Outrage as FG liftsban on Dana Airline

...towards a better life for the people VOL. 25: NO. 61704

We 'll appoint new power, defence ministers in two Pg.8 weeks — Jonathan

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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2012

German hospital restricts visits to First Lady Pg.48

Outrage as FG lifts ban on Dana Airline •It's hasty, says NLC, TUC; FG erred — Agbakoba •AON, ATSSSAN celebrate •We are yet to be notified — Dana Airline

BY SOLA OGUNDIPE, INNOCENT ANABA, VICTOR AHIUMA-YOUNG, CHIOMA OBINNA, ABDULWAHAB ABDULAH, ROSEMARY ONUOHA, LAIDE AKINBOADE & DANIEL ETEGHE

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AGOS—NINETYEIGHT days after the Dana Airline plane crash in Lagos, which killed 153 persons, the Federal Government, yesterday, cleared the airline to resume opera

Continues on Page 5

Is education for all feasible by 2015? •P.25

Kano: Hope, renewal and scholarships —P. 17

OCHEREOME NNANNA

—Pg.19

THE HUB —Pg.19

Mr & Mrs

IBADAN MARKET FIRE—An early morning inferno destroyed about 60 shops at Ogunpa Labaowo Market, Ibadan, Oyo State, yesterday. Scenes of the inferno. Photos: Dare Fasube

NEC didn't discuss N5,000 note, says Suswam —Pg.16 C M Y K

Anambra demolishes —Pg.13 buildings of kidnap kingpin

2—Vanguard, THURSDAY, SEPTMEMBER 6, 2012

Vanguard, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 06, 2012—3

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4—Vanguard, THURSDAY, SEPTMEMBER 6, 2012

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Vanguard, THURSD AY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2012—5 THURSDA

POCKET CARTOON

Outrage as FG lifts ban on Dana Airline Continues from Page 1 tions eliciting outrage in the polity.

Minister of Aviation, Princess Stella Oduah, in a statement by her Special Adviser (Media), Joe Obi, said government decided to restore the operating licence of Dana airline because it was satisfied with the air-worthiness of the airline after a rigorous technical, operational and financial audit was conducted.

According to the statement: “The Federal Government has lifted the suspension of the Operating Licence of Dana Airline. This follows government’s satisfaction with the air-worthiness of the airline after a rigorous technical, operational and financial audit of the airline.

“By this development, Dana Airline is free to resume its normal commercial flight operations. Government will, however, continue to strengthen its oversight and regulatory functions to ensure that all airlines operating in the country, including Dana, adhere strictly to safety procedures as required by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Act and all other relevant local and interna-

tional regulations that ensure and promote sustainable air safety.

“The operating licence of Dana Airline was temporarily suspended following the crash of one of its aircraft on June 3, in Lagos as a safety precaution”.

Immediately, the clearance elicited condemnation from Labour, rights activists, lawyers and relations of the Dana crash victims, who said it was premature.

Among those who criticized the decision, yesterday, were legal icon, Mr Olisa Agbakoba (SAN), Mr Femi Falana (SAN), Dr Osahon Enabulele (president, Nigeria Medical association, NMA), President-General of Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, TUC, Comrade Peter Esele, and Mr Achief Olajide (a relative of a victim).

AON, ATSSSAN celebrate However, some aviation stakeholders such as the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) and Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN) hailed the decision, which came at a time

LIFEWORDS

BY PASTOR ITUAH

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OU need to see people in terms of their potentials and not their problems, there is valor lying fallow in most Gideons around.

TAKE HEART

BY ELLA RANDLE

Life will break you. Nobody can protect you from that, and living alone won’t either, for solitude will also break you with its yearning. You have to love.

You have to feel. It is the reason you are here on earth. You are here to risk your heart. Let yourself sit by an apple tree and listen to the apples falling all around you in heaps, wasting their sweetness.

Tell yourself you tasted as many as you could Louise Erdrich

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HE reality of life is what we try to make of it every day, and gratitude is the virtue that makes every experience joyful. Marilyn Monroe’s take on life, sums it aptly: “This life is what you make it. No matter what, you’re going to make mistake sometimes, it’s a universal truth. You’ll have friends; they’ll act like it anyway. But just remember, some come, some go.”

The ones that stay with you through everything they’re your true best friends. Don’t let go of them.

Just because you fail once, doesn’t mean you’re going to fail at everything. Keep trying, hold on, and always, always, always believe in yourself, because if you don’t, then who will? So keep your head high, keep your chin up, and most importantly, keep smiling, because life’s a beautiful thing and there’s so much to smile about.

that only 45 families of the victims of the crash had been compensated.

Meanwhile, Spokesman for Dana Airlines, Mr Tony Usidamen, said the Airline was yet to get a letter to the effect.

“We have just heard the lifting of the suspension of Dana Airlines in the news just like you, but we have not received any official letter to that effect. As soon as we get official letter to that effect on lifting of the ban on Dana Air, we will issue a statement on that,” he told Vanguard, on phone.

It is hasty – NLC, TUC, Falana Reacting, Deputy General Secretary of Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Comrade Joe Ajaero, faulted the lifting of the operating licence of the airline, when all the issues surrounding company’s air crash had not been resolved.

Comrade Ajaero, who is also the General Secretary of the National Union of Electricity Employees, NUEE, said it shows that we place value on money more than life.

It's unfortunate — Falana Mr Femi Falana said “it was unfortunate that the step was a mockery of the coronary being conducted in line with the law by coroner court in Lagos State. Once government has taken this step, the unfortunate Dana air tragedy has been put behind us while we unfortunately wait for the next similar tragedy.”

Similarly, TUC President, Comrade Peter Esele, said, “one would have expected the Federal Government to order proper investigation of what led to the crash of the airline’s plane, apply sanction where necessary and, after that, conduct audit on all the airlines in the country and state the way forward.

“However, if Government has done its own, it is left for Nigerians to do the needful. It happened with Bellview when its licence was lifted after suspension,

Nigerians boycotted the airline. So, if Nigerians feel the government did not do what they expect, they are at liberty to do what is needed and necessary.”

Where govt erred — Agbakoba On his part, Agbakoba said the government should have ordered an inquiry on the matter, establish the cause of the accident before clearing the airline to resume operations.

His words: “I hope that Dana Airline would have learnt its lesson from the recent fatal accident. As a rule, it must be made clear that an accident does not mean that an airline must not fly again. The only thing I see is that if the regulatory authorities have cleared them to fly, they can resume operation. I am not talking specifically about Dana now.

"What happened in the Dana case is that we do no have full disclosure on what went wrong with its ill-fated flight.

The clearance came out of the blues. The decision clearing Dana must be in the public domain.

In Aviation business, there is no way you can say that because an airline was involved in an accident, it can’t fly again, if you say so, most airlines that have had one accident or the other would have been wound-up.

“So if the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authorities, NCAA, had conducted an investigation, which must be thorough and if after investigations, it comes out to say the airline can fly again, that will be acceptable.

But the only problem I see is that we have not seen the report of the accident and we don’t know what went wrong with the ill-fated flight.”

implementation of the inquiry. We thought that this would even be a departure from the past.

Now, in less than three months or thereabout, we are now having a situation whereby the ban on Dana Air is being lifted; we want to question the rationale and the basis for that.

Nigerians need to know what the finding of the panel was. To what extent was it carried out in terms of implementing the findings of the panel and in what direction will this lifting of suspension take Nigeria?

Are they saying that Dana Air has substantially cleaned its own house, or perhaps they have put in place the recommendations of the panel?”

He continued: “I thought that a bit more of scrutiny ought to have been done by the Federal Government before making a move to lift the ban. I do not know why they did this but for somebody who has been monitoring events of the disaster, it is totally not acceptable. Certainly for me, it is a hasty decision and Nigerians would want to know what happened along the line."

I’m stunned — Olajide Mr. Achief Olajide, a nephew of Mr. George Moses, one of the victims of the June 3 Dana air crash was too

The decision is hasty – Enabulele To NMA President, Osahon Enabulele, the decision came as a big surprise because “Nigerians are still trying to grapple with even the findings of the last investigative panel of the inquiry into the last disaster.

“Going by the trend in this country, the citizens may not get to see the

stunned to react. “I have not heard the announcement so I have nothing to say now. But I am waiting to get the details. When I do, I will get back to you,” he stated in a telephone interview.

Olajide had earlier threatened that the relatives of the late Moses would go to court if his body was not released after a second mandatory DNA test by the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, LASUTH.

Only 45 families of victims compensated Meanwhile insurers of the ill-fated flight have only been able to pay compensation to just 45 families of victims out of the 135 that were involved in the crash.

The consortium of six insurance companies led

by Prestige Assurance Plc have been able to settle just 45 of the victims as according to findings, the remaining families are still undergoing the process of acquiring letters of administration which they will use to claim the compensation.

Although the local insurers have promised to pay the 30 per cent of the share of the insurance cover, the foreign insurers who have 70 per cent of the cover are yet to commence any form of payment.

REJOINDER

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HE Debt Management Office, DMO, yester day, denied claims that it accused petroleum marketers of lying, insisting that its officials never spoke to any reporter.

In our cover story, yesterday, the DMO was quoted as having said that marketers were being paid from an Escrow Account worth about $7 billion, which was claimed to be derived from the Excess Crude Account, ECA. The source who spoke to Vanguard’s reporter did so in his private capacity and his views did not represent the official position of the DMO.

6—Vanguard , THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2012

FG approves contract for reconstruction of Benin-Sagamu Phase 3

BY BEN AGANDE

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AFRICA & MIDDLE EAST CONFAB— From left: CCESSA President, Mr. Augustine Etato; Vice President Mohammed Namadi Sambo and Minister of Labour, Chief Emeka Wogu during the second Africa & Middle East conference in Abuja, yesterday.

N34bn ID card scam French court fines coy for bribing Nigerian officials

BY MICHAEL EBOH, WITH AGENCY REPORT

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French firm, Safran, has been fined about N100 million (500,000 euros) by a court in Paris for bribing public officials in Nigeria to secure the N33.5 billion contract for the printing of more than 70 million identity cards between 2000 and 2003.

Safran, a French aeronautics and defence group, was found guilty by the investigating magistrates, of giving bribes to Nigerian officials that helped it win the contract.

The company is partly owned by France,which owns a 30 per cent stake.

The court found that SAGEM (Société d’Applications Générales de l’Électricité et de la Mécanique, translated to mean Company of General Applications of Electricity and Mechanics, a company that merged with SNECMA to form Safran in 2005, paid bribes worth between N4.8 million ($30,000) to N80 million ($500,000) to Nigerian officials between 2000 and 2003 to secure a 171 million euro contract.

The court condemned the company for endorsing the payments, but dropped charges against two former SAGEM executives: JeanPierre Delarue, then a sales manager in Nigeria, and François Perrachon, the former director for identification systems.

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Prosecutors had sought a suspended sentence of up to 18 months and fines of 15,000 euros each for the two officials.

The prosecution alleged that Sagem paid millions of dollars as bribes to highranking Nigerian officials including the former Minister of Internal Affairs, late Chief Sunday Afolabi.

In reaction to the fine, Safran said it would appeal, and further reiterated its commitment to anticorruption rules.

The company said, “Safran would like to point out that it is deeply attached to the strict respect of anticorruption rules.”

Prosecutors had originally sought to have the Safran case dismissed, but did not lodge any formal request at the trial in June. The case came to global focus in 2005, when former Nigerian president Olusegun Obasanjo said Sagem paid bribes and presented gifts, including Rolex watches to Nigerian officials to secure the contract.

Afolabi, who was appointed Minister of the Interior in 1999, was in charge of the Identity Card project. He had noted that the cards, to be issued to Nigerians would be used for the 2003 Federal and State elections. Afolabi was arrested on December 5, 2003, by the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission, ICPC, during the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, on allegations of

corruption.

In December 2003 Afolabi stood trial with his successor in the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Mr. Mohammed Shata, former Labour Minister, Hussain Akwanga and others on charges that they had sought bribes worth about N320 million ($2million) from the French firm, Sagem in connection with the $214million contract to produce identity cards.

All the accused persons were granted bail on December 31, 2003.

