boko haram - We won't negotiateunder conditions — FG

...towards a better life for the people

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VOL. 25: NO. 61746

N150

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2012

Six Ph.D, 704 Masters •P 6 Degree holders apply for drivers' job in Dangote Group

FG, ACN trade words over •P.6 Ribadu report

BOKO HARAM:

We won't negotiate under conditions — FG •Go ahead with negotiation — Tambuwal, Fasehun, others

•No, it's dangerous — Lar, Agoro •We didn't kill Gen. Shuwa — Sect

BY CLIFFORD NDUJIHE, LUKA BINNIYAT, GBENGA OLARINOYE, DAPO AKINREFON, SIMON EBEGBULEM, GABRIEL ENOGHOLASE & NDAHI MARAMA

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AGOS—THE Fed eral Government said, yesterday, that it will not negotiate with

Continues on Page 5

Probe activities of banks, registrars •PG.17 — Stakeholders OCHEREOME NNANNA •P.41 LES LEBA •P.40 DELE •P.37 SOBOWALE

Mr & Mrs

SULTAN MEETS PILGRIMS—Sultan of Sokoto, Dr Abubakar Sa’ad Abubakar 111 (left) addressing the 2nd Batch of Osun pilgrims, during his tour to all pilgrims from Nigeria, at Reea Bakhsh, Mecca, Saudi Arabia yesterday.

Death row convicts •P.6 must die — Oshiomhole

Israeli contractors sold •P.15 Nigeria $240m fake drones

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POCKET CARTOON

Boko Haram: We won't negotiate under conditions — FG We didn’t kill Continues from page 1 Islamic sect, Boko Haram under conditions, even as mixed reactions have trailed the declaration by the sect of its readiness for dialogue to end series of suicide bomb attacks in many parts of the north.

While some urged government to go ahead with the dialogue, others cautioned against the idea saying it would be counter-productive.

However, the Presidency said it would discuss with the group without preconditions as demanded by the sect.

This came as the group denied killing General Mohammed Shuwa and others who were killed in Maiduguri, weekend.

Among those who okayed dialogue with Boko Haram are House of Representatives Speaker, Hon Aminu Tambuwal; Second Republic Governor of old Kaduna State, Alhaji Balarabe Musa; Member of the House of Representatives, Mr. Daniel Reyenieju; Arewa Youths and Founder of the Oodua Peoples Congress, OPC, Dr. Frederick Fasehun, who however, cautioned President Goodluck Jonathan against involving former Military Head of State and Presidential candidate of the

Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), General Buhari in the negotiation.

Those opposed to the move include Second Republic Governor of Plateau State, Chief Solomon Lar and National Leader of National Action Council, NAC, Dr Olopade Agoro.

We’ve had enough of bloodshed – Tambuwal Speaking with newsmen at the funeral ceremony of father-in-law of the member representing Esan North East/Esan South East of Edo State, Mr Fridai Itulah, at Uromi, Speaker Tambuwal said government should not hesitate to go for the talks, if that would bring peace.

Said Tambuwal, who insisted that the outcome of the constitutional review by the National Assembly would not be subjected to a referendum, because a referendum is unconstitutional: “I will encourage our leadership to engage the leaders of the sect (Boko Haram) in the dialogue; if that will bring peace, we should go for it. We have had more than enough bloodshed of innocent Nigerians and government should do everything possible, in-

LIFEWORDS

BY PASTOR ITUAH

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ODAY is all you have, that is why it is called “The Present.” It is a gift indeed, use it well, because each day comes only once in a lifetime!

TAKE HEART

BY ELLA RANDLE

“EVERY day I try to uplift my humanity by being human, doing something beautiful for someone, even a kind thought is a gift of love. A kind deed from you, may not cost much, but this maybe a haven for someone in need. Uplift your humanity and be kind...even kinder.” —E. R.

A

CCORDING to Joy Bell C, a writer, some people feel that spiritual enlightenment is achieved through the denial of oneself; but the truth of the matter is that, even if you deny yourself many things, go and live in a mountaintop, and never mingle with other people, and do not have the opportunity to be there for others through giving of yourself, what then is the use of enlightenment.

True enlightenment comes to a person wherever they choose to serve life. The key factor is attention and awareness. Be good at whatever you do and enjoy doing it. Taking time to reconnect with your inner life is beautiful but an enlightened soul is thoughtful, caring, giving, and endearing being.

Just be kind and if you already have that virtue...Then be kinder.

cluding dialogue with Boko Haram, to bring this to an end.”

He said the decision of the leadership of Congress for Progressive Change to reject proposal by Boko Haram appointing its presidential candidate in the last election, General Muhammadu Buhari, as the sect’s representative in the proposed dialogue with the Federal Government, should be that of the retired Army General and not the party.

It’s wrong to talk with faceless people – Lar However, pioneer National Chairman of the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Solomon Lar, opposed the move, saying it was wrong to negotiate with a violent group, whose leaders are still anonymous Fielding questions from reporters in Kaduna, Lar said: “I disagree completely to dialogue with Boko Haram, unless they show their identity that Mr. X, Y, Z is Boko Haram and this is his rank. For them to name some people to be their representatives, who are they? They are faceless people, let them come out and reveal their identity. It is not enough for the sect members to nominate some people to negotiate on their behalf . Let us know who is who among them. Let them come out in the open and identify themselves rather than being faceless.

“Again, has Mohammadu Buhari , Alhaji Ali Mungonu and others nominated by the sect members agreed to represent them in the dialogue with the Federal Government?

“During the Niger Delta militantancy, some people came out and said they were the leaders of the militants. That was very reasonable and that was how the late President Musa Yar ’Adua was able to tackle the problem of militancy in the Niger Delta. The Niger Delta militants were not faceless like Boko Haram.

Why didn’t Boko Haram follow the example of the militants by showing their faces?”

General Shuwa – Boko Haram

However, Boko Haram has denied the killings of Major-General Mamman Shuwa (rtd) and other politicians and elders in Borno State, saying it had no hands in the alleged assassinations in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital.

The denials were made, yesterday, in a tele-conference by the sect'sacclaimed spokesman, Abu Mohammed Abdulaziz with newsmen in Maiduguri.

He said: “People are saying that we have hands in the killing of Major General Shuwa. We don’t have any problem with this elder statesman. He is a responsible person and he had not said anything wrong against Boko Haram Sect. This is why I am stating clearly that we have no hands in the killing of this man. The same also applies to the killings of Mustapha Flawama, an associate of Senator Modu Ali Sheriff; and other politicians and elders recently in the state.”

Abdulaziz also warned those who allegedly spread the rumours that the Boko Haram sect killed Gen. Mamman Shuwa last Friday at his Gwange residence in Maiduguri.

He reiterated that the six personalities appointed by the Boko Haram to mediate with the Federal Government still stands, insisting that “these are the elder statesmen and personalities that we trust and will become witnesses, in case of any betrayals on the part of government at the state and federal levels.”

He listed the mediators to include Dr Shettima Ali Monguno, Maj-Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, Shiekh Ibrahim Yusuf, Shiekh Ibrahim Salisu, Mamman Nur, Shiekh Abu Abass and himself (Abdulaziz).

tions.

According to Special Adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan on Inter-Party Affairs, Senator Ben Obi, Boko Haram’s demand for the release of their detained members as a precondition for the negotiation is not proper.

Obi, who spoke, weekend, after an award ceremony organised by the Association of Anambra State Development Unions (AASDU) for distinguished Anambra citizens in Apapa, Lagos, said the government had been calling for dialogue and would engage Boko Haram in dialogue if the group was serious about it.

“We have been calling for dialogue. In a situation where you have uprising there is need to jaw-jaw. I think if they are truly and seriously interested in picking dialogue, we should engage them in dialogue.”

Asked if the government would meet some of Boko Haram’s precondition for dialogue like releasing all their members being held in detention, he said: “You don’t place conditions before security agencies.

If a man is a criminal and has been arrested for criminality you don’t tell people to release him, it is not their duty.

You go to court and let the court release him.

But they want to engage in dialogue, yes they should be engaged in dialogue not with any precondition.”

Govt to negotiate without preconditions – Presidency

Don’t involve Buhari in mediation – Fasehun

If the Boko Haram sect is genuinely ready for dialogue to end the spate of suicide bomb attacks in many parts of Northern Nigeria, the Federal Government will oblige the group but not with unjust precondi-

Welcoming the move, OPC Founder, Dr Fredrick Fasehun, however, cautioned President Jonathan against involving Buhari in the negotiation.

Fielding questions

from newsmen in Ile-Ife, Osun State during the maiden edition of Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuwade annual lecture series organized by the Ife Business School in honour of the Ooni, Fasehun stressed that Buhari could not negotiate on behalf of Nigerians or the Federal Government because the personality of Buhari in the negotiating team would further aggravate the problem in the country.

He said Buhari could not represent the interest of the government and Nigerians well in the committee as he has a grouse with the Federal Government over his defeat by President Goodluck Jonathan in the 2011 presidential election. He opined that the dialogue between the federal government and the sect, if achieved, would bring about peace in the country.

It’s condemnable arm-twist —Agoro On his part, Dr Olopade Agoro picked holes in the sect asking the Federal Government for a peace parley in Saudi Arabia.

His words: “Mention must be made of the fact that Boko Haram insurgents have continued waging deadly war against Nigeria in the past two years with loss of well over 2000 innocent lives of Muslims, Christians and the uncommitted; thousands more badly injured and or incapacitated and with loss of valuables worth billions of Naira.

“The most pertinent questions therefore to be asked at this stage are: Why was Saudi Arabia the suggested venue and all those mentioned as mediators being Muslims?

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6—Vanguard, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2012

Death row convicts must die — Oshiomhole zSays he has no apologies

BY EMMANUEL AZIKEN, POLITICAL EDITOR

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AGOS — Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State has said that two death row convicts in the state deserve to die, saying he owes no apology over his stance which he said was in exercise of his duty as governor.

In a robust defence of his position, Oshiomhole, in an interview, said that even though he had the choice of exercising the prerogative of mercy on the convicts, he had chosen not to do so, given the nature of the offence of the two men whose convictions were upheld by the Supreme Court.

He said: “God can have mercy on them, but I am unable having regard to the overall circumstances of the case, namely, killing and dismembering the body of your victim and wanting to sell some of the parts and you ask me in the name of human rights, let him live.”

The two death row convicts, Daniel Nsofor and Osayinwinde Agbomien, are presently at the centre of an international human rights campaign to be freed from execution following the governor’s assent to their execution following the affirmation of their guilt by the Supreme Court.

Nsofor was convicted on June 19, 1996 for torturing his female victim and killing her while Agbomien was found guilty of robbing, killing and dismembering the body parts of his own victim.

Oshiomhole noted: “I am convinced that those people need to die. In the interest of society they need to die under the law. The rule of law is different from resolutions by some NGOs and nations are not governed by NGO resolutions.

“As a governor, I subscribed to an oath of office which says that I shall obey the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, including all laws without fear or favour. I cannot be afraid to sign the death warrant of a man who has been found guilty of murder.

“I have no apologies, I didn’t sentence them to death. I am not the one who accused them, they were accused by those they harassed. They have been tried, they have taken advantage of the appellate courts all the way to the Supreme Court of the land and they were found guilty.

The law also says that

having been found guilty and sentenced to death, the governor could exercise prerogative of mercy, but I say that I have no mercy on those who kill. Why should you compel me to have mercy on those who kill?”

“We must have a balanced view of human rights in which the rights, not only of the man they killed, but the right of his relations and much more importantly, to send a clear message to would be murderers, that when you kill a human being and you are caught, you are likely to die. If you don’t want to die, then abstain from killing. If criminals abstain from killing, fewer people would be killed by robbers and other murderers and that is the truth.

“If you tell me that the man killed and has a right to life, I refuse that.

Amnesty should not be hypocritical about it, we have the records worldwide. Nations are governed by their national values and it is debatable whether those who excuse murderers in the eyes of God whether they are better human beings than those who insist that ‘if you kill that you too should be killed if found guilty of killing’.

“The second person was a man who killed a woman.

He robbed the woman, raped the woman and killed her. And then he was found guilty of this offence by the Supreme Court of Nigeria and you tell me, though he has killed, let him live. I say no. If he has killed, let him die too. I am not the one who says he should die, it is the law.

6 Ph.D, 704 Masters holders among applicants for drivers job in Dangote z100 Lagos-Kano drivers needed, 13,000 applied

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AGOS — THE ugly unemployment statistics of Nigeria has been highlighted by the number of applications from higher degree and first degree holders who sought employment as drivers in Dangote group. The staggering figure stands at 13,000.

Of the 13,000 applications received by the Dangote Group for the Graduate Executive Truck Driver, there were six Ph.D, 704 Masters and over 8,460 Bachelor degree holders.

Speaking during the mentor-ship meeting of the World Bank Youth Forum, Chairman of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, said that the company only needed

100 drivers, but received the overwhelming applications.

According to Dangote, most of the applicants were from reputable universities and had the needed quality.

He said: “All these things are verifiable, and they all graduated from reputable institutions which is satisfactory; and our plan is to eventually make them self dependent.

“Despite the fact that the drivers get trip allowances on each trip along with their salaries, the arrangement is that they will own the trucks at no interests or repayments after they must have reached 300,000 kilometres,

which is about 140 trips from Lagos to Kano and a hard working driver can complete in two years, while lazy ones can take maximum of four years.”

Analysts believe that the three tiers of government have not done enough to create employment or create enabling environment for the organised private sector to employ more Nigerians.

In a growing economy, it is rather shocking that Ph.D and Masters degree holders are seeking placement as drivers.

Martin Onyilokwu of Media Development Initiative believes that the revelation is a wake

up call for government to go beyond rhetoric and start the implementation of credible programmes to improve the living condition of Nigerians.

He said:“It is no longer enough to claim that the economy is growing by this or that per cent. The truth of the matter is that Nigeria is not witnessing appreciable development.

We have a situation where the living standard of the people is at an all time low as exemplified by insecurity, poverty, unemployment, massive corruption, executive and legislative recklessness.

There is a need for government to wake up to its responsibility.”

From left: Director General, Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), Engr. Emeka Eze; Director of Compliance Certificate, BPP, Alhaji Gambo Muasu and Director Special Procurement, BPP, Ayo Aderibigbe at the 4th conversion examination for procurement officers in ministries and the agencies, in Abuja, weekend. Photo: Gbemiga Olamikan.

FG, ACN trade words over Ribadu report LAGOS — THE Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) has accused the Federal Government of deliberately sabotaging the Petroleum Revenue Special Task Force, headed by Mr. Nuhu Ribadu, following the controversy that marred the presentation of the task force’s report last Friday.

Meanwhile, the Federal Government has, however, reacted to the statement by the ACN, saying the party got it wrong.

In a statement in Lagos, yesterday, by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said the decision to appoint two members of the committee, Mr. Steve Oronsaye and Mr. Bernard Otti, to positions in the

NNPC while the task force was still working on its assignment was a deliberate booby trap.

It said if the Federal Government did not have any ulterior motive, it would have waited for the task force to complete its assignment before naming Oronsaye into the board of the NNPC and Otti as the Director of Finance of the same body.

It said: "Alternatively, both men should have resigned their membership of the committee the moment they were given the plum jobs to avoid the apparent conflict of interest. The fact that they stayed on, only to disparage the report of the task force so openly and ferociously at the end, is the

clearest indication yet that they were meant to play that exact role of spoilers."

ACN got it wrong —FG In its response signed by Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr Reuben Abati, the government said: “This committee and other committees had government officials, and ex-staff as members. They were not set up as quasijudicial bodies but as committees of wise and knowledgeable men and women who would offer useful advice and in getting such useful advice there is nothing wrong in encouraging the

participation of a broad category of persons including insiders and outsiders.

