How Kwara CP was murdered — Orderly, driver

...towards a better life for the people VOL. 25: NO. 61831

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ONLINE | www.vanguardngr.com

N150

TUESDAY, MARCH 5, 2013

COLUMNISTS

3RD MAINLAND BRIDGE:

FG engages consultants to determine required 7 .4 maintenance g •P

The unending mystery over Ezu River murders AT Ezu River, a police post is located less than 250 metres from the bridge on the river. It was not new and was close enough to observe the reported movements on January 19. But the Anambra State Police Commissioner, Bala Nasarawa, indicated that his command did not kill anybody or dump corpses in the river. He states: “I am against extra judicial killing and I have warned my officers and men not to indulge in extra-judicial killing.”

•P.19

See pages 28 & 29 for the special report.

•PG.17

How Kwara CP was murdered — Orderly, driver

Gov Chime pledges N10m reward for information

BY EMMA NNADOZIE, CRIME EDITOR, TONY EDIKE & EVELYN USMAN

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NUGU— POLICE Corporal Oliver Omeh and Aloha Olaniyi, the orderly and driver to the slain Kwara State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Chinwike Asadu, Continues on Page 5

Mr & Mrs

VATICAN TALKS:

A cross section of Cardinals during the opening talks at the Vatican, ahead of a conclave to elect a new pope after Benedict XVI's resignation, yesterday. The Vatican meetings will set the date for the start of the conclave this month and help identify candidates among the cardinals to be the next leader of the world's 1.2 billion Catholics. Photo: AFP.

See story on Page 8.

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POCKET CARTOON

VISIT: President Goodluck Jonathan (right) and Commonwealth Secretary-General, Mr Kamalesh Sharma during his visit to Abuja, yesterday.

How Kwara CP was murdered, by driver Continues from page 1 yesterday, narrated how four gunmen attacked them and killed their boss on Saturday night.

They revealed that a man in police uniform was among the four gunmen that attacked the Police Commissioner while driving into his house after dropping a lawyer friend who visited him that fateful evening. The identity of the lawyer was not known at press time.

The two policemen

who are now being treated at the National Orthopaedic Hospital and the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, UNTH, Enugu said the Police Commissioner drove the red coloured Toyota Camry in which they were attacked.

They narrated from their hospital beds that while CP Asadu was driving to his house, a bus overtook them and blocked their car.

The driver, Olaniyi,

LIFEWORDS

B

BY PASTOR ITUAH

E thankful for your place in the family. Mod ern Psychology tells us that it is bad to be an orphan, Damaging to be the youngest, Crushing to be in the middle, tasking to be the oldest...there is no way out...except to be born an adult, which is an irony of life, be content.

TAKE HEART

BY ELLA RANDLE

W

HATEVER you do, you need courage.

Whatever course you decide upon, there is always someone to tell you that you are wrong.

There are always difficulties arising that tempt you to believe your critics are right. To map out a course of action and follow it to an end requires some of the same courage that a soldier needs.

Peace has its victories, but it takes brave men and women to win them” —Ralph Wadlo Emerson.

Steve Maraboli sums it beautifully: “When a new day begins, dare to smile gratefully. When there is darkness, dare to be the first to shine a light. When there is injustice, dare to be the first to condemn it.

When something seems difficult, dare to do it anyway. When life seems to beat you down, dare to fight back.

"When there seems to be no hope, dare to find some. When you’re feeling tired, dare to keep going. When times are tough, dare to be tougher.

When love hurts you, dare to love again.

"When someone is hurting, dare to help them heal.

When another is lost, dare to help them find the way. When a friend falls, dare to be the first to extend a hand. When you cross paths with another, dare to make them smile.

"When you feel great, dare to help someone else feel great too.

When the day has ended, dare to feel as you’ve done your best. Dare to be the best you can.

"At all times, dare to be!”

was in front of the car with the Police Commissioner while the police corporal, Omeh, who was deployed from the Abakpa Police Division to guard the Police Commissioner ’s house, was in uniform and at the back seat with his AK47 rifle.

According to the driver, “one of the gunmen ordered the commissioner to get down from the car and as he opened to alight, his orderly in mufti in front with him also opened the door apparently to identify themselves but when the heavily armed assailants saw a policeman in uniform (Omeh) in the car, they suspected that he would shoot them and they immediately opened fire.

The gunmen shot the commissioner, the orderly and the police corporal at close range several times and they all fell to the ground bleeding profusely before sympathizers and members of the commissioner ’s escort team rushed to the scene.

The orderly and the driver revealed that Asadu casually went out that evening to drop the friend and while driving out he only asked the orderly who was with a pistol and the corporal to escort him leaving behind the escort team.

Doctors at the UNTH are still battling to remove the bullets lodged in the body of the police corporal though the doctors said three bullets had already been extracted.

Gov Chime pledges N10m reward Meanwhile, Governor Sullivan Chime, yesterday, announced a N10 million reward for anybody that would volunteer information that could lead to the arrest of those behind last Saturday’s killing of CP Asadu.

Speaking when he paid a condolence visit to the family of the deceased police commissioner, Governor Chime described the incident as a big embarrassment not only to the police but also the country at large.

Said he: “This is most embarrassing not just to the police, but to the nation. For a senior police officer to be killed in such a manner, to me is quite unfortunate and the state government has decided to take a position on this to show the seriousness of what has happened, it has followed a pattern. What they do now is to follow and kill people with escorts; they kill and collect the guns of their victims. I think it has taken a pattern. So we are paying a ransom of N10 million for anybody that will give us information that will lead to the arrest of the culprits to show the seriousness. It’s quite embarrassing.”

...pledges assistance While noting that the state would provide all necessary assistance to security agencies in the country to ensure that

the killers of CP Asadu were tracked down and brought to book, the governor described the killing as shocking and dastardly, adding that no effort would be spared to fish out the culprits.

He expressed regret that Mr Asadu, who was an indigene of Enugu State, suffered such a cruel fate after many years of dedicated service to the nation, adding that the development was even more disheartening as Asadu was close to retirement from service when he was murdered.

Chime extended his condolences to the Inspector General of Police, the family of the deceased Police Commissioner and the government and people of Kwara State, assuring them that the people of Enugu State shared their grief and outrage over the unfortunate incident.

He further disclosed that his government would be well disposed to assisting the family in whichever way to ameliorate the pains that the killing of the CP would cause them.

He also that to tackle the increasing spate of insecurity in the state, the government had procured police vans which would be handed over in a week’s time.

Responding on behalf of the bereaved family, the first son of the late CP, Onyekachi Asadu, expressed appreciation to the police command in the state, the governor and the nation at large for the outpouring of emotions to the family since the incident happened.

Police on red alert The police in Enugu on their part said they had placed a red alert on all divisions in the state with a view to rounding up killers. The state police spokesman, Ebere Amarizu, who disclosed this, yesterday, assured

that the command was on top of the situation, stating that no arrest had been made in connection with the murder for now.

He said a stop-andsearch operation had commenced in all the divisions of the state.

Nsukka Professionals, others task IG In their reaction, Nsukka Professionals in Lagos called on the Inspector-General of Police to use his good offices and ensure that no stone was left unturned in fishing out killers of the police boss.

According the group, “Chinwike Asadu was too gentle, amiable, humane and kind-hearted to be so gruesomely murdered.

The killers have certainly incurred God’s anger and they must pay for it.”

In their reaction, Adada Media Forum, a group of journalists from the state based in Lagos said it was time the issue of killings in Enugu was squarely addressed by security agencies.

The group said in a statement, yesterday, that the situation called for sterner security measures on the part of the police to be able to checkmate the rising spate of crime in the state.

A socio-cultural organisation in Nsukka where the slain police boss hailed from, Odenigbo General Assembly, in its reaction, said perpetrators of the crime must be fished out and punished accordingly to restore hope in security agencies in the state.

President of the Assembly, John Coach Ezema, said in a release that it was worrisome that many lives had been lost in recent times in the state without positive steps being taken to apprehend those that carried out the killings.

6—Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 5, 2013

Developer allegedly defrauds 72 prospective tenants of N16m

BY EVELYN USMAN

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AGOS—OPERATIVES at the Special Anti-Robbery Squad have arrested an estate developer who allegedly swindled over 72 prospective tenants of N16 million being payment for some blocks of flat located in Ikotun area of Lagos.

Arrested along side the developer identified as Alhaji Lateef Akinjumi, were two of his aides simply called Ife and Tokunbo who allegedly conspired with their boss to swindle the unsuspecting victims.

Report said some of the prospective tenants paid as much as N1million as two years rent for a three bedroom apartment in the fivestorey building which was still under construction.

Some of the victims were identified as Blessing Alphonsus, Okolo Uju, Otung Francis, Patrick Imonitie, Chukwudi Olike, Wilson Udegbunam, Emeka Nzeako, Edwin Agu, Tunde Hassan, Sarafa Yusuf, Ikenna Nwachukwu, Mrs. Tina Akinjimi and Bose Egan.

According to reports, the bubble burst weekend, after a family said to have brought their property towards packing into one of the flats, discovered it was occupied by another person.

This led to an uproar, during which other persons said to have paid gathered in front of the house located on 23 Opeloyeru Street, off Ikotun Egbe.

Eyewitness account said a fight ensued as the victims engaged each other in a duel for the keys to the respective apartments they paid for.

But the developer according to one o f the victims, engaged the services of armed hoodlums to unleash terror on them.

One of the victims, who identified himself as Izuagba said he was defrauded of N3 million.

According to him: “The agent in question is my friend and he wanted me to pump money to develop the land but the deal didn’t work out so they brought in another developer.

“When the developer could not meet up with the financial obligations, I was called to finance the project, with a promise to give me a section as a guest house after its completion".

Gunmen kill MOPOL commandant, traffic warden in Borno

BY NDAHI MARAMA

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AIDUGURI—BARELY 24 hours after terrorists attacked Monguno Military Barracks which led to the killing of 20 people, including a soldier, terrorists and civilians, gunmen suspected to be members of Boko Haram sect shot dead a Police Mobile Training Camp, PMTC, commandant, Umaru Ali Jenga (45) and a traffic warden (name withheld) in Gwange ward of Maiduguri metropolis at 4.35pm Sunday.

Gwange is one of the volatile areas which had witnessed series of attacks through bombings and shootings.

The slain commandant, according to an eyewitness, was shot dead by three armed men in a tricycle at his Lagos Bridge residence, before fleeing towards Bama road where they shot dead the traffic warden at his duty post.

He said: “We were sitting under this shed, when gunmen in two tricycles attacked the residence of the police officer near the Lagos Bridge.

People started running for safety across the bridge, before soldiers came in their patrol vehicles to chase the gun-

men that fled towards Bama road".

He told newsmen that it was while the gunmen were fleeing that the traffic warden fell to the gunmen’s bullets at the T-junction.

Confirming the separate incidents in Maiduguri,

spokesman of Borno State Police Command, Gideon Jibrin said there were multiple attacks in Gwange ward of Maiduguri where a police officer and a traffic warden were feared killed on Sunday. He said no arrest was made in any of the three incidents.

A group, Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, Liberation Movement protesting against the Oyo State exco of the party at a rally in Ibadan, yesterday.

Cult war: Another LASU student shot dead in reprisal attack

BY EVELYN USMAN

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AGOS—GUNMEN suspect ed to be members of Buccaneer Confraternity, weekend, shot dead another student alleged to be a member of Eiye Confraternity, of the Lagos State University, Ojo. The deceased was simply identified as Kabiru.

The attack happened barely three days after an up coming hip hop artist, Damino Damoche, a 400 level student of Banking and Finance was shot dead close to the institution’s gate.

Report said the late Kabiru’s assailants stormed a building on Abeokuta street at about 10pm, Sunday, where the late Kabiru lived and opened fire on sighting him.

Eyewitnesses said he made frantic effort to escape but bullets from some of the suspected cultists who reportedly conrdoned off the building hit him on the head and stomach.

Although 70 persons were reportedly arrested by the Lagos State Police Command in connection with the death of Damoche the suspects as gathered, were still being screened as at 4pm yesterday.

The arrests were reportedly made following a raid by policemen of a hotel located around Agboroko, along the Lagos/ Badagry expressway, Saturday.

Police sources hinted that teams of policemen under area ‘E’ Command, Festac were drafted to the

hotel following a tip off that suspected killers of Damoche were celebrating their victory at the hotel.

But when contacted, spokesperson for the Lagos State Police Command, Ngozi Braide confirmed the arrests, stating that at the end of the screening, those

discovered not to have anything to do with the undergraduate’s death would be allowed to go.

Vanguard, however, gathered that the investigative team has recovered the late Damoche’s phone. It was further disclosed that clue on how to get at the real culprits were uncovered in the

phone.

The remains of Damoche was buried last Saturday, at IyanaIpaja cemetery, Lagos.

Meanwhile, uneasy calm pervaded the LASU campus yesterday, with some students vacating the school for fear of the unknown.

Landslide wreaks havoc in Bayelsa community, destroys 7 houses

BY SAMUEL OYADONGHA

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ENAGOA – A landslide, weekend hit the riverside community of Okoloba, Sabagreia in Kolokuma-Opokuma local government area of Bayelsa State, destroying seven houses.

The buried structures were located along the bank of the Nun River which passes through the community.

Though no life was lost sources told Vanguard was the second to rock the area in less than five years.

The destroyed houses including the home of a 69- years-old ex-serviceman.

The worst affected area, it was learnt, was Abadani and Isedam compound, in Okoloba town, Sabagreia.

An indigene of the area, who spoke anonymously told Vanguard, that it was providence that

averted what could have been the tragic end of occupants of the destroyed houses.

He said: “We thank God the incident did not happen when the occupants of the buried houses had gone to bed, it could have

been disastrous. Sadly, part of the area that was hit by landslide some years ago was seriously affected by the latest incident. People are apprehensive that the area may witness a repeat of the ugly incident”.

Family of prophetess buried alive alleges threat to life

BY AUSTIN OGWUDA

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SABA – THE family of a prophetess, who was kidnapped and later buried alive has cried out, seeking transfer of trial of the suspects from Otu-Jeremi to Asaba, the State capital, following series of threat messages from the gang boasting to kill the family members and any other person who dare to come forward as witnesses.

The prophetess, late Mrs Miri-

am Edokpayi, also known as Mama B, was kidnapped at Ughelli on her way back home after the new year cross over service of December 31, 2011 at about 1.20am The gang was fished out from hiding when one of the members suddenly surrendered himself to police, eight months after the dastardly act on the ground that the woman’s spirit was tormenting him since she was buried alive in his compound.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 5, 2013—7

Nigerian kills Australian great-grand mum lover in South Africa

BY UDUMA KALU, WITH AGENCY REPORT

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USTRALIAN police have said a great-grand mother who was found dead in South Africa was murdered by her online Nigerian scammer she met on a dating site. Australian Federal Police officers are already in Nigeria investigating the woman’s death.

The West Australian newspaper reported yesterday that the body of Jette Jacobs, 67, from Wagin in Australia was found in a Johannesburg guest house on February 9, 2013, more than two months after she reportedly went there to meet a Nigerian, 28-yearold Jesse Orowo Omokoh.

Omokoh was the last person to see Ms Jacobs alive and told police he found her body. He has since disappeared.

Australasian police officer, Robert Martin, from the major fraud squad, said police were in contact with Australian Federal Police officers in Nigeria about Ms Jacobs’ death and investigations were in the early stages. He said her death appeared suspicious and he confirmed Omokoh was a suspect.

He said Ms Jacobs forwarded Mr Omokoh $80,000 after they met online and sent him a further $20,000 once she arrived in Johannesburg.

“She actually sold her home believing she was going to be starting a new life overseas and it ended in tragedy. This is the first time we have seen this happen,” he said.

He said relationship scams had become a “massive problem”, costing West Australians between $600,000 and $1 million each month.

The report said Ms Jacobs, a widow who had six children, struck up an online relationship with Omokoh three years ago and travelled to South Africa to meet him in 2010 before he proposed late last year. Over several years she sent $200,000 to Omokoh and another man she met online, known as Isaac.

Despite warnings from family, Ms Jacobs went to South Africa in November to marry Omokoh but he failed to turn up until last month, blaming visa troubles. Two days after he arrived from Nigeria, Ms Jacobs was found dead, with her jewellery and money missing. It is believed South African police initially thought she had committed suicide, as empty pill packets were found nearby.

But the victim’s son, who did not want to be identified, said his mother met with foul play.

The son said: “We tried to talk her out of it but no one could convince her it wasn’t real and there was nothing there for her. But she kept believing there was and un-

fortunately we weren’t strong enough to stop her going."

Detectives from Australia’s Operation Sunbird, a joint operation with consumer protection to investigate online scams sent Ms Jacobs a letter warning she might

have been a victim of fraud but it arrived after she had left Australia.

The victim’s youngest daughter, who wanted to be known only as Mrs Jackson, told Seven News Omokoh wanted to move to Aus-

tralia but her mother wanted to settle in Nigeria.

She said: “My mum paid the ultimate price, which no one should have to. We don’t want to see this happening to anybody else.”

Suspected robbers arrested by men of Ojo police division, yesterday. Photo: Donald Arji.

Kidnapped professor dies after release by abductors

BY CHIDI NKWOPARA

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WERRI—A don, Professor Sunny Odoemene, who was kidnapped on August 11, 2012, in his Chokoneze Mbaise country home and released nine days after, is dead.

Odoemene, who until his death, was a Professor of Botany at the University of Uyo, also doubled as the president general of the community.

Vanguard gathered that before his eventual death, Odoemene’s health nose-dived after his release from captivity, lending credence to the theory that he was poisoned by his captors.

Speaking to newsmen, the aggrieved 89-year old father of the deceased, Nze Sylvanus Iwuoha Odoemene, disclosed that some of his kinsmen had threatened him before his son was abducted.

Nze Odemene recalled with grief that the villagers allegedly vowed to carry out their threat if Professor Odemene went ahead to present Nze Maurice Nwachukwu, as winner of the election conducted to fill the vacant royal father’s seat, to Ezinihitte Mbaise Local Government The octogenarian equally said

that not long after the presentation of Nwachukwu to the local council, his son was kidnapped.

Answering another question, the old man said his son looked

frail and famished when he was released by his captors, adding that thereafter, he was continuously moved from one hospital to the other till he eventually died.

....Tragedy as DPO dies after crashing into stationary truck

BY EMMA ARUBI

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ARRI – THE Divisional Po lice Officer, DPO, in-charge of the Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA, police station Warri, Deputy Superintendent of Police, DSP, Solomon Ohaka crashed into a stationary articulated truck at the port area and died on the spot.

He was driving a Mercedes Benz car with number plate LAGOS AJ180 FKJ and allegedly left his living quarters of less than 300 metres away only to crash into the parked trailer crossing the expressway leading into and out of the Port on top speed.

According to reports, almost half of the car went under the truck from the drivers’ side.

Policemen from the NPA station immediately clamped down the front tyres of the truck on the day of the ghastly accident before towing it to their station pending when the driver would show up.

Port workers, drivers, petty traders and other business persons around the spot of the accident thanked God that the trailer was there to stop the car, otherwise some of them would have been sent to their early graves.

No officer of the NPA police station was ready to comment on the issue while the chairman of the NPA workers Union popularly called Skippo and Chairman of the trailer owners association, Mr. David Iwere, promised to get back to Vanguard at the appropriate time after due consultation.

2 docked for attempted kidnap

BY ONOZURE DANIA

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AGOS—A 40-year-oldman, Tunde Oyeshola and one other, were arraigned yesterday for attempting to kidnap one Mrs Modupe Adeniyi.

Oyeshola and Shitta Garuba 27, who were arraigned before an Ikeja Magistrates Court, are facing a two-count charge on conspiracy and attempted kidnap.

They were said to have committed the offence on February 23, 2013 at about 8am at Iju area of Lagos.

The police prosecutor, assistant superintendant of police, Barth Nwaokoye, told the court that the said offence was committed at 11b Ojo Alao street Iju Lagos state.

Nwaokoye, also said that Adeniyi, is a wife of one Professor Peter Adeniyi.

According to him, the offence is punishable under section 409 and 405 of the criminal laws of Lagos state of Nigeria 2011.

However, when the charge was read to the defendants, they pleaded not guilty.

Magistrate Demi Ajayi, granted them bail in the sum of N800,000, with two sureties in like sum, stressing that the sureties should be at least 40years-old.

Ajayi adjourned the matter to April 10, 2013.

Police arrest 3 suspected robbers

BY DONALD ARJI

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AGOS—THE police in Ojo Division, Lagos have arrested three suspected robbers that have been terrorizing traders at the popular Alaba international market.

The suspects, identified as Chukwuma Ikwu, 32, Kingsley Oluwaseun, 28 and Izunna Ulowa 23, reportedly dispossed victims of their belongings and whenever their victims failed to cooperate, they would be beaten to death.

They also confessed that they have been into bag snatching for the past six years One of the suspects, Chukwuma claimed that joblessness led him into armed robbery. He said: “I have been into bag snatching for the past six years and have not made up my mind to stop due to lack of job in the country".

8—Vanguard , TUESDAY, MARCH 5, 2013

BY CLIFFORD NDUJIHE, with Agency Report

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ALKS by Catholic cardinals to choose a successor to Pope Benedict began, yesterday, at the Vatican but the choice of a date when they would shut themselves into the Sistine Chapel to start voting for the new pontiff was delayed to allow more priests to arrive.

The conclave is expected to commence March 11. However, 12 of the 115 eligible cardinals expected to vote have not shown up at press time.

Meanwhile, those expecting a new Catholic Pontiff to be elected urgently may have to wait for couple of days longer as the issue is one of the last items on the agenda of 150 cardinals, who converged on the Vatican, yesterday, for the first pre-conclave meeting since Pope Emeritus, Benedict XVI stepped down last Thursday.

Faced with a heap of scandals, including sexual misconduct and child abuse among the clergy, the cardinals have a lot of issues on their plate aside electing a new pope.

While all cardinals are expected to partake in deliberating on the challenges facing the church, only 115 cardinals, who are under 80 years, will elect Benedict’s successor.

During the pre-conclave meetings, the cardinals will set a date for their conclave to choose a new pope but before they get to that, there are plenty of other businesses to discuss.

The cardinals said they have so much hard talking to do, many say these discussions could take a week or longer before they are ready to move to the Sistine Chapel to begin voting on a new pope.

The meeting is coming as Cardinal Keith O’Brien, a top Scottish cardinal who amid sexual abuse allegations, issued an apology yesterday and said there had been times his sexual conduct “has fallen below the standards expected of me as a priest, archbishop and cardinal.”

Cardinals arrive

At the appointed hour yesterday, the cardinals began to emerge from the nooks and crannies of the Vatican for the pre-conclave meeting. Some came in groups, some came by taxi and others by private car and minibuses.

They are not in Vatican City at this stage to vote on a new pope, but to discuss the many problems facing the1.2 billion Catholic faithful, from the ongoing child abuse scandal to financial mismanagement.

Chicago Cardinal, Francis George, said the church has obvious troubles it cannot avoid. There are questions on how much of a role the scandals will play in the discussions now and whether or not they have essentially usurped the intended aim of these initial meetings.

MEETING: From left— Mr. Dimeji Salaudeen, Partner, Risk Consulting & Head, Internal Audit, KPMG Nigeria; Mr. Michael Andrew, Global Chairman, KPMG International; Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Minister of Finance & Coordinating Minister for the Economy; Mr. Kunle Elebute, Partner & Head, Advisory Services; and Marie-Therese Phido, Director, Sales & Marketing, both of KPMG Nigeria, during a meeting the Global Chairman had with the Minister.

150 cardinals converge on Vatican Conclave for next week ‘Scandals won’t affect deliberations’

But Cardinal George insists the intended aims have not been usurped. “I don’t think they’ve been usurped, but they do create context for our discussion. We follow the press, sometimes happily and sometimes no,” he said.

With the papal election so wide open this time, people hang on every word of the cardinals— and there are few words. The unwritten rule in the Vatican is, “never say you want the job.”

And if you find your name circulating on lists of potential candidates, say you’re unworthy.

Canadian Cardinal Marc Ouellet is seen by many as a compromise contender, but he knows what often happens to favourites in the conclave.

“There is this famous saying, the one that gets in as pope, gets out as cardinal,” he told Canadian television.

“A Latin American Pope is possible. Everything is possible!” said Portuguese Cardinal Jose Saraiva Martins, as he entered.

The core agenda item is to set the date for the conclave and set in place procedures to prepare for it, including closing the Sistine Chapel to visitors and getting the Vatican hotel cleared out and de-bugged, lest anyone try to listen in on the secret conversations of the cardinals.

A date for the conclave, according to the dean of the College of Cardinals, Cardinal Angelo Sodano, won’t be finalised until all cardinals have arrived in Rome.

Cardinal O’Brien apologises

The first day of discussion was again rocked by revelations of

scandal, with Scottish Cardinal Keith O’Brien admitting that he had engaged in sexual misconduct not befitting a priest, archbishop or cardinal.

Cardinal Keith O’Brien had been Britain’s highest-ranking Catholic leader until he resigned last Monday from his position as archbishop of St. Andrews and Edinburgh, a departure prompted by a newspaper report about unnamed priests’ allegations that he acted inappropriately toward them.

O’Brien, 74, resigned last week following published reports that he made unwanted sexual advances toward four priests in Scotland in the 1980s.

The cardinal initially denied the claims, but said last week he would not participate in the conclave to choose Benedict’s successor because the allegations were a distraction.

However, O’Brien reversed course yesterday, issuing a statement asking for forgiveness. He said: “In recent days certain allegations which have been made against me have become public. Initially, their anony-

mous and non-specific nature led me to contest them.

“However, I wish to take this opportunity to admit that there have been times that my sexual conduct has fallen below the standards expected of me as a priest, archbishop and cardinal. To those I have offended, I apologise and ask forgiveness.”

The Vatican appears to be aiming to have a new pope elected next week and officially installed several days later so he can preside over the Holy Week ceremonies starting with Palm Sunday on March 24 and culminating in Easter the following Sunday.

‘The pope Catholics need’

High on the agenda at the general congregations will be the daunting challenges that will face the next pontiff, including the sexual abuse crisis that has rocked the Church and last year’s Vatileaks scandal, which exposed corruption and rivalries in the Vatican’s bureaucracy.

“We need a man of governance, by that I mean a man who is able, with the people he chooses to help him in an intimate way, to govern the

Church,” Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor, the former Archbishop of Westminster in London, told BBC radio.

“Among the things we will be talking about out here are precisely the need in looking for a new pope for these failings that have happened again to be treated, to be faced strongly,”he added.

The cardinals are expected to hold one or two meetings a day.

The Vatican seems keen to have only a week of preliminary talks so the 115 “cardinal electors” can enter the Sistine Chapel for the conclave next week. The exact date for its start has not been decided.

“We have meetings all this week to get to know each other better and consider the situations that we face,” said Cardinal Andre Vingt-Trois of Paris as he entered. He said he could not say at this stage “ who will be the best one to respond to them.”

Cardinals expect to be briefed on a secret report to the pope on the problems highlighted by the Vatileaks scandal, when documents, which alleged corruption in the Vatican and infighting over the running of its bank, were leaked to the media.

NMMA competition begins, calls for entries

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IGERIA Media Merit Award, NMMA, 2013 competition has begun with a call for entries.

A statement by the organisers, Ideas Communications Ltd, Ikeja, Lagos, called on media practitioners and organisations to start submitting entries for the 51 categories of awards.

Best works published or aired in the Nigeria media

in 2012 will be rewarded and deadline for submission is March 31, the statement said.

According to Dayo Adetukasi, Project Coordinator and Shade Omotosho, General Administrator, the entries for the 2013 competition are for works published in 2012.

The organisers, therefore, asked Nigerian journalists in the print and broadcast me-

dia to participate in the competition by forwarding their best works published last year to the NMMA Secretariat for screening following the guideline of entry submission.

The award is open to all Nigerian journalists practising in Nigeria. In addition to its prestige, each award carries a trophy (Then Golden Gong of Excellence), a certificate and specific cash prize.

Vanguard , TUESDAY, MARCH 5, 2013—9

EFCC probes scare northern govs from 2015 presidential race

BY SONI DANIEL, Regional Editor, North

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BUJA—THERE were indications, yesterday, that many of the northern governors currently nursing presidential ambition in 2015 might not be courageous enough to openly challenge President Goodluck Jonathan for the top post.

Vanguard learnt authoritatively that most of the second term governors, who were qualified to vie for the presidency, were afraid of being witch-hunted by Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, as an attack dog.

A competent source said that already, EFCC had been mandated by ‘orders from above’ to take a critical look at how the second term governors were managing the finances of their states, particularly, the local government joint account and the utilisation of Ecological Funds running into billions of naira approved by the Presidency for such states, and report back.

The Nuhu Ribadu-led EFCC had effectively used such a tactic to scare many presidential and gubernatorial aspirants out of the 2007 general elections.