Afolabi died of cancer in London in May 2004. In June 2004, the court dropped all charges

against him.

Like all members of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, OECD, France is part of the convention against the bribery of foreign officials, which requires that the practice be a criminal offence.

A report by Reuters said foreign corruption rulings against big French companies are rare in France.

It said a report from the OECD that was leaked in July said French authorities lacked the resources to fight possible corruption in big export contracts.

BUJA—SUCCOUR is on the way for commuters on the BeninSagamu expressway as the Federal Executive Council yesterday approved the reconstruction of outstanding sections of Benin-Ofosu-OreAjebandele-Shagamu expressway phase 111. The contract which was awarded in the sum of N65,223,155,642.34 with a completion period of 36 months, according to Minister of Information Labaran Maku “will not only improve the socioeconomic activities of the area, but will also reduce vehicle operating costs, travel time and accidents on the road”.

The Minister who was flanked by his colleagues, the Minister of Works, Mike Onomelemen and Minister of State for Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Olajumoke Akinjide, said the “outstanding sections of the road are in disrepair’ there is need to reconstruct them to ease traffic flow along the road.

He said when completed, the project will generate employment for Nigerians as well as impact positively on the informal sector of the economy.

Speaking on the project, Mr Onolememen said the scope of work would include the complete reconstruction of Km 9 to Km 18 and Km 75 to Km 162 of the road, adding that it would have three lanes on both carriage

ways at the completion of the project.

Other approvals granted by the Council include the purchase of various search and rescue operation items for the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA. Some of the items include a GSSI life locator, in the sum of N161,406,388.00; rapid intervention vehichles, in the sum of N400,551,272.00; fully equiped emergency rescue vehicles in the sum of N251,680,000.00; and 328 sets of helmets, harness, lanyards and absorbers, descenders, fall arrestors, ascenders, aluminium and steel carabineers in the sum of N120,227,377.64.

Maku said "the rampant increase in the spate of disasters in the country has continued to stretch the resources of NEMA in terms of equipment and logistics” necessitating the contract.

Others include the construction of Southern Parkway in the Federal Capital Territory in the sum of N10.901,23 billion thereby bringing the total contract sum to N16.235 billion. The Minister said as part of the efforts to reduce the heavy traffic being experienced in the city, the FCTA has embarked upon the construction of the Southern Parkway from the Christian Centre S8/S9 to ring road 1 comprising10 lanes, to complement the existing Northern Parkway.

EFCC to NGOs: You 're money laundering outfits zName group involved in such practice — NGOs

BY SONI DANIEL

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BUJA—THE Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, yesterday, descended on non-governmental organisations in the country, describing some of them as vehicles for money laundering.

Head of the agency’s Special Control Unit against Money Laundering, SCUML, Angela Nworgu, who made the allegation at a seminar for nonfinancial institutions in

Abuja, also accused some of the organisations of serving as a conduit for money laundering and criminal activities.

Nworgu said that research by the Financial Action Task Force had indicated that money launderers use NGOs to carry out layering of stolen wealth through several countries to disguise the actual origin of the money.

She said it was discovered that “such elements did not mind losing 40 per cent of the total amount in the process, because it is

money gotten from illegitimate means”.

But many NGOs in Nigeria have kicked against the labeling by the EFCC, asking it to name the particular groups involved in money laundering.

One of them, the Programme and Advocacy Coordinator of Network on Police Reform in Nigeria, Mr. Okechukwu Nwanguma, described the allegation as reckless and unfounded, since there was no proof that any NGO had been indicted for money laundering by

the anti-graft agency.

Nwanguma said in the absence of any arrest of either an NGO or an i n t e r n a t i o n a l development partner by the commission, it was wrong to blackmail the organisations.

He, however, called on EFCC to work towards checking rising corruption in the country and justify its existence.

Nwanguma said, “let the EFCC give us one specific case of money laundering that any NGO has been involved in Nigeria and what they have done about it.”

Vanguard, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER, 6, 2012—7

From left: MD, Orient Petroleum Resources Plc, Mr. Nnaemeka Nwawka; Group Managing Director/CEO, Diamond Bank Plc, Dr. Alex Otti and Chairman, Orient Petroleum Resources Plc, Chief Emeka Anyaoku, CFR, at the inauguration of the production of oil from an inland basin by President Goodluck Jonathan at OPR Plc in Aguleri-Otu, Anambra State.

From left: Principal Manager, National Lottery Commission, Bassey Effiong, Nollywood Actor, Moses Armstrong, one of the winners of Hyundai ix35 SUV, Rev. Sopetu Ademyemi (with the car dummy key) and Joseph Ogbuka, Progressive Segment, Manager, MTN at the 6th prize presentation of the ongoing MTN Goodwill Automania in Calabar.

Impeachment: Call Gulak to order, Okorocha tells Jonathan

BY SONIDANIEL

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BUJA—IMO State Governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha, yesterday, asked President Goodluck Jonathan to call his Political Adviser, Alhaji Ahmed Gulak, to order so as not to stoke a political war in Imo State and stall the flow of its development strides.

The governor, who spoke through his information commissioner, Mr. Chinedu Offor, and the Special Adviser on Media, Mr. Ebere Uzoukwa, was reacting to claims by Gulak that Okorocha had committed an impeachable offence by not reinstating the deposed 27 local government chairmen in the state, as ordered by the Appeal Court last month.

Gulak had while receiving the 27 local government chairmen sacked by Okorocha, who were in his office to submit a letter of protest to the President in Abuja on Monday, said that the governor’s action was an impeachable offence.

Gulak said: “What Okorocha has done is illegal and unconstitutional and where democracy thrives, these are acts that are impeachable. It is just

unfortunate that the members of Imo State House of Assembly have not taken up that matter.

“In this vein, the courts have given their verdict that you should be reinstated. But the court verdict would be empty if you are not allowed to operate as chairmen of your local governments. A political solution must be found for this logjam and I believe that the leader of our party will

be properly advised on the political solution to this political crisis in Imo State.

“Nigerian democracy was not got on a platter of gold.

People suffered, people sacrificed, people lost their lives before this democracy came to be and no individual is greater than the democracy of Nigeria.”

The commissioner, who spoke to Vanguard in Abuja, described Gulak’s statement as outrageous and

Transformation: Asiodu, Anya make case for strong, visionary leadership

BY SAM EYOBOKAAND

OLAYINKALATONA

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AGOS—TWO eminent stakeholders in the Nigerian project, the founding Director-General of Nigeria Economic Summit Group, Prof. Anya O. Anya and Chairman of Council of Retired Federal Permanent Secretaries, Chief Philip Asiodu, yesterday, said that only a visionary, dedicated and committed leadership ready to undertake monumental sacrifices on behalf of the people can attempt national transformation as the followership would be willing to trust and obey such a leadership.

They spoke at the 13th Mike Okonkwo Annual Lecture with the theme, “Dependence of Nigerian Economy on Crude Oil: Any Alternatives?” at the MUSON Centre in Lagos.

In his lecture entitled, “Dependence, Resource Curse and The Challenge of Building a Prosperous Economy in a Global World—Nigeria’s Options,” Prof. Anya took a historical voyage to the emergence of Nigeria, saying that the nation enjoys the peculiar honour of being a paradox—a rich nation that harbours an inexplicable multitude of poor people.

Tension over Anambra oil producing status

BY TONYEDIKE NUGU—TENSION is heightening at the border communities of Enugu, Kogi and Anambra states following President Goodluck Jonathan’s declaration of Anambra as the 10th oil producing state.

Jonathan had made the declaration during his commissioning of Orient Petroleum Resources, OPR, Plc at Aguleri Otu in Anambra State last Thursday.

But reacting to the devel-

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unbecoming of a man who has no stake in Imo State and warned him to stop heating up the polity unnecessarily.

He said: “Imo people were really shocked and disappointed to hear such a reckless statement from a man who has no business in the politics of Imo State and we want him to tell the world whether he was speaking for himself or was sent by Mr. President."

opment, yesterday, members of the three Enugu communities involved in the oil wells dispute, vowed to protect the oil in their place with the last drop of their blood.

The communities, Ojjor, Iggah and Asaba, all in the Uzo-Uwani Local Government Area of Enugu State in a press statement made available to journalists yesterday in Enugu chided the Enugu state government over what they de-

scribed as “its obvious indifference and unseriousness in safe guarding the oil wells in our communities”.

The statement which was jointly signed by Comrade Jude Ibeagha, Stan Madubia and Chris Okpe on behalf of the three communities accused the Enugu government of watching helplessly while Anambra claimed the oil wells domiciled in their areas.

Anya agreed with Harvard Professor, Daniel Moynihan that “the central conservative truth is that it is culture, not politics that determines the success of a society. The central liberal truth is that politics can change a culture and save it from itself.”

Anya further argued that rather than being a blessing became a curse as the oil boom of the 1970s led Nigeria to neglect its predominantly agricultural and light manufacturing bases in favour of an unhealthy dependence on crude oil, maintaining that “new oil wealth, the concurrent decline of other economic sectors, and a lurch toward a static economic model fuelled massive migration to the cities and led to increasingly widespread poverty, especially in rural areas which rose from less than 40 per cent in the 1970s to more than 70 per cent in the 1990s.”

According to him, a collapse of basic infrastructure and social services since the early 1980s amplified this trend, adding that by 2000 Nigeria’s per capita income had plunged to about one quarter of its value in the mid1970s, below the level at independence."

Achigbu distances self from $15m Ibori bribe money

BY DOTUNIBIWOYE

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AGOS—MANAGING Director, Chimons Gas Limited, Mr. Chibuike Achigbu, yesterday, denied claims linking him to ownership of the $15 million allegedly offered to Mallam Nuhu Ribadu by former governor of Delta State, James Ibori.

It will be recalled that a certain Chibuike Achigbu recently applied to a Federal High Court, Abuja claiming that the sum of $15 million allegedly offered to the former Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, chairman, by Ibori belonged to him.

Reacting, Achigbu said that he was not the person who went to court and resemblance in name could have been a coincidence which is not unusual in Nigeria.

Speaking though his

counsel, Mr. Nwuke, Achigbu said media reports which claimed that he sought to join in the case was false.

He said: “Since the publication of these reports, Chief Achigbu has been inundated with calls from family, friends and business associates seeking to know if he is the same person that had approached the Court with the claims.

“He has assured such callers that he has nothing to do with the case. Probably, it could have been an coincidence in names which is not unusual in this part of the world.

“Some media reports went as directly imputing that the person who had sought to join in the case is Mr. Chibuike Lawrence Achigbu, Managing Director of Chimons Gas Ltd. This is absolutely false.”

Communities caution Chevron over planned disengagement of firm

BY EMMAARUBI

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ARRI—IJAW and Ilaje beneficiaries of Chevron Nigeria Limited, CNL, Offshore Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, have cautioned the oil giant against alleged moves to disengage the services of Nigerian Catering & Supermarket Services Limited, NC&SL, without regard to its negative impact on the host communities.

The communities in a statement by Thomas Eraye, Timi Ricgard, Tayo Oluwole, Oluremi Oluleye and six others noted that they are not prepared to compromise their rights of participation under the offshore agreement reached by the three ethnic groups of Ijaw, Ilaje and Itsekiri.

They maintained that as stakeholders, they are entitled to be put on notice for a meeting before any changes are made regarding the alleged change supposedly sponsored by “some faceless group in connivance with staff of Chevron.

“Despite our letters insisting on the continued stay of NC & SL, your PGPA is still bent on breaching the MoU which negates our rights as host communities.

We, however, wish to stress that the limit to which we can persevere in the face of this present injustice and denial is a matter of guess.”

The letter addressed to the General Manager, Policy, Government and Public Affairs, PGPA, warned that all efforts must be made to redress the present wrong.

8—Vanguard , THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2012

Navy rescues oil vessel from pirates

BY EVELYN USMAN

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HE Nigerian Navy yesterday, disclosed that it had rescued an oil vessel, 11 hours after it was hijacked by pirates, off the coast of Lagos.

The oil vessel, MT Abu Dhabi Star, with a 23 member crew on board, which was reportedly carrying product suspected to be gas meant for Exxon Mobil, was attacked and seized by pirates yesterday, where it anchored 80 Kilometres off the coast of Lagos.