According to the statement, “this committee and other committees had government officials, and ex-staff as members. They were not set up as quasijudicial bodies but as committees of wise and knowledgeable men and women who would offer useful advice and in getting such useful advice there is nothing wrong in encouraging the participation of a broad category of persons including insiders and outsiders “If Lai Mohammed had done his home work, he would have discovered that there were serving

government officials on the Petroleum Industry Bill Task Force, chaired by Senator Udoma Udo Udoma, and which submitted its report in June, its technical committee was chaired by Engr Osten Olorunsola of the Directorate of Petroleum Resources (DPR).

"Similarly, the Refineries Task Force headed by Dr Kalu Idika Kalu had all the Managing Directors of the Refineries as members.

And in fact, the membership of the Ribadu Committee included representatives of the FIRS, Federal Ministry of Finance, Attorney General of the Federation/Minister of Justice, DPR, NNPC, and Accountant General of the Federation."

Vanguard, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2012—7

Tukur, PDP govs in battle of wits over Adamawa

BY HENRY UMORU

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Med-view 2012 Pilgrims to Saudi Arabia on their arrival at the Murtala Muhammed Internatuonal Airport, Ikeja, Lagos,weekend.

BUJA—STRONG indications have emerged that the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, and state governors elected on the PDP platform are locked in a battle of wits following their grievances over some of the decisions of the National Working Committee, NWC. The governors as gathered, yesterday, are particularly not comfortable with the dissolution of the Adamawa State Executive Committee with fear that if serious action was not taken by them against the

I pray for our oil to dry up —Ezekwesili zAsks FG to urgently tackle unemployment

BY PETEREGWUATU

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AGOS — THE Federal Government, weekend, was advised to quickly tackle the rising rate of unemployment in the country as its rate was estimated to be around 40 per cent of the entire population.

The immediate past World Bank’s Vice President for Africa, Mrs. Oby Ezekwesili, who gave the advice also said: “I am one of those Nigerians who are praying for Nigeria oil to dry up so that our government can quickly take immediate actions towards diversifying the nation’s source of revenue.

Alternative to oil should emerge immediately to cure the oil politics in our nation.”

Speaking as a guest speaker at the 16th Success Digest Enterprises Awards Presentation Dinner, weekend, in Lagos, the former World Bank’s Vice President and also a recently appointed member to the Board of Directors of Bharti Airtel in Africa, said: “Nigeria ruins its opportunities to grow economically with the likes of Singapore, Malaysia etc that had their independence almost the same period with our country, simply because Nigeria lacked the instrumentality of entrepreneurship of the public sector which had helped its contemporaries

to grow tremendously.”

She further advised that a census on unemployment should be carried out, saying: “The problem of unemployment requires a more aggressive method or identity towards addressing it, than what is currently being done. I acknowledge that the government from the blue print is demonstrating an effort to addressing it. The effort should be enhanced considering the havoc unemployment is creating in this country.

Census on unemployment "Government at whatever level should be responsible for addressing this and create jobs. Half of our population is youth within the ages of 18 and 32, but about 40 per cent of our population is unemployed.

There is an average of two million new unemployed youth every year joining the existing stock year by year.

I suggest that a census of unemployed youth be done in Nigeria immediately.”

While speaking on the topic entitled: “Nurturing an entrepreneurial mindset” Ezekwesili said: “Government has a responsibility to the people by providing necessary and adequate infrastructure needed to boost the economy. Taxation and other levies should not be a hindrance to business if government is able to

provide every amenity needed by entrepreneurs as it is in the United States that is regarded as father of capitalism.

“Public sector has responsibility for describing the direction and vision it wants the economy to go.

Public sector requires quality leadership to build good nation. For a new Nigeria to emerge, we need a public sector that has entrepreneurial mindset that should be able to spur the private sector towards achieving economic growth. Our governments

have underperformed over several decades as the country has been driven with people with deficit of integrity, lack of confidence, lack of competence and above all lack of structural innovation ability.”

Ezekwesili also advocated that skilled and well diagnostic programme of entrepreneur be developed and decentralized throughout the community within Nigeria as part of the ways towards reducing the alarming rate of unemployment.

Bamanga Tukur-led NWC, there might be a repeat of that in their respective states where the governors will no longer have control over party members and delegates.

It would be recalled that the national leadership of the party recently dissolved the Adamawa State chapter and replaced with a caretaker committee appointed by the national leadership.

The governors, as gathered, are demanding a reversal of the dissolution or face a major fight from them, just as plans were on to recruit members from their states at the National Assembly.

Rivalry between PDP govs, Tukur The rivalry between the PDP governors and their national chairman started three weeks ago when the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Olisa Metuh announced the sack of the Adamawa State executive committee.

The sacked state committee was loyal to the state governor, Murtala Nyako.

Following the dissolution, the NWC set up a caretaker committee headed by Ambassador Umar Damagun, from Yobe State, to manage the affairs of the party in the state till a new executive is elected.

Not comfortable with what happened, Nyako immediately rushed to the NWC where he apologised for the action of the Adamawa State chapter.

When confronted by journalists after the parley with the NWC members, the Adamawa State governor said: “There is nothing wrong in begging. It is a very busy time for us in Adamawa. We had election this year, we have the menace of Boko Haram, we had flooding, we are very busy.

“Sometimes when you are busy, the way we are, omission is inevitable. So, whatever omission, shortcoming we have observed about our conduct, we extend our regret.”

But that apology did not douse the brewing tension as the party in the state went to court to challenge the decision of NWC. The court in an interim injunction ruled for a return to status quo and restrained the NWC from taking further action on the matter pending the determination of the substantive issue.

Worried by the development, the PDP governors, led by chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum and Governor of Rivers State, Mr. Chibuike Amaechi had to join the fight, just as the Jigawa State governor, Sule Lamido was said to have met with Tukur to impress on him of the need to reverse the sack of the Adamawa PDP executive.

However, that effort did not yield fruit.

After Lamido came, Amaechi met with Tukur last Tuesday in Abuja for hours on the same issue of the Adamawa State chapter.

Bakassi: FG moves to appease C-River

BY SONI DANIEL, REGIONAL EDITOR, NORTH

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BUJA — I N D I C AT I O N S emerged, yesterday, that the Federal Government had begun moves to appease the government and people of Cross River State over the economic and political losses suffered by the state following the ceding of the oil rich Bakassi Peninsula to Cameroun.

Vanguard learnt that after last week’s meeting between the Vice President Namadi Sambo with Cross River State Governor and the Chairman of the Revenue Mobilisation and Fiscal Allocation Commission in Abuja, specific

instructions had been given to the agency to begin the immediate calculation of appropriate amount of money to the state, which lost its littoral status and payment of 13 per cent derivation to its neighbouring Akwa Ibom State.

Specifically, the RMAFC is to work out what is acceptable to the state and the Federal Government and make payment to the state with immediate effect.

Similarly, the source said the N300 million the state was getting monthly as at 2008 when the National Boundary Commission said that the state was no longer entitled to oil revenue having lost its oil wells,

and was put in an escrow account, might also be returned to the state.

Although Vanguard could not get the exact figure approved by the Federal Government for the state, a competent source said the amount might be close to what the state was getting from the 13 per cent derivation fund before the 76 oil wells were given to Akwa Ibom State last July.

A top government official, who did not want to be named, said that the Federal Government was hiding under the law setting up the RMAFC to give out the funds to Cross River State to stave off any resentment from the state against the President or the PDP, which has been

in control of the state since 1999, in the next election.

The section of the law makes it possible for the Federal Government to put aside some money for any state that suffers some losses beyond its control.

It was, however, gathered that the amount to be given to the state would be for a specific period to be determined by the RMAFC. A source who is familiar with the plan by the Federal Government to ‘settle’ Cross River State, noted that the move might not be unconnected with efforts by the centre to appease the aggrieved natives of the state, who feel betrayed twice by the government they worked for during the last general elections.

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8—Vanguard, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2012

Vanguard , MONDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2012 —9

NAFDAC assures visitors at Lagos Trade Fair

BY CHIOMA OBINNA

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S THE 2012 Trade Fair began weekend in Lagos, National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, has assured visitors of a wholesome exhibition.

The Agency had last Friday stormed the exhibition ground with its product monitoring surveillance with a view to ensuring that no unregistered product is exhibited at the fair.

The Public Relations Officer of the Agency, Mrs. Christiana Obiazikwor who spoke on behalf of the Director General of the Agency, Dr. Paul Orhii explained that already the Agency has deployed all its regulatory departments to the fair holding at the Trade Fair Centre at Onikan in Lagos Island.

“The Agency has fully deployed its cutting edge technology, Truscan Machines, to instantly determine the status of some regulated product on exhibition when necessary.

“These activities will provide full range coverage of the entire market; reinforce the confidence that shoppers visiting any exhibition stands will have access to wholesome products,” she added.

Orhii explained that the major focus of the Agency at the fair would be on education and awareness creation aimed at enhancing public understanding of requirements and processes needed for the registration of NAFDAC regulated products.

More support for Lagoon State creation

BY BARTHOLOMEW MADUKWE

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RETIRED P e r m a n e n t Secretary in the Lagos State Government and incumbent Chairman of Ikorodu Oga D e v e l o p m e n t Association, IKODASS, Otunba Lamidi Gbadamosi, has called on all Lagosians to support the on-going clamour for the creation of Lagoon State out of the present Lagos State.

Addressing representatives of the various social clubs, p r o f e s s i o n a l associations and ethnic

groups in Ikorodu Division, who paid him courtesy call at the IKODASS Secretariat, as part of the preparations for the forth-coming Oga Day Celebrations, Gbadamosi stressed that only the creation of Lagoon State could bring about even development to all areas of Lagos State,.

“Creating Lagoon State would reduce congestion in Ikorodu and other major towns in Lagos while the proposed state would guarantee the release of allocation from the commonwealth for the development of all the rural areas.

FLOOD VICTIMS: Groups call for transparency

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AGOS – TWO civil society groups, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, SERAP, and Tearfund, yesterday called for transparency in the distribution of relief materials and funds to flood victims.

The groups made the call in a joint statement signed by the UK-based Tearfund’s Country Representative, Mr. Danladi Musa, and SERAP’s Executive Director, Mr. Adetokunbo Mumuni.

According to the statement made available in Lagos,

about 431 people have been killed while thousands have been displaced as a result of the flood which started in July.

The groups alleged that relief materials and funds allocated to cater for the needs of flood victims in several parts of the country were not reaching them due to corruption and b u r e a u c r a t i c bottlenecks.

They said there was need for the Federal Government to ensure that the needs of the victims were met.

From left: Dr. Olufunmi Olatunji, Dr. Jide Idris, Commissioner for Health; Mr. Babatunde Fashola, SAN, Lagos State governor and Dr. Dolapo Fasawe, Cordinator of Eko Free Health Mission with Master Anuoluwapo Masha, a patient on his bed, during the presentation of the latest beneficiaries of the deformity corrective surgery programme to Lagos State Governor, at one of the General Hospitals in Lagos. Photo: Bunmi Azeez.

SECURITY CHALLENGES: Pray for Nigeria Police – Adeboye

BY OLAYINKA LATONA

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HE GENERAL Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, RCCG, Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye has urged Nigerians to pray for and cooperate with the Nigeria Police Force in view of its efforts to curb lingering security challenges in the country.

Speaking during a special prayer session

for members of the Nigeria Police at the church headquarters in Ebute-Meta, Pastor Adeboye said there is need to intercede for members of police force as they face lots of challenges and attacks during the cause of discharging their duties.

Appreciating the effort of the security agents and also praying that God will continue to guide, protect and give them necessary wisdom needed in discharging

their duties, the man of God prayed that God will expose the bad eggs among the force and those soiling the image of Nigeria Police.

In his words: “We pray that God will expose those perpetrating evil among the Nigeria Police, give them wisdom, protect them and meet all their needs and defend them.”

In his response, The Inspector General of Police, IGP, Mohammed

Abubakar, who was represented by Commissioner of Police, Lagos Airport Command, Mr. Olatunji Caulcrick appreciated the gesture of RCCG in organising such a special prayer for members of Nigeria Police.

He also charged his colleagues to uphold righteousness in all their activities, and never relent in discharging their duties in ensuring there is peace and decorum in the country.

Bode George urges support for Jonathan

.Condemns Okada restriction in Lagos L

AGOS – CHIEF Olabode George, the former Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has urged Nigerian patriots to re-assert their voices in the collective good of Nigeria and give the needed support to the Presidency to succeed.

He spoke in a lecture on 'Nigeria, the Search for Collective Sacrifice,' at the late Herbert Macaulay Annual Lecture series on Saturday in Lagos.

George said: “Every patriot must stand with President Goodluck Jonathan in this difficult period of the nation’s life.

“We must not intimidate or harass a wellm e a n i n g , hyperchallenged national leadership simply because it is the fanciful thing to do.

“As a good patriot, I stand firmly with President Jonathan as he grapples with the difficult challenges of governing a highly complex society like our own.

“He is daily confronted with all the twists and turns of managing the affairs of the nation with a very tasking balancing act.”

According to the PDP chieftain, the President has a formidable assignment and cannot be perfect.

“Voices will still be raised in disagreement.

But I am convinced that he means well for this nation.

“Everyone must submit himself or herself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. “ Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.”

George, however, condemned the new Lagos State Traffic Law, insisting that it should be immediately scrapped.

He assured that a PDP

government, if elected in 2015 in Lagos, would never ban commercial motorcyclists in Lagos.

George noted that some of the roads where the commercial motorbikes were restricted in Lagos were federal roads, “so, the Lagos government has no legislative control on such federal government freeways.

“The restriction, therefore, is a pure legislative anomaly.”

Also speaking, Mr Owolabi Salis, a 2011 governorship aspirant of the PDP in Lagos, said “ no nation grows optimally without sacrifice from its citizens.”

10—Vanguard, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2012

Ilaje monarch plans to build mega-city

BY DAYO JOHNSON

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From left: Justice Bola Babalakin, retired Justice of the Supreme Court, Dr. Wale Babalakin, SAN, son of the Honoree; Mrs. Titi Laoye-Tomori, Osun State Deputy Governor and Justice Aloma Miriam Mukhtar, Chief Justice of Nigeria, at the 4th Annual Public Lecture organised by the Osogbo Branch of the Nigerian Bar Association in honour of Justice Bola Babalakin in Osogbo, weekend.

Eight German experts arrive Osun for week-long visit

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OLLOWING THE trip of Gov. Rauf Aregbesola last May to attract investors from Germany, an eight-man delegation of experts of different and complementary competencies from the Federal Republic of Germany arrived in Osun State on Sunday to begin a week-long visit to ongoing agricultural and other projects in the state.

The team of experts drawn from German agriculture sector, farmers’ co-operative system, soil scientists, animal husbandry and others are expected to tour the Cattle Ranch at Oloba Farm, Iwo Farm

settlement, Toro Farm in Iwo and Feg-Agro Farm in Iloko-Ijesa.

A statement by the Director, Bureau of Communications and Strategy in the Office of the Governor, Mr. Semiu Okanlawon, explained that the visit is being handled by the Quick Impact Intervention Programme (QIIP).

The experts, he said, will also feature a technical review session involving the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Ministry of Commerce, Cooperatives and Empowerment, the Osun State University, among others.

NCC seals off firms selling pre-registered SIM cards

BY DAYO JOHNSON

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KURE — THE N a t i o n a l Communication Commission, NCC, at the weekend stormed Ondo State and sealed off the premises of some communication outfits for engaging in illegal registration and sale of SIM cards.