Although the court later cleared most of those indicted

by EFCC under Ribadu, it was too late for them to still run by the time they got clearance from the judiciary.

ernor, who is believed to be close to a former head of state, with concrete evidence that he had used the names of three of his children to siphon a huge chunk of the state’s resources running into hundreds of millions of Naira.

Although the governor used his children’s names to open the different accounts into which he routinely pays money, the security operatives were said to be shocked that the three signatures on the accounts were that of the governor.

The source added that it was when the operatives confronted the affected governor with the account details that he reportedly backed down on his alleged presidential ambition, claiming that it was a mere rumour and that he

had never contemplated challenging President Jonathan for the plum job.

Four others

Four other second term governors from the north, who were reportedly angling for Jonathan’s job in 2015, were said to have become cautious when they got wind of what happened to one of their colleagues.

The source said that given the way the accounts of the affected states were being scrutinised by security agents, it was not likely that any of the governors could get a clean bill of health at the end of the searchlight.

However, one of the governors, who is very popular in the region, is said to have vowed that he would still run when the time comes, insist-

FG targets 3.5m new jobs

ing that he had been running a transparent administration since he assumed office by publishing a weekly expenditure and revenue accruing to his state.

However, a top politician and member of the Northern Elders’ Forum, who pleaded anonymity, said that the north would unfailingly present a credible candidate to challenge Jonathan in 2015.

He pointed out that the names of the governors being bandied about as nursing presidential ambition might just be a decoy and that at the right time, the region would name Jonathan’s main challenger.

“We cannot continue to allow Jonathan to run the country the way he and his Peoples Democratic Party are doing,” the source stated.

BY PETER EGWUATU

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EDERAL Government, yesterday, said it has mapped out strategies to create 3.5 million jobs across the country through the development of the micro, small and medium enterprise, MSME, sector, just as it kicked off the National Enterprise Development Programme, NEDEP. Minister of Trade and Investment, Mr. Olusegun Aganga, said NEDEP had been developed with the objective of harnessing the opportunities in the MSME sector to drive inclusive economic growth through skills training and development, job creation and wealth generation.

The minister, who spoke during the first stakeholders’ meeting on NEDEP, also added that the Federal Government would set up an MSME Council, comprising the Federal, state and local governments to streamline and harmonise all MSME development activities across the country to achieve maximum impact.

He said: “If we are going to develop our economy and turn our quantity advantage into productive advantage, one of the most important sectors that we have to focus on is the MSME sector.”

Money laundering

It was learnt that although the operatives of the anti-graft agency had not completed their assignment, they had nonetheless stumbled on credible information that one of the popular governors in the north, linked with the 2015, was using his children’s bank accounts to launder state funds.

Security operatives are said to have confronted the said gov-

HOPE: President John Mahama of Ghana (left) welcoming Governor Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State (middle) and Governor Rauf Aregbesola of Osun State to the launch of Project HOPE, in Accra, Ghana, yesterday.

Bail denial: Drama as pension thief, Yusuf, slumps in court

BY IKECHUKWU NNOCHIRI

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BUJA—THERE was a mild drama at the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, yesterday, as the convicted pension thief, Mr. John Yusufu, slumped inside the dock shortly after trial Justice Adamu Bello deferred ruling on his bail application till March 11.

Yusufu, who was convicted on January 27 after he confessed to have stolen about N23 billion from the Police Pension Fund, had been in Kuje Prison since January 30, when he was re-arraigned over his alleged complicity in another N300 mil-

lion fraud.

Prior to his ordeal, the accused was an Assistant Director of Pension in the Police Affairs Ministry.

He is currently answering to a fresh 4-count criminal charge preferred against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC. The accused was said to have on or about February 14, 2012, knowingly failed to make full disclosure of his assets and liability in the Declaration of Assets Form he filled and submitted, and equally failed to declare that he owns a company known

as AY-A Global Services Limited.

He was said to have used the name of the company and lodged in a fixed deposit account with the Zenith Bank, the sum of N250 million, N10 million in a fixed deposit account with the First Bank of Nigeria Plc, and another N29 million which he was said to have instructed one Danjuma Mele to lodge in his company account in the name of Jidag Technical Services Ltd with Diamond Bank.

The offence according to the EFCC, is punishable under section 27 (3) of the

Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (Establishment e.t.c) Act Cap E1 2004.

However, though Yusufu had through his lead counsel, Mr. Maiyaki Bala, begged the court to allow him to go home on the day he was docked, vowing that he would be available to face his trial.

Justice Adamu Bello declined, saying he should file a formal bail application.

Though the court initially fixed March 1 to hear the application, it subsequently adjourned the motion till yesterday to entertain argu-

ments from both the accused and the prosecution.

At the resumed sitting yesterday, the accused person pleaded the court to grant him bail on liberal terms, just as he implored the court to take judicial notice that he has regularly attended his trial with utmost dedication.

In opposition to his bail application dated February 18, EFCC lawyer Chief Rotimi Jacobs, contended that the court must exercise its discretion based on the established principles of facts of the case, saying the court should consider the criminal antecedents of the accused person.

10 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 5, 2013

Jang approves retirement of Justice Naron

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OS— GOVERNOR Jonah Jang of Plateau State has approved the compulsory retirement of Justice Thomas Naron of the Plateau State High Court as recommended by the National Judicial Commission (NJC).

The retirement was contained in a press statement signed by James Mannok, spokesman to Jang.

The statement read: “The Plateau State Governor, Jonah Jang has approved the compulsory retirement of Hon Justice T. D. Naron of the Plateau State High Court of Justice.

“This follows the recommendation by the National Judicial Council which investigated a petition against Justice Naron as member of the first Panel of the Gubernatorial Election Petition Tribunal in Osun state and s u b s e q u e n t l y recommended his retirement for misconduct.

“Governor Jang in response to the letter of the National Judicial Council NJC signed by the Chief Justice of Nigeria and Chairman of NJC Hon Justice Aloma Mariam Mikhtar approved the retirement of Justice Naron with effect from March 4,

Daniel lauds new Editors’ Guild President

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B E O K U TA — FORMER Governor of Ogun State, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, yesterday, described Mr. Femi Adesina, the new president of Nigerian Guild of Editors, as a thorough bred professional and a pride to the practice of journalism in Nigeria.

Daniel stated this while reacting to the elevation of Adesina by his peers.

He said Adesina who is also the deputy editorin-chief of The Sun newspapers had given a good account of himself as a reporter, writer, columnist and editor.

Daniel said: ”I have no doubt, whatsoever, that Mr. Adesina will steer the ship of the Guild to greater heights. He is a great team player, astute manager and humanist. He represents the best example of responsible and responsive journalism and has over the years given a good account of himself.”

Obasanjo breaks silence on late father Says culture almost prevented him from recognising his father before his death

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BY DAUD OLATUNJI

BEOKUTA—FORMER President Olusegun Obasanjo, yesterday, broke his silence on his late father, saying, culture almost prevented him from recognizing him before his death.

Obasanjo who called for the removal of any aspect of culture that undermines the roles of youths and women in the process of development of the country, said he was a victim of the barbaric culture during his childhood.

The ex-President who spoke at a regional summit on women and youth in the promotion of cultural security and development in Africa’ at Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library Complex, Abeokuta, submitted that the role of women and culture in cultural security and development is very important.

the role of women and culture in cultural security and development is very important, investment in women and youth in cultural security and development in Africa is very important, we must realize that our charity must begin at home particularly in development.

“Culture to me is dynamic and progressive and not everything in every culture is what should be upheld. If culture is dynamic and progressive, we should throw searchlight on our culture, the one that are not going to help us let us throw them away and look at what to help us particularly in the area of development.

“If 75 per cent of our population is made up of women and youth, then there is something in the subject that we have taken for discussion today. I mean that not to

give them adequate consideration, not to invest adequately in them, not to identify their role, we can only be undermining our own development.

While describing culture as dynamic and central, Obasanjo said “culture is also central to our identity and if you want to suppress and dominate people, destroy their culture, eliminate their culture and that is why you now have people, black people who have been taken away from Africa who are now Mr. Stone.

Africa and names

“In most African countries, names mean something and you don’t just give a child a name. Culture tells us where we are coming from, where we are and to plot where we are going to. To me, culture is like history,

if you have no history, you have no memory and if you say you have no culture, you have no past, maybe you have no present and I wonder how you will have a future.

“I have been very concerned about the destruction, that over the years have been hit on our culture in Africa as an instrument of suppression, domination and enslavement. I grew up being told in school that Yoruba is a vernacular and not a language and I must not speak it in school.

“I wonder whether in English schools, English is regarded as a vernacular, I have asked my friends why Yoruba is a vernacular which should not be spoken and English is not a vernacular in England and should be spoken.”

Culture and youth

Obasanjo said: “I believe we should eliminate the aspect of our culture that still emphasizes that youth must be seen and not heard. I suffered under this because I was not supposed to look at my father in the face, I didn’t know my father, for many years had tribal marks, who the hell was I to look at my father in the face because the culture says I should look down when my father talks.

“Should we continue to uphold the culture that says women have no share in their parent’s and husband’s inheritance? And as we have been told 70 per cent of our food is provided and produced by women who are landless by our culture and have no access to anything that will help them in VISIT: From left: Mr. Edward Dickson, MD, Nigerian Tribune Newspapers; Mr. Lateef production and productivity in Raji, Special Advicer to Governor Fashola on Information and Strategy; Governor Babatunde their farms.

Fashola of Lagos State; Dr. Wale Ahmed, Commissioner for Special Duties, and Mr. Lateef Women and Ibirogba, Commissioner of Information and Strategy, during the Nigerian Tribune Newsdevelopment papers Management team’s visit to the Governor in Lagos. Photo: Bunmi Azeez “I come to the conclusion that

Atuche: Defence go for no case submission

BY ABDULWAHAB ABDU-

LAH & ONOZURE DANIA

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AGOS—THE Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, yesterday, closed its case against the former Managing Director of Bank PHB (now

Keystone Bank), Mr Francis Atuche and two others accused of stealing N25.7 billion belonging to the bank.

At the resumed hearing of the case before justice Lateefa Okunnu, the defendants told the court that rather than opening their defence, they are going to file a no case submission against

the offences.

Atuche, his wife, Elizabeth and the former Chief Financial Officer of the bank, Mr. Chris Anyanwu are accused of stealing the money belonging to the bank.

Represented by Mr. Tayo

Oyetibo, SAN, Atuche at the beginning of the matter embarked on further crossexaminations of two of the EFCC’s witnesses, Diamond Uju and Elizabeth Ebi, who had earlier given evidences before the court.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 5, 2013 —11

3 injured as Oyo ACN members demand removal of exco I

BY OLAAJAYI

BADAN—SCORES of mem bers of Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, Oyo State, yesterday, demanded the removal of the state Chairman, Chief Akin Oke. Though, the protest was peaceful initially, it later turned violent leaving three persons injured.

It was alleged that some members of state National Union of Road Transport Workers, NURTW, hijacked the protest and wounded some of the protesters.

The youth displayed placards, alleging the interference of the First Lady of the state in the running of the party.

Some of the placards read, “Governor, enough of Madam’s interest,’ ‘Akin Oke Must Go; he is a traitor,” among others.

They vowed not to relent until the chairman and others were removed.

Vanguard gathered that members of the union had got the hint of the protest and ambushed them.

Members of NURTW were said to have attacked the pro-

testers at the party secretariat in Yemetu, Ibadan.

After the protesting youth had been dislodged from the party’s office, they headed to

the Nigerian Television Authority, NTA, office in Ibadan, where they addressed newsmen.

They specifically called for

the removal of the state chairman of the party, Chief Oke, his deputy, Alhaji Isiaka Alimi and the Secretary, Alhaji Mojeed Olaoya.

PRESENTATION: From left: Chairman, Ekiti West Local Government, Mr. Ropo Famubode; Alara of Aramoko Ekiti, Oba Oluadegoke Adeyemi; Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State, and Board Chairman, Ekiti State Community and Social Development Agency, EKCSDA, Chief Ibidapo Awojolu, during the inauguration of 18 Community Development Plans, CDPs, and presentation of cheques to the beneficiaries by the Governor in Ado-Ekiti, yesterday.

Obasanjo, cause of Yoruba marginalisation —Alaafin

BY OLAAJAYI

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BADAN—AL AAFIN of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi, has said the marginalisation of the Yorubas being alleged by some elders in the zone was caused by the former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo.

It will be recalled that recently,

the Yoruba Unity Forum alleged that President Goodluck Jonathan marginalised the zone in the distribution of political offices.

Oba Adeyemi, who received former Senate Leader, Senator Teslim Folarin, who was on a sympathy visit to his palace over the fire incident in some parts of the palace, said the eight year rule of

Obasanjo was not beneficial in any way to Yoruba people.

According to him, Obasanjo’s eight year rule never ensured a succession policy for the Yorubas, instead, the former president paid mere lip service to issues that could assist the cause of the Yorubas.

He called on Yoruba politicians to guard jealously the cultural heritage of Yoruba nation, warning that Yoruba language and culture could go into extinction be-

cause parents no longer teach their children local language and culture.

Calling for the restoration of Yoruba history in school curricula, he said that the race had succeeded in many areas.

Earlier, Folarin sympathised with the Alaafin on the fire incident, thanking God that there was no casualty.

He apologised for his late visit to the monarch, saying it due to ill-health.

FG moves to tackle contract staff, casual workers in Maritime sector

BY VICTOR AHIUMAYOUNG, JOHNBOSCO AGBAKWURU &ALICE FESTUS AGOS—THE Fed eral Government, yesterday, in Abuja, said it will soon come out with strict guidelines to regulate the employment of contract staff and casual workers in the Maritime sector of the economy as part of its decent job agenda.

This came as Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria, MWUN, said workers’ welfare and the growth of maritime industry will remain its focal point.

Minister of Labour and Productivity, Chief Emeka

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Wogu, at the opening ceremony of 3rd Quadrennial National Delegates Conference of MWUN, said the guidelines will address labour concerns over increasing cases of contract staff and casual workers by employers.

He recalled that similar guidelines had been put in place by the Federal Government to address such issues in the oil and gas sector.

Wogu listed efforts by the government through its ministry to ratify the Maritime Labour Convention, MLC, 2006 towards ensuring the safety and wellbeing of the maritime workers and seafarers in Ni-

geria.

He said the maritime sector was a high employment generating industry hence government will continue to do what was necessary to not only create jobs but sustain decent jobs in the sector.

He called on the leaders of the union to ensure that industrial peace was maintained because the sector was very important to the nation’s economy “as the gateway to the Nigeriaeconomy.”

President-General of union, Mr. Anthony Nted, said: “The current threat to further privatize the remaining functions of Nigeria ports is unacceptable, anti-society and unpatriotic.”

Coordinator faults Fashola on Good Governace tour comments

BY EMMANUEL ELEBEKE

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BUJA—SECRE TARIAT of National Good Governance tour, has expressed concern and deep regret over statement credited to Lagos State Governor, Mr Babatunde Fashola, describing the on-going tour as ill-conceived.

It will be recalled that speaking on his administration on its 2,100th Day in office, Fashiola, said that the tour was designed “in an attempt to appear busy” and that the Federal Government “has no project to inspect.”

Coordinator, National Good governance tour, in a statement by Mr. Ajayi, Secretary of the tour, expressed shock at the position of Fashola, six months after the agreement was reached by Federal Government and 36 states governors.

“It must be shocking to all who are familiar with how the tour was conceived, and is being implemented, that it took Governor Fashola, nearly six months to dissociate the Lagos State Government from the tour.”

Afenifere expresses concern over insecurity

BY DAPO AKINREFON

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A GOS—PANYORUBA socio-political organisation, Afenifere, has expressed worry over the deteriorating security situation in the country, saying there was need for a national summit on security to tackle the problem.

In a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr Yinka Odunmakin, Afenifere, said to avert a possible breakdownoflawandorder,there was need to take urgent measures to address the problem.

Afenifere said: “To confirm the extent that Nigeria has descended into, there is a sense of indifference to these calamities thesedaysasthepresidencysparingly issues the photocopied response ‘we shall fish out the culprits.’

“It takes a demented political class to pretend that all is well in our country and that we have a good setting to conduct elections in 2015 given the culture of fear spreading across the country.”

12—Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 5, 2013

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Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 5, 2013—13

Security operatives urged to curb oil theft

BY GABRIEL ENOGHOLASE

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ENIN—SPECIAL Adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan on Special Duties, Mr. Dennis Samy, yesterday, said all relevant agencies in charge of monitoring the movement of crude oil must increase their efforts in the discharge of their duties to ensure that oil theft was reduced to the barest minimum.

Samy, also Publisher of Nigerian Pilot Newspaper, who spoke with journalists in Benin City, Edo State, admitted that oil theft in the Niger Delta has been an age-old trade that requires the cooperation of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC and the taskforce set up by President Jonathan to curb the menace.

He said: “Oil theft has been an old issue. People have been stealing our oil for a long time. I, as a Bayelsan, know that they have been stealing the oil from my village and I am not benefiting from it.

There are some persons who have set up the system knowing how to steal the oil. Even when the president was governor, he knew people were stealing oil from the area."

NIPOFTA tasks students on study of French language

BY FESTUS AHON

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GHELLI—NIGERIAN Polytechnics French Teachers’ Association, NIPOFTA, has charged Nigerian students to take the study of the French language seriously.

The association, in a statement by its National President, Mr. Peter Ganagana and Chairman, Local Organising Committee, Mrs. Gloria Umunna-Jikeme, said “Nigerians stand to gain a lot from the study of the French language.”

The duo, in the statement, said NIPOFTA will hold its first national conference on March 7, 2013, at Delta State Polytechnic, Ozoro.

Fed lawmakers pledge support for Amaechi T

HE Rivers Caucus in the House of Representatives, has pledged its support for Rivers State Governor, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, for putting smiles on the faces of Rivers people through his people-oriented projects and for successfully managing the affairs of the state in the past five years and four months.

Leader of the caucus, Mr Asita O. Asita, the lawmaker representing Ahoada-West and Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Federal Constituency of the state, spoke on behalf of others, yesterday, during a solidarity visit to the governor at Government House, Port Harcourt.

Other Rivers Caucus federal lawmakers in the delegation include Mr. Sokonte Davies, Mrs. Betty Apiafi, Chief Andrew Uchendu, Mr. Dakuku Peterside, Mr. Ogbonna Nwuke, Pronem Morris, Blessing Nsiegbe, Mr. Ken Chikere, Gogo Bright, Dawari George and Barry Mpigi.

Expressing satisfaction with the level of projects im-

plementation in the state, the caucus congratulated Governor Amaechi for his courage in giving the state a face-lift through speedy development.

Asita said: “We are here to express and declare our support and appreciation to you, on how

you have successfully and wonderfully managed the affairs of the state. In the past five years and four months, we are satisfied with the level of implementation of projects and vision that you had shown. We are satisfied

SOLIDARITY VISIT: Leader of Rivers State Caucus in the House of Representatives, Hon Asita O. Asita (left), presenting the solidarity and support speech by the Caucus to Rivers State Governor, Mr. Chibuike Amaechi, when the Caucus paid a solidarity visit to the governor, in Port Harcourt, yesterday.

Uduaghan signs 2013 Appropriation Bill

BY AUSTIN OGWUDA

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SABA—DELTA State Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, yesterday, signed into law the N472 billion Delta State 2013 Appropriation Bill.

He promised to prudently fund projects to accelerate the execution of policies and programmes in order to improve the living standards of the people.

The budget is made up of N316 billion for Capital Expenditure and N156 billion for Recurrent Expenditure.

He said his administration would place more emphasis on Capital Expenditure, so as to consolidate on the massive infrastructure development drive of the state.

He said: “We want to do more of capital projects and spend less on recurrent expenditure.

This is a big challenge. We are setting up structures that will weed out all ghost workers. Indeed, we reduced recurrent expenditure to 37 per cent and increased capital expenditure to 67 per cent.”

While expressing worry over the issue of ghost and unquali-

fied workers, he said: “We are going to use the biometric system, which will also weed out workers without the requisite qualification. The Office of the Head of Service will be incharge of this exercise.”

Also signed into law, yesterday, were the Delta State Multi-Door Court House Bill and the Delta State Engineering Project Monitoring and Control Board Bill.

The Multi-Door Court House Bill is aimed at providing alternative mechanism for the resolution of disputes.

Rowdy session in Edo Assembly over absentee commissioner-nominee

BY SIMON EBEGBULEM

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ENIN—EDO State lawmakers were involved in a shouting bout, yesterday, when the Chairman of the Committee and Majority Leader of the House, Mr. Philip Shuaibu, submitted the report on the 19 commissioner-nominees screened by the House of Assembly.

Submitting the report, Shuaibu said that out of the 19 names submitted by Governor Adams Oshiomhole, the committee screened 18, while the nominee from Akoko Edo, Aanena Jemitola, absented herself from the screening and, according to him, did not even submit her curricula vi-

and thankful to God for giving you to our state at a time like this, and wish to congratulate you for the show of uncommon courage and statesmanship in the face of hostilities towards your person as governor.”

tae.

He informed members, that 18 nominees, including the former Chief of Staff to the Governor, Osarodion Ogie, who was asked to take a bow when he made himself available before the committee, former Commissioner for Environment, Clem Agba, former Education Commissioner, Omorotionwa Ekpenisi, and others, were all qualified for the job, therefore, they should be confirmed, noting that the committee investigated the petitions against Omorotionwa and Agba and found them “frivolous and untrue.”

However, trouble started when the Speaker, Mr, Uyi Igbe, asked members to comment on the report of the Committee. The member representing Akoko Constituency 11, Mr. Bamidele Oloro-

tunba, where Jemitola hails from, expressed disappointment that it was only the nominee from his area that could not make her self available for the screening and suggested that “we submitted five names, Mr Speaker, one of them should be used to replace her.”

But the Speaker came to her defence, saying that she had informed the House of her ill health and that she will make herself available today. Apparently not convinced with the Speaker's defense, following disclosure by Shuaibu that the House was in possession of seven petitions against her, Bamidele stood his ground that she should be replaced but was shouted down by other lawmakers, including the Speaker.

Imoke thanks Jonathan, Sambo, others for support

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ROSS River State Governor, Senator Liyel Imoke, has expressed his gratitude to President Goodluck Jonathan and his wife, the Vice President and his wife, people of the state, the media, friends and well wishers of the state, for their kind words, love, care, concern and understanding during his absence from the state.

Imoke, in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Christian Ita, said Imoke, who returned to the state Friday, also expressed his deep appreciation to his deputy, Mr. Efiok Cobham, members of the state House of Assembly and the state executive council for expertly steering the ship of state.

He said: “Governor Imoke is also profoundly grateful for the kind words and uncommon empathy shown by Nigerians, the media and lovers of Cross River State,” adding that he returned home with renewed vigour for the task of furthering the growth and development of the state.

“Imoke has returned home recharged and energised for the task of furthering the growth and development of the state, which in the past five years has not only become a tourists destination but is also now becoming an investment hub in Nigeria,” he added.

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14—Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 5, 2013

Community, Obi’s aide on war path

Hepatitis B Virus major health challenge — Dr. Azuine

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WERRI — Hepatitis B Virus will continue to cause major health challenge if proper care was not taken to control the ugly incidence, Dr. Anthony Azuine has said.

Speaking during a one-day seminar organised by Owerri Branch, Agbahara Town Union on causes, effect and prevention of Hepatitis B Virus, Dr Azuine, the guest lecturer, enjoined the people to be conscious and ensure proper preventive measure of the deadly virus which he said, had affected about one third of the world populace.

President of the Owerii branch of the town union, Mike Onyekachi, described the event which was first of its kind as a “new dawn,” as it will not only enlighten the people on the danger of Hepatitis B, but will also enable them to educate others in the community on proper healthy living.

New Matcom to sensitise youths on IP surveillance

BY JONAH NWOKPOKU

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EW MATCOM L i m i t e d , yesterday, launched a training programme, designed to equip users with the technical knowhow on the use of IP surveillance system.

According to a statement announcing its workshop/training programme for IP networking surveillance solution, scheduled to hold March 8 and 9, the company said it had mapped out programmes that will empower youths on programming and installation of the system, which will also help reduce unemployment in the country.

The company said the programme would focus on networking of IP cameras, programmes and configuration of IP camera with network video recorder.

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Governor Sullivan Chime of Enugu State, addressing the widow and son of late Mr. Chinwike Asadu, Kwara State Commissioner of Police, during his condolence visit to the family, in Enugu.

BY VINCENT UJUMADU

WKA — TENSION is mount ing in Ogboji in Orumba South Local Government Area of Anambra State, following a petition by some concerned citizens of the town to Governor Peter Obi, urging him to stop his Special Adviser on Chieftaincy and Town Union Matters from tearing the community apart.

In the three-page petition to the governor, it was alleged that at an Annual General Meeting the union extended the tenure of the executive to enable it conduct the next election, but the SA simply disbanded the committee and put in place another of his choice.

“Ogboji community has accepted the caretaker committee appointed during our AGM and we cannot be forced to work with the SA's committee," the unioin said.

Impeachment axe dangles on Imo Deputy Gov

BY CHIDI NKWOPARA

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WERRI —Impeachment axe is now dangling on Imo State Deputy Governor, Sir Jude Agbaso, over his alleged involvement in a N450 million contract scam.

This followed the findings of an ad-hoc committee set up by Imo State House of Assembly to probe reports that the assemblymen received on alleged shady contract deals in the state.

Vanguard gathered from a very reliable source in Government House that the deputy governor allegedly paid Jebros Construction Company for a road project up-front but the firm abandoned the project mid-way.

The deputy governor was also alleged to have requested and received gratification from some contractors.

Meanwhile, Governor Rochas Okorocha has promptly stepped into the raging feud between his deputy and the lawmakers and reportedly saved Agbaso from imminent impeachment.

Special Assistant, SA (Print) to the Governor, Mr. Ebere Uzoukwa, who affirmed Okorocha’s “quick intervention” in a release, also confirmed that “the allegation that the deputy governor requested and received financial gratification from some contractors has been resolved amicably.”

Uzoukwa further stated that

“the governor, who was billed to travel abroad over the weekend for an official engagement, aborted the trip and returned to Owerri and went into dialogue with his deputy, the House Committee and some leaders of All

Customs destroys N22m chicken, turkey as contraband

BY ANAYO OKOLI

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MUAHIA— FROZEN chicken and turkey worth about N22million intercepted by officers of the Federal Operations Unit, Zone C of Nigerian Customs

Anambra has never had it so good, cleric commends Obi

BY VINCENT UJUMADU

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WKA— THE Catholic Bishop of Nnewi Diocese, in Anambra State, Most Rev. Hilary Okeke, has said at Ihiala that Anambra State had never had it so good in terms of good governance as exemplified by Governor Peter Obi. The cleric, who spoke when he received cheques totaling N80 million from the governor for various projects the state government was executing at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Ihiala, observed that development in the state under Obi cut across all sectors.

The projects being executed at the hospital include construction of buildings for the School of Midwifery, Medical Laboratory Technology, School of Nursing, among others.

According to Bishop Okeke, it is baffling that the governor, rather than become lethargic at exit point, tripled his efforts towards the re-building of the state.

He said: “It is not only the health sector that is benefiting.

The governor is admiringly working on other sectors.

“Today, I do not know any state in Nigeria that has better network of roads than Anambra. I do not know of any governor that has attracted the type of foreign direct investment

Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA.” Feelers from the meeting revealed that Agbaso not only maintained his innocence but also promised to face the full weight of the law if found guilty.

into his state as he has done.

"Indeed Anambra under him is witnessing its glorious era.”.

Handing over the cheques, Obi charged authorities of the hospital to redouble their efforts so that the projects could be delivered on schedule.

Service were last, weekend, destroyed at Imo/Abia Area Command of the service as they were declared contraband items.

The truck carrying the seized items was impounded and the driver arrested.

Area Comptroller of Zone ‘C’ of the Nigerian Customs Service, Mr. Victor David Dimka, who led other relevant government agencies to supervise the destruction, explained that the items were seized by his men based on information.

Warning against importation of frozen food, Dimka said: “The health hazards of smuggled frozen poultry products are inimical to every Nigerian."

....As gov moves to avert epidemic over Ezu River corpses

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WKA—The Amansea community in Awka North Local Government Area said, yesterday, that Governor Peter Obi’s prompt intervention saved the people of the area from out-break of epidemic and socio-economic difficulties that could have resulted from the dead bodies found floating on Ezu River in January.

In a statement signed by the traditional ruler of the town, Igwe Kenneth Okonkwo and President General, Mr. Lawrence Okafor, and made avail-

able to reporters, the community recalled that the governor cut short his overseas trip and rushed down to the scene.

He was said to have also immediately put necessary measures in place to keep the situation under control.

It said the governor promptly ordered and sponsored the evacuation of the bodies and expended huge resources for the autopsy at the State University Teaching Hospital, Awka, to establish

the possible cause of death.