Report said the panic stricken sailors sent distress signals after the pirates boarded the ship, with their last message indicating that they had locked themselves up in one of the cabins apparently for fear of being maimed or even killed by the invaders.

When the Nigerian Navy got the signal, two of its war ships, one of them, NNS Zaria and a helicopter, as gathered, went on hot pursuit .

The Director of Naval Information, Commodore

Kabiru Aliyu in a statement, noted that the foreign ship, MT Abu Dhabi was rescued by the Naval warship, NNS Zaria .

He said, “on sighting the naval ship and helicopter which were on patrol, the hijackers jumped from the ship and escaped. There was no exchange of fire. All the crew members are safe.

The rescued ship will anchor within the Lagos harbour under naval protection until investigation is completed”.

However, the exact point where the oil vessel was rescued could not be immediately ascertained.

The Western Naval Command Information Officer, Lieutenant Commander Jerry Omodara also confirmed to Vanguard that the vessel had been rescued.

Sources told Vanguard that the 23 crew members, all Indians on board the Singapore-owned oil tanker operated by a Dubaibased company, Pioneer Ship Management Services LLC, were safe.

Nothing to cheer about Nigeria's economy — Don

BY SONI DANIEL

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BUJA—THERE is nothing to celebrate about Nigeria being ranked the 39th among the world’s leading economies, renowned economist and Director General of the Lagos-based West African Institute of Financial and Economic Management, Prof Akpan Hogan Ekpo, has said.

Ekpo insists that the economic structure of Nigeria is faulty and does not portend a bright outlook for the nation and its people now or in the near future, if urgent steps are not taken to restructure it.

That notwithstanding, Minister of National Planning, Shamsuddeen Usman, boasted on Monday that Nigeria’s economy had made real progress and moved from its 44th position to 39th on the global ranking as a result of effective macroeconomic management by the administration.

Usman spoke at the inauguration of the Central Working Committee, CWG, on the review of the implementation of the First National Implementation Plan, NIP, for the Vision 20: 2020 in Abuja on Monday.

However, Prof Ekpo, told C M Y K

Vanguard in an exclusive interview yesterday that the government should be more concerned about what would grow the economy than celebrating what he called ‘a marginal gain’.

Ekpo, who is the former Vice Chancellor of the University of Uyo, pointed out that with the rate of unemployment and poverty in Nigeria, it would be difficult for any ‘economic growth’ to be appreciated by the majority of Nigerians.

“I think that whether we have moved from 44th to 39th position on the scale of economic performance or not what would make the real difference lies in the ability of the economy to create jobs and curb rising unemployment.

“Now, with unemployment growing at 34 per cent and poverty hovering above 70 per cent, it is difficult to say whether we have made any gain because in the real sense of it our economic structure is faulty,” Ekpo said.

The economist warned that the country’s economy would continue to remain in limbo as long as the government continues to sell oil and use the proceeds for the importation of goods and services for consumption without producing for export.

13TH MIKE OKONKWO ANNUAL LECTURE—Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola SAN (2nd left), Chairman of the occasion, Chief Philip Chikwuedo Asiodu (left), Presiding Bishop of The Redeemed Evangelical Mission, TREM, Dr Mike Okonkwo (3rd left), wife of the Presiding Bishop of TREM, Mrs Peace Okonkwo (3rd right), Guest Speaker, Professor Anya O Anya (2nd right) and Chief Examiner, Professor Akachi Ezeigbo (left) during the 13th Mike Okonkwo annual lecture at the Shell Hall, Muson Centre, Onikan, Lagos, yesterday.

We 'll appoint new power, defence ministers in two weeks—Jonathan zSays Minister of State for Power to act in the interim

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BUJA—PRESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan said yesterday in Abuja he would forward names of replacements for ministers of defence and power immediately the Senate resumed from recess on September 22.

The President disclosed this at the inauguration of the reconstituted Presidential Action Committee on Power and Presidential Task Force on Power.

At the ceremony, Jonathan directed the Minister of State for Power, Mr Darius Ishaku, to take charge of the power ministry in the interim. He said it was important to reconstitute the two committees on power so that the achievement recorded in the sector would not relapse. The President set up the two bodies in 2010 to closely monitor and implement the Power Reform Agenda.

The President said: “Definitely immediately the National Assembly comes back especially the Senate, we will clear the two vacancies that we have.

They will get cleared and we will place people accordingly so that the Ministry of Power will come up.

"But, in the interim, the Minister of State Power is holding on to that. But whether the Minister of Power comes or not, we want to reconstitute the two

teams because Nigerians will not be happy if we relapse and I believe that as we progress from now till December if Nigerians can go home in December and do their parties without generators and can drive to their States without gutters (potholes) on our roads stopping them, I think the rating of government will improve. So we must work hard to get to this level.”

Dagogo-Jack appointed as NIPP chairman The President appointed, Mr Reynolds Dagogo-Jack of National Integrated

Power Project, NIPP, as the Chairman of the reconstituted Presidential Task Force on Power.

The body was hitherto chaired by the former Minister of Power, Prof Barth Nnaji, who resigned his appointment on ground of conflict of interest.

“We have done it this way because, the other time when Nnaji was the Chairman, the secretary was my special adviser; so there was a lot of conflict between the two of them because they say two captains cannot drive a ship.

This time around we just want one captain and others will work with him.”

Members of the task force include Messrs Rumundakaa Wonodi, Olusola Akinniranye and Abdulganiyu Umar, the managing directors and chief executive officers of Nigeria Bulk Electricity Trading Plc; Transmission Company of Nigeria; and Abuja Electricity Distribution Company respectively.

Others are Mr Paul Umunna and Mr Oladele Amoda, the chief executive officers of Ughelli Power Plc and Eko Electricity Distribution Company respectively, as well as the Managing Director of Niger Delta Power Holding Company, Mr James Olotu.

IG deploys 18 policemen to SEC; vows to deal with criminals

BY PETER EGWUATU

L

AGOS—IN its determination to eradicate crime and malpractices in the Nigerian capital market, the Inspector General of Police, IGP, Mohammed Abubakar, yesterday, announced the deployment of 18 policemen to the Securities and Exchange Commission, SEC, saying, “this administration will not allow any criminal to go scot free without being punished".

He commended the Director General of SEC, Ms. Arunma Oteh for her desire to make the capital

market free of malpractices, saying “No nation can develop with the increase in crime and corruption.”

While inaugurating the 18 man team that was deployed to prosecute criminal cases involving the capital market activities, he charged the members to be good ambassadors of the police by ensuring that every culprit found wanting is dealt with in accordance with the Investment and Securities Act and regulation.

The 18 man team is headed by Chief Superintendent of Police

CIP, Babakura Mohammed, eight inspectors and others.

The IGP, said, "It is my solemn desire to make Nigeria safer for the growth and economic development of the nation. Life and property which include tangible and intangible assets must be protected.

“The inter agency collaboration is in the right direction as both Nigeria Police, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, and SEC are committed to deliver mandate of protecting life and property of the people".

Vanguard , THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2012— 9

LAWMA warns of imminent flooding in Ajah area

BY OLASUNKANMI AKONI

T

L-R: Mr. Rajan Swaroop, CEO, Airtel Nigeria; Mr. Ayo Gbeleyi; DG, Lagos State PPP and Mrs. Ekpa Dapo-Olowu, Lagos Showroom Manager at the commissioning of the new Airtel Express Shop at Ikeja City Mall, Alausa, Lagos, yesterday. Photo: Joe Akintola, photo editor

HE Lagos State Waste Management Authority, LAWMA, has raised an alarm over imminent flood disaster in Ajah communities following indiscriminate dumping of refuse in drainage as well as road medians.

It will be recalled that the Nigerian Meteorological Agency, NIMET and relevant authorities of the state government, had predicted a high prospect of intense rains to be accompanied by heavy flooding after the August

We’ll deliver Lagos - Ibadan expressway — Bi-Courtney

BY E MEKA MAMAH

T

HE concessionaire of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Bi-Courtney Highway Services Ltd has assured that the project will be successfully delivered.

Bi-Courtney reacting to reports that the Federal Government had cancelled the job, stated that the project has neither been taken away from it nor stopped from being executed by the Federal Government, contrary to speculations.

It, however, blamed the slow pace on the project on the Ogun State Government, which it said stalled the installation of a N960 million ($6.5million) bitumen plant that by now could have been producing over 120 tonnes of asphalt daily, for the maintenance of the road.

Release of equipment In a statement in Lagos yesterday, the company’s Head, Communications and Media, Dipo Kehinde alleged that the equipment which were seized over a year ago were yet to be released.

The statement read, ‘’The story is untrue. We are currently engaged in talks with the Federal Government. Contrary to the erroneous claim, the federal authorities and Bi-Courtney have been doing a lot lately to clear all the hurdles. We have made a lot of progress.

C M Y K

And we have been updating the media on our activities; the challenges and government resolutions. ‘’Notwithstanding the political intrigues, BiCourtney has been carrying out extensive palliative works on the road, while efforts are being made to resolve knotty issues surrounding the project. We have worked

over a stretch of 600 metres at Ibafo, along the southbound carriageway, and a total of 570 metres length has been cleared and backfilled. This work has contributed appreciably to ease traffic congestion usually experienced along the stretch. So far, we have overlaid over 13, 000 square metres at Sapade, Alapako, Isheri,

Ibafo, RCCG area- northbound from Danco Filling Station towards Conoil Filling Station. ‘’More than 5,000 square metres of potholes patching have been executed, and we have done extensive work to reclaim the most critical portion at the Aramed end of the highway, near Ibadan.’’

break.

LAWMA Managing Director, Mr. Ola Oresanya, through the public relations department, decried the fact that residents of Ajah were not supportive of the state government efforts to ensure that every community in the state is clean as well as protect lives and properties of cit-

izenry.

According to LAWMA: “Ajah residents, especially those of Thomas, Ilasan and Abraham Adesanya Estates are not paying for services rendered by Private Sector Participant, PSP, operators and waste management is not free anywhere in the world.

Amadi: The Sun NUJ visits Vanguard

By ABDULWAHAB ABDULAH

T

HE SUN newspa per’s chapter of the Nigerian Union of Journalists, NUJ, yesterday said that late Mr. Ogbona Amadi was an entertainment journalist whose reports were hardly faulted.

The Sun NUJ team led by their chapel Chairman, Mr. Philips Nwosu, expressed a big surprise at the sudden demise of Amadi, who, he described as “ one of the greatest entertainment writers this country has ever produced.”

Nwosu who was received with his team by the Vanguard Editor, Mr. Mideno Bayagbon said Amadi sat close to the Sec-

retary of his chapel at the last monthly congress of the state NUJ and “was full of life.”

He said, it was a great loss to Vanguard, entertainment writers and the country as a whole.

Mideno while appreciating the visiting journalists, admonished Nigerian newsmen to always prepare for their future.

He called on the journalists and friends of the deceased to support the Trust Fund which will be put in place to take care of the late newsman’s family, especially the children.

Vanguard Chairman of NUJ, Mr, Innocent Anaba thanked the visiting colleagues and prayed for God guidance.

Obasanjo, Mabogunje, others extol late Prof. Ogunseye’s virtues

BY OLA AJAYI, IBADAN

F

ORMER President Olusegun Obasanjo has said men and

women of integrity in this country should be remembered so as to serve as impetus to younger generation.

This, he said, would

have helped in moving this country on the path of restitution.

He said this at the formal presentation and launch of biography of

Lagos police rescue kidnapped Dangote staff •Nab 3 suspects

BY EVELYN USMAN with agency reports

T

HE Lagos State Po lice Command yesterday said it has rescued a staff of Dangote Group of Companies who was kidnapped last Sunday, in Ikoyi area of Lagos. It also said it arrested three of the suspected kidnappers in the process.

The rescued victim, Yahaya Aminu, was reportedly intercepted by some gunmen at about 9.15pm along Awolowo road while driving home.

Two of the abductors as gathered, joined Yahaya

in his Kia Cerato saloon car with number plate DN 735 APP, while their colleague followed behind in another car.

