even while in jail. More importantly, the reactions after jail breaks had been to descend on the prison authorities. We are well aware that the prisons are at the lowest rungs for budgetary allocations. The security at

Another Jail Break Break,, Same R eaction Reaction prisons reflects that reality.

Security at our prisons is left mostly to warders who are poorly armed and easily over powered. It has happened many times.

Furthermore, the extent of the alertness, the number of warders deployed to man these facilities, and the equipment at their disposal make the jail breakers’ job easier.

How could the collaborators of the criminals have succeeded if they did not have insider information, and other possible assistance? How did they know the type of equipment they require to blast the walls? How could they identify the cells where their colleagues were kept? They were obviously aware of the types of arms

issued to the warders, and possibly how many of them were on duty.

Armed with such information, the criminals knew what to do. The fact that they could operate for hours without interruption should bother the authorities.

Where were the police? What was the reaction of other security agencies that heard the commotion at the prison? If this could happen within the state capital, where all the security agencies have a huge presence that costs billions of Naira to maintain, what could happen to prisons in more remote locations?

When will we improve the security at the prisons? When would modern gadgets that could foil these attacks be installed? When would intelligence be at heights that conniving prison officials can be fished out before they do more harm?

This matter needs to be treated as emergency. Once criminals know they can stroll into any prison and set their colleagues free, Nigeria would be on a free fall into more insecurity. Akure should not be another ignored warning.

OPINION

BY KINGSLEY EMEREUWA

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BIA State is a very unique state. Apart from its pride of place as the number one state in alphabetical order among the comity of states in Nigeria, Abia is the only state, according to its indigenes, which can be cited in the Holy Bible. Before the assumption of office by the present governor of the state, Abia was politically notorious. It was quite unfortunate that the otherwise peaceful state was caught in the web of political disagreement between then gladiators from the state and then Federal Government. While the altercation and muscle-flexing lasted, the people of the state were no better for it as the situation then better explained the old adage that when two elephants fight, it is the grass that suffers. Thus, as the imbroglio between the state and the powerful Federal Government lasted, Abia citizens, both at home and abroad, suffered a collateral damage in terms of self-advancement and political patronage.

It may have been in consideration of the negative effects of an unnecessary hullabaloo that the state governor chose a rather conciliatory relationship with all and sundry. But try hard as he may, there appears a concerted plot in some quarters to constantly and negatively repudiate the real story of Abia State. In their bankrupt moral cocoon, they assume, albeit wrongly, that the target is the governor. But they keep kissing the political canvass. That explains why with all the stunts, nothing but total humiliation has faced them in all C M Y K

Abia and hired internet jobbers attempt at turning the people against the governor. When not getting results from within, they find willing allies in some unscrupulous elements outside the state, especially cash and carry Internet commentators who derive joy in creating various internet fora for personal aggrandizement.

How come each time Abia is in the news for the good or bad, it generates more than a passing interest? Why is the state always attracting interest from noisy busy-bodies who will always find out a bushy hair without noticing well-barbed hair. During the menace of kidnapping, Abia was a feast for the commissioned agents. As far as they were concerned, the Governor was the cause of the incessant kidnap cases in the state. At the time of the total eradication of the vice, no one would commend the efforts made by the Governor.

But that was not all. Kidnapping started reigning in other places, including the neighboring states to Abia. Quite unexpectedly, the media began to play down on it. Unlike Abia, kidnapping was no longer a front page story.

Then the issue of an ugly gang rape.

Suddenly the Governor’s detractors went to town with the gist that the incident took place in Abia State University, Uturu. Hell was let loose. Commissioned hack writers stopped short of alleging that the Governor was an accomplice. No body gave the security agents any chance. Not even

highly placed individuals like the Minister of Youth Development then, Bolaji Abdullahi could exercise restraint in his comments when he passed his verdict, of course indicting the state. Representative Abike Dabiri in narrating her displeasure after watching the nauseating video courtesy of her “daughter” put the state on the spot even though she represents Ikorodu with one of the highest crime records in the country. Apostle of gangster journalism Omoyele Sowore hit his usual phantom jackpot with the story in his Sahara-report, as he loves to hate the name Abia for obvious reasons. There was also the witch-hunting blogger who goes by the name Linda Ikeji. She even added a whiff of blackmail to her own journalism. Yet the Governor called their bluff.

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hese persons incensed Abia indigenes by the unsubstantiated allegation that the incident took place in Abia. The Police issued a statement but Linda especially will have none of that. To them, the state government and officials were guilty as charged in their estimation. The University issued a statement, and that further exacerbated the gladiators. There is a saying among the Igbo that a tailless cow will always enjoy the grace of a benevolent god that helps it to drive away flies. Just when the attack dogs had satisfied their paymasters. The truth no matter how long hidden was resurrected.

The police unveiled the criminals behind the dastardly act. And to imagine that it actually took place in another state while enemies had feasted on Abia without any tangible proof to link such to Abia suggests an orchestrated script being acted out.

It is, however, surprising to behold that all those who hastily abused a state and its people for a crime they knew nothing about have not found honour anywhere in their obduracy to ask for forgiveness. Too bad though. Are we to talk about the hullabaloo that followed the last increase in the tuition fee of the State University when a former governor instigated the students to demonstrate against the government? Today Abia State University pays the cheapest tuition in the South East and those paying the highest have not been sent to Golgotha. The question now is who dunno it?

One may not search for long to find the answer. The hand of Esau is felt, but the voice is unmistakably that of Jacob. The people are also aware. They are even wiser than their tormentors of yesterday think.

The era of rice and tomato politics in exchange for the conscience and commonwealth of the masses in Abia has gone for good. The people cannot forget in a hurry their long and tortuous trek to the present destination. Yesterday’s memory continues to cause them nightmare. But they are determined not to go back to political Egypt. *Mr. Emereuwa, a commentator on national issues, wrote from Umuahia, Abia State.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, JULY 4, 2013— 19

, I

AM beginning to lose enthusiasm about seeing United States President, Barack Obama, in Nigerian on state visit.

The romance factor has all but worn off. If Obama comes tomorrow, he will still have a lot of people eager to watch him on television. After all, he is still Barack Obama, the first Black person to be elected to the highest political office in the world. Some people call him “our son” because he has African ancestry.

I am somewhat bored by the snobbish attitude that Obama and his officials have maintained towards Nigeria since he was first elected in 2008. This is totally at variance with the eagerness with which our own President, Dr Goodluck Jonathan, welcomes every opportunity to visit the White House. Since he emerged as our president GEJ has been to the White House at least twice.

Obama has come to Africa on two occasions. The first was shortly after he was inaugurated in 2009.

He was on his way to L’Aquila in Italy but stopped in Accra and Cape Coast, Ghana. It was on that

occasion that he made his wellreceived call on African countries to emphasise more on strong institutions rather than strong men. Later in August 2012, his Secretary of State, Mrs Hillary Clinton, on a 12-nation tour, stopped for four hours in Abuja.

She met President Jonathan, had a brief town hall meeting and headed straight to the airport out of Nigeria.

On the recent occasion of President Obama’s three-nation tour, he chose Senegal, Tanzania and South Africa. Again, security fears were the official reasons adduced for his avoiding Nigeria.

Fine! Security challenge is a credible excuse. Since terrorists succeeded in bombing the Police headquarters, army cantonment and United Nations office complex, all in Abuja; and in 2012 forced the President to observe independence activities within the secured grounds of Aso Rock Villa, you cannot blame any foreign leader who feels unsure about coming here.

Come to think of it: If Obama eventually comes here, what do we

,

expect of him? What did he take to the four African countries he visited? He went there to lecture them on democracy and good governance. In South Africa, he performed one of his pet activities of engaging the youth, inspiring them and psyching them up towards their future role as leaders.

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here was not much in terms of fresh economic packages.

Man shall not live by bread alone, it is true. But we in Africa still need a lot of bread. Nobody likes to listen to lectures on an empty, rumbling stomach. Obama’s predecessors, Bill Clinton and George HW Bush came here armed with bread in their right hand and a lecture script in their left. Clinton in August 2000 came here to announce the granting of

Sheltering African First Ladies

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HIS writer has been caught severally on the soft side of providing the good life for past leaders. During the debate at the Constituent Assembly on the pension scheme for past Presidents and Governors, I made this demand: “Hands up, all those who will be happy to see their former President driving a taxi or moonlighting as a charge-hand in a factory, trying to make ends meet”. There was not a single hand up.

I proceeded from there to posit to the Assembly that the only way to obviate that ugly situation is to devise a robust pension scheme for past Presidents and Governors.

We were travelling to the East to take a wife for my son (name withheld). On the way, I kicked off a discussion: “Suppose we get there to find that the head of the household, your prospective father-in law, is the one pounding the yam that we would eat, what would your reaction be?“ He retorted: “I will not continue with the marriage. I will just go home.” When I asked why he would react that way, he quipped rather angrily: “Is it not clear that the only alternative to that would be to patiently enter into the marriage and gear up to be pounding for my wife when we are married? Why would I stay in a household that has no head?”

It gets even messier if you come into a village and you are told to wait a little because the Odionwere (village head) will soon return from where he went to tap rubber. What type of village will not cater for its head?

All the same, none of these flourishing arguments will sway even the most patriotic citizen to support the plan of the country’s First Lady apparently to build a hotel complex for herself with public funds.

Suddenly, Nigeria’s First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, is asking for a whopping sum of N13 billion for the building of the headquarters of the African First Ladies Peace Centre, AFLPC. Funny enough, the piece of land on which the edifice is to be sited had earlier been allocated to Hajia Turai Yar ’Adua, Dame Patience Jonathan’s predecessor in office. It is now a subject of litigation between the two First Ladies. Hajia cannot see why land allocated to her should now be reallocated to Dame. Each of them asked for the land for a pet project. One thing is clear from this: First Ladies also cry. Hajia has approached the courts for interpretation.

This was the ground on which the Senate Committee on FCT rejected an initial N4 billion draw-down on the project from the office of the First Lady. Hear the Chairman of the Senate Committee on the FCT, Senator Smart Adeyemi: “Due to the litigation in respect of the proposed plot of land, money cannot be accessed this year”.

This project has a number of question marks around it. One, it has no parallel anywhere in the world that government builds a hostel for conference participants.

When countries, states or municipalities struggle for hosting rights of events, they do so for the business opportunities inherent therein – during the events, social, commercial and all forms of activities come alive; and you find citizens smiling to the banks.

Two, and perhaps more importantly, these First Ladies are playing smart. Hajia got the allocation on the pretext of using it for a pet project but today, the story has changed. She is now claiming the land as

duty-free access to US markets of certain classes of made-in-Africa goods. It was a package contained in the Africa Growth and Opportunities Act, AGOA. And when Bush came in July 2003, he brought a situation report which confirmed that under the Republican government, economic ties with Africa had grown. Under this salutary situation, the push for democracy and human rights by the American government was easier to sell.

When President Obama eventually comes here, there are things I want from him. In addition to his usual motivational lecture, I want him to come here like the Canadians. Canadian businessmen and women have seen the unfolding new Nigeria, particularly on the economic front.

The Chinese and Indians saw it long ago. We want Obama here with a horde of American businessmen/women and industrialists ready to invest in the power, infrastructure, agriculture and technology sectors.

We will also appreciate America’s continued interest in building our democracy. After all, we copied our presidential system from them. It will be nice to quickly get over the teething problems associated with this expensive system. We will also be delighted to see America helping us to overcome terrorism to enable Nigerians face with a united front the task of nation-building. We want to get into the second centenary of our existence with the old demons that shackled our people exorcised.

When Obama comes here, we will not want him to give us a lecture on human rights. That subject has been well provided for in our Constitution. All we need is to have

her personal property. Is this not enough reason for us to be scared of the intentions of the incumbent First Lady?

H a j i a ’ s posturing simply succeeds in blowing the lid off Dame’s cover, which makes Dame look like a person providing for her postretirement years.

,

When Obama eventually comes here

We in Nigeria and Africa as a whole, whether Christians, Muslims or traditionalists, consider homosexuality and bestiality as taboo; the West, on the other hand, has uprooted the Christian foundations of their societies and adopted atheistic definition of “freedom” or human rights

The office of First Lady is an anomaly, totally alien to the country’s constitution or any law of the land for that matter

,

Are these African First Ladies refugees in their home countries? If not, there is a subtle suggestion that the Inn will have no permanent residents. And when the inmates are not meeting, to what use do you put this white elephant project?

A

gain, the office of First Lady is an anomaly, totally alien to the country’s Constitution or any law of the land for that matter. It would have been a neater innovation if the “Oga at the top” was the one asking for a hostel for his foreign colleagues.

Meanwhile, Nigerians are angry with the Senate Committee on FCT. They think the Committee’s rejection of the initial draw-

leaders who are ready to defend the Constitution and implement its provisions on fundamental human rights. We do not want Obama to come here and campaign for the Western interpretation of human rights to us.

Our own human rights are prolaw-abiding citizens, not procriminals. Our laws recognise that a person, who willfully kills his fellow citizen, when convicted through to the Supreme Court, will pay with his life. In other words, we believe in the Death Penalty. The law must fight for victims of savage termination of life, even though our laws also permit for the prerogative of mercy when applicable.

Secondly, we in Nigeria and Africa as a whole, whether Christians, Muslims or traditionalists, consider homosexuality and bestiality as taboo. The West, on the other hand, has uprooted the Christian foundations of their societies and adopted atheistic definition of “freedom” or human rights. They have taken the definition beyond sane boundaries. This is why the US Supreme Court recently ruled that marriage is no longer defined as a union between a man and a woman. With this new definition, men can marry men, women can marry women. In fact, American soldiers are free to have sex with animals and, perhaps, marry them!

Count us out of that!

Without a spiritual base, the West is in steep decline, and they cannot take us with them. Nigeria and Africa are rising. We will take what we want from the West and drop the rest in the trash bin, just like the Asians have done.

So, when Obama comes here, let him draw the line.

down request of N4 billion was not only far-reaching enough, but it was also lousy.

They reckon that the Committee should have used the opportunity of the request to throw the entire project out of the window. People not tutored in the art of legislation are wont to think this way.

Knowing how legislators everywhere work, I can bet my December salary that the AFLPC Project is dead; in fact, it is deader than dead! The business of legislation is different from journalism where you say it like it is. What the FCT Committee has just started is the Dance of Legislation, which in the words of Woodrow Wilson (1856–1924): “Once you begin the dance of legislation and you must struggle through its mazes as best you can to its breathless end, if any end there be”.

The National Assembly also has a responsibility to produce the greatest happiness to the greatest number. Without cutting off the major arteries of the project, Dame for now remains happy that she has a project in the works. That project will remain in the legislative maze until it will be quarter to Madam’s departure from Aso Rock.

At the committee level, the lawmakers retain the option of loving the proposal to death. Legislatively speaking, this means that the measure could be amended even beyond Madam’s recognition by the time it limps out of the committee room.

For now, we must allow the National Assembly and its committees to do their best, hoping that their best will be enough for all of us.

THURSD AY , JUL Y 4 , 20 13 THURSDA JULY 201

*Principal suspect, Mr. Ejike Okoro, at the scene where the victim was buried

ECHOES OF OTOKOTO:

Judgement comes at last

BY CHIDI NKWOPARA

W

AY back in 1996, indigenes and residents of Owerri, the Imo State capital, rose up in unison against what they described as “bizarre happenings perpetrated by some criminally minded individuals in the society”.

This class of nouveau riche took laws into their hands. They could stop even in the middle of the road just to greet their friends. Apart from having armed security men as escorts, these fellows and their henchmen usually pounced on innocent citizens that dared to query any of their nefarious acts.

The people continued to tolerate their excesses until the bubble burst. This happened when little Innocent Okoronkwo was brutally murdered in Otokoto Hotels, Amakohia, near Owerri, by suspected ritualists.

Little Innocent and members of his immediate family never sensed that danger was lurking around the corner. He was, on this ill-fated day, asked to go and sell groundnuts to augment the family earnings. He never came back alive.

Otokoto hotel premises Owerri residents’ anger boiled over when the headless body of hapless Innocent was exhumed within the premises of Otokoto Hotel. The people marched angrily to all the known properties of those with questionable character and destroyed some of them. Those who survived the onslaught quickly scampered to other states for safety. Security agents swung into action. Some people were arrest-

ed in connection with the gruesome murder of Innocent, tried and convicted. Government went a little further to confiscate properties of some of these individuals.

About 11 years ago, another ugly incident occurred in Owalla Uratta, Owerri North Local Government Area of the state. Okechukwu Osuji was murdered May 11, 2001, by members of a secret cult in a thick forest along Toronto-Egbu road.

The hoodlums, who call themselves “Aburu puru ime ihe nile” (a group that can do all things), went to the bizarre extreme of carefully extracting their victim’s brain for ritual purposes and drank his blood!

Not too long after the ugly incident was reported to the police, a

‘

mitted, the accused persons were aged between 18 and 25. It was also gathered that the police picked up the accused persons in an uncompleted building in the process of perfecting their devilish act.

The investigation was handled with clinical finesse. At the end of the thorough investigation, the police gathered enough facts to prosecute the criminals, vide suit number HOW/37C/2002.

At the point of taking their plea in court, the suspects were told that their offence ran contrary to Section 39(1) of the Criminal Code Cap 30 Volume II Laws of Eastern Nigeria 1963, as applicable in Imo State. Delivering his judgment on June 25, 2013, Justice Ohakwe said the prosecution had established the offence of murder of Okechukwu Osuji on May 11, 2001, against the first, second, third, fifth, eight, ninth and 10th accused persons and subsequently sentenced them to death by hanging.

The court equally relied on the evidence of the investigating police officer, Inspector Abiodun Abioye, who gave a graphic account of how the first accused, Ejike Okoro,was arrested and how he later took him to where they kept the body of their victim.

Continuing, Ohakwe said the prosecution had overwhelming evidence that members of the secret cult dragged their victim into a thick forest along Toronto-Egbu road on the fateful day, murdered him and collected his brain for ritual purposes. On why he discharged and acquitted Uchenna Udeh, Ikechukwu

Members of the secret cult dragged their victim into a thick forest, murdered him and collected his brain for ritual purposes

principal suspect, Mr. Ejike Okoro, was arrested. On serious interrogation, Okoro gave the names of the other members of the secret cult as Cajetan Okoro, Raphael Ike, Paul Njoku, Eric Igbo, Chidiebere Njoku and Anayochukwu Unamba.

The other three accused persons that were eventually discharged and acquitted by an Imo High Court presided over by Hon. Justice Chukwuemeke I. Ohakwe, for lack of credible evidence to warrant conviction included Uchenna Udeh, Ikechukwu Ukonu and Boniface Okoro. The interesting thing about this murder case is that the accused persons and their victim hailed from the same village, Owalla Uratta, Owerri North local council area.

As at the time the crime was com-

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20— Vanguard ,

Ukonu and Boniface Okoro, Hon. Justice Ohakwe said: “From the evidence adduced by the prosecution, there is no evidence except the confessional statement by the first accused person, Ejike Okoro, linking the third, sixth and seventh accused persons with the murder”.

It was also the considered opinion of the fiery High Court Judge that the confessional statement of the first accused person was not binding on them and therefore set them free.

What else would one call getting to hell’s gate and being immediately shown the way into freedom?

Whether the discharged persons have learnt their lessons is any person’s guess.

Debate of the masses

Nigerians have very high sense of humour

BY EBELE ORAKPO

E

VEN in their anger and frustration, there is still a very high sense of humour noticeable amongst Nigerians. In the usual maddening Lagos traffic, one could hear both drivers and passengers raining abuses on one another, calling themselves some funny names in a manner of venting their anger.

Come to think of it, it’s all very hilarious and as the Bible says and as medical science has confirmed, laughter is a good medicine.

On this particularly busy Tuesday evening along the Murtala Mohammed Airport Road Lagos, vehicles were inching their way slowly towards the airport toll gate to link Ikeja or Oshodi-Agege Motor Road when suddenly, a car moved to overtake another car trying to negotiate a bend. Shouted a commuter in the second vehicle: “Look at him, foolish man, running as if demons are after him.

Where is he going to for God’s sake?”

And when the car caught up with the first car and was about to overtake it, another passenger shouted at the driver: “Take this dustbin off the road. I don’t know what the Ministry of Transport, MOT, is doing.

This kind of vehicle should not be seen on our roads.”“Which roads?” sneered Nike. “Abeg, he can drive it on some roads but not on this smooth, clean road,” replied Mike.

“The car is even halfcaste,” joked Ndidi. This elicited laughter and then Moji asked: “How do you mean?”

“Can’t you see it has got two colours? Wine red and grey, horrible combination!” replied Ndidi.

“I think it had an accident, maybe the original colour was wine red,” said Mike. Almost immediately, a member of the

notorious Lagos mini-bus drivers popularly called danfo, drove past to form another lane on the already congested road.

And when a driver with a brand new car complained, the danfo driver, ever-ready with his razor-sharp tongue, shouted at the driver thus: “If you don’t move that plastic toy out of my way, I will destroy it together with those sticks you call legs. Just respect yourself and carry that your ugly face and leave, monkey!”

“Just imagine him calling a brand new car plastic toy,” Joe remarked.

“Oh, you haven’t seen anything. That is the typical Lagos commercial bus driver for you,” said M o j i .

Narrated Ugo: “I was in a bus one day when we suddenly realised that passers-by were pointing at the bus and laughing.

We were wondering why until we got to the park and disembarked. Lo and behold, the bus looked like something out of the scrap market.”

“Didn’t you notice it before you boarded,” asked Moji. Replied Ugo: “Noticed? When everybody was fighting to get on the bus, thanking God that after several hours at the bus-stop, they were able to get a bus. There was no time to notice any flaws. Even if we had noticed, we wouldn’t have given a hoot.”

“But honestly, some vehicles are not supposed to be seen on our roads,” said Moji.

“True, but first, empower the people to be able to afford decent vehicles.

It will be unfair to force a man’s vehicle off the roads without helping him get something decent. Do you think anybody enjoys driving rickety vehicles or ‘push me I push you?” asked Ndidi. “Just reminds me of a medical doctor who was mistaken for a native doctor because of the type of car he was driving”.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, JULY 4, 2013 —21

From left: Joseph Makoju, MD/CEO Dangote Groups; Olusegun Aganga, Minister of Trade and Investment and Lateef Busari, Executive Secretary, Nigeria Sugar Council during the signing-off of the BIP plans of the refineries, in Abuja.

NASD: SEC insists on zero tolerance for market infractions

By PETER EGWUATU

T

HE Securities and Ex change Commission (SEC) has affirmed its commitment on zero tolerance for market infractions as it tasked the newly launched National Association of Securities Dealers (NASD) Over-the-Counter (OTC) market to avoid insider dealings and other malpractices in its operations.

The Commission also stated its commitment for whistle blowing mechanism in the Nigerian capital market as a way of checkmating abuses by both operators and regulators.

The NASD OTC market is a technologically driven financial market platform where instrument, such as shares, bonds and commercial papers that are not listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) can now be bought and traded by stakeholders.

Speaking at the launch of the newly inaugurated OTC market platform formed by the NASD Plc, Chairman of SEC, Dr. Suleyman Ndanusa, charged promoters of the NASD OTC to take integrity as their watchdog and avoid anything that will bring distrust and mar the market, stressing that “The Commission is committed to zero tolerance and will name and shame any operator found undermining the rules of the market.”