One of the outfits located in Akure, the state capital was alleged to have registered SIM cards with fictitious names using photographs in the almanac and sold same to subscribers at higher prices than what is being sold in the market.

Two of the workers of the company were arrested and detained at the Police station.

In an interview, the

Head of Enforcement of the NCC, Mr. Efosa Idehen said the commission had been tracing the activities of the company over time.

According to Idehen nine machines being used for the illegal registration had been traced to Ondo State, adding that three out of the machines had been traced to the sealed company.

Idehen said those engaged in the illegal registration had been frustrating the efforts of the Commission to have real data base of GSM subscribers.

He said the Commission may need to evolve a new policy with service providers to ensure proper registration of GSM service subscribers.

KURE — THE P r o m i n e n t traditional ruler in the oil -rich Ugbo Kingdom in Ilaje Council area of Ondo State, the Olugbo of Ugboland, Oba Obateru Akinruntan is planning to construct a Mega Royal City which will be the first of its kind in Africa.

Also a palace with 14 royal rooms, a courtyard and seven royal sitting rooms, among other facilities, which is under construction on about two acres of land, will be

Obasanjo suggests way out of alleged LGs funds deductions

BY DAUD OLATUNJI

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B E O K U TA — F O R M E R President Olusegun Obasanjo has called for the review of the local government laws to check the alleged excesses of the state governors against the third tier of government.

He condemned the level of performance at the local governments across the countr y, lamenting that the essence and ideals of the creating the crucial tier of government has been defeated.

Obasanjo stated these, weekend when the national executives of the Association of Local Government of Nigeria, ALGON, led by the National President, Mr. Nwabueze Okafor paid him a courtesy visit in his Abeokuta residence.

The ex-President declared that review of local government laws would stop the alleged wide claim that some states are ‘ambushing’ the council funds, which according to him, is unconstitutional.

He said “ when we brought the reform nationally, we then said it is the third tier of government. That in other words means that the local government is the closest government to the people.

“If the local governments are to perform, they must be ready to endure and be sustained. I do not believe that it is the responsibility of the state governments to garnish

the local government money or even ask them to pay as you all know.

And that is what is happening in most of the states and that is not the intention of creating the local governments.

“It is not the states that should be sitting on the local government money without recourse to their legislature and appropriation process,” Obasanjo said.

He therefore suggested that; “Since the national Assembly is talking about c o n s t i t u t i o n amendments, may be it is

also important to talk about amending the local government laws.

“So that there will be no means or way the states will ambush the local government money and there will also be a way to call the local governments to order; called to account, or held responsible.”

In his remarks, the national president of ALGON, had earlier hinted that Obasanjo remained the father of local government administration having spearheaded the 1976 local government reforms.

completed by January next year at a cost of over N1.5bn.

Oba Akinrutan, speaking after a special prayer and thanksgiving session to mark his third anniversary on the throne in Ugbonla, said the Mega Royal City will have a refinery, a university, a technology school.

According to him: “The mega city project is my idea but I am partnering with foreign investors, the state government and other relevant agencies of government to make it a reality.

“We will have a refinery, a university, a technology school because here in Ilaje.

“Most of our people are teachers. We will build state-of-the-art schools, primary, secondary and tertiary so that our people will enjoy the best things of life.

“Already some of our children in the various schools across the country and overseas are enjoying scholarships which we instituted and this will also continue.

Speaking on the construction of a new palace, the Oba said that the cost will increase by the time all the necessary accessories and materials needed to equip and furnish the palace to taste, are installed and completed by the end of next year.

Akala dissociates self, aides from Ajimobi wife’s ordeal

BY OLA AJAYI

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BADAN— FORMER Governor of Oyo State, Otunba Adebayo Alao-Akala, has distanced himself and his loyalists from last week’s money laundering allegation against wife of the incumbent Governor, Mrs. Florence Ajimobi.

He said those who made the allegation were not genuine members of the Peoples Democratic Party.

Akala advised Ajimobi to watch those who donated their relatives to his cabinet.

He stressed it was baseless for members of the Action Congress of Nigeria to be insinuating that authentic members of the PDP were behind

the allegation.

“I am sure that he knows them. Those behind the alleged money laundering are the PDP members who donated some people to Ajimobi’s cabinet”, he said.

The ex-governor gave this hint at the execution of constituency projects of Ayoola Adeleke, a lawmaker representing Ogbomoso North Constituency in Ogbomoso.

Describing the rumour that it was PDP members who started it as a mere wishful thinking, he added: “The truth of the matter is that the ACN leadership is just making baseless allegations against the PDP over the money laundering issue.

“I want Governor

Ajimobi to know that those behind the rumour are not true and authentic members of the PDP. Rather, they are the ones who went to the ACN to support him when he was contesting the governorship election in 2011”, Akala noted.

“I don’t know the source of information of that online medium whose name is not even familiar.

However, I have been concerned about the continued allegation that it was the PDP members that triggered the information. As far as I am concerned, if any PDP member is to be concerned, it has to be those who betrayed the party by supporting ACN during the election”.

Vanguard, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2012—11

Oluasiri oil field belongs to Bayelsa —Commissioner

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VISIT: From right: Speaker, House of Representatives, Alhaji Aminu Tambuwal; Hon. Pally Iriase and Mr. Samson Osagie, during the Speaker's stop-over at Benin Airport, Edo State, weekend. Photo : Barnabas Uzosike.

Confusion trails dissolution of LG caretaker c'ttees in Edo

BY SIMON EBEGBULEM

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ENIN—CONFU SION continues to trail last Monday's dissolution of caretaker committees in the 18 local government councils of Edo State by the state House of Assembly.

After the announcement of the dissolution, Governor Adams Oshiomhole met with the council chairmen last Wednesday, disclosing that he was yet to receive the resolution of the House.

Following that comment, some of the council chairmen went back to their domain with their supporters jubilating that they were asked by the governor to continue in office, while some of them refrained following the resolution of the House.

Vanguard, however, observed that the governor did not specifically ask the council chairmen to go back to work as claimed by some of them, but only explained that he was yet to receive the resolution of the House.

However, the situation gave impression that there was conflict between the executive and state legislators.

But Vanguard learnt that the governor doused the tension, weekend, when he met with the leadership of the House on the issue and as it

seems, the caretaker chairmen have been sacked as resolved by the lawmakers.

Reacting to the matter, former Deputy Speaker of the state House of Assembly and Special Adviser to the Governor on Legislative Matters, Omo Ezomo, said there was no conflict between

the two arms of government in the state, adding that “the executive and the legislature have been working harmoniously and that was the reason for the progress we have made in the state.”

He said: “There is no confusion between what the governor said and the lawmakers' resolu-

tion. There are procedures of doing things like this and that is what the governor and the lawmakers are following.

“We should all ensure that the harmonious relationship between the two continues to exist and not trying to create tension where there is none.”

VP’s chopper renders 78-yr-old woman, 4 others homeless in C-River

BY JOHNBOSCO AGBAKWURU

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ALABAR—IT was a double tragedy for a 78-year-old Mrs. Bessie Obi and four other occupants of a mud house when the wind generated by the helicopter carrying Vice President Namadi Sambo pulled down the house while landing.

The incident took place at Buanchor, a rural community in Boki Local Government Area of Cross River State, when the Vice President visited the area recently devastated by landslide from surrounding mountings, silting rivers and streams that led to widespread flood which rendered many homeless.

The septuagenarian was rescued by officers of Cross River State Emergency Management Agency, SEMA, and their counterparts from National Emergency Manage-

ment Agency, NEMA, from the three room mud house, though some of the property of the occupants were destroyed.

The Vice President was unaware of the incident but the state Director– General of SEMA, Mr. Vincent Aquah, who assessed the damage, sympathized with the old woman and the other occupants of the house, promising that the incident would be addressed shortly.

Buanchor community, Katabang, Orimekpang and Boje in Boki Local Government Area, as well as some communities in Ikom Local Government Area, were heavily flooded on account of the landslide. Statistics from SEMA showed that 1,311 farms, two mills, one school, four bridges, nine culverts and 187 buildings were affected by the landslide and flood in Boki Local Government Area.

Boro lauds Uduaghan for DESOPADEC appointment

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OLLOWING the re-constitution of the board of Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission, DESOPADEC, a former member of the immediate board, Mr. Johnson Boro, has commended Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan for giving

him the opportunity to serve.

In a press release made available to newsmen in Warri, Boro specially thanked the governor for the opportunity given him out of the array of personalities in Ughelli South Local Government Area to serve the people of the area.

AYELSA State Gov ernment yesterday insisted that the Oluasiri oil wells/oil field which is a subject of dispute with Rivers State belongs to it but assured of its determination to ensure a peaceful resolution of the issue.

In a statement yesterday, Bayelsa State Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Deacon Markson Fefegha, said: “For now, there is no pending litigation over the Oluasiri oil wells/oil field between Rivers and Bayelsa States since the Supreme Court struck out the suit by Rivers State Government challenging Bayelsa State’s ownership of Oluasiri oil wells/ oilfield.

“Between 1996 and 2006, Rivers State Government wrongfully col-

lected several billions of naira from the federation account accruing from the Oluasiri oil wells/oil fields, which was wrongfully allocated to it by the Federal Government.

“It is pertinent to note that the 11th edition of the Administrative Map of Nigeria has not been set aside by the National Boundary Commission or any court of law. Furthermore, since the creation of Bayelsa State, it is the 11th edition of the administrative map of Nigeria that defines the boundary between the two states.

Therefore the Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) was perfectly right in attributing and paying the revenue accruing from the said oil wells/ oil field to Bayelsa State."

Debt ratio of world's best economies five times higher than Nigeria's —DMO

BY JOHNBOSCO AGBAKWURU

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ALABAR—DIREC TOR General of Debt Management Office, DMO, Abuja, Dr. Abraham Nwankwo, has said the debt ratio of most developed countries as China, India, Britain and Germany, with the highest reserved fund, was five times higher than that of Nigeria.

Dr. Nwakwo stated this in Calabar at a stakeholder ’s forum organized by Cross River State Debt Management De-

partment.

He said: “Countries borrow to finance certain project. That includes China, India and Germany which have the highest reserve from the World Bank.”

He said countries borrow, not just to finance projects, but because of certain benefits that accrue to the people in the building of strong institutions.

He said no serious country in the world could do without borrowing from the World Bank and other financial institutions.

12—Vanguard, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2012

Amaechi’s driver electrocuted in Govt House

BY JIMITOTA ONOYUME

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ORT HAR COURT— ONE of the drivers attached to Government House, Port Harcourt, Mr. Ibiba Jack, was electrocuted, weekend, at his official residence in Government House.

Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr. Dave Iyofor, said Jack died in the early hours of Saturday, adding that he was electrocuted in his official r e s i d e n c e .

He said Governor Chibuike Amaechi and his wife were deeply touched by the demise of the driver.

His words: ”Governor Amaechi and his wife, whom Ibiba worked with directly, are indeed deeply shocked and saddened by this unfortunate loss.

They sympathize with the bereaved family.”

A source in Government House told Vanguard that the Jack died while trying to rescue a man from being electrocuted and in the process, stepped on a naked wire.

Udonsak eyes Akpabio’s job CONVENTION: Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, President, Christian Association of Nigeria, (left) and General Superintendent of New Covenant Gospel Church, Rev. Felix Omobude, during the annual convention of New Covenant Gospel Church, in Benin City, weekend. Photo: Barnabas Uzosike.

Uduaghan returns DESOPADEC list to Delta House for re-appointment

BY AUSTIN OGWUDA

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S A B A — D E LTA State governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, has sent back to the state House of Assembly for re-appointment, names of members of Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission, DESOPADEC, sacked by the legislators.

Six members of the immediate past board, including the erstwhile chairman, made the new list sent to the House for screening and confirmation, while three others did not make the new list.

Those on the list include Mr. Oritsua Kpogho, returned as Chairman. Others were Mr. Michael Diden, Kingsley Otuaro, Dr. Henry Ofa, Joseph Ogeh, Chukwudi Eke, Kenny Ekenechukwu Okolugbo, Festus Utuama and Chief Christopher Obiuwevbi.

Dropped from the former list of board members sacked by the lawmakers were Johnson Dafelite Boro, Benedicta Izuegbu and Dr. Peter Egedigbe .

Members of the State House of Assembly had, during sitting last September 12, sacked the former 9-member Commission, led by Mr. Oritsua Kpogho, which was inaugurated by Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan on August 25 last

year, after the exit of the pioneer Chairman, Chief Wellington Okirika.

The House had moved a motion stating: “This honourable House, in accordance with section 12 of the Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission Act, 2006, as amended, do hereby dissolve the DESOPADEC Board with immediate effect for lack of

performance and total inefficiency of duty.”

The nominees are to be screened on Thursday.

Meanwhile, Delta State Commissioner for Special Duties (DESOPADEC), Mr. Timi Tonye, has assured Deltans that the 50% of the 13% oil derivation fund of the state allocated to DESOPADEC by the state government was being judiciously ex-

pended for the benefit of oil producing areas.

He said at a press briefing in Asaba: “Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission, DESOPADEC, was established by law of Delta State House of Assembly in 2008 as an interventionist agency to assist in redirecting the age-long neglect of the oil producing area of Delta State.”

Slain HPM: Family alleges Police complicity

BY FESTUS AHON

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GHELLI—FAMI LY of the slain Head of Personnel Management, HPM, of Isoko North Local Government Area, Delta State, Mr. Benjamin Chegwe, has accused the Police of complicity in the murder of their son.

The deceased was reportedly murdered in his farm on September 30, in Kwale, Ndokwa West Local Government Area of the state.

The family, in a statement by Mr. Emeke Chegwe, described media reports credited to the State Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Mr. Charles Muka, as corporate falsehood and an attempt by the police to absolve itself of complicity in the murder of the

deceased.

The family alleged: “The fact on ground is that Benjamin was lured into an ambush jointly laid for him by one Momodu Osuya, a vigilante and youth leader from Ogume town and four policemen from Kwale Police Station.

“The Fulani herdsman who has been reportedly arrested by the police was nowhere in the scene of crime on the day in question, neither was there any sporadic gunfire from any quarter whatsoever as alleged by the Police.

“Benjamin died after being weakened by a singular bullet which was fired at close range into the lower abdominal region through his right thigh. Same bullet came out through the left.

“There is also evidence that after the gunshot, Benjamin did not die immediately but was deliberately left to die in the pool of his blood, explaining the almost three hours interval between the time he was shot and when he arrived in the hospital, a journey which otherwise would have taken less than twenty minutes drive from where he was shot.

“We, therefore, urge all sympathizers and members of the public to remain calm and await a full press briefing. Our confidence is in justice; our confidence is in the Inspector General of Police.

“Mr. Benjamin Chegwe was a seasoned local government administrator who has served Delta State meritoriously."

BY SONI DANIEL

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BUJA—A FEW days after the resignation of Akwa Ibom State deputy governor, Nsima Ekere, a Port Harcourt-based medical practitioner, Dr. Samuel Udonsak, has indicated his interest to succeed Governor Godswill Akpabio in 2015, if he gets the support of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. Udonsak, who was one

of the candidates that contested the 2007 primaries of the party, made known his political interest when he met with stakeholders in his Eket Urban Ward 4 and those of Eket Federal Constituency at the weekend.

The cardiologist told the people that he was not just making a claim to the slot in 2015 but was working in line with the zoning arrangement put in place by the PDP in the state and at the national level.