According to the statement, Governor Obi also put machinery in motion for immediate supply of water to the community and other neighbouring communities.

Water was supplied by tankers of water; bags of sachet water and cartons of bottled water were provided twice daily to the community following the pollution of the Ezu River, being the main sources of water to the area.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 5, 2013—15

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16—Vanguard, TUESDAY MARCH 5, 2013

Sacked Benue commissioners join opposition M

A K U R D I — CHAIRMAN of the Conference of Nigeria’s Political Parties, CNPP, in Benue, Mr. Baba Agan, said yesterday, that the opposition was accepting some of the commissioners recently sacked by Governor Gabriel Suswam.

Agan told newsmen in Makurdi that some of the sacked cabinet members were relieved of their appointments for fraternising with opposition political parties.

Agan said they were “merely trying to eke a living in the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, administration of Suswam.”

Efforts by newsmen to get reactions from the affected commissioners failed as their mobile phones were switched off.

It could be recalled that Suswam dropped 11 commissioners out of the 16 that made his new cabinet. He had warned the commissioners to refrain from partisan politics, advising those with partisan interests to resign their appointments to pursue their political ambitions.

Some of the dropped commissioners were Mr. John Ngbede, Water and Environment; Mrs

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Elizabeth Ugo, Education, Science and Technology; Godwin Adah, Tourism; Comfort Ajene, Works and Transport.

Others were Mr. Benjamin Ashaver, Works and Transport; John Tondo, Lands and Survey; Dr Orduen Abunku, Health; Dr Eugene Aliegba, Agriculture; Mr. Jacob Omenka, Rural Development and Cooperatives; Mr. Simon Kwaghbula, Housing and Urban Development, and Mrs Elizabeth Allagh for Women Affairs.

The chairman said the upcoming All Progressive Congress, APC, is a national project, saying, “this project is for the total emancipation of the Nigerian nation from the clutches of underdevelopment.”

He said CNPP in the state was mobilising support from market associations, student organisations and the business communities towards building a massive structure that would form the next government at the state and national level.

He said: “At the moment APC is preoccupied with issues of unifying the opposition ele-

ments in the country for the purpose of forming a strong, reliable and unified political

structure.

“The party believes in the unity and the oneness of this

country and is ready to enhance it through its well elaborate structure.”

Minister flags off N4.3bn Benue-Ebonyi-C/River link road project

BY FAVOUR NNABUGWU

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INISTER of Works, Mr. Mike Onolememem, yesterday, flagged off two road projects estimated at N4.3 billion in Benue State to help evacuate farm produce and provide alternative routes between Benue, Cross River and Ebonyi states.

The breakdown reveals that the 25-kilometre VandeikyaObudu road was awarded to the Chinese company, CCECC, at a cost of N3,296,177,230.50 and the 20-kilometre Many-amUshongo-Lessel road, valued at N1,035,-824,120.10, was awarded to Tilley-Gyado Nig. Ltd. The minister charged CCECC to honour its re-

sponsibility to provide jobs to the youths of the area of their operation, adding, “we want to see how many people you employ, and we will ensure full compliance.”

With a contract period of 12 months, the contract for the Vandeikya-Obudu road, which connects Benue and Cross River states, was awarded on 26 September 2012 but with effect from 13 December 2012 and a completion date of 12 December 2013.

The project starts at a junction in Vandeikya town along Adikpo-Ogoja expressway and terminates at Obudu town in front of Federal College of Education.

The contract is for the construction/rehabilitation of a single carriageway between Vandeikya and Obudu with a cross-section of 7.3m and

a shoulder of 2.75m.

ITF partners Plateau poultry farmers

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OS—INDUSTRIAL Training Fund, ITF, says it will partner with the Plateau State chapter of Poultry Association of Nigeria, PAN, to boost farmers productivity through its Productivity and Efficiency Improvement Training, PEIT. Mr. Emeka Okafor, Assistant Director, ITF Headquarters, Jos, said this at the poultry farmers’ monthly congress in Jos, yesterday.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 5, 2013—17

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Sustaining the modest gains of power reform

Prof. Chinedum Nebo, Power minister culpable. There is no reason why two parties to agreements should have two different understanding of the same agreement. Such legal rigmarole poses problem to investor's confidence in a privatising economy. Alternatively, government should seek arbitration and interpretation in the law courts and abide by their decisions.

One of the most daunting challenges to the power reform is labour matters. I guess it is among the unions you find some of the “demons” Prof. Nebo spoke about during his screening. He needs to be informed that like bulls that carry their own china to the shop, the “demons” in the unions carry their own prayer warriors to contest for principalities in the power sector with the venerable Prof. Recall that when Prof. Barth Nnaji was to be screened as Power Minister, the unions in the sector organised marathon prayer sessions and fasting to forestall his confirmation.

And when Prof. Nnaji resigned, they celebrated their victory over the power of light! Since then there has been a

The rise of Kulikuli

A

S I was writing this, I received the refreshing news of the election of Mr. Femi Adesina, Deputy Managing Director/Deputy Editor-in-Chief of The Sun newspapers as the new President of the Guild of Editors, succeeding our own Gbenga Adefaye who has done a marvellous job during his tenure.

Congratulations. Kulikulii!

noticeable relapse in power supply. The Nigerian worker is essentially driven by entitlement mentality and is determined to extract his pound of flesh, especially when he sees lawmakers arm twist the nation for a statutory kickback called constituency projects!

Yet, another area that requires deft manoeuvring is dealing with the multiplicity of agencies related to the power sector. Apart from the Presidential Action Committee on Power, chaired by the President, the Ministry of Power, and the PTFP, we have the National Council on Privatisation headed by the Vice President, the Bureau of Public Enterprises, the National Electricity Regulation Commission, the National

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ECENTLY President Goodluck Jonathan told CNN’s BritishIranian anchor Christine Amampour that the power sector has witnessed a “tremendous improvement”. Many Nigerians scoffed at that. They compared Nigeria’s current peak of 4517 megawatts as at 21 December 2012 with a country like South Africa with over 40,000 megawatts and dismissed Jonathan’s assessment as rather hubristic. I think coming from where we were a few years ago when we had less than 2000 megawatts and considering the investment in infrastructure as well as the progress made in the reform road map launched in August 2010, Jonathan had reasons to sound upbeat. And those who look at where we ought to be and the challenges ahead also have reasons to have a dim view of our achievement.

It is natural for the public, in such matters, to focus on the destination and not acknowledge the distance so far traversed and the challenges facing the rest of the journey.

Some of the challenges littering the path of the power reform road map include what I read in Thisday newspaper of Thursday 28 February 2013 concerning legal and union matters yet to be resolved, as well as coordinating the multiplicity of government agencies and other organisations whose activities impact on the power reform. As for the political will to reform the sector, only the most mischievous cynic would doubt the President and his power reform team now led by the Hon. Minister of Power, Prof. Chinedum Nebo and supported

by Engr. Reynolds BeksDagogo-Jack.

The legal issues ought to be no problem if the Federal Government acts in good faith and obeys all agreements, contracts and Memoranda of Understanding entered into with every stakeholder in the power sector. Some of the crises that have dogged many government projects and programmes arise from inconsistency in honouring agreements. If some of these agreements are entered into without due diligence or rigour, or their implementations are handicapped by the intrigues of civil servants who, for 30 pieces of silver, doctor agreements to the detriment of larger Nigerian interest, then it calls for more vigilance as well as severe punishment of those

I believe that the first step is to find synergy between the assignment of the PTFP and the responsibilities of the Honourable Minister of Power. Once they find that common ground, both of them can then overcome the intrigues of all the “demons” in the power sector

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Independent Power Project, the succeeding companies, the Electricity workers’ unions, the National Assembly, Ministry of Labour, the Ports Authority, Nigerian Customs Service, etc, etc. Any clash among some of these agencies headed by very powerful individuals could spell delay or danger. To coordinate all these agencies for synergy becomes very important. Two

people are very important in creating that synergy—the Minister of Power and the Chairman of PTFP. I met Prof. Nebo for the first time between 2002 and 2003 in Enugu, when we were forming the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA. Prof. Nebo, a Venerable of the Anglican Church, used to offer homilies for us before our meetings at Engr. Chris Okoye’s residence. He was also very close to us when we served in Owerri.

He conducted church service for us on the last day of our Enlarged Executive/ Legislative Retreat at Nike Lake Hotel, Enugu, in August 2007. We later invited him to deliver the rebranded Ahiajoku lecture in 2010. Prof. Nebo is a good man, a systems man and a team player.

His achievements as the Vice Chancellor of University of Nigeria, Nsukka and Federal University, OyeEkiti in so short a time, speak eloquently for him. But the Nigerian political environment, most times, does not brook good men.

As I warned Prof. Dora Akunyili a day before she was sworn in as Minister, nothing she had achieved in NAFDAC would count in her favour in the political environment she was going into. Recall that at a critical time, Nasri El-Rufai, whose own tenure as Federal Capital Minister continues to be questioned, dismissed Akunyili’s tenure at NAFDAC as “a mess” she needed to go and clean up.

I have never been under the same roof with Engr. Dagogo-Jack. But I have followed his career trajectory and what I know of his pedigree is a vast experience that traversed the Technical Committee on Privatisation and Commercialisation era and the Bureau of Public Enterprises. A fellow of Nigerian Society of Engineers, he was Senior Special Assistant to the President on Performance and Monitoring for NIPP. The PTFP which he heads is charged with developing, monitoring, facilitating and fast tracking the power sector roadmap to a point of irreversibility. If there are players in the sector today with the experience to create synergy among the multiplicity of agencies relevant to the power reform, Engr. Dagogo-Jack is among them.

Given the problems of Task Forces of late, I believe that the first step is to find synergy between the assignment of the PTFP and the responsibilities of the Honourable Minister of Power. Once they find that common ground, both of them can then overcome the intrigues of all the “demons” in the power sector that may bring conflict to their roles. And the modest progress made so far can be sustained.

OPINION

BY SUFUYAN OJEIFO

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HIEF Anthony Akhakon Anenih is “the man of the moment” in the politics of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) by virtue of his emergence as Chair of the party’s Board of Trustees (BoT) at its (Board’s) last meeting held on Monday, February 25, 2013, in the Banquet Hall of the Aso Rock Presidential Villa in Abuja.

But as associates and followers clink the wine glasses to celebrate his emergence, Anenih, the man who is popularly referred to as “Leader ”, has continued to relate with the development calmly.

His emergence has not gone into his head such as to make him become unusually flippant and garrulous.

His peculiarity as “a man of few words but great actions” is more than ever helping to explain his characteristic inscrutability in the cosmos of politics, which has been his forte and devotion in the last thirty-five years. He is not your run-of-the-mill politician whose next moves are easily predictable by what he or she says.

This mystique has been deployed by him in

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PDP BoT, Anenih and the tasks ahead quietly formulating strategies and implementing them to deal with knotty issues. And when and where he had failed in the past, this niche had helped him to rebound.

His imprimaturs were evident in the presidential power politics that produced the Olusegun Obasanjo presidency in 1999 and 2003, the late President Umaru Yar’Adua presidency in 2007 and the 2011 presidential election that produced President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan.

It was in 2002, in the build-up to Obasanjo’s reelection in 2003, that the capacity of Anenih as a master strategist was greatly tested and unleashed full-blown on the process due to the political brinkmanship of Atiku Abubakar, former Vice President to Obasanjo, who had plotted to upstage the applecart of his boss’ re-election bid.

He had loyally worked behind the scene on the side of Obasanjo to secure and achieve his re-

election bid: Anenih was at the centre of the overtures and counter-plots by Obasanjo to contain the blackmail and onslaught of Atiku and the more than twenty PDP governors that were in his camp.

That was one of the cases in which the sagacity of Anenih proved invaluable in the resolution of political conflicts. There had been many other issues, especially political and electoral, which had been resolved largely through his strategic input.

This is why he is, perhaps, regarded by the Jonathan presidency as the most suitable politician in the PDP today to occupy the position of the BoT chair, which Obasanjo resigned on February 2, 2012.

Interestingly, it was Obasanjo who plotted Anenih’s ouster from the same position on June 27, 2007.

Before the ouster, Anenih had been BoT chair since 2004. His return on February 25, this year, is understandably his second missionary journey to help the Bamanga Tukur leadership reposition the party and to support President Jonathan in consolidating his Transformation Agenda.

Continues on pg 18 *Mr. Ojeifo, a journalist, wrote from Abuja.

18 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 5, 2013 OUR environment is under siege. It is not the type of threat mentioned often, though its presence assaults our views daily and demand immediate action. The threat is from the unregulated, indiscriminate use, and disposal of polythene products.

Polythene is a chemical product called plastic, and is the commonest type of plastics, used mainly in packaging as plastic bags, containers — water and mineral drinks containers, films and others. In Nigeria, hundreds of tonnes of polythene products, especially bags and drink packages, are disposed indiscriminately.

There are no regulations on their uses. Poly products are used to package water, “pure water”, most of which bear the imprimatur of the National Foods and drugs Administration, NAFDAC, while almost every item purchased anywhere will be wrapped in “poly bags.” The production of drinks in more portable forms has increased the use of poly packages with the move from cans to mostly plastics.

Useful as they are, they are very dangerous to the environment because they are nonbiodegradable - they hardly decay, or could take upwards of 200 years to decompose

The Coming Polythene Scourge completely. Only 50 per cent of Styrofoam, a common plastic eateries use in packaging, according to scientists, will decompose in 500 years!

The indiscriminate disposal of poly products is reaching alarming proportions.

While we are under the impression that they have been disposed, once they are out of sight, they merely sink into the ground through the activities of man, animals, and erosion.

When these polythene products are buried in the subsoil, they hinder the ascent of soil water to the surface. If soil water cannot come up to the surface, run-off water will

not percolate into the soil. These have serious implications for agriculture and the environment generally. We are ignoring them at great peril to our future.

Use of poly products is wide spread, reaching the rural areas where poor availability of potable water makes use of “pure water” common. The poly packages are disposed in farms, and wherever they are used, compromising rural farm lands, the major source of Nigeria’s foods.

Some ingredients of plastics such as benzene and vinyl chloride could cause cancer. Others are gases and liquid hydrocarbons that poison the earth and air.

Could a link exist between the use and indiscriminate disposal of plastics and rise in national incidence of cancer?

At the rate we produce and dispose these plastics, we are stockpiling a huge threat to the environment. We urge governments, at all levels, to urgently take action and make available sustainable and enforceable regulations on the manufacture, use and disposal of polythene and other plastic products in Nigeria, for the sake of our present, and the future of unborn generations.

OPINION

BY SUFUYAN OJEIFO Continued from pg 17

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HE political relevance of Anenih, the Iyasele (Prime Minister) of Esanland, has not diminished by virtue of a few electoral setbacks that he had understandably suffered in Edo State in recent times. His reappointment as Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) back-to-back (having occupied the position from 2009 to 2011 ) is a measure of his relevance and influence in the Jonathan administration.

His choice by consensus to lead the BoT, which is the moral guide and conscience of the PDP at a time that treachery, intimidation and brinkmanship are denominating political interactions within the party, especially in the light of the 2015 presidential power politics, attests to the amount of trust Jonathan has in him to provide sound political advice and strategies.

This is the personal burden that Anenih may have to bear: to remain consistently trustworthy, loyal and committed as he has been to successive presidents since 1999 in the pursuit of an enduring trajectory C M Y K

PDP BoT, Anenih and the tasks ahead (2) that will culminate in a Jonathan reelection in 2015 and thereby stabilise the polity.

Indeed, this is the exertion and not excitement that his emergence as BoT chair has brought upon him. This may not be evident to the eyes, but it is to the discerning minds. Yet, the party’s leadership guard and the presidency believe that Anenih has an incredible capacity to strategise, achieve results and thereby create political excitements that will serve as a signpost to victory in the burgeoning politics and politicking that presage the 2015 presidential contest.

The inimitable political mobiliser on whose shoulders lies the burden to provide a counterpoise to the onslaught of the gathering tribes of the opposition parties ahead of the 2015 general election is well prepared for the task. He is on a familiar terrain.

No amount of political shenanigans will distract him as his eyes are firmly fixed on the ball.

Feelers have indicated that a corpus of strategies would be deployed

expeditiously to strengthen the party.

Expected to be pursued is a deliberate reach-out to influential members of the party who are either aggrieved within the party or who have left the party.

There is great hope that an air of reconciliation will blow through the party. As someone said, “given Anenih’s capacity to do what he promises, members who are reached in the process of reconciliation will rest assured that whatever they are promised will be done.”

I

t is also expected that mechanisms would be emplaced to instil and deepen party discipline and supremacy, in addition to ensuring that the office of the president is not undermined in its political relationship with state governors on the platform of the party.

It is believed that once the fundamentals are well laid out within the party, once there is internal democracy and a number of tangible achievements on the ground for

Nigerians to see, it would not be difficult for the Anenih-led team of strategists to come up with and fine tune lines of attack that will decimate the opposition parties in the 2015 general polls.

The opposition camp is no doubt jittery and has been taking steps in the media to harass him and portray him as incapable of leading the charge against it on account of his age. Whereas, it is not about going to the electoral battlefield, it is about sitting in a room and charting the winning ways which the political foot soldiers will take to achieve victory.

The ruling PDP is expected to leverage on its extensive nationwide structures, machinery and contacts, which are expected to be easily oiled and activated for the battle ahead; Anenih and other strategic leaders of the party are expected to deploy their legerdemain, versatility and vast experience in politics and electoral battles to easily achieve a PDP victory in the 2015 general elections, especially the presidency.

Concluded. *Mr. Ojeifo, a journalist, wrote from Abuja.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 5, 2013— 19

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IMON Kolawole’s "A Lesson Or Two From Super Eagles" in ThisDay of Sunday February 17, makes the connection between politics and excellence. The Super Eagles, according to Kolawole, exemplified the relevance and wisdom of decision made on the merit of what is the case. The winning team was selected in terms of the goal, namely that of selecting any 11 players from any part of the country that could lift the African Cup of Nations.

Stephen Keshi’s team, against formidable odds, produced the superior Eagles.

“As the Super Eagles,” writes Kolawole, “flew their way to glory in South Africa, some thoughts about our politics welled up in my heart. We have said these things several times in the past, but they become more real to me day by day. Each time the players took to the field, they represented every nook and cranny of Nigeria. There are only 11 players on the pitch, but they were representing the 36 states, and FCT, the 774 local government areas, the 250 ethnic groups and 160 million Nigerians.

It did not matter that most of the players were from one part of the country. Each time we entered the

pitch, we saw them first and foremost as Nigerians who were working their socks off to bring glory to the country. Each time they scored, we all celebrated irrespective of the players state of origin or religion."

Kolawole in this brief paragraph tells and teaches us what nationbuilding is all about and how it is brought about. Keshi attributed their victory to one fact, that he was able to produce with players of diverse background and career situations, a team. “We played as a team. We played as one body, with one mind and one understandingWe played as a team". Burkina Faso, a much smaller country, produced a rival team that played as a team. Each produced a possible champion. It mattered who was the coach. He knew what it took for him as a player to be part of a winning team. He had his opportunity to take the risk of producing a team with only his eyes on how good players could be fashioned to become a winning team playing on world stage. The odd makers did not give him much of a chance. The champions had already been picked from their individual records. The key to Keshi’s victory was that he fielded

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a team of Nigerians, and those at home in their 250 ethnic habitats could see what they potentially are in the Super Eagles. The Super Eagles were Nation Nigeria. The Malian goal keeper said it all: “We lost to Brazil”. Keshi could get no higher praise than that which came from the heart of a member of the opposing team.

There are lessons from sports in general and from soccer in particular that we should learn from the Nation’s performance in South Africa. The teams that qualify for the African Cup of Nations came from nations of different sizes, wealth and power.

But big or small they could produce the excellence of play that made them potential champions.

Togo, Burkina Faso, Cote D’Ivoire, and Mali could be accommodated within Metropolitan Lagos- but each were capable of winning.

Excellence is a leveler in games impartially umpired. This is the wisdom from the African Cup of Nations.

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hether it be politics of war or politics of diplomacy, a leadership that understands the strategic value of excellence is the leadership that would organise its decision to optimise its adeptness

Task before the Power Minister

BY SEBASTINE OBASI

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RESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan’s commitment to the power reform agenda which will solve the electricity supply shortfall in the country remains one of his presidency’s key political anchor points. The recent appointment of Chinedu Nebo, a professor and former Vice Chancellor of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, as the Minister of Power, to replace the immediate past Minister Barth Nnaji, is yet another move in the effort to provide clear institutional leadership for the sector.

As Nebo settles in, a few irrefutable factors present themselves upfront in this process.

The first is the fact that much of the required power sector reform roadmap milestones have been delivered during the time of the former Minister, and the remaining deliverables, under the close monitoring of the Beks Dagogo-Jack led Presidential Task Force on Power, PTFP, which has been on seat for five months now.

The second is that he has a Minister of State for Power with whom he is expected to share the statutory responsibilities of the Ministry at the Federal Executive Council.

From all indications, and going by the opinions expressed by industry and government insiders, PTFP Chairman, Beks Dagogo-Jack enjoys tremendous respect in both government and industry circles. It is further speculated that with respect to the management of the power

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sector, Mr. President has consistently demonstrated implicit confidence in the PTFP chairman’s handling, especially after seeing his ability to quickly turn around the sagging hopes in the sector following the forced exit of Nnaji. There is ample public consensus that it was largely the aggressive and progressive recovery activities of the PTFP which restored hope, momentum and credibility to the power agenda.

For the records, it was during the tenure of Dagogo-Jack, the PTFP chairman, that the highest ever peak power supply of 4517mw was achieved in the history of the nation.

This period also achieved the highest energy delivered per day from our grid of over 95000 MWH. Accordingly, the challenge before the new Minister is how to forge a formidable power team from the performing structure on ground. So often, the Nigerian tendency is to seek to undermine or dismantle existing structures they meet and seek to create or re-discover the new wheel on which to operate, so to speak.

There is also the issue of the kind of geopolitical dynamics which kick in to unduly pressurize a new high profile political appointment, such that the core technical responsibilities of the job, more often than not, is pushed down the priority line; whilst sub-regional political interests dominate attention of a new appointee.

The distraction often occasioned by these diversionary forces can seriously determine how effective a new political appointee can be. This is even more crucial

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The politics of excellence:The superior Eagles

Keshi has shown that Nigeria can prevail over its present by excelling through superior intelligence in the management of its internal and international politics

in the politics of excellence. A Pharaoh warned of an impending famine promoted an alien slave into the second in command in Egypt because Pharaoh prized excellence above pedigree.

Kolawole appreciates the value of excellence and is provoke into asking: “Can we sincerely say we fielded our best 11 in government?”

The question attempts to reconcile patronage politics with meritocratic politics, through the politics of excellence. Through the sieve of excellence patronage decisions can produce the best acceptable 11. It is a leadership that understands that excellence is the David that triumphs over Goliath that also understands that the politics of excellence must be promoted at the expense of the politics of ascription or privilege.

Dr. Henry A. Kissinger in his Forward to Lee Kwan Yew’s, From Third World to First, the Singapore Story: 1965-2000 spells out the strategic implications of the politics of excellence. Lee Kwan Yew was a leader who changed the destiny of Singapore. Kissinger explains the value of a leader in the politics of his era. “Singapore is a case in point. As the main British naval base in the Far East, it had neither prospect nor aspiration for nationhood until the collapse of European power in the aftermath of the Second World War redrew the map of Southeast Asia. In the first wave of decolonization, Singapore was made part of Malaya until its largely Chinese population proved too daunting for a state attempting to define its national identity by a Malay majority. Malaya extruded Singapore because it was not ready to cope with so large a Chinese population or, less charitably, to teach Singapore the habits of dependence if it was forced back into what later became the Malaysia federation. But history shows that normally prudent, ordinary calculations can be overturned by extraordinary

History has chosen Nebo at a significant moment in our national quest for electricity adequacy; (he) should learn from the mistakes of the past

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in the case of the power sector reform, which cannot endure any such distractions in the face of the complicating daily challenges confronting it.

Coming back to specifics , the key questions to ask are: How fast can the new Minister learn and settle himself into the high speed, highly complex and constantly changing sector issues for which even a normal learning curve would appear very slow? Again, what is the depth of the managerial experience and capacity of the new Minister which will determine how well and how quickly he can secure the confidence of the sector operatives and the industry in general? His antecedents suggest a sense of hope being a technical person-cum-public administrator but since most of his experience is university-based, which is a segment of the society, with limited interplay of socio-economic forces, he will need to ramp up his environment adjustment instincts very quickly which will enable him navigate the new often brackish, shark-infested waters without becoming easily preyed.

One certain way of achieving this will be securing early alignment with the PTFP,

personalities. In the case of Lee Kuan Yew, the father of Singapore’s emergence as a national state, the ancient argument is whether circumstances could not have been less favourable. Located on a sandbar with nary a natural resource, Singapore had in the 1950s a polyglot population of slightly over a million (today over three million ) of which 75.4 percent was Chinese, 13.6 percent Malay and 8.6 percent India. It adjoined in the South with Indonesia, with population of over 100 million (now nearly double that ) and in the North with Malaya (later Malaysia), with thenpopulation of 6.28 million. By far the smallest country in southeast Asia, Singapore seemed destined to become a client state of powerful neighbours, if indeed it could preserve its independence at all. Lee Kuan Yew thought otherwise.

Every great achievement is a dream before it becomes a reality, and his vision was a state that could not simply survive but prevail by excelling.

Superior intelligence, discipline, and ingenuity would substitute for resources. Lee Kwan Yew summoned his compatriots to a duty they had never previously perceived. First to clean up their city, then to dedicate it to overcome the initial hostility of their neighbours and their own ethnic divisions by superior performance.

The Singapore of today is his testament”. Keshi who performed a Singapore in South Africa by transforming Nigeria into Brazil has shown indeed that every great achievement is the actualization of the envisioned- Nigeria can prevail over its present by excelling through superior intelligence, discipline and ingenuity in the management of its internal and international politics. Only through such a culture of excellence will superior performance in difficult assignments become routine achievements.

and to design an effective partnership with the ad-hoc agency which will provide him with the technical backbone he needs to stay on course in the pursuit of the conclusion of the remaining few steps in the transformation of the power sector.

Another imperative is for the new Minister to understand very early the distinction in the responsibilities and duties between the PTFP and the Ministry, and to avoid permitting his process and political hangers-on to deliberately confuse and conflict this clear role distinctions. There appears to be a strong agreement in Presidency circles to position the PTFP as a sector performance ombudsman. This is the practice even in the United States where the President may appoint a special force outside of the statutory agency to strengthen performance capacity to enable the President win certain priority agenda of his administration. When well understood, such an ad-hoc agency becomes a great asset. When not understood, the conflict generated by trying to suppress the agency results in unpredictable implosions.

In a sense, history has chosen Nebo at a significant moment in our national quest for electricity adequacy and reliability. The same history chose other Nigerians in the past who failed to finish the race with wisdom and in glory. If what is reported about the new Minister is even true, then we should expect to see him learn from the mistakes of the past and place himself through wisdom on the right side of history in the collective effort to successfully transform Nigeria’s long troubled p o w e r s e c t o r .

*Mr. Obasi is a staff of Vanguard Newspaper.

20—Vanguard , TUESDAY TUESDAY,, MARCH 5 , 2013

Ebonyi doctors threaten fire over colleague brutalised

by Police officer •NMA calls for his trial, dismissal

BY PETER OKUTU, ABAKALIKI

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HEN Sani Tella, an Assistant Superintendent of Police, ASP, attached to the Ebonyi State Police Command, gave free rein to his anger by beating up Dr. Okafor Chukwujiekwu of the Obstetrics and Gynaecologist Department of the Federal Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki, FETHA, he probably did not bargain for the storm his action would engender. The police officer who was said to have brutalised the medical doctor for daring to talk to his wife, a patient who came to the hospital for treatment, narrowly death when angry members of the university community descended on him.

In fact, Wednesday February 13, 2013isadayASPTellawouldrather want to forget in a hurry as he is said to be presently ruing his misguided resort to violence to enforce a tradition that is only obtainable in the Northern part of the country. Vanguard Metro was told that as soon as news of the beating spread in the hospital community, the main gate to the health institution was immediately locked by security men to ensure that the police officer did not leave the hospital until he had explained the reason behind his barbaric action to the hospital management.

Barbaric action And in a matter of minutes, every doctorinFETHAstoppedattending to patients in solidarity with their wounded colleague as the accused police officer was detained in the office of the CMAC of the hospital for questioning. He was only releasedtoadelegationwhichcame from the state Commissioner of police, CP Maman Sule, to effect his arrest.

Some of the medical doctors who were enraged by the action of ASP Tella demanded that the officer should undergo a holistic psychiatrictreatmentbeforeleaving the hospital as they claimed that their lives were no longer safe while discharging their primary responsibility to the general public.