In his words, “I am delighted to be part of the epoch making event in the Nigerian capital market that will help in transforming the market and the economy generally.

Global focus after the recent economic melt-down has now shifted to the management of risks, corporate governance and stronger oversight of institutions and markets, transparency and liquidity in the various markets.

“The International Organisation for Securities Commissions (IOSCO) has

been very consistent that regulators should adopt and emphasize more of risk-based supervision as opposed to the traditional method of supervising markets. The G20 countries with advanced OTC markets that thrive more on derivatives are re-affirming their commitment to managing the manner of trading and associated risks more effectively and efficiently. The European Union has also introduced changes to its derivative market that institutionalise more transpar-

ency and liquidity in order to achieve a more robust and effective risk management. It is expected that such reforms could impact on volumes of business traded on OTCs, product offerings, pricing, market liquidity and even the type of trade venues. The launch today, though longawaited, is a step in the right direction. For all of us present here, I say congratulations.”

On his part, Chairman of NASD Plc, Mr. O l u t o l a Mobolurin, commended the SEC for inspiring the OTC

market, saying, “ Indeed it is fitting that this project is coming to fruition during the tenure of Dr. Ndanusa as chairman of SEC, one of the past Director Generals of SEC that enthusiastically supported this project and elevated the monitoring of progress. I commend the current Director General, Arunma Oteh and her team for the support and the approval in principle given when the capital requirement has not been met.”

Continuing, he said, “To the shareholders of the companies that meet the requirements for trading on the NASD, we can say that from today, you no longer have to trade blindly without knowing the true market value of the shares you are selling or buying; you no longer have to be subjected to manipulations of unregistered brokers or dealers, and you no longer have to be at the mercy of insiders.

From today, you should feel free to use the market and never hesitate to report any abuse you notice in the market, either as insiders or as operators.”

In her remark, the Director General, SEC, Arunma Oteh commended the Board of Directors of NASD, saying this is history making for not only the market, but also the entire nation. “NASD will create assets for wealth creation and this is one of the avenues to meeting the $ I trillion market target. I am glad for the actualisation of this project and hope that the operators will not undermine integrity and transparency.

In his remark, Chief Executive Officer, NSE, Mr. Oscar Onyema, said that the exchange believes in NASD and that is why it invested in it.

British Airways to introduce hi-tech bag tag

B

RITISH Airways is trying out a new electronic bag tag that could do away with the need to have a paper tag every time you fly. Once checked in, customers just needed to hold their smart-phones over the electronic tag, which automatically updates with a unique barcode containing their flight details and an easy-to-see view of their bag’s destination.

Not requiring a traditional paper tag to be printed and attached, customers can then save precious time by having their electronic tag quickly scanned at the bag drop, going straight through security to relax before catching their flight. It is intended that the patent-pending hi-tech tag can be used time and time again.

Disclosing this, Mr. Frank van der Post, British Airways Managing Director, Brands and Customer Experience, said: “This is a fantastically simple, yet smart device that gives each customer the choice

to have their own personalised electronic baggage tag that changes with the swipe of a smart-phone – every time they fly. As the saying goes, ‘good things come in small packages’, and this innovative device is no exception. Along with other initiatives we are investing in, we believe it has the potential to revolutionise the way our customers check in and pass through every airport around the world in the future.” Glenn Morgan, British Airways’ head of Service Transformation, said: “Our customers are at the heart of everything we do and our drive to innovate with this new electronic bag tag is a brilliant example of how we can help transform their travelling experience.

“We’ve harnessed expertise from across the airline to produce a solution for speedier checking-in, which at one swipe shows British Airways can be a game changer when it comes to customer service.”

124.0

2.8

2,170.00

-24.00

16.54

-0.15

103.54

+0.54

98.90

+0.91

CURRENCY BUYING CENTRAL DOLLAR POUNDS EURO FRANC YEN CFA WAUA RENMINBI RIYA KRONA SDR

154.75 235.5605 201.794 163.4971 1.5525 0.2884 231.9598 25.2319 41.2634 27.0457 232.4655

155.25 236.3216 202.446 164.0254 1.5575 0.2984 232.7092 25.3138 41.3967 27.1331 233.2166

SELLING 155.75 237.0827 203.098 164.5536 1.5625 0.3084 233.4587 25.3958 41.53 27.2205 233.9677

CBN Exchange rate as at 03/07/2013

22—Vanguard, THURSDAY , JULY 4, 2013

FG begins implementation of backward integration policy in sugar industry F

EDERAL Govern ment of Nigeria, has commenced the implementation of the Backward Integration Policy (BIP) in the sugar industry with the official signing off on the BIP plans and projects by three major sugar refineries in Nigeria. The event, which was chaired by the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Mr. Olusegun Aganga,

was attended by representatives of Dangote Sugar Refinery, BUA Group, Golden Sugar Refinery, the Ministries of Health, National Planning and the Nigerian Customs Service, among others.

The Federal Executive Council had on October 19, 2012, approved the Nigerian National Sugar Masterplan. The NSMP is expected to generate about 170,000 new jobs

across the country, ensure self sufficiency in sugar production, and conserve about $350million annually in foreign exchange. According to the plan, the sugar industry is also expected to produce about 1,797,000 tons of the commodity annually, while about 161.2 million litres of ethanol to be produced will generate 400 MW of electricity, among others.

Speaking during the

signing off ceremony in Abuja, Aganga said the event marked the beginning of the nation’s journey towards sound industrialisation in line with the Nigerian Industrial Revolution Plan. He said, “Today marks the historic beginning of the journey towards our nation’s industrial revolution, which is based on the areas where we have competitive and comparative advantage.

From left: Director-General, Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), Dr. Joseph Odumodu and MD/CEO, Promasidor Nigeria Limited, Chief Keith Richards during the presentation of NIS ISO 22000:2005 Food Safety Management System Standard to the company by SON, in Lagos.

”Today is the demonstration that the implementation of the Backward Integration Policy in the Sugar industry, which is a critical part of National Sugar Master Plan, has started.”

The minister, who commended the sugar refiners for keying into the new Sugar Master Plan, said the Federal Government was committed to implementing the policy in a fair, transparent and mutually beneficial manner.

He said, “I am particularly delighted that since the new sugar policy was announced, we have been encouraged by the commitment of sugar refiners towards supporting the implementation of the policy. For instance, the President of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote has made some pronouncements on the company’s intention to invest about $2bn to produce about 1.5m metric tons of sugar. ”Currently, they are discussing with Adamawa, Kogi, Kebbi, Sokoto and Taraba. If this is successfully implemented, you will be amazed by the

Industrialists harp on cluster for SMEs

BY NKIRUKA NNOROM

MALL scale P&G shares success story of investments in S industrialists have for introduction of Nigeria, SA to enjoy the ‘first-mover company for supporting improvedmacroeconomics, called more clusters as a means

BY PRINCEWILL EKWUJURU & WINFRED IMOLUAMEN

P

ROCTER and Gamble (P&G) has shared the success story of its investments in Nigeria and South Africa with its trade partners.

The event was attended by the company’s Vice President for West Africa, Mr. Manoj Kumar and P&G South/ East Africa Vice President, Mr. Stanislav Vecera. Kumar detailed Nigeria’s robust and steady GDP growth, stable exchange rate, strong banking sector, massive human and natural resources as some of the reasons why Nigeria is becoming an increasingly attractive investment destination for foreign i n v e s t o r s .

He urged guests at the event to consider setting up businesses in Nigeria and

advantages’ that could still be found in the country.

Contributing, Vecera who spoke on the economic growth and development of Sub-Sahara Africa observed that the region has become a more attractive and hospitable destination for investors.

According to him, economic growth in subSaharan Africa is expected to significantly outpace the global average over the next three years and that six of the world’s ten fastest growing economies of the past decade are in subSaharan Africa. “Taking South Africa as a case study, Vecera attributed the country’s investment popularity to its relatively well developed infrastructure, stable political environment and relatively large domestic market,” he said.

The Director General, Budget Office, Dr Bright Okogu, commended the

Nigerian Government’s drive to promote foreign investments in the country.

He discussed the strong prospects for growth of the Nigerian economy, the

banking system as well as the various policy reforms that have been put in place to help benefit investments in Nigeria.

Firm woos Nigerian manufacturers to plastic, rubber fair

BY WILLIAM JIMOH

T

RADE Fair Services Limited, the West African regional representatives of Messe Dusseldorf GmBH, has said that it will assist Nigerian manufactures willing to participate in this year international trade fair for plastic and rubber.

It will hold in Dusseldorf, Germany October 16-23.

Akhigbe Itua, a spokes person for the organisation, noted that

visa, flight and accommodation support are all within the scope of service offerings provided.

“More than 3000 businesses from across the world will convene at the world famous Messe Dusseldorf exhibition grounds to showcase the latest developments in the industry and even more importantly present the innovative paths that will shape the future to over 200, 000 visitors.

level of economic transformation that will take place in these states. Similarly, Golden Sugar Refinery plans to produce about 30 metric tons of sugar from about 13, 500 hectares of land in Niger state with an investment of close to N50bn. He added, “I want to commend the sugar refiners – Dangote Group, BUA Group and the Golden Sugar Refinery – that have shown commitment to this country by supporting the Backward Integration Policy. Each one of them have prepared their Backward Integration Plans which I know was not easy to do but they have done it as a way of demonstrating their commitment. ”Apart from the refiners, the farmers and out-growers are all part of the value chain. Our job is to make sure that the policy is rigorously implemented in a fair manner to all the parties involved.” According to Aganga, an inter-ministerial committee will be set up to monitor the implementation of the policy.

of bolstering the capacity of small businesses and increasing their roles in economic development of the nation.

Mr. Duro Kuteyi, Vice President, Nigeria Small Scale Industrialists, who made the call while speaking on ‘Small Scale Businesses in Nigeria: Role in National Economic Development’ said it is easier to float and manage small businesses in clusters.

According to him, the government should not only encourage setting up clusters, but must take the initiative of creating awareness on the usefulness of operating within the zone.

He noted that low interest rate regime was also critical for SMEs survival, adding that single digit interest rate was possible.

He said, “The awareness of SMEs and desire to go

into small scale business is growing; you can see the speed with which small businesses are spreading across the country, but government at all levels need to do something to help SMEs.” Lamenting some of the challenges confronting SMEs, Kuteyi stated that industries in Nigeria still groan over excessive electricity tariff, saying that companies that ordinarily are supposed to pay N50,000 are made to pay as much as N300,000.

He noted that the practice is stifling growth of small businesses.

Besides high electricity tariff, Kuteyi said that they also struggle with issues of lack of manpower, substandard equipments and adulterated petroleum products among others.

“Most of the machines that are fabricated for use

by Nigerian SMEs are not up to standard. When the manufacturers want to produce for export, they will imprint from Germany, but when they want to produce for Nigeria, they use copied machines,” he lamented.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, JULY 4, 2013—23

NIMAS A justif ies action against NLNG o NIMASA justifies ovver N25bn debt STORIES BY GODWIN ORITSE

T

HE Nigerian M a r i t i m e Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has justified its action against the Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas Company (NLNG) blockade of vessels into the nation’s territorial waters.

NIMASA last week stopped three vessels belonging to the gas company from entering and leaving Nigeria’s territorial waters saying that “it neither violated nor disobey court orders.

The latest face-off arose after NIMASA carried out its earlier threat to issue detention order on all NLNG ships over a controversial indebtedness of N25Billion to the apex maritime regulatory agency, a decision which affected the three liquefied natural gas tankers.

In a petition to the office of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minster of Justice, NIMASA, through its lawyers; Messrs Mike Igbokwe, said that an earlier letter

to the same office by NLNG was misinforming the Minister, the Federal Government of Nigeria, the National Assembly and the public and also wrongly portraying NIMASA “as a contemnor which willfully refused to obey a court’s order.”

The NIMASA argued in the letter that was also copied to the Presidency, the National Assembly,

Ministry of Defence and the Heads of the armed forces, as well as the minister of Transport that NIMASA by virtue of its enabling Act, “is a body corporate with perpetual succession and a common seal capable of being sued and of suing in its corporate name which gives it a separate and distinct identity and capacity from your office”.

NIMASA also picked holes in the claim by the oil and gas firm that it had filed a suit and ”served the said orders on, you (for and on behalf of the Federal Government and all its agencies including NIMASA) and Global West Ltd, you were not sued as a representative of NIMASA or to defend NIMASA in a representative capacity

and NIMASA was not mentioned anywhere in the title, of the suit.”.

Claiming that the controversial suit does not concern it directly, NIMASA also argued in the letter to the Justice Minister that, “it is obvious from the said drawn up orders advertised by NLNG that our client is not a party to the above suit.

It is also clear from the

VISIT: Managing Director, Ports & Cargo, Mr. John Jenkins (right) and Executive Director, Administration at Sifax Group, Dr. Phil Ofulue (left) receiving the visiting team from National Council on Privatisation, Bureau of Public Enterprises and Nigerian Ports Authourity at the Ports and Cargo Terminal, in Lagos.

Customs sets up c’ttee on handing over of scanning services

A

HEAD of the December deadline given to the three firms responsible for scanning services at the nation’s seaports, airports and border posts, to hand over the service to Nigeria Customs Service, the Customs has set up a Committee to midwife a smooth transition process.

The Committee is headed by Assistant Comptroller General of Customs Manafa Jatau .

The Committee Vanguard gathered has commenced work on the transition process as some members of the Committee were seen at the Tin-Can Island port working with officials of Cotecna Destination Inspection.

Confirming the development, Customs spokesman, Mr. Adewale Adeniyi said that the Committee’s operations will be in phases.

Adeniyi also said that

Tin-Can Island port has been chosen to be the pilot project for the transition, after which it will move to other ports across the country.

It will be recalled that the issue of scanning has been of serious concern to stakeholders in the maritime industry and most of the delays experienced at the ports are blamed on inefficient scanning system.

While stakeholder are blaming the service providers for inefficient scanning system, the terminal operators are also being blamed for not providing enough logistics for the movement of containers to scanning site.

While stakeholders are throwing blames at each other, the Nigeria Customs Service is making plans to ensure that it transit into seamless scanning process.

A member of the Committee, Mr Austin Warikoru, said that he could not comment as only Chairman of the make statement on the

transition embarked upon by the service.

It will also be recalled that the Federal Government has extended the

contract of the service providers by a years as it is expected that by end of this year, they (service providers) are expected

to hand over to the officials of the Customs service.

Govt to sanction offenders of illegal rail crossing

F

OLLOWING last Monday’s rail accident at Kakau village, Kaduna state, transport minister, Senator Idris Umar has said that the ministry has concluded plans to probe illegal rail crossing with a view to sanctioning offenders.

Speaking at the scene

of the incident, Senator Umar stated that after the probe, the ministry will also proffer lasting solutions to the issue of illegal rail crossing.

Umar also disclosed that both the driver and owner of the truck have been arrested, adding that they are currently

undergoing interrogation.

Expressing regrets of the accident, Umar explained that the accident was avoidable but for the recklessness of the truck driver who tried to cross the rail track to drop sewage and got stuck in the process.

said advertised court order that your office and a company known as Global West Vessel Specialists Nigeria Limited were the only parties to the suit as the 1st and 2nd Defendants.”

Recall that the NLNG had in a statement issued after the three ships were denied access, alleged that the NIMASA action was a flagrant disregard of a court order, stating that the three affected ships were barred from accessing or leaving the company’s loading bay.

“The potential implications of this current action by NIMASA on Nigeria LNG operations are enormous and would impact negatively on its international LNG buyers,” the company had said through its spokesperson; Kudo Eresia-Eke. The NLNG also claimed that it had paid about N3.2 billion in outstanding levies to NIMASA under protest and had filed a suit on June 18 against the agency to seek judicial clarity and interpretation on the legality of the levies.

It will however be recalled that NLNG was directed on May 18 to pay outstanding levies to NIMASA after a state arbitration panel ruled the company was not exempt from paying taxes.

The law setting up the NLNG exempted the company from paying taxes for 10 years or until the cumulative price of liquefied natural gas reached $3 for a million British thermal units.

NIMASA said this tax break expired in January 2004 after gas prices reached $9 a million British thermal unit on Nymex.

Two bulk carriers collide off Singapore, causing oil spill

T

he Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) received a report that a South Korean-registered bulk carrier, Oriental Pioneer, and a Bahamas-registered bulk carrier, Atlantic Hero, had collided at about 6.6km south-west of Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal on 2 July 2013.

One of the Oriental Pioneer’s bunker tanks was damaged and approximately 100 metric tonnes of fuel oil were spilled.

Upon notification, MPA immediately dispatched its patrol craft to deal with the oil spill. Oil spill response companies were also activated to augment the patrol craft fleet. A total of 10 patrol

and anti-pollution craft have been deployed to clean up the spilled oil.

Work is currently continuing and MPA is coordinating the clean-up with other government agencies and the ship owners.

The two vessels involved in the collision are currently safely anchored in the Eastern

Bunkering Anchorages.

MPA has issued navigational broadcasts to ships to navigate with caution when in the vicinity of the incident site. There is no report of injury and port operations remain unaffected.

Traffic in the port and the Strait of Singapore is unhampered.

24 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, JULY 4, 2013

Vanguard, THURSDAY, JUNE 4, 2013 — 25

Art goes back to nature with Isiuwe's World of humans and horses

BY MIKE EBONUGWO & JAPHET ALAKAM

I

T is not often you get to hear or read about a husband and wife art partnership, especially one inspired and nurtured by mutual love, creative affiliation and geared towards bringing a breath of fresh air to the increasingly vibrant Nigerian exhibition scene.

But from July 13, 2013, art lovers and collectors will have the opportunity of *Future, one of the works by Emmanuel Isiuwe meeting and connecting with Emmanuel and Angela Isiuwe retain their individual identi- from contemporary artistic focus when the couple’s joint art ex- ties as they express their artis- and preoccupation. Here, after hibition titled ‘Our World Hu- tic feelings through different over five years of research, the man and Equestrian Life’ will genres of painting. For in- Auchi Polytechnic trained open at the Didi Museum, Vic- stance, Angela whose art is painter will showcase a differtoria Island, Lagos. The hus- said to be very peculiar and ent form of painting with hors*Age of Innocence, one of the works to be exhibited by Angela Isiuwe band and wife exhibition which unique, and with a style deepwill be the first of its kind will ly rooted in the abstraction trajust like the normal Durbar dition, favours both paper and run till July 27. riding that they do.”

Emmanuel and Angela, canvas in expressing her artisOn his marriage to Angela in whose love journey started all tic skill . relation to their shared interOf particular interest is her the way from Auchi Polytechest in painting, he said: “It has nic 21 years ago when they work with colour on paper been a very interesting affair, were students before it blos- which really brings out her especially with a wife who is somed into a marriage, are set power and skill as an abstracinto the same business.

She is to take art patrons, collectors tion painter in the tradition of a tolerant person, she’s just and lovers from all walks of life Piet Mondrian(1872-1944), KaGod’s gift to me.” to a new concept of art as they zimir Malevich and Wassily unveil the rich collection of Kandinsky, (1866-1944), the Digging their creative endeavours at the joint fathers and exponents of deep abstraction early in the 20th exhibition.

Statement of appeal: century.

Speaking about the exhibiHer works on canvas mainly Through the about 50 works of tion, renowned art collector and paintings in mixed media on depict the female forms, particfounder of Treasure House Fine display, the couple will be ularly the female anatomy in *Emmanuel Isiuwe (r), with Olisehinde Odimayo Arts, Olisehinde Odimayo who is thrilled by the works of the Through the body of works, the coues as his main motifs, a new in life is actually gotten from couple said “Nigeria is blessed art form different from the var- nature. Humanity has often with many talents, but the fact ple will be making a strong statement ious moods and poses obtain- times derived inspiration from remains that they have not of appeal to go back to nature able in current Nigerian art. nature. The horses we are see- been digging deep ,so the efWorks of the contemporary art- ing today are these cars we are fort of the young art couple is making a strong statement of semi-abstraction; her paper ists from Aina Onabolu to date riding tnow; they have only rewarding because appeal for people to go back to works depict pure abstract have been solely concerned been transformed into cars. So they(Nigerians) will see somethe nature since in their view, forms of objects and female with depicting Nigerians, their in a way we’re still riding hors- thing very refreshing" “everything in life is derived forms, a reason for which her everyday life, arts and culture. es, even the cars are now beContinuing he stated “Our Painting plants and animals ing measured in horsepower. world-Human and Equestrian from nature.” art has also been described as is something which has not So we have to go back to na- Life is about the artistic and In appraising the artistic col- being very femine-centric. lections on display, visitors will Though her paper works been of interest to Nigerian art- ture. That is where the theme harmonious life of a family of most likely discover that the appear rather simplistic, a very ists of all generations. They came from.” painters, who have made art The artist who described their calling and who on this charming couple do not only close examination will reveal hardly favour roses, lilies, sunenjoy marital relationship, but that they are very carefully con- flowers, pure landscapes, dogs, the event as a mini-solo, said: occasion once again remind us also share creative energy and ceived and executed, manifest- lions, etc as motifs for their “I am not like a regular artist, of the benefit and essence of intuition which have spawned ing deft masterstrokes. The paintings and sculptural works I have been practicing since human and equestrian lives in some mixture of works which forms in her paper works are as artists in other parts of the 1992, so I just want to turn out our world." most art connoisseurs are sure generally organic and curvilin- world, especially Europe and good art pieces.” And the mesEmmanuel and Angela are America, have done for ages sage is simply this: “I think it also appreciative of the encourto find intrinsically appealing ear. and therefore compelling acFor Emmanuel, who has and are still doing even today. will be very interesting that agement and support they According to Emmanuel: there is a new birth of art. It have received from Profs Ebun quisitions. been painting like his contemBut in spite of the strong in- poraries of the 1950s genera- “Human and Equestrian life is will not be like the regular ex- and John Pepper Clark and fluence which marital union tion, but has made a fundamen- just basically about the world hibitions that people do. The Vanguard publisher, Mr Sam has played in their art partner- tal detour from this as his re- we live in right now. Equestri- new concept I am adding is Amuka. ship, husband and wife also cent work is a slight departure an life represents the horses; it something that is different from is showing us that everything the normal everyday thing , not

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26— Vanguard, THURSDAY, JULY 4, 2013

Why I address sexual and youth-related problems —Arebi Yetunde Fashina Arebi is the Deputy Woman Editor, Vanguard Media Ltd. She has for the past 22 years anchored the column The Human Angle, in Vanguard Newspapers which features true life stories on human experiences and other related issues. And after many years of writing in the Newspapers, this writer and counselor is set to present her new book titled, Youth, Sex and Wellbeing to the public. The presentation is scheduled to hold on Saturday, July 6, 2013 at the Afe Babalola Auditorium, University of Lagos, Akoka at 11.00 am.

In this chat with Vanguard Arts, the woman behind several other columns like Love zone, Women and Governance and others bares her mind on a wide range of issues relating to the book. Excerpts.

BY JAPHET ALAKAM

W

HY did you choose the title, Youth, Sex and Wellbeing?