Leadership crisis in Ugborodo community deepens

BY INNOCENT ANABA

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HE leadership cri sis in Ugborodo community, Warri South- West Local Government Area of Delta State, deepened, weekend, as a follower of Chief Thomas Ereyitomi, was allegedly killed and another seriously injured by youths suspected to be loyal to one Mr. David Tonwe.

Vanguard gathered that the deceased, identified as Gift Obazuaye, 26, was allegedly ambushed alongside 20 other loyalists of Chief Thomas Erey-

itomi by over 40 youths led by one Smart Atumu.

One Roland Atete was allegedly injured during the attack.

According to a reliable source, the youths were allegedly hired from Dghegele, a neighbouring community, to unleash terror on the unsuspecting youths on their way to Ugborodo commun i t y .

The source, who pleaded anonymity said: “Roland is in the Warri Central Hospital receiving treatment, while the deceased body of Gift has been deposited in the mortuary."

Vanguard, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2012 — 13

Boko Haram: We won't negotiate under conditions —FG Continues from page 5

Dialogue is necessary – Balarabe Musa

From left: Mr. Partrick Ekeji, Director-General, National Sports Commission; Vice President Namadi Sambo, representing President Goodluck Jonathan; Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State; chief host and Mrs. Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, Deputy Governor of Lagos State, during the flag off of 18th National Sport Festival, tagged Eko 2012, at Tesilim Balogun Stadium, Surulere, Lagos, weekend.

Photo: Bunmi Azeez.

Alleged contract scam: SFU quizzes Onitsha LG officials

BY TONY EDIKE

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NUGU—THE Spe cial Fraud Unit, SFU, of Nigeria Police Force, Milverton Ikoyi, Lagos, has interrogated some officials of Onitsha South Local Government Caretaker Committee in Anambra State over N300 million fraud allegedly

uncovered in the council recently.

Some top officials of the council were said to have withdrawn the money from the council’s treasury under the pretense of paying for three road contracts within the commercial city but no job was done

on these roads which they claimed was awarded and executed fully by faceless contractors.

This is coming even as officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Enugu zonal Office, have reportedly com-

menced investigations into some petitions received from Anambra State alleging monumental fraud in the local government system.

One of such petitions before the anti-graft agency came from Njikoka Local Government Area where 12 members o f the dissolved Caretaker committee accused the Chairman, Dazza Onyeibo Udeozor, the Head of Service, Dr. C.M. Afunugo and the Treasurer, Mr. Andy Orakwelu of perpetrating fraud running into millions of naira through payment for unapproved and nonexecuted projects as well as inflation of contracts.

The SFU operatives, sources said stormed Onitsha South local government about two weeks ago and arrested some top officials who were detained in Lagos before they were granted bail, following the intervention of some top officials of Anambra State Government.

Also speaking, Alhaji Balarabe Musa said a dialogue with the sect would help to solve the problem. He said: “The thing is this, let the dialogue take place so that we can know who the Boko Haram really are and also know what they stand for. Before now, we don’t know anything. We know that there is Boko Haram and that it is an Islamic sect but there is no proof of it. The dialogue will prove that there is an organisation that is aggrieved and that will be a step towards solving the problem. So, the dialogue is absolutely necessary. At the moment now, we have seen unnecessary killings, we don’t know who actually is responsible for that, we don’t know their objectives or grievances.

It is a dialogue that will enable us know how to tackle it.”

It’s a welcome devt— Arewa Youths

Concurring, The Arewa Youth Consultative Forum, AYCF described the move as a step in the right direction.

National President of the group, Alhaji Yerima Shetimma said “it is welcome development if only the Federal Government has the political will. We have been calling on government to arrest the former governor of Borno State, since the group was formed."

Dialogue is necessary – Reyenieju

In like manner, Rep Reyenieju urged the government to explore the ‘dialogue option’ irrespective of the reservations expressed in certain quarters. He said it would amount to act of courage and statesmanship for Mr. President to go for dialogue, adding that wars that were won through dialogue always result into lasting peace.

Ebonyi ACN chair alleges threat to life

BY PETER OKUTU BAKALIKI—EM BAT TLED Chairman of Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, Ebonyi State, Elder Samuel Igwe, weekend, alleged that his life was under threat from some desperate politicians scheming to destabilize the party for their own selfish interest.

Speaking with Vanguard, Elder Igwe explained that he had been receiving

A

strange calls and threatening text messages from hidden mobile numbers for a long time now and called on Governor Martin Elechi to immediately intervene in the matter.

He further stated that he would continue to expose the nefarious activities of politicians whom he described as political jobbers that go from one political party to another without any aim of moving it forward but to destabilise it.

Why we're partnering NDDC, others,

by IRDC boss The IRDC boss gave the appreciate the sufferings of

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ARRI—CHAIR MAN of Itsekiri Oil and Gas Producing/Impacted Communities Development Committee, IRDC, Chief Ayirimi Emami has said his leadership was poised to partner the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission, DESOPADEC, and other developmental agencies to avoid duplication of projects in IRDC communities.

C M Y K

explanation at Escravos, Warri South West, during the commissioning of over 100 housing and training centre projects executed by IRDC under Chevron GMoU. Lamenting the poor government presence in the 23 IRDC communities, despite their contribution to the nation’s economy, Chief Emami wondered why office of Minister of Niger Delta Affairs was not situated in the Niger Delta to enable the Minister better

the people.

Chief Emami blamed the current stalemate between IRDC and Chevron on the GMoU renegotiation on the “equal opportunity clause” which states that people of the host communities seat for the same examination with other Nigerians on the issue of employment, calling for priority to be given to indigenes of IRDC communities on the issue of employment “as already being implemented by another oil major, Mobil.”

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14—Vanguard, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2012

Enugu shuts three hospitals over poor standard

BY TONY EDIKE

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BIRTHDAY: Governor Peter Obi of Anambra State (middle) and others cutting the cake at Umueri flood displaced persons camp to mark Ojukwu's 79th birthday at Umuleri, Anambra State, yesterday.

Arsonists destroy N20m cocoa, palm plantation in Enugu

BY TONY EDIKE

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NUGU—SOME uni dentified persons last weekend set fire to the over N20 million

Belform cocoa and palm tree plantation at Agboefiugo Umuaram Ikem, Isi-Uzo Local Government Area of Enugu state.

The farm’s consultant, Odu Okim, who conducted newsmen round the 4-hectares palm oil plantation, narrated that the over 2000 palm

stands were raised as nursery from Ikom in Cross River State and planted early this year.

Okim stated that he and other farm managers were surprised when they came to the farm and met the palms uprooted and set ablaze by people suspected to be natives of neighbouring Isu-Ehamufu community.

Okim described the act as “economic sabotage”, especially at this period that government was encouraging investment in agriculture, saying the incident had constituted a serious setback for the investors and would obviously affect the number of employed farm attendants.

He charged both the Isi-Uzo Local Government, Enugu State government and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture to commence full scale investigation into the arson in order to bring the culprits to book.

NUGU—THE task force set up by Enugu State governor, Sullivan Chime, to monitor private health facilities in the state has closed down three private hospitals for failing to meet the required standard.

The task force has also summoned proprietors of some hospitals for questioning over poor state of their theaters and wards.

Speaking to newsmen, shortly after the monitoring exercise by members of the committee at the weekend, Commissioner of Health, Dr Fidelia Ugwu, explained that the task force was set up with a mandate to ensure that private hospitals met the standard set

by the state Ministry of Health.

Ugwu, who spoke through the Director of Medical Services, State Ministry of Health, Enugu, Dr Ndubuisi Ejeh, said the task force would continue to carry out the monitoring of health institutions in order to effectively regulate their practice.

He said: “We just moved around and visited about seven health facilities, the exercise is a continuous one, the objective of this exercise is to ensure that our health facilities give the required services and also to ensure that when people go to hospitals they will get satisfactory services.”

Foundation mobilises support for flood victims in Anambra

BY VINCENT UJUMADU

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WKA—A non-gov ernmental organisation, Anambra Responds, set up primarily to mobilise support for proper rehabilitation of victims in Anambra State, has called on good-spirited individuals and organizations to key into the programme to lesson the burden of those affected when they return to their communities.

Special Adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan on technical matters, Nze Akachukwu Nwankpo, whose organisation, Dionysius Nwankpo Foundation, is sponsoring Anambra Responds, said during his visit to some camps of the flood victims in Anambra State, that the Foundation would sponsor two volunteers from each of the 60 affected communities in the state to join other professionals in various fields to assess the extent of damage of houses and crops and

report to officials of the NGO for rehabilitation and reconstruction.

According to him, the move became necessary because the impact of the flood will be felt more when the victims return to their homes to discover that most of their life savings had gone with the flood.

Nwankpo said: “The government of Anambra State has set up the Anambra State Flood Coordination Committee and created 23 camps in which it has continued to provide medical, sanitary and relief materials to the victims. Many good spirited indigenes of the state have also visited the camps and donated relief materials.

“President Jonathan, in addition to the intervention f the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, has provided N500 million for the Anambra State flood victims and set up a national committee on flood relief and rehabilitation to mobilize national and global support."

Mimiko decries poor use of satellite tech by govt

BY EMANUELELEBEKE

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BUJA—ONDO State Governor, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, has decried the attitude of the Federal Government to the application of Satellite technology, saying Nigeria could achieve its potential if the Federal Government harnessed the untapped potentials of the technology.

The governor stated this when he paid a courtesy visit to the Headquarters of Nigerian Communications Satellite in Abuja.

He said it was surprising that the Federal Government had over time undermined the infinite potentials that abound in the Satellite, which could be used to transform the

fortunes of the country and promised to partner with the agency in deploying broadband technology in all schools in Ondo State.

Vanguard, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2012—15

SEMINAR: From left— Ms. Ama Pepple, Minister of Lands Housing and Urban Development; Senator Bukar Ibrahim, Chairman, Senate Committee on Lands, Housing and Urban Development, and his Vice, Senator 'Gbenga Ashafa, during the 3rd Annual Social Housing Seminar in Abuja.

‘Isreali contractors sold Nigeria $240m non-functional drones'

N

IGERIAN defence and security equipment contractor, Alh. Rabiu Hassan, yesterday, alleged that some Israeli security contractors (names withheld) were fleecing the nation of huge sums of money in hard currencies by supplying either non-functional equipments or collecting mobilisation fees without making supplies.

The contractor told jour-

nalists in Abuja that at a time the nation was facing dire security challenges, three Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, UAVs, popularly known as drones, supplied by the Israelis were rotting away in a hangar in Benin because they were nonfunctional.

He added that even at that, Nigeria was made to pay far more than the cost of the most sophisticated drones currently used by

... as FG denies Melaye's allegation of N29bn contract scam

BY CHRIS OCHAYI

B

URUTU—PRESI DENCY, weekend, discredited the allegations made by former member of the House of Representatives, Dino Melaye, that the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs awarded fictitious contracts to the tune of N29 billion in the Niger Delta.

Special Adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan on Projects Monitoring and Evaluation, Professor Sylvester Monye, who led the Presidential team on a fact-finding mission to some communities in Burutu Local Government of Areas in Delta State, said contrary to the allegations, the projects actually existed. He added that work was ongoing at the project sites.

Besides, the traditional leaders of the two communities, where the projects are sited, have commended the Federal Government for putting the projects in their communities, which they described as viable projects that will transform the lives of the people.

C M Y K

The projects include the Canalisation/River Training of Foupolo-Bulou Ndoro Creek in Burutu Local Government Area, awarded to First Marine &Engineering Services Limited on February 2, 2011 at the cost of N2,370,668,252.

Canalisation at Odoubou, Ogbabagbene Burutu, awarded to Ogbosite International Limited at N1, 259,233,750, and the Land Reclamation/Shoreline Protection project at Ogbobagbene, awarded at the cost of N2, 431,040,173.

All the projects are sited in communities within Burutu Local Government Area of Delta State.

It would be recalled that Dino Melaye, Executive Secretary of Anti-Corruption Network, recently alleged that over N29 billion had been siphoned through a list of fictitious contracts by the ministry.

He said the contracts included land reclamation/shoreline protection and canalisation in the Niger Delta.

United States of America, USA. Hassan, who said he had petitioned the Presidency and relevant anti-corruption agencies, said although he was a contractor himself, he had to cry out for a probe into the activities of the affected companies with a view to arresting the situation.

He said: “As we talk, there are three Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, which are popularly called drones, supplied by the Israelis which have never worked. They are parked right now at a hangar in Benin. They have never worked since they were supplied.”

He said the non-functional drones cost the nation $240 million, adding that the Israeli behind the drones deal had operated in the country for over a decade and had infiltrated the top echelon of successive administrations in the country, where he had entrenched himself.

He equally disclosed that another set of two Israelis were on the verge of sealing a deal for leasing two spy satellites to Nigeria at a cost considered to be another rip-off as they had asked Nigeria to pay 145 million Euros for a project, which cost had been put at $40 million by Imagesat, the manufacturers in Israel.

Hassan said: “I have personally gone to Israel and found out from the manufacturers what the cost is.

It is $40 million for the total project. It is curious that they (contractors) are quoting 145 million Euros.

“The Israeli company does not quote in Euros, they only quote in dollars. Nigerians must ask questions: is there any such contract at $145 million? This can’t happen elsewhere in the world.”

C M Y K

16 — Vanguard, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2012 NOT counting the Petroleum Industry Bill, for the second time this year, a report on the oil industry is generating a storm before there is a chance to consider it. While the House of Representatives report was truncated over allegations that committee members were compromised, the report of the President’s Petroleum Revenue Special Task Force, was presented last week with controversy.

Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, chairman of the task force and his deputy, Steve Orosanye, disagreed over the report before President Goodluck Jonathan. The controversy began with the leaked report which the task force disowned, but Orosanye said the report which listed debts to government, losses of revenue, with a notable example in the underpricing of feedstock gas was “flawed”.

“For Liquefied Natural Gas, the price at which the feedstock gas is sold to NLNG seems too generous, compared to prices obtainable on the international market. The estimated cumulative deficit between value obtainable on the international market and what is currently being obtained from

Another Oily R epor Repor eportt NLNG, over the 10-year period, amounts to approximately US$29 billion,” the report said.

The report made harsh remarks, mostly known, about government’s poor funding of its obligations to the joint venture partners, loss of crude and slack processes for revenue collections ranging from signature bonus to taxes. It is official again that the oil and gas sector operates with standards that are challenging to monitor.

Orosanye, a former Permanent Secretary at the State House and former Head of Civil Service of the Federation, said the figures in the report were not verified and that some members neither saw nor signed the final

draft. Mr Bernard Otti, another task force member supported him. The President asked those with contrary views to submit their objections to the Chief of Staff or the Minister of Petroleum Resources.

Two other members, Sumaila Zubair, the acting secretary and Ignatius Adegunle said Orosanye and Otti, never participated in the meetings.

“No matter how good the efforts that have been put into this exercise, as long as the process is flawed and that report is one that cannot be implemented. I don’t know what the report contains. Some of the figures that were in the draft report were un-reconciled figures and I did say in that meeting that we have institutions responsible for this figures,” Orosanye told the President.

Like the beleaguered report before it, government has enough information in the Mallam Ribadu report to act, if it wants to salvage a vital sector of the economy.

Members with objections to the report should use the window the President offered them to add their positions. There will never be a perfect report on our oil and gas sector.

OPINION

BY AKINTOLA OMIGBODUN

T

HE Federal Ministry of Environment, FMEnv, has placed on public display a draft report of an Environmental Impact Assessment, EIA, study of the effects of the implementation of proposals for the expansion and modernization of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway. The report was submitted by BiCourtney Highway Services Limited. The public can read the report at FMEnv offices at the Green Building, Maitama and the Brown Building, Airport Road, Abuja; Games Village, Surulere, Lagos as well as in FMEnv state offices in Ibadan and Abeokuta.