They recalled the killing of some health workers in Kano a week earlier and expressed shock that a similaractionwasalmost metedout to one of their colleagues.

Addressing the fuming medical doctors, Chairman Medical Advisory Council, CMAC, of FETHA, Dr. Chinedu Nwigwe, who gave a detailed account of the unfortunate incident, urged them not to take the law into their hands but rather allow the law to take its due course. He said: “The officer after making several calls to his wife C M Y K

*ASP Tella...Accused of battering doctor came into the hospital and saw the doctor talking to the wife and asked for the doctor’s identity and after he confirmed the doctor’s identity through the Chairman Medical Advisory Council, CMAC’s office, he became incensed, saying that he is a Muslim, the wife is a Muslim and so man should be talking to her. “He used tear gas on the doctor; he assaulted the doctor physically; the doctor was assaulted and brought to my office. I must say that the doctor is safe, apart from the chemical injuries to his eyes.

Whatever the officer did, he did it on the spur of the moment. We have informed the CMD and the Commissioner of Police who sent the Assistant Commissioner of Police, CID, to come to arrest the man and the hospital is following up the case. We are sending some of our senior officials of ARD, and the hospital lawyer is here to

*Entrance of the Federal Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki, FETHA ensure that justice is done.

“We should be seen as civilized people. We shouldn’t be seen as people in the jungle who believe in jungle justice. And I must tell you that the hospital will not take this matter lying low. But we are appealing to all of you that two wrongs cannot make a right. Let us now allow the judicial officers to carry out their duties”.

In a chat with Vanguard Metro, the President, Association of Resident Doctors, ARD, Fetha Chapter, Dr. Oti Kennedy decried the condition of the wounded doctor and called for the dismissal of the officer. He declared that: “The attack was unprovoked,

unjustifiable in all ramifications; in fact, I’m angry because we are not sure whether the doctor will regain his sight”.

Affecting arrest of the accused ASP, theAssistantCommissionerofPolice, state CID, ACP Fave Cemali, assured “that we are going to take appropriate action on this matter”.

In a press conference, the Chairman of NMA in the state, Dr. Chidi Esike called on the Inspector General of Police, IGP Mohammed Abubakar and the Police Service Commission, PSC, to summarily dismiss ASP Tella. He stated that the suspect should be prosecuted and the full weight of the law allowed to

take its course. According to him, the medical doctor who was brutalized and was still receiving treatment in the hospital should be adequately treated, his medical bills paid and adequately compensated by the Nigeria Police. He said: “We therefore ask that the Inspector General of Police and the Police Service Commission to summarily dismissthesaidASPSaniTellafrom the Nigerian Police Force. The Nigerian Medical Association, Ebonyi State, thinks that ASP Sani Tella is a risk to Nigerian citizens and by his actions does not have the capacity and is not amenable either by training or otherwise to protect Nigerian citizens”.

Boxing day inferno: Traders want panel to act fast

BY BOSE ADELAJA

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KOYA/OJOGIWA Traders Association has called on the three-man panel set up by the Lagos State government to act fast in ascertaining the cause(s) of the inferno that has crippled the businesses of most of its members.

The traders have also thrown their weight behind Lagos State governor Babatunde Fashola, for inaugurating the panel, saying the culprit behind the explosion must be brought to book.

The traders who spoke through their chairman, Mr. Cletus Nnadiukwu, said this will help in finding a lasting solution to the frequent occurrence of fire outbreaks at the market and in the process forestal future occurrences.

Nnadiukwu also called for thorough investigations without fear or favour, saying the traders will offer necessary assistance where necessary. ‘’We are happy that a panel has been set up and we hope it will visit the market in the course of its investigations not minding whose ox is gored. We believe their visit will put a stop to such ugly incidents,’’ the said. ‘’We have lost all our life savings and belongings in one day. Many of us can no longer afford to feed our families. We don’t want the panel to treat the issue with a kid’s glove. The government should help fish out those who perpetrated this evil that has brought this suffering on us; they should also come to our aid by releasing some funds to us as we are law abiding citizens of Lagos State,’’ said Nnadiukwu.

Going down memory lane, the chairman said the fire crack-

ers that caused the explosion, were brought in on the midnight of the said day amidst tight security provided by armed Mobile police men numbering over a dozen. That has always been a routine thing whenever they’re bringing in these dangerous items. ‘’The place was always under lock and key but the revelation got to us on the said day that the items were dynamites which were in no way safe to be stocked in a residential or commercial area. The dealer is said to live at Dosumu Street on Lagos Island and he deals on fireworks. Most of us deal on kitchen utensils, not fireworks. So, it is highly impossible for such items which are not highly inflammable to have caused the inferno.

“Nobody could precisely tell the cause of the fire outbreak but our members saw dynamites flying in the air, taking off from No 45 Ojogiwa Street and crashing into surrounding buildings and in the process causing the inferno”. there by aggravating the inferno. The affected shops were 420 in number,’’ he said.

On December 26 212, series of explosions emanated from a shop where firecrackers were stored which razed about 12 buildings and many cars and killed one.

The three man panel is chaired by Justice Oladokun Ishola (Rtd), Engr. Olokunola Wasiu and Mr. Richard Ahonaruogho.

The panel has three months to complete its assignment aimed at assisting the state discover how such explosives got into residential areas as well as strengthen the capacity of government to stop such occurrences in the nearest future.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 5, 2013 — 21

BY BABAJIDE KOMOLAFE

A

NALYSTS at Financial Derivatives Company have predicted that foreign investors will reduce patronage of FGN Bonds due to decline in interest rates occasioned by low inflation rate.

In a report titled FDC Economic Flash, they noted that with inflation at single digit, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) will have to lower its monetary policy rate, which will prompt decline in interest rate. This they affirmed will cause the exchange rate of the naira go up marginally, and hence reduce foreign investors appetite for government debt instrument.

“The naira may depreciate marginally due to lower interest rates, leading to a reduction in foreign investors’ appetite for government debt instruments and lead to capital flight. With the high external reserves level (currently at $47.3bn), the CBN’s willingness and ability to support the naira could increase in the near term. The strength and direction of the naira against foreign currencies is critical to importers of raw materials, as a weak currency will increase the cost of imported goods and may erode manufacturers’ profits”, the report said.

“In February, the FDC’s Lagos urban inflation rose by 1.39% to 12.77% from 11.38% in January. This increase is mainly attributable to a rise in the prices of a few items with higher weights in the index.

The non-food index rose by 1.52% from 7.34% in January

Inflation: Foreigners’ appetite for FG bonds to decline due to a significant increase in the price of some building materials and toiletries.

The food basket also trended upward by 0.91% to 11.92 from

BY GODFREY BIVBERE & BOLAJI AJALA

-0.25

0.15

110.41

+0.01

90.49

-0.19

CURRENCY BUYING CENTRAL DOLLAR 154.75 155.25 POUNDS 232.4345 233.1855 EURO 201.4226 202.0734 FRANC 162.7234 163.2492 YEN 1.6643 1.6697 CFA 0.2907 0.3007 WAUA 233.6674 234.4224 RENMINBI 24.8677 24.9485 RIYA 41.2645 41.3978 KRONA 27.0103 27.0976 SDR 234.4153 235.1727

“In the month of February 2012, consumer prices which had spiraled in January had started moderating. The muted price effect in February last year was due to a combined ef-fect of consumer resistance at the shelf and potential resistance of the demonstrators. The impact of a slower inflation environment in February 2012 reduces the base year effect in 2013, hence the likelihood of this spike.

“We forecast that the official national inflation will inch up marginally to 9.1% (±0.26%) from 9.0% recorded in January. The rise in the national inflation figure correlates with FDC’s urban survey result of an upward movement.

From our regression analysis, the consumer price index will increase by 0.42% to 142.5pts in February.”

NSC to fight illegal charges in shipping industry

2,141.00 -3.00 18.06

result of the price increase of items that are out of season such as yam and pepper, and due to a higher import levy on rice.

•FROM LEFT: Managing Director/ CEO Trivest Technologies Ltd, Sam Fadiora; General Manager, Northern Operations, Tope Adebayo Halogen Security; and Samuel Odiagbe (Business Development Executive, Trivest) at the Trivest stand during the NOG-2013, in Abuja.

I

142.4

10.79% in January. This ends the three-month consecutive decline in the urban food basket. In our opinion, the rise in the food index could be a

SELLING 155.75 233.9365 202.7242 163.775 1.6751 0.3107 235.1774 25.0293 41.5311 27.1848 235.9301

CBN Exchange rate as at 04/03/2013

N a bid to fight illegal charges in the shipping industry, Nigeria Shipper ’s Council (NSC), has said that efforts are being made to review the laws of the Council to enable it sanction defaulters.

This is coming on the heels of complaints of exorbitant and illegal tariffs, charges for storage facilities, container deposit returns etc by operators and shippers in the country Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Council, Mr. Hassan Bello, who disclosed this in an exclusive interview with Vanguard, said the Council is in the process of amending the

enabling laws to give it the power of prosecution.

Bello explained that NSC is trying to make Nigeria more proactive in providing services to importers’ and as a result, has negotiated with shipping companies on so many occasions about exorbitant and illegal charges.

On the issue of a regulator for the industry, he said the Council has solved a lot of problems for shippers, adding that they have been receiving complaints from operators too.

“We are therefore the regulators of the industry. We have received complaints from operators, especially from shippers who had to abandon their cargoes at the ports or who were unwilling to clear their cargoes from the ports (as a result of high or illegal charges) and we have taken action to correct that.”

He said that the Federal Government is using transportation to emphasize its seriousness for

international trade, adding that the Council is creating a conducive environment for operation of shipping and transport, so that they will be translated into economic gains for the country.

B

ello further stated that if the budget for the year is analyzed, it will underscore the seriousness which government attached to the maritime industry, adding that the Federal Government has made landmark economic decisions that will translate to realisable projects.

In his words “The transport systems of any society reflect the seriousness of such country to the development of its economy.

So transportation is very important to the development of this country.”

He also noted that the Inland Container Deports (ICDs), which will soon come into operation are expected to solve once and for all the

perennial issue of port congestions, adding that the issues in the ICDs are meant to place Nigeria strategically as not only a partner but an important and serious member of the world economy as far as transportation is concerned.

“The ICDs will start operation very soon because the Federal Ministry of Transport has been working diligently to make ICDs work.

We have one or two problems of appropriate legal framework.”

There are some laws or regulations to be issued. The minister of transport has been on it and very soon these laws will come out.” he stated.

He further advised that Nigeria has to redirect the economy into an export oriented one because of its potentials, adding that the country has vast agricultural lands, chemicals, and processed materials for export to strive in this regard.

22— Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 5, 2013

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ODAY, a lot of people don’t want to hear about buying shares, or investing in the stock market. Why? They lost money or knew somebody who lost money when the stock market crashed between 2008 and 2009. During that period, prices of shares did not only fall, they collapsed. For example, the share price of GTBank fell from N31.99 per share at the end of December 2007 to N12.47 at the end of 2008.

Similarly, price of Unilever fell from N20.81 at the close of 2007 to N9.09 at the close of 2008. On a general note, the value of all the shares on the Nigeria Stock Exchange fell by 41 percent between February 2008 and December 2009.

Imagine buying one million shares of GTBank for N31.99 million only for the investment to be reduced by 61 percent to N12.47 million within one year.

A lot of people and organisations lost money and hence the apathy and negative feeling towards investment in shares by many people today.

But the truth is that investment in shares is still profitable, in fact always profitable, if and only if, you know and understand the principles of making money through shares.

First Principle Invest long term: Investment in shares, we said is buying ownership in a company.

Now, we know if you start a

Investment in shares is profitable

Unilever Plc’s Share Price Movement

business today, you will not start making money or big money immediately. It would take some time. That is why anybody that wants to buy shares must do so on a long term basis. In the short term, companies experience difficul-

,

BY BABAJIDE KOMOLAFE

Imagine buying one million shares of GTBank for N31.99 million only for the investment to be reduced by 61 per cent to N12.47 million within one year.

Registrars: Middlemen between companies and shareholders

BY NKIRUKA NNOROM

A

Registrar is an official keeper of records made in a register.

Companies, especially public limited liability companies, are required by law to keep record of their members.

Besides, any company that had sold a portion of its shares to the public is required to keep the record of its members, including the directors. The responsibility of doing this falls within the pur view of the COMPANY SECRETARY. A company secretary therefore is required to maintain the statutory register or book of his/her company, which include a register of all directors, past, present and their shareholding.

He is also required to keep the register of all the shareholders and their shareholding i.e quantity of shares of each shareholder.

The company secretary keeps the register of charges on the company’s assets, minutes of general meeting and board meeting, as well as a register of debenture holders. They are also

involved in filling annual returns at companies House, arranging meetings of directors and shareholders among several other functions performed by secretaries.

It is obvious from the above, that it is challenging, if not impossible, for all this function to be performed by one office. Hence some of them are outsourced, first to a little department in the office of registrar called registrar department. Subsequently, some companies decided to outsource these responsibilities, especially the duties of keeping the record of shareholders and their shareholding, to corporate registrars who handle the registers of shareholders on behalf of the company secretary. Thus, these Corporate Registrars act as middlemen between companies and their shareholders. In Nigeria, there are 31 corporate registrars. The most prominent ones are First Registrars, CSL, Union Registrar, UBA Registrars and Meristem Registrar.

These registrars among other things: Maintain comprehensive list of shareholders of a company. These include, name, address of each

,

shareholder, the quantity of shares owned, dividend collected and those yet to be collected.

They also facilitate correspondence between companies and shareholders. In this regard, they distribute annual reports, dividend, and notice of annual general meeting to shareholders.

In matters relating to stock market securities trading, the Registrar deals with stock broking firms acting on behalf of investors/shareholders.

They verify investors’ claims, relating to share certificates and transfer forms as presented through the stock broking firms.

In the case of share certificate dematrialisation, Registrars verify/send certificates of clients sent by stockbrokers and signed transfer form (s) and certificate deposit form(s) to the Central Securities Clearing System for capturing.

They also receive recycled dematerialised share certificates from the CSCS and alert the CSCS of any abnormality promptly; as well as receive transaction updates from CSCS and apply it by affecting the necessary debits and

Continues on page 23

ties that affect their operations and profitability, but over a period of time, the well managed companies overcome these problems, and make profit, and their value increases. That is why in the long term, the price of the shares of a well managed company always increases. As the company makes profit, it would be perceived as a valuable company and investment. The Shareholders would not want to sell their shares, and if they do, they would want to do so at a price higher than what they bought. Hence overtime, the share price of the company rises. But in the short term, the share price may fluctuate in the stock market based on a number of factors including economic conditions, season etc. It may go up today and come down tomorrow. But in the long term, the share price of a good company will rise and this combined with the profits made and shared to investors annually, will make its shareholders to make money.

For example, the price of Unilever at the close of 2007 was N20.81 per share. During the market crisis, it fell as low as N9.09 per share, but

by Monday 11th of February, it had risen to N52 per share. Similarly, the shares of GTBank has been going up, reaching a peak of N26.01 per share on Wednesday 6th of February. (See chart for Unilever share price movement) That is why it is risky to invest in shares for short term. The risk is that you may buy when the price is going up, and need to sell when the price is falling, and hence you lose money. That is what happened to most of the people that lost money when the stock market crashed between 2008 and 2009.

They bought shares when the prices were going up and they had to sell when the prices were down. But those who bought for long term, five years above, would eventually not lose money but make money. So if you want to make money investing in shares, invest for the long term.

For more information, and enquiries about this subject, send email to vanguardinvestorsforum@gmail.com.

C M Y K

Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 5, 2013 — 23

Investors’ rights under CAMA BYPETER EGWUATU

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HE Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA) 1990 governs the management of companies registered in Nigeria.

Among other things, it contains provisions that specify the rights and responsibilities of shareholders, who by law are In furtherance of our commitment to educating investors, on a weekly basis, Investors Forum will highlight and explain each of these rights as provided by CAMA. Right to a copy of the Memorandum of Association and Article of Association Once a person buys any unit of share of a company, he or she becomes a shareholder. So a shareholder has right to demand for a copy of Memorandum of Association and Article of Association from the company that he or she has stake in.

Memorandum of Association is the document that states the relationship between the company and the outsider. It is one of the documents required to incorporate a company in Nigeria, while article of Association is a document that indicate the internal affairs of a company.

It defines the responsibilities of the directors, how they are appointed, the kind of business to be undertaken, and the means by which the shareholders exert control over the board of directors, amongst others.

Meanwhile, the CAMA describes a director as any person appointed by a company to direct and manage

the business affairs of the company. The Companies and Allied Matters Act further describes a Director to include

any person on whose instructions and direction the Board of Directors of a company

Registrars: Middlemen between companies...

Continues from page 22

COMPLAINTS & ENQUIRIES Verification of Ecobank Transnational shares

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OOD day sir, I purchased ETI shares during the public offer in 2008, but have sent my Certificate for verification through my stockbroker at Cashcraft since August 2011 and no reply has been given to me since then.

Whenever I go to my stockbroker, he keeps telling me that he does not know why it has not been verified.

Name: ABRAHAM FIDELIS CHINWE, CSCS: 19657766, CH: C5254090AA, CAM: 156537. (Abraham Fidelis C h i n w e )

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nvestors Forum The Registrar of ETI was yet to respond to our enquiries as the time we went to press. Meanwhile, below is the Registrar ’s address and contact persons.

EDC Securities Limited -

is accustomed to act despite the fact that such a person is not officially appointed or listed as one of the Directors of the company.

The first set of Directors of a company is appointed by the subscribers to the Memorandum and Articles of Association of the company at the time of its incorporation.

Registrars Department, 139 Broad Street, Lagos – Nigeria, 7301260 – 1.

CONTACTS: Prisca Enwe: penwe@ecobank.com and James Napoleon: njames@ecobank.com

No dividend from Access Bank, University Press and others I have not received Dividend Warrant no 5 from Access Bank; Dividend Warrant No 29 and 31 from University Press; Dividend Warrant no 7 and 9 from Ikeja Hotels; And Dividend Warrant no 4 and others from Nigeria Bag and Manufacturing Company-OWUTU EBERE

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nvestors Forum Please contact the Registrars of the companies as listed below for the dividends. Also ensure you register for

electronic dividend (edividend) to ensure prompt payment of your dividend.

Access Bank (United Securities Limited 14 Idowu Taylor Street, Victoria Island Lagos Tel: 234 01 7300891 7300898 Email: info@unitedsecuritieslimited.com) University Press (Wema Registrars Limited G. Leventis Building (2nd Floor), 42/43, Marina, P. M. B. 12964, Lagos) Ikeja Hotels (Union Registrars Limited 2, Burma Road, Apapa, Lagos) Nigeria Bag and Manufacturing Company (The Flour Mills Registrar Limited, 45, Eric Moore Road, Iganmu, P. O. Box 341, Apapa Lagos)

Akinola Apologises to GT Registrars Please accept my sincere apology for the discrepancies in my signature. I have

retrieved a copy of GTB’s 2004 initial Public Offer (I.P.O) from my archive and discovered truly that your discovery was genuine.

Nevertheless I give it to you that everything in your action was in my best interest. My pain is the cost of sending another DHL courier to Nigeria. Who wouldn’t be anyway? 8 years is long time for signature variations and I never gave it a thought one day how my signature has transformed over the years.

I learnt a good lesson here.

Now that the whole issue is very clear to me, I will make all necessary correction.

Please, be rest assured that I’m not out to malign or defame your organisation as I’m sending this email also to Vanguard Investors Forum and Midas Stockbrokers Ltd. Thanking you for your anticipated cooperation and professional service.

credits in their books and raise claims where necessary.

In case of any offer being undertaken by a quoted company, be it Rights Issue, Public Offer, Initial Public Offer etc, the Registrar receives/ processes application forms from the public, as well as returns from receiving agents nationwide, summarises applications received and prepares allotment data that will enable issuing house prepare Allotment proposal.

In addition to this, they prepare comprehensive application list, return surplus and rejected application moneys to subscribers after the approval of Return of Allotment by the Securities and Exchange Commission, SEC. They also produce an allotment register reflecting shareholding position of shareholders, prepare certificate of register reflecting details of certificates emanating from the offer and management of the register of members and ensure continuous transferability of the companies’ securities, particularly in the case of publicly quoted companies.

COMPLAINTS AND INVESTIGATIONS Do you have any challenge with your investment in the stock market or with any company (stockbroker, Registrar Company etc), write to vanguardinvestorsforum @gmail.com OR send text to 08157550673. We will INVESTIGATE AND REPLY

24 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 5, 2013

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Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 5, 2013 — 25

Jaiz Bank promises to finance agric, SMEs J

AIZ Bank Plc has restated its commitment to the provision of ethical banking services with the introduction of products that will enable it to finance key sectors of the economy.

According to a statement from the bank said “ Major areas being financed by the bank as the agricultural sector, small and medium scale industries and home finance.

The statement also quoted the General Manager, Business Development of the bank, Malam Hassan Usman, as saying that the bank was built on strong principles of high ethics, fairness, objectivity and transparency.

Usman, who spoke at the 34th Kaduna International Trade Fair said, “The bank was at the fair to enlighten its customers and prospects about its products and services and also to debunk the notion that they are for Muslims only.

“Jaiz offers financing products and services like other conventional banks. Our services are available to all irrespective of race or religion.

It is about building partnership for mutual interest.”

He also indicated that work was in progress to upgrade its current license to a national banking license, adding that the move would allow the bank to have branches in all the states of the federation.

It could be recalled that Jaiz Bank commenced operation as a first full-fledged non-interest Islamic bank in Nigeria on January 6, 2012 with a share capital of N5billion n,which has now grown to over N11billion.

From left: Product Marketing Manager Home Enterainment division LG Electronics West Africa Operation, MrJames Odejimi, General Manager Media division LG Electronics West Africa Operation, Mr Jae Sang Lee, A Judge DJ Sose , and Assistant Manager Media division LG Electronics West Africa Operation, Mr. Young Hwan Cho, during LG Xboom Scratch 2 Fame DJ Competition in Lagos.

Experts fault FIRS on tax before self-assessment is filed

BY PETER EGWUATU

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AX experts have continued to fault the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) recent decision to collect tax from taxpayers before a self-assessment is filed.

It will be recalled that the Federal Inland Revenue Service recently in an advert requested payment of taxes, a situation which comes before self-assessment of taxes is filed to the Revenue.

Following this development, tax experts said the discerning taxpayer should treat such notice with caution.

Speaking on the development, Eben Akinyemi, Partner, Stransact Partners said: “It is curious to note that the

FIRS did not mention the 2011 Tax Administration (SelfAssessment) Regulations. This is the Regulation that the FIRS relies on to demand payment of taxes before filing of returns on Self-Assessment basis.”

Briefing financial journalists recently on this development from the side of FIRS, Akinyemi, who is also an Associate of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria said: “The Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) placed a paid advertisement requesting payment of taxes.

That regulation cited section 55 of the Companies Income Tax Act (CITA) 2004 (as amended), Laws of the Federation of Nigeria CAP C21. The section cited stipulates the time within which a company is to file its

returns. This is essentially within 6 months of financial year end for an existing business. The FIRS then proceeded to demand payment of taxes beginning from January 2013 and final payment to be made on or before 30th June 2013 for companies whose financial year end is after 31st July 2012.”

Akinyemi also said: “The FIRS relied on Section 61 of the FIRS Establishment Act (FIRS Act), to issue the 2011 Tax Administration (Self Assessment) Regulations in December 2011.

The Regulations made specific pronouncements on the Companies Income Tax Act (CITA), the Personal Income Tax Act (PITA), the Petroleum

Standard Chartered sponsors Economic Intelligence Unit debate S

TANDARD Chartered has announced that it will sponsor an online debate organised by the Economic Intelligence Unit (EIU) on the proposition “CSR has nothing to do with charity”.

The debate will run from Monday 4th March to Friday 15th March and will be hosted at a bespoke webpage www.ccdebates.eiu.com The debate will be conducted in the Oxford style and moderated by EIU contributing editor Sarah Murray, a leading writer on the intersection of business, sustainability and philanthropy.

Speaking for the motion will C M Y K

be Peter Lacy, Managing Director of Sustainability Services for Asia-Pacific for Accenture, while Margaret Coady, Executive Director of the Committee Encouraging Corporate Philanthropy, will speak against the motion. Mark Devadason, Group Head Sustainability and Regions, will offer commentary on behalf of Standard Chartered. Contributions will come from a variety of thinkers in this space, including Oxfam, WWF, Microsoft, Grameen Foundation, Aspen Institute, CSR Asia and Changing our World, Inc. The debate will be promoted mostly in digital and social media

including a bespoke Facebook page http:// www.facebook.com/ccdebates The title and content was developed by The Economist Intelligence Unit, which conducted a survey on several themes around the role of corporations in society and corporate social responsibility (CSR). The debate is open to participants globally, who are encouraged to vote for or against the proposition and contributesduring the debate.

Claire Fedder, Group Head of Brand, said ,“Standard Chartered’s brand promise, Here for good, is a reflection of what we stand for and our commitment to taking a long

term view that supports our clients, customers and the communities in which we work. We believe that we have a duty to promote CSR initiatives within the wider community. We accept - and indeed encourage - healthy debate that leads to a better understanding of important issues such as this.”

Diran Olojo, Head Corporate Affairs, Nigeria, added, “As a bank, we aim to have positive impact on people and communities. That means making the Bank a great place to work, minimizing our operational impact on the environment and focusing on investing in community initiatives.

Profits Tax Act (PPTA), and the Value Added Tax Act (VATA) among others.”

He added: “Section 77 of CITA already makes specific provisions on Time within which tax (including Provisional Tax) is to be paid.

It is queer that the FIRS did not cite this section in the advertisement placed in The Guardian. Indeed this is the right place where the tax payer will find guidance on when to pay his taxes and not FIRS notices. Section 77(5) expressly states that “A company filing self assessment shall pay the tax due within two months from the date of filing the assessment in one lump sum or such number of monthly installments (not being more than six) as may be approved by the Board.”

Commenting on this development, Ali-Nakyea Abdallah, Managing Consultant at WTS Nakyea & Adebiyi said: “the FIRS Board with the approval of the Minister can make regulations giving full effect to provisions in the Act and not to pass laws, which is the exclusive preserve of the Legislature. It is important to mention that tax is a creature of statute; thus tax imposition, collection, debt enforcement and management should all be backed by statute otherwise they crumble as being arbitrary and biased.”

Abdallah, who is also a lecturer at Ghana School of Law said: “If the FIRS finds the 6 months too long a waiting period, the only remedy is to get the section amended. In Ghana, we had a similar 6 months waiting period till an amendment was effected to reduce it to 4 months after the end of the taxpayer ’s accounting date.

26—Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 5, 2013

Unilever’s Close-Up boosts CSR profile Stories by PRINCEWILL EKWUJURU

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NILEVER Nigeria Plc has raised its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) profile, using the Close-Up toothpaste brand.

The brand in an effort to pull its consumers closer decided to kickstart a free teeth check campaign to determine the health status of its consumers dentistry in Lagos. The campaign enabled consumers visit

The Kots Clinic in Surulere for the free check-up.

Speaking, Dexter Adeola, Brand Manager, Close-Up, said the company is doing this, because had shown that only 15 percent of Nigerians visit Dentist yearly.

As a leading brand in the paste category, “ we chose this platform to reach out to Nigerians in need of dental help.

This would also serve as an awareness campaign to sensitize people on

the need for proper Oral care & the importance of regular Dental checkups.”

On the choice of the location Adeola said the intention was to strategically reach Nigerians in the two extreme location of Lagos - Surulere and Magodoo.

On how close-Up was able to achieve the number that turned out, he said that prior to today( Saturday last week) the brand had created heavy

awareness in these areas and invited many in need of this Dental C h e c k .

He went further to say that what informed the initiative was that over the Years, Close-Up had given health protection to the teeth and gums of millions of Nigerians.

“The brand has also worked with Health professionals & dentists nationwide to educate Nigerians on the i m p o r t a n c e of Oral care. This Free dental check is in line

with our commitment to ensure Nigerians have the best solutions & care for their teeth and G u m s . ” The Brand Manager pointed out the Closeup brand has been able to research and find out that accessibility to dentists is extremely low in Nigeria, with only 15 percent of Nigerians visiting dentist yearly.

On the impact of the programme, he said, “as Nigeria’s most loved tooth paste brand and have taken in-turn taken

it upon ourselves to ensure Nigerians get nothing but the highest level of choice tooth paste and Oral care.

NB rewards productivity for 2012 ...gives truck to overall winner

I

N line with its com mitment to continuously reward productivity and business partnership, Nigerian Breweries Plc made good its age long policy of rewarding outstanding distributors and transporters that excelled in the 2012 financial year.

Magulf Enterprise limited, having sold the required cases of Nigerian Breweries products emerged best distributor for the year 2012.

The company grabbed the coveted award and a brand new Mercedes Benz truck to further enhance their business.