Youth, Sex and Wellbeing was chosen because of the focus of the book. The book is about sexual orientation and attitude of people generally. It has elements of everything that is associated with the sexual act and sexuality of individuals and the implications. It is a fact that sex as a subject for public discussion is no longer a taboo, especially among young people. Unfortunately, the focus is not about the implications of the sexual act.

There is too much attention on how to enjoy sex, how to be sexy and attract sexual attention, how to be sexually independent and adventurous and engage in sexual escapades. All these have their negative impact on young people as they can sometimes help to fuel their curiosity just as they are misleading. That’s part of the reasons I chose to write about sex. The focus on youth there is a very wide one. It encompasses young people and the young at heart, especially those who are already sexually active and those on the verge of making that decision.

The twist in the book is that it

of other considerations, we pretend not to.

We know that there are many, many young unmarried people who are sexually active, many people who are unfaithfully married and even many people with sexual perversion but we turn a blind eye to these problems. On the part of the government or our

,

•Yetunde Fashina Arebi

also captures all these elements I have mentioned with the use of little stories of people’s accounts of their personal experiences on the various issues.

These extracts are part of previous works I have published in my Human Angle Column over the years. Finally, even though the idea is not to scare or repulse anyone about the sexual act, it is however important to educate them, constantly too, about the implications and risks one takes, especially when one engages in unprotected sex and high risk sexual behavours.

What message do you want to pass to the readers?

The main message here is to young people in Nigeria.

Knowledge is power. When you know about something, it will help you in making the right choices and decisions concerning yourself and others. Its no longer enough to just tell young girls that “don’t allow a boy touch you”! You need to explain what “touch” means. Anyway, who are you kidding? They already know more than you think. Unfortunately, we live in a very hypocritical society where we know the truth but because

Unfortunately, sexual issues are seen more as personal issues and that’s not the way it ought to be. The implications of sexual issues affect everything, human, economic, society etc

so called leaders, there is a lot to be done. For as long as our economy remains the way it is, for as long as our infrastructures remain the way it is, for as long as the ordinary man cannot find succor, especially through provision of social welfare programmes across the general divide of the population, then we will continue to have problems with sex and sexual attitude of people. The society also has its own take in this, lack of or low moral values, societal values and even religious values all con-

Mbari Art founder, Wolford engages Nigerian artists

BY PRISCA SAM-DURU

A

RT enthusiast, Scholars and stakeholders in the art and culture industry were brought together last week at the Omenka Gallery, Lagos, to listen to a lecture by visiting American artist and founder of Mbari Institute of Contemporary African Art, Washington DC, USA, Professor Mimi Wolford.Prof Wolford who is visiting Nigeria on the US Department of State Travelling Speaker program aside the lecture, is scheduled to conduct workshops in Abuja, Oshogbo and at the Department of Creative Arts, University of Lagos.

Her lecture themed, “Mbari Art, Then and Now,” which was organised by the U.S. Consulate in collaboration with Omenka Gallery was a huge platform for serious interaction between the American artist and contemporary artists present.

She explained how Americans are beginning to appreciate African art which she noted, speaks eloquently of the fact that Nigerian art is witnessing tremendous growth which is in contrast with what it used to be.

The Mbari Institute of Contemporary African Art founder who said she was brought up by her parents, Richard Wolford and Jean Kennedy who were themselves artists, recollected with passion, how their dexterity imparted her life. She narrated to the audience her experiences while living in Lagos from 1961, during her parents’ foreign service for seven years.It is interesting at this juncture to learn that Mimi’s father worked closely with several renowned artists among who is the iconic artist, Prof Bruce Onobrakpeya with whom he developed a deepetching technique.

It was during this time according to the artist that her parents turned their home into a gallery every Thursday afternoon

tribute to sex and sexually related problems. We need to be truthful and serious about addressing our problems.

What actually inspired you to write the book?

Everything I have told you are part of what informed the writing of this book. I just want to lay the subject open and let very

Prof. Wolford admiring one ofthe works by Prof. Bruce Onabrakpeya at his residence

where works of Osogbo artists were exhibited. Till date, Richard’s works form part of the collection housed in the University of Lagos Library. Sounding fulfilled with what Nigerian contemporary art has become, Prof Wolford declared that Nigeria’s contemporary artists have developed tremendously which is the reason their works are immensely appreciated in the US.

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young people see it the way it is.

The way things are, the situation is very challenging and complicated for many young people in Nigeria. Unfortunately, sexual issues are seen more as personal issues and that’s not the way it ought to be. The implications of sexual issues affect everything, human, economic, society, etc You have a column in Vanguard where you have been treating similar issues, why did you decide to put it in a book?

A writer is all I’ve ever wanted to be after I discovered the joy that writing brought to me. And after 22 years of writing in the newspaper, the next natural thing to do is add a personal touch to your professionalism. So, like most people who write regular Columns, I wanted to do a compilation of my works. When that became a herculean task due to the huge pile of work spanning over 15 years at that time, a colleague advised that rather than do a compilation, which according to him is a lazy job, why don’t I segment the write ups according to subjects.

That way, I can have several compilations in little book forms.

I bought the idea and some counseling into it, since I’m constantly involved in counseling, I turned it round into what I have here. So, this is a first of several books I have lined up for publication. The book will be launched on Saturday, July 6, 2013 at Afe Babalola Auditurium, University of Lagos, Akoka.

VANGUARD, THURSDAY, JULY 4, 2013 — 27

learning@vanguardngr.com

Parents asked to keep away from NYSC camp —Page 30

Housefly could save the world - Page 40

Sound education produces quality, effective leadership —Page 31

ASUU, ASUP strikes ground varsities, polytechnics

BY DAYO ADESULU, LAJU ARENYEKA & IKENNA ASOMBA

I

N what could be described as a near collapse of the nation’s tertiary education sector, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) is now in the fourth day of its indefinite strike action. The ASUU strike is the newest cart in the bandwagon of industrial actions in the sector; Eight weeks ago, the academic and non-academic staff unions in Nigerian Polytechnics, under the umbrellas of Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUPS), Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Polytechnics (SSANIPS) and Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU), embarked on a nationwide indefinite strike, over what they termed Federal Government’s insensitivity to their plights.

ASUU’s demands Declaring the strike on Monday, ASUU Chairman of the University of Lagos (UNILAG) chapter, Dr. Karo Ogbinaka told reporters that the action was as a result of the Federal Government’s failure to honour the Academic Earned

*President Goodluck Jonathan

Allowance (AEA) which formed a component of the 2009 agreement the government signed with the union.

Continuing, he said; “The allowances include; excess work load, high carriage of student per lecturer, responsibility allowance

*Prof. Ruqayyatu Education Minister

ranging from administrative responsibility borne by lecturers.

For example, as head of department, deans of faculties, exams officers, course advisers and supervision of theses. The highest any lecturer gets from this allowance is N12,500 per

Reposition education sector, Rep tells stakeholders

BY DAYO ADESULU

C

HAIRMAN, House of Representatives Committee on Education, Honourable Aminu Suleiman while using the results of WASC and NECO candidates in recent past as yardstick for evaluating quality of education in Nigeria lamented that less than 10 per cent of the candidates have obtained minimum of five credits including English and Mathematics.

He made this remark while delivering his goodwill message at NECO stakeholders' forum for SouthWest held in Lagos. He said; “We are here today to appraise and chart the course that will take us to our desired destination. This can only be done by laying a proper foundation for the rapid, efficient and sustainable development of the sector to consolidate the posterity of our dear nation and revive our legacy as the giant of Africa.”

According to Suleiman, constant review of Nigeria's examination curriculum should be patterned to C M Y K

reflect desired policy strategy of the educational sector for vision 20:2020 to be translated from mere wish to reality. Suleiman who urged stakeholders in the sector to emulate the Pre-Sputnik classroom environment in America, stated that we can learn from what they did to salvage a looming deplorable educational system.

He explained that record has it that their learning classroom environment was appalling, substandard, the morale of teachers were very low while the teaching of sciences and Mathematics were in deplorable state. He added that the launch of Sputnik, a Russian artificial satellite in 1957 and Vostor in 1961,

by Russia, made America to discover how irrelevant her educational system was to the overall societal goal.

He pointed out that America saw an urgent need for a curriculum innovation that would be more relevant to the varying needs of the learners and the society. One of the major objectives of the curriculum,

he noted, underscored the significance of strengthening schools in skills acquisition and life application in science and Mathematics starting from Kindergarten to tertiary institution.

He said; “I have observed with dismay, contradictory policy measures exhibited in the educational sector, such is the mixed reactions that trailed the scrapping or merging of some government agencies which NECO is part of. The resolution, according to the Presidential Committee on the rationalisation and restructuring of Government agencies was mainly to prune down the over-bloated government bureaucracy and save over N280 billion between 2012 and 2015.

Suleiman, however, stated that apart from the attendant confusion the decision to scrap NECO created, it could not be phased out by mere fiat because NECO was established by an Act of Parliament into the system and only a repeal of the act could pave the way for the new plan. “Instead of Federal Government scrapping it, efforts should Continues on page 28

month. The truth is that since 2009, no lecturer has been paid any allowance apart from the s a l a r y . ” He explained that when this nonpayment of allowance was brought to the notice of the Federal Government, Government authorities said that they forgot to include it in the current budget, pleading to make amends in subsequent years.

The situation has, however, remained Rufai, the same since 2009.

Before the commencement of strike, Ogbinika noted that the union had several meetings with the Federal Government on this issue. “We went ahead to give them warning strike and they never did anything to avert the industrial action,” he said.

“We had series of interaction with the Federal Government at the national level, but to the dismay of ASUU, the Federal Government recently came with a new position that they can’t pay more than 50 per cent; an amount that has been reduced to 80 per cent by the union. Between December and January 2011, the union suspended its industrial action over ASUU/FG agreements. Within the period, the union had series of meetings with the Federal Government.

When the strike was suspended two and half years ago, there was a Memorandum of Understanding signed with the union headed by a team led by the Federal Government. In the memorandum, the Federal Government agreed to inject some fund to uplift the infrastructure in the university which they never did.” At the NEC meeting held at Olabisi Onabanjo University, 51 of the 53 branches of ASUU unanimously agreed to embark on an indefinite industrial action based on popular referendum held across states and federal universities. We do hope our government addresses the issue Continues on page 28

28 —VANGUARD, THURSDAY, JULY 4, 2013

ASUU, ASUP strikes ground varsities, polys Continues from page 27 promptly.”

ASUP’s grievances

ASUP has maintained that it embarked on the industrial action in its bid to call government’s attention to improved conditions for polytechnic staff and the provision of learning materials and equipment, as well as improved infrastructure for institutions.

Rising from its 74th National Executive Council (NEC) meeting, held between June 26 and 27 at the Federal Polytechnic, Oko, Anambra State, ASUP declared the continuation of the strike, insisting that the Federal Government must implement the agreement reached with them in 2010. According to its National President, Mr. Chibuzor Asomugha, the union has been agitating against the non-constitution of Governing Councils of Polytechnics, Monotechnics and Colleges of Technology; non-release of white paper of the Visitation Panels to the Federal Polytechnics, noncommencements of the NEEDS Assessment of the Nigerian Polytechnics and the noncreation of a National Polytechnics Commission (NPC), which it preferred to the National Board for Technical Education (NBTC).

However, at the state chapters, the union has attributed its disruption of academic activities to failure of most state governments to implement the approved salary package (COMPCASS) and 65 years retirement age for academic staff in polytechnics.

This is even as it decried the decrepit state of infrastructure/ teaching facilities in most stateowned polytechnics,

monotechnics and colleges of technology. Recall that the union had sometime in May 2013 given government a twoweek ultimatum to meet their demands or witness total downing of tools by them. With no positive response from the government, the union made good its threat, which has lingered until the time of filing this report.

Barr. Timothy Oluwalogbon Ogunseye, ASUP chairman, Federal Poly, Ilaro said; “We are saying the Federal Government should bring to life the National Polytechnic Commission. We want NPC as against the current National Board for Technical Education which supervises not only polytechnics but also technical schools which are sometimes equivalent of secondary schools. Secondly, we are saying no to the integrated polytechnic pay roll system (ICPS) which they are trying to bring on board. We are saying that if the university can enjoy the grace of autonomy in this area, nothing should stop them from extending it to the p o l y t e c h n i c s .

We had an agreement between the Federal Government and our union which was signed in 2009 and clause of the agreement was that there should be a review every three years. Our union had since 2011 informed the government that it will be due for review February last year to set in motion a machinery to constitute the panel to look into the review of the agreement but up till now, noting has been done. We are calling on the government to embark on the general needs of the polytechnics as a whole so that our needs can be properly identified and met.

We are also asking the Federal Government to increase

From left: Chairman, Committee on Education, House of Representatives, Aminu Suleiman; NECO Registrar, Professor Okpala Promise and Chairman, Governing Council, West African Examinations Council, Professor Pius Obanya at South-West NECO stakeholders' retreat, in Lagos. Photo: Dayo Adesulu. funding to the system. We realised that inadequate funding in polytechnics is hindering a lot of progress in the polytechnic system. In respect to some states, we are insisting that the Rectors appointed are not actually qualified. Schools such as the ICT Polytechnic in Isori, ICT Polytechnic, Ijebu-Igbo in Ogun State have that problem.

Also, the Federal Government has embarked till 2019 on what it referred to as fortitude migration for senior academic staff in the polytechnic. This should not be limited to the senior academic staff, but should cut across board. We are asking that the Federal Government as a matter of urgency, should hand over to the polytechnics the white paper on the visitation panel to the polytechnics.

Stakeholders speak

The president, Education Rights Campaign (ERC), Mr. Hassan Soweto, while reacting to the

strikes in the sector said; “This ASUU strike, in addition to the already existing ASUP strike proves that the entire education sector is being shut down. Our concern, however, lies with Nigerian students. To bring an end to this, Nigerian students must support their lecturers. We strongly support the decision of ASUU and ASUP. There is no way we can expect quality from teachers if they have to teach class sizes of about 100 or 200 students, a far cry from the 35 stipulated by UNESCO. All unions in the education sector should come together to fight for the education sector. They should not just make it a quiet strike, but should embark on protests and rallies around the country. Even when the demands of these unions are met, government has the responsibility to earmark more funds and adequate support to ensure the future of education in Nigeria.”

Condemning the Federal Government’s seemingly

Reposition education sector, Rep tells stakeholders Continues from page 27 be intensified by the government and other stakeholders to reposition the Council for optimum performance,” he said.

As partners in nation-building, he reiterated the commitment of the National Assembly to engage all legislative instruments to ensure quality is restored in the sector and also position NECO to enable it discharge its mandate in the most enabling environment.

Also speaking, the Chairman, Governing Council of the West African Examination Council (WAEC), Professor Pius Obanya, a discussant at the stakeholders' seven-day retreat said examination, as obtained in

Nigeria, must be restructured to achieve the desired objectives.

The don stated that examination in Nigeria must be tailored to enrich the education system by identifying areas of challenges and seek ways of proferring solution to them. He lamented the situation where Nigerians tend to lay too much emphasis on certificates without ensuring that the necessary steps and processes that should give birth to these certificates are put in place.

His words; “It is a good thing to strive to have a certificate after going through any level of education, but the emphasis in today’s world is no longer on certificates but on personal qualities. We must work toward deemphasising this craze for certificate

acquisition by re-inventing the system and enriching our curriculum.

Examination failure must be seen as the failure of the system which, therefore, means that we must go back to the basics to trace where the problems came from.”

On his part, the Vice-Chancellor, Sokoto State University, Prof. Nuhu Yaqub, who delivered a paper titled: Repositioning NECO for more Effective Service Delivery: A Collective Task, said that Nigeria’s education standards could improve if all stakeholders determine to make it work. He said that there must be moral revolution that would not spare anyone found guilty of compromising national aspirations.

sluggish attitude towards ending the ASUP strike, Soweo said; “I do not believe that the Government has been discussing with ASUP in good faith. If the government wants to end the ASUP strike in the next 24 hours, they can, but they must admit first of all that the issues raised by ASUP are fundamental issues, and consider them. There is no other way to get the attention of our government, or to bypass the bureaucracy in the Federal Ministry of Education than through civil disobedience and mass protests.”

Students, who are undoubtedly the most affected stakeholders in this unfortunate situation, also lent their voices. According to Sylvia Mark, a student of Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH), Lagos, the strike has been a painful experience.

She said; “We had just concluded our second semester examination when our lecturers embarked on the indefinite strike. We are yet to see our results, and this makes me feel very bad.” Following this industrial action, a cross section of polytechnic students have berated the Nigerian media for non-coverage, leading to lack of public attention.

One of such students who did not want his name in print said; “The fight for recognition and government’s attention to Nigerian polytechnics must start from the media. If the media had from the beginning given full media coverage to the agitations and peaceful demonstrations of the staff unions, comprising ASUP, SSANIP and NASU, the Federal Government would by now, have taken drastic measures to resolve the pertinent issues raised by the unions, towards the growth and development of polytechnic system and the nation’s education at large.”

Vanguard, THURSDAY, JULY 4, 2013 — 29

C M Y K

30— VANGUARD, THURSDAY, JULY 4, 2013

Parents asked to keep away from NYSC camp

BY DAYO ADESULU

P

ARENTS of corps members have been urged to keep away from the NYSC orientation camp for the 21 days of their stay. This was disclosed by the Chairman, NYSC Governing Council, Lagos State, Dr Wale Ahmed during the swearingin of 2013 Batch ‘B’ corps members held at Ipaja orientation ground, Lagos.

The purpose of this charge, according to Ahmed, was to enhance full concentration and participation of corps members in skills acquisition and entrepreneurship development geared towards self sustenance after their service year. ”Members of the public especially parents and relations should keep away from the orientation camp and allow corps members concentrate on the activities designed for a very successful orientation course.”

Ahmed who urged the 2151 corps members to take all

activities during the 21 days seriously, equally tasked them to maintain a high standard of discipline.

Speaking in the same vein, Governor Babatunde Fashola in his address charged the corps members to take very seriously the numerous lectures and other programmes organised by the NYSC. He said; “I am aware that the orientation course content has been expanded to include skills acquisition and training.” He reiterated that the lectures are meant to equip them with requisite skills that will be needed in the nearest future, and as a means of avoiding the scourge of graduate unemployment.

Affirming his confidence in the corps members, Fashola said; “As agents of change and development, the state is looking up to you for physical transformation and technological ideas that will add to the socio-economic development in our rural health scheme, educational sector, combating the scourge

of HIV/AIDS, poverty and other challenges bedevilling our society.”

According to him, the service year comes with great expectations from host communities stressing that as the immediate beneficiaries of their service, much will be expected of them.

On nation building,Fashola, whose speech was read by Dr Wale Ahmed stated that it is a collective effort of Nigerians and the corps members to be ready to face challenges that come with it. He, however, assured them that his administration has put everything in place to guarantee their security.

On her part, NYSC coordinator, Lagos State, Mrs Adenike Adeyemi noted that the orientation course is aimed at instilling in corps members leadership qualities of perseverance, diligence, dedication, determination, loyalty, integrity and zeal.

Others include; courage, selfreliance, discipline of mind as well as ability to live amicably.

Use culture to promote unity, proprietor tells govt

BY VERA SAMUEL ANYAGAFU

G

OVERNMENT should use culture to promote national unity. This can be done by putting in place a cultural policy that will promote patriotism and national unity. We can start from the school system where the minds of the children are still open and free. The proprietor, National College Gbagada Lagos, Mr. Alfred Aina made this observation during the maiden edition of cultural day organised by the college. According to Aina, the school organised the event to teach the children how they can

appreciate the language and culture of other nationalities apart from their own. “The whole idea is that we want the children to understand the cultural beauty and uniqueness of the various peoples of Nigeria. This will promote cultural convergence and cooperation amongst our children. It is our belief that when a people understand each other, they work in unity.”

Mr. Aina also called on government to encourage cultural bonding particularly at the level of the school system where children’s minds are innocent and subtle.

Creative writers improve education —Yerima the narrative essence for

BY WILLIAM JIMOH

P

ROFESSOR Ahmed Parker Yerima of Theatre Arts Department, Redeemer ’s University, has disclosed that the present study of the Nigerian literature in education does not reveal any significant form of cultural boundaries, rather, it is a continuity of literary expressions.

Yerima noted that although imageries and locations may change, but

education which takes its root from the storyteller remains.

Yerima stated this while delivering the inaugural lecture of the Redeemer ’s University, Mowe, Ogun State, tagged Refracted Universe, Alternative Realities: The Artists as gOD. The winner of the 2006 Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) for literature also noted that the artist in modern times is a creative being whose work had direct social utility and highlighted the direct relationship with the life and education of his

Lagos Ministry of Education organises Jam Feast

BY AMAKA ABAYOMI

Corps members of 2013 Batch B taking oat of service at the NYSC orientation camp, Ipaja, Lagos.

LBS committed to development of talents in Africa — Don

BY DAYO ADESULU

L

AGOS Business School as part of its drive to contribute to human capital development across the continent has pledged its commitment to develop talents in Africa through programmes specifically targeted at organizations that have a pan-African outlook as well as those seeking to develop the nextb generation of leaders. Enase Okonedo, Dean, Lagos Business School, who made this known in her speech at the President’s dinner organized by Lagos Business School Alumni Association in Lagos recently said as the whole world converges in Africa to see how they can benefit from what has been termed as the C M Y K

last frontier of growth, there is the need for LBS to help actualise such projections.

Okonedo further said the school has over the years inculcated in members the desired value and ethics required to make a difference in the society. According to her, “I am very proud to announce that we have maintained our ranking in the financial times of London ranking.” This year we have been ranked 55 in the world in open enrollment courses.

We remain the second in Africa, the first in West Africa and we are aspiring to reach number one.” She reiterated that though the name of the university has changed from Pan Africa University to Pan Atlantic University, the university still maintains its

Pan-African Outlook. She revealed that this year the endowment fund is 100millon and thanked members of the alumni for their contribution to ensure that the school not only continues to create knowledge but also disseminates same as well as try to bring about change in the society.

“This year, we agreed to host the 50th senior management programme and that indicates to us how far we have gone in only 21 years. But all the things we do, I insist we cannot do without the Alumni and I thank them for their effort even as we continue to work together towards developing the next set of leaders for an inspiring Africa” she said.

L

AGOS State Ministry of Educaion has commended the ingenuity of school children at the 7th annual Jam Feast which provides positive alternatives to the various negative activities engaged in by the youths Theme; Invention and Entrepreneurship Towards Self Discovery for Future Living, the Commissioner for Education, Mrs. Olayinka Oladunjoye, said the 2013 Jam Feast is aimed at educating the in-school youths; creating for them practical tools to address the issue of HIV/AIDS, drug abuse; and enlightening them on other related diseases through creative expressions.

“The full import of the slogan “Say no to HIV/AIDS and drug abuse” can’t be fully realised unless there are positive activities to say yes to.

“This programme is organised to provide positive alternatives to the various negative activities engaged in by the youths.”

In the same vein, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Mrs. Omolara Erogbogbo, disclosed that the programme has positively impacted the in-school youths as the students are now expanding their youthful energy and investing their precious time in activities that will positively sharpen their future.