The report is also available at State Ministry of Environment offices in Alausa, Lagos; Ibadan, Oyo State and Abeokuta, Ogun State as well as at Local Government Area Headquarters in Ikeja and Kosofe in Lagos State; Owode, Ifo, Odeda, Odogbolu, Isara and Sagamu in Ogun State and Idi Ayunre, Oyo State.

The report is on display in order to give the public an opportunity to comment on issues related to the reconstruction and which issues could potentially affect them. Also, comments should be made on how the reconstructed expressway could best serve motorists, transporters, industrial/commercial interests and communities whose primary access is on the expressway.

The report indicates that the reconstructed expressway will have three lanes on each of the north-bound and south-bound carriageways between the interchange at Ojota, Lagos and the interchange by the former toll-gate in Ibadan. Toll plazas will be provided on both sides of the expressway at Warewa, Sagamu interchange and Dekkit Quarry near Ibadan.

There will also be interchanges at Ibafo, Mowe and

Toll charges on a reconstructed Lagos-Ibadan expressway Ogere. The project cost is put at N120 billion but the report does not mention the probable level of toll charges that would sustain loans to be obtained for the reconstruction.

Any new construction is expected to be environmentally and socially sound and economically viable. With interest rates at about 20 per cent, loans for construction would aggregate to about N170 billion by the end of a three-year construction period.

Income from toll charges on this expressway would have to be between N30 billion per annum and N40 billion per annum for the project to be viable within the concession period of 25 years granted to BiCourtney Highway Services Limited.

A

n alternative route would have to be provided for motorists who do not want to pay toU charges. Fortunately, the Lagos State Government has commenced work on the reconstruction of the road link between Mile 12, lkorodu Road and the Ikorodu Town Roundabout as a dual carriageway with a Bus Rapid Transit, BRT, corridor in the centre of the road. This will be the first leg of an alternative route and the Federal Government should reconstruct the road link from Ikorodu Town Roundabout to Sagamu as a dual carriageway which will serve as the second leg of an alternative route from Ojota to Sagamu and onwards.

Traffic delays that are sometimes observed on the expressway in the region of the Redemption Camp should be permanently removed. The Redeemed

Christian Church of God has, from its own resources, provided a bitumen-surfaced road link from Simawa, crossing the River Owuru at Ebute Bonwu and thus establishing the first road link between the expressway and the Ikorodu-Sagamu road. An interchange should be provided on the expressway where the road from Simawa joins the expressway at the southern gate of Redeemer ’s University and u-turns should no longer be permitted on this portion of the expressway.

The Ogun State Government, OGSG, has an industrial estate at Ogijo, a town on the IkoroduSagamu road in Ogun State, near the border with Lagos State. The Ogun State Government has previously considered an east-west road link from Ogijo to the expressway. There exists a good opportunity now for the OGSG to identify and acquire the land corridor for the route from Ogijo to an interchange on the expressway somewhere between Arepo, Punchplace and Magboro. There are benefits from a second road crossing River Owuru and any motorists using the interchange will pay toll charges at Warewa if travelling southwards and just before entering the expressway if travelling northwards.

*Dr. Omigbodun, an environmental expert, wrote from Lagos.

Vanguard, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2012 — 41

A

BY ADEWALE KUPOLUYI

T

HE decision of the Lagos State government to ban the operation of commercial motorcyclists on major roads in the state has generated a lot of misgivings that could lead to a complete breakdown of law and order, if not checked.

The Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN), has recently assented to a new stringent traffic laws that will soon become operational in the state.

The new law spells out the offences and punishments attached. For example, with the exception of fuel tankers and long buses, trailers are now barred from plying the roads between 6.00 am and 9.00 pm while commercial motorcycle operators are not to ply major trunks, such as Ikorodu Road, Funsho Williams Avenue, Apapa-Oshodi Express, Lagos-Badagry and Lekki-Epe expressways.

Motorists are also forbidden to make phone calls, eat, count money or engage in ‘other dangerous activities’, while on the wheel.

Pedestrians are also forbidden to cross the expressways as they are now to compulsorily use the pedestrian bridges. Violation of these

C M Y K

Day fuel scarcity grounded New York requiring that any vehicle entering Manhattan must carry at least three occupants.

They should have spared their breath because on that Thursday morning, motorists woke up to find there was no "gas" (as they call it here) to fuel their vehicles. Leon, a former broadcaster with the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) who has lived in New York for over twenty years, knew all the gas stations in the city and was confident he A crowd at a gas station in the New York city would get a place to fill the tank. We used the little we borough of Queens

,

N Igbo adage says: "Ndi na-asu n'olu n'olu, mana ochi (na akwa) but otu". Languages differ but laughter (and crying) sound the same. No two human beings are exactly the same. No two cultures are exactly the same. The world is full of diversities, even to the extent of human species having so many colours on their skin. But once you open up anyone from anywhere we are all the same inside. If you subject any human being to extreme emotional thrill of sadness or joy they will react just the same. I delved into this amateur psychoanalysis due to a sobering series of experiences I have been privileged to witness since one week of my stay in New York City. I told you all that I would pay quality attention to issues that draw some parallel with situations back home in Nigeria. After all, the USA is a society we model Nigeria after. In our size, diversity and constitutional aspirations, we are more like America than Britain.

Since last Sunday October 28th 2012 when the Hurricane Sandy blew in from the Caribbean, life as Americans know it on the East Coast, has never been the same. Sandy has knocked the stuffing out of citizens of a country that prides itself as the greatest nation on earth.

As I observed in an earlier dispatch, the experiences Americans have gone through in the past eight days bring to mind the devastation of 9/11. Sandy turned American citizens into Third World folks. I saw New York and New Jersey and their residents reduced to situations familiar in Nigeria as a result of our underdevelopment, corruption and poor leadership. On Thursday morning last week, our plush "refugee camp" off Parsons Boulevard, Jamaica district of Queens Borough, New York, woke up to a sumptuous breakfast. Leon, an Investigator and Counsellor with the New York City Council and Chief Abogo, a California-based businessman who came to buy supplies in New York, and I, set off in Leon's Toyota Landcruiser to attend to our respective schedules for the day. I had planned to nose around the city and find out how the electoral authorities were shaping up for the Tuesday presidential election after such a devastating rupturing left behind by Sandy. There were fears that the election could be postponed in some parts of the North East. I was also to attend a medical check-up. But all these were not to be.

The power outage that affected 7.5 million people and businesses had far more greater consequences than contemplated by anyone. People (including those who had defied the warnings of the authorities) had to flee their homes due to the power cut to escape from the cold and hunger since

The only difference between what we saw that day and the situation in Nigeria, was that there was no "black market" fuel hawkers anywhere.

Nobody around could remember the last time there was fuel scarcity in New York. There could be price hikes (and price reductions!) but no scarcity

,

all the food they stocked up in their fridges were rapidly decaying. Schools were closed for a week, and public transportation was severely restricted. To reduce the traffic nightmare around Manhattan (the Lagos Island of New York) the authorities isssued an order

New York fuel shortage cause frantic scramble had until his dashboard turned red and we had to return home to a nearby Mobil station.

Fuel queues everywhere

A

ll over the city there were miles and miles of vehicles queued in front of gas stations that had no gas. Our Mobil was no different. Somehow, cutomers suspected that the Indian operators of the station were hoarding the fuel and refused to leave. Vehicles blocked

everywhere and other motorists found it difficult to use the roads. The police would have none of that. They came in their squad cars and after conversing with the station's operators, it was agreed that gas should be sold to enable some vehicles get into the queue and out of the roads. The dealers also agreed to sell to those who came with jerry cans (is that familiar?). Within a jiffy, motorists raided a nearby convenience store and lined up with their cans. By the time we went there to acquire one, the police had ordered them to stop selling because the situation at the pumps was turning chaotic. After failing to get people to comply with directives to be orderly the police ordered the immediate stoppage of sales. They sealed off the station with yellow tape with the inscription: CRIME SCENE DO NOT CROSS. All vehicles were asked to leave the station. Ours had completely run out of gas.

“Surprisingly, the four police officers on duty, including a young lady, offered to push the SUV into a parking lot, even though the three of us could have done so easily.

Long wait for fuel

F

or hours, about fifteen people still hung around the station, in hope that something would happen. They were all there: Whites, Blacks, Chinese, Indians, Arabs, and of course, us Africans. Most clutched their red cans and looking expectantly in the direction of the Indian salesman, but no show. He dared not defy the orders of the police who had long left the scene. Much later, a lone Black policeman returned to the station, conversed with the attendant and drove away. The salesman called those of us still around and announced that gas could become available the following day all over the city when vessels from Pennsylvania refineries would have arrived. He said police had permitted him to sell to a few people in cans by midnight if we would come back.

Based on this agreement we all dispersed at 6.30pm. The only difference between what we saw that day and the situation in Nigeria, was that there was no "black market" fuel hawkers anywhere. Nobody around could remember the last time there was fuel scarcity in New York. There could be price hikes (and price reductions!) but no scarcity. Even in Nigeria, we never witnessed fuel scarcity before the 1990s.

The "black market" only developed as a result of prolonged scarcity occasioned by racketeering and profiteering. If the scarcity should persist in New York racketeering is sure to follow. Languages differ. Laughter (and crying) are the same.

OPINION Lagos traffic law and ban on Okada laws attracts between N30,000 and N50,000 fines or imprisonment up to three years, among others.

Specifically, Section 3 (1) of the traffic law prohibits the riding, driving or propelling of a cart, wheel barrow, motorcycle or tricycle on the major highways in Lagos.

As the Governor has remarked, people who ordinarily should be law-abiding, suddenly flout every law immediately they find themselves behind the wheel in Lagos.

Therefore, to guarantee the free-flow of traffic and to ensure that the movement of investors coming into the state is not hindered, the introduction of the law becomes necessary.

Governor Fashola also lamented the rampant cases of accidents caused by okadas, making their unfortunate victims confined and bedridden in various hospitals and medical emergency centres.

The state government then moved ahead and barred the cyclists from plying 475 routes in the metropolis. Violent reactions had greeted the enforcement, which has

resulted in the destruction of government properties by some aggrieved persons.

The restrictions of okada on the routes and the worsening fuel scarcity have made many Lagosians stranded as they were forced to trek to their destinations.

Although, the menace is not peculiar to Lagos State alone, it is the same story in other major cities across the nation.

No doubt, every attempt to sanitise and restore order to the chaotic roads should be embraced, especially going by the traffic situation in Lagos. That is what any responsible government should do.

But in doing this, the necessary environment should be put in place to ensure that the introduction of the new law is not an attempt at paying Peter to rob Paul.

The relevance of okada in the scheme of things cannot be over-emphasised, not only in Lagos but the nation in general.

Presently, the available modes of transportation infrastructure are inadequate for a city of about 20 million people.

The existing road is seriously under

pressure as the Bus Rapid Transit services passengers often cramped onto the buses while many would-be commuters are always held-down in long queues awaiting the BRT buses for the next turn that may never come.

Alternatively, the Keke-NAPEP is just a bigger okada and does not offer much. It has only succeeded in increasing the average cost of transportation and traffic congestions within the city. They are equally operated by the same people of the same brains behind the operation of okadas, in terms of traffic law compliance.

Hence, in the absence of sufficient cars and buses, commercial motorcycles remain the most practical and easily accessible means of transportation which a large percentage of the populace rely on.

The astronomical rate of unemployment in the nation has led many young people to embrace riding of okada for a living.

Continues on Pg .19 (Viewpoints) *Mr. Kupoluyi, wrote from Fed. Varsity of Agric.Abeokuta, Ogun State.

42 — Vanguard , MONDAY MONDAY,, NOVEMBER 5, 2012

Obama, Romney scramble for votes in swing States T

HE race between U.S. President Barack Obama and Republican challenger Mitt Romney remained in a dead heat ahead of Tuesday’s election, according to a Reuters/Ipsos daily tracking poll released on yesterday. Of 3,805 likely voters polled nationally, 48 percent said they would vote for Democrat Obama, while 47 percent sided with Romney, a former Massachusetts governor, the poll showed. The results fall within the poll’s credibility interval, a tool used to account for statistical variation in Internet-based polls. Obama and Romney have been locked in a neck-and-neck race for weeks. Over the weekend, both were making final appearances in a few crucial states, hoping to sway a shrinking number of undecided voters and to encourage their supporters to get to the polls.

The presidential race, which has hinged for months on a handful of states, converged on one city in Iowa on Saturday as President Barack Obama and Republican Mitt Romney each made a last-minute appeal for support before Tuesday’s election.

With the race in a dead heat nationally, both candidates touched down briefly in Dubuque, a Mississippi River city of 58,000 people, as they sprinted across the country in a bid to secure any possible advantage before Election Day. In an airport rally early in the afternoon, Romney urged supporters to try to sway friends and neighbors who back Obama. He said he would reach out to Democrats as well if elected - a stance that could appeal to independent voters who have little stomach for partisan gridlock.

“I want you to reach across the street to the neighbor, who has that other sign in his front yard. And I’m going to reach across the aisle in Washington, D.C., to the politicians who are working for the other candidate,” Romney told about 2,000 people.

Six hours later, Obama reminded about 5,000 C M Y K

people in a park in downtown Dubuque that he had started his first presidential bid in Iowa in 2007, and highlighted successes of his time in office, such as ending the war in Iraq and expanding access to healthcare.

“After two years of campaigning and after four years as president, you know me by now. You may not agree with every decision I made, you may have sometimes been frustrated with the pace of change. But you know that I say what I mean and I mean what I say,” Obama said.

A new poll by the Des Moines Register newspaper showed Obama leading Romney by 47 percent to 42 percent in Iowa, though the survey showed the president barely edging his opponent on the critical question of which candidate would do better fixing the economy.

Earlier in the day in Ohio, Obama hammered Romney for opposing his bailout of the auto industry and said his challenger tried to scare workers by saying inaccurately that Chrysler planned to

•Romney

•Obama shift jobs to China.

About one in eight Ohio jobs is tied to auto manufacturing, and the bailout has helped Obama win over some of the white working-class voters who are heavily backing Romney in rest of the country.

“I’ve been a Republican for 35 years and I’ve never voted for a Democrat on the federal level - until now,” retiree Patrick Dorsey said as he waited for Obama to speak. “Economically, Romney’s just going to make the rich richer.”

Tight race in polls Romney will have a hard time winning the White House if he does

not carry Ohio, and a Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Saturday showed him trailing Obama by a statistically meaningless margin of 1 percentage point in the state. Other polls show him trailing by a larger margin in Ohio.

The race for the White House remains effectively tied at a national level, with 47 percent backing Obama and 46 percent supporting Romney, according to a Reuters/Ipsos daily tracking poll released on Saturday.

Still, analysts say Obama holds an edge in many of the eight or nine competitive states that will

determine who controls the White House. Reuters/Ipsos polls released on Saturday showed Obama leading by 3 percentage points in Virginia but trailing by 2 points in Colorado. The two were dead even in Florida. All the results were within the credibility interval, a measurement of the accuracy of online polls.

Other surveys generally show Obama leading by narrow margins in Wisconsin, Nevada and New Hampshire. Romney is considered to have the edge in North Carolina. Romney has tried to expand the battlefield

over the past week to states that had been considered beyond his reach.

“We win Pennsylvania, we save America in three days,” Romney’s vice presidential running mate, Paul Ryan, said at an airport rally in the state capital, Harrisburg. Ryan is due to visit Minnesota on Sunday, another state that has been considered solidly Democratic. Romney himself is due to speak in Pennsylvania on Sunday. Obama officials say the Romney campaign is visiting those states out of desperation because he has been unable to establish a clear lead in other battleground states.