The company won the award at an elaborate ceremony tagged“Our Bond, Our Success”, held at the Eko Hotel and Suites in Lagos.

Ifeoma Chukwuma Nigeria Limited and GN Anyoha and Sons Limited went home with 2nd and 3rdplace prizes respectively.

The brewing giant gave out total of 116 award in various categories which include: National Volume Champion and Region Volume Champions, Regional Volume Champions who attained minimum of 2 million cases, Regional Volume Champion who attained less than 2 million cases, District Champions who achieved minimum of 2 million cases, District Champions who achieved 1 million – 2 million cases, District Champions who achieved 1 Million cases, Millionaire Club (SKDs who achieved above 1 million cases) among others.

Speaking at the event, Sales Director of Nigerian Breweries, Mr. Hubert Eze disclosed that, partnership with distributors and Key transporter is a major factor in the company’s success story which has also contributed to growth in sales volume which equally impacted positively on profit margin.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 5, 2013 — 27

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28—Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 5, 2013

EZU RIVER:

The unending mystery •No gun injuries or machete cuts on the bodies, says Police •Blood stains on the bridge indicating dumping •Akunyili, residents react

BY EMEKA MAMAH, VINCENT UJUMADU & ISHOLA BALOGUN

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HO killed 25 youngmen of between 25 and 40 years and dumped their bodies in Ezu River in Amansea, Awka North Local Government Area of Anambra State on January19?

Could it be the Anti-Special Robbery Squad, SARS, at Awkuzu, near Awka, the Anambra State capital or who?

These questions remain unanswered since January 19, 2013 when the people of Amansea woke up to find dead bodies in the river which is their only source of water. Until now, nobody seems to know how the bodies got into the river. Ezu River has its source at Agbogwugwu in Awgu Local Government Area of neighbouring Enugu State.

It flows into Anambra River which empties into the River Niger. Ezu traverses most of Awka North Local Government Area in Anambra North Senatorial District.The spot in the river C M Y K

where the bodies were found is on the Old Enugu-Onitsha Road, with a bridge of about 35 metres markedly placed above it. Some Amansea indigenes who were fetching water from the river early in the morning of the fateful day, discovered the dead bodies.

They said they saw the bodies floating slowly, with some wedged on the banks of the river. The actual number of the dead bodies has not been ascertained, with conflicting figures ranging from 23 to 25. Vanguard gathered from the residents that 18 bodies were discovered on January 19; four others on January 20, while three more were noticed two days later, bringing the total to 25.

Emergency meeting On seeing the bodies, the indigenes alerted the traditional ruler, Igwe Kenneth Okonkwo, who mobilised his cabinet for an emergency meeting after which

the state government and the state police command were contacted. Since then, the river has become a tourist centre as people now visit the area for first hand information. What made the discovery more mysterious was when various communities on the banks of the river in Anambra and Enugu States said that nobody was missing from their areas. Anambra State Governor, Mr. Peter Obi, who was not in the State directed the State Executive Council, to find out what happened. Anambra State contacted Enugu State even as Mr. Daura, the Enugu State Commissioner of Police joined his Anambra State counterpart, Mr. Bala Nasarawa, in the search for answers.

The men Igwe Okonkwo of Amansea sent to the scene on January 19, said they saw blood stains on the bailey bridge, from where the dead bodies were believed to have been thrown into the river. They said they did not see any sign of scuffle in the area. However, the Anambra

,

•The bridge on Ezu River from where the corpses were allegedly dumped into the river

At Ezu River, Vanguard observed that a police post is located less than 250 metres from the bridge on the river. It was not new and was close enough to observe the reported movements on January 19. Though 25 decomposing bodies evacuated from the river were earlier given a mass burial close to the river, the uncertainty surrounding the deaths necessitated their exhumation for autopsy.

Initially, three of the dead bodies were exhumed, then all the rest were exhumed for the exercise by police pathologists from Force Headquarters, Abuja and Anambra State. The results of the autopsy are yet to be released but the Anambra State government explained that the “startling discoveries” from the autopsy report on the first three bodies forced it to order that the rest of the bodies be exhumed for the same purpose. Anambra State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Lawrence Ikeako, said it would be out of place to use the result from the three bodies originally taken away for autopsy to represent the cause of the death of all the corpses found floating on Ezu River. Prof. Anthony Agbata of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital, Nnewi led the team of pathologists, and a commissioner from the Force Headquarters led •Police IG, Mohammed Abubakar the police side.

No gun injuries or machete cuts State Police Commissioner, said on the bodies, says Police: The the police saw no blood stains police said all the victims were when they visited the scene. males, some wore only singlets, Were the victims killed else- while others wore only boxer where then dumped in the riv- pants. Anambra State Commiser? Without communal clashes sioner of Police, Mr. Bala Naamong the communities in An- sarawa, also confirmed that

At Ezu River, Vanguard observed that a police post is located less than 250 metres from the bridge on the river. It was not new and was close enough to observe the reported movements on January 19

ambra or Enugu States, or major road accidents suspicions rose that the bodies were dumped from the bridge.

A Fulani woman residing in the area said she saw a vehicle parked on the bridge in the wee hours of January 19, with some people dropping objects into the river from there. Some natives said two vehicles which resembled Toyota Liteace (L300) actually dropped off the objects into the Ezu River in the early hours of January 19.

,

there were no gun injuries or machete cuts on their bodies.

Nasarawa would not say if the police had done biometric tests on the victims.

Vanguard had also wanted to know from the police whether those carrying out the exercise used INEC’s data capture to know where the victims lived and who they were before their death, but the state Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Emeka Chukwuemeka, said the Continues on page 29

Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 5, 2013—29

•Senate committees members ...seeking to unravel the mystery of the Ezu River murders

Ezu River: The unending mystery Continues from page 28

command did not understand those technicalities as it had left them in the hands of medical experts. Commissioner for Health, Dr. Ikeako, also said the pathologists had not briefed him.

He also urged those seeking information on the matter to wait for the findings of the autopsy.

Ikeako said the state government had spent N1.5 million on the morticians and those who evacuated the bodies, with more bills for the autopsy and em-

pened within hours of the bodies being found.

Testifying later during the Senate committees’ public hearing at the Government House, Awka, Nasarawa, said the police were not involved in the burial. According to him, it was the responsibility of the Awka North Local Government to bury them, with the supervision of the police.

He said: “When the governor cut short his visit outside the country and returned because of the incident, he asked me

The police in Anambra State did not kill anybody or dump corpses in the river. I am against extra judicial killing and I have warned my officers and men not to indulge in extra- judicial killing

,

balming.

Senate probes:The Senate asked two of its committees to investigate the issue following a motion moved by Senator Andy Uba representing Anambra South. Senate committees comprising Paulinus Nwagu, Chairman, Committee on Police Affairs; Mohammed Magoro, Chairman of the Committee on National Security and Intelligence; Solomon Ewuga, Mohammed Sami Sani, Dr. Chris Ngige and Alhaji Shaaba Lafiagi visited the traditional ruler of Amansea, Igwe Okonkwo, the initial burial site on the bank of Ezu River, before they commenced a public inquiry at the Government House, Awka.

The committees observed that nobody from Ugwuoba in Enugu, which shares boundaries with Amansea, was available to speak on the mystery deaths.

Vanguard visited Ugwuoba before the arrival of the senate committees and was informed that none of its members was missing.

However, the Anambra State Police Commissioner, Mr. Nasarawa curiously told the Senate committees investigating the mysterious discoveries that the decomposing bodies were buried immediately following a court order. Nasarawa did not say who instituted the suit, those sued and how that hap-

,

about the evacuation and the arrangement for the burial and I told him it was not the duty of the police and that it is the responsibility of the local government.

“He then asked us to put heads together to decide on what to do to protect the health of the villagers whose environment had been polluted.”He further explained that the police were still trying to unravel the mystery surrounding the discovery of the bodies, pointing out that a Deputy Commissioner of Police from the Force Headquarters was leading detectives in the investigation which is yet to be completed.

He further said that there was a serious problem in carrying out the assignment because of what he described as the refusal of people to come up with useful information despite the pledge of N5 million by Governor Peter Obi to anybody that would offer useful information on the incident.

The commissioner also told members of the committee that there has not been any arrest on the matter, but promised that “very soon, the police will achieve the desired result.”

MASSOB petitions: As the controversy continued, the Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra, MASSOB, claimed that some of

the dead bodies were its members earlier arrested by the police in Onitsha and detained at the Special Anti Robbery Squad, SARS, headquarters, Awkuzu.

Relations of detained members MASSOB director of information, Comrade Uchenna Madu in a petition to President Goodluck Jonathan gave the names of the MASSOB members as Basil Ogbu, Michael Ogwa, Sunday Omogo, Philip Nwamkpa, Eze Ndubuisi, Ebuka Eze, Obinna Ofor, Joseph Udoh and Uchechukwu Ejiofor.

He said: “They were arrested at MASSOB security office at Onitsha, Anambra State on November 9, 2012 by a combined team of Nigeria security agents and were later handed over to SARS headquarters, Awkuzu, Anambra State. Some of our disguised members and relations of the detained members were denied access to them, including medical assistance.

The state Director of the Department State Security, DSS, Mr. Alexander Okeiyi, also told members of the Senate committees that as part of the investigation, checks had been carried out in communities in Enugu State and when nothing could be established, checks were extended to Ebonyi and Cross River States which had been experiencing communal clashes, but found out that the number of casualties in such skirmishes were not up the figure discovered in Ezu River.

Akunyili reacts: Former Minister of Information, Professor Dora Akunyili, who reacted on the Ezu River saga, asked security agencies to tell Nigerians the source of the dead bodies, arguing that if security operatives could not tell Nigerians what really happened, then Nigerians were no longer safe.

She said: “If these people were killed, who killed them and why were they killed? Again, the mass burial that was hurriedly done was what I did not understand.

There ought to have been proper identification before the corpses were buried.”

•Anambra State Governor, Peter Obi Akunyili also wicked act could happen be- dismissed the claim by MAScause according to them, a com- SOB, that some of the dead bodprehensive police reformation ies were members of the group, on human rights is being car- asking, where they were since ried out by the Inspector Gen- the bodies were found on Ezu River several weeks ago? Aceral of Police, IGP.” Nasarawa described the MAS- cording to her, if some of their SOB claim as baseless, noting: members were missing, MAS“I have the names of the peo- SOB would have been the first ple published as victims and we set of people to go to Ezu River checked with our records and to find out if their detained

•Residents and visitors at the Ezu river

Efforts by our legal counsel to secure their bail from the police were futile. Our demands for their arraignment before a competent court of law were frustrated by security officers.

They claimed that the court was not sitting because of Christmas. We got information from an insider that MASSOB members detained were secretly killed along side other robbery suspects.

“Our lawyers who confidently waited for their arraignment in January 2013 did not believe that such barbaric, primitive and

discovered that there were no such names. We have records of all MASSOB members we arrested and many of them are in Awka and Onitsha prisons and facing trial in court.

“The prison authorities usually write us whenever they are taking them to court and I want to say that they are still being detained. The police in Anambra State did not kill anybody or dump corpses in the river. I am against extra judicial killing and I have warned my officers and men not to indulge in extra- judicial killing.”

members were the victims, adding that for them to wait for one month after the discovery to claim that some of the dead bodies were their members was merely to add to the confusion.

Only source of water in the community: The river which has provided water for the people of Amansea area of Anambra could not pass any test of purity as its colour remained brownish, yet this is their only source of water for drinking and other domestic uses.

To be concluded C M Y K

30—Vanguard , TUESDAY, MARCH 5, 2013

Toyota to unveil exciting new models •All-new RAV4 due

BY THEODORE OPARA

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OYOTA Nigeria Limited has promised to introduce more new exciting models into the Nigeria market this year to consolidate its position as the number one auto brand in the country.

Toyota ended the year 2012 with close to 20,000 new vehicles, which accounted for about 40 per cent of the total new vehicle import into the Nigeria last year.

Speaking at the ninth edition of company ’s annual awards ceremony at the Civic Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos, the Managing Director, Toyota Nigeria Limited, Chief Michael Ade Ojo said “some new models in Toyota line up will be introduced into the market this year, beginning with the allnew RAV4.

The chairman, whose speech was presented by the company’s Executive Director, Mr. Kunle Ade Ojo explained that some new models were introduced into the market the previous year to broden the choices of their customers.

“On a positive note, the year witnessed the introduction of key models into our line up.

While we increased our model portfolio by introducing the Fortuner in the Fabric seat and leather seats versions, we also brought in the Hilux automatic transmission to complement the Hilux model line up,”he said, adding that the Avanza also underwent a full model change.

The Toyota boss further explained that all these were aimed at meeting the expectations and yearnings of their valued customers across the country.

The chairman also pointed out that the company expanded its scope of operations so as to fulfill its ultimate responsibility of satisfying its customers by completing its world class Body Paint Training Centre in Lagos.

This ultra modern

Vanguard wins 2012 Auto Journalist of the Year Award facility, according to him, will serve as training centre for its dealer technical staff on body and paints training.

On the area of Corporate Social Responsibility, the Toyota boss said they have remained resolutely committed to their policy of affecting and imparting positively on the society.

Apart from donating two Hilux Pickup vans to the Oyo State government last year for crime fighting, they ensured the participation of Nigerian children in the Toyota Dream Car Art

Contest. The winning entries, from among those who participated in the contest in Nigeria were sent on annual basis to Japan to contest at the global level with other winning entries from other parts of the world.

Chief Ade Ojo however explained that though, the company made some progress last year, they also had their challenges.

Said he: “Last year like any other was quite eventful in the annals of our dear organization.

The year began on a nervy note with the fuel subsidy crisis. This was followed by flood disaster

in many parts of the country. Security issues and sundry fiscal challenges made the economic landscape quite unfriendly for smooth business operations, making business very extremely daunting.

“Nevertheless all these l i m i t a t i o n s notwithstanding, we remained resolute and focused, by dint of hardwork and dedication, we managed to finish the race reasonably well. This modest achievement was made possible by the immense goodwill of our customers and dedication of our dealers,”he stated.

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ANGUARD Motor ing Editor, Mr. Theodore Opara, has won the 2012 Auto Journalist of the Year at the ninth edition of the annual Toyota Awards ceremony held at the Civic Centre, Lagos on Thursday.

The Toyota Annual Award is organised by Toyota Nigeria Limited in recognition of excellence. The Journalist of the Year category of the award is contested by all motoring journalists in the print media.

The highly celebrated award has been won five times by Mr. Opara, who is Nigeria’s most decorated Motoring Journalist.

A graduate of History

and International Relations from the Lagos State University, Mr. Opara is widely travelled.

Speaking shortly after receiving the award, Mr. Opara commended Toyota Nigeria Limited for instituting the award to enable Motoring Journalist express themselves.

According to him, Toyota by instituting the competition, has created healthy competition among Motoring Journalists in the country to improve their motoring writing skills.

The winners of the award including the 1st and second runners up went home with iPhone 5 each.

Vanguard , TUESDAY, MARCH 5, 2013—31

Rolls-Royce, Bentley intensify luxury battle at Geneva

BY THEODORE OPARA

R

OLLS-Royce and Bentley will unveil new vehicles at the Geneva auto show on March 5 as they intensify their battle in the fastgrowing luxury end of t h e market o n behalf of their German owners.

BMW’s Rolls-Royce will debut a two-door coupe version of its Ghost model, known as the Wraith, which the company says will be its most powerful vehicle yet. Meanwhile Bentley, part of the Volkswagen Group, will unveil its updated Flying Spur, its fastest ever four-door model.

The two Germanowned brands hope the new launches will extend an upturn in their markets, which has been boosted by recovering demand in the United States and strong growth in Asia, where customers are increasingly attracted by the history and status of brands such as RollsRoyce and Bentley.

The United States and China have traded positions as Rolls and Bentley’s largest markets in recent quarters.

“The Wraith, along with the Ghost, is there

t o compete with Bentley’s Continental GT, which, at a slightly lower price, has been a huge success,” said IHS automotive analyst Christoph Stuermer.

“Bentley is looking for

success with its Flying Spur, which is an all-new vehicle, because the predecessor didn’t deliver the sales they were look-

ing for.”

“Rolls and Bentley are direct competitors and are like the last men standing in the ultraluxury, high-end seg-

ment so the fight for attention of the super-rich in Geneva will be fierce,” he added.

Company insiders say the Wraith, a name first used by Rolls in 1938, will produce as much as 600 hp from a twin-turbo 6.6-liter V-12 engine.

So far only two “teaser ” images of the Wraith have been released,

Mercedes tops BMW to extend US luxury lead

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ERCEDES-Benz reported a 22 percent surge in U.S. sales last month, building on its early lead as it tries to unseat BMW as the leader in luxury-auto

FRSC to enforce speed limits on convoy, commercial vehicles

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ETERMINED to curtail the high rate of accidents resulting from over speeding, the Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, has recommended the installation of speed limiters on all convoy and commercial vehicles in the country.

Mr. Osita Chidoka, Corps Marshal and Chief Executive Officer of the FRSC said this at the Sheraton Hotels and Towers Ikeja, while delivering keynote address at the 20 th A n n i v e r s a r y celebration of the ABC Transport Plc. The Corps Marshal, who was represented by the Deputy Corps Marshal, Mr. Boboye Oyeyemi, noted that

showing a shallow-sloping “fastback” design similar to that seen on smaller sports cars, while the rear appears similar to the Ghost, with the addition of large exhaust tailpipes at either side of the vehicle.

Rolls-Royce CEO Torsten Mueller-Oetvoes is confident the new model will “drawsuperlatives” when it is unveiled in Geneva.

Bentley claims its redesigned Flying Spur, which has a 6.0-liter, 12cylinder engine generating 616 hp and capable of reaching a top speed of 322kph (200 mph), will set “a new luxury performance sedan benchmark.” The Flying Spur has a lower, wider appearance than its predecessor with sharp lines and gently curvaceous surfaces, according to Bentley.

Bentley was owned by Rolls-Royce for some 70 years, during which time the pair offered similar models. However, since the two parted ways in 1998 they have ruled different segments of the ultraluxury car market.

35 per cent of all road traffic crashes that occurred in Nigeria in 2012 was due to violation of speed limit.

He said: “The installation of speed limiters on all convoy and commercial vehicles with strict enforcement to ensure compliance is one of the measures the agency is applying to reduce the occurrences of road traffic accidents.”

According to him, the FRSC will commence the process of ranking fleet operators in the country this year, which will be based on the level of compliance with safety standards as specified by the Road Transport Safety Standard Scheme, RTSSS, and all other safety measures put in place by the operators to ensure safety and security of

passengers patronizing the company.

The Corps Marshal noted that the Agency has been concerned with the fatalities associated with crashes involving mini-buses, especially those involved with overloading of goods and passengers, who embark on long distance journeys. He stressed that overloading and use of mini buses for long distance trips are clear violation of safety codes, and portray the lawlessness that characterized road transportation business before now.

It was against this background that the FRSC enunciated the policy of Road Transport Safety Standardization Scheme which is aimed at addressing the challenges in road transport sub-sector.

RTSSS, he said, sets minimum safety standards for the three components that guarantee safety in fleet management: the driver, the vehicle and the operational base (terminal).

So far, he said “as at the end of last year, while 2,895 operators were registered, 1,033 were inspected, out of which 722 of them that met the required standard were certified, depending on the level of their compliance with specified safety standards which determined their grade.

Meanwhile, the FRSC boss has challenged other transport companies to emulate the safety measures applied by ABC Transport. He said that road safety is a collective responsibility of

all citizens and stakeholders, adding that everybody is involved either as a victim or beneficiary of safer road environment.

“We must all work assiduously to make Nigeria succeed in its quest to become one of the 20 largest economies and safety countries in the world by 2020. We must all commit to the nation’s plans to meet this national aspiration and the target of the United Nations Decade of Action for Road Safety: 20112020 which imposes on every member nation, responsibility to reduce the rate and fatality of road traffic crashes by 50 per cent within the decade,” he said.

deliveries this year.

Mercedes said today it delivered 22,040 vehicles last month, its best Febr uary, helped by sales of the C-class sedan, which rose 39 percent to 7,302. BMWbrand sales increased 0.5 percent to 21,311 vehicles, boosted by a 22 percent gain for its X5 SUV. Toyota Motor Corp.’s Lexus rose 3.9 percent to 17,339, led by the RX SUV, which gained 20 percent to 6,938 deliveries.

The two German automakers are vying to be the top luxury-auto brand in the U.S. after outselling Lexus the past two years. BMW vaulted to its second consecutive U.S. luxury crown with a December surge, based on reported sales. When measured by vehicle registrations, Mercedes topped BMW, according to researcher R.L. Polk & Co. “We’re just carrying the momentum that we brought from last year into this year,” Steve Cannon, CEO of Mercedes-Benz USA, said in an interview today. “We haven’t even gotten to any of our new products yet.”

32 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 5, 2013

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34— Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 5, 2013

We can’t quantify number of structures to go — Traders President

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PEAKING on the demolition, President Ladipo Auto Dealers’ Association, Mr. Ikechukwu Animalu said he could not quantify the number of structures that would be affected by the demolition but all the structures erected closer to the canal will be demolished.

Vanguard gathered that more than 20 stalls erected within the restricted area were already marked by the state government.

Animalu added “Let the owners of structures sited beside the canal accept the demolition. We have to do it because we can’t hold the entire market with over 30, 000 shops to ransom.

“The governor said that we must remove all the structures erected within 15 metres on both sides of the canal and those erected along the drainage channels”.

According to him, “we are ready to comply with the state government’s directive, that was why we called our members and they arrived as early as 7:00 am to begin the demolition process and cleaning of the premises.

“We are ready to end street trading in the market. Anyone who is trading on the street will be arrested”.

Also speaking, Mr. Ezeigbo Nkire another market leader, said “we begun the cleaning of the market to ensure that the market be reopened for the commencement of business activities. And we have been told that if we comply with the sanitation standard of the state, the market would be reopened

by Wednesday.”

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AGOS state government, yesterday, commenced demolition of illegal structures erected along the drainage channel at the Ladipo Auto spare parts market, Mushin Local Government.

This came barely 24 hours after the state governor, Babatunde Fashola, visited the market to inspect the traders’ compliance with the state sanitation law 2010.

Deputy chairman of the Lagos State Taskforce on environmental and Special offence, Olajide Agboola while addressing the marketers said that the directive to remove the structures erected beside the canal was based on the order of the state governor.

Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, Sunday, undertook an inspection of Nigeria’s biggest auto spare parts market, in Ladipo, Mushin Local Government Area, closed last Monday over environmental degradation, declaring that the Government would reopen it for business once the traders spearhead a cleanup exercise and formally undertake that never again would they allow trading to take place on the road or the edges of the canal.

The market was shut in the early hours of Monday following repeated warnings and visits by the Commissioner for Environment, Mr. Tunji Bello and the Chairman of the Taskforce on Environmental and Special Offences, CSP Bayo Sulaiman, which were not heeded.

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owever, the Governor’s visit on Sunday to assess the situation of the Market followed pleas by the traders and the leadership of the Igbo Council in Lagos State led by Professor Anya O. Anya, who visited the State House, Ikeja last Monday to

We are unhappy, we lose N500 million daily — Trader

A

NOTHER trader, Ray Okpabia said “we aren’t happy with the closure of the market and the reason for this is that we pay our taxes regularly. But we have no option than to yield to the state government directive.”

That was why we all begun to clean the premises. And we have started to remove some of the structures erected beside drainage channels.

We have resolved to assist some traders whose shops

may be affected by the demolition exercise.”

Okpabia who is also the financial secretary of the market said that since the closure of the market, the entire market has lost N500 million daily.

Also speaking Mr. Matthew Ikechukwu urged the state government to consider their plight and reopen the market, ito enable them to commence business activities again.

Ladipo Market: Lagos demolishes Stories By MONSUR OLOWOOPEJO present the new Council members to the Governor.

Though no trading was going on when the Governor visited, evidence of the environmental degradation which led to the closure could

be found on the damaged roads in the area, disused piles of spare parts and the shanties used for trading on the sides of the canal.

Lagos boat operators still flout O

NE year after a boat mishap in Igbede Community, Otto-Awori Local Council Development Area, LCDA, commuters of water transport especially in the riverine axis of the state, are yet to comply with the state safety standards.

It will be recalled that 10 school children and two women drowned on February 13, 2012 when the boat conveying them to school capsized.

Pained by the tragedy and

other boat mishaps that followed, the state government in October 2012, said it would enforce the usage of life jackets for water transportation in the state.

Vanguard investigation at some local jetties in Ojo Local Government and Otto-Awori LCDA, however, revealed that passengers still don’t comply with the state government safety standards on water ways.

Investigation by Vanguard revealed that the state

government established the Lagos Safety Commission, to enlightened the public on the importance of safety in the state.

The state government also established the Lagos State Waterways Authority, to monitor the water ways in the state and ensure that anyone on the water ways complied with safety standards of using life jackets.

Speaking to Vanguard, Mrs. Folashade Omotayo, a resident of Ese-offin, one of

Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 5, 2013 — 35

But what is, perhaps, worthy of note is that those who are involved have seen the error of what they have done here and are ready to work with us

to clean-up and I have said here that they must take the lead”, the Governor said.

Speaking particularly about the Canal in the market blocked by refuse from the traders, Governor Fashola said, “The Canal there poses a lot of danger and we are expecting heavy rains. I don’t want to come back here to pick any dead body.

We built the canal and we must make it work by not trading on it and not dumping refuse in it”.

“People told me that they picked engine parts, spareparts and other things from the canal. It must stop”, the Governor said adding that there is now an agreement between the traders and the Government to work together to clean up the place and continue with the business there.

Anya tasks traders on compliance with sanitation law

T

illegal structures state of the Market and its environs as “massive degradation of a section of Lagos”, however, said the good thing in the visit was

safety standards the riverine communities, said “I don’t use it because I was born over 25 years ago in this community, I can swim perfectly. So I don’t need to wear the jacket.”

Omotayo, a nursing mother added “The life jacket isn’t so important because anyone paddling commercial canoe must have passed through a rigorous training from experts.”

Also Mr. Timothy Oghene, argued “I contact communicable diseases from

the usage of life jackets. And the reason for this is that the jackets are not washed regularly by those managing the boats.

“I complained but they failed to yield to my argument that was why I stopped using it whenever I board canoe.

And since a larger percent of the canoe transporting passengers on the water ways were powered with outboard engines, I don’t panic on the water ways.”

,

Speaking to newsmen after the inspection during which he also addressed leaders of the traders, Governor Fashola, who described the

The Canal there poses a lot of danger and we are expecting heavy rains.

I don’t want to come back here to pick any dead body

,

that the traders had seen the lack of caution in their deed and were ready to make amends.

“It is a massive degradation of a section of Lagos and this is not acceptable. People should not carry on like this.

H E founding Director-General of Nigeria Economic Summit Group, Prof. Anya O. Anya yesterday visited the closed Ladipo auto spare part market, Mushin Local Government and tasked the traders to comply with the state government sanitation law 2010.

Anya who addressed the hundreds of traders at the market noted that the state government will only open the market when they comply with the state government sanitation standards.

According to him, “You traders should thank your creator that it is Lagos state government. If it were other states, the government may not create a platform for the traders and its officials to meet and discuss issues concerning the market.”

He urged the marketers to urgently evacuate the dirt, saying “the sooner the traders complied with the state government directives, the sooner the market would be re-opened”.

Trader’s reaction on the closure

K

INGSLEY Ikechukwu said; “The market was shut due to non compliance with the state sanitation law 2010 on street trading.

“In as much I agree with the state government on the closure, I believe that the government should also understand that most shops shut may result into people engaging themselves in some ill vices. And the reason is that their sources of income have been shut. The closure is affecting many traders’ source of income.

“We are also calling on the state government to help create a central dump-site for the marketers to dump their refuse easily. The lack of central dumping site in the market also contributed to the sanitation challenge facing the market.

“We are appealing to Governor Babatunde Fashola to direct the L agos State Waste Management Authority, L AWMA, boss, Dr. Ola Oresanya to construct a central dump site for the market that has more than 20, 000 members.

36 —Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 5, 2013

Urhobo group to drag FG before ICJ over alleged oppression

BY EMMA AMAIZE

U

RHOBO Nationali s t s Movement, UNM, in Delta State, has vowed to drag the Federal Government before the International Court of Justice in The Hague, The Netherlands, over alleged exploitation and economic/ political oppression of the Urhobo ethnic group.

President of the group, Mr. Mumakai Unagha, who addressed newsmen in Warri, said: “Our legal team has commenced the documentation for onward filing at the International Court of Justice in The Hague of our petition.

“We state that the agreement (deed), which ceded our land in 1957, signed by then Governor General of Nigeria, Sir James Robertson, is already in our possession.

The deed of agreement was a fraud on our people as nobody from the Niger Delta, no Urhobo person, signed it."