Pointing out that the theme of the feast is the key that will lead and chart a way for one to invent on innovative and sustainable living for a brighter and rewarding future, the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on AIDs Control Agency, Dr. Fausat Dabiri, said Lagos State is aiming at becoming one of the top 10 mega cities in the world in terms of urban living indices.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, JULY 4, 2013—31

Sound education produces quality, effective leadership — Idogho

BY MUSBAUDEEN SHEKONI

A

uchi Polytechnic was a beehive of activities p e n u l t i m a t e week when it played host to dignitaries from all walks of life who had converged on its main campus. The venue was its recently refurbished school auditorium.

Auchi Poly is highly rated as one of the very best in the country and the menace of cultism in the school is at its lowest ebb.

Highly regarded in education circles as a resolute and hard-nosed intellectual, Dr. (Mrs) Phillipa Idogho, Rector, Auchi Polytechnic, probably faced the toughest challenge in her academic career as she mounted the rostrum in front of a large audience made up of the chairman of the school’s governing council who also chaired the event, top government officials, captains of industry, academicians, traditional rulers, students etc. The auditorium was jampacked.

There were different categories of guests at the event: those who came to lend credence to her famed academic credentials; the doubting Thomases who came to find out if indeed her reputation as a performer and iron lady were true; the chauvinists who wanted to witness her being unmasked as a weakling and finally, her admirers who felt the event

•Dr. (Mrs) Phillipa Idogho will serve as a proof that brain and beauty can be enhanced in a single individual.

Indeed, this gave way to pragmatism and efficacy and reality. Such is the power of presentation and delivery encapsulated in very simple and plain English over outlandish and abstract languages which leave the intended audiences even more confused.

Delivering a lecture titled, Educational Resource and

Frequently confused words

Bride-price - Dowr Dowryy

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ome Nigerian users of English often confuse bride-price with dowry. Dowry is ‘the

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money or property brought by a bride to her husband’s house when she is married’. Brideprice is ‘the payment to

Polytechnic Education in Nigeria: Issues of Management for Quality Assurance, she looked at the past, reviewed the present and forecasted the future.

Idogho was able to show how the role of education as catalyst to national development and human capital development has been constrained by several mitigating factors such as underfunding, persistent shut downs, dearth of

the family of a lady one is going to marry.’ It is a common practice in many African societies.

Examples: The bride-price to be paid to the bride’s family varies from community to community.

It is not a Yoruba custom for a bride to pay dowry to her husband.

Lay something at somebody’s door on your doorstep Do not confuse the use of these two idiomatic expressions ‘… at somebody’s door’ and

infrastructure, just to mention a few, thereby, leading to the rot and low rating of the Nigerian educational system.

Though emotional in discussing the troubled Nigerian educational sector which is quite understandable, she was, however, able to paint a graphic picture of the rot in the system, noting that the country can still catch up with the rest of the world if our leaders give vent to the recommendations contained in several white papers on strategies to revamp education, particularly increased budgetary allocation in conformity with UNESCO benchmark.

She pointed out that good education can solve a lot of the challenges confronting us as a nation, stressing that sound education produces quality and effective leadership, good governance, strong institutions, behavioural modifications, etc. Sadly, this has not been so lately because our education is seriously troubled and on fast decline as a result of the disparity between educational resources such as workshops, manpower, funds, libraries, laboratories, etc and quality assurance.

Perhaps, to demonstrate her undying love for education, with special bias for polytechnic education, her forte in the past 30 years or so, she took the pains to provide a proper roadmap towards revamping the sector and the various efforts she has made in the past five years as Rector of Auchi Poly to redress the situation, even if it was just a microcosm of the global rot in the system.

This then leads one to the

‘on your doorstep’. It is incorrect to say ‘She placed the blame for her academic failure on my doorsteps’ (when she meant that I was responsible for her academic failure). The standard idiom in this context is ‘…at my door’.

The sentence could read; ‘She laid the blame

major flaw of the lecture.

Having spoken about the fundamentals in the beginning portion of the paper, she took a full plunge into an account of her rectorship. This is a classical example in self adulation.

To an extent, critics may find this portion boring and less intellectual, in the sense that the paper quickly swung into story-telling; about the do’s and don’ts and the pitfalls a good Rector should avoid.

Basically, this part of the paper is replete with descriptive details of milestones attained in administering a crisis-prone institution such as students' teachers’ reorientation, provision of conducive learning environment, partnering with immediate communities, etc.

Without being told, anyone would know that she was telling her success story as a Rector. On the other hand, however, she can be easily pardoned because there are few Nigerians who can discuss the rot of our educational system undetached, without emotions. If a Nigerian minister can weep over the state of our roads, then, Dr. Idogho deserves praises for transforming Auchi Poly with the little resources at her disposal.

For her eloquence and good delivery, she got a standing ovation from the audience that worth the ink, paper and time invested into the research.

What was even more striking about the timing of the lecture is the fact that it came just when polytechnic teachers were on strike over the deplorable state of polytechnic education in the country. Thus, it serves as a wake-up call on state and federal governments to proffer quick-fix solutions to the challenges in the sector.

for her academic failure at my door.’ You can say ‘the event happened right here on my doorstep.’ (i.e. very near me). ‘To lay something at somebody’s door is to say that ‘something is someone’s fault’; on your doorstep means ‘very near to where you live or are staying.’

zCONTINUES NEXT WEEK. Send requests/problems to Gabriel Osoba, Ph.D, Department of English, Lagos State University, Ojo, through Editor, Teach Yourself English, Vanguard Newspapers, PMB. 1007, Apapa, Lagos, or email: editor@vanguardngr.com & gabosoba002@yahoo.co

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2013

Trendy Jumpsuit

By Ekemini Eyoh

C

ommonly referred to as somodobo by the oldschoolers, the jumpsuit has become another fashion trend making waves amongst the fashionistas of the society lately. Back in the days, the jumpsuit was majorly worn to keep warm in the rainy days but not anymore, thanks to civilization and modernisation.

Highly eager to try out new stuff, the new school fashionistas, ever on the lookout for the “inthing,” campus babes did not wait long to have the rebranded somodobo. Virtually suitable in every shape and size, the jumpsuit is loose but trendy outfit if worn properly. That is, the wearer should not be ignorant of what fits beautifully for them.

One would rarely find the jumpsuit being worn in a formal setting in this part of the world but experts say that

it can be worn formally when paired with a matching coloured jacket. So do not freak out when you sight someone with a jumpsuit at the office and more importantly, think twice before you dare to wear it for your project defense!

Physically challenged children celebrate Fashola

BY LAJU ARENYEKA

B

LIND children saw joy, and deaf children heard excitement last week as physically challenged children gathered together to celebrate the 50th birthday of the Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN).

The event was organised in Lagos by the City Club Lagos. The General Secretary of the club, Mr. Kola Babalola, while speaking to Vanguard Learning said; Gov. Babatunde Raji Fashola is 50 years old today. Because he is the grand patron of our club, we deemed it fit to celebrate with him by inviting the less privileged children, such as the physically challenged, the hearing impaired and the blind. We decided to organise this party for them, feed them, let them enjoy themselves and feel free. We have students from Wesley Schools for the hearing impaired, the Pacelli School for the blind, Atunda-Olu School for the physically handicapped, Ile-Anu School for the handicapped as well as a few other primary schools around the area."

Nigeria has highest construction cost in the world—UNILAG Prof

BY LAJU ARENYEKA

H

ead of the Department of Building, University of Lagos, Prof. Godwin Idoro, has said that Nigeria has the highest construction cost in the world.

Idoro said recently at the department’s 9th Annual Project Management Lecture titled; Economic Transformation through Infrastructural Development: The Role of Project Management. The lecture was presented by the Minister of Works, Arc. Mike Onolemenmen represented by the Director of Highways, Federal Ministry of Works, Engr. K. Abdullahi.

Idoro said;”Government agencies have devised a new strategy of compensating

Security measures in place on corps members' lodges

By DAYO ADESULU

S

ecurity measures on all corps members' lodges have been put in place nationwide by the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), the Chairman, NYSC Governing Board, Chief Gordon Bozimo has said. He disclosed this during a nationwide tour of orientation camps in the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.

Speaking at the corps members' orientation exercise of 2013 Batch B held at Iyana-Ipaja camp, Lagos, Bozimo stated that all is set to tighten security surveillance on all corps members’ lodges in crisisprone states of the nation.

Continuing, Babalola said; “It has been fun all through. The children have been so excited, jumping and playing around.

It has been quite a lot of fun actually. It is one way that we as a club can give back to the society. This is what we believe the Governor himself loves doing.”

Adeola Anifowoshe, a partially sighted student from Pacelli was overjoyed when she spoke to Vanguard Learning: “I enjoyed myself immensely today,” she said, “I danced, ate and played a lot. I have a birthday message for the Governor, it is that the Lord Almighty will continue to strengthen him in faith, provide for him and grant him long life and prosperity.”

The teachers were not left out in the celebration. Abimbola Shabi, a teacher at Ile Anu School for the physically challenged, breathless after a fun-filled game for teachers said; “It is such a great honour for us to be here to celebrate with our governor. Children and teachers have had such a wonderful time today."

Bozimo who was represented by Alhaji Tijani Adekanmbi, member of National Governing Board said; ‘"General security and safety is guaranteed with 24 hours surveillance and heavy deployment of security personnel to all orientation camps.’’

He lamented that the country is facing some security and economic challenges saying that as corps members, they are here on national assignment, their parents and guardians should not worry about their security and well-being because their safety is NYSC's concern. He added; "This is because the issue of security has today taken the centre stage on national discourse. As you can

notice, the whole world is battling with instability and uncertainty in one form or the other. It has become glaring that violence is now a global threat and nowhere; whether in Nigeria or other parts of the world can be considered absolutely safe today. Therefore, put your mind at rest that your God is looking after you.”

He told them not to hesitate to make use of the NYSC Distress Contact Centre whenever they are threatened or their colleagues are in foreseeable danger.

He urged the corps members to make good use of the opportunity provided by the skills acquisition programme and training to add a plan B option in order to become job creators and entrepreneurs.

members of their Board of Directors, Governing Councils, politicians/ legislators and top civil servants by allocating a number of the projects in their capital budgets to them. These people in turn, sell the contracts to the highest bidders. Studies have established that construction cost in Nigeria is the highest when compared to other countries. A situation where the cost of a clientfinanced project is higher than a similar Public-Private-Partnership (PPP) project is beyond comprehension.”

Onolemenmen said; “Project management holds the key to the realisation of government’s plans in infrastructure development; without which the National Integrated Infrastructure Master Plan could end up as another white elephant project. Talking about white elephants, Nigeria has quite a number of them due to the neglect to engage project managers with the requisite project management skills to see the project from conception to finish. This has been the bane of our nation in infrastructural development.”

The Dean, Faculty of Environmental Studies, Prof. Leke Oduwaiye said; “Infrastructure is the engine room of development. Until we fix it, we are simply joking with development.

Infrastructure must be fixed and managed.”

The Chairman of the occasion, Mr. Akin Oguniran who is the CEO, UACN Property Development Company also spoke on the need to improve upon infrastructure. He said; “Nigeria has about 17 million units of housing deficits.

Right now, there are only about 400,000 housing units produced annually. That is not enough.”

Vanguard, THURSDAY, JULY 4, 2013—39

Students throng naming ceremony for OAU's controversial baby

BY KEMI BUSARI, OAU

W

HAT started like a mystery turned out to be a celebration as the students of Obafemi Awolowo University christened the ‘Moremi Baby’ on the eighth day.

It will be recalled that on the 19th day of June 2013, Oyinlola Rotimi of the Faculty of Agriculture, Obafemi Awolowo University was alleged to have attempted flushing her new-born baby boy down the toilet.

In an interview with Oyinlola, she denied having made any attempt to get rid of her baby saying that the nine months of her pregnancy was enough for her to terminate it if she ever had such in mind.

This generated issues in the school as students were divided on whether to believe the undergraduate mother or not. However, events took a new turn on the eighth day of the incident as students regardless of their stand on the issue, came out in their thousands to rejoice with the new baby during the naming ceremony held at the

Moremi Hall where he was given birth to.

The procession started at Awo Café of the Awolowo Hall where many students were reading in preparation for their next papers at about 8 p.m. Although the institution is in its examination period, many students were seen packing their books in order not to miss the

fun.

The master of ceremony, a student, called upon a pastor, an imam and an oluwo to pray for the child. A student called Professor, acted as the baby ’s uncle and another student mimicked Prof.

Omole (the ViceChancellor of the institution).

The crowd was caught

in an uncontrollable round of laughter and shouting when the Awo choir was called upon to perform before the tumultuous crowd.

In his sermon before the naming, the Islamic cleric, Alfa, took his time to advise the other female occupants of the hall and female students generally.

...as Nigerian mathematicians storm OAU

BY KEMI BUSARI, OAU

I

t was a time to come together for the Nigerian Mathematical Society of Nigeria as it held its nd 32 annual conference hosted by the Obafemi Awolowo Chapter.

The three-day programme which was well attended by delegates from various chapters across the country featured series of lectures, parallel sessions and dinner party.

At the opening ceremony held on the second day of the conference, Prof.

Sola Adeyeye of the National Assembly emphasized the importance of Mathematics in a nation’s development.

Delivering a lecture titled; Mathematics: An Effective Tool for Poverty Alleviation and Solving Problems of Security and Climatic changes, he noted that Mathematics has solution to various problems in the society including that of poverty.

"Nigeria will not know unity,peace or progress until Nigerians in power

and our citizenry at large abandon the reckless notion that Nigeria is rich. A country that claims to be rich needs no poverty alleviation."

The lawmaker noted that the country is faced with the problem of illiteracy which is the inability to read and write and ill-literacy which is a condition whereby literate men and women are chronically impaired and fail in the analysis of their existence.

Stressing that the country is suffering from a failure of the inability to internalize the implications of simple arithmetic evaluation of our contemporary limitations, he emphasized that Mathematics can be used in the diagnosis and reduction of poverty.

Rendering statistics from foreign countries, Sen. Adeyeye who doubles as the Vice-Chairman, Senate Committee on Education bemoaned the pitiful status of education in the country.

NDDC provides 186-room hostel for UNIBEN

BY GABRIEL ENOGHOLASE, BENIN

F

OR the over 800 medical students of the University of Benin who have been faced with accommodation problem, succour has come to them following the construction of 186 rooms hostel complex by the management of the N i g e r - D e l t a D e v e l o p m e n t Commission (NDDC).

The project which was conceived and awarded in 2004 was left fallow until the coming of the present board of the NDDC. It cost over N1.3 billion. Edo State Commissioner for NDDC, Bar r. Henry Okhuarobo while inspecting the project expressed happiness that the project was almost completed, and C M Y K

would help to alleviate the accommodation problem of the university.

According to him, “although this project is one of those yet to be completed, hopefully we are delivering this project next month, but the target date which we set for ourselves was this month, but because of the volume of work and to minimize errors, the contractor has said that July would be the best time for delivery.

“You will recall that this project was a w a r d e d initially in 2004 and had

lain fallow for many years until last year when the present board of NDDC started fasttracking the project.

We are happy and you can see for yourselves and come to your conclusion what you are seeing in UNIBEN Medical Students’

Hostel where we are standing now.

“The capacity of this hostel is 186 rooms to accommodate over 800 students. We also have other facilities like computer room, super markets, water borehole, etc.”

Some of the hostels donated by NDDC

DESIGNING YOUR REALIT REALITYY

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here is a story of a man who was arrested and shut up in a dungeon in his castle by some barons. Every single day, the big door would be opened by the jailer who came in to deliver a pitcher of water and a loaf of bread to the prisoner and immediately the door was shut again. After 20 years, the prisoner could no longer bear his circumstance, he preferred dying to living in such a miserable condition. However, he did not want to commit suicide. He had a plan; he decided to attack the jailer the next day and in self-defence, the jailer would kill him. He went ahead to examine the door in preparation for the execution of his plan. The prisoner caught the handle and turned it; lo and behold, the door opened. After closely examining the door, he discovered that there was no lock upon it and never had there been any. Therefore, he found himself out of the dungeon, he encountered several armed guards but none of them paid any attention to him; he walked out a free man.

Here’s the catch; all through those 20 years, the door of the prison was open but in the man’s mind, it was locked. He thought and believed that he was locked up and as long as he thought and believed in that direction, he remained in bondage. The problem was not in the circumstance he found himself rather the problem was in his own mind. Whatever you believe to be true becomes true for you and it defines your reality even if it is a false belief. It is the mind that imprisons; it is also the mind that sets free.

We have become so conscious of our material state of being that we lose sight that we are living in a mental world. To know and understand that we are living in a mental world is to know and understand how life works. Who we are; what we are; where we are; both our problems and our opportunities began as a mental state before it manifested in the material plane. Every occurrence and object in the world began in the mind of one or more people.

The key to life is wrapped up in the law of mental equivalency or the law of the mind which states, “thoughts objectify themselves.” That means thoughts are the creative force of life. Reality is always the offspring of thoughts embedded in the womb of the mind. Supposing your Creator handed over the script of your life to you and it says, “You deserve a great life, overflowing with success, happiness and joy. You are equally a good person with positive habits. You have a title deed to financial abundance, happy relationships and meaningful work. You have been wired with unlimited potentials and abilities and you have a reservoir of untapped talents.” However, when you look at these qualities and look down at the conditions of your life; they do not measure up.

Even though these are your birthrights but they will never be your experience if you do not build a mental equivalent for them.

Foremost, you must have clarity and definiteness of thought about what you want. You must get rid of the thought about what you do not want (this is probably the hardest part). If you do not want to think of letter Z; the more you will think of it.

However, if you think of letter A instead, automatically the thought of letter Z diffuses out of your mind. Therefore, if you want to change your condition; change your thoughts about the condition and keep it PERMANENTLY CHANGED (never give up when you fail until you’ve gained mastery over your mind). FOCUS YOUR THOUGHT on what you want; FEEL what you want; SPEAK what you want; ACT as if you already possessed what you want. CAUTION: KEEP YOUR MIND PERMANENTLY FOCUSED on what you want; never entertain its opposite thought.

40—Vanguard, THURSDAY, JULY 4, 2013

RESEARCH & &DEVELOPMENT Research Devt

Housefly could save the world — Jason Drew T

he Housefly (Musca domestica), is viewed by humans as a pest. Often seen on garbage heaps, pit toilets, sewers, dumps, feeding on faecal matter, discharges from wounds, and moist, decaying matter, they are seen as carriers and transmitters of at least 65 diseases to humans. However, in recent times, the housefly has proved to be useful after all, thanks to the research work of Mr. Jason Drew, co-founder of AgriProteinTechnologies and his team, have come up with an award-winning innovation. Drew, described as a passionate environmentalist and visionary, tells Vanguard Learning how the housefly could save the world. Excerpts: fishmeal is almost exactly the same as that of fly larvae – which is why it was chosen as a substitute."

With the use of flies, Mr. Drew and his team have been able to kill two birds with one stone - cleans up our waste nutrients and provides food

estimated food waste was 89.3 million tonnes which released 169.7 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent into the atmosphere. Drew, therefore, believes that "creating and discarding nutrients in the form of sewage, manure and abattoir blood has a far higher

*Mr. Jason Drew with his best friend, Geoff the Giant Fly

I

t is a fact that by 2050, world population would have increased by one third leading to rise in food demand, hence the need for new ways to sustain food supply and the housefly may be a cheaper and more sustainable source, according to Jason Drew.

"It is not just our human food waste – from supermarkets and food processing businesses - discarding unsightly but perfectly good apples and oranges or out-ofdate but edible foods. It goes much further - it takes as much land, diesel, water and our precious seas to make the bits of a chicken that we eat as the bits we throw away. This waste is as full of valuable nutrients as the bits we eat. Our manure – both animal and human - is also a key source of valuable nutrients. Most animals only take in a small percentage of the nutrients that pass through them – in nature this is recycled."

Motivation:

According to Drew, the idea for the research came from his observatiopn of nature.

"An animal would drop its manure on the field or die in the bush and nature would recycle the waste nutrients using insects. A fly would lay its eggs on the waste, the eggs would hatch into larvae and birds and fish would eat many of those larvae or flies – recycling the nutrients – as well as cleaning up the biohazard. It is a case of horses C M Y K

for courses or rather flies for waste. Each species of fly and its larvae are naturally adapted to different types of waste."

On observing all these, the entrepreneur in Jason went to work.

“A few years ago, I realised that this natural process could form the heart of a new business. I decided to industrialise fly farming. We take waste nutrients from slaughterhouses – blood and guts – and feed this to the eggs laid by our fly breeding stock. These eggs hatch into larvae (maggots) and grow at an enormous rate once you take away the environmental factors that stop this happening in nature."

Fishmeal vs maggots: Comparing the two protein sources for animal feed, Jason noted that "nearly one third of the fish we take from our seas – about 50 million tonnes every year, is used in industrial agricultural and pet food industries and we dispose of hundreds of millions of tonnes of nutrientrich waste. It takes over 2.3kg of marine caught fish to make 1kg of farmed fish whereas 1kg of fly eggs turns into about 400kg of fly larvae in 72 hours. Larvae are what free range chickens in fields and fish in streams eat as part of their natural diet. This natural source of protein has been increasingly replaced in our industrial farming operations with the more readily available fishmeal.

The chemical composition of

,

BY EBELE ORAKPO

sustainability!"

Drew who takes exception to flies being called pests, says flies have played and will continue to play very important role in nature.

"They are not pests but pioneers in our modern world.

We should appreciate them for their fascinating history.

Genghis Kahn, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the National Health Service have all used flies in war, space and medicine."

Production: "We copied nature and led the process of making protein from waste nutrients profitably, sustainably and on a large scale. We are already in production and we believe that we can produce Magmeal at scale for around $800 per tonne which compares favourably with fishmeal – which is currently around $1850 per tonne, and likely to rise unless the oceans can be better managed.

"Last May, AgriProtein launched domestic recycling kit so that householders and rural small scale farmers can sustainably feed their chickens and pond fish."

The company is already producing and selling larvae - dried and packaged as Magmeal. “Every ton of Magmeal we make and sell is a ton of fish we don’t have to take from our seas,” says Drew who believes the business will lead to a new global industry – waste nutrient recycling.

*Housefly larvae (maggots) for the future. "Some countries have perfected the art of recycling glass, papers, plastics, metals, water etc. in a bid to save the planet.

According to the European Commission, in 2006,

environmental impact. When we start to recycle these, we will be truly on the path to some sustainability for our planet. As the old Yorkshire saying goes – where there is muck, there is money – and

89.3 million tonnes of food waste released 169.7 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent into the atmosphere

,

Don frowns at fees hike in varsities

BY EKEMINI EYOH

F

ORMER Secretary-General of Lagos State University (LASU) chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and a senior lecturer in the Department of Sociology, Professor A.O.K Noah, has sent a message to the Lagos State Government through Rt. Hon. Adeyemi Ikuforiji, the speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, stating that the LASU does not need any more increment of fees else both parties would become enemies.

Noah stated this in his welcome address at the 20th anniversary of June 12 event organised by Lagos State chapter of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) and Joint Campus Committee (JCC) held at Lagos State Polytechnic, Isolo Campus last Friday. He said the school has had enough of hike in school fees and implored the Speaker to take the message to the state government that the state should be considerate, taking into cognizance the

struggle of parents who have to pay through their noses just to send their children to school.