Nevertheless, the Obama campaign is dispatching Vice President Joe Biden’s wife, Jill Biden, to Pennsylvania and former President Bill Clinton to Minnesota. Capping Saturday’s tour, Obama made a joint appearance with Clinton before an enthusiastic crowd of 24,000 - one of the largest of his campaign - at an outdoor arena in Bristow, Virginia. The Dave Matthews Band provided the warm-up act.

Fears of vote shift looms in Sandy devastated areas

BY GBENGA OKE in US

W

ITH 48 hours left for Americans to vote for their next President, the devastated areas affected by Hurricane Sandy might not participate fully on Tuesdays elections as electricity has not been restored back to majority of the counties where elections should have taken place.

Government has been working around the clock to ensure every citizen of the state affected have a chance of voting by Tuesday but how that will be realized is still sketchy.

Although some people are expecting a change in date for the polls, that is unlikely as it was said that elections has been shifted in the past but not a Presidential election.

It is however stated that instead for elections to be postponed, the voting time could be extended across the states that is affected by Sandy.

When Vanguard sought what is likely to happen in any cases of Hurricane Sandy like this, it was learnt that the Congress has powers to change dates of elections only if many states are badly affected not when less than 20percent of the United States is affected towards a Presidential election.

It was said that the Constitution gives Congress powers to quickly reconvene to set date for Presidential elections and congressional elections but it is not likely in this elections.

In New York and New Jersey, some part of the states are still without electricity and this will affect voters turnout badly except for people that exercised their right through the early voting.

However, government in both states have been putting last minute changes by providing additional voting centers ahead of tuesdays presi-

dential polls.

Ohio is not left out as well as some part of the state is still without electricity but it was learnt government is doing everything humanly possible to ensure electricity returns to ensure people have the opportunity of voting. However, election oppression has been going on some parts of

•A rescue worker and a woman affected by Hurricane Sandy in New York City Ohio, a major swing state for both presidential candidates. Ohio Secretary of state went up to Supreme Court trying to stop Ear-

ly voting in the state simply because President Obama is leading with 6points clearly in the swing state.

Sandy exposes GOP crisis in New Jersey

A

LL may not be well with the Republicans Party as Hurricane Sandy seems to have polarized the party especially with the praise singing of the President by Governor Christie of New Jersey.

Governor Christie, a Republican was one of the biggest critic of President Obama’s administration and he has personally attacked the President during campaigns and during the National Convention of the party that

took place in Florida.

It was observed that the coming of Hurricane Sandy was more of blessing to President Obama because the situation has made the President a hero sought of among Americans who now believe that he could work across party in the interest of the masses.

Christie has however been at logger-head with his party since his praise singing of the President for his quick intervention for New Jersey after the

devastating Sandy rendered millions homeless.

One of the Republican party men that openly attacked Governor Christie includes Robert Murdoch who said there is need for Christie to once again show his allegiance to Mitt Romney ahead of the elections.

But Christie against all odds has maintained his ground stating that he owed nobody any apology and that he does not give a damn about what his party feels.

Vanguard , MONDAY MONDAY,, NOVEMBER 5, 2012 — 43

•Robert Murdock, Republican candidate

A

S the battle for the presidential election comes to a crucial end tomorrow, the Republican party is vigorously pursuing their last chance to take control of the Senate and the state of Pennsylvania topped their list — as Democrats remained cautiously optimistic that they’d retain their narrow majority.

GOP candidates’ statements on rape and abortion has proved to be self-inflicted political wounds that could cost the party Indiana and undermined its chances of taking down a vulnerable Democrat in Missouri. Incumbent Democrats considered in jeopardy at the start of the election cycle managed to counter a barrage of outside spending and were on track to keep their seats in Michigan and Florida.

Democrats hold a 5347 Senate edge but Republicans are defending only 10 seats Tuesday.

Retirements in 10 states proved the most vexing for both parties.

Democrats were counting on holding the open seat in Hawaii, were unsure whether former Sen. Bob Kerrey’s late surge would work in Nebraska and considered Virginia, Wisconsin and North Dakota tossups. New Mexico leaned Democratic but was a bit uncertain after the national parties left the two candidates — Democratic Rep. Martin Heinrich and former GOP Rep. Heather Wilson — to fend for themselves. Among the GOP open seats, Republicans had written off Maine, chalked up Texas and warily but confidently counted Arizona. A look at the competitive races that will decide Senate control: Connecticut In Connecticut, Republican and former C M Y K

•Claire McCaskil, Democratic candidate

•Todd Akin, Republican candidate

Republicans plot Senate take over wrestling executive Linda McMahon spent more than $42 million of her own wealth on the race for retiring independent Sen. Joe Lieberman’s seat, but it looked like it would be insufficient against the number of Democratic votes. On the final weekend, Obama stepped in with his first campaign ad appeal for Democratic Rep. Chris Murphy.

The ever-tight presidential race, the possibility of a Romney win and the potential boost or drag of the candidates on down-ballot races meant few were offering predictions on Senate control.

Pennsylvania First-term Sen. Bob Casey in Pennsylvania wasn’t on anyone’s lineup of vulnerable Democrats six months ago, especially after Republicans nominated littleknown businessman Tom Smith. But the coal executive spent more than $17 million of his own money and cut into Casey’s edge. The National Republican Senatorial Committee and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce jumped in with money and ads in the final week.

Some Democrats suggested that Casey has run a lackluster campaign, a notion his campaign manager emphatically dismissed.

Maine: In a rare case of bipartisanship, Democrats and Republicans agree that independent Angus King likely will win the three-way race against Republican Charlie Summers and Democrat Cynthia Dill.

It will be a loss for Republicans who had expected Sen. Olympia Snowe to sail to a fourth term, but the moderate

had enough of Washington’s rancor and gridlock. King has not said whether he would caucus with Democrats or Republicans and the outcome of the presidential election is certain to have a bearing on any decision.

Massachusetts: Democratic challenger Elizabeth Warren has the edge against Republican Sen. Scott Brown in one of the most expensive races in the country — $68 million and it’s all candidate spending as the two agreed to ban outside money. With the backing of the tea party, Brown won a special election in January 2010 to fill the seat of the late Democratic Sen. Edward Kennedy. Brown has vowed to be an independent voice in the Senate, but he’s up against some hard numbers. Obama will win the state handily and there will be 700,000 to 800,000 more voters than in 2010, many of them Democrats and independents who favor Democrats.

Indiana: Tea partybacked state treasurer Richard Mourdock stunned the GOP in May when he easily knocked out six-term Sen. Richard Lugar in the primary. He is giving Republicans fits again because he could lose on Tuesday even as Romney wins the state and Rep. Mike Pence likely emerges as the next governor. Mourdock had limited goodwill after suing in 2009 to stop the federal government’s bailout of Chrysler. He further damaged his hopes when he said in a debate that pregnancy resulting from rape is “something God intended.” Public and internal

polls show conservative Democratic Rep. Joe Donnelly with a lead in the high single digits.

The question is whether he can overcome the state’s Republican trend. Libertarian Andrew Horning could affect the outcome.

Virginia: Former governors, Democrat Tim Kaine and Republican George Allen, are locked in a close race. Allen is trying to reclaim the seat he lost to Democratic Sen. Jim Webb six years ago. Webb decided to retire. Kaine has run slightly ahead of Obama in the battleground state, where the presidential outcome could weigh on the Senate results. The race that has

the balance.

North Dakota: Both parties give high marks to the campaign Democrat Heidi Heitkamp has run this year, but it may not be enough against Republican Rep. Rick Berg in the strong Republican state and the race to fill the seat held

by Democratic Sen. Kent Conrad.

Wisconsin: Former four-term Gov. Tommy Thompson is a familiar name to many in Wisconsin. The question is whether the 70-year-old Republican who last ran statewide in 1998 is seen as history. Liberal Democratic Rep. Tammy Baldwin is counting on a strong turnout in her hometown of Madison. If

ney, called on him to abandon the race. Akin stayed in and is counting on support from evangelicals to lift his prospects in a state that will vote Republican.

Nevada: Republican Sen. Dean Heller secured the seat after a sex scandal sunk GOP Sen. John Ensign. Ethics questions have dogged his Democratic challenger, Rep. Shelley Berkley, in a race flooded by outside cash and ads. The race is a test of whether Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s vaunted political operation can push Berkley to victory.

In final push, she loaned her campaign $250,000 last month.

Ohio: Republican

•Sherrod Brown, Democratic candidate •Bob Casey, Republican candidate attracted some $50 million in outside spending.

Montana: Democratic Sen. Jon Tester is fighting for political survival against Republican Rep. Denny Rehberg in a state that narrowly went for John McCain in 2008 but is expected to solidly back Romney. The former music teacher, butcher and current farmer was a surprise winner in 2006. Democrats hope his solid campaign this year will tip

elected, Baldwin would be the first openly gay senator.

Missouri: Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill, once considered the most vulnerable incumbent, could be back in Washington if she can hold off Rep. Todd Akin.

The Republican severely damaged his candidacy in August when he said women’s bodies have ways of avoiding pregnancy in “legitimate rape,” and GOP leaders, including Rom-

groups swamped Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown with some $30 million in negative ads, helping to lift the candidacy of Josh Mandel.

The state treasurer who just took office in January 2011 equivocated for months over the 2009 auto bailout, critical in the state, before finally saying he opposed it.

The outcome of the closely fought presidential race will affect the Senate race.

C M Y K

44—Vanguard, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2012

Vanguard, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2012 — 45

I

N what appears to be a wellchoreographed script, the airwaves and the print media have lately been inundated with affirmations and endorsements of the absolute powers currently enjoyed by the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, under the provisions of the 2007 CBN Act. The media reports were primarily culled from the recent presentations by various stakeholders at the hearings of the House of Representatives Joint Committee on Banking and Finance and Justice. The summary of all the presentations, including those of the seemingly passionate pleas of two former CBN Governors, was that it was inappropriate to tamper with the existing provisions in the 2007 Act. The appellants also maintained that the content of the present Act was in consonance with international best practice; an elder statesman who had earlier served as CBN boss also cautioned that our CBN Governor would lose respect amongst international peers if the Act is amended. A vice president of the NLC similarly challenged the legislators for proposing to deprive the CBN of its independence, while the House cherished the constitutional guarantee of its own independence.

The CBN on its side also maintained that the amendments would fuel inflation and also obstruct the bank’s ability to quickly respond to evolving market threats.

The apex bank also claimed that the CBN’s ability to deliver its core mandate of price stability (i.e. reduce inflation to 1 – 2% and create an enabling economic environment) will be compromised if the Act, as its currently stands, is amended in any way.

From the foregoing, the

proposed amendments may seem purely self-serving. Some critics have even suggested that the proposed amendment was a devious route to enthrone mediocrity and create opportunity for leakages in the management of the apex bank. Other critics also insinuated that the proposed amendment to the Act was the Legislators’ payback for Sanusi’s impetuous revelations on the lavish appetite of members of the House.

Surprisingly, this writer’s brief presentation appeared to be the lone voice in the wilderness, which supported the proposed amendments.

Consequently, it may be appropriate to actually evaluate the quality of each of the five amendments proposed by the House. In reality, the amendment covers less than two pages and relates to just two sub-sections under Sections 6, 7, and 8 respectively, and also includes the introduction of a new Section 48.

Incidentally, the existing 2007 CBN Act contains 90 pages and 54 Sections!

The proposed amendments relate to Board composition, budget preparation, budget approval, salary and appointment of a Deputy in case of absence of the Governor.

The 2007 Act provides for 12 board members with the incumbent Governor as Chairman, while the other members of the Board consist of four Deputy Governors of CBN, fiveDirectors of CBN, Permanent Secretary of Ministry of Finance, and the federation’s Accountant General. The preponderance of 10 CBN officers out of 12 board members clearly negates the principle of accountability and transparency as the aberrant judgement of an anti-people and bellicose Governor will effectively become board policy. Ultimately, Nigerians will become the victims

We have endured CBN’s promises of the dividends of absolute autonomy since 2007; regrettably, the product of our forbearance is increasing debt accumulation and deepening poverty

,

of the impact of such misjudgment.

T

he anti-people positioning of CBN’s management in such national issues as the fuel subsidy imbroglio, and the poorly thoughtout proposal for the introduction of the N5,000 note are all reminders of such misjudgements; the inexplicable and arbitrary Father Christmas largesse of the CBN Governor has also raised concern.

Fortunately, the National Assembly has belatedly recently woken up from its slumber while the CBN usurped the legislative powers for approval of national debt accumulation; the erstwhile lacuna permitted the CBN and its associate agencies (Debt Management Office and AMCON) to rapidly accumulate over N8 trillion (about US$48 billion) debt for largely unsubstantiated purposes while the legislators snoozed!! In view of the N100bn annual sinking fund for debt repayment in the 2013 budget proposal, it may take over 60 years to repay these loans.

Incidentally, the Commander-inChief, President Jonathan, cannot spend a single kobo or borrow on behalf of Nigeria without prior approval of the legislature. It is bewildering, therefore, that the CBN Governor and its Board have such sweeping and unfettered powers as unelected civil servants under the existing 2007 Act! Such absolute powers would corrupt even the most righteous

Lagos traffic law and ban on Okada (2)

BY ADEWALE KUPOLUYI Continued from pg. 17

C

ERTAINLY, the eventual ban will result into joblessness and increase in crime rate. Banning them at the moment portends grave social and psychological consequences. Therefore, rather than throw away the baby with the bathwater, the Lagos State government should ponder over a few useful points.

To begin with, as a matter of urgency, it should suspend further implementation until when the case is thrashed-out in the court as the operators, under the aegis of the All Nigerian Autobike Commercial Owners and Workers Association, ANACOWA, had in the suit argued that they should not be barredas some of the roads in the restricted list were federal roads - listed under the Federal Highways Act, cap F13, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.

The claimants also argued that restricting their operations on the said roads would violate their rights to freedom of movement, guaranteed by section 41(1) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 as amended. With the subsisting litigation, the government ought to have waited for the outcome of the suit against the Lagos State Traffic Law 2011, before going ahead with the

implementation of the traffic laws. On the details of the legislation, it has been argued that some provisions of the new law appear draconian. For instance, criminalising traffic offences is considered too stringent just as jail terms should only come in handy when a culprit’s lawless action causes injury or death.

In the same spirit, sentencing a person to prison for taking a one-way road in a rowdy city like Lagos - where transport generally is chaotic and road infrastructure is grossly inadequate – is deficient.

A recent study, “Compliance with Road Safety Regulations among Commercial Motorcyclists in Nigeria”, published in the Canadian Social Science Journal (Vol. 8 No.1) indicates that rather than focusing on the okada riders alone, a multi_faceted approach should be adopted in tackling the challenge.

The journal stated that there is total noncompliance with some rules such as minimum age limit, motorcycle capacity and number plate, while there are varying degrees of compliance with others, with respect to driver’s license holding, crash helmet usage, Highway Code awareness and number of passengers carried per trip, as well as the overhauling of the driver’s licensing scheme and improved enforcement by the agencies concerned.

human being and the House has consequently recommended that Section 6(2) of the Act be amended by providing that “the CBN Board shall consist of a chairman, who shall be either a former CBN governor or a former chairman or managing director of a bank. The other members of the proposed new seven-man Board would consist of the (incumbent) CBN Governor, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Finance, the Accountant General of the Federation, the Permanent Secretary of the National Planning Commission, a representative of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (not below the rank of a director) and a representative of the Nigerian Deposit Insurance Corporation (not below the rank of a Director).”