Anger over presumed murder of missing brothers

P

BY EGUFE YAFUGBORHI

ORT HAR COURT—THE people of Ofeh, Umuakiripo community in Omuma, Rivers State, have been thrown into confusion, following indications that two missing brothers of the community might have been murdered.

The brothers, Ndubusi and Ndubueze Nwafor, were declared missing sometime last year, following their mysterious disappearance from their residence at Akujiagu Street, Trans-Amadi, Port Harcourt.

Expressing the community’s anger, Secretary of Ofeh Youth Council, Mr. Victor Njoku, who addressed newsmen in Port Harcourt, said recent evidence by a community constituted search party indicated that the brothers might have long been dead.

Shell threatens production shutdown ...decries loss of 60,000 barrels of crude to oil thieves daily

BY JIMITOTA ONOYUME

P

ORT HARCOURT— SHELL Petroleum Development Company, SPDC, has decried the rising incidence of crude oil theft from its facilities in the Niger Delta region, saying it could force the company to shut down operations in the country.

Managing Director of Shell, Mr. Mutiu Sunmonu, weekend, in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, said the company was losing an average of 60,000 barrels of crude oil per day. Describing this as the highest volume of crude being stolen so far within the last three years, Sunmonu said the company started witnessing the upsurge in January this year.

He said: “The situation in the last few weeks is unprecedented. The volume being stolen is the highest in the last three years; over 60, 000 barrels per day from Shell alone. So, that for me, is of great concern.”

Appealing to Joint Task Force, JTF, to step up its fight against oil theft in the region, Sunmonu said there was urgent need for a concerted effort at the interna-

tional and local levels to fight the crime.

Sunmonu, who did not rule out involvement of international syndicates in the crime, said those behind it had started setting up tank farms, barge building yards and facilities to store the stolen crude before shipment.

“This crime has become more sophisticated and you could see that the perpetrators are now setting up barge building yards, storage facilities and tank farms for storing the crude, prior to shipment. So, if you look at all of these, it is very clear to me

BUDGET SIGNING: Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State (middle); Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Charles Ajuyah (left) and the Acting Clerk of Delta State House of Assembly, Mrs. Lyna Ocholor, when the governor signed the 2013 budget into law, in Asaba, yesterday.

2015 Presidency: Anenih can't save PDP — Minority Whip

BY SIMON EBEGBULEM

B

ENIN—MINORITY Whip of the House of Representatives, Mr. Samson Osagie, has said that the emergence of Chief Tony Anenih as Chairman, Board of Trustees of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, cannot save the party from defeat in the hands of All Progressives Congress, APC, in the 2015 presidential election.

The lawmaker, representing Orhionmwon/Uhunmwode Federal constituen-

cy, said, weekend, while distributing 27 tricycles, 25 motorcycles and over 88 grinding machines to people of his constituency at Ehor, that the merger of major progressive opposition parties, will bring about a change in the country’s fortune, lamenting that PDP had failed the nation with its failed economic policies.

He said: “I have no doubt that with the coming together of progressive parties, APC will become the ruling party at the national level, and that is why the people at the rural level must gear up in readiness for what

the Action Congress of Nigeria and its progressive partners have for the development of the country. We are not bothered about who is their BOT chairman or not because no body can save the PDP, come 2015 Presidency.”

On the empowerment items he donated to his people, Osagie, who is also one of those being tipped to succeed Governor Adams Oshiomhole in 2016, explained that: “What we are doing is to enable our people to benefit from the fruits of democracy, through economic empowerment."

Jonathan, Amaechi impasse: RYDM's misguided — Activist a disadvantaged path.

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OLLOWING per ceived political friction between President Goodluck Jonathan and Governor of Rivers State and Chairman of Nigeria Governors Forum, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, a Niger Delta activist, Mr. Frank Akiefa, has urged Rivers Youth Democratic Movement, RYDM, to stop being economical with the truth and advise Amaechi to em-

that this is not just an act by some desperate individuals trying to make a living. This, certainly, is a well funded criminal activity, probably involving international syndicates,” he added.

He called for concrete steps to address the situation, adding that he was disturbed by the devastation on the environment arising from the activities of the oil thieves.

brace peace with the President rather than threaten to leave Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. Akiefa, who spoke in Warri, Delta State, following a report that RYDM plans to dump PDP for the new All Progressives Congress, APC, unless President Jonathan resolves his differences with Amaechi, said the group was being misguided and had lost touch with the reality on ground by wanting to tread

He said Govnor Amaechi was using his position as Chairman of Nigeria Governors Forum to cause disaffection between the Presidency and some governors because of his ambition, adding that NGF should be used as a platform to advance peace, development and healthy competition among state governors and not promote crisis in the polity.

Warri North LG boss bags leadership award

K

BY DANIEL GUMM

OKO—CHAIRMAN of Warri North Local Government Area, Delta State, Evangelist David Edun, has bagged the award of Excellence and Good Governance with Humility in Service.

The award ceremony, which took place at the council, in Koko, was organised by Niger Delta Youth for Good Governance, a watchdog group based in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

Responding after receiving the award, Edun expressed gratitude to the group for counting him worthy for the coveted award.

He wondered how the group was able to detail the history of his political career from the days when he was chairman of “Democrat Political Group,” in Koko to his recent appointed as transition committee chairman of the council.

He thanked the state governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, for appointing him to serve as transition committee chairman and promised to meet the expectation of the governor and the people of the council.

Vanguard , TUESDAY, MARCH 5, 2013—37

Parents, cyber cafes appeal to JAMB on registration

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RECEPTION: From left— Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State; Chief Mike Oghiadomhe, Chief of Staff, Presidency, and Mr. Sunday Esan, General Manager, Corporate Communications, Dangote Group, representing Alhaji Aliko Dangote, at a grand reception in honour of Governor Oshiomhole and conferment of award of excellence on Alhaji Aliko Dangote by Etsako Club '81 in Lagos.

10,000MW realisable— Rep

BY GABRIEL ENOGHOLASE

B

ENIN—CHAIRMAN, House of Representatives Committee on Power, Mr. Patrick Ikhariale, has said that the generation of 10,000 mega watts of electricity by the Fed-

eral Government before the end of 2013, was realisable.

He, however, added that there must be transparency and diligence by stake-holders and all those involved in the energy sector.

Ikhariale spoke, weekend, at Opoji in Esan Central Lo-

2015 Delta guber: Group to present Ochei

BY FESTUS AHON

U

GHELLI—CHAIRMAN of Delta Focus Group, Chief Joshua Egun-Okoh, yesterday, said there were no ripples among the elders of Delta North Senatorial District over the governorship ambition of Mr. Victor Ochei and Senator Ifeanyi Okowa.

Egun-Okoh, who was reacting to recent media reports, shortly after a meeting of the group, said: “Elders of the district cannot be in dilemma over who is best between Ochei and Okowa to be governor come 2015.

“We will ensure that Okowa completes his three terms as a Senator just as his predecessor, Senator Patrick Osakwe did.

“Since we have agreed for Senator Okowa to enjoy three terms as a Senator, we have all

agreed that Mr. Ochei should be the governor come 2015. We shall soon present him as our consensus candidate for the Anioma people.

“I appeal to Deltans on behalf members of Delta Focus Group to support Ochei’s ambition of becoming the governor come 2015, because we see him as a detribalised Deltan, who will take us to the promise land.”

cal Government Area of Edo State, shortly after he was conferred with chieftaincy titles by the Enigie of Idoa and Ujiogba, both in Esan West Local Government Area of the state.

He said for consumers to enjoy efficient supply of electricity, they must be willing to pay any marginal increase in the cost.

Ikhariale said: “I will tell you clearly that it is not a big deal and I will say very clearly that this is one government that has given the highest attention to issues relating to the energy sector.

“As we speak, and if you have been close to the power in the last one or two weeks, you would have observed that the Managing Director of National Integrated Power Project, NIPP, Mr. Abiodun Olotu, had commissioned several NIPP projects in Lagos State alone.

“If you take these into con-

sideration, and even if each of the station is generating an average of 30,500watts and you add this to what we have already, you have certainly exceeded the current 3,500 mega watts.

“So, by the end of 2013 is not impossible to have 10,000mega watts. It is realistic but the only thing I will say is that all things being equal and beyond the issue of transparency in the power sector business, there must be due diligence; due diligence is the key word to attaining the highest level we desire in the country.

“So, I am in tandem with Mr. President’s vision on the energy sector and we all know that as a matter of fact, the power sector is one critical sector in Nigeria that will turn around the entire country’s political and economic system because with power, you will have 70 percent of the nation’s problems solved.”

Delta IPMAN resolves leadership crisis

BY KINGSLEY ADEGBOYE

T

HE leadership crisis rocking Delta State Chapter of Independent Petroleum

Marketers Association of Nigeria, IPMAN, has been resolved.

The crisis was over the tenure of the current executive committee of the association

in Warri unit, led by Chief Akpos Edafevwotu. It was resolved by a team from the national office of the group headed by the National Vice President, Elder Emeka

IYC commends Petroleum Minister, PPMC MD

I

JAW Youth Council, IYC, has commended the massive transformation being witnessed in the petroleum sector spearheaded by the Minister of Petroleum, Mrs Diezani AllisonMadueke, saying same could be truncated if the incessant cases of vandalisation of petro-

ARRI—CONCERNED parents and JAMB registered cyber cafe owners in Warri, Delta State, have appealed to the Registrar of JAMB to open more centres urgently to save the future of candidates wishing to write the 2012/2013 Universal Tertiary Matriculation Examination, UTME. The association said in a statement by its Chairman, Iwetan Solomon and Secretary, Richard Ijakpimi that “since the middle of January, all centres in Edo, Delta, Rivers and Bayelsa states, had been filled up.”

It added that some towns, which previously had more centres were reduced this year, while more people from Nigerian Defence Academy, NDA, polytechnics, parttime Navy and others have been compulsorily made to write UTME examination.

The association said that when JAMB decided to open one centre each in Asaba and Benin, it took just two hours to fill the centres and “there are many more candidates that are waiting for centres, whose finger prints had been captured already.”

It called on JAMB authorities to create more paper, pencil, test centres, so “candidates do not see the examination as punishment.”

leum pipelines were not checked across the country.

Director of Youth Mobilisation, Abuja Chapter of IYC, Mr. Ebi Eregbene, who spoke in Warri, Delta State, expressed worry that when the Minister and the Managing Director of Product Pipeline

and Marketing Company, PPMC, Prince Haruna Momoh, have worked to reposition the mechanism of distribution of petroleum products from the various depots to filling stations across the country, vandalism has continued to rear its ugly head.

He observed that the Federal Government was loosing so much money to vandals, citing the Arepo vandalised pipeline in Ogun State, where NNPC Group Managing Director, Mr. Andrew Yakubu said the corporation lost N3.6 billion.

Okoronkwo.

It was resolved that the tenure of office of the current executive of the association in Delta State will be determined by the new constitution, which allows the unit leaders to enjoy a term of five years.

Reliable sources at the meetings revealed that Okoronkwo explained that National President, Alhaji Aminu Mbamba, had directed that all units of IPMAN, including Delta State, should operate with the new constitution.

The new constitution elongates the tenure of the current executive by two years.

38 —Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 5, 2013

Uba hails NGE over election

A

BUJA — THE smooth election of Nigerian Guild of Editors, NGE, which led to the emergence of Mr Femi Adesina as its president, has been hailed by Senator Andy Uba as a watershed in the history of the press in Nigeria. He congratulated the new president on his mandate.

Senator Uba, who represents Anambra South in the Senate, in a statement, said: “I commend and congratulate the Nigerian Guild of Editors for conducting a free and fair election, which led to the emergence of Femi Adesina as the its news President. By this election, the Editors have shown that they are not only critics, but capable of effecting peaceful change.

I congratulate Adesina on his election and pray that his tenure will bring about fundamental changes in the affairs of the press in the country."

Council targets 500 vet doctors annually

BY CHINENYEH OZOR

N

SUKKA — THE Veterinary Council of Nigeria has challenged Nigerian universities to turn out 500 veterinary doctors annually. This, according to the council, is to meet the increasing demand for veterinary doctors in the livestock industry.

Speaking at the 34th oath taking ceremony of 40 veterinary doctors graduands of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, President, Veterinary Council of Nigeria, Dr. Gabriel Ogundipe, said the council had licensed 1,857 veterinary doctors to practise in the country, adding that nine universities were recognized for training veterinary doctors.

Ogundipe noted that a veterinarian would not be allowed to issue certificate for animals not examined and delegate duties to auxiliary staff, explaining that obedience to the dictates of veterinary ethics was to ensure good relationship between the veterinarian and his client.

He said: "The council is worried and has sponsored a study that reported the absorptive capacity of veterinary surgeons in Nigerian economy."

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PDP chieftain urges FG to dialogue with Boko Haram Hails formation of APC

BY ANAYO OKOLI

U

MUAHIA — A CHIEFTAIN of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Prince Benjamin Apugo, has advised the Federal Government to dialogue with Boko Haram.

He also threw his weight behind formation of All Progressives Congress, APC, by some opposition parties in the country.

According to him, dialogue does not mean weakness on the part of the government. Apugo, however, said the Islamic sect must identify its genuine leaders for the dialogue to hold.

Speaking to journalists, weekend, in Umuahia, Apugo noted that dialogue had become imperative as the crisis in some parts of the country caused by the conflict with the Boko Haram was affecting the nation in many ways.

He said if all other parts of Nigeria were in peace and Borno, Yobe and other parts were in crisis, there was no peace and there would be no progress.

He said: "If the Boko Haram can truly show their face, Federal Government should dialogue with them. It is not a sign of weakness. The problem did not start with President Goodluck Jonathan, but he is today the

president, so he should dialogue with them.”

...hails formation of APC Meanwhile, Prince Apugo has commended the formation of All Progressive Congress, APC, by leading opposition parties.

He described the formation as one of the greatest things to have happened to the nation’s political

development, stressing that it would bring greater unity to the country.

Apugo, a member of PDP’s Board of Trustee, BoT, also condemned in harsh words the manner the ruling party was being run today, noting particularly the manner founding fathers and elders who used their resources to form and nurtured the party were relegated to the

From left: Mr Herbert Wigwe, Group Deputy Managing Director, Access Bank; Mr Wale Tinubu, Group Chief Executive, Oando Plc and Osten Olorunsola, Director, Department of Petroleum Resources, DPR, at the just concluded Nigeria Oil and Gas Conference, in Abuja.

Ohakim drags Imo govt to court over probe

BY CHIDI NKWOPARA

O

WERRI — THERE are very strong signals that the immediate past governor of Imo State, Chief Ikedi Ohakim, has dragged the state government to an Owerri High Court over the institution of judicial panels to investigate his administration.

Vanguard gathered that already, a team of Senior Advocates of Nigeria, SAN, has been assembled to tackle the matter when it comes up in court this week.

The former governor is, among other prayers, urging the court to stop the judicial panels from continuing to probe his administration, pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit.

Vanguard recalls that before instituting the judicial panel of inquiry into the award of contracts between May 30, 2007 and May 29, 2011, Governor Rochas Okorocha had in different fora, alleged that his predecessor squandered N62 billion of public money.

While retired Justice Paul Onumajulu was named Chairman of the contract panel, Justices Goddy Anunihu and T. E. C. Chikeka were asked to critically probe the local government and autonomous communities respectively.

Although Okorocha explained

background.

He also condemned the enormous powers governors elected under the PDP platform were wielding, which he blamed on former President Olesugun Obasanjo.

Apugo also rejected the formation of PDP’s Governors’ Forum, saying the leadership of the party was dividing the party with such action.

that the essence of inaugurating the commissions was not to witchhunt anybody in the state but rather to establish and bring back the lost glories of the state and traditional institution, observers in the state, however, insisted that the current development might be connected with the growing altercation between the governor and loyalists of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the state.

Justice Onumajulu was asked to identify all contracts awarded by or on behalf of Imo State

government or its parastatals, agencies between May 30, 2007, and May 29, 2011, and ascertain the extent of work done, detect any payments in excess of work done, including kick backs in cash or kind to or received by individuals or organizations.

Anunihu’s panel was asked to identify all types of employees in the local government system, including temporary, casual, permanent staff, the method of recruitment of staff, staff structure, and staff strength of each local government in the state.

Imo govt owes PHCN N224.2m

BY CHIDI NKWOPARA

O

WERRI— THE management of Power Holding Company of Nigeria, PHCN, has threatened to withdraw its services to government establishments, if Imo State government failed to clear the N224.2 million debt it owed it.

The riot act was read in a letter addressed to the Commissioner for Public Utilities and signed by the four business managers in the state, including that of Owerri, Engr. A. A. Baderinwa.

According to PHCN, “your total

debt as at January 2013 is N224,217,191.97 and we demand that payment be made to substantially reduce the colossal amount owed. As a result of this neglect, our company has not be able to account for the energy sold for the market operator and discharge its obligation to members of staff.”

Vanguard investigations revealed that PHCN has already disconnected the state secretariat complex, the commissioners’ quarters, the high and low lifts of Water Works pumping stations and Orji booster water station for non-payment of electricity bills amounting to N65,378,596.95.

Court restrains N-Delta Power Holding over demolition of property

BY CHINENYEH OZOR

E

NUGU — Enugu State High Court at Nsukka judicial district has granted an order of interlocutory injunction restraining John Ezugwu of Ezugwu and Partners, and Niger Delta Power Holding Co. Limited from demolishing the landed property of one Francis Anene Agbo, pending the determination of the substantive case already before the court..

Agbo had, through his counsel, Mr. K.G Abonyi, prayed the court to stop the defendants from demolishing his landed property situated at Umueke Amaoha Ekwegbe.

The presiding judge, Justice I.S. Amanoh, granted an order of interlocutory injunction restraining the defendants, their contractors, agents or proxies from demolishing the plaintiff’s landed property.

He also restrained the defendants from cutting down his economic trees, destroying in any manner any building on the plaintiff ’s land at Umueke Amaohu Ekwegbe in Igbo-Etiti Local Government Area of Enugu State.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 5, 2013—39

From left: Dr. Jide Idris, Commissioner for Health; Mr. Shakiru Yusuf, Chairman, Ayobo Senator Ibikunle Amosun, Ogun State Governor (right), receiv- Ipaja Local Council Development Area; Mr. Babatunde Fashola, Lagos State Governor ing a plaque from Most Reverend Augustine Kasujja,Vatican and Dr. Dolapo Fasawe, Coordinator, Eko Free Health Mission, during the inauguraAmbassador to Nigeria, during a courtesy visit by the cleric to tion of National Immunisation plus days, in Lagos. Photo: Kehinde Gbadamosi the Governor, in Abeokuta.

From left: Chief Steve Nduur, Ushongo Community leader; Arc. Mike Onolememen, Works Minister and Chief Ambrose Iortyer, Ter of Ushongo, shortly after the flagging-off of the construction of ManyamUshongo-Agila Road, in Benue State.

From left: Mrs. Felicia Ema, Prof. Duro Oni, Special Guest; Emem Ema,CEO,One Management; Mr. Tajudeen Adepetu,CEO, SoundCity and others, at the official commissioning of One Management,Video & Audio recording facitily office, at 'The Cave,' in Dolphin Estate, Lagos. Photo: Biodun Ogunleye

From left: Mr. James Odejimi, Product Marketing Manager, Home Entertainment Division; Mr. Jae Sang Lee, GM, Media Division; DJ Sose, a judge and Mr. Young Hwan Cho, From left: Engr. Muyideen Akinsanya, Permanent Secretary, Office of Drainage, Ministry Assistant Manager, Media Division (all of LG Electronics, of Environment; Mr. Tunji Bello, Lagos State Commissioner for Environment; Engr. Bade West Africa Operations, during the LG Xboom Scratch 2 Fame Adebowale, Director, Drainage Maintenance and Operation, during the inspection of an area DJ Competition, in Lagos. for on-going construction of drainage network, at Constain Brewery area, by Lagos State Government. Photo: Kehinde Gbadamosi

Evangelist David Ewetan Edun, Transition Committee Chairman, Warri North Local Government (left), receiving an Award of Excellence in Leadership from the Niger Delta Youths for Good Governance, fromComrade Stanley Ejisi, Secretary General of the group, in his Koko office.

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Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, Minister of Sports, representing President Jonathan, receiving a flower, at the opening ceremony of the 10th bi-ennial Nigeria Police Games, in Port Harcourt, weekend.

Photo: Nwankpa Chijioke

From left: Chief Wale Mogaji, Chairman, Lagos State Assembly Service Commission; Alhaji Seik Banire, political leader, Somolu-Bariga, Alhaji Dengel Anifowose, ACN Chairman, Bariga LCDA and Senator Gbenga Ashafa, facilitator of the project, during the commissioning of a borehole project, at Bariga LCDA, Lagos.

40—Vanguard, TUESDAY TUESDAY,, MARCH 5, 2013

Nasarawa gets new SSG

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AFIA—GOVER NOR Umaru AlMakura of Nasarawa State, has appointed Hajia Zainab Abdulmumini, as the new Secretary to the State Government, SSG. Abdulmumini, until her appointment, was the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education.

A statement by the Permanent Secretary, General Services Administration, Mr. Bulus Musa, in Lafia, said that Al-Makura would inaugurate the new SSG on a date to be announced later.

The News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, reports that Abdulmumini is the first woman to be appointed SSG since the creation of the state in 1996.

It will be recalled that Al-Makura had dissolved his cabinet in February and removed the former SSG, Mr. Hamza Elayo, all commissioners and special advisers.

According to AlMakura, the dissolution of the cabinet is not meant to witch-hunt anyone, but to inject new blood in the administration in order to fasttrack its development agenda.

Popular Hausa female musician, Hajia Sa’adatu Aliyu dies at 80

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ATSINA—A re nowned Hausa female singer, Hajiya Sa’adatu Aliyu, popularly known as ‘Barmani Choge,’ has died at the age of 80 in Funtua, Katsina State.

Alhaji Hamza Aliyu, one of her children, who confirmed the death to newsmen on yesterday, said the deceased died at her residence following a protracted illness last Saturday.

She is survived by six children and 60 grandchildren.

Late ‘Barmani Choge’ had since been buried according to Islamic rites.

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NBA cautions Bauchi govt over pay dispute with teachers As ASUSS chairman threatens court action over detention of 11 members

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BY SUZAN EDEH

AUCHI—THE Bauchi State chapter of the Nigeria Bar Association, NBA, has asked the Bauchi State Government not to give in to wrong reasoning in its dispute with secondary school teachers over deductions of their allowances in the state.

Eleven officials of the teachers’ union had been detained since last week following the face-off with the state government.

The Academic Staff Union of Secondary Schools, ASUSS, ordered its members to embark on strike following the decision of the government to withdraw allowances of civil servants in the state to enable it finance some capital projects.

Last week, the government also threatened to sack the striking teachers en-mass and employ 5,000 new ones after it had taken the teachers to court over the issue, prompting the leadership of the union to dare their employers to carry out the threat.

However, speaking in an interview with Vanguard in Bauchi, the state Chairman of the NBA, Mohammed Alhassan, urged the two belligerent groups to bury their ego and resolve the issues involved to save the future of the children.

He said: ‘’As an association, we are appealing to the state authourities and Governor Isa Yuguda not to give in to wrong reasoning of some of his advisers, but rather he should use wise counsel in resolving this issue. The State Government had in the past resolved more problems than this, so the problem of the striking secondary school teachers can equally be handled and not the way it is going.

“In the past, there had always been a relationship between ASUSS and the state Ministry of Education; so if they claim

that they are not a legally registered body, how come the state government was dealing with an unregistered body before the strike.” ’’Now that the table has turned, the court is saying they are not a registered body. I feel this is not logical because the fact that they are organized, they should be dealt with as an organized body irrespective of their status in law.

Since the state government had been relating with them in that capacity, why should it be tech-

nically used now against their collective will and aspirations?’’

Meanwhile, the Chairman of ASSUS, Mr. Abdullahi Ningi, has condemned the detention of union members and threatened to sue the government and petition the state police command over the alleged illegal detention of the union’s members.

He said: “Initially five of our members were invited by the security operatives to the station.When they got there, they were detained and asked to write

IMMUNIZATION: Kwara State Governor, Dr. Abdulfatah Ahmed (right), administering polio vaccine on a child to flag-off the 2nd round of National Immunization Plus Day. He is assisted by the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Abdul Kayode Issa (middle) and Director, Primary Health Care, Dr. Abimbola Folorunsho (left), at the Adewole Cottage Hospital, Ilorin.

Jigawa govt spends N312m on rural water projects

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UTSE—THE Jigawa Gov ernment has said that it expended more than N312 million to execute rural water projects across the state last year.

Alhaji Hannafi Yakubu, the state Commissioner for Water

Resources, disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria, yesterday in Dutse.

Yakubu listed the projects to include the provision 50 solar motorised boreholes, power generating sets and upgrading of reticulation system at

Biotechnology ‘ll help improve yield varieties — Kebbi varsity VC ogy would ensure

BY ABDALLAH EL-

KUREBE OKOTO—VICE Chan cellor of Kebbi State University of Science and Technology, Aliero, Prof.

Abdullahi Zuru, has said that the application of Biotechnology on agriculture would help in tackling the challenge of shrinking resources through improved yield varieties.

In an interview with Vanguard, at Aliero, Zuru said that the even as the furore

S

statements. Some of their colleagues who did not see them decided to follow them to enquire about the matter. On reaching the station, they were also detained by the police, making 11 of them.

They were all transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department, SCID. ASSUS officials were taken to Magistrate’s Court 2, where the presiding magistrates were not on seat. They were taken back and remanded in prison custody.”

over Genetically Modified Organisms, GMOs, was going on, Biotechnology still had a place in this modern society.

Prof. Zuru said: “Even with the furore accompanying the genetically engineered food, I believe that Biotechnology still has a place in the modern society. Not even because of the rising population that you have to care for but because of the way development is going.”

Zuru added that technol-

the maximization of yield per available land.

“Most of the land that is available is being usurped by many development projects.

This is bringing some of these resources to become scarce.

And what we can only do now is to maximize the yield per hectare.”

Explaining the place of biotechnology in agriculture, he stressed that even villagers today go for improved varieties of crops against the local ones.

various small town water schemes.

Other projects were the provision of water treatment chemicals for Kazaure and Birnin-Kudu water treatment plants.

The commissioner urged communities in the state to participate in the management of water services to enhance the people’s access to potable water.

He also called on the private sector to invest in the provision of water services in rural communities across the state.

Yakubu said the call was imperative in view of the need to promote community participation in the management of water and sanitation services at the grassroots.

He said: “Government alone cannot provide adequate water to the people. It is also desirable for people to contribute to the management and maintenance of water facilities provided in their communities.

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44 —Vanguard, TUESD AY, MARCH 5, 2013 TUESDA

Blood donation at LUTH:

Do not patronise touts, Oshibogun warns patients

BY SOLA OGUNDIPE

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ATIENTS requiring blood transfusion services at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, LUTH, Idi Araba, Lagos have been warned to desist from patronising commercial blood donors. The warning came on the heels of the arrest of a suspected tout within the hospital premises while attempting to supply a blood donor to a desperate patient in need of blood.

LUTH’s Chief Medical Director, Professor Akin Oshibogun who gave the warning weekend, noted that it is an entrenched policy of the health institution not to sell blood to patients.

“LUTH does not encourage touts. The hospital actively discourages commercial blood donors for many reasons. Blood donated by touts is often of poor value and a high percentage of it is rife with diseases, rendering the blood unfit for human usage. Even if donated, such blood will not pass stringent screening process and will be discarded. Because of these and many other undesirable reasons, relatives of patients are strongly warned against patronising commercial blood donors. Notices are also boldly pasted all over the Hospital, warning touts to keep off our premises.

“Sadly though, many relatives refuse to donate blood for their patients with the untrue excuse that they do not have enough blood to give away, a popular myth among many cultures in Nigeria.”

He said patients' relatives are usually requested to donate blood for the treatment or surgery of their patients before treatment or elective surgery or after treatment in cases of emergencies.

Further, Oshibogun said the greatest requirement for urgent blood transfusion is from life-threatening torrential bleeding sometimes encountered during child delivery.

“This is followed by accidents where a lot of blood has been lost. Although a pregnancy lasts nine months during which it is expected a pregnant woman would have made arrangements to donate a pint of blood in case she would need it, our cultural and religious backgrounds imbue many women with an ‘it-is-not-my-portion’ mentality, militating against voluntary blood donation in this part of the world.

“Members of the public are encouraged to visit the blood-donation clinic of the hospital and donate blood to save lives. However, very few fulfill this civic duty. The overall effect of all this is the chronic shortage of blood required for saving lives. Sadly in Nigeria, wherever there is a high demand and chronic shortage of any commodity, touts step in and operate.