But the kidnappers met their waterloo after operatives from the Special Anti Robbery Squad stormed their hideout located in Ajao Estate area of the state on Tuesday where Yahaya was rescued.

Confirming the story, spokesman for the Lagos State Police Command, Ngozi Braide said, “ On September 4, 2012, Special Anti-Robbery Squad, Ikeja arrested the trio of

Kelechukwu Onyema, Pius Uba Livinus and Ayebe Segun at Ajao Estate.

The suspects had on Sunday at about 9 :15pm at Guaranty Trust Bank Awolowo Road, Ikoyi kidnapped one Yahaya Aminu a staff of Dangote Group of Companies, Ikoyi.

“Two locally made shot guns and sixteen cartridges were recovered from them. The victim was rescued alive and his Kia Cerato Saloon car was also recovered. The case is under investigation”, she said.

late industrialist, Prof.

Ayo Ogunseye in Ibadan yesterday.

Chief Obasanjo said exposing youths to records of exemplary works of our heroes would ginger them to live worthy lives.

Speaking at the launch of biography entitled ‘Ayo Ogunseye: The workers’ economist,’ he said, “family members of good Nigerians whose records we like to have, but we have not, we have to work hard towards documenting their history and achievements.

“It is necessary particularly now that we have a country where anything goes. The moral value was very high in the country in not so distant past. That time, we had men of God,” Obasanjo said.

On late Ogunseye, the ex-president said, “As Head of State of this country I was able to bestow national honour on

him. One of the people we heard about in the 1950s was Prof. Ayo Ogunseye.”

The Vice Chancellor, University of Ibadan, Prof. Isaac Adewole, said, “ Before Prof.

Ogunseye left the University of Ibadan, where he was the first Dean of Faculty of Education, he had nurtured the Department of Adult Education to a fully developed department.”

Prof. Adetowun Ogunseye said at the event, “I get a bit worried about the search and craze for wealth by the people. In spite of the wealth there is just a little to show in terms of development.

She explained that she wrote the book because she wanted to use his life to encourage the youth to do good.

Justice Bola Babalakin, Prof Akin Mabogunje, and many other eminent Nigerians were in attendance.

10—Vanguard , THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2012

Ondo INEC clears parties over alleged illegal registration zSays Ondo govt's biometric exercise ill-timed

BY DAYO JOHNSON

A

KURE—THE Inde pendent Electoral Commission, INEC, in Ondo state, yesterday, cleared the air on the alleged illegal voters' registration in the state, saying no party was guilty of the accusation.

Speaking at the state forum on voter education in Akure, the Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC, Akin Orebiyi, said that what was done by a Federal University and the Ondo State Government was capturing the biometric data of its workers and not registration of voters.

Orebiyi however expressed concern why such exercise should be conducted by the institution and the government at this particular time when the election is around the corner.

He said: “I think the government should not have embarked on such exercise towards the tail of the administration ." adding that the voters should not to sell their votes for momentary gains in order not to destroy their future."

INEC had raised alarm on illegal voters registration in the state , but failed to name the party.

He ,therefore, exonerated the parties of carrying out illegal voters registration exercise as alleged.

The REC equally exonerated INEC officials in the

state that the opposition parties accused of allegedly conniving with those accused of carrying out the illegal exercise.

He said the state INEC cannot access the data base of the voters register much less of anybody tampering with the original register.

The REC said the October 20 governorship election will take place in all the 3009 polling units across the 18 council areas of the state.

Orebiyi appealed to the youths in the state to channel their energies well, sup-

port peaceful and violent free election.

The State Police Commissioner, Danladi Mshelbwala, insisted that political campaigns and rallies should not exceed between 7am to 5pm on approval by the police to avoid provocation and violence.

Mshelbwala appealed to politicians to conduct themselves in a peaceful and violent free manner to allow for a hitch free and successful election.

Mimiko’s campaign

Meantime, Governor Olusegun Mimiko has urged the electorate in the State to be vigilant by protecting their votes from being hijacked by political thugs on the day of election.

Speaking in Odigbo Local Government Area of the State at the continuation of his re-election campaign, he warned the people to refrain from selling their voters’ cards to desperate politicians who are now on the prowl to deprive them of their right to choose their political leaders by offering

O

SOGBO—THE peo ple of Ile-Ife, Osun State, yesterday, urged the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi and his subjects to stop further distortion of the history of Yoruba.

Addressing newsmen at the palace of the Ooni of Ife, in Ile-Ife, spokesman of the community, Oba Adebolu Fatunmise, the Adagba of Iyanfoworogi, Ile-Ife, stated that the recent pronouncement of the Oyo monarch concerning the history and culture of Yoruba race was faulty.

Specifically, Fatunmise faulted the claim by the Alaafin concerning the proposed celebration of Oranmiyan festival in Oyo town as distortion of historical facts by Oba

C M Y K

I

BY OLA AJAYI

BADAN—PROPERTY worth more than one billion naira was lost, yesterday, as fire gutted Labaowo International Market, off Oke-Bola, Ibadan. A girl was also injured in the fire.

Although, no life was lost, traders whose wares were lost in the inferno that started some minutes past 10am struggled to retrieve one or two things from the burning fire.

When Vanguard visited the market yesterday around 3.05pm, fire was still burning some of the shops.

Firemen were seen struggling to put out the fire.

The President of the market, Alhaji Lukman Alaka, told our correspondent that more than 300 shops were burnt.

Items such as electronics, motor spare parts, generator spare parts, building materials and many others were lost to the fire incident.

When asked what caused

accompanied by fire. We called all the fire stations close to us, but, the response was not immediate.

I called Challenge fire station and another one at Mapo. When I noticed that they were not forth coming, I had to go to Mapo before help could come. But, before we got back to the market, the fire had gone out of hand.

“As for the property lost, it can’t be less than one billion. Many traders were affected. Some could not even retrieve anything from their shops. We would be happy if the government can provide a fire station for us here.”

One of the affected traders, Mr. Tijani Amoo explained that he just took a bank loan worth N800,000 to buy wares lamenting how he would refund the money.

He said he lost all the items. Though, he was not far away from the scene of the fire, by the time he

Akeredolu promises energy ministry if elected

A BIRTHDAY: From left: Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, National Vice-Chairman, Chief Segun Oni, member of Ekiti State House of Assembly, Bunmi Oriniowo, former Deputy Governor of Ekiti State, Chief Abiodun Aluko, former Minister of Education, Prof. Tunde Adeniran, former PDP state chairman, Chief Bola Olu-Ojo and former Deputy Governor, Dr. Sikiru Tae-Lawal at the church service to mark the 58th birthday of Oni at Ifaki-Ekiti, Ekiti State.

Ife community faults Alaafin's Oramiyan festival utterance

BY GBENGAOLARINOYE

Fire destroys 300 shops, property worth N1bn in the fire, he said; “Suddenly, Ibadan we saw balls of smoke was

Adeyemi and his subjects.

Oba Adeyemi was quoted to have said in a publication that “Oranmiyan festival is the one and only authentic festival for the metropolitan Oyo and the Yoruba race in which all Yoruba at home and in the Diaspora can joyfully and patriotically patronise.”

But Oba Fatunmise stated that in as much as the people of Ife community did not begrudge any Yoruba town or village from celebrating any of the Yoruba deities, such celebrations should be channeled properly through the custodians of such deity.

The spokesperson of the Ife people said it was an incontrovertible fact that Oranmiyan is among sev-

eral deities being worshipped or observed by the people of the community from time immemorial.

His words: “Ile-Ife is not in competition with any town or city. Ile-Ife is neither a war mongering town nor in competition with anybody who believes in laying false claim to false suzerainty over the people’s legitimate property through blatant lies and unabashed military arrogance and self aggrandizement .

“But if these half truth people constantly dish out to the public and are unfortunately promoted by those who believe there will be dividends derivable from such despicable strategies, Ile-Ife will continue to hammer on the truth, even more constantly” he added.

While putting the record straight, Fatunmise re-

called that Oranmiyan ended his military escapade in Oyo Ile in today’s Niger State adding that, "from Oyo-Ile where Ajaka his first born ruled, Oranmiyan came home, to Ile-Ife. “The new contraption which they described as metropolitan Oyo only came into existence in 1836 under the leadership of Prince Atiba who they latter made the head, that is the nucleus of the Alaafin you have today.

“Oyo empire disintegrated in 1830 under the rulership of Aole whose military expedition offended Ife tradition and thereby caused the collapse of the Nupe based Oyo-Ile. “Therefore, celebration of Ooni Oranmiyan without Ife is like celebrating arrogance and rascality which has no importance and meaning.”

KURE—THE gover norship candidate of Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, in Ondo State, Mr. Rotimi Akeredolu, has promised to establish a ministry of energy and natural resources if elected as a governor in October 20 polls.

This he said has become imperative towards developing the energy resources and human capital, particularly among the Ilaje, who are the natural owners of the crude from which Ondo State and indeed Nigeria has benefitted so much.

He spoke while receiving some professionals and eminent Leaders of Ondo State who paid him a solidarity visit at Owo. He said: “Let me assure you that the Ilaje will not be left out in the ACN government as the Ministry of En-

ergy and Natural resources will cater for the people of the area.”

Akeredolu promised to follow in the footstep of late Adebayo Adefarati who established the agency for the development of the area.

Meantime, the Akeredolu Campaign Organisation, ACO, through its Director of Media, Publicity and Strategy, Mr. Idowu Ajanaku, has called on all well meaning people of Ondo State to rise to condemn the alleged move by Governor Olusegun Mimiko to bastardise the civil service of Ondo State.

He said: “He has in the last two years been secretly installing members of his nuclear/extended families and friends into various Ministries, Department and Agencies,MDAs, in the State almost on a monthly basis.

Methodist Prelate visits, counsels Amosun

BY DAUD OLATUNJI BEOKUTA—THE Prelate of the Methodist Church of Nigeria, His Eminence, Dr. Sunday Ola Makinde, yesterday, told Ogun State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, that his second term bid depended on his performance at the grassroots.

Makinde stated this, yesterday, in Abeokuta while leading a delegation of the Methodist Church of Ni-

A

geria to the governor’s office in Oke-Mosan.

According to the cleric, provision of social amenities across the state would give the governor an easy ride for his second term ambition.

He said: “Today, we all rememberAwolowobecauseofperformance. Once you meet the needs of the grassroots through provision of social amenities, you will not even need to do much to get asecondtermbecauseyourwork will speak for you."

Vanguard, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2012—11

Robbers kill two in P-Harcourt

BY JIMITOTA ONOYUME

P

ORT HARCOURT—TWO persons were reportedly killed while a policeman sustained gunshot wounds when armed robbers attacked a vehicle close to Isaac Boro Park in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, yesterday.

Eye witnesses said the two casualties were the driver and another occupant of the vehicle. Vanguard gathered that the robbers trailed them from a bank where they had gone to withdraw cash.

It was not clear how much was in the two bags FUEL SCARCITY IN PORT HARCOURT: Black marketers selling fuel as scarcity hits Port Harcourt, Rivers State, occasioned by refusal of petrol filling stations to sell PMS to customers. Photo: Nwankpa Chijioke

JTF destroys illegal refineries in Edo …as soldiers uncover 6,000 illegal refineries in Delta

BY EMMAAMAIZE, SAMUELOYADONGHA, SIMON EBEGBULEM, EMMAARUBI,AKPOKONA OMAFUAIRE & OGIEVAOYEMWENOSA

B

ENIN—JOINT Task Force, code named Operation Thunderstorm, in Edo State, yesterday, destroyed no fewer than five illegal refineries at Igbelebu, in Ovia South-West Local Government Area of the state.

In Delta State, soldiers of the 3 Battalion, Effurun Barracks, Effurun, near Warri, have made a discovery of over 6,000 illegal crude oil refineries in three Itsekiri communities of Ugborodo, Aruton and Ugboegungun, Warri South-West Local Government Area of the state.

It was gathered that communities collect levies from the suspected crude oil thieves to enable them carry out their illegal activities in their domains.

Meantime, five suspects, including a female, were arrested with five loaded AK 47 guns and 204 rounds of ammunition, while a manhunt has been intensified for the crude oil kingpin who escaped arrest, weekend, in Warri.