He maintained that any further attempt to increase the fees will attract reaction from the school and the parties will be at loggerheads as sworn enemies.

As the keynote speaker at the programme, Rt. Hon Ikuforiji spoke on the Antecedence of June 12 and the roles of students. He noted that pre-June 12 had no democratic value as Nigeria was “democratically bankrupt.”

According to the speaker, June 12 was supposed to restore the much desired democracy but the powers-that-be impeded it from coming to actualisation and darkness fell over the country.

He said the country relies on the students to pull her out of her present state and asked them to maturely protest for change and warned them against serving as agents to political leaders.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, JULY 4, 2013 — 41

Pace Setters’ Schools rewards national essay contest winners

Avi-Cenna graduates 52 students

BY PRISCA SAM-DURU

BY FAVOUR NNABUGWU

A

I

N a city where proprietors are money-conscious and demand high fees from their students, Kenneth Imansuagbon, a lawyer who is proprietor/chairman, Board of Trustees of Pace Setters’ Schools gave out awards to students of the schools.

A major highlight of the Barrister Kenneth Imansuagbon National Essay competition held at Abuja International Conference Centre last Friday, was presentation of awards to winners during which a visually impaired Lucky Emmanuel of Ihogbe Junior Secondary School, Benin City, Edo State, emerged winner in the special category award and was given a cash of N2.1 million, a Notebook computer.

Chairman of Parents/Teachers Association, PTA, Pace Setters’ College, Dr. Yar’Adua Bishir, gave the pupil, who was led by his mother to the ceremony, the sum of N2 million while the school gave him N100,000 and the notebook.

The event also witnessed the presentation of awards to winners of Kenneth Imansuagbon National Essay Competition among select schools in four centres in the country including Benin, Ibillo, Abuja and Uromi.

The proprietor, Imansuagbon, said the boy’s success in the competition was an indication that there is no barrier in educational attainment.

“This is just the beginning of great things to come, I see other

From right: Governor Tanko Almakura of Nasarawa State; Chairman, Pace Setters' Schools, Kenneth Imansuangbon and Father of the Day, Chief Tony Anenih during the Pace Setters' Schools' grand graduation, in Abuja.

Nigerians joining us, you saw a parent that gave out N2 million cash to the blind boy, though the boy is blind but he can see because that is the inspiration schools like Pace Setters give.

The boy that came from Benin never expected that; yes he came first, he was supposed to get N100,000 but left with N2.1 million. That is awesome; that is unimaginable, unbelievable. So more will come, we are determined to do more of these good things and by God's grace, Pace Setters

will take the lead.

“The beauty is that these children will set the pace; they will be champions and leaders.

Nigerian children, especially Pace Setters' children are determined to set the pace. They have assured us they will take Nigeria to the next level and l have implicit and absolute confidencein them."

He urged the pupil not to be deterred by his physical challenges but should rather aspire to achieve greatness and

contribute to nation building.

The schools also facilitated the travelling of 50 students and five teachers to America on vacation.

They feted over 200 pupils, who completed their kindergarten, primary and secondary education in the 2012/2013 academic session during the ceremony.

They included Kindergarten and Grade (Primary Six) graduates from the Wuse and Gwarimpa schools, as well as SS 3 graduates from the Wuse and Gwarimpa colleges.

21 days of Y’ello Care: MTN boosts education with digital libraries

BY DAYO ADESULU

N

IGERIA’S telecommunications company, MTN, has ended the 2013 edition of its annual staff volunteer programme, 21 Days of Y’ello Care, which focused on education. The annual programme, initiated by the MTN Group in 2007, encourages MTN staff in all its 21 operating countries in Africa, Asia and the Middle East to volunteer their resources, time and skills to assist others and the communities where they live and work.

Through the course of the programme, staff of MTN Nigeria engaged in a number of activities with the aim of entrenching the reading culture among Nigerian children. It adopted the theme; Investing in Education for All, which aligns with the major goal of helping to improve one of the important parameters by which real development can be judged.

“The theme for this year, Investing in Education for All, is in consonance with the global movement to make education accessible and compulsory for all and sundry across the world,” said Chief Executive Officer, MTN Nigeria, Mr. Brett Goschen, at the closing ceremony of the programme at the company’s premises, Ikoyi, Lagos recently.

Goshen noted that MTN Nigeria through

the programme has contributed its quota towards improving educational standards, providing an enabling environment for learning and instilling the pivotal role of education in the development of the nation.

“Twelve digital libraries were set up in primary and secondary schools across the six geopolitical zones in Nigeria. Teaching activities were conducted in 81 schools. Teacher empowerment seminars were held in Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt, while thousands of books and other educational materials were distributed in schools across the country,” Goschen added.

A major highlight of the closing ceremony was a keenly contested quiz competition amongst three schools which was eventually won by Senior Government College, Ikoyi, Lagos. The

school was rewarded with a Netbook loaded with MTN education bundle, a commemorative trophy and a set of classroom furniture.

Orphanages and Special Schools were also not left out of this year’s event as “MTNers” seized the opportunity to visit institutions such as Lagos State Correctional Centre for Boys, Oregun, Ikeja and Pacelli School for the Blind and Partially Sighted, Surulere, Lagos, where a digital library was set up with the installation of JAWS software for the blind which will enable the students use the donated desktop computers with ease. Other educational materials were also donated while; MTN’s senior management staff encouraged and mentored the students on their desired career paths.

From left: Friday Ossai Osanebi inspecting 12 classrooms under construction at Beneku Secondary School, Ndokwa East LGA, Delta State.

v i - C e n n a International School in Ikeja, Lagos weekend graduated 52 of its students who have just completed their secondary education, with a charge that they should tackle all challenges to make it to the top in their chosen careers.

The event that was held for two consecutive days featured graduation ceremony for the outgoing students at the school and a dinner at the Sheraton Hotel and Towers in Ikeja.

Dignitaries at the well attended festivities include the Speaker, Lagos State House of Assembly, Mr. Adeyemi Ikuforiji, Chairman of AviCenna, Mr. Foudeh, his wife, Raida, Chairman of the Parents/ Teachers Association, Mr. Fusi Akinkugbe, parents and guardians.

In his speech at the graduation, the Principal, Mr. David Ogburn, said the graduating students should consider themselves privileged and always remember their parents' contribution to their education. ”Remember your parents and their investment in you and your education. Think about the sacrifices they have made. In our world today, 52 million children do not go to school. You have been blessed with the key to success and freedom of choice. When you leave here, don’t forget why you came.”

On the approach to life that will facilitate attainment of greater heights, Ogburn said “for some time now, you have been planning and preparing for this day. But the real truth is that all the planning and preparation in the world cannot fully prepare you for all the trials and tribulations that will confront you as you continue your life’s journey. It is common to advise graduating students to plan ahead, to focus their mind on what they want to achieve and to follow their dreams."

42 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, JULY 4, 2013

Vanguard Vanguard,,

THURSDAY, JULY 4, 2013

— 43

YOUR LUCK TODAY

By Joshua Adeyemo Phone 08056180139 CANCER; Partnership related issues are becoming more important and if you try to sweep anything under carpet now, it’ll back-fire sooner than expected. Take your love life more seriously than before.

LEO; Hard work will not go unrewarded if not today very soon. Important development coming through your working arena soonest will place you at advantage position. The more practical you are the better.

VIRGO; Love, romance and sentimental things can not be ignored completely today unless you want your concentration to waver .Be more enterprising in the business world Anyway success indicated for you today..

LIBRA; Happenings within your base of operation (both at home and at work) must be taken more seriously now, more especially as there’ll be competition SCORPIO; Both your mood and element of luck may not be as friendly as you’ll like.. Matters of the heart may top priority lists of some of you. But mind you your mood will change tomorrow.

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

By Richard Eromosele

W

HEN the bibli cal widow was asked the above question, she answered: I have nothing. Many of us are moving around today with the same mindset of possessing nothing.

But is it really true

What do you have? that we have nothing? Let us do an audit of what the Almighty God has endowed us with. Let us start from the brain.

We have a very sound brain that could be used to think up all

sorts of possibilities for us. Look at our hands, they are the best hands any success hungry person will ever long for.

Have you personally and critically examined your strong

TERROR MUDA in “Never say goodbye”

legs, they are the envy of a great runner. Check out your eyes and nose, they are meant to spot opportunities. And you say you have nothing?

God has given us everything we need to succeed, so go on and succeed.

By Lanre Kehinde

SAGITTARIUS; If financial success is your priority you’ll need to redouble your efforts today and tomorrow. Be protective of your possessions and personal family.

CAPRICORN; The Moon in your Star sign gives you the needed opportunity to assert yourself to the admiration of other people. You can make it a romantic day.

Experiment with your personal ideas.

AQUARIUS; Here is your day when element of luck will work favourably for you. Secret lovers are in for an exciting and memorable day. Keep your secrets please.

PISCES; If you wait till tomorrow before you make an important move ,you may be disappointed , because tomorrow’s influence will bring you more challenges than you can rightly anticipate now. But greater success indicated for you today.

ARIES; Very soon there’ll be important development along your career line. But today will offer you best of opportunity and good luck to achieve your desired results. Be more ambitious now

KAPTAIN AFRIKA

in

“Princess Shii’

By Andy Akman

TAURUS; Here is a loving day for those of you willing to give priority attention to matters of the heart. Planning for both immediate and far future’ll not be out of place. And it’s good to think money.

GEMINI: This is the wrong time to gamble either with your physical cash or your source of income. Take nobody for granted. Take love more seriously .

ASTROLOGICAL COUNSELLING

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

What’s my best colour?

VIRGINIA

dadadekola@yahoo.com

Dear Joshua I want your in-depth analysis and tell me about my social life, luck and the time I am likely to have my much desired break-through in life. Which day of the week was I born. And importantly what is my best colour?

Anonymous Nigeria.

Dear Anonymous, You were born on a Saturday. What you will find hereunder will answer your questions.

Social life will always bring you attention good luck envy opposition and possibly fame. Aquarius and Leo are two most active social Star signs. And you will notice that your natal Venus in Taurus, Moon in Aquarius and Uranus in Leo formed T-Square aspects putting Venus as point-focus, meaning that the best way for you not to be constant loser in the social world is to always study situation practically and know that your finance will not suffer (if it can not be beneficiary) from the setting before taking responsibility.

As for influential friends you will have them but never always take them for granted.

Yes you can be a self made man but it is indicated that there will be times when both human and divine assistance will lift you up. You will have more to gain by your being spiritual .Saturday born people are favoured by BLACK and golden colours.

Sudden SUCCESS will come your way during your 42th year on earth and will serve as a break-through year you can build great foundation of endless success on. But the same 42th year will bring love related challenges you must manage with all maturity or else it will linger till after your 44th year on earth.

HOME AND ABROAD

by Lawrence

44—Vanguard , THURSDAY, JULY 4, 2013

Delta orders demolition of illegal structures in Asaba

Rivers 2015: Ogoni fault minister on zoning

BY EGUFE YAFUGBORHI

P

ORT HARCOURT—THE Ogoni of Rivers State, under the aegis Gokana Progressive Union, have faulted re-

BY AUSTIN OGWUDA

A

SABA—GOVERNOR Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State has ordered all illegal structures within the Inter-Bau Roundabout area in Asaba, the state capital, which include a church and shopping mall, to be demolished within one week.

He said: “Most of the structures close to the roundabout were illegally erected and I give the occupants one week to remove them, especially as we gave them evacuation notices over two years ago.”

He said that the demolition would pave way for the construction of four lanes to reduce traffic congestion in Asaba.

cent comments credited to Minister of State for Education, Mr. Nyesom Wike and Felix Obuah, Chairman of Rivers’ People’s Democratic Party, PDP, that zoning would be inconsequential on who becomes governor of the state in 2015.

Mr. Christian Giami, former

House of Representatives aspirant in the area, who leads the group, including politicians across Rivers SouthEast Senatorial District, said that zoning had been a tradition in PDP, which the duo of Wike and Obuah cannot overrule by fiat.

Bello-Osagie advocates 3-tier police system

BY SIMON EBEGBULEM

B

ENIN—HOUSE of Representatives member representing Oredo Federal Constituency, Edo State, Mr. Rasaq Bello-Osagie, has advocated a three-tier police system in the country— local, state and federal.

He said that the recent approval by the Federal Government for the police to receive one percent from the Federation Account as special fund, in addition to its normal annual budgetary allocation, would not solve the problems confronting the police.

He said that though the latest move by the Federal Government was a welcomed development, injecting more money without an effective police system would be a waste of the country ’s resources.

Bello-Osagie spoke in

Transition

C

HIEF Steve Osemeke, of Ikoko quarters in Ogbeknu, Onicha-Ugbo, Delta State, aged 60, is dead. He died June 24.

He is survived by a widow, children, grandchildren and other relations.

Burial plans will be announced by his family.

Benin, Edo State in a lecture entitled Leadership, Insecurity and the Future of Nigerian Youth, organised by the Student Union Government of the University of Benin, UNIBEN. The lecture was in honour of late Williams Ubong, a former Secretary-General of the SUG, who was shot dead 20 years ago by unknown gunmen.

He attributed the security

challenges facing the country to leadership problem, lamented that the Nigerian policeman cuts a sorry picture of what the police should never be.

Bello-Osagie said: “This motivated me recently to sponsor a motion on the floor of the House, praying for special response to the logistic needs of the Nigerian police.”

Giami, who spoke in Port Harcourt, yesterday, said politicians from Rivers South-East Senatorial District condemn in its entirety the comments credited to the duo.

He said: “The party has kept to its zoning arrangements from the national to the ward levels since 1999 and it would be out of place for anybody to move against the rules and norms of the party now.

“We are calling for caution to avoid confusion in the system.

“Rivers South-East has paid its dues by lending unflinching support to other zones to produce governors in the state since 1999.

“It is time for all Rivers to support us. No power or conspiracy can stop the zone from producing the next state chief executive come 2015.”

Clark to EFCC: Probe me, Orubebe

I

JAW leader, Chief Edwin Clark has called on Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to probe the Minister of Niger Delta, Elder Godsday Orubebe and himself (Clark) following allegations and counter allegations of corruption between them.

Clark spoke in Lagos through the National Coordinator of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Reloaded Project, Chief Richard Lamai.

He said he would take the commission to court within seven days, if it failed to probe the allegations against them.

Lamai said he was reacting to a petition by an ally of the Minister of the Niger Delta Affairs, published by a national daily in which the elder statesman was accused of having secured contracts worth billions of naira from the Ministry and the Federal Ministry of Works.

He said: “Clark welcomes the

allegation of corruption against him and wants the EFCC, led

by Mr. Ibrahim Larmode, to investigate the allegations.

"This is because he believes that as an elder statesman, who has fought against corruption all his life, such allegation coming from Godsday Orubebe and his allies should be probed.”

T

Bayelsa to build neighbourhood car parks

BY SAMUEL OYADONGHA

Y

ENAGOA—DISTURBED by the number of cars parked on road sides in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State capital, the state government said it had concluded plans to commence the construction of 20

Late Chief Osemeke.

neighbourhood car parks in the capital city.

Meantime, the state government said it had realised over N100 million from its Restoration Taxi scheme since its inception last September, adding that the neighbourhood car parks would be executed in phases and in densely popu-

lated areas in the capital city.

Most residents of Yenagoa are compelled to park their cars by road sides due to their inability to access their homes.

Commissioner for Transport, Mrs Marie Ebikake, disclosed this to newsmen, yesterday in Yenagoa.

HE Sapele parish of Garden of Life Assembly will hold a vigil of salvation, healing and deliverance service tomorrow by 10p.m.

According to Bishop Philip Edward, the vigil, with theme Deliverance and Honour (Psalm 91:15), will hold at the Church compound, Crudas Road, Sapele, Delta State.

By Bartholomew Madukwe

PEOPLE SPEAK

08102479985

Vigil

(nwamad@yahoo.com)

On £3,000 bond for UK visa (2)

I

welcome the idea.

Some Nigerian over stay in UK and that makes UK embassy in Nigeria to reject the applications of some genuine travelers. For example, last year I was denied UK visa two times and I was going there genuinely.— Miss Anita Williams, Administrator.

I

T doesn’t affect every Nigerian. It’s only if you are a first-time visitor to the United Kingdom that you are required to deposit the 3,000 Pounds. Nigerians, who have been to the UK, would not be asked to deposit any money.— Mr. Samson Robinson, Engineer.

T

HE UK government does not mind those excuses made by Nigerians talking about their business and other engagements in UK. They knew that even if it is N1 billion bond, some Nigerians can still afford it.— Mr. Ajiboye Sunday, Music Director.

I

T is most unfortunate that we find our selves in this mess due to the recklessness of our “leaders” who has made our country undesirable for youths. So they seek greener pastures in other climes. Nigeria is a time bomb waiting to explode.— Mr. Sokefun Olusola, Businessman.

I

am not against it. It will save time in the cases of valid visa application. So those who are facilitating their entry to stay in the United Kingdom should be notified that UK has got them. They are not as corrupt as our country.— Mr. Peter Ekpo, Businessman.

B

Y implication, a visa application that will normally cost about N100,000 officially, will now cost close to N1 million for an applicant. So for those using travel agencies, the cost will even be higher than normal.— Mrs Jennie Osasu, Businesswoman.

Vanguard , THURSDAY, JULY 4, 2013 —45

Utuama, Okorodudu, Keyamo, UPU, others pay tribute to Ewherido zAs Delta Assembly opens condolence register

BY AUSTIN OGWUDA, FESTUS AHON & SIMON ADEWALE

BY FESTUS AHON

U

A

SABA—REACTIONS have continued to pour in over the death of Senator Pius Ewherido, representing Delta Central Senatorial District in the National Assembly, who passed on June 30.

Delta State deputy governor, Prof. Amos Utuama, SAN; the leadership of the state House of Assembly; Delta State Commissioner for Economic Planning, Olorogun Kenneth Okpara; Mr. Festus Keyamo; Urhobo National Youth Movement, UNYM; Urhobo Progress Union, UPU; Olorogun Ebenezer Okorodudu and Mr. Norbert Chiazor have expressed grief, sadness and shock over the death of Senator Ewherido.

Meantime, the leadership of the Delta State House of Assembly has opened a condolence register for the late Senator Ewherido, who was a former member of the House and also served at different times as Deputy Speaker and acting Speaker.

Although members of the House are currently on recess, some of the legislators have signed the register.

Prof. Utuama in a statement by his Press Secretary, Tunkeaye Bisina, described the death as a monumental loss to the good people of Ewu, Ughelli South, the Urhobo nation, Delta State and Nigeria at large.

Referring to him as a son who had distinguished himself in the art of lawmaking at the state and national levels, Utuama said: “In Ewherido, we have lost an irreplaceable astute, pragmatic, forthright, amiable politician, leader and lawmaker that time cannot erase from our memory.

“My heart is with the larger Ewherido family, wife, children, the good people of Delta Central, Ughelli South and Ewu in this our moment of grief. It is my prayer that the good Lord will comfort and give us the fortitude to bear this irreparable loss.”

Meanwhile, Olorogun Ebenezer Okorodudu, erstwhile Commissioner for Commerce in the state said; “his death is truly sad and devastating.”

Also the Delta State Commissioner for Economic Planning, Olorogun Okpara said: “Nigeria has lost a rare gem in the person of Senator Ewherido. It was the Senator’s track record of service and leadership that saw him elected and elevated to the

C M Y K

Ex-militant leader accuses security operatives of vandalisation

BRIEFING: Chief Rita Lori-Ogbebor, the Igba of Warri (middle); Ms. Roli Okorodudu (left) and Mrs. Kowe Ibanga, Itsekiri women, at a briefing on the recent attack on Itsekiris in Delta State by Ijaw youths in Lagos, yesterday. Photo: Lamidi Bamidele.

National Assembly as a distinguished Senator.”

He lamented that the Urhobo nation has lost one of its leading lights, as many Urhobos looked up to as one of their role models. “We will surely miss the erudite Senator,” he said.

On his part, the Delta State Chairman of Nigeria Union of Journalists NUJ, Mr. Chiazor said: “The death of Senator Ewherido came to Delta NUJ as a rude shock as the lawmaker was one of the most credible voices representing the cause of the Niger Delta at the Nigerian Senate. Late Ewherido eptiomised strength, vibrancy and candour uncommon in Nigeria’s political landscape and he would be surely missed.”

A pressure group in Delta State, the Urhobo National Youth Movement, UNYM, described the death of Ewherido as a monumental loss to the Urhobo people of Delta State and the great country.

In a statement by its National President, Mr. Alex Idu, he described the death of Pius Ewherido “as a great loss, to the people of Delta State and the country,” adding that the demise

was shocking and painful.

He described the Senator as a great leader that truly represents the Delta Central and the Urhobo people at the national level.

He said: “He worked very hard for the region and was meticulous and left no one in doubt that he represented his people. His contributions will be missed, and indeed his death is a huge loss.”

Urhobo Progress Union, UPU, expressed shock over the sudden death of Senator Ewherido, who it described as a patriotic, articulate and erudite senator, who gave the Urhobo nation quality, responsible and accountable representation at the National Assembly.

In a statement by its National Secretary, Elder John Onojakpor, UPU said: “The shocking news of the painful and sudden death of Senator Ewherido has reached our President General. Pius Ewherido was an astute politician, who was very prominent in the politics of Delta State and Urhobo nation from 1999 till his death.

“As a responsible Senator, he recently gave the Urhobo nation a most worthy account of his stewardship in the first half of his ten-

ure as a Senator representing the Urhobo nation, his stewardship gave great hope to the Urhobo people. Urhobo nation has lost a rare gem, whose position will be very difficult to fill.

“The President General on behalf of the Urhobo nation joins the Ewherido family and his political associates in mourning the loss of a budding political asset whose shining light has been extinguished prematurely. UPU, hereby, urge the Ewherido family, his political associates and indeed the Urhobo nation to take solace in the monumental achievements attained by the late Senator during his short but eventful life.”

Keyamo in a statemet, said: “I received with rude shock and utter surprise the untimely passing away of my elder brother, friend and leader, Senator Pius Ewherido. Before his untimely death, the distinguished Senator shared the same dream with me and my numerous followers to rescue our dear Delta State from the iron-grip of a small clique that continues to appropriate our common patrimony to themselves and their families.”

PPPRA scribe lauds investments in availability and distribution in oil/gas sector the country.

A

BUJA—EXECUTIVE Secretary, Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency, PPPRA, Mr. Reginald Stanley, has said that investments in the oil and gas were a big boost to the country’s economy in the areas of foreign exchange conservation, reduction in the cost of freight of petroleum

products, employment opportunities and speedy distribution of products across the country.

Stanley spoke while inaugurating two newly acquired oil vessels, MT Adeline and MT Emmanuel, by an indigenous petroleum products marketing company, Rainoil Limited to boost petroleum products

He said: “MT Adeline is a 20,000-tonnage vessel while the carrying capacity of MT Emmanuel is 15,000-tonnage.

Both vessels are world-class facilities and meet international standards that make them suitable for quick ShipTo-Ship, STS, loading of petroleum products from one vessel to another.”