“It is a known medical fact that the

• Professor Akin Oshibogun C M Y K

• A voluntary blood donor. Experts say the average adult person suffers no adverse effect from donating a pint of blood which may save a life. Every donor is tested and certified fit before donation. average adult person suffers no adverse effect from donating a pint of blood which may save a life. Every donor is tested and must be certified fit before donation so the excuse of not having enough to donate is untenable. Till today in some Nigerian communities, patients are left to die rather than for the husbands to donate blood.

“Despite our stern warnings, patients sometimes patronise commercial blood donors, introducing such touts as their rela-

tives so the touts can be allowed to donate blood in LUTH. Where our staff recognise the touts or when, as often, the tout’s blood does not meet the minimum requirements, they are turned back with a warning.

“Our staff cannot verify the authenticity of every relationships between patients and those they connive with before every donation is made. In fact, an ingenious method employed nowadays is for touts to

dress corporately in order to avoid being accosted by security-men.

Commenting on the arrested blood tout, 26-year-old Mordecai Chidi Nwosu from Anambra State, Oshibogun said he (tout) confirmed the illegality of his business to which some Nigerians are drawn because of the prevailing poverty and rampant unemployment in the land. “Another tout driven

Continues on page 46

Reconstitute PCN Board now, ACPN tells Jonathan

BY CHIOMA OBINNA

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ORRIED by what it described as proliferation of illegal pharmaceutical premises, Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria, ACPN, has called on President Goodluck Jonathan to promptly reconstitute the Board of Pharmacists Council of Nigeria, PCN, to save innocent Nigerians from dangerous pharmacy practice.

Meanwhile, the Association has faulted the National Agency for Food and Drug Administrations and Control’s , NAFDAC, Mobile Authentication Services, MAS, calling on the President to set up high powered committee of relevant technocrats to assess the reliability of the method to check fake medicine in Nigeria.

In a chat with Good Health Weekly the Chairman, Lagos State chapter of ACPN, Pharm. Yinka Aminu said regulatory bodies had not met aspiration sof Nigerians for safe medicines.

Calling for urgent reconstitution of the PCN Board, he said government has not shown enough will power to correct the anomalies of illegal drug premises remain a veritable means of distribution of fake and counterfeit products.

Aminu said the high level of quackery has made good pharmacy difficult.

• Pharm. Yinka Aminu “Nigerians can only have access to safe medicines when the activities of quackery and drug hawkers are controlled.

“When medicines are exposed to heat they tend to change to substances that could be dangerous for human consumption and this is why we are advocating that Nigerians should patronise registered pharmacies. NAFDAC and PCN have the responsibility to ensure that people are not exposed to these drugs. If the government has feelings for citizens of this country they should rise up and stop drug hawking on our streets today.

"Medicines are supposed to solve

problems not to create problems for patients. The level of drug hawking is becoming alarming and dangerous. Today, we are talking about emergence of chronic illnesses, like kidney and liver problems e.t.c, a lot of these problems could be traceable to this uncontrolled proliferation of medicine in Nigeria. Investigations have shown that when these medicines are available everywhere, people tend to abuse them.”

Aminu who picked hole in NAFDAC’s Mobile Authentication Services, MAS, called on the President to set up high power committee of relevant technocrat to assess the reliability of the method to check fake medicine in Nigeria.

Faulting NAFDAC's Mobile Authentication Services, MAS, he said the failed device have continued to embarrass some of their members. “The Association believes government should promote policies that would encourage accessibility, availability, affordability and efficacious medicines in line with the National Drug Policy 2005 and any factor that needlessly raises cost of production of drugs, jeopardises the spirit of the National Drug policy. We are ready to partner to rid the country of fake and counterfeit medicines but not to allow the unscientific method jeopardise the integrity we have built," he stressed.

Vanguard, TUESD AY, MARCH 5, 2013 — TUESDA

45

Nestle takes nutrition education to Lagos schools

BY CHIOMA OBINNA

I

N recognition of the role of educa tion in ensuring children get the best of nutrition, thorough knowledge tailored to local health needs, Nestle Nigeria Plc introduced Nestle Healthy Kids, a global programme aimed at teaching the benefits of healthy lifestyle to school – aged children, giving them the chance to develop positive attitudes and behaviours toward food and exercise to achieve and maintain a healthy body weight into adulthood.

Speaking at a One-Day Healthy Kids Teachers Workshop in Lagos, Managing Director & Chief Executive, Nestle Nigeria Plc, Mr. Martin Woolnough who noted that the programme has made significant progress since inception in 2011 explained that the initiative is aimed at raising awareness of the importance of good nutrition and an active lifestyle among school age – children in Nigeria.

Woolnough said the programme was part of the way the organisation do business by creating shared value.

“Nestle Healthy Kids emphasises behavioural – focused nutrition education. The primary goal of our nutrition education is to help young person’s adopt eating behaviours that will promote health and reduce risk for disease. Again, knowing how and why to eat healthily is important but

knowledge alone does not enable young persons to adopt healthy eating behaviour “We believe that a focus on behaviour is key determinant in the success of nutrition education initiative such as the Nestle Healthy Kids programme,” he added.

Represented by the Head Corporate Affairs, Dr. Samuel Adenekan, the Managing Director announced that it has also introduced Nestle Healthy Kids children hydration programme to fight against childhood obesity and encourage healthy eating habits. The healthy hydration module provides teachers and mothers with six education tools to teach children about the benefits of drinking water.

He stated that the innovative nutrition teaching techniques was to ensure that the Healthy Kids Teachers use innovative nutrition education techniques because teachers often need more help with innovative teaching than with content. Speaking for the State Universal Basic Education, SUBEB, Mr. Colman Akinwolere said the programme would go a long way to compliment the nutrition education already provided in the state’s school curriculum.

“What they are doing here today is already in the curriculum but the training of the teachers will expose them to new initiatives, ideas and concepts and new ways of impacting all they have learnt to the students.

• L-R: Prof. Tola Atinmo, Chairman CHEPON; Mr. Colman Akinwolere, representing Chairman SUBEB; Dr. Samuel Adenakan, Corporate Communications and Public Affairs Manager Nestle Nigeria Plc and Dr. Folusho Onagoruwa, [CHEPON] during the Nestle Nigeria Plc, Healthy Kids Teachers Workshop, in Lagos recently. Photo: Bunmi Azeez

Cameroonian regulatory authority seeks collaboration with NAFDAC

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HE National Agency for Food and Drug Ad ministration and Control, NAFDAC, and the Standards and Quality Agency of Cameroon (ANOR) are improving collaboration to harmonise regulatory activities in Nigeria and Cameroon.

This was made known during a courtesy visit by the Director General of ANOR, Dr. Boto’o a Ngon Charles to the Director General of NAFDAC, Dr. Paul Orhii.

Emmanuel, orphan, seeks N7m for kidney transplant

BY SOLA OGUNDIPE

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HREE times a week, 21-year-old Emmanuel Odutola is at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, LUTH, for dialysis. For four hours on each occasion, he lies on a bed next to the dialysis machine while his blood system is purged of metabolic wastes.

This is the only way Emmanuel, an orphan, can stay alive because his kidneys have stopped functioning. He is a patient of End Stage Kidney Disease.

Each dialysis session costs an average of N30,000 - N40,000 including injections and other medications. Only through a miracle as well as benevolence of a kind-hearted sympathiser has

• Emmanuel undergoing dialysis at LUTH

he been enabled to undergo the compulsory dialysis sessions. But he certaily cannot continue with dialysis. Doctors confirmed the diagnosis of ESKD and have recommended a kidney transplant. The procedure is estimated to cost N7.0 million.

An orphan with no brother or sister, Emmanuel is alone in the world but for his aged maternal grandmother. His father, son of the renowned Chief Adeola Odutola of Ijebu Ode, passed on while he was an infant, while his mother died just before he graduated from high school and he moved in with his grandmother afterwards.

As luck would have it, the aged woman was later thrown out due to inability to pay the rent.

A responsible, intelligent, down to earth and God fearing young man, Emmanuel is currently undergoing tutelage at the St Theresa Minor Seminary School, Ibadan.

His upbringing at the Seminary where he went on a scholarship contributed to his good lifestyle.

Why this terrible ailment has dimmed the prospects of the promising young man is beyond anyone’s expectation. Worse still, his extended family disclaimed him and refused to be part of his medical travails.

Their excuse is that Emmanuel’s late father never introduced him to the family as his son before he died since Emmanuel only lived with his mother and grandmother. Presently, he resides with his classmate’s aunt (Miranda Onyedum) in Ajah Lekki area of Lagos.

Emmanuel is pleading to all well-meaning Nigerians to come to his aid by donating generously towards his kidney transplant surgery.

Donations can be made to directly to him at LUTH or through his bank account: Save Emmanuel Account, 1013320882, Zenith Bank.

More details obtainable through Miranda 07033582485 and Emmanuel 08053283932.

Charles said ANOR was recently created by the President Paul Biya, as a regulatory agency and it would benefit from the experience and success of NAFDAC whom he described as a big institution in the world.

“We know the big work done

by NAFDAC. This is our first

contact so that we can sign a Memorandum of Understanding to benefit both countries.”

Orhii said harmonisation would benefit both countries and that products between the two countries should be safe and efficacious.

“Nigeria and Cameroon share borders. It makes sense for the two countries to work together to ensure that products going across our borders are safe for our countries.”

The NAFDAC DG added that the Agency is at the forefront of encouraging countries to come together to form an international coalition to fight the incidence of counterfeiting globally.

Group provides malaria equipment in Delta

BY EMMA AMAIZE

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NON GOVERNMENTAL organization, Society for Family Health, has supplied 26 brand new Olympus microscopes, accessories and huge quantity of laboratory reagents to secondary healthcare facilities in the 25 local government areas of Delta state and the Delta State University Teaching Hospital, DELSUTH, Oghara to complement government’s efforts in the fight against malaria.

Presenting the items to the state government in Asaba through the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Joseph Otumara, the territorial manager of the society, Mr. Sabastin Ikejide , said the group was bother by the burden of malaria on children under five years and pregnant women and the need to alleviate the ailment.

Commissioner Otumara , who was obviously touched by the humanitarian gesture of the organization, expressed gratitude for the donation, saying, “the equipment (microscopes) will help the government hospitals to diagnose malaria accurately”.

Otumara remarked that with the donation, doctors would not make prescriptions for treatment of malaria without carrying out relevant tests.

Publicity secretary of the Nigeria Medical Association, NMA, Delta State, Dr. P.D. Okwelum, who represented the association, commended the group for the wonderful support.

He told Good Health Weekly, “Malaria has remained a major disease burden in Nigeria and other tropical nations in Africa.

Malaria alone accounts for over 60 per cent of cases seen in general out- patients’ department of hospitals in Nigeria and this figure is higher in under five years and pregnant women and I see this as a welcome development in Delta state.”

46 —Vanguard, TUESD AY, MARCH 5, 2013 TUESDA

FG adopts framework to reduce maternal mortalitynical Workshop."

F

• L-R: Emeka Adimoha, Superintendent Pharmacist, Shalina Healthcare, Pemi Oladipupo, ACPN coordinator for Ketu / Ojota / Ogudu / Magodo zone, Adeshina Bashir, Head of Sale, Shalina Healthcare and Pharm. Timothy Ojo, ACPN member during the deworming of 4,000 pupils exercise at Expressway Primary School, Ikosi-Ketu, Lagos recently.

BY RACHEAL OLAYIWOLA

EDERAL Government has adopted a strategy known as the Millennium Development Goals Acceleration Framework to reduce the high rate of maternal mortality in the country.

The plan, if operational would offer a new urgent way to curtail challenges of accelerating progress with the MDGs in the country and identify priorities in the area of interventions that would help reduce the high level of maternal mortality in the country.

Minister of Health, Professor Onyebuchi Chukwu, disclosed this in Abuja during a two-day workshop organised by the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on MDGs, Dr. Precious Gbeneol, in conjunction with Development For International Development (DFID) tagged “ MDGs Acceleration Framework Tech-

Adeboye dedicates Ibafo Maternity Centre

BY SAM EYOBOKA IFE of the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, RCCG, Pastor Folu Ade-boye has urged Christians to live a life of holiness and uprightness to attract God’s unlimited blessings, saying that she had faced death more than 15 times.

Adeboye made this remark during a twin dedication of a Maternity Centre in Ibafo area of Ogun State and the foundation laying ceremony of a new provincial headquarters of Ogun State Province 8 of the church at Aseese. After commissioning the projects amidst thunderous applause from the congre-

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gation, the mother-in-Israel charged the mammoth crowd of worshippers to always cultivate the habit of praise, noting that she just can’t stop talking about God’s mercy because her life is full of His mercy.

Also speaking at the occasion, the Pastor-in-charge of the province, Pastor Adeagbo Akinlabi said the province was barely eight and half months old but “we have a goal and by the grace of God the mater-nity centre which is currently situate on a temporary site, would so-on be moved to a permanent site.”

Stating that whenever things like this happen, it is a call to duty and responsibi-lity and therefore called on

all members and well wish-ers to extend a helping hand to the church with a view to completing the headquarters project which he hoped would be commissioned in two years time.

He said the maternity is the church’s way of giving back to host communities where RCCG is located, adding “we believe government cannot do everything alone. Instead of complaining, let us stand up as a mission to assist the government and the communities."

The ceremony was attended by the several ministers including the national coordinator of RCCG midwives, Pastor Mary Ojo and her husband, the regional pastor, Pastor Ojo among others.

"In order for Nigeria to succeed in achieving Goal 5 by 2015 a concerted effort is required to mitigate this growing in-country divergence. By comparison to progress in other Goal areas (for instance Goal 4 where progress is around 13 percent reduction per year), progress in Goal 5 is only a 4 percent reduction per year," Gbeneol said.

Chukwu said the initiative would help fast track the efforts of the health sector in accelerating progress towards the MDGs by 2015.

He also said that it had been tested and proven by other countries to be an accepted strategy to engender progress through capacity building. "We welcome the initiative as it will help refocus and fast track the achievement of the MDGs ;it is our expectation, at the Federal Ministry of Health, that the application of MAF will fast track progress and performance improvement.

Blood donation Continued from page 46 out of LUTH premises confessed that he now operates outside the hospital premises because of the security arrangement in place within the hospital. There is no known law against donating your blood for a fee, hence, it is difficult to successfully prosecute such habitual practice.

“It is our hope that the press will educate Nigerians on the advantages of voluntary blood donation and the inherent dangers of patronising commercial blood donors. LUTH shall continue to use its professional capabilities within the law to stave off the menace of touts in its daily operations,” he remarked

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Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 5, 2013—47

3rd Mainland Bridge:

HIGH LIGHTS

FG engages consultant to determine required maintenance

*Although serious steel casing corrosion was noticeable, it was pointed out that the steel casing has no structural function regarding pile bearing capacity, as they simply served as formworks to the R.C. Piles; *No cases of total loss of piles, clearance between the pile and pile cap or other major anomalies were reported on the tested piles; * Based on the results of the investigations, there is no evidence of immediate threat of failure of the pilings * In their conclusion, they made recommendations that elaborate maintenance programme based on systemic assessment of all the piles should be put in place.

•Third Mainland Bridge.

By KINGSLEY ADEGBOYE & FAVOUR NNABUGWU

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O safeguard the integrity of the Third Mainland Bridge in Lagos, the Federal Ministry of Works says it has engaged the services of a consultant - M/s ICECON Nig. Ltd; to urgently carry out investigation on the entire bridge’s substructure so as to determine the extent of maintenance work required.

Works Minister, Mike Onolememen, an Architect, disclosed this in Abuja at a meeting with the Senate Committee on Works presided over by Senator Ayogu Eze. Onolememen insisted that the ever-busy 11.8km bridge is safe. “Although serious steel casing corrosion was noticeable, it was pointed out that the steel casing has no structural function regarding pile bearing capacity, as they simply served as form works to the R.C Piles,” he said.

According to him, the outcome of this investigation will determine the extent of repairs to be carried out on the Third Mainland Bridge. The Ministry, Onolememen said, “has taken the necessary steps in line with its mandate to ensure that the Third Mainland Bridge, a very important infrastructure investment of government, is protected and kept structurally sound”.

He alleged that a former consultant was behind the fabrication of the story that the Third Mainland Bridge is at the verge of collapsing. Onolememen

alleged that the consultant went out of its brief when he submitted that an estimated N33 billion would be required to repair the bridge, but the ministry did not approve this. The Minister further claimed that the repair would not cost the Federal government more than N5billion as against the N33billion estimated by the said consultant.

Pile by pile investigation His words: “Of course, that memo came to me and I refused to approve it; instead I wanted a pile by pile investigation to be carried out so that we know exactly what to do. After all, the most critical sections of the bridge, the first two sections where we need to carry out immediate repair from information available to me by people who did the test, we will not need more than N5 billon to carry out these repairs”.

The Director, Highways Design (Bridges) in the Federal Ministry of Works, Engr. A.O. Effiong, had in a statement titled Facts file on Third Mainland Bridge in Lagos,outlined measures taken by the government to protect and keep the ever-busy bridge in an acceptable state.

In the statement, he noted that the the Ministry of Works commissioned Messrs Nigerian Submarine Divers Limited, NSD in December 2010 to undertake the underwater inspection of bridge and Eko bridge in order to ascertain the state of the underwater structural elements

which had hitherto not been inspected since the bridges were constructed and opened to traffic some 35 and 25 years ago respectively. According to him, an initial report of the underwater inspection presented by NSD in July 2011 showed “alarming” deterioration and serious damages on numerous pile foundations of the Third Mainland Bridge.

He, however, noted that the findings of Messrs Nigerian Submarine Divers Ltd, NSD were strictly based on visual inspection and under water photos. “For this reason, and

following meetings between officials of the ministry, Messrs NSD, Julius Berger and Borini Prono, it was decided that Advanced Integrity Assessment including high technology chemical analysis of concrete samples from piles was inevitable, and in order to authenticate the findings of NSD as contained in their reports.

Moreover, since Messrs NSD Ltd is not a Civil Engineering Consultancy Firm, their capacity and professional competence to carry out such works was doubtful.

Therefore, in recognition of the

fact that the required Integrity Test has not been exhaustively conducted on the entire bridge, even as various investigations had been concluded, the Ministry felt obliged to request Messrs Borini Prono & Co. (Nigeria) Limited, a member of the PGH Consortium that constructed the first section of the bridge to assess the condition of some foundation piles of the first section of the Third Mainland Bridge which was mostly impacted in the reports by studying the original designs, conducting site investigation in collaboration with Messrs Trevi Foundations Nigeria Limited, the foundation specialist that undertook the piling works in the first place.

Mimiko lauds architects for aiding to Ondo’s urban renewal efforts

BY JUDE NJOKU

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HE Governor of Ondo State, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko said he deliberately engaged professional architects in his efforts to beautify the state capital because of their (architects) eyes for aesthetics and in order to help correct the disorderliness that once characterised the city.

Dr Mimiko who spoke last week at the quarterly dinner and investiture of the Nigerian Institute of Architects, NIA in Akure, said the urban renewal strategy of his administration was based on his experience while working with renowned architects at the Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development when he was the Minister.

Describing architects as wonderful and special people, Mimiko declared: “ They are the best visionaries, while other professionals just actualise their vision. Architects conceptualise something, which is hitherto not in existence, and create it in physical form that will be admired

by all. They are not only scientists, but also artists, whose contributions have made very significant contributions to the modest achievements of our administration in the last four years.”

The Governor said his urban renewal programme centred on the mass majority of the people because they desired a cleaner environment to live and to do business in order to avoid any form of disease.

Buttressing the point, the Governor stated that street traders were removed and relocated to modern neighbourhood markets across the state, while other old traditional markets were redesigned into beautiful and neat edifices.

“We are determined to touch and add values to the lives of our people with our programmes and policies as we battle all kinds of generational poverty. That is why we are making aesthetics of our major towns a priority in order to boost the economy of the people in both formal and Continues on page 48

48 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 5, 2013

Facelift for Ijora as Lagos begins construction of 1008-unit estate * Pledges to accommodate displaced occupants in new scheme

By KINGSLEY ADEGBOYE

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HE construction of 1008 unit housing estate at Ijora Alawo under Lagos State Home Ownership Mortgage Scheme, HOMS is to begin on a seamless track following a parley that has brought about a mutual understanding between the government, land owners and the former occupants of the project site.

The trio at a meeting held in the conference hall of the State Ministry of Housing at the weekend agreed that the

project should go on as planned while the host community will cooperate with the contractor to ensure that the project is delivered on schedule.

The representatives of the community which was demolished to give way to the new estate had visited the seat of government to pledge support for the project which they acknowledged will change the face of the community and its environs for the better.

Speaking during the meeting, Prince Baki-Faro Ojora and Mr.Tedunjaiye Raymond representing land owners and

the residents respectively, appealed to the government to ensure that the displaced landlords in the affected parcel of land are part of the beneficiaries of the housing units.

This request was granted by the government.

The Commissioners for Housing, Mr. Bosun Jeje; Agriculture, Prince Gbolahan Lawal; Physical Planning and Urban Development, Mr. Toyin Ayinde; Information and Strategy, Mr. Lateef Ibirogba and Special Adviser to the Governor on Housing, Mr. Jimoh Ajao took turns to explain the concept of the

•Housing units at the already completed phase one of Cornerstone’s Oregun estate

Cornerstone flags off construction of 2nd phase of Oregun-Ikeja estate

project and sincerity of government to them.

Having allayed their fear about housing allocation, the residents were also assured of the enormous economic benefits that await them in the course of the construction of the estate.

The government representatives noted that Ijora has a large population of artisans whose services will be required by the contractor. It was stated that it is a standing rule that residents are afforded employment opportunities in all project sites of the Lagos State Government and that this will not be an exception.

The team revealed that the urban renewal of Ijora will not stop with the development of the 1008 housing estate at Ijora Alawo but will continue in phases until the entire area is transformed into a neighbourhood of envy.

The light rail under construction which will also have a major terminus at Ijora is bound to reduce the transportation burden of the people, increase socio-economic activities in and around the area and expose the people to a new lifestyle.

The proposed estate has provision for a 1000 stalls that will take traders off the road and railway lines.

It will have a central sewage treatment plant which many high brow estates don’t have today; it will also boast of many service plots, and a play ground that makes a complete modern community.

•Woos investors with price reduction promo

By JUDE NJOKU

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ESSRS Cornerstone Real Estate Limited has flagged off the construction of the second phase of its Oregun-Ikeja housing project. This phase comprises 14-unit houses made up of two three-bedroom detached houses with one room Boys’ Quarters, six four-bedroom semi-detached houses with one room Boys’ Quarters and six three- bedroom terrace houses.

The Chairman of the company who disclosed this to newsmen weekend, also announced what he called “mouth-watering price reduction” to those who will subscribe to the scheme this Easter season. Tagged ‘’Easter Promotional Sales”, the company said it would slash N12.5million from the N90 million sales price, for

the first five buyers in the Phase II of the Oregun-Ikeja Housing Project.

“An allottee that makes outright payment on any of the units would enjoy the discount while an allottee who pays 30 percent deposit and the balance within 180 days will qualify for N10 million savings,” he said.

He further explained that an individual allottee or corporate body who buys four units at the advertised price would get the fifth unit free if they pay 30 per cent deposit and pay the outstanding within 180 days.

“All these offers last between 4th March 2013-4th April 2013.

It is important to mention that this offer is on a first come first served basis,” he said.

Okupe disclosed that work on the construction of the first phase

of the scheme has been completed and sold. Only two units of duplexes were still available for either sale or re-allocation in the Phase 1 at N85 million each.

“The duplexes sit on an approximate land area of 350m2400m2 each with four bedrooms, all en-suite while the ground floor space area includes the entrance lobby, foyer, main living room, dinning, kitchen, visitors’ toilet, guest room en-suite.

The first floor space area includes the family lounge with balcony, two bedrooms and the master’s bedroom, all en-suite, spacious living and dining areas with exquisite wood work, well-finished wardrobes and kitchen cabinet, P.O.P ceiling and stainless steel aluminum railings among others,” he said.

FG directs es estt at atee de veloper developer veloperss ttoo dedicat 5% of dedicatee 115% lands to build low-income housing

By CHRIS OCHAYI

A

BUJA: The Federal Govern ment directed all private estate developers in the country, particularly, those operating in Federal Capital Territory, FCT, to dedicate 15 percent of their allocated lands to build affordable houses for low income earners in order to address the challenge of housing accommodation facing this class of Nigerians.

Minister of Lands, Housing and Urban Development, Ms. Amal Pepple who gave the directive while inaugurating the new board of the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria, FMBN, in Abuja, said the government has taken some measures to broaden access to housing/mortgage finance in the country.

According to her, “with the Nigerian Mortgage and Finance Corporation complementing a recapitalized Federal Mortgage Bank o Nigeria, under the new board, I am confident that many of the challenges associated with low mortgage penetration in the country in the past will be addressed sooner than later”“ The Minister disclosed that after many years of operating at a loss, “the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria is now operating profitably.

Besides, a more transparent system has been put in place for collecting and managing the National Housing Fund, NHF, through an IT-enabled E-collection platform, which is linked to the Integrated Personal and Payroll Information System, IPPIS, in the public service.”

Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 5, 2013 — 49

On-going Eko Atlantic projects.

Eko Atlantic City, world’s biggest civil engineering project —Developers

BY JUDE NJOKU

E KO Atlantic City which was designed to provide the space and infrastructure to house 250,000 people and become the workplace for a further 150,000 in Lagos , is currently the biggest ongoing civil e n g i n e e r i n g construction site in the world President Goodluck Jonathan who flagged off the actual construction of the multi-billion Naira City last week, told the audience who gathered at the 5,000,000 square metres parcel of land reclaimed from the Atlantic Ocean, that the city is the biggest civil engineering project in

Africa. But the President was quick to point out that he was corrected by Mr Ronald Chagoury, the Executive Chairman of the Eko Atlantic, who informed him that the project is actually the biggest ongoing civil engineering scheme in the world.

Speaking before laying a stone to dedicate the 5,000,000 square metres of reclaimed land, the president unveiled plans by the Federal Government to build a Centenary city in the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Abuja.

Similarly, all major airports will have models towns around them. The President disclosed that

the scheme will take off with the development of major towns around the Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport Abuja and the Murtala Mohammed Airport in Lagos. The airports at Kano, Port-Harcourt and Kaduna will also benefit from the scheme but at a later date.

The president who noted the co-relation between a well planned environment and good quality of life, however identified obstacles hindering effective and sustainable housing development in the country. These include access to housing finance, lack of property titling and high cost of building materials.

REITS will boost real estate sector — Stakeholders

BY JUDE NJOKU

T

HE Nigerian real estate market willexperience exponential growth through the inflow of capital from both local and offshore investors if the Real Estate Investment Trust, REIT structure is encouraged to thrive. This view was canvassed by stakeholders at a recent round table put together by Stanbic IBTC Capital, in partnership with Actis and Resilient Africa.

Stakeholders who participated in the one-day forum which had “Catalysing the Growth of REITs in Nigeria” as the main theme, were drawn the Securities & Exchange Commission, SEC, Federal Inland Revenue Service, FIRS, Nigerian Stock Exchange, and Nigerian Pensions Commission, PENCOM .

Delivering the lead paper, a lecturer at the Cambridge University in Britain, Professor Andrew Baum, stated that “Africa is underweight in asset value of real estate relative to other geographies, thus making it an attractive prospect for investible funds in real estate.

According to him, the gross asset value of real estate in Africa is only one percent of the world’s total value despite the fact that the continent controls 15 percent of world population. While reviewing the global performance of

REITs, Prof. Baum noted that domestic and foreign investors are more attracted to markets with properly structured REITs sectors and encouraged Nigeria to develop this asset class to harness the investment opportunity.

Mr. Craig Hallowes of Rock Castle Global Real Estate, a firm that manages funds invested in real estate assets and REITs across various jurisdictions, presented the performance comparison of REIT structures in five developing countries. Drawing from his experience of spearheading the development of REITs in South Africa, Andrew Brooking of Java Capital, highlighted the need for appropriate regulatory changes to truly harness the benefits of this asset class. He also showed how REITs have positively impacted the market.

The CEO designate of Stanbic IBTC Capital, Ms Yewande Sadiku reinforced the ongoing drive from Stanbic IBTC and Standard Bank Group to engage stakeholders at different levels to develop a viable REIT market. She further stated that “the roundtable is a step in Stanbic IBTC Capital’s overall strategy to facilitate the establishment of an efficient and viable REIT product in Nigeria.

50—Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 5, 2013

C M Y K

Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 5 , 2013 — 51

Kenyan polls claim 15 lives A

T least 15 people were killed in attacks by machetewielding gangs yesterday as millions of Kenyans voted in the first presidential election since a disputed 2007 poll unleashed weeks of tribal bloodshed.

Voting in the tight contest passed off peacefully across most of the East African nation, although many of its 14.3 million voters were caught in long lines.

Election officials said there was a high turnout without giving figures.

Officials and candidates have made impassioned appeals to avoid a repeat of the tribal rampages that erupted five years ago when disputes over the poll result fuelled clashes between tribal loyalists of rival candidates.