Contrary to speculation, there is no political appointee on the Board!

The second proposed amendment to the 2007 Act relates to Section 6(3)a, which vests responsibility for budget preparation on the CBN and approval of same budget by a lopsided Board with 10 CBN staff out of the 12-man membership. In view of the ambience of impunity in our political and economic space, it would be a miracle to expect such arrangement to be free from the pervasive magnitude of fraud in our public administration.

The proposed amendment consequently correctly deletes the existing provision for the CBN’s Board as the sole authority to approve the apex bank’s annual budget.

Some critics have observed that it is the fear of the revelation of the putrid mess in the system that has induced CBN’s orchestrated campaign for the retention of its absolute powers.

The House amendment consequently introduces a new Section 48, which provides that “the Board shall prepare and submit to the National Assembly through the President not later than 30th September of each year, an estimate of its income and expenditure during the next succeeding year.”

This amendment would certainly be more transparent and would also demand greater accountability in

,

BY HENRY BOYO

,

CBN’s quest for retention of absolute power

With the subsisting litigation, government ought to have waited for the outcome of the suit against the Traffic Law before going ahead with the implementation

,

The fact that about 42 per cent of motorcyclists are not aware of the existence of the Highway Code, which is expected to guide their conduct on the roads, is indicative of the fact that they did not pass through the theory and practical test required for issuing driver’s license. This is worrisome.

Most Vehicle Inspection Offices, VIO, in the country have been reduced to revenue generation outfits instead of safety promotion and inspection agencies. Testing grounds and facilities for the conduct of theory and practical sessions before issuance of driver licenses are no longer available.

Reliance on licensed private driving schools for the certification has merely shifted the corruption from the public domain to the private sector, which are usually not monitored in the sense that these private schools are really not equipped for the training of motorcycle riders.

The general overhauling of the licensing

the management of the apex bank.”

The fourth amendment pertains to the leadership of the Board in the event of absence of the Governor. Section 7(1) in the current 2007 Act stipulates that the CBN Governor would personally choose the candidate to act on his behalf in case of unavoidable absence.

The proposed amendment replaces the provision in Section 7(1) as follows: “The Governor, or in his absence the most Senior Deputy Governor, shall be in charge of the day-today management of the Bank and shall be answerable to the Board for his acts and decisions.”

The fifth and final amendment to the 2007 Act, relates to Section 8(3), which currently provides that salaries and allowances will be solely determined by the current 12-man Board with its its complement of 10 CBN’s staff!

The current amendment, however, provides as follows: “The salaries or allowances, including pension and other allowances payable to the governor and the deputy governor shall be as stipulated from time to time by the Revenue Mobilization, Allocation and Fiscal Commission, subject to the approval of the President.”

Fellow Nigerians, please judge for yourselves who really is being clever by half. It appears that the CBN is mischievously capitalising on the burden of credibility of members of the National Assembly. In any event, we have endured CBN’s promises of the dividends of absolute autonomy since 2007; regrettably, the product of our forbearance is increasing debt accumulation and deepening poverty nationwide in spite of increasing revenue inflow!

Instructively, however, even the adoption of the proposed amendments may not bring succour to our blighted economy, if the reconstituted Board encourages the CBN to continue to maintain its monopoly on the foreign exchange market under the amended Act! Save the Naira, save Nigerians!!

*Mr. Boyo , an economist, wrote from Lagos.

system should be done collectively by the responsible agencies such as the Federal Road Safety Commission, FRSC, state Vehicle Inspection Offices and the Licensed Private Driving Schools.

The Lagos State House of Assembly should not be in a hurry but ensure that it does a thorough work as far as the new traffic law is concerned. It is an opportunity to pass a traffic law that will really address the needs of the state.

As a way forward, there should be concerted efforts at enforcement. The FRSC, Lagos State Traffic Management Agency and the Nigeria Police should deplore patrol resources effectively in order to ensure high compliance with traffic regulations.

The enforcement agencies should also flush out corrupt officers among them who collect bribes to circumvent enforcement, as the real test of the law will be in its enforcement. It is crucial to note that there would have been no need for the new law if the existing ones had been well enforced.

Over the years, what have bred lawlessness in Nigeria are simply impunity and endemic official corruption and bribery.

Some law enforcement agents are themselves law-brakers and clogs in the wheel of sanity. They flout the law of the land with impunity. The role of media and public enlightenment should be fully engaged in conjunction with the commercial motorcyclist unions and relevant stakeholders to bring about the necessary sensitisation.

Concluded *Mr. Kupoluyi wrote from the Fed. Varsity of Agric.Abeokuta, Ogun State.

C M Y K

46—Vanguard, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2012

Vanguard, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2012—47

C M Y K

48 — Vanguard, MONDAY, NOVEMER 5, 2012

providing the desired equipment.

“It is important for the union to note that the governor owes nobody an apology. A fraud has been committed for which a management level staff of PHCN is culpable and must be addressed. No amount of blackmail would delete or diminish the magnitude of the fraud and the state has already commenced legal proceedings on the matter,” he continued.

Wamakko advised the union “to tow the path of valor and take appropriate steps to restore power to Wamakko town or pay back the N17m received in lieu of the service before the people lose their patience.”

Sokoto people to sue PHCN

BLACKOUT: Electric power shocks

political power in Sokoto

BY ABDALLAH EL-KUREBE

W

HATEVER it is that transpired between Governor Aliyu Wamakko and Moses Osigwe, the Business Manager of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria, PHCN in the Gwuiwa district was without the knowledge of the majority of the people of Sokoto State.

However, the fallout from that meeting is today the cause of much agony in many parts of the state following the cut off of power by the electricity workers in the state.

Private businesses, government institutions including hospitals were as at yesterday without electric power supply for the third day in the brutal battle of ego between Governor Wamakko and the National Union of Electricity Employees, NUEE. The battle arose from what is claimed to be the alleged extortion of the governor’s local government area, Wamakko Local Government Area by

PHCN officials in the Gwuiwa Business Unit of PHCN. It is alleged that following pressure on the government by the people of Wamakko local government, that the governor invited the PHCN officials to suggest to government, a permanent solution to the problem of lack of supply of electricity to the area.

After the meeting with the governor, PHCN staff allegedly brought an estimate of N17 million to the state government, for, among others, the provision of a 2.5 MVA transformer.

Though the money was provided, the situation, however, did not change leading to tension in the area.

It was allegedly based on the growing tension that the governor again invited the PHCN officials led by Osigwe to his residence in Wamakko on October 20 for another meeting.

At the meeting, Osigwe was alleged not to have shown proper courtesy and reverence for the person of the governor and he was allegedly personally flogged by the governor before

,

SOKOTO is thrown into darkness following a strike action by electricity workers protesting the alleged flogging of one of their officials by Governor Aliyu Wamakko.

The Governor personally assaulted the Business Manager and two other staff who were mercilessly beaten and finally handed to his personal security for further assault/torture

he was handed over to other security aides of the governor for further action.

The Sokoto/Zamfara Council NUEE in a statement signed by its Chairman and Secretary, Abubakar Sani and Yusuf Abdulkarim respectively, gave their narration of what happened that day.

“The Governor personally assaulted the Business Manager and two other staff who were mercilessly beaten and finally handed to his personal security for further assault/torture.”

In the statement the NUEE vowed to “withdraw their staff from all PHCN formations and total blackout across the state till further notice.”

Sokoto govt reacts

The Secretary General of NUEE, Mr. Joe Ajero also entered the fray with an ultimatum of 48 hours to the governor to issue a public apology and make reparations to

,

the injured staff. The ultimatum expired last Friday.

Governor Wamakko’s response was to describe the ultimatum as “phantom conceived, hatched, tended and executed all in the minds of the union leaders for frivolous gains,” saying the union cannot be complainant, judge and executioner in its own case.

In a reaction articulated by his Senior Special Assistant, Media, Sani Umar, the governor also questioned why, “in spite of public money spent on PHCN, nothing has been there to show for it.

“Shouldn’t the public find explanation on why power has not been holding, especially where hard-earned money, both private and public, has been going into the PHCN with nothing to show for it?” amakko also questioned why the union has avoided probing the allegation that the affected officials collected money without

W

In yet another press conference on Saturday, Sokoto state chapter of Inter-Party Advisory Council of Nigeria, IPACON threatened that if within 24 hours, electricity supply to Sokoto was not restored, the people of the state would have no option than take PHCN to court.

IPACON Chairman, Alhaji Ahmed Mohammed observed that if Governor Wamakko, as an individual, did what NUEE claimed he did, the people of Sokoto should not be made to suffer from an alleged action of an individual.

“Statutorily, PHCN has a subsisting contract to supply uninterrupted electricity to the public, it therefore beats our imagination hollow to have observed that PHCN went ahead and cut electricity supply to the state on an unsubstantiated allegation against Governor of Sokoto state,” the statement read.

IPACON also observed that with in-patients who are on life support machines in various health facilities in the state, PHCN ought not to have disconnected the Specialist Hospital from power supply.

“We have in-patients who are on life support machines in various health facilities in the state. Water supply is currently being hampered. PHCN should not be un-mindful of the grave consequences of their actions to the essential services,” it further read.

“Why should the public suffer from the action of an individual?; does Governor Wamakko pay our electricity bills? Don’t the people of Sokoto have a contractual agreement with PHCN? Would PHCN justify its action of denying the people the services they pay for? Isn’t this a total breach of contract? IPACON asked.

As a result of the blackout, public establishments as well as private residences are without electricity save for those who have generators.

There is also no water supply because there has to be electricity to pump, treat and supply water to the public.

Vanguard, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2012—49

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50—Vanguard , MONDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2012

Flood c'ttee organises N100bn fund dinner

BY VICTOR AHIUMA-YOUNG

P

RESIDENTIAL Committee on Flood Relief and Rehabilitation, weekend, announced Thursday next week for a fund raising dinner to kick-start the plan to raise about N100 billion to compliment government’s efforts at bringing succor to the victims of the recent flood disaster in the country.

The Committee, being co-chaired by the busi-

ness mogul, Aliko Dangote and legal luminary, Olisa Agbakoba, in a statement, said it hoped to bring smiles back to the faces of the displaced persons currently being sheltered in make-shift camps in different parts of the country.

Many Communities were recently ravaged by flood, which killed scores of people, rendered thousands homeless and destroyed billions of Naira worth of farmlands and other property.

Reps summon Accountant-Gen, SGF over N82bn revenue shortfall

BY OKEY NDIRIBE

A

BUJA—HOUSE of Representatives, weekend, summoned the Accountant-General of the Federation, AGF, Jonas Otunla over a revenue shortfall of N81.9 billion.

The AGF had been directed to appear before the Public Accounts committee of the House within two weeks.

The committee also

summoned the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, Anyim Pius Anyim, Permanent Secretary in charge of Ecological Fund in the Presidency, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Environment and the Director of Finance in the Office of the SGF, over the management of the Ecological Fund from since 2003.

Chairman of the Committee, Solomon

Olamilekan Adeola, told newsmen that the Accountant-General was needed to shed light on the huge shortage in the accruable revenue to the Federation in 2006.

He said the SGF and others invited along with him were to participate in a broad forum that would examine the use of the Ecological Funds.

He said the Accountant-General, who was to have appeared before on Thursday last week failed to show up.

Adeola said: “The Accountant-General was reminded of the need to appear unfailingly, alongside all the concerned agencies in relation to pending issues in year 2006, particularly, the Director-General, Budget Office and Revenue Agencies, responsible for the revenue shortfall amounting to N81,904,469,177.27.

“The Accountant-General is also to ensure that all the agencies appearing alongside with him should provide all the necessary documents in relation to the issue they are appearing on, to facilitate smooth examination and disposal of such issues.”

On why the committee was beaming its searchlight on the Ecological Funds, he said: “The Auditor-General complained of non-specific reflection of special

funds in the Financial Statements, especially statements of assets and liabilities.

“The Accountant-General has, therefore, been directed to furnish the committee with detailed documentation in relation to the FG’s share of derivation and Ecological Account, Stabilisation Account and 3 percent Development of Natural Resources account from 2003 to date.

“They must state clearly the monthly receipts, sources, disbursement made therefrom, list of beneficiaries, and balance available.”

The lawmaker said the committee was also probing how the Police Reward Fund amounting to over N306 billion was managed.

He noted that the managers of the Police Reward Fund have refused to honour invitations sent to them to appear before the committee. In view of this, the committee had written its report on then Police Reward Fund.

He did not say what manner of sanction the committee recommended.

Adeola added that the committee was also interested in seeing a copy of the Presidential Modification Order that conferred the powers to manage the Stabilisation Account on the President.

Air Marshal Uduok loses wife

BY SONI DANIEL

A

BUJA—FORMER Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Nsikak Eduok, has lost his wife, Nkese.

Nkese Eduok, a onetime President of the Nigerian Air Force Officers Wives Association, NAFOWA. She died in an Indian hospital after an operation.

Eduok, who also served briefly as Aviation Minister, confirmed his wife’s demise to Vanguard last night.

Governor Godswill Akpabio and the former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Chief Ufot Ekaette, have C M Y K

visited Eduok and consoled the family.

Akpabio, in a message, described late Mrs. Eduok as a great and virtuous woman. The governor described her as an epitome of womanhood and a supportive, caring, assertive, hard working and religious woman, who would be greatly missed

by Nigerians.

In his tribute, Chief Ekaette prayed God to give the Eduoks the courage to bear the huge loss.

Similarly, former Petroleum Minister, Chief Don Etiebet, said she would be remembered for her work to humanity and her community. He prayed God to grant her eternal rest.

Vanguard, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2012—51

Obama: The Second Time Around (2)

BY DR. JOSEPH O. OKPAKU, SR.

Continues from yesterday

U

NWILLING (truly not unable) to fight dirty, Barack Obama would come out looking weak before an American public whose love of the sport of gladiators underpins the popularity of boxing and the visceral fascination with the violent body knocks of their most favourite sports, American football.

But there was also a not unimportant reason for extraordinary caution on Barack Obama’s side. This was a very deep and painful aspect of the American legacy of slavery and racism—the lynching of Black men. Similar to the killing and literal roasting of Black men by whites while having a barbecue (or “brie” as South Africans call it) in apartheid South Africa, the lynching of Black men in America, the most horrendous of human “sports”, occupies a grave spot in the African American psyche, even for those who never witnessed it.

(The lynching scenes in The Great Debaters starring Denzel Washington represent a vivid portrayal of this atrocity of human history.)

Now, the most common trumped up charge for lynching Black men especially in the American south was the almost always false accusation that they raped white women or looked at them with the intent to do so. More often than not these were either totally fabricated or, in fact, were false accusation made by white women whose reckless overtures to Black men were spurned by the Black men who knew only too well that this would be a kiss of death.

So humiliated, the white women often claimed that such Black men made sexual overtures to them.

So, although perhaps not much talked about in the open or publicly articulated, but actively discussed amongst themselves during the 2008 primary season, many Black men and women who had quickly grown upset with what they saw as the racial C M Y K

slur by the Clintons in the quite possibly inadvertent remarks during the New Hampshire primaries, saw Hillary Clinton’s unmitigated assault on Barack Obama as the antics of a white woman baiting a Black man so as to provoke the wrath and disaffection of white men. And much as they wanted their Black man to stand up and fight for Black pride, they too were leery of the consequences, especially now that victory, unthinkable victory, seemed possible, even palpable. But after the first debate and the loud public

,

Dr. Joseph O. Okpaku, Sr., yesterday began a series on the second coming of Barack Obama. He flashed back to 2008 and a United States of America that was about to have it’s first black president.