GHELLI—EXMILITANT leader in Delta State, ‘General’ Francis Muturu, has raised alarm over alleged invasion of his residence in Afiesere, Ughelli North Local Government Area, Delta State by security operatives.

He also alleged that four persons were arrested, his property vandalised and the sum of N1.7m carted away by the security operatives from his home.

He alleged that a combined team of soldiers and mobile policemen stormed his residence at 3am in four Hilux pickup vans and forced their way into his apartment over allegation of illegal possession of fire arms.

Contacted, the Area Commander of the Ughelli Area Police command, Mr. Awosola Awotinde and the Commanding Officer of the 222 Battalion, Mr. V. Ibeh denied knowledge of the operation.

Mutu gets confidence vote

B

OMADI—AHEAD of 2015 general elections, a youth group, Elite Forum Akugbene in Bomadi Local Government Area of Delta State, has passed a confidence vote on the House of Representatives member, representing Bomadi/Patani Federal Constituency, Mr. Nicholas Mutu.

The youths in a statement by its president Mark Perekeme, affirmed their support for the lawmaker, saying that the antecedents of Mutu shows that his leadership style was practical people oriented and endorsed him for another term.

The forum noted that he has done well in the areas of effective representation, infrastructural development and human capital development, adding that the ongoing construction of Gbaregolor/ Esanma Bridge, the construction of Esanma-Akugbene Road, among others shows that he has delivered dividends of democracy to the people.

46—Vanguard, THURSDAY, JULY 4, 2013

Soyinka, Fashola, Adenuga, others make top 100 Nigerian awards

Abia, Imo trade words over relocation of transport company

N

BY CHIDI NKWOPARA MUAHIA—ABIA and Imo State governments may be on collision course as the transport company of the former has accused Governor Rochas Okorocha of stopping its operations in Owerri.

General Manager, Abia Line Network Limited, Mr. Ugochukwu Uwaeke, who made the accusation, said Governor Okorocha had last month personally visited his company’s loading bay at number 5, Wetheral Road to order its relocation without providing an alternative.

According to him, the governor said the motor parks constituted an eyesore to the aesthetics of Owerri, the state capital.

But Imo State Commissioner for Information, Mr. Chinedu Offor, in a swift reaction said the action of the government was not political and not directed at Abia Transport Company alone, noting it also affected other businesses in the city.

OBEL Laurette, Professor Wole Soyinka, environmental activist, Dr. Newton Jibunoh, Globacom chief, Dr. Mike Adenuga, industrialist, Aliko Dangote, Jim Ovia, Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Fashola, Segun Uniru, Tonye Cole and General T.Y. Danjuma, among several others will be honoured today with 100 most accomplished Nigerian men in various field of endeavours.

The event, which is being organised by Chivas, leading scotch whisky in conjunction with Intercontinental Hotel, Lagos with the theme “Chivas Top 100 Men in Nigeria”, hold at the InterContinental Hotel, Kofo Abayomi, Lagos.

Other awardees include Ifeanyi Ubah, Modupe Alakija, Tony Elumelu, and musicians, such as Femi Kuti, Tuface, D’Banj, and Banky W, among others.

The organisers said the men were unanimously selected based on their achievements, entrepreneurship, ambition, and contribution to the development of Nigeria.

Accountant arraigned over alleged threat to life

BY ONOZURE DANIA

L

AGOS—A 31-year-old accountant, Oluwaseun Adetona, who allegedly threatened to kill her exemployer ’s daughter, was yesterday docked before an Ikeja Magistrates’ Court.

Adetona, who was arraigned before Magistrate Margaret Dan-Oni, is facing a two-count charge of written threat to kill and indecent act brought against her by the police.

Police prosecutor, Inspector Edet Okoi, told the court that the defendant had threatened to kill Gloria Sanyaolu, through an SMS she sent to the father’s handset.

He said Adetona willfully insulted Mr Victor Sanyaolu by pasting obscene publication on his electronic mailbox.

According to him, the defendant was relieved of her appointment at the complainant’s company due to her unruly and insubordinate attitude.

U

VISIT—Governor Theodore Orji of Abia State (right) and Mr Amara Onubuogu, NBA Chairman, Umuahia branch during a courtesy visit on the governor by the association in Umuahia.

Okorocha lied on Oguta re-run, Imo PDP alleges

BY CHIDI NKWOPARA

O

WERRI—THE Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Imo State, has expressed dismay over the misinformation allegedly being peddled by Imo State governor, Chief Rochas Okorocha, against it and the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, in the wake of the inconclusive Oguta re-run election.

The stand of the party was made public in a statement by the State Publicity Secretary, Chief Blyden Amajirionwu.

Amajirionwu said: “We want to state without any fear of contradiction that contrary to the claims of Governor Okorocha, election did not take place in the whole of Osemoto/Enuigbo and Egbuoma/Egwe wards, both of which are made up of 17 polling

units”.

The party said if the 17 polling units were added to the eight where results were outstanding, as a result of alleged snatching of election materials by All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA thugs, the falsity of Governor Okorocha’s claim will be glaring”.

Noting that it was based on these incontrovertible facts that INEC declared the result inconclusive.

The party said if the governor was in possession of any signed results, he might have to explain how he got them.

Imo PDP described the alleged telephone call received by the returning officer, which led to declaring the poll inconclusive, as cheap blackmail designed to browbeat INEC into taking precipitated action.

The PDP said: “INEC, as a responsible and reputable agency of government, cannot afford to succumb to such intimidation. Let Governor Okorocha say exactly who called the returning officer and what she was told.”

Amajirionwu also stated that from the legitimate results available to the party, the APGA candidate in the election, Mr. Walter Uzonwanne, lost in all but one of the 17 units in his Oguta Ward B and Oguta community.

He pleaded: “PDP, as a law abiding party, is calling on INEC to, as quickly as possible, make arrangement for the conduct of elections in those areas where no elections were held.

“We also call on the peace loving people of Oguta constituency to keep calm and be on their guard, while we wait for further action by INEC.”

Babalakin identifies mediocrity as Nigeria's problem

BY BARTHOLOMEW MADUKWE

D

R Wale Babalakin SAN, yesterday, said the country’s major problem had shifted from corruption to mediocrity.

Babalakin, who is the Chairman, Lagos chapter of Government College, Ibadan, Old Boys Association, GCIOBA, said issues affecting the college were also affecting the larger society.

He said: "Like the number of teachers is 34 for full time, to teach 3,000 students. Nigeria’s major problem has shifted from corruption to mediocrity. Creation

of new institution to kill the old institution is a big issue. Let us put an end to mediocrity”.

GCIOBA National President, Mr Biodun Jolaoso, expressed worry over infrastructural rot in the college and in educational standard that had led to abysmal performance in WASC examination.

Jolaoso said: “Two nights ago as I laid on my bed tossing, turning and ruminating on my imminent law examinations among many other pressing issues pertaining the thought of our schools’ infrastructural rot in general, GCI’s predicament in particular struck me like a bolt from the blues.”

Senator Femi Okurounmu advised that GCI be returned to the Federal Government for better management, instead of leaving it in the hands of Oyo State.

Okurounmu said: “Oyo State is no longer capable to manage GCI and it should be returned to the Federal Government. I plead with Oyo State to let it go and beg the Federal Government to take over. We need Federal Government back for GCI to gain its standard.”

GCI is an all boys school modelled after the British Secondary School boarding system, founded on February 28, 1929.

110 illegal immigrants arrested in Enugu

BY TONY EDIKE

E

N U G U — FOLLOWING the state of insecurity in the country, the Nigeria Immigration Service in Enugu has arrested 110 illegal immigrants.

Deputy Comptroller of Immigration, Mr. Felix Odika, said the arrested persons would be repatriated without delay.

Odika, who spoke on behalf of the Comptroller of Immigration Service, Enugu State Command, Alhaji Ismaila Bashir, said among those to be repatriated include 94 Nigeriens, 7 Togolese and 2 Beninoise.

Seven others found to be Nigerians were released.

According to Odika, the exercise, which will be continuous, is to ensure that all illegal immigrants were got rid of as directed by the headquarters.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, JULY 4, 2013 — 47

CONDOLENCE VISIT: From left, Senators Mohammed Bindowo, Anthony Adeniyi, 'Femi Lanlehin, 'Femi Ojudu, Robert Boroffice, 'Gbenga Kaka, Abdulkadir Jajere, 'Gbenga Ashafa, George Akume, Oluremi Tinubu, Domingo Obende, Akin Odunsi, 'Jide Omoworare, 'Gbenga Obadara, Musa Ibrahim, Mudashiru Husain, Ehigie Uzamere, 'and Bunmi Adetunmbi, during condolence visit to the family of late Sen. Pius Ewherido, in Abuja.

INSPECTION: From right, Reynolds Construction Company, Chief Engr. Sharon Liblich; Chairman, House Committee on Works, Hon. Ogbuefi Ozomgbachi; Tobias Okwuru, Director of Federal Highways, South South; Engr. Chukwunwike Uzo, Nosa Osahon and Deputy Chairman, Works Committee, Mohammed Wudil, during an inspection of 5 Junction Road, yesterday, in Benin City, Edo State

PRESS CONFERENCE: From left: Youth Pastor, Redeemed Christian Church of God, Lagos Province 8, Gbenga Odunowo; Regional Youth Pastor, RCCG Region 2, Pastor Wale Adeduro, and Youth Leader, Oluwakemi Adebayo, during a press conference on the RCCG Region 2 Youth Convention, in Lagos.

AGM: From left, Company Secretary, Osaro Idemudia; chairperson, Mrs. Florence Adebanjo; Managing Director, Mallam M. G. Hassan, at the 19th Annual General Meeting of the NPF Microfinance Bank Plc, in Abuja

ALLOCATION: Mr. Kunle Adeyemi, MD, Sterling Homes, (middle); Mr. Peter Kawedo, client of Sterling Homes (left), and Mr. David Kazeem, staff of Sterling Homes, during the allocation of land to customers/buyers, at Havilah Park & Garden, Mowe

LECTURE: From Left: Dr. Michael Olawale-Cole, President and Chairman of Council, Nigeria Institute of Management, NIM, (Chartered); Hon. Opeyemi Bamidele, representing Hon. Aminu Tambuwal, Speaker, House of Representatives and Prof. Akin Oyebode, Professor of International Law and Jurisprudence, University of Lagos, at the 2013 NIM Distinguished Management Lecture: 'The Role of the Legislature on Economic, Infrastructural and Ethical Revolution in Nigeria,' at NIIA, Lagos. Photo: Oscar Ochiogu.

C M Y K

BIRTHDAY: From left, Mr. Adewale Aderibigbe, Ms Iyabode Olajumoke, Dr. Bode Olajumoke, and Engr. Tayo Williams, during Senator Bode Olajumoke's 69th birthday, at his Parkview, Lagos residence. Photo: Shola Oyelese

SYMPOSIUM: From left, Dr. Mohammed Pate, Minister of State for Health; Mr. Mike Omeri, DG, National Orientation Agency, and Dr. Robert Chiegil, Nigerian Institute of Medical Research, during the symposium on Humanitarian Disaster Risk Management, at the Institute's auditorium. Photo: Shola Oyelese

48—Vanguard, THURSDAY, JULY 4, 2013

Benue Police arrest 35-man cult group

Kwara govt to penalise 25 teachers over absenteeism

BY PETER DURU

M

BY DEMOLA AKINYEMI

I

LORIN— KWARA State Government has said it has concluded plans to penalise 25 primary school teachers over alleged absenteeism.

Already, the affected teachers have been ordered to report at the State Universal Basic Education Board, KWSUBEB, headquarters, Ilorin for questioning.

The chairman of the board, Alhaji Lanre Daibu spoke on the issue in Ilorin, yesterday, in an interview with newsmen shortly after visiting some primary schools in the state.

He said the affected teachers were discovered during the unscheduled visit to both primary and junior secondary schools in Ifelodun and Ilorin East local government councils of the state.

He added that he was disturbed when he noticed that students were roaming about the streets of the affected local government councils when they were supposed to be in their various classes.

Daibu expressed disappointment with the nonchalant attitude of teachers to work and warned that the state government would no longer condone indolence as it would deal appropriately with anyone found wanting.

He said the teachers were expected to be effective in their duties as government had taken significant steps towards improving their welfare to boost their morale.

From right: Human Resources Director, Johnson Wax Nig. Ltd,Mr. David Okpan; Finance Director, Mr. Kene Mbuba and Managing Director, Mr Kwame Wiafe; during the first draw on Johnson Scratch Your Way to Million promo for Baygone and Raid insecticide in Lagos. Photo: Diran Oshe.

Human Rights Monitor raises alarm over activities of civilian JTF

BY EMEKA MAMAH

L

AGOS—THE Human Rights Monitor, HRM, yesterday raised alarm over alleged illegal activities of members of the civilian Joint Task Force, JTF, who it alleged now kill and maim people suspected to be members or financiers of Boko Haram Islamic sect in Borno and Yobe states, describing the action as an aberration.

This was contained in a statement signed by the Executive Director of HRM, Mr Festus Okoye in Kaduna.

The Civilian JTF was reported to have set the house of the Chairman of the ruling All Nigeria People’s Party, ANPP, in Borno State, Alhaji Othman ablaze last week, following suspicion that he was allegedly close to members of Boko Haram.

Apart from torching the house, they were said to had

arrested other suspected members of the sect and handed them over to the military JTF which was providing security in the North East.

However, in a statement entitled, "civilian JTF is an aberration," Okoye said: "The Joint Task Force, JTF, providing security in the North East and North West geopolitical zones of Nigeria has apparently handed over part of its responsibilities to those they now refer to as civilian JTF. These civilian JTF are a band of youth who have formed themselves into a vigilante group ostensibly to root out insurgents in their communities and cities.

"The sad fact is that the JTF does not know the background of some of these youths. The JTF does not know the communities where some of them reside and

....Borno govt asks border communities to form vigilante groups

BY NDAHI MARAMA

M

AIDUGURI—THE Borno State Government has asked communities living in border towns with Cameroon to form vigilante groups which would help security agencies fish out Boko Haram members in their areas.

Deputy Governor, Alhaji Zanna Mustapha gave this directive when he visited C M Y K

the areas following reports that thousands of them were fleeing to the neighbouring Cameroun Republic, as a result of alleged harassment by members of the Joint Task Force, JTF, which suspects them of harbouring Boko Haram insurgents in their communities.

Mustapha, however, promised that those selected would be paid some stipends by the state government.

The Deputy Governor who addressed traditional, religious lead-

ers and other stakeholders, said they should select between about 150 and 200 volunteer youths in each of their communities who would be paid monthly allowances by the state government for assisting the security agencies in their onerous task of ridding the state of Boko Haram members, as such job should not be left to the JTF alone.

their political and religious affiliation. The JTF has no data of their previous and current activities.

"Arming and encouraging youths from diverse backgrounds to take up arms in an unregulated manner to block roads, make arrests, beat up suspects, kill those “found guilty” and burn their houses and chase them out of town is dangerous to the rule of law and the current efforts aimed at tackling security challenges in Nigeria.

"Ordinarily, the Nigerian Police Force is constitutionally and legally empowered to maintain law and order and protect lives and property of the people. The military are only called in to assist civil authorities when overwhelmed by the magnitude of the challenges. While it is important for civilians to assist security agencies with useful information that may lead to the arrest of those who break the law and threaten the security of the citizens, it is equally dangerous to arm them and allow them to take over the streets in a manner that breeds fear and anxiety on the citizens.

"The truth of the matter is that this version of Civilian JTF roaming round the street of Borno and Yobe states are not people previously known to security agencies as law abiding citizens. The fear is that some of these gangs roaming the streets as civilian JTF may bond together and become a formidable force for purposes that may be inimical to the security and welfare of the citizens."

AKURDI—THE Benue State Police Command has arrested a 35-man cult group said to be operating in the state.

State Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Deputy Superintendent, Daniel Ezeala made this known while speaking to newsmen, yesterday, in Makurdi, the state capital.

Ezeala said the gang members were arrested at Katugun, a remote community in the North Bank area of Makurdi while preparing to carry out an "assignment," adding that several dangerous weapons recovered from them included guns, knives, axes and their regalia.

The PPRO said: “You will recall that on assumption of office few weeks ago, the new Police Commissioner for Benue State, Mr. Adams Audu declared an all out war against criminals and criminality in any part of the state. ”The arrest of these gang members is in furtherance of that declaration"".

Adeyemi stresses need for decent living

L

AGOS—MANAG ING director of Sterling Homes Limited, Mr. Kunle Adeyemi has stressed the need for decent standard of living for every family in the country.

Adeyemi who spoke during the physical allocation of land to the firm's customers at the Havilah Park and Garden, Mowe, Ogun State, said that access to adequate housing was essential to fulfilment of human life beyond simple survival.

While noting that Havilah Park and Garden fulfils psychological needs of a sense of personal space and privacy; he said it fulfilled social needs of a gathering area and communal space for the family.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, JULY 4, 2013 — 49

50 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, JULY 4, 2013

C M Y K

1 VANGU ARD, THURSD AY, JUL Y 4, 20 1 3 —5 ANGUARD, THURSDA JULY 201 —51

I N S I D E

Death penalty not effective deterrent to crimes — HURILAWS

‘Our laws are still in the dark ages' — Page 52

— Page 53

We need to revamp processes of judges appointments — Augustine Alegeh, SAN

BY DAYO BENSON MR. Augustine Alegeh (SAN) is the Chairman of NBA Database Committee. He was called to the Bar in October 1986 and won the Bola Ajibola Prize For Civil Procedure at the qualifying Examination of his set. He was sworn in as a Notary Public in 1995, and was appointed a Senior Advocate of Nigeria in December 2007.

In this interview, he spoke on the ongoing cleansing of the bench of corrupt judges and how it can be achieved. He also spoke on the unending controversy trailing appointment of Senior Advocates of Nigeria. Excerpts:

T

HE National Judicial Commission (NJC) led by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Aloma Muhktar has started cleansing the Judiciary of corruption, do you think this effort can be sustained after her tenure?

I made concerted efforts before now to deal with issues of corruption on the bench, but corruption is not only the problem of the bench. For some of us, ineptitude and laziness are all malaises of the bench. I am a firm believer in establishment of working principles and concepts. I don’t think that the present CJN would be happy after she leaves to hear that

Mr Augustine Alegeh (SAN) . Photo: Dayo Benson.

There is a critical issue in the discipline of judges that has not been addressed. This is on appointment of judges. It should be the beginning of the fight against corruption. If you appoint people of integrity in the fight against corruption, it would be minimal if one or two bad eggs scale through, then getting them out would be easy. But in a situation where people don’t know anything about the appointment, it is very risky to the bench.

By the time we make the appointment open, we would be making judiciary exactly what it should be, to ensure speedy, prompt dispensation of justice

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the issue of discipline of judges would not be sustained. It did not start with her; every CJN and NJC as a body has always been dealing with it. It's just that she is more frontal.

NJC has always played its role, disciplining erring judges. Take for example some members of the Court of Appeal, Enugu, who were involved in corruption; they were appropriately disciplined. Only one of them was absolved. It has always been those who are guilty that are punished and those who are blameless were allowed to go scot-free.

Don’t you see it as a battle that may be difficult to win in this country?

,

Some judges were appointed recently for Lagos High Court. Did anybody see the advertisement for the appointment? No vacancy was published. Only some people knew the criteria used for their appointment. Perhaps they were known only to the NJC too. But I believe strongly that we need to revamp the appointment of judges.

Nowadays before appointment as Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), the list would be published. If you have anything against the persons being considered, you write. I am not saying that judges that were appointed in Lagos are not of impeccable quality or character, I am just using Lagos as an example.

What then do you think should be the criteria for judges appointment?

In some states when judges are to be appointed, people may have one thing or another against these judges but they are not aware. It should be an on-going process. A magistrate, maybe he is very corrupt in a particular area, and nobody is aware such magistrate is being considered and the next thing you would hear is that the magistrate is now a judge.

We need to start from the appointment of judges. We need to set criteria. The idea that a man has served, very long, as a chief registrar, or a chief magistrate, or because his father was a judge, should no longer be encouraged. This type of consideration in the appointment of judges must not be allowed to continue.

What role do think the NBA should play in this regard?

When you appoint lawyers as a judge, the question is: “Has anybody approached the NBA about the personality of such lawyers?” You know we have discipline committee in the NBA. There should be an official process whereby the people seeking appointment are asked to go to their branches of the NBA to get letter of good standing. By the time you make the appointment and NBA starts to play a role there would be a better change.

We have had instances of NBA branches protesting appointment of

acting chief judge or substantive chief judge.

My branch in Benin, I know, some years ago, fought against a particular person who was being considered as a judge, rightly or wrongly. The appointment would be okayed if there is a process that we are all aware.

If you have a petition, put it in, early enough. If that petition is without foundation, it can be thrown out and the person would scale through. This is because we know people who are competing can engineer people to write petitions. But let us put the process on the ground.

Say the list is published.

Anybody who has anything against any person should show it by writing within 30 days, then we would all know. But nowadays when we see the judgements wrote by some judges, we wonder how those people became judges. By the time we make the appointment open, we would be making judiciary exactly what it should be, to ensure speedy, prompt dispensation of justice. And I use justice in the proper sense of the word. That is justice without fear or favour, affection or what have you without corruption. To achieve justice is in the appointment! These efforts are worthwhile to rid the Judiciary of bad judges.

Do you think the problem has to do with academic qualifications and attitudes of those appointed judges?

Continues on page 52

EDITORIAL TEAM Dayo Benson (Editor) Innocent Anaba Wahab Abdulah Ikechukwu Nnochiri

52—V ANGU ARD, THURSD AY, JUL Y 4, 20 13 52—VANGU ANGUARD, THURSDA JULY 201

'Our laws are still in the dark ages' An ignorant judge is worse than a corrupt judge. A man you put on the bench who does not know the law can do more damage to the judicial system than a corrupt judge may do. A corruptible judge is as bad as an indolent judge. Take for example, why must the most senior judge be the chief judge? When he gets to that position, he becomes lazy. All he would do every day is to count, how many days will my predecessor leave office.

But if you say, the governor can appoint any of the first three most senior judges; you create a level of competition.

Fundamental human rights When the man knows that I am the most senior, even if he had been a hard-working judge, he would slow down and say I’ve paid my dues. He goes to his court and looks down on you and say at least I am the next CJ. It is a problem and there are so many problems that we face as lawyers.

I know corruption is a problem, but I find it more difficult to go to court and find out that a judge is not sitting; that is worse than corruption. You fly from here to Abuja and get in to a court and find out that the court is not sitting because the judge has gone for a wedding.

The rights of people are at stake. If I file a bail application for enforcement of fundamental

human rights of a person, if I have matrimonial causes, maybe the children have been taken by their father who is incapable of taking care of them and I filed an urgent application to rescue these children and for their mother to take proper care of them and the judge is not sitting, for two weeks. Is that not critical to many lives in Nigeria? There are so many things I think we need to attend to.

Judges must know that they should sit on time.

They must have sufficient knowledge of the law to dispense justice immediately. We need to strengthen our law and reduce amount of discretion given to judges.

The issue of judges discretion has generated legal controversies lately, how well do you think judges have been exercising their discretions?