More than 1,200 people were killed, shattering Kenya’s reputation as one of Africa’s most stable democracies and bringing its economy, sub Saharan Africa’s fourth-largest, to a standstill.

Just hours before voting began, at least nine security officers in the restive coastal region were hacked to death in

two attacks, and six attackers were killed, regional police chief Aggrey Adoli said.

Senior police officers blamed the attacks on a

separatist movement, suggesting different motives to those that caused the post-2007 vote ethnic killings that could limit their impact.

As in 2007, the race has come down to a highstakes duel between two candidates, this time between Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta and Prime Minister Raila

Odinga, the loser in 2007 to outgoing President Mwai Kibaki. Both contenders will depend heavily on votes from their tribes.

The United States and

Western donors are worried about the stability of a nation that is an ally in the fight against militant Islam in the region.

Syrian rebels capture key city

S

The post-election turbulence continued to spread in Kenya yesterday as ethnic fighting intensified and more than 100 people were killed.

Obama announces 3 cabinet nominations P RESIDENT Obama yesterday made three cabinet

nominations — for budget, energy and environmental policy — hours before his first cabinet meeting of his second term.

Mr. Obama introduced Sylvia Mathews Burwell, the president of the Walmart Foundation in Arkansas and a familiar figure in the Democratic administration from her service in the Clinton administration, to be the director of the White House Office of Management and Budget.

Ernest J. Moniz, the director of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology ’s Energy Initiative, is the president’s choice to take over for Steven Chu at the Energy Department. And Gina McCarthy, the assistant administrator in charge of air and radiation at the Environmental Protection Agency, is the pick to replace the departing administrator, Lisa P. Jackson. All three positions are subject to Senate confirmation.

Ms. McCarthy most

likely faces the greatest scrutiny given Republicans’ opposition to Mr. Obama’s environmental and climate policies.

“I hope the Senate will confirm them as soon as possible,” Mr. Obama

said as he introduced the three nominees and thanked the current holders of the cabinet posts in the East Room, which was packed with family, friends and administration staff members.

YRIAN rebel fighters seized much of the contested north-central city of Raqqa yesterday after days of heavy clashes with government forces, smashing a statue of President Bashar alAssad’s father in the central square and occupying the governor’s palace, according to activist groups and videos uploaded to the Internet.

If the insurgents manage to gain and retain control of Raqqa, capital of Raqqa Province, it would signify a potentially important turn in the two-year-old Syrian conflict.

Raqqa, a strategic city on the Euphrates River, would be the first provincial capital completely taken over by the armed resistance to President Assad.

For the government, the loss of Raqqa would diminish the prospects that Mr. Assad’s military, now fighting on a number of fronts, could retake a vast swathe of northern and eastern Syria from the rebels.

British queen leaves hospital after stomach bug

A

smiling and apparently fit Queen Elizabeth left hospital yesterday, a day after she was admitted with symptoms of gastroenteritis.

The 86-year-old British monarch, wearing a red coat and silver brooch, shook hands with medical staff on the steps of the King Edward VII hospital in central London before being driven away by limousine.

Buckingham Palace officials said she had first developed symptoms of the stomach bug on Friday and the decision

to take her to hospital was a precautionary measure.

Royal aides suggested at the time she might stay in for a couple of days.

The palace offered no further details on the queen’s condition, but confirmed that all her engagements for this week, including a trip to Italy scheduled for March 6-7, remained canceled or postponed.

It is unusual for the monarch to cancel an engagement.

The head of state, who last year celebrated 60 years on the throne, is known for her robust

health. She was last hospitalized in 2003 when she had a knee operation.

News of her latest hospital admission made headlines around the world.

The queen and the royal family have enjoyed a surge in popular support in Britain in recent years, spurred on by the wedding of her grandson Prince William to Kate Middleton in 2011.

The couple, now known as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, are expecting a child this summer.

52— Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 5, 2013

Delta 2015:

Our plans against the cabal — Keyamo Lagos Lawyer, Mr. Festus Keyamo is disturbed by what he perceives as the slow pace of development in his native Delta State and has established a group, Delta Forces United, DFU, to rally the grassroots for a change, which he says he is willing to champion as governor. In this interview, he speaks on the politics of Delta State and why he is leaving the comfort zone for the murky waters of politics. Excerpts:

W

HAT motivated you to establish Delta Forces United?

Well my motivation is not farfetched. I am a freeborn of Delta State. My early life was all about Delta State. My childhood classmates, friends, acquaintances and even childhood antagonists are all from Delta State. I have my early impressions of how Delta State was. I also grew up full of ideas as to how to improve my state.

Even though I hail from Effurun in Uvwie Local Government Area, I was born in a crowded compound (what we call today, face-me-I-faceyou) along Post Office Road in Ughelli. I first went to an ‘akara school’ somewhere around Afiesere, and then proceeded to Oharisi Primary School, Ughelli. Thereafter I went to Government College, Ughelli, where I did my O’Levels and Advanced Levels.

Pursuit of livelihood I then proceeded to the then Bendel State University, Ekpoma, to read law. It was only after my university education that I went to Lagos for my Law School programme.

Thereafter, I began my career with late Chief Gani Fawehinmi. I therefore have an umbilical cord connected to my roots in Delta State that I cannot sever.

However, because of the pursuit of livelihood since I graduated more than 20 years ago, I did not participate actively in the political process.

Some self-serving, narrowminded people have decided to divide the state into ethnic groups and to share power and resources along ethnic lines instead of addressing the real

issues affecting the development of the state. I have decided therefore that I will not fold my arms and watch professional politicians destroy my state because of ethnicity.

Therefore, Delta Forces United is a political platform that will, sooner or later, find a political party that shares the same progressive ideologies and work together with it.

Do you have the financial capacity to pursue these objectives?

No single private individual has the financial capacity alone anywhere in the world to run a huge political campaign, except the money is stolen money. Even as rich as Mitt Romney in the US general elections, he had to go cap in hand to raise funds. So, running a political campaign is all about urging people to believe in you, your party and your programmes and urging them to make useful contributions to the cause.

Did you establish DFU to pursue your governorship ambition?

What is wrong in pursuing a

,

BY CLIFFORD NDUJIHE

•Keyamo: My son is partly from Delta North

the PDP machine in Delta?

There is nothing to undo at all. There is nothing called the “PDP political machine” in Delta State. There is no machine at all. All you have is just a small clique hanging unto power at all cost. People don’t want these characters who call themselves PDP political leaders. How they hang unto power is by sheer

Whatever power sharing arrangement certain persons had must have been an internal PDP arrangement, I am not PDP

healthy ambition? Is the Governorship seat the exclusive preserve of a few well-known corrupt politicians?

Why can’t we encourage people who have done well in their chosen fields to come and manage public resources?

Anyway, like I said before, the DFU will seek to collaborate with any political party that shares our goals and if within that arrangement I am chosen to lead the party in the governorship election, I will readily oblige.

How do you hope to undo

,

brigandage. Therefore, our job is to mobilize the people to resist this brigandage.

How do you react to claims that the governorship should be zoned to Delta North?

Delta North is that area of the state that has a collection of different ethnic groups that speak some different languages close to the Ibo language. They have some of the most intelligent and friendly people among them. And on a lighter note I married from that part of the State. So my first son is partly Urhobo and partly

Ibusa.

First of all, I have never heard in my life that the Asaba man sees the Kwale or Obiaruku person as one and the same with him. I have never heard that the Agbor man sees the person from Onicha-Ugbo as his brother over these years. So all of a sudden, because of political expediency certain socalled political leaders from that region are seeking to deceive the ordinary people on the streets by preaching that they are all one; only for them to grab political power and dump that platform.

But to answer your question frontally, whatever power sharing arrangement certain persons had must have been an internal PDP arrangement.

I am not PDP. Delta State is not synonymous with PDP. But even the President of Nigeria, Goodluck Jonathan, said that there is nothing like zoning within the PDP. He explained it to mean that when the position of the Chief Executive either in the State or National level is determined by competence, then the other positions below are zoned. Are they now contradicting their President? To take the

argument further, if Delta North are saying it is “their turn”, they can only be saying it is their turn to pick the PDP ticket since it is a PDP arrangement. So PDP can give them their ticket if it likes. I know that they have very competent people from that zone that can fly the PDP flag.

And so do other zones have extremely qualified people too who can fly the flags of other parties. But a PDP ticket holder does not translate into a governor automatically. You still have to face the electorate. A PDP ticket holder cannot climb the rostrum and tell people to vote for him because he is from Delta North.

Talking about what is just and fair, so how just and fair is it to deprive other political parties and the teeming masses of Delta State who were never part of the PDP arrangement from fielding competent candidates whose programmes may be superior to that of the PDP ticket holder? And to put the nail on the coffin, it is said that one good turn deserves another. If indeed there was an agreement to shift power from one zone to the other in 1999, how come aspirants from Delta North have always contested for the gubernatorial elections without stepping down for anyone?

Gubernatorial primaries For example, since 1999 till 2011 several persons from Delta North actively participated in the gubernatorial primaries of various parties and the general elections. So how come they are asking others to step down for them now?

What is your assessment of the PDP government since 1999 and Governor Uduaghan’s performance so far?

Let me tell you one thing you may not know, my governor, Dr. Uduaghan as a human being is a complete gentleman. You can easily see that he is an accidental politician, not a conventional one. Essentially, he is just a professional in his chosen field of medicine. But as a politician I can’t say how well he has handled it.

Because I feel at times he is overwhelmed by the negative political trends in the State and that affects his judgment in many areas. And I also think that the State, under the leadership of the PDP, has performed far below what is expected of it. This might be as a result of misplaced priorities, mismanagement of resources or outright stealing.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 5, 2013 —53

Ogun PDP crisis:

Confusion continues T

HE resolution of the crisis rocking the Ogun State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, remains far fetched despite the recent intervention of the National Working Committee, NWC. The NWC had in its ruling turned the table against the faction loyal to former President Olusegun Obasanjo with its announcement confirming the Adebayo Dayo-led exco as the authentic and duly elected state executive in the Gateway State.

Going by the NWC’s pronouncement, the coast seems to have cleared for the Dayo executive to start preparing for the 2015 election.

And expectedly, many people who were seen flirting with the Obasanjo faction before the NWC’s pronouncement have switched loyalty to the newly recognized executive.

The NWC-favoured exco held a meeting 48 hours after the declaration by Alhaji Bamanga Tukur-led NWC at the IjebuIgbo residence of the party financier, Buruji Kashamu which became a Mecca of sorts

as many party members trooped out to hobnob with the ‘new leader.’

However, the last might not have been heard about the fight over the control of the party in the state as the Obasanjo faction has vowed to use the influence of the NEC, which has many Obasanjo loyalists to upturn the NWC decision.

The Obasanjo faction through its Chairman, Dipo Odujinrin in its reaction to the pronouncement of the NWC said, it “received with shock, the pronouncement of the National Publicity Secretary of PDP, Olisa Metu in the newspapers this morning; I found it very disturbing because we saw the signs during the week when we observed that J.K Gadzama (SAN), issued a notice of discontinuance of the Appeals against the court cases which the National Publicity Secretary referred to as reasons which the committee used to take their decision.”

“It was very obvious that the appeals were going against the Buruji Kashamu group and if you all recall, in an attempt to stop one of the appeals, the

*Kashamu: Winning the war Bayo Dayo group wrote a petition in which he alleged that Chief Olusegun Obasanjo gave money to Chief Afe Babalola to bribe Court of Appeal Justices, who were going to sit on the appeal on that day and that made the

was made up of the chairmen of the traditional rulers in the six local government areas of Okigwe, Imo state PDP women leader, Director of the Okigwe mandate, Coordinator of TEGO and ward chairmen.

He further dismissed claims of any kind of bias in the selection of the beneficiaries, insisting that various stakeholders were carried along in the selection process.

Speaking at the event, Nwagwu, who is the Chairman Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs, commended his constituents for the support and

Imo North:

Sen Nwagwu’s interventions

BY CHARLES KUMOLU

W

HEN Senator Matthew Nwagwu was elected to represent Imo North Senatorial District in the National Assembly, NASS, not a few critics believed that it would be business as usual.

But two years down the line, the district which hitherto, had received little or no attention from past lawmakers, is beginning to reap the fruits of Nwagwu’s presence in the National Assembly, especially in the area of human capital development.

Using the platform of his Team for Economic Growth and Opportunities ,TEGO, Senator Nwagwu has been deploying his energies towards empowering constituents in many ways.

It was on the strength of this objective, that TEGO recently donated cash gifts and other items worth N70million to 500 persons, who were selected from the six Local Government Areas, LGAs, of the senatorial zone.

A set of 30 vulcanizing machines, 22 welding machines, 30 KVA generator

sets and 48 clippers were freely distributed at a ceremony which took place recently in Amuzi, Obowo LGA of Imo State. The forum attracted prominent leaders , artisans , indigent students , widows, physically challenged persons and other supporters of the lawmaker.

Among the prominent personalities at the ceremony were Chief Emeka Ekwebulem, Chris Okewunonu, Chief Goddy Ibekwe, Prof.Nnamdi Obiaraeri , Chief Longers Anyanwu, PDP Women Leader in the zone, Mrs Ngosi Mbonu, Dr Ray Emerenini, Dan Nwangwu, Chairman Okigwe Council of Traditional Rulers Eze Mathew Onwenu among others.

The event started with a thanksgiving service at St. Mary ’s Catholic Church Amuzi, in Ikenanzizi, Obowo, where the officiating priests Prof. Francis Nwachukwu and Chika Nwankwo and host of other priests thanked God for using Nwagwu to put smile on the faces of many.

Nonetheless, the Chairman Organizing Committee and coordinator of the TEGO Dr

Appeal Court Justices to excuse themselves from the matter.

“If the appeal had been heard, the whole situation would have been different but in order not to allow the appeal to be heard, that was why the National

*Nwagwu: Reaching out Chineme Anyaeze said the beneficiaries were selected from the thousands of people, who applied for the empowerment.

He said the scheme was well advertized through churches and local media, adding that indigent students, physically challenged persons, widows and other less privileged persons applied.

Anyaeze further said, the applications were endorsed by traditional rulers, ward and Local Government chairmen .

In addition, he stated that the final selection was done by a screening committee, which

,

BY DAUD OLATUNJI

Working Committee withdrew the appeal suddenly and was now able to use the ruling that was subsisting in taking their decision which they said they took two days ago.

“However, at our meeting this afternoon, we have resolved in accordance with article 31 subsections 2(8) of our constitution to appeal to the National Executive Committee of the party which is the much higher body than the National Working Committee and we believe that our appeal to that body would receive a favourable consideration and this injustice will be corrected.

We put our faith in the National Executive Committee of PDP and trust that the right thing will be done,” the Obasanjo faction said.

For Kashamu, who has the loyalty of the newly recognized executive, the NWC has spoken and the matter has been resolved.

Indeed, the newly recognized executive said it was ready to work with the members of the faction loyal to former President Obasanjo to stabilize and strengthen Ogun PDP. It denied fighting a personal battle with Obasanjo, describing the former president as a father to all members of the party in the state.

constituents.

To achieve this, Nwagwu said the zone needs God fearing leaders and quality representation, stressing that politicians must hold their campaign promises as a bond between them and the electorates.

In addition, he said his empowerment gesture was in continuation of his father’s legacy, adding that his father ,late Chief Joseph Nwagwu devoted most of his time and resources towards community development .

He however assured the

He however assured the people of quality representation in the senate, saying that the gesture was in fulfillment of his campaign promises

the mandate given to him to serve them in the senate.

Disclosing the rationale behind the scheme, Nwagwu said he was troubled by the long years of neglect and snail speed of political and economic development in the zone.

Hence, the lawmaker called for urgent action on roads , electricity and youth empowerment in his constituency, in order to alleviate the sufferings of the

,

people of quality representation in the senate, saying that the gesture was in fulfillment of his campaign promises.

Continuing, Nwagwu informed the forum that his economic team had taken a tour of the federal projects in the zone, adding that that further releases for the projects would depend on progress made in the implementation of the ongoing projects.

54—

Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 5, 2013

Man U v R eal Madrid Real

We can beat United —Ramos

Ferguson set for biggest game S

•Ramos

S

ERGIO Ramos says after back-to-back Clasico wins, Real Madrid are super confident ahead of their Champions League clash with Manchester United.

Real Madrid conceded an away goal in the first leg of their Champions League clash against The Red Devils three weeks ago – in a 1-1 draw – but since then they have beaten Barcelona twice.

However, Los Blancos are still 13 points behind Barcelona in La Liga, and the fate of their season lies with Champions League success.

“Psychologically, the team has strengthened after the Clasicos and we go to Manchester convinced we can go through. We know we can go through,” Ramos says.

“We gained a lot of morale by beating Barcelona again.

“We still have such a long way to go but the desire is to eliminate United at Old Trafford.

But we will go to Manchester showing great respect to our opponent.”

Ramos says Madrid is going through a “brilliant moment of form”.

IR Alex Ferguson has labelled Manchester United’s meeting with Real Madrid tonight as ‘one of the biggest’ in football and does not expect anyone to be disappointed.

“I think there will be goals,” said the United manager. “I think both teams will score, but we have to think we can score more than them.

“There has been a massive build-up. You can see from the number of photographers at the training ground today - that is an indication of how important a game it is for both clubs.

“It’s an occasion you always want to have and that’s the beauty of the Champions League, you have the opportunity each year to play against one of the big teams from Europe.

It is one of the biggest.

“I think both teams are in form. Real had two fantastic performances against Barcelona and found form at the right time for a game of this nature.

Our form been consistent for quite a while which we need on Tuesday.

“I don’t think it gets any bigger than this for a European night. It’s set up to be a potentially marvellous game - I don’t think we’ll be disappointed.”

•Van Persie

•Rooney

•Ferguson

Rooney eyes landmark O

•Mourinho

N the back of another stunning goal this past weekend, Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney is eyeing his landmark 200th goal for the Red Devils. Rooney was on the mark in United’s 4-0 win against Norwich City at Old Trafford on Saturday, finishing in spectacular fashion from outside the box.

The goal propelled Rooney to 196 goals for Manchester United since his move from boyhood club Everton, and admits that he’s looking to break past that barrier this season.

The England international has been playing second fiddle to new signing Robin van Persie this season, with the Dutch striker only sitting behind Liverpool striker Luis Suarez in the league’s goalscoring charts.

Rooney, however, is not phased by his new role, and is simply

eyeing more success with Manchester United.

“It’s great to have played so many games for this club at such a young age and it’d be nice to reach the 200 mark,” Rooney told magazine Inside United. “It would be an achievement I’d be proud of and hopefully I can get there between now and the end of the season.”

Rooney will have ample opportunities to break through the 200 goal barrier, with ten matches remaining in the Premier League season. On top of that, the Red Devils take on Real Madrid in the second leg of their Champions League round of 16 clash tomorrow at Old Trafford. With a win or a goalless draw, Sir Alex Ferguson’s side will once again be in the quarterfinals of the world’s biggest club competition.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 5, 2013 — 55

Gov. Yuguda, Emir of Bauchi to receive Afcon trophy THE Executive Governor of Bauchi State, Mallam Isa Yuguda will on today host some officials of the Nigeria Football Federation and the Super Eagles, to appreciate them for Nigeria’s triumph at the Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa.

The Super Eagles clinched the trophy at the 29th edition of the 56-year old competition, making it the first time in 19 years and third time overall that Nigeria would emerge champion.

Officials confirmed on Monday that the delegation will be led by President of the Nigeria Football Federation, Alhaji Aminu Maigari, with a number of Executive Committee members, Management and some presidential aides also on the entourage.

Chairman of the NFF Media and Publicity Committee, Chief Emeka Inyama, Dr. Shehu Adamu, Alhaji Yusuf Fresh and Hon. Suleiman Yahaya-Kwande are the Executive Committee members, with General Secretary, Barrister Musa Amadu and Director of Competitions, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi also Bauchi-bound.

There will also be Super Eagles’ Assistant Coach Daniel Amokachi, special assistant to president, Alh. Ibrahim Musa Gusau, personal assistant to president and exinternational player Nasiru Jibril and Eagles’ Team Secretary, Enebi Achor.

The train will move to the Government House, Bauchi straight from the airport to present the glittering trophy to the

sports-loving Governor, who was in Calabar at the weekend to watch the G o l d e n Eaglets play a friendly

Trafford since leaving the club in 2009.

If he does find the back of the net, Ronaldo said he is not sure how he would celebrate.

“It would be a beautiful sensation,” he said. “If I score against them, it would be spectacular.

C M Y

House, the trophy will move to the palace of the Emir of Bauchi, His Royal Majesty, Dr. Rilwan Suleiman Adamu, who will also have opportunity of receiving the prestigeous trophy.

T

HE Inspector – General of Police, IGP MD Abubakar, CFR, NPM, mni, has directed the Assistant InspectorGeneral of Police incharge of Zone 6 and the Rivers State Commissioner of Police, to ensure the provision of adequate security for all athletes, Officials and invited guests of 10th Biennial Police Games coming up in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, from 3rd to 9th March,

2013.

The IGP gave this directive in Force Headquarters while speaking on the importance of the Games to the Force and the entire Nigerian sporting community. He further directed particular attention must be given to hotels accommodating guests and athletes, training grounds and event centres.

Abdullahi commends Greensprings Schools

BY JACOB AJOM

T

COURTESY VISIT... From Right, Mr. Pinnick Amaju, Chairman Delta Sports Commission; Mr. Oritsuwa Kpogho, Chairman, DESOPADEC, Mrs. Mary Onyali-Omagbemi and Mr. Bukola Olapade during a visit to DESOPADEC yesterday.

Warri 2013 Athletics get double support

T

HE Local O r g a n i z i n g Committee (LOC)of the Africa Athletics Junior Championship, tagged Warri 2013. billed to hold between March 27-31 at the Warri Stadium, yesterday visited the Delta State Oil Producing Development Company

Ronaldo Continues from BP

international with their Botswanan counterparts, and has also provided land for the construction of a FIFA Technical Centre in the State.

From the Government

Police Games: IG tasks AIG Zone 6, Rivers CP on security

“I can’t say how I’d celebrate - it would be something spontaneous - but I’d love to be in that situation.”

The 28-year-old expects to be wellreceived by the United supporters after winning three Premier League titles and lifting the Champions League

At a brief ceremony, held inside the company’s premises, the Chairman of the Board, Oritsuwa Ikpogho, donated a warm-uptrack at the stadium for the use of athletes before their actual races. The company said that it was

their contribution to the event.

Ikpogho said that they will support Delta State in organising a befitting championship, pointing out that they were happy that many Nigerian top athletes are of Delta State origin.

Keshi Continues from BP Boss would make his list public within the next 24 hours.

“The list of players to be invited for the game with Kenya will be out in the next 24 hours,” Alaiya stated.

“Like we have always done, the home based professionals will hit camp first before their foreign counterparts join them to round off

preparations,” the Eagles Spokesman added.

Already there have been speculations in different quarters on who and who will make Keshi’s list as he prepares for his first assignment after the Africa Cup of Nations success in South Africa where Nigeria finished tops to win her third AFCON trophy.

HE board of directors and management of Greensprings Schools Lagos have been commended by the Minister of Sports and Chairman of the National Sports Commission, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi for the school’s consistency and steadfastness in its sports development drive.

Speaking at the 2nd Annual Greensprings Sports Forum, Mallam Abdullahi who was represented by the

chairman of the Nigerian Academicals Sports Committee, Adeyemi Idowu said with schools like the Greensprings, the present administration’s drive for the revival of grassroots sports could be easily be achieved.

The minister said schools sports was the springboard for sports development as the new drive was aimed at mass participation in sports by the teeming youths.

Idowu, who also made a presentation as chairman of the NASCOM said, “if you must succeed, you got to have a plan."

Mefo, Kienka, Osagie win Delta in the three Airline Tennis matches categories, comprising

BY JOHN EGBOKHAN

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HE curtains came down weekend on the maiden Delta Airline Tennis tournament, with Godwin Kienka, Peter Osagie and Godson Mefo emerging champions in the event held at the Lagos Lawn Tennis Club, Onikan.

After six days of tennis action at the revamped home of tennis in Nigeria, it all came down to the final

Open, Veterans and Super Veterans, all eyes were on which players would emerge victorious and walk home with the giant trophies and return air ticket to Atalanta, all courtesy of the sponsors, Delta Airlines.

In the super veterans category, Godson Mefo defeated Kola Omoyele in two sets of 6-4, 6 -3, which earned him a flight ticket to the United States of America.

NFF Continues from BP rules, without fear or favour. We will look thoroughly into the matter with the highest sense of responsibility and take just decision, in

order for the player to continue his club and national team career with peace of mind and comfort,” said Dr. Mohammed Sanusi, NFF’s Director of Competitions.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 5, 2013

W/Cup qualifier: Keshi set to release list for Kenya tie

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OACH Stephen Keshi will be making public the list of players to be invited for the March 23, 2013 World Cup qualifying duel against the Harambe Stars of Kenya,

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HE committee empanelled by the Nigeria Football Federation to resolve the controversy over the ownership of Super Eagles’ Cup of Nations star Sunday Mba will meet in Abuja on W e d n e s d a y .

Controversy has been raging among several clubs over the ownership of the nimble-footed marksman who scored the winner against the Elephants of Cote d’Ivoire in the quarter finals and the only goal in the final match against Burkina Faso’s Etalons at the 29th Africa Cup of Nations that ended in South Africa last month.

Already, the committee has invited officials of two-time CAF Champions League winners Enyimba FC of Aba, Enugu Rangers, Dolphin FC of Port Harcourt and Warri Wolves, alongside the player himself.

“The committee will sit on Wednesday and we will look at all papers presented by all parties, and be guided by the Continues on Page 55

War over Mba:

NFF decides

•Keshi

Champions League cracker: Ronaldo ready to roar against Red Devils R EAl Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo has admitted he would love to score against Manchester United in their Champions League clash tonight.

The Portuguese salvaged a draw for Jose Mourinho’s team in the first leg after Danny Welbeck had given United the lead at the Santiago Bernabeu.

And Ronaldo hopes to put his name on the scoresheet again in his first return to Old Continues on Page 55

•Sunday Umba

•RVP

Gov. Yuguda, Emir of Bauchi to receive Afcon trophy P55

PUZZLE

•Ronaldo

QUICK CROSSWORD

Sudoku TODAY'S

Media officer to the National team Ben Alaiya has hinted.

Alaiya on Monday morning told Lagos Sports radio station Brila FM that the Big Continues on Page 55

YESTER DAY'S YESTERDAY'S

ANSWERS

ACROSS 1 Oppose (6) 5 Helix (6) 9 True (5) 10 Pill (6) 11 Harm (6) 12 Dawdle (5) 14 Detail (4) 17 Ballad (3) 18 Elect (4) 20 Challenged (5) 22 Penalised (5) 23 Lassitude (7) 24 Emblem (5) 26 Pop (5) 29 Rake (4) 30 Spurt (3) 32 Prophet (4) 33 Hell (5) 35 Silenced (6) 36 Temple (6) 37 Gum (5) 38 Begged (6) 39 Skilfully (6)

DOWN 1 Recompensed (6) 2 Tray (6) 3 Sleigh (4) 4 Sum (5) 5 Alas (5) 6 Drama (4) 7 Motive (6) 8 Ogled (6) 13 Guffawed (7) 15 Prohibited (5) 16 Skirmish (5) 18 Infection (5) 19 Taut (5) 21 Barrier (3) 22 Watch-pocket (3) 24 Calamitous (6) 25 Bloated (6) 27 Rumour (6) 28 Pact (6) 30 Weary (5) 31 Lukewarm (5) 33 Present (4) 34 Logical (4)

YESTERDAY'S SOLUTIONS

ACROSS: 4, Proud 7, Reeled 9, Lee 10, Rum 12, Ranch 13, Crib 15, Music 17, Nimble 19, Tome 20, Scene 22, Tab 24, Desired 27, Tot 28, Arena 31, Apse 33, Funnel 35, Grade 37, Wake 38, Ridge 39, Ewe 41, Elf 42, Sensed 43, Needy.

How to Play Sudoku

THE VIGILANTE

DOWN: 1, Fracas 2, Refine 34, Per 4, Peri 5, React 6, Uncommon 8, Dumb 11, Multitude 14, Bind 16, Sear 18, Meet 21, Comprise 23, Bean 25, Sofa 26, Drew 29, Elapse 30, Amends 32, Egged 34, News 36, Rely 40, Eel.

e-mail: rowolove@yahoo.co.uk

Place a number (1-9) in each blank cell. (No line can have two of the same number).

Each row (nine lines from left to right), column, (also nine lines from top to bottom) and 3 X 3 block within a bold block (nine blocks) contains number from 1 through 9. This means that no number can appear twice in any block, column or row.

No mathematics is involved – no adding, subtraction, division or multiplication, just plain logic and your imagination.

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