Commanding Officer of 3 Battalion, Effurun, Lt. Col. Ifeanyi Otu, who spoke to reporters in Warri on the haul, informed on the destruction of the 6,000 illegal

refineries, 10,000 GP tanks, 1,000 Cotonou boats, unspecified litres of refined products used by the suspected oil thieves for the unlawful business, Monday night.

Cache of arms Also, JTF in the Niger Delta, codenamed Operation Pulo Shield, yesterday, said its operatives intercepted a cache of arms and ammunition in Ajudaibo Community, Warri South-West Local Government Area of Delta State, following a stop and search operation, leading to the arrest of three persons, including a woman.

The seizure was reportedly carried out by the soldiers attached to the 3rd Battalion of the Sector 1 Command of JTF led by Lt. Col. Ifeayin Otu. Head, Media Coordinating Centre of JTF, Lt. Col. Oyeama Nawachuckwu, in a statement, said the search operation at Ajudaibo in Warri SouthWest led to the recovery of five AK 47 magazines fully loaded with 30 rounds of ammunition each.

Destruction of refineries In Edo, the destruction of refineries was in a village on the border between Edo and Ondo States. Several jerrycans of petroleum products running into thou-

sands of litres were found in the area.

However, the perpetrators and members of the community took to their heels when the soldiers arrived.

Speaking to newsmen at the scene of the operation, the Commander of Operation Thunderstorm, Lt. Col. Moruf Adegbenru, said the operation became necessary to stop the activities of the people he described as economic saboteurs.

Group commends JTF Meanwhile, Warri-Ijaw Peace Monitoring Group, WIPMG, Warri, Delta State, has commended the soldiers for arresting three suspects with five loaded AK 47 guns and 204 rounds of ammunition during a raid on suspected oil thieves in Warri area of the state.

Similarly, though supporting the actions to rid the creeks of illegal operations, a community leader, Mr. Isaac Botosan, has said their grouse with the JTF operatives was that instead of going into the creeks, where perhaps these activities are taking place, the soldiers entered into the living quarters of Ugborodo, harassing and chasing residents, both old and young into the bush, noting that many community engine boats and those of individuals used for their

daily legitimate businesses had been carted away.

Chairman of WIPMG, Mr. Paul Bigha, meanwhile, has urged security agents in the area to carry out a thorough investigation aimed at exposing and punishing those involved in the crime.

It urged the Nigerian Army, Oil Facility Surveillance Limited and other agencies saddled with the responsibility of policing oil facilities in the Niger Delta to continue with their good work.

Mr. Botosan, on his part, said: “We want them to destroy any illegal refinery at their operational base. They do not operate inside the community. The soldiers should restrict their actions to the refineries in the creeks. Burning peoples’ private legitimate articles of trade and boats, including what rightly belong to the community is unacceptable to us. Ugborodo is not a bunkering community.”

the robbers pulled out from the vehicle after they had killed the occupants.

The incident caused traffic gridlock at the busy Isaac Boro park end of the state capital as soldiers and policemen took over the area for several hours.

State Police Commissioner, Mr Mohammed Nndabawa confirmed the incident to Vanguard, adding that the policeman who was shot on the leg was responding to treatment at an undisclosed hospital. He said the police were making efforts to track down the robbers.

Delta bomb scare: Police intensify manhunt for suspects

BY AUSTIN OGWUDA

A

SABA—FOLLOW ING the bomb scare at the office of the Delta State Head of Service on Tuesday, which later turned out to be a hoax, men of Delta State Police Command have intensified their search for the persons, who planted the fake device.

State Police Public Relations Officer, Mr Charles Muka told Vanguard on phone, yester-

day: “We are seeking for useful information from the public in tracking down the suspects. Although it was not a real bomb, we are out to fish out the criminals behind it.”

Vanguard gathered that the police top hierarchy saw the act as an embarrassment, especially as it happened on the day the Assistant Inspector General of Police, AIG, zone 5, Mr. Hashimu Argungu, was on an official visit to the

Uduaghan’s aide assures on empowerment

W

ARRI—SPECIAL Assistant to Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan on Special Duties, Mr. Matthew Opuoru, has assured youths in the state of plans by the state governor to provide increased empowerment for them in line with the government's vision of a Delta State beyond oil.

Opuoru, who hosted hundreds of youths of the area in Warri, noted that as part of the renewed plan by the state government to consolidate on youth empowerment, his office was finalising plans for the empowerment of 240 youths across the 12 wards in Warri

South Local Government Area with a view to creating employment and generate wealth.

Thanking youths for supporting Governor Uduaghan, he explained that beneficiaries of the programme would include those who had been trained in mechanic, tailoring, welding and fabrication, hair dressing, carpentry, electrical installation and plumbing.

He noted that technical materials would be provided for the beneficiaries to enable them kickstart their businesses, create wealth and subsequently generate employments in the area.

Ex-militants laud Jonathan over expansion of amnesty programme

BY FESTUS AHON

U

GHELLI—THIRD Phase Ex-militants under the aegis of Niger Delta Development Ex-militants, yesterday, commended President Goodluck Jonathan for approving

the expansion of the amnesty programme to accommodate them.

National Chairman of the group, Mr. Julius Joseph, described the gesture as the President’s practical demonstration of his commitment to transform the Niger Delta to an envi-

able region that would have great impact on the lives of the people.

He also commended the National Assembly, security agencies and people of the region, for their roles throughout the clamour for their inclusion in the amnesty programme.

12—Vanguard, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2012

‘Ex-Delta Speaker didn't die in our hospital'

BY AUSTIN OGWUDA

A

PRESENTATION: Delta State Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan (middle); Commissioner for Transport, Mr. Ben Ibakpa (right) and Sector Commander, Federal Road Safety Corps, Mrs. S. A. Ajenge, when the governor presented the keys of two ambulances and a towing truck to Delta State Command of the FRSC, at Government House, Asaba, yesterday.

Bakassi: Obong, Efik Kingdom insist on appeal against ICJ judgment

BY JOHNBOSCO AGBAKWURU

C

ALABAR—THE Obong of Calabar, Edidem Abasi-Otu and leaders of Efik Kingdom, have called on the Federal Government to appeal against the 2002 judgment of the International Court of Justice, IJC, which ceded Bakassi Peninsula to Cameroon.

The Efik leaders, who noted that the appeal had become necessary, following fresh facts upon which the judgment should be challenged, condemned Federal Government’s lukewarm attitude to the matter, insisting that the appeal should be instituted before the expiration of the 10 years timeline given for appeal by the world court.

After a meeting which deliberated extensively on the Bakassi issue, leaders of Efik Kingdom under the aegis of Etuboms’ Traditional Council, called on the

Federal Government to, as a matter of urgency, explore every legal avenue and opportunity to seek a reversal of the ICJ judgment before the October 10, 2012 deadline.

In a statement by Chairman of ETC, Etubom Bassey Duke and co-chairman of the Obong’s Executive Forum, Dr. Asuquo Ekpenyong, the leaders said the Bakassi Peninsula was the bona fide property and ancestral homeland of the various Efik ruling houses.

They said: “Bakassi Peninsula is the bonafide property and ancestral land of the various Efik ruling houses under the Obong of Calabar. There are numerous documents to attest to this fact, including the 1884 Treaty signed between the Kings and Chiefs of Old Calabar with Britain.

“In recent time, the Efik Kingdom and its peace loving people have watched with consternation as their property had been partitioned, fought over, its bounda-

Electricity workers poised for battle with FG over entitlements

BY GABRIEL ENOGHOLASE

B

E N I N — N A TIONAL Union of Electricity Employees, NUEE, yesterday, called on its members not to see the resignation of the former Minister of Power, Prof. Barth Nnaji, as the end of the struggle for

the payment of their entitlements, saying that they should be prepared for the last confrontation with the Federal Government on the issue.

During its sensitisation rally in Benin, Edo State, National President of the union, Mr. Mausa Musa, said NUEE’s stand on Federal Gov-

Rep lauds military over destruction of illegal refineries in Delta

W

ARRI—THE re ported destruction of multiple refineries by Joint Task Force, JTF, operatives in Ode-Ugborodo and some adjoining communities has been applauded by a House of Representatives member, Mr. Daniel Reyenieju.

He added that such patriotic accomplishment by the security agencies should be extended to

ries adjusted and subjected to a court judgment without consultation let alone consent.

“After intense deliberations, the Obong-inCouncil and all the stakeholders present resolved that while appreciating the efforts and good intentions of all concerned to deal with the issue of Bakassi, we call on all sons and daughters at home and in the diaspora, to come together with one voice to restore the rights and dignity of their brothers and sisters in Bakassi."

other parts of the countr y, particularly the Niger Delta region, where the unholy act seemed to be most pronounced.

Speaking to Vanguard on telephone, yesterday, Reyenieju, member of the House Committee on Illegal Bunkering, expressed shock at the upsurge in illegal refineries in the area, which he

said had wreaked untold environmental devastation on the eco-system.

He said: “The House has been most worried over illegal bunkering and refineries, and this necessitated the House resolution condemning illegal bunkering in its totality and urging the Nigerian state to take all necessary steps to put an end to it."

ernment privatisation policy remained the same, adding that the workers were prepared to withdraw their services from Power Holding Company of Nigeria, PHCN, if their entitlements were paid.

He said: “We will not stay a day longer in the establishment if the government decides to take their company and pay off all the workers. That has been the union’s stand. We will not relent on this stand for which the leaders need the cooporation of all the workers as usual to continue the struggle.”

Also addressing the workers, General Secretary of the union, Mr. Joe Ajaero, reiterated the resolve of the workers to continue with the demand for the payment of full entitlements to PHCN workers.

SABA—MAN AGEMENT of St. Luke’s Hospital, Asaba, Delta State, has denied that the former Speaker of Delta State House of Assembly, Mr. Daniel Igbrude, died in the hospital.

The hospital, in a statement by its Administrator, Mr. N. Ikwunne, denied media publications, that the ex-Speaker died in the hospital, adding that it was the widow who insisted that her husband’s body be brought to them for confirmation.

Insisting that Igbrude did not die in their hospital, the Administrator, said: “At 12.15p.m., one of the medical officers, Dr. Emmanuel Usige, got a phone call from Dame

Agu, Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Controller, Asaba branch, to assist Mrs. Igbrude with an ambulance to get her husband, who was said to have collapsed in a private hospital in Asaba.

“At 1.10p.m., Dr.Usige arrived at the hospital, he saw Mr. Igbrude on a call in the doctor’s office, after proper examination and interrogation with the doctor on duty at the hospital, he confirmed to Dr.Usige, that his patient slumped and died in his hospital, in Asaba at 12 noon on August 27, 2012.

“The deceased's widow insisted that her husband’s body be taken to St. Luke’s Hospital for confirmation, if her husband was indeed dead and St. Luke’s Hospital confirmed him dead also.”

100 ex-militants graduate from technical programmes

BY NKIRUKA NNOROM

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O fewer than 100 repentant militants in the Niger Delta region have graduated from a vocational training in various technical skills in line with the region’s amnesty programme.

The training, which was conducted by Glassfa Continental Limited, centred on welding and fabrication technology skills.

Speaking during the graduation of the trainees in Warri, Delta State, Chairman, Glassfa Continental, Evangelist Sam

Fetimi, said the training was in furtherance of the Niger Delta amnesty programme, adding that his firm was able to train and develop the trainees to an acceptable standard.

He said: “We are proud to have impacted and graduated the first set of trainees from our training programme. We have been able to assist, develop, support and improve these individuals.

At Glassfa, we believe that if you give a man fish, you feed him for one day, but if you teach him to fish, you feed him for life.”

Vanguard, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2012 —13

Anambra demolishes 2 buildings owned by suspected kidnap kingpin

BY VINCENTUJUMADU

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WKA—GOVERNOR Peter Obi, yesterday, at Ifite-Oraifite in Ekwusigo Local Government Area of Anambra State, supervised the demolition of two buildings belonging to a suspected kidnap kingpin, Mr. Olisagbo Ifedike.