In many jurisdictions that I know, extension of time is not the discretion of the judge, counsel must agree, but here so many things are in the hands of the judge. Take for example damages, out of N10million damages, the judge may give N100,000. The other man may ask for damages, and the judge may give N500,000 in the name of discretion.

Our laws are still in the dark ages. We need to move our law forward, strengthen the hands of the law and reduce the discretion of the judge.

If it is damages and I have proved this item of damages, the judge must give me because I have paid ‘X’ amount

•Mr Alegeh (SAN) during the course of the matter. Once the judge has seen this he needs to give me that amount, so simple and straightforward. In Nigeria if a judge gives you

,

Continues from page 51

N10,000 or N50,000.

Are those the costs you have incurred? It is not arbitration. At the end of the process, you send all your bills, I paid my lawyer ‘X’, ‘Y’, but you

Our law is still in the Dark Age. We need to move our law forward, strengthen the hands of the law and reduce the discretion of the judge

N100,000 damages, he believes he has done merry Christmas early for you. But how much did you pay your lawyer to get N100,000 damage? Assuming you paid your lawyer N1million, at the end of the case, you are given N100,000 damage. In the Supreme Court of Nigeria, you check their rules of law, costs in an action, it may be

,

have to bear the cost.

First, you lose frivolous applications because if you sue me, as a Senior Advocate and I win, you are going to pay my fees.

If you know you don’t have a good case, that you can succeed you would not sue me. But now, I can sue the governor and even all the governors in Nigeria and drag them up and down,

Supreme Court, Court of Appeal, Federal High Court and at the end of the day, 350 times, only N50,000 cost was awarded against the plaintiff, despite doing so much dislodgement and damages to them. The governors must have paid the average of N10 million to defend the case, just because I want my name to be in the press. But if I know that for doing that and if I loose at the end of the day the court would be saying, “governor what cost did you incur in the course of prosecuting this case?” and he would reply that he paid lawyer ‘A’ this is the bill, lawyer ‘B’ this is the bill, besides the filing fees.

The appointment of Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SAN) has continued to generate wide rage of criticisms from different legal quarters; some have said that it is no longer relevant that it should

be scrapped, how do you react?

In every institution, there must be reward for experience, efficiency, and competence; that is the position for the appointment of senior advocates. I want to assure you that there are no plans to stop appointment of Queens’s Counsel in United Kingdom. If anybody says so, I’m sure, he doesn’t know what he is talking about. We have just discussed appointment of judges and talking of ways to improve the appointment.

If there is any challenge in appointing the SANs, what we need to do is to improve the appointment. Presently the appointment process may not be perfect, but it is much better. Take for example we have office inspection.

Inspection committee This is the office that inspects the chambers of those applying for SAN. This will determine how many lawyers you have.

The law provides that there must be a particular number of SANs to be appointed per year.

If an applicant scores low in the office inspection, that may disqualify him. The committee also scrutinises what you pay each of the lawyers in your chambers. If you are in partnership, how do you do with your partner? This same office inspection committee will want to see your accounts and what you have been drawing from your account since you formed partnership. It will also examine the cases you do by yourself.

The number of cases required has been increased. Then names of applicants are published. Those who have one thing or the other against them put up petitions and those petitions are considered accordingly. There are many factors that may qualify or disqualify a candidate.

It is not appointing anybody because he is a lawyer. It is a reward for hard work and excellence in the legal profession.

VANGU ARD, THURSD AY, JUL Y 4, 20 1 3—53 ANGUARD, THURSDA JULY 201

Death penalty not an effective deterrent to crimes — HURILAWS H

UMAN Rights Law Service, HURILAWS, has described death penalty as anachronistic, saying that it is not an effective deterrent to crimes.

Condemning in strongest terms the recent advice by the presidency that governors should begin to sign execution warrants, HURILAWS urged the federal and state governments to retrace their steps and observe international commitments and obliga-

Jonathan, in a remark at the Fathers’ Day celebration special service in Aso Villa Chapel, Sunday June 16, had asked state governors to stop abdicating their constitutional responsibility of signing death warrant of criminals condemned to death by courts of competent jurisdiction.

In a statement signed

by HURILAWS programme officer, Mr Collins Okeke, the group pointed out that it is a drawback on the country’s human rights for condemned criminals to

,

This for us is not only a drawback on Nigeria’s human rights, it is a repudiation of Nigeria’s international commitment that it has in place of an unofficial moratorium

,

tions by leaving in place the moratorium on executions in Nigeria.

President Goodluck

be executed despite their pending cases in courts, challenging the signing

,

By BARTHOLOMEW MADUKWE

constituted a National Committee on the review of death sentence. With regard to the moratorium on death penalty, though we voted against it in the UN General Assembly resolution, Nigeria continues to exercise a

In the spirit of the global trend, Nigeria has constituted a National Committee on the review of death sentence

,

•Governor Adams Oshiomhole of their execution. ”This for us is not only a drawback on Nigeria’s human rights, it is a repudiation of Nigeria’s international commitment that it has in place of an unofficial moratorium,” it stated.

According to HURILAWS, the official government statement made during the United Nations Human Rights

Council’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR) in Geneva on 9th February, 2009 while informing the United Nation (UN) that death sentence was a valid part of Nigerian Law, it was admitted that Nigeria is not oblivious of the global debate on the propriety or otherwise of death sentence. ”In the spirit of the global trend, Nigeria has

self imposed moratorium,” it added.

The group noted that having given a moratorium, the country should not be seen to be violating it because it will attract sanctions from the UN. It will be recalled that Monday last week, four persons whose names have been on death row for 16 years were executed in Edo state. The four persons were Chima Ejiofor, Daniel Nsofor, Osarenmwinda

Federal High Court investigates alleged assault on clerk

BY ABDULWAHAB ABDULAH

T

HE authority of Federal High has instituted a probe into an allegation of assault a court clerk, Israel Okodugha by a Judge of

the Federal High court, Justice Rita OfilliAjumogobia.

A source close to the office of Chief Registrar of the court said the authority of the high court has started looking into the petition to examine its

Aiguokhan and Richard Igagu. Thankgod Ebhos, who was to be the fifth man was said to have narrowly escaped execution when the executioner had technical problems with the gallows.

Meanwhile, Amnesty International has said that

merit.

The investigation was coming as sources close to Ajumogobia’s court alleged that the crisis between the court clerk and the judge was borne out of unruly behaviour of the former.

•Hon. Justice George Adesola Oguntade, JSC, Rtd., Hon. Justice Aishat Opesanwo, representing the Lagos Chief Judge, Mr. Onyekachi Ubani, Chairman, Nigerian Bar Association, Ikeja Branch, Mr. Tunji Ayanlaja, SAN, the honoree and the Awujale of Ijebu-land, Oba (Dr.) Sikiru Adetona, at the presentation of the Special Edition of Ikeja Bar Review in honour of Mr. Ayanlaja, SAN, in Lagos .

The alleged assault which was highly reported in the media last week emanated from a petition by the father of the clerk, Mr. S.O Okodugha who narrated how the High Court Judge allegedly assaulted his son in May, this year.

However, investigations

by Vanguard Law and Human Rights revealed that the Judge and the said Clerk did not have any physical exchange on the said day, but the allegation was as a result of a probe instituted into the conduct of some court staff recently which, “might informed the bid to allegedly scandalize the Judge.”

It was said that no fewer than two senior staff of the court were investigated by Justice Ajumogobia in recent times, over issues relating to mishandling of the court files.

It was further gathered that the Judge called a meeting of all her chamber’s staff and told them to desist from fraudulent practice, adding that, “anyone who attempted to soil her

name through nefarious activities will face the consequence.”

It was also learnt that subsequently, there was a report emanating from the probe indicting two officials of the court, which have been sent to higher authorities, which was now generating some ripples in the court.

The report according to the source was as a result of a complaint lodged by a litigant who said, a sum of N20,000 was demanded by some court officials, but pleaded to be allowed to pay N7,000 to have his file moved.

The source added, :“on seeing the man loitering around her office through the close circuit television, the judge asked the staff to call him and the man told her that his file has not been assigned in the last two weeks because a staff allegedly demanded a bribe of N20,000 but he told them he had only N7,000 which they refused.”

The Judge subsequently instructed the man to put his complaint into writing, which led to the probe.

more than 1,000 people are reportedly on death row in Nigeria, a country of about 160 million.

Amnesty International’s deputy Africa director, Lucy Freeman, stressed that the hangings would mark “a truly dark day for human rights in Africa’s most populous nation.”

Chino Obiagwu of the national lawyers’ rights group LEPAD, on his part, said the death row prisoners were hanged despite pending suits at the appeal court and two were his clients convicted of murder. ”Under Nigerian laws, an appeal and application for stay of execution should restrain further action. By executing the prisoners, Nigeria’s government has demonstrated a gross disregard to the rule of law and respect for the judicial process,” Obiagwu said.

He explained that around 3p.m. a court dismissed his organization’s appeal challenging the state government’s signing of execution warrants and a motion to stop executions.

Obiagwu added: “They (authorities) had already started preparing for the executions, they turned us away from the prison and by 6:15 p.m. we heard from clients in the prison that they had been executed. ”The death row prisoners in the suit contend that to execute them after over 16 years of trauma, suspense and imminent death would amount to cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment.”

He said traumatized inmates called him to describe “terrible sounds” like a drum rolling, shackles scratching and the screams of those condemned begging for mercy.

54—Vanguard, THURSDAY, JULY 4, 2013

Comrade Abdulwaheed Omar, President of NLC

Gov Adams Oshiomhole

should know that even if some delegates walk out, it does not in any way invalidate the election. In any case, no Governor walked out. If indeed, as the NLC stated, “We at the Congress irrevocably stand for certain values which we will not compromise for anything. We are opposed to impunity at all levels and the undermining of national security and unity. We have respect for process and its outcome.

We stand for justice”, it should have come out to commend those to be commended and issue harsh words to those who have failed to abide by the simple tenets of democracy. If truly, NLC has respect for a “ process and its outcome”, it should have been bold enough to recognize, Governor Chibuke Rotimi Amechi as the chairman of the Governors Forum. That is the truth and honest position. That is the way to stand for justice.

What the NLC pushed out as its communiqué , seemed to be one to please certain people in Aso rock even without stating so . Or what does the NLC mean by, “we call on our governors to:Create value around as well as restore dignity to their office; Get back to work instead of unnecessarily overheating the polity; Not put in jeopardy our hard-earned democracy; Respect the process and outcome of their election” Who has failed to respect the outcome of the election? Who is overheating the polity? Organised labour cannot be seen to act like a parastatal of Aso rock Labour cannot afford it. At some point, the politicians would resolve their differ-

Has history been the best teacher for NLC? Recent developments within the labour movement indeed the Nigeria Labour Congress,NLC, gives one cause for concern especially when viewed against the backdrop of the NLC’s slogan of “ sustaining and deepening democracy”. This edition of Labour Vanguard takes a look at the contributions of the NLC to sustain democracy vis a vis its recent position especially on an issue as crucial as the test of democracy within the Governors Forum.

FOR those who may not know, the 1986 May day speech of Comrade Ali Chiroma which coincided with the centenary anniversary of May Day remains unforgettable. Comrade Ali Chiroma reminded Nigerian workers that they cannot be apolitical. He spoke of “ Unions in Politics, politics in the unions”. The tempo was sustained by his successor, Paschal Bafyau who worked very hard to get a the Labour Party registered. This is not to say that the Imoudus, Wahab Goodlucks didn’t try to form a working class party.

This brief historical perspective is just to remind the labour movement indeed the Nigeria Labour Congress of its history in relation to politics.

Surprisingly, the national executive council of the NLC said of the imaginary crisis in the Governors’ Forum “ Congress has watched with keen interest the developments in the Governors Forum and wants to sound a note of caution. While Congress notes that like any group of people, the governors have a right to organize themselves, it should be within the civilized norms of society. Congress therefore refuses to believe that Governors who are themselves beneficiaries of supposedly credible elections cannot organize a simple election among themselves, a class of 36. This presupposes that something fundamentally must have gone wrong somewhere.Whatever it is, the governors and their fellow travelers in power should quickly fix it. As critical custodians of the peoples mandate and grand beneficiaries of our democracy, there are certain things governors must not be seen to be doing.

We at the Congress irrevocably stand for certain values which we will not compromise for anything. We are opposed to im-

punity at all levels and the undermining of national security and unity. We have respect for process and its outcome. We stand for justice. In the light of the foregoing, we call on our governors to: •Create value around as well as restore dignity to their office; •Get back to work instead of unnecessarily overheating the polity; •Not put in jeopardy our hard-earned democracy; •Respect the process and outcome of their election; •Remember June 12.”.

Now the issues: One Organised labour cannot be seen recalls vividly and (I covto act like a parastatal of Aso ered ) the 1988 national Rock, Labour cannot afford it delegates conference of the NLC held in Benin, the Edo state capital. Two factions claimed to have elected NLC pres- ences and labour would be left in the cold. idents but everyone knew that the authentic Can the leadership of NLC say before their delegates conference was the one held at colleagues in the international labour Saidi Centre which elected, Comrade Ad- movement that they do not know who won amu Chiroma of Medical and Health Work- an election where a candidate scored 19 ers Union. and the other 16? Even at the ILC votes The then Democrats who claimed to have are taken , won or lost. elected Takaya Shammang of the ElectricHowever, one felt a sigh of relief when ity Workers Union, did not participate in Edo state governor and former president the election at Saidi Centre, unlike Jang of the NLC, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole and his supporters who participated, lost openly criticized the NLC’s views on the and claimed to have won. Although a Governors’ Forum election. That Oshiomfew votes were recorded for Shammag at hole spoke at the delegates conference of Saidi Centre. the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, With this brief background of NLC , one TUC, is a clear message not just to NLC wonders why did the present leadership but to the entire labour movement. find it difficult to take a position on the The historic roles played by the leadNGF election. The NEC of NLC knows ership of Nigeria Union of Petroleum and that there are 36 Governors , votes were Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, and Pe35 not 37 . Governor Amechi got 19 votes troleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Asand Governor Jang got 16 votes. So what sociation of Nigeria, PENGASSAN, durdid the NLC NEC perceive as ' some- ing the June 12 political crisis earned the thing fundamental that must have two unions the reputation they have togone wrong somewhere?". day.

An informed leadership of the NLC

,

BY FUNMI KOMOLAFE

,

Bits NLC opposes removal of minimum wage from Exclusive legislative list

N

IGERIA Labour Congress, NLC, has warned that the planned removal of the national minimum wage from the Exclusive legislative list to concurrent by the Senate, would spell doom for the nation.

NLC called on the Senate to retrace its steps and be on the side of reason, people, justice and history by ensuring that the minimum wage law remained on the Exclusive List, in the interest of industrial peace and harmony, enhanced productivity and national security.

It argued that beside the issue of wages, other equally serious challenges of legislation included organisation and administration of labour relations justice system as contained in item 34, Exclusive Legislative List, Second Schedule, 1999 Constitution (as amended), stressing that it would be an invitation to confusion, chaos, possible anarchy in the polity and judicial nightmare.

In a statement by its President, Abdulwahed Omar, NLC expressed concern the moves by the Senate to remove the national minimum wage law from the Exclusive List in defiance of reason, popular opinion and protection of the interest of the weak and the vulnerable.

...ASCSN too

A

SSOCIATION of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria, ASCSN, has kicked against planned deregulation of the national minimum wage by the Senate, warning that it would lead to anarchy in the industrial relation arena in the country and negatively affect the democratic process, if allowed to sail through.

Highlighting the flaws inherent in the Senate’s proposed amendment in which wage would be removed from the Exclusive Legislative List in the Second Schedule of the 1999 Constitution as amended and placed in the Concurrent Legislative List, ASCSN Secretary-General, Alade Bashir Lawal,in a statement, argued that such action would further impoverish workers and their dependents as many State Governors would want to pay as low as N5,000 Minimum Wage to their workers.

ASCSN recalled that a recent report by the National Bureau of Statistics, NBS, showed that about 112 million Nigerians were living below poverty line and advised the senate to focus more on how to alleviate poverty among the citizens instead of being preoccupied with how to compound their poverty.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, JULY 4, 2013 — 55

56 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, JULY 4, 2013

Vanguard, THURSDAY, JULY 4, 2013 — 57

58—Vanguard, THURSDAY, JULY 4, 2013

Uduaghan, DWSC, Tompolo move to avert fresh Ijaw/Itsekiri war •Death toll rises to 8 •Armed group vows to continue attack

BY EMMA AMAIZE & EMMA ARUBI

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ARRI—DELTA State Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, yesterday, moved to ward-off a fresh war between Ijaw and Itsekiri ethnic groups in the state over alleged political agitation in Warri North Local Government Area by militia, Egbema Radical Group, ERG. The group, which, Tuesday, allegedly killed four persons and razed three Itsekiri communities in the council, however, vowed, yesterday, to continue with the offensive, if its demand for political justice in the council was not addressed. A source hinted that the death toll had risen to eight even as sporadic gunshots were heard in some riverside communities, yesterday. Residents in both ethnic divides were said to be fleeing the creeks in droves.

Also to stop the violence from degenerating into a full-scale war, Delta Waterways Security Committee, DWSC, Warri and some concerned Ijaw/Itsekiri leaders were separately strategising, yesterday, on how to fish out the criminals and hand them over to security agents.

Besides, founder of the defunct Movement for the Emancipation of Niger-Delta, MEND, Government Ekpemupolo, alias Tompolo, has also intervened to get the group to let peace reign. A coalition of ex-militant leaders from Warri North, led by the leader of disbanded Deadly Underdogs, “Gen” Ezekiel Akpasubowei, and “Gen” Aroni Oputu, as well as other youth leaders, including Alhaji Emma Omoko and Apostle Sunny Jero condemned the action of the Egbema Radical Group, yesterday.

From the human right community also came denunciation for the insurgents. Coordinator of Peace Advocate and chair of Ogbinbiri Federated Community, Joel Bisina and National Coordinator of Ijaw People Development Initiative, Mr. Austin Ozobo frowned at the attack.

We killed them – ERG Meantime, spokesperson of ERG, Ami Dada, told Vanguard on phone, that the group was not denying responsibility for the attack on Itsekiri communities and killing of some persons. He denied that members of the group were kidnappers, sea pirates and terrorists, saying: “That is what they keep calling us, but I tell you, we are not, we are agita-

tors. It is because of lack of fair play and marginalisation against the Ijaw of Warri North by the Itsekiri, who control political power in the council and do not want Ijaw to produce chairman of the council.”

Dada, however, explained that the group did not turn out on Tuesday morning to commit mayhem, but was provoked by Itsekiri youths, who allegedly attacked them.

He said: “We came out on Tuesday morning in line with our protest to block the boats that were passing our area. It was meant to be a peaceful protest to stop transport boats, but on our way out, some Itsekiri youths wanted to stop us, we resisted and pursued them. They ran into some of their communities and we went after them because of anger. We are not denying that we are the ones that carried out the action.”

Dada said the group was prepared to carry out further attacks and would not stop until the government addressed the political injustice against the Ijaw people.

He noted: “There will be no election and there will be no peace in Warri North until our demand is looked into. We are fully ready. Today, (Wednesday) in some of the Itsekiri communities, we were hearing gunshots, there is panic in the riverside communities. People are running, our people are also running. It is only justice that will end this struggle.”

Joint Task Force, JTF, was said to have mobilised soldiers to confront the group, but Vanguard was informed that the authorities want specific information on the hideouts of the armed group, so as not to fire at innocent persons.

Uduaghan on top of the situation Governor Uduaghan was reportedly briefed on the violence as it erupted Tuesday and he discussed with heads of security agencies in the state on how to combat the armed group and stop the crisis from spreading. He was scheduled to meet with Ijaw and Itsekiri leaders from Warri North on how to fish out members of the insurgent group, yesterday, but Vanguard could not confirm if the meeting held.

One of the security chiefs, who contacted the governor on the matter, told Vanguard “The governor was briefed as the crisis was unfolding; it was not really a fight between Itsekiri and Ijaw.

L-R: Mr Vincent Maduka, former President of the Nigerian Academy of Engineering and Dr Eugene Juwah, Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) at a dinner organized by the academy in Lagos

It is just some criminals that are bent on fomenting trouble and he is looking into the matter.”

Also in reaction to the development, the state government, yesterday, banned movement of all speed boats of two horse power and above in the waterways in Warri North council. Secretary to the Delta State Government, Mr Ovuozorie Macaulay, who made the disclosure while addressing reporters shortly after the Delta State Security Council meeting in Asaba, said security operatives had been mandated to arrest youths, who hide under the guise of youth associations to engage in nefarious activities.

Law banningactivities of youthorganisations still in force—Macaulay He said “the existing law banning the activities of youth organisations in the state is still in force.”

Macaulay, flanked by the Commissioner of Police, Delta State Command, Mr. Ikechukwu Aduba and heads of different security agencies in the state, observed that the Security Council, chaired

by Governor Uduaghan, decried the present skirmishes witnessed in some communities in Warri North and commiserated with affected victims and families.

He appealed for calm, noting: “Security agencies are on top of the situation and they should be allowed to do their work. Council notes with regret the recent happenings in Warri North within the last few days. We commiserate with victims and affected families. Security operatives are in control of the situation and they should be allowed to do their duties. People should be calm and go about their normal duties. Council approved the ban on all movement on the waterways in Warri North from 6.00pm to 7.00am to check further skirmishes in the area.”

Vice chairmen of DWSC, Chief Boro Opudu, confirmed to Vanguard that the committee had waded into the matter. He said: “All hands are on deck to fish out the culprits. The Ijaw and Itseki-

ri people have no quarrel in the state. I condemn the act and we are working to ensure that the matter does not degenerate into another Ijaw/Itsekiri war.”

Secretary of DWSC, Mr. Patrick Origho, said members of committee from Warri North axis had been on ground monitoring the situation and assisting security agencies to handle the situation.

The Area Commander, Police, Warri, Assistant Commissioner of Police, Hussaini Rabiu, visited Mr. Origho, yesterday, for information on the armed group.

Meanwhile, former secretary of the Ijaw Youth Council, Western zone, Mr. Paul Bebenimibo, confirmed to Vanguard that Chief Ekpemupolo, had intervened in the matter “to get the boys to sheathe sword.” He said information that reached him indicated that the boys that carried out the attack were criminals.

These boys are not fighting Ijaw agenda —Akpasubowei “Gen” Akpasubowei, who was furious with the group noted: “I and other Ijaw leaders are distancing ourselves from activities of these boys, they are not fighting Ijaw agenda. They are not fighting Egbema cause, nobody sent them. I do not think violence is the only option left to the Ijaw of Warri North on this matter.”

One of the concerned Ijaw/Itsekiri leaders, who spoke to Vanguard on condition of anonymity, said “We met in Asaba, Warri and Koko between Tuesday and Wednesday and our collective resolve was that we will fish out the boys involved in this incident.

It is not Ijaw youths, it is just some particular group of persons, we know them. We have been telling them to calm down, but they refused, insisting on violence, you can see what they have caused. They have no place to hide, the JTF cannot get them because they do not know them, we know them and we are ready to take them to where they are under cover. We will work with the state government and security agencies.”