Four years after, and with the world waiting, Okpaku continues today on “Obama: The Second Time Around.”

It was a wonderful moment in history, and even if it took an extra layer of warm clothing to take part in the joyous ceremonies and watch Barack Obama, our African son, take the oath of office as America’s 44th president, it was such a little price to pay

,

proclamation that Hilary Clinton had rubbished Barack Obama, the young Senator from Illinois had no choice but pull off his gloves in the subsequent debate, making it clear that all bets were off.

Barack Obama would go on to defeat Senator Clinton and become the presidential candidate of the Democratic Par5ty. Hilary Clinton and her husband, Bill Clinton would regain their political composure and stand firmly and graciously behind Barack Obama in the presidential race against Republican John McCain, restoring their place of pride with Black Americans, other minorities, females and young Americans of all races.

The outcome of the battles of 2008 is now history. It is alleged to have been said by a white American that “hell (would) freeze over before a Black man would become President in America.” It was most prophetic. On the morning of Tuesday, January 20, 2009, as many gathered on the Capitol Mall in Washington D.C., it was one of the coldest days

•President Obama ever. Text messages reminding people of this infamous quotation went viral amongst those gathered on the Mall and clear across the country.

It was a wonderful moment in history, and even if it took an extra layer of warm clothing to take part in the joyous ceremonies and watch Barack Obama, our African son, take the oath of office as America’s 44th president, it was such a little price to pay.

President Barack Obama would take office and immediately set about preventing the embattled American economy from bottoming out. Mrs. Clinton would go on to become Obama’s most senior cabinet member as the Secretary of State, effectively the Foreign Minister, a role which she has handled with exceptional excellence, wisdom, judgment and loyalty.

The Obama Legacy (2008 – 2012) President Obama, deploying his intellectual forte that is universally acknowledged to be one of the best amongst world leaders, had to make difficult choices faced with an economy gone awry. There were no panaceas. In such circumstances, strategic longterm solutions would take precedence over the expediency

of immediate gratification, especially of the sort that would be politically popular even if ineffectual or unsustainable.

But he had the faith, good will and the confidence of the American people on his side— of most of them, that is. Most dramatically, he turned around the auto industry, the flagship of America’s industrial power.

He also saved the banking industry, and Wall Street. But this time he would take flack from two opposite sides: The young Americans who would rather see him “suck it” to the financial institutions that they considered greedy if not roguish, and the conservative bankers and prime beneficiaries of the American dream who took exception to the strict regulations that the President put in place to prevent a repeat of the excesses that led to the crisis in the first place, most especially the collapse of the housing industry.

Employment was a much tougher challenge. The excesses of the preceding Republican government of George W. Bush which led to the near collapse of the economy led to massive layoffs as businesses

big and small cut back to save themselves. This would devastate especially the middle class, the mainstay of the American economy and society as a whole. Realising that American industry was slowly becoming obsolete and, therefore, likely to be less competitive in a tougher global economy, Obama decided to put in place the structure and mechanism for modernizing American industry with the objective of creating many new jobs in new areas such as clean and alternative energy (including solar and wind energy), broadband communications and overall research and development. Again, these are initiatives with a gestation period during which the promise of their efficacy would remain dormant. In an economy that was hurting and reeling from unprecedented unemployment, this was a risky path to take. But there did not seem to be an alternative.

On the global scene, Obama would take bold steps to withdraw American forces from Iraq, and set in place, the mechanism and schedule for winding down the war in Afghanistan. He would hunt down and kill Osama bin Laden, the Enemy Number One of Americans. This was a feat that Obama would have thought could not but bring him limitless accolades.

Obama would even give a major speech in Cairo on the new world that would accommodate all peoples and religions, especially Christians and Moslems. The promise, not its realisation, would be sufficient to earn him the Nobel Peace Price. But not all Americans seemed happy about the global popularity of this young, smart American president with a gorgeous and super smart wife and two lovely and adorable daughters.

The Republican Party, or at least an important section of it, was not pleased. Somehow, placing misguided partisanship before national interests, some of its leaders would vow to spare no effort to ensure that Obama did not succeed as president.

Continues tomorrow

Dr. Joseph O. Okpaku, Sr., President and Publisher of Third Press Publishers and Chairman of Telecom Africa International Corporation, is a renowned scholar and expert of strategic development and global issues. He is regarded as a Renaissance man and a leading 21st Century philosopher.

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52—Vanguard, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2012

Vanguard, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2012—53

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54 —

Vanguard, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2012

Brazil thrash Libya 13-0 B

RAZIL have quali fied for the last 16 of the FIFA Futsal World Cup with a game to spare after an emphatic 13-0 victory over Libya in Nakhon Ratchasima. The reigning champions were in imperious form as they swept aside Group C’s underdogs with a display that showed just how determined they are to hold on to their title.

Libya began the game assuredly but their resistance was finally worn down by a spectacular opener from Gabriel in seven minutes, sent screaming into the top corner following a quick set piece. Seconds later, Rodrgio doubled Brazil’s advantage minute later with a very different type of goal, stealing in unmarked to score from close range, and the same player made it 3-0 shortly after.

Rodrigo showed the other side of his game on 15 minutes, holding the ball

up intelligently for Neto to score, and Fernandinho added a fifth with halftime approaching.

The floodgates opened in the second period, with a Mohamed Rahoma own goal, a second for Fernandinho and Je’s first

sports to schools in Delta and in April he inaugurated the professor Patrick Mouboghare committee to revive soccer in secondary schools in Delta. Mouboghare is the commissioner of junior education in the state. And in the committee are the likes of Amaju Pinnick, the Executive Chairman of Delta Sports Commission, Austin Okocha, Victor Ikpeba, Davidson Onwumi, Richard Mofe Damijo, Harrison Ochulor, Gowon Akpadona and Onochie Anibeze, the Group Sports Editor of Vanguard Newspapers.

Stephen Keshi and Jay Jay Okocha are expected to engage in motivational talks with the students before the kick off.

Delta is determined to change the fortunes of sports in Nigeria. They held a sports summit last week in Asaba and decided to develop and promote aquatic sports in Nigeria aside track and field.

“We will implement the report of the summit,” Governor Uduaghan assured the audience in Asaba.

The school football will be followed by track and field according to Dr. Udughan.

Falcons Continues from BP Championship in 1998, the Falcons have won six of seven tournaments till date, with the only 2008 edition hosted by Equatorial Guinea eluding them. But Coach Kadiri Ikhana said on Sunday that there is no taking prisoners this time.

“We are ready for any team at this C M Y K

ter.

And there was still time for Je to complete his hattrick and set up Rafael to get into the scoring act before Libya’s misery was complete, as Brazil qualified with a flourish.

ACTION PACKED: Sand Sand Eagles captain Olawale Isiaka in hot contest with an opponent during the Copa Lagos tournament last year.

Keshi, Okocha to grace Governor's Cup in Delta Continues from BP

putting Brazil eight ahead with nine minutes still to play. Just eight seconds separated Brazil’s seventh and eighth goals, and another two from the on-song Fernandinho took the score into double figures soon af-

Championship. My girls are highly motivated with the Nigeria Football Federation having fulfilled the pledge to improve their win-bonuses. They love it and they are rearing to go.”

The final match of the African Women Championship comes up in Malabo next Sunday.

Sand, Sand Eagles return today T HE delegation of Beach Soccer National Team, also known as Supersand Eagles, will return to Nigeria on Monday evening following their participation at the S a m s u n g Intercontinental Beach Soccer Tournament in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

On Sunday, the delegation, led by NFF 1st Vice President, Chief Mike Umeh, was hosted to a well-done lunch by the Embassy of Nigeria in the United Arab Emirates, located in Abu Dhabi.

The team finished fourth in the EightNation Invitational that welcomed the best beach soccer-playing

countries of the world.

Nigeria has continued to make steady progress in the unique game since participating at the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup for the first time in 2006.

In Dubai, the Supersand Eagles wered edged 6-3 by Brazil in their first match on Tuesday, before powering back to defeat Switzerland 7-6 on Wednesday and overwhelming Japan 65 on Thursday. They lost the semi final 4-9 to world champions Russia on Friday and were simply unlucky to narrowly crash 7-8 to host UAE in Saturday’s third place match.

I’ll show you how it’s done — Fergie

No foreign-based Eagles Continues from BP been called up for the encounter.

It has been reported in some sections of the local press that Keshi has called up foreign pros like Peter Utaka and Obafemi Martins amongst others but the Nigerian trainer has dismissed the reports.

“We are working hard to bring in foreign-based players that will play the match for us but right now, we have not invited any. I never spoke about any player. I don’t know where that is coming from,” Keshi told supersport.com.

Nigeria have met Venezuela once with the Super Eagles winning the encounter more than nine years ago, with a goal from Austin ‘Jay Jay ’ Okocha.

Keshi said this month’s game against Venezuela will be used “to try out a couple of new things.”

“We will use the opportunity to see players that we have not seen before. We are just looking to get the best players to represent Nigeria creditably against Venezuela in the USA, that’s all,” he said.

Blues Continues from BP “The officials were very good. Kevin kept the players calm and he let the game flow. He didn’t have any influence on the game or the result and I congratulated him on his performance at the end.

“I didn’t speak to my players before the game because our team is usually very good.

“We are generally a fair team. There has to be something really out of

the ordinary for them to react.”

Di Matteo’s admiration was in stark contrast to the criticism he dished out to Clattenburg after losing to Manchester United last Sunday.

The ref sent off two Blues stars and allowed an offside winner before he was reported by the club to the FA for using ‘inappropriate language’ to John Obi Mikel.

A

LEX FERGUSON reckons he can solve Manchester United’s spot-kick crisis — by taking the penalties himself!

United have now missed FOUR pens this season after Wayne Rooney fired wide in yesterday ’s win over Arsenal.

Those misses have come from four different players and boss Fergie is baffled.

He said: “I think I’ll take one myself next week — then we’ll score.”

Robin van Persie was first to fail from 12 yards when he tried to chip Southampton keeper Kelvin Davis.

Javier Hernandez had an effort saved in the league against

HOT SPOT ... Fergie shows how it’s done Wigan, then Nani missed against Galatasaray in the Champions League.

Rooney said: “These things happen and it’s gone now.

“I’m obviously disappointed but I’ll move on as we won the game, which is the most important thing.”

Abdullahi reconstitutes Academicals

T

HE Honourable Minister of Sports and Chairman of the National Sports Commission, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi has reconstituted the Board of the Nigeria Academicals Sports Committee (NASCOM).

Businessman, sports philanthropist and enthusiast, Mr. Yemi Idowu, is to chair the

new Board. Mr. Idowu is a non- executive Director at Sterling Bank and the immediate past Chairman of Sterling Capital Plc. He is a patron of sports at the grassroots, with more than a decade experience in sponsorship and management of sports competitions and events.

Vanguard, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2012—55

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VANGUARD, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2012

Indefatigable Falcons!

Blues praise ref shock

• Whack C/Ivoire 3 – 1 • Play S/Africa in Wednesday’s S/final

T

C

HELSEA finally ended their ref

war.

Some people will never believe it but, after the Mark Clattenburg row, Blues boss Roberto Di Matteo was full of praise for official Kevin Friend.

Despite seeing his side knocked off the top at Swansea, RDM said:

Continues on Page 54

No foreign-based Eagles for Venezuela — Keshi

H

EAD coach of the Nigerian national team, Stephen Keshi says no foreign-based player has been called up for the Super Eagles’ friendly international against Venezuela.

Both nations will clash in Miami, USA on November 14 and 24, and domestically-based professionals have since Continues on Page 54

TODAY'S

YOU’VE GOT A FRIEND ... official speaks to John Obi Mikel

HE Senior Women National Team, otherwise known as Super Falcons, on Sunday in Malabo made mincemeat of their Ivorian counterparts to reach the semi finals of the on-going 8th African Women Championship.

The Cup holders exploded through winger Ogonna Chukwudi and Ngozi Ebere in the first half, before veteran Stella Mbachu scored her second of the tournament in the second period to take matters beyond doubt. The fellow West Africans got a consolation later on, but the Falcons had completed the job and were already looking forward to the clash with the Banyana Banyana on Wednesday.

Both teams will be flown to Bata for that

second semi final, while host Equatorial Guinea will entertain Cameroon’s Lionesses at the Malabo Stadium in

Wednesday’s first semi final.

Since the launch of the African Women Continues on Page 54

Keshi, Okocha to grace Governor’s Cup in Delta O

NE week after Del ta State hosted a sports summit to chart a new course for sports in the state and Nigeria, Super Eagles coach Stephen Keshi will lead a cream of ex internationals to the OgwashiUku Stadium Wednesday at 10 a.m. for the kick off of Delta State’s Governor’s Cup. He will join Austin Jay Jay Okocha, Victor Ikpeba, Davidson Onwumi, John Omoghele who are

all ex internationals to grace the occasion that Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan will also attend. The governor will actually do the kick off before the two schools for the opening match will begin battle for the title that will see the winners embarking on a youth tournament abroad and pocketing N2m and also winning a school bus. Governor Uduaghan is driving the return of Continues on Page 54

Brazil thrash Libya 13-0 — Page 54

PUZZLE

FRIDAY'S

ANSWERS

ACROSS 3 Court (5) 9 Bomb-hole (6) 10 Greet (6) 11 Sidled (5) 12 One (4) 15 Unusual (4) 17 Recede (7) 20 Novel (3) 21 Free (5) 23 Try (4) 25 Support (4) 26 Shy (5) 28 Droop (3) 30 Liken (7) 33 Bung (4) 35 Row (4) 36 Figure (5) 38 Hue (6) 39 Lounged (6) 40 Postpone (5)

DOWN 1 Scrub (5) 2 Custom (5) 3 Charge (3) 4 Trial (6) 5 Employed (4) 6 Insane (3) 7 Mortal (5) 8 Renovate (5) 13 Impartial (7) 14 Belief (5) 16 Breathe (7) 18 Subject (5) 19 Serpent (3) 22 Break out (5) 24 Gratuity (3) 27 Pliant (6) 28 Room (5) 29 Culpability (5) 31 Passage (5) 32 Eat away (5) 34 Shoot (4) 36 Counterfeit (3) 37 Hill (3)

FRIDAY'S SOLUTIONS ACROSS: 1, Barter 5, Ascend 9, Music 10, Repair 11, Mature 12, Taken 14, East 17, Led 18, Meal 20, Drear 22, Toddy 23, Contort 24, Untie 26, Yield 29, Part 30, Pep 32, Fate 33, Allot 35, Office 36, Signed 37, Hated 38, Reeled 39, Redden.

How to Play Sudoku

THE VIGILANTE

DOWN: 1, Barred 2, Repose 3, Emit 4, Rural 5, Aimed 6, Scan 7, Eluded 8, Deeply 13, Kestrel 15, Arena 16, Tacit 18, Motif 19, Adult 21, Roe 22, Try 24, Uproar 25, Trifle 27, Earned 28, Deaden 30, Plead 31, Poser 33, Ache 34, Tide.

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.

Printed and Published by VANGUARD MEDIA LIMITED, Vanguard Avenue, Kirikiri Canal, P.M.B.1007, Apapa. Phone: Newsroom: 018773962. Deputy Editor: 01-8944295. Advert Dept: 01-7924470; Hotline: 01-8737028; Abuja: 09-2341102, 09-2342704. E-mail: editor@vanguardngr.com, news@vanguardngr.com, letters@vanguardngr.com. Advert:advertproduction@yahoo.com Website: www.vanguardngr.com (ISSN 0794-652X) Editor: MIDENO BAYAGBON. Phone: 01-7742861, All correspondence to P.M.B. 1007, Apapa Lagos.

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