Obi, had earlier announced that any building used by kidnappers or belonging to a kidnapper would be demolished and the land confiscated by government. A hotel and two buildings in the state had earlier been sealed off on the orders of the governor,

following allegations that they were being used as hide out by suspected kidnappers.

Ifedike, 36, alias Ofe Akwu, was arrested on Monday by a combined team of the Inspector General of Police, IGP’s, special task force and State AntiRobbery Squad, SARS, along with a member of the gang.

The two properties demolished yesterday were a one -storey building with a pent house and a bungalow which he built for his father.

During the raid on the compound, the police dis-

covered sophisticated arms and ammunition in a plastic concealed underground behind the bungalow.

In the armoury were 27 AK 47 rifles, one K2 riffle, two type-06 rifles, one General Purpose Machine Gun, one Rocket launcher, 17 rockets, six pump action guns, three dane guns, one Barrett pistol and 13 Rocket grenades, as well as 12,800 rounds of AK 47 live ammunition, 530 rounds of LAR ammunition, 95 rounds of GPMG live ammunition, 1000 rounds of K2 live ammunition and 143 magazines.

Apart from an underground structure in the compound suspected to be a place for keeping victims, there was also an extended building with toilet facilities behind the bungalow suspected to be a place he was using as a cell.

In a small building attached to the wall near the gate was a shrine allegedly used by the father of the suspect, Mr. Patrick Ifedike, alias Ogbujingidi, said to be a native doctor.

Before yesterday ’s demolition, it was noticed that there had been an attack on the compound by suspected angry mob who burnt parts of the buildings,

smashed the windows, doors and furniture in the area.

Obi, who personally supervised the caterpillars while at work on the buildings with some members of the State Executive Council, said the action was in line with the law of the state which provides that any property linked to kidnappers and other criminals would be confiscated and demolished by the state government.

According to him, the decision was geared towards eradicating crime and flushing out hoodlums from the state.

Enugu govt, NGOs move to improve citizens' welfare

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NUGU—THE Enugu State government has stated its readiness to partner with Non-Governmental organisations, NGOs, and groups towards the continued development and implementation of programmes geared towards improving the lives of the people.

Already, the government is creating a conducive environment that would enable such organisations operating in parts of the state to achieve their goals.

Governor Sullivan Chime stated this when he received in audience the Chief Executive Officer, CEO, Women for Women International, WWI, Afshan Khan and other officials of the association at the Government House, Enugu yesterday.

Chime who was represented by the Chief of Staff Government House, Mrs. Ifeoma Nwobodo commended the international organization for choosing Enugu as one of the states in the country to implement its programmes.

He also thanked the members for their positive impact in 13 local government areas in the state.

Passage

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ARRISTER HAROLD Aruma,52, of Igugu, Udenu Local Government Area, Enugu State, is dead.

A service of songs holds today, at his Igugu residence while the burial holds tomorrow after a funeral mass at St. Paul's Catholic Church, Igugu.

He is survived by a widow, Mrs Ngozika Aruma, children and relations.

Late Harold Aruma

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Vanguard, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 06, 2012—14

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Vanguard , THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2012—15

Gunmen kill 4 in Bornu, bomb 9 telecom masts

BY CHRIS OCHAYI, SUZAN EDEH & NDAHI MARAMA

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OUR persons were, yesterday, feared dead in Gwange area of Bornu State after gunmen invaded a house occupied by persons of Yoruba and Igbo extraction.

This came as the Regional office of MTN and nine telecommunication masts belonging to different companies along Baga road of Maiduguri metropolis, were attacked with explosives.

Meanwhile, a bomb suspected to have been targeted at a telecommunications mast, yesterday night, exploded in Bauchi town and injured a guard just as another was defused by the anti-bomb squad in Bauchi.

However, General Superintendent of the Deeper Life Bible Church, Pastor Williams Kumuyi, said there was an urgent need for Nigerians to sit down with a view to finding lasting solutions to the lingering problems of insecurity and other social vices confronting the country.

A neighbour of the four slain persons told newsmen that they heard a strange voice in the house, where some of the deceased were crying for help, but that the 9pm curfew prevented anyone from going to see what was happening.

He said it was only in the morning that news reached them from the house that four people were killed.

MTN attacked

In Baga road at the MTN regional office in West-End area, Vanguard gathered that the incident took place at about 2am, yesterday. It was gathered that the office that was set ablaze housed all the communication facilities of the front line GSM operators.

It will be recalled that earlier in the year, the Boko Haram sect, issued a statement that the telecommunication industry in Nigeria was one of their targets.

Also set ablaze were the telecommunication masts in Dala, Bulunkutu, Bayan Quarters, Gwange, Sulimanti, Bolori, Adam Kolo and Bulabulin wards of the metropolis.

An eyewitness, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told Vanguard that the Bulunkutu mast was burnt down by armed youths at about 8pm, Tuesday.

Confirming the incident, the JTF Spokesman, Lieu-

tenant Colonel Sagir Musa, confirmed the burning of MTN Office and some masts in Maiduguri, but denied any killing in the state.

Sagir said: “I can only confirm to you that some telecommunication masts and MTN Regional office were set ablaze by suspected members of Boko Haram sect. But I am not aware of any killing in Gwange.

Give me time; as soon as I get details I will communicate it to you.”

Kumuyi reacts

At a briefing, Tuesday night, after the Faith Re-

vival Conference organised by the North-Central zone of the church, Pastor Kumuyi argued that the nation’s problem required dialogue.

He said: “Now in a whole country, we know that the problems are there. How do we solve the problems?

Nobody just rises up to say he wants to destroy property and lives. There must be something that is the grievances of the people and then if there is an attack somewhere why the attack?

“It is when we begin to talk that we will know why the attack and where it is

coming from, and it is then we might see that we are fighting over nothing and if at all we are fighting on something we may then realise that this approach is not going to give us what we are fighting for.”

Eyewitness account

In Bauchi, an eyewitness said they heard a loud explosion and when they went there, they found that the metal door to the mast was damaged.

The eyewitness said: “There was fire near the scene of the explosion,

but the air-conditioner and generating set inside the mast building are still working.”

A guard at the place, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said no harm was done to the mast but that he was slightly injured. He said that he was treated and discharged at a hospital.

State Police Public Relations Officer, Hassan Auyo, who confirmed the incident, said he did not have the detail.

Security source

However, a top security source told Vanguard:

“As far as we are concerned, the incident was a failed attempt because we have information about plans by hoodlums to attack some places.

“We have taken adequate security measures and have deployed soldiers, police and security personnel to guard every identified flash point to ensure that they do not get any loophole.

“The bomb attack targeted at the mast exploded outside the gate because the hoodlums dropped it outside.”

16—Vanguard , THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2012

FG assures on Lagos-Ibadan road

BY BEN AGANDE

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VISIT: From left— Mr. Jimoh Babatunde, Vice Chairman, Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, Lagos State Council; Mr. Joe Apu, Ex-Officio, NUJ, The Sun; Mr. Mideno Bayagbon, Editor, Vanguard Newspaper; Miss Monica lheakam; Mr. Philip Nwosu, The Sun NUJ Chairman; Mr. Innocent Anaba, Chairman, Vanguard NUJ; Mr. Sam Awokam, Treasurer, The Sun NUJ, and Mr. Wahab Abdulah, Assistant Secretary, Vanguard NUJ, when The Sun NUJ paid a condolence visit to Vanguard over the death of Mr. Ogbonna Amadi, Vanguard's Entertainment Editor. PHOTO: Diran Oshe.

NEC didn't discuss N5,000 currency, says Suswam

BY HENRY UMORU

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BUJA—THE proposed introduction of a new N5,000 denomination by the Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, has not been discussed at the National Economic Council, NEC, which has Vice President Namadi Sambo as the Chairman.

Governor Gabriel Suswam of Benue State, who kicked against the new currency, disclosed this to newsmen yesterday. He said prior to the announcement, the apex bank boss ought to have presented it before NEC. NEC, which is the nation’s highest decisionmaking body on economy, has as members all 36 state governors; Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Coordinating Minister of the Economy and Minister of Finance; Dr. Shamsudeen Usman, Deputy Chairman and Minister of National Planning; Professor Sylvester Monye, Special Adviser to the President on Project Monitoring and Evaluation, among others.

Suswam, who led members of Benue State delegation of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, on a visit to the National Chairman, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, also kicked against calls for the establishment of state police as being canvassed for by Nigeria Governors’ Forum, NGF. Other members of the delegation were Senator Barnabas Gemade, former

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National Chairman of PDP; Emmanuel Agbo, Benue State PDP Chairman; Abba Morro, Minister of Interior; Dr. Samuel Ortom, Minister of State, Trade and Investment; members of the House of Representatives; state legislators, the 23 local government chairmen and secretaries, Jack Tilley-Gyado; Abu King Shuwa, among others.

N5,000 note supporters

It will be recalled that the Economic Management Team, EMT, at the end of its meeting on Tuesday, endorsed the move to introduce the N5,000 note by CBN, just as governors Murtala Nyako of Adamawa, Peter Obi of Anambra State and Aliko Dangote have all thrown their weights behind the new currency.

Suswam said: “Let me tell you that economically, I do not support that. I am not an economist. I do not know what informed that, but quite frankly that means Nigeria naira will be devalued.

Cashless society?

“I don’t know how printing N5,000 will address the economic issues that are confronting us. But like I said, I am not an economist and so, I do not know the nuisances of printing N5,000 note.

“If we are saying we will present a cashless society and in the same vein printing N5,000 note that can make it possible for

somebody to carry N10 million naira in his pocket, I am a bit confused about that.

“But I expect that the issue would have been addressed at the National Economic Council, NEC, meeting. We never discussed about it at any point in time and so I am as confused as the man on the street.”

On state police

On state police, the Benue State governor said: “Right from the beginning, I am totally op-

posed to state police. It is a position I took from day one. Ask any governor, they know I am the only person who has been opposed to state police by giving reasons.

“Are we matured enough to handle state police? No. As governor I would like to have state police, but how would I use it? Before we talk of the usage, I totally support what the President said. The governors know it is a position I have taken from day one before it became a national debate.

“So, I am totally opposed to state police and I owe nobody any apology, because as a governor I would like to have state police and be in control. But how I will use it is a question. A lot of people will misuse.

“It is better for us to do those things that will engender unity in the country rather than bringing things that can make some people look up to themselves and create disunity in the country. So, I am absolutely and totally opposed to state police.”

BUJA—FEDERAL Government, yesterday, said reports in the media that the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway concessioned to Bi-Courtney Highway Services, had been withdrawn were not true.

Minister of Works, Mike Onomelemen, while speaking with State House correspondents, said government was committed to delivering the road on time because of its strategic importance, noting that work would commence on the road as soon as the rain is over.

According to him, government had been engaging the concessionaire and talks were still ongoing and Nigerians would be informed once a decision was taken.

He said: “What I can say is that the Federal Government, through the Ministry of Works, is determined to ensure full rehabilitation of that road. It is a task that we must deliver.

“We are engaging the concessionaire and the engagement is still on. I can assure you that immediately after the rain, the jobs will be done. We are committed to doing that.

Once the final action plans are raised, we will let Nigerians know.”

Removed kidney: Man gets N3.2m lifeline from Yuguda

BY SUZAN EDEH

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AUCHI—HELP, yes terday, came the way of 25-year-old Abubakar Buba, whose two kidneys were allegedly removed in a private hospital in the state, as Governor Isa Yuguda donated $22,000 (about N3.5 million) to enable him travel to India for transplant.

His mother and his uncle have similarly offered to donate their kidneys to the patient presently on dialysis at the Renal and Dialyses Centre of Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital, Bauchi.

While making the donation, Governor Yuguda said the money was for the transplanting of new kidneys to the patient in India, explaining that there was also another undisclosed

amount to cater for the procession of visa and other necessary medical tests.

Yuguda, who was represented by the state

Commissioner for Health, Dr. Sani Malami, said he had directed a thorough investigation into the matter and reiterated the commitment of the government to the provision of

health care to the people of the state.

He said the medical team would take the patient and the two kidneys donors to Kano for test to know which kidney would be suitable to the patient.