He said members of the group

were responsible for the recent mayhem in the council, adding, “Five of them were arrested and remanded in Sapele Prison on court order. The case is coming up on 24 of this month, but instead of waiting for justice to take its course, they are killing people and burning houses.”

Similarly, an activist, Mr. Bisina in a statement, said “After a consultative meeting of Ogbinbiri Federated Communities, we wish to condemn the dastardly act of cowardice exhibited by persons responsible for destruction of communities in Warri North.

Increase in Police presence inb Warri North necessary—Bisina We request security operatives to move quickly into the area with a view to fishing out the perpetrators and bringing them to justice. We also call on the Nigeria Police Force to increase their presence in Warri North.”

IPDI coordinator, Mr. Ozobo, said “We do not encourage any killing and crisis between Ijaw/ Itsekiri, it is time we be our brother’s keeper. It is not fair that we cannot settle our differences without resort to crisis. In civilized societies, crisis is not the best option to drive home our demand. I blame the government for not resolving this issue earlier; it would not have led to this kind of violence if the governor was interested in peace among these tribes.”

An Egbema youth leader, Epibade Kari, who gave deep insight into the problem told Vanguard: “It is true that Itsekiri villages were attacked, houses were burnt and some persons killed. Both the Ijaws of Egbema and Itsekiri of Warri North knew this. We have been telling our Ijaw brothers that the issue they are angling to wage war over was better negotiated at a roundtable.

“We told them that violence cannot settle the matter between both tribes. We are brothers. We inter-marry and live in the same area. All of us know the perpetrators."

Vanguard, THURSD AY, JULY 4, 2013 —59 THURSDA

USAID-FHI360 funded TB lab will ensure proper diagnosis — Experts

BY CHIOMA OBINNA ITH the establishment of USAIDFHI360 funded laboratory at the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research, NIMR, experts have described it as a milestone in the pursuit of excellence in the overall treatment programme of tuberculosis in Nigeria.

The expansion and upgrading of the Biological Safety Level three Laboratory for Multi-Drug Resistant

W

Tuberculosis, which will provide diagnostic services, will not only move up indices of case detection and proper diagnosis, but reduce the number of deaths currently recorded from improper diagnosis and treatment of TB patients in Nigeria Tuberculosis, TB, remains an epidemic around the world and a major public health problem in Nigeria, with the country ranked 10th among the 22 high

• Researchers in a TB laboratory centre. Inset is the Director-General , Nigeria Institute of Medical Research, NIMR, Prof. Innocent Ujah.

TB burden countries that contribute 80 percent of the global TB burden.

Worst still, resistance to anti-tuberculosis drugs is an emerging threat to tuberculosis control in Nigeria and has been documented in nearly 90 countries. Drug-resistant tuberculosis (DRTB) often results from treatment with inadequate drugs, improper case management and poor adherence to the treatment regimen. According to the National drug resistant survey of 20 I 0, the MDR- TB prevalence in Nigeria stands at 2.9 percent.

TB patients in Nigeria will now have access to comprehensive and quality treatment comparable to anywhere in the world.

Speaking in Lagos, United States Consular-General, Nigeria, Mr. Jeff Hawkins, who said the United State government through the United States Agency for International Development, USAID, has supported the construction and equipping of TB laboratories in at least seven different locations in Nigeria to the tune o N1.24 billion ($7.5m) pledged the US government continued support to Nigeria healthcare in the areas of research on TB, HIV, Malaria running into $500 million per year.

Hawkins, who spoke at the official launch of the TB Biosafety Level 3 Laboratory donated to NIMR, said in wider terms, the American government is an important partner to the Nigerian government, as the former supports the lat-

ter in different areas of health programmes against HIV/AIDS, TB, and malaria, with research funding totaling about $500m per annum.

The Family Health International, through the USAID-funded TBCare Project, facilitated the establishment of NIMR’s ultra-modern BSL3 reference laboratory.

The Country Director of the FHI 360, Dr. Robert Chiegil, lamented that the burden of TB is compounded by its prevalence among people living with HIV, saying that the main goal of the USAID-FHI 360 intervention exercise was to halve the TB prevalence and death rates in Nigeria by 2015.

Chiegil explained that as a result of external funding, in collaboration with the Nigerian Government, TB death rates had declined from 11 per cent in 2006 to five per cent in 2010. “Consequently, we are assured of achieving the set goal,” he added Commissioning the laboratory, the Minister of State for Health, Dr. Ali Pate, acknowledged that the ultra modern diagnostic facility would boost the treatment of TB cases in Nigeria as well as improve proper understanding of TB related cases.

The Director-General of the institute, Prof. Innocent Ujah, said the new facility would promote proper diagnosis and help in reducing the number of deaths occasioned by improper diagnosis and treatment of TB patients in Nigeria.

COMMON SEXUAL PROBLEMS AND THEIR NOVELTY BASED SOLUTIONS (ADVERTORIAL)

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60 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, JULY 4, 2013

Egypt: Morsi out, army takes over govt E

GYPT’S military yes terday deposed the country’s first democratically elected president , installing the head of the country ’s highest court as an interim leader, the country ’s top general has announced.

Gen. Abdul Fattah AlSisi said the military was fulfilling its “historic responsibility” to protect the country by ousting Mohamed Morsi, the Western-educated Islamist leader elected a year ago.

Morsi failed to meet demands to share power with opponents who thronged the streets of Cairo, and those crowds erupted as the announcement was made.

Ahead of the statement, troops moved into key positions around the capital and surrounded a demonstration by Morsi’s supporters in a Cairo suburb.

At the final hour, Morsi offered to form an interim coalition government “that would manage the upcoming parliamentary electoral process, and the formation of an independent committee for constitutional amendments to submit to the upcoming parliament,” he said in a posting on his Facebook page.

He noted that hundreds of thousands of supporters and protesters had packed plazas around the country, and he urged that his countrymen be allowed to express their opinions through the ballot box.

“One of the mistakes I cannot accept — as the president of all Egyptians — is to side with one party over another, or to present the scene from one side only. To be fair, we need to listen to the voice of people in all squares,” the statement read.

But as night fell yesterday , troops surrounded a pro-Morsi demonstration at a Cairo mosque and took control of a key bridge across the Nile River. Gehad El-Haddad, a spokesman for the Muslim

Brotherhood, reported via Twitter that tanks were on the streets.

Morsi was said to be working from a complex belonging to the country’s Republican Guard, across the street from the presidential palace, according to Egyptian state media. Reuters reported that troops were setting up barricades around that facility.

In Washington, State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said the U.S. government — Egypt’s leading ally — could not confirm reports of a coup. Psaki said the United States is not taking sides and urged all parties to come to a peaceful resolution to the “tense and fastmoving” situation.

Coup allegation: An aide, Essam El Haddad, had said in a Facebook posting that a coup was under way and warned that the gener-

•General Abdul Fattah al-Sisi in als risked bloodshed by moving against Morsi.

“Today, only one thing matters.

In this day and age, no military coup can succeed in the face of sizable popular force without considerable bloodshed,” wrote El Haddad, who works in the office of the assistant to the president on for-

•Morsi out

eign relations. “Who among you is ready to shoulder that blame?”

“In a democracy, there are simple consequences for the situation we see in Egypt: The president loses the next election or his party gets penalized in the upcoming parliamentary elections. Anything else is mob rule,” he added.

But Naguib Abadeer, a member of the opposition Free Egyptians Party, said what was under way “is not by any means a military coup.

This is a revolution.”

“The people have decided that Mr. Morsi was no longer the legitimate leader of Egypt,” he told CNN. Abadeer said Morsi lost his legitimacy in November, when he declared courts could not review his decrees and ousted the country ’s prosecutor-general.

Egypt timeline: From revolution to the current crisis Jan 25 - Feb 11, 2011: Egyptians stage nationwide demonstrations against the rule of President Hosni Mubarak. Hundreds of protesters are killed as Mubarak and his allies try to crush the uprising.

Feb 11: Mubarak steps down and turns power over to the military. The military dissolves parliament and suspends the constitution, meeting two key demands of protesters. March 19 : In the first post-Mubarak vote, Egyptians cast ballots on constitutional amendments sponsored by the military. The measures are overwhelmingly approved. Oct 9: Troops crush a protest by Christians in Cairo over a church attack, killing more than 25 protesters.

Nov. 28, 2011 – Feb 15, 2012: Egypt holds weeks-long parliamentary elections. In the lower house, the Muslim Brotherhood wins nearly half the seats, and ultraconservative Salafis take another quarter. The remainder goes to liberal, independent and secular politicians. In the largely powerless upper house, Islamists take nearly 90 per cent of the seats.

May 23 – 24, 2012 : The first round of voting in presidential elections has a field of 13 candidates. Morsi and Ahmed Shafiq, the last prime minister under Mubarak, emerge as the top two finishers, to face each other in a run-off.

June 14 : The Supreme Constitutional Court orders the dissolving of the lower house of parliament.

June 16-17 : Egyptians vote in the presidential run-off between Morsi and Shafiq. Morsi wins with 51.7 per cent of the vote.

June 30 : Morsi takes his oath of office.

Aug. 12 :Morsi orders the retirement of the top Mubarak-era leadership of the military.

Nov 19 : Members of liberal parties and representatives of Egypt’s churches withdraw from the 100-member assembly writing the constitution, protesting attempts by Islamists to impose their will.

Nov 22 : Morsi unilaterally decrees greater powers for himself, giving his decisions immunity from judicial review and barring the courts from dissolving the constituent assembly and the upper house of parliament. The move sparks days of protests.

Nov 30 : Islamists in the constituent assembly rush to complete the draft of the constitution. Morsi sets a Dec 15 date for a referendum.

Dec 4 : More than 100,000 protesters march on the presidential palace, demanding the cancellation of the referendum and the writing of a new constitution. The next day, Islamists attack an anti-Morsi sit-in, sparking street battles that leave at least 10 dead. Dec 15, Dec 22 : In the two-round referendum, Egyptians approve the constitution, with 63.8 per cent voting in favour. Turnout is low. Dec 29 : The Egyptian Central Bank announces that foreign reserves – drained to $15 billion from $36 billion in 2010 – have fallen to a “critical minimum” and tries to stop a sharp slide in the value of the Egyptian pound. It now stands at just over 7 to the dollar, compared to 5.5 to the dollar in 2010.

Jan 25, 2013 – Hundreds of thousands hold protests against Morsi on the 2-year anniversary of the start of the revolt against Mubarak, and clashes erupt in many places.

Feb – March 2013 : Protests rage in Port Said and other cities for weeks, with dozens more dying in clashes.

April 7 : A Muslim mob attacks the main cathedral of the Coptic Orthodox Church as Christians hold a funeral and protest there over four Christians killed in sectarian violence the day before. Pope Tawadros II publicly blames Morsi for failing to protect the building. May 7: Morsi reshuffles his Cabinet. Officials say the changes aim to finalise long-stalled negotiations with the International Monetary Fund for a crucial $4.8 billion loan, which requires reductions to fuel and food subsidies. A deal on the loan has still not been reached. June 23 : A mob beats to death four Egyptian Shiites in a village on the edge of Cairo.

June 30: Millions of Egyptians demonstrate, calling for Morsi to step down. Eight people are killed in clashes outside the Muslim Brotherhood’s Cairo headquarters. July 1: Large-scale demonstrations continue, and Egypt’s powerful military gives the two sides 48 hours to resolve their disputes, or it will impose its own solution.July 2 Military officials disclose main details of their plan if no agreement is reached: replacing Morsi with an interim administration, cancelling the Islamist-based constitution and calling elections in a year. July 3: Deadline for Morsi and opponents to come to agreement, or the military says it will impose its plan.

VANGUARD, THURSDAY, JULY 4, 2013 — 61

Reps invite Elegbeleye over missing He further said that the led by Mallam N3 billion team Committee would not Mustapha Mohammed, a

BY OKEY NDIRIBE

T

HE House of Representatives yesterday invited the Director General of the National Sports Commission (NSC) Hon. Gbenga Elegbeleye over several queries raised against the sports regulatory body by the Auditor General of the Federation,AuGF amounting to over N3.085 billion in the 2010 financial year.

The DG, a former member of the House was billed to appear before the Committee on Wednesday to defend the queries after several invitations but he sent a

Director in the Commission which the Committee turned back and insisted on the physical appearance of the DG. The invitation was sent by the House Committee on Public Accounts Hon. Solomon Olamilekan Adeola.

He ruled that the Director was not competent to defend the queries adding that it was in the same manner that officials of the Commission shielded a former DG of the Commission from honouring several invitations extended to him before his tenure expired.

Obuh

Continues from BP insisted that his boys put up a good fight..

The Flying Eagles crashed out of the Fifa Under-20 World Cup on Tuesday after losing 1-2 to Uruguay in Istanbul with Obuh stating in a thinly-veiled comment that the defeat to the South Americans may be the last time he will sit in the team’s dug out.

“Our target at this tournament was not to leave the stage this early but I hope the next coach will take it from where I

stopped,” he said.

“Despite playing a man short for half of the match, we fought a good fight,” adding, “the match has been won and lost and we accept the loss in good faith.”

Obuh had previously managed Nigeria’s Under-17 team, the Golden Eaglets.

He was also in charge of the Nigeria Under-20 side that reached the quarterfinal at the 2011 Fifa Under-20 World Cup in Colombia.

Amadu Continues from BP Saturday ’s qualifier against Nigeria in Kaduna, Amadu reflected that the country ’s absence from the first two editions of the championship was down to lack of

experience and exposure of the homebased professionals.

“We failed to qualify for the inaugural edition hosted by Cote d’Ivoire after failing to beat Ghana in Calabar, and in the qualifying

Messi Continues from BP he was capable of, the Brazilian went one further last night. During a charity match against a Messi XI, Neymarnettedabrilliant45-

yard lob.

It was a light-hearted game with Neymar showing off many of his silky skills while Messi banged in even more goals in an 8-5 win.

Obama Continues from BP ed by two Harvard graduates — to store enough energy to power small electrical devices such as

mobiles and lamps for hours. Hundreds are set to be distributed across the continent to help bring electricity to remote areas.

allow that to happen again.

Consequently, the Committee directed Hon Elegbeleye to appear physically before next Tuesday by 1 00 pm and mandated the Clerk of the Committee.Mr P W Giwa to give an official letter of invitation by hand to the Director, Mallam Mohammed to personally deliver to the DG so that there would be no room for any excuse again.

The queries raised against the NSC included the sum of N3,022,643,033.23 released through the Commission to the Nigerian Football Federation, NFF.

Murray Continues from BP seed, fought back to beat the Spaniard 4-6 3-6 6-1 6-4 7-5 and reach the semi-finals for the fifth year in a row.

The Scot, 26, had looked like joining Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal as the latest victim of a huge upset, but battled through in three hours and 27 minutes.

He moves on to face 24th seed Jerzy Janowicz in Friday’s semi-finals, after the Pole beat his compatriot Lukasz Kubot 7-5 6-4 6-4 on Court One. Top seed Novak Djokovic made smooth progress in the other half of the draw, beating Tomas Berdych in three sets to set up a semi-final against Juan Martin Del Potro.

Murray can still take advantage of an unexpected path to the final, but he produced an uncertain performance in the face of some heavy hitting from Verdasco.

The Spaniard, 29, made plenty of errors off his favoured forehand but kept the Scot on the defensive, fending off two break points in the first set with some good serving.

Murray was increasingly under pressure on his second serve, and in an edgy 10th game it came as no great surprise when he handed over the set with a double fault

62 — VANGUARD, THURSDAY, JULY 4, 2013

P.O.C. Achebe, the man who returned millions to govt goes home

BY JACOB AJOM

L

ATE Philip Onuora Chikaodili Achebe was thrice the Secretary General of the Nigeria Football Association.

Achebe was one of only two Nigerians to have headed the secretariat of the former Nigeria Football Association as he was a man of integrity and class.

Born on October 24, 1931 in Ogidi, Idemili Local Government of Anambra State. After his early education at Denis Memorial Secondary School Onitsha, the renowned football administrator began his working career at the Nigeria Railway Corporation. The fifth of nine children, he had then assumed the full headship of the Achebe Family in accordance with his late father ’s wish. It was after the Nigerian civil war that P.O.C began his romance with sports, and football in particular.

Achebe joined the National Sports Commission as an Assistant Secretary General in 1971.

Because of his proficiency and hard work, he rose to the rank of Secretary General of the Nigeria Football Association in 1973. His reign witnessed great strides in the life of the national football team,

then, the Green Eagles.

Apart from taking the team to numerous countries on training tours, the Green Eagles won the 1973 gold at the All Africa Games, Nigeria’s first major title in soccer.

In 1991, Achebe was leader of the NFA delegation to the first FIFA Women World Cup in China and 1994 he led another NFF delegation to the USA ’94 FIFA World Cup. Achebe died March 9, 2013 in Atlanta, USA. He is remembered for his integrity, hard work and ability to groom people. Achebe was famous for bringing up talents like celebrated former Secretary Generals of the Nigeria Football Association, Late Patrick Okpomo and Sani Toro, a former board member of the Nigeria Football Association, Nwabufo Obienu, Steve Olarinoye, among others.

“I can remember him for so many things,” Barrister Nwabufo Obienu, one of the former students of the late Achebe said. “He was an encyclopedia of football. An honest man who on return from international tournaments retired millions of American Dollars as unspent funds into the coffers of the federal government.

He was a rare man.”

It is on record that in 1991 when the late football administrator led the Nigerian delegation to China for the first FIFA Women World Cup he returned $7.5 million US Dollars as unspent fund to government treasury. In 1992, he was at the Nations Cup in Senegal and returned $5m to the coffers of the Federal Government.

In 1994, Achebe repeated the feat with the sum of $5 million US Dollars on return from the USA ’94 World Cup. Obienu admitted, “Achebe taught me many things. In 1986, I was a very young member of the Rangers board.

Achebe who was the Organising Secretary and also on the board took me as his son and was always there to guide me. He could work for long hours and ensured everything worked according to the rules.”

The former chairman of Udoji United Football Club said, “if Achebe were alive and in charge of affairs in Rangers today, they would not have found themselves in the present mess of disqualification from the Confederation Cup by CAF. “He would have ensured the appeal succeeded because he would put the facts straight and CAF would not have had a choice than to agree with him.

Rangers won many

Madam Nyong set for burial T

HE body of late Madam Odo Thomas Efa Nyong, mother of renowned Lagos-based sports journalist, Effiong Nyong will be laid to rest on July 20 at Hawkins Cemeter y, Clabar, Cross River State.

According to burial arrangements released by the family activities leading to the burial will commence on Monday 15th July with the opening of the mourning house at the

residence of the late women leader, 44, White House Street, Calabar.

There will be a Christian wake keep at Duke Town Presbyterian Church, Eyamba Street Calabar on Friday 19 th . A funeral service will be held at the same church on Saturday, 20 th July at 10 a.m.

Interment follows immediately after service at Hawkins cemetery.

•Late Madam Nyong

laurels under Achebe’s reign.”

According to the burial arrangement by the family, the final journey for the late NFA scribe would begin on Wednesday, July 10 with a Christian wake at his Enugu residence, 1-3 Ekulu Avenue, Riverside Housing Estate, Abakpa Nike.

On Thursday, July 11, there will be a service of songs in his home town, Ogidi at 30, 1st Choice Hotel Street, Ogbotu Ikenga, Ogidi.

Body leaves Iyenu Hospital motuary on Friday 12th July for a lying-in-state in his compound which will precede a burial service at St Paul’s Anglican Church, Ogidi.

Interment follows immediately after.

•Late P.O.C. Achebe

Vanguard, THURSDAY, JULY 4, 2013 — 63

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VANGUARD, THURSDAY, JULY 4, 2013

Header of free world H EAD of state Barack Obama shows off his ball skills — with a version which can charge up a phone.

The sports-mad US President kicked and

headed the “Soccket Ball” Wednesday on the Tanzanian leg of his African tour.

Thirty minutes of play allows the ball — invent Continues on Page 61

Obuh quits in Turkey •Gives valedictory speech •Insists Flying Eagles fought a good fight

H

EAD coach of the Nigeria Under20 team, John Obuh has dropped the strongest possible hint that he may have managed his last game as Flying Eagles gaffer even as he Continues on Page 61

Murray in 5-set thriller

B

RITISH number one Andy Murray kept his hopes of winning Wimbledon alive with a dramatic five-set win over Fernando Verdasco on Centre Court.

Murray, the second Continues on Page 61

Head of State —Obama shows skill.

No stopping Eagles — Amadu Messi, Neymar in goal clasico N N

TOP 10s ... Neymar and Lionel Messi

EYMAR has al ready shown he can score wonder goals

at the Confederations Cup. But just to make sure

his new team-mate Lionel Messi knew what Continues on Page 61

IGERIA’s Super Eagles stand a great chance of reaching the African Nations Championship finals for

the first time as the team is now much stronger and exposed, says NFF General Secretary, Barrister Musa

Amadu.

Speaking in Abuja on Wednesday, hours before the arrival of the Ivorian Elephants for Continues on Page 61

QUICK CROSSWORD

Sudoku TODAY'S

PUZZLE

YESTER DAY'S YESTERDAY'S

ANSWERS

ACROSS 2 Fragrance (5) 2 Shout (4) 8 Shoot (6) 9 Ground (5) 11 Prosecute (3) 13 Fish (3) 15 Marquee (4) 16 Illuminated (3) 18 Tender (4) 19 Commissionaires (7) 20 Vanquish (4) 22 Pain (4) 23 Recounted (7) 25 Flat (4) 27 Youth (3) 28 Record (4) 30 Performed (3) 31 Plaything (3) 33 Lurk (5) 36 Figurine (6) 37 Bird (4) 38 Cereal (5)

DOWN 1 Obscure (5) 2 Beer (3) 3 Scull (3) 4 Tree (3) 5 Sphere (3) 6 Teacher (5) 10 Threesome (4) 11 Began (7) 12 Ascertained (7) 13 Pride (7) 14 Propriety (7) 16 Regional (5) 17 Attempted (5) 18 Ocean (3) 21 Number (3) 24 Speak (4) 26 View (5) 29 Compact (5) 32 Pig-pen (3) 33 Stitch (3) 34 Employ (3) 35 Equipment (3)

YESTERDAY'S SOLUTIONS ACROSS: 1, Slur 4, Saw 6, Cask 9, Ago 10, Customer 11, Belt 14, Eon 16, Blade 19, Republic 21, Bigot 23, Christen 24, Speak 27, Tun 31, Dose 33, Industry 34, Via 35, Rend 36, Gem 37, Yawn.

How to Play Sudoku

DOWN: 2, Laud 3, Rite 4, Symbolic 5, Work 6, Cabal 7, Age 8, Solid 12, Argus 13, Spice 14, Ebb 15, Night 17, Amity 18, Emend 20, Corundum 22, Tin 25, Prove 26, Ahead 28, Ring 29, Espy 30, Crew 32, Sin.

TWO WEEKS TO LIVE

P

lace a number (1-9) in each blank cell. (No line can have two of the same number).

Each row (nine lines from left to right), column, (also nine lines from top to bottom) and 3 X 3 block within a bold block (nine blocks) contains number from 1 through 9. This means that no number can appear twice in any block, column or row.

No mathematics is involved – no adding, subtraction, division or multiplication, just plain logic and your imagination.

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