House decision on my commissioner not binding—Suswam

BY PETER DURU

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AKURDI— GOVERNOR Gabriel Suswam of Benue State, yesterday, said the resolution by the state House of Assembly directing him to sack his I n f o r m a t i o n Commissioner, Mr. Conrad Wergba within seven days, was not binding on him.

Suswam said the decision to hire or fire a member of his executive council rested exclusively with him in

line with the provisions of the law.

According to a statement by the media aide to the Information Commissioner and ICT Consultant to the Benue State Government, Mr. Tahav Agezua, the governor was quoted as saying that he would, however, initiate moves to resolve the dispute in the interest of the state.

He said: “The decision to hire and fire a commissioner rests exclusively with me according to the law; the

resolution of the Benue State House of Assembly that I should remove a Commissioner of the State Executive Council is not binding on me.”

It will be recalled that the Assembly had, last week, given the Governor a seven-day ultimatum to remove Mr. Wergba as commissioner following his refusal to resign within one week in accordance with its resolution with regard to what it considered uncomplimentary remarks on the House by the Commissioner.

Vanguard, THURSDAY,SEPTEMBER 6, 2012—17

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SPENT last weekend in Kano. My intense love for the largest city in Northern Nigeria is well known by people very close to me. Outside of Ilorin, Kano is the city that I know most intimately: I studied there; worked there in some of the most productive phases in my professional life in broadcasting, reporting for the BBC and Radio France International (RFI). I have always been fascinated by the layer upon layer of historical riches embedded in Kano’s over 1000 years of existence. As a reporter, I made a habit of peeling through that history to reveal a very rich vein which helped to enrich the various packages that I made for the BBC’s NETWOK AFRICA and AFRICAN PERSPECTVE as well as the magazine programmes of RFI, during the 1990s.

I decided to make the city a permanent place of abode, packed my stuff from Ilorin and a few weeks after, I was appointed pioneer General Manager of Kwara State Television; I had to return to Ilorin. But the love affair with Kano has endured. I return regularly to give lectures at BUK; attempted to commence doctoral studies there; or just to catch up with friends and visit old haunts!

Kano fascinates me as it has fascinated many intrepid travellers all through its rich history; I can name Ibn Al-Wazzan (known in history as Leo Africanus), who visited in the Middle Ages and attested to the agricultural riches and the remarkable court life; AbdulKareem AlMaghili, a contemporary of Machiavelli, who wrote the famous “Obligation of Princes” for the most famous HabeEmir of Kano, Muhammadu Rumfa and closer still, the Africanist, Basil Davidson. So I am in good company in my fascination with Kano!

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Kano: Hope, renewal and scholarships empowering the young; a new university and an ambitious urban renewal project, including the commencement of three new ‘cities’ to open up Kano and decongest the city at the same time. Governor Kwankwaso and his team of ‘iPad-wielding’ colleagues really seem to mean business and honestly, their enthusiasm was very infectious!

In all, I had almost five hours of no-holds-barred discussion with the governor as well as supplementary asides with the SSG; State Affairs Commissioner, Ameen AbdusSalam (Comrade) and Baba Halilu Dantiye.

Kwankwaso was very forthcoming in his response to allegations about his ‘arrogance’ which he

Kano has grown exponentially, has become very dysfunctional and is literally bursting at the seams

,

located within the different political tendencies that struggle for hegemony in Kano. The administration isexecuting different projects and he assured me that he is not taking loans to

Exponential growth

Map of Kano State

execute the projects, just as he said he didn’t take any loans between 1999 and 2003. The government decided to plug all financial loopholes, by cutting wasteful expenditure.

Kwankwaso said ‘security vote’ was simply an avenue of theft and added that states’ monthly allocation was adequate to finance development.

He defended the decision to brand every project with the “KWANKWASIYYA” slogan; he said after his electoral defeat in 2003, the succeeding administration launched a publicity offensive against him, that he did nothing during his tenure, meanwhile they were

commissioning projects that he commenced. The branding was to let people remember they were projects of his tenure. He was effusive about the 18 different institutes started in the past year, dedicated to teaching skills, ranging from an ICT-based institute through to sports, poultry, fisheries, tourism, film, livestock breeding, entrepreneurship, development journalism, farm mechanization and irrigation, to name but a few, along with the ambitious Northwest University. I was invited to sit in, as the pioneer Vice Chancellor was appointed on Saturday night, after a brainstorming session with the

Scholarship awards

Olusegun Obasanjo: Delusions of an old despot

Well, last week, Baba Halilu Dantiye, former President of the Nigeria Guild of Editors called, on behalf of Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, to invite me to be part of the ceremony to award 501 post-graduate scholarships to Kano students. I readily agreed to be able to take inthe strides being taken by the Kwankwaso administration.

I had not seen the governor for years really, but I follow his colourful, but often very controversial, political career. A lot was taking place at the same time, and like a house on fire, the administration was re-defining governance in Kano in all directions: rejection of the infamous ‘security vote’; putting a stop to sponsorship of pilgrims to the Holy Lands; reclaiming open spaces parceled out amongst the rich; reclamation of flood plains, by demolition of houses built on them by the rich; the commencement of various training institutes, targeted at

HOSE close to Olusegun Obasanjo, must become increasingly worried about the man. He was recently reported to have said that his sudden resignation from PDP’s BOT chair, was “to attract business opportunities to Africa in general and Nigeria in particular, in view of happenings in Europe and America (HEAR! HEAR!!)” There cannot be a better illustration of delusion. As Nigeria’s president for eight years, he spent months travelling around the world, allegedly in search of foreign investment, but he failed; he left a legacy of a dubious privatization that offloaded our national assets to cronies. He lost every ounce of respectability with his Third Term Agenda and became just another variant of the African dictator by the time we kicked the clown into irrelevance. Now he dares to tell a lie about attracting business opportunities to Africa!

As if that was not shocking enough, last Tuesday, he told an audience at a lecture in Lagos, that

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technical committee which midwifed the university.

The event which took me to Kano was the mass scholarships award to 501 students to do postgraduate studies abroad, in practically every field of human endeavour. Human development has taken central stage in Kano; 100 students are going abroad to study medicine; 1000 will study Chinese; 1,500 will learn French; 100 new pilots are to be trained in Ilorin and the UK; while another batch of 502 will travel abroad in January, in the second phase of the scholarships programme. The criterion is strict: students must have graduated with a First Class or a Second Class Upper and the rule will not be bent for anyone! On Sunday, I visited sites of the Northwest University; the ‘new cities’ as well as some of the road expansion projects.

the reason he could not deliver his promises in the electricity sector, during his eight-year tenure, was that he did not have enough time to implement the projects. May we recall that in 2008, the House of Representatives had carried out a probe of the electricity sector and the contracts awarded, during the Obasanjo administration.

Expenditure on power The old despot refused to honour an invitation to testify before the probe panel; he would later send a letter which accused the panel of rudeness, for daring to invite him to testify in the first place! The Elumelu Committee came out to tell Nigerians that Obasanjo spent $16 billion in the sector and in the end, it delivered more darkness to the country! As THE NATION newspaper of Thursday, August 30, 2012, jocularly but poignant noted in its

Hardball column, maybe we should not have defeated the Third Term Agenda! We should have given Obasanjo a lot more time, especially the twelve years he would have been entitled to, if the constitutional emendation had succeeded.

Just fancy having the old despot on our hands for those extra twelve years and the Eldorado that he would have made of Nigeria: every national asset would have been sold to cronies; his shares in ‘blind trust’ would have hit the skies in Transcorp; the Nnamdi ‘Andy’ Ubas of this world would have continued to rule the roost and the old dictator who was described by the exconvict, Bode George as ‘founder ’of modern Nigeria would certainly have really found his métier as our leader for life!

But in truth, Obasanjo is way past his shelf life; he has politically expired and has become an irritating clown in the Nigerian political circus! The effort he is making today is a pitiful attempt

Kano has grown exponentially, has become very dysfunctional and is literally bursting at the seams. Most of the major roads need to be rehabilitated fast; the administration plans an ambitious programme of flyovers within the city just as it is building pedestrian walkways on the edges of roads. Governor Kwankwaso really has his work cut out for him. But the beauty of it is that there is a lot of work being done and a commensurate level of effusiveness to match. I left Kano on Monday morning, having seen the face of determination; it will be interesting to see how things pan out in Kano in the next few years.

I left unconvinced though, about the defence made for the branding of public projects with the “KWANKWASIYYA” slogan, but there is no gainsaying the fact that Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso is making a genuine statement for development today in Kano.

at a revision of recent history, with the assumption that Nigerians suffer historical amnesia; but he is not likely to succeed. Nigerians are aware of his culpability in all that has happened to us since 1999; these include the authoritarian pall he cast upon the democratic process; the stifling of inner party democracy; systematic rigging of elections; the pervasive corruption; the recruitment of controversial characters into political leadership; a dubious privatization which offloaded national assets to cronies; the imposition of a terminally sick invalid and a clueless running mate and the consequent deepening of the division of the country, and so on!

Obasanjo is a distraction we can do without as we attempt to grapple with problems he deliberately sowed into our national existence. Those close to the old despot need to manage him more robustly so he doesn’t do more damage to himself and them too, by extension!

18 — Vanguard, THURSDAY , SEPTEMBER 6, 2012

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O most members of the public it is The National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos; venue of iconic national and international football matches from where legendary commentators such as Ernest Okonkwo, Ishola Folorunso, Kevin Ejiofor and others thrilled Nigerians with their microphone artistry. But to the sporting press and others, who understand the poetic ambience of that national arena, it is fondly called Sportscity. It is more than just a stadium. It houses the National Institute for Sports, all the sports associations, The Nigeria Olympic Committee, practice pitches for all forms of sports, indoor sports halls and even a housing estate, of which the Games Village in Surulere outside the Sportscity is an annex.

Sportscity was designed and constructed as a one-stop sports complex for all the sports that were competed for when Nigeria, at the height of her first oil boom, hosted the Second All Africa Games in 1972. One of the features that makes Sportscity the first and only of its kind in Nigeria, even today in its utter dilapidation, is the profusion of ornamental trees, which clothe the arena in deep green as you drive or walk into its cavernous atmosphere. Most of these trees are over forty years

War against trees at Sportscity old. They have acquired the status of legacy trees which, in some pre-modern cultural settings, are associated with divine powers. But in more enlightened societies, such trees are carefully preserved to showcase the pedigree of national edifices.

But National Sports Commission (NSC) the federal agency in charge of sports administration in the country and the employer of staff that earn their monthly wages in the stadium, seem to have gone beyond losing interest in keeping the complex well maintained. Even though they charge N100 per vehicle entering the stadium and also collect commercial rents from users of its various grounds and halls, little is done to reinvest some of the money to maintain the stadium.

Beyond that, a senior officer of the NSC in the stadium, has formed the habit of getting the beautiful pedigree trees of the Sportscity cut down on flimsy excuses, which are too trite and laughable for mention here. She is defoliating the Sportscity, and has been doing so gradually over the last three years without anyone calling her to order. Sportscity is beginning to look desolate, deforested and ugly.

No credible excuse can be made for the hewing down of prized ornamental trees. Trees can only add value to humans and the environment. They can never harm anyone.

We call on the Federal Government to save the National Stadium, Surulere and restore it to its pride of place as a city for sports in Nigeria.

More importantly, we call on the NSC to rein in this officer. This madness of tree cutting must stop forthwith. Environmental campaigners and activists must join hands with us to see to the end of this odious war against trees in Sportscity. If there is any compelling reason to cut down any tree or flower there must be contingency plans to replace them with better variety of trees or flowers.

Enough of this environmental barbarism!

OPINION

BY EDDIE ONUZURUIKE

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HE phenomenal transformation of Ohiya, the sleepy community spangled in a hill and valley got me dusting my history books to see if I could find such growth equivalent.

A peep into the growth of towns and cities of Great Britain revealed that the growth of towns and cities were so much predicated on the industrial revolution of the 18th and 19th centuries. For example, the cotton districts of Lancashire, Blackburn town that grew into a manufacturing city, the iron-making towns of Middles-Borough, the railway town of Crewe and the brewing town of Burton.

These, like phoenixes, all rose from their ashes of rural and suburban status into super cities.

Phenomenal still, Ohiya which hitherto could not be located on the map of Nigeria, doesn’t manufacture anything except harboring what many thought were illegal miners of kaolin, but a close inquiry testified that they were certified. Was it mere luck or compensation for rectitude? When you are in a habit of hosting people, you may not know when you receive angels.

An Ibeku maxim prays thus: "May my luck surpass my strength". Ohiya’s luck has greatly surpassed her strength. Some years ago, the local government creation excised Ohiya from the Umuahia North Local Government Area, where they were complacent with their Ohuhu clan, somewhat forcefully grouping them into the Umuahia South Local

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The phenomenal growth of Ohiya and the lessons therein Government Area. Some grumbled that it was an exercise in bad faith and they trudged along, unaware that providence was going to smile on them profusely. By dint of hard work, an Ohiya son rose to the position of the President-General of the the Ohuhu clan, organising one of the most celebrated Iwa Ji festivals which attracted the Governor’s presence in 2009. It was a statement that despite the placement in another LGA, that they were unwavering in their integration as Ohuhu kith and kin and at the same time emitting a resounding political undercurrent of unshakable affinity with Dr T. A. Orji.

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hiya has emerged the silicon valley of sorts spawning enviable possessions. For samples, do you know that the 133/132Kva power station, a project of the Federal Government but evacuated to Abia communities with billions of naira by the Abia State Government led by T. A. Orji is located in Ohiya? The Nigerian Television Authority, NTA, the mechanic village, the behemoth luxury bus motor park, World Bank Estate, the Fadama 111 Office, the fertilizer plant, NEPA quarters and others are dotting the mineral-rich landscape of Ohiya? The state government egged on by the foresight and benevolence of Ochendo

who acquired and judiciously allocated the portions of land has catapulted the fortunes of Ohiya town and indigenes.

Ideas rule the world, they say, thanks to Chief Emeka Nwachukwu, aka Longman who deftly blended political maneuver with traditional audacity. In 2007 Chief Nwachukwu was the state party chairman of APGA. Unlike previous political experiences where election results are fiercely contested, rejected and wrangled, Longman led APGA to congratulate Ochendo when he was sworn in as the third democratically elected Governor of Abia State. Not too long, he hatched and executed the brilliant idea of organising the other parties in the state under the umbrella of CNPP to collaborate with the government of T. A. Orji. This objective action did not go unnoticed or unrewarded as His Excellency gave a slot of the Executive Council positions to the opposition parties. This conciliatory move

by T.A. assuaged frayed nerves and reduced the temperature of the boiling polity. Chief Nwachukwu, the first son of Ohiya to serve as President-General of the powerful Ohuhu Welfare Union in recent times, has scored so many firsts as he is the first Ohiya son to serve in the Abia State Executive Council. He is currently serving as the Special Adviser on NEPAD.

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hiya did not ask for much, rather they gave out the much they could.

Today, you can see the mast of the NTA towering above Ohiya hills, the Bishop Nwedo Seminary at the foot of the hill and other State, Federal Government and private installations at other elevations and artificial promontories.

This should be a lesson to other communities who grumble when there is request for land for development. It is not that they do not have knives, guns and cudgels to protest like other communities do, they have always believed in dialogue, constructive engagement and diplomacy.

These have paid off in many ways. It is on record that His Excellency has paid three official visits in five years to Ohiya, namely in Iwa Ji Ohuhu in 2009, a traditional marriage in 2010 and the recent superlative hosting where he was bestowed with the instructive title of Okaome of Abia.

During the visit, he made promises and gave assurances. For a man who keeps his words like bonds, Ohiya is due for wonders.

Ohiya is no more the bride that is the cynosure of all eyes but the groom that has won the most coveted bride. Ohiya has become a game changer, an emerging city on the hill.

For Ohiya, it is morning yet on creation day. Think like Ohiya! Love Abia!

•Mr Onuzuruike, a public commentator, wrote from Umuahia, Abia State

Vanguard, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2012—19

, Anambra at history’s gates but…

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HEN Governor Peter Obi of Anambra State held a media parley with journalists in Lagos recently, one of the questions I asked him was the true status of Anambra oil and gas resources long rumoured to exist. It was based on this “rumour” that Orient Petroleum, chiefly owned by the government and people of Anambra State and other stakeholders, was floated about a decade ago to drill for oil and refine some of it while the remainder would be barged down the Niger for export.

It was with euphoria that Obi announced that “very soon” journalists would be invited to witness the commissioning of Anambra’s oil wells. When I received a text message from his major domo, Valentine Obienyem, to attend the event which took place on Thursday, October 31, 2012, it was the oil wells and the Onitsha River Port that I wanted to see most out of the many new mega-factories that were lined up for official opening.

But alas! It was not to be. On

the official programme of the day, the commissioning of the oilfield and refinery were to be the last items before President Goodluck Jonathan would depart the state. However, the protocol was changed and the commissioning was done first, without the media having the opportunity to see what they were really all about.

Up till today, the whole story about the phenomenon that made the President to officially pronounce Anambra State as the “newest oil-producing state in Nigeria” is shrouded in utter controversy. Not much has been said about the size of these oilfields, other than that the oil is in “commercial quantity ”. Not much is known about the number of barrels per day we can expect from them. All that the President said was that for the state to start collecting its derivation royalties the bureaucrats at the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources would need to tie up the technical loose ends.

It will also require legislation to determine whether Anambra

If everything goes according to plan, Onitsha is likely to be the most successful of the river ports that will dot the Niger; the reason is simple: Onitsha has one of the largest markets in Africa

,

will now become one of the Niger Delta states. ore importantly, is the potentially dangerous issue of who owns the land – and the oil. The Orient Petroleum is sited at Aguleri Otu. But the land on which the oil wells that feed it stand is under dispute by Kogi and Enugu states. As most national dailies focused on the arrival of Anambra State as an oil producing state the day after the commissioning, the pro-North Trust newspapers paid copious attention to the grievances of some groups from Kogi State who claimed, through a youth leader, Ibe Abah, that the oil is piped to the Orient Refinery from Odeke land in Ibaji Local Government of Kogi State. From the tone of their concerns, there might be another case of “curse of oil”, this time manifesting in communal clashes and perhaps disruptions, unless the issue is handled to the

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satisfaction of those who feel they are stakeholders. Surely, there is much to be expected from this issue beyond oil production and the activation of the nation’s first private refining factory.

The second history-making event was the commissioning – at long, long last – of the Onitsha River Port on the same day. It was completed by local contractors, Inter Bau, at the cost of N4.6billion. If everything goes according to plan, Onitsha is likely to be the most successful of the river ports that will dot the Niger at Koko, Oguta, Onitsha, Lokoja and Baro. The reason is simple: Onitsha has one of the largest markets in Africa, and the industrial town of Nnewi is just a stone’s throw. The two giant cranes that would be lifting containerised cargoes from barges were demonstrated. Apart from the large warehouses, there is also a huge container depot and oil tank farm.

What made August 31 a special day in the history of Anambra State specifically and Nigeria at large, was that the Onitsha River Port, which was conceived during the President Shehu Shagari regime in 1981, has been serially sabotaged. A former Minister of Communications, Mr Olawale Ige, during his brief stint in 1990, sought to cancel the project because according to him, there was no need for it!

Even when the late President Umaru Yar ’ Adua decided to complete the dredging of the lower River Niger to make it navigable and clear the way for the construction or completion of the river ports, some Ijaw leaders openly kicked against it, saying it would endanger the livelihood of those living further downriver,

something that a thorough environmental impact assessment, EIA, could easily prevent. The bottom line of it all was that, in line with the civil war policy of denying the Igbo people any direct access to the Atlantic Ocean, every move made to actualise the project was truncated. t has taken the regimes of the late Yar’ Adua and the current one of Goodluck Jonathan to shut the door on the odious past and begin a process that will make the River Niger the useful resource that other great rivers of its type in the world, such as the Nile (Egypt), Amazon (Brazil), Danube (Germany), Tigris and Euphrates (Iraq), Seine (France), Thames (England) Mississippi (USA) and Yangtze Kiang (China) are for the economic and social development of the world.

The President also committed very strongly to the construction of the Second Niger Bridge to link the South East and SouthSouth to the rest of the country.

The “ground breaking” is to take place in March 2013.

President Jonathan expressed his joy that majority of the projects commissioned were private sector-financed factories – Orange Drugs, SabMiller, Krisoral, in addition to Orient Petroleum, which, according to him, will fetch a total of 10,000 jobs.

Indeed the pace of industrialisation will now pick up in the state. But Onitsha, as a city, has to be completely “ rewritten”.

Right it is a total junk city, bedevilled by rubbish, pigs and indiscriminate commercial activities.

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In search of a police force HERE is the seemingly pessimistic view that even without a government, this country cannot be worse than it already is. As a corollary, people may also add that even without a police force, the crime situation in Nigeria cannot get any worse than it already is.

President Goodluck Jonathan has a point in assuming that if you are right, the police – be it Federal or state – will defend you. He almost said that much when he declared the annual conference of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, open in Abuja on Monday, August 27, 2012.

Clearly, Edo State has been one of the sharpest critics of his administration, but “… at the last election, Oshiomhole was popular and he won.” There was nothing any police could do about that.

Along the same line, we think the ongoing debate on the desirability or otherwise of having a state police is a diversionary tactic. As usual, this is perhaps another way of giving the citizenry some bone to crack while their attention is removed from the bigger question of insecurity that has enveloped the entire nation.

In fact, what Nigerians want is a police system that works – a police system that responds to their security needs. Whether it is controlled by the Federal, state or Local administration is immaterial. They have a common disgust for the situation in which families are left to negotiate with kidnappers of their beloved ones. Every arm of security and law administration chain, including the Judiciary, must be improved for the effective performance of its role. The philosophy behind our criminal justice administration needs a major overhaul. What we have now is a system that punishes only petty criminals while the big ones are allowed to escape and even glorified!

Alexander Pope (1688-1744) was right C M Y K

when he asserted: “For forms of government, let fools contest. That which is best administered is best”. One common mistake among Nigerians is that they speak in a tone that suggests that the police exist only to protect politicians and elections.

Come to think of it, presidents, governors and other big politicians are already protected, particularly with their whopping security votes. But what about the citizens? They need protection. Yet, they are the ones left unprotected. It does not make any difference to them where the controller of their protector is. All they want is efficiency and effectiveness of the police and the system.

The futile nature of the present debate becomes clearer when we realise that we cannot be discussing the police in isolation. No system can ever grow much higher than the environment in which it exists. We may easily agree that the police system in Nigeria is not properly funded.

We may also agree that most police bosses have invariably come out richer than the Police Force. We may proceed from there to demand that whether the police is national or local, the legislators should recommend stiff penalties for all those who divert police funds to their private pockets. But what if the legislators took 20 percent of the budget sum to approve the budget? What if the process of releasing the fund took another 20 percent? Corruption in society must necessarily impinge on the sub-systems in that society.

The worst is yet to come. As society gets rotten by the day, everything – including the Police Force – is also going down the drain! There are states and organisations in this country where bribery and corruption have been institutionalised to the extent that the amounts for employment and promotion are fixed. As

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The philosophy behind our criminal justice administration needs a major overhaul; what we have now is a system that punishes only petty criminals while the big ones are allowed to escape

,

long as you provide what is required, you are employed, whether or not you meet the laid down criteria.

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t may not matter whether the policeman that emerges from this procedure is clinically blind or if he has one and a half legs; or whether he is only three feet tall or if he possesses only the primary four certificate to occupy an executive position! And on promotion, no matter how hard you work or how eminently qualified you may be, no payment, no promotion! This is Nigeria, our Nigeria. In the face of all this, you will still expect a perfect Police Force and if you don’t find one, it is because the Police Force is federal or local!

The fault with the Nigeria Police is not whether it is national or local. But even at that, what could have been seriously

wrong in experimenting on the state setup after so many years of failure of the national police? Why are we suggesting that the state police would break the country? By the way, how many people would object to having a broken Nigeria in perfect peace and harmony, instead of the “united” and troubled country that we now have?

For now, we are stuck with the police force and the society we have. They will keep struggling together. By the time we have a better society, people will be available to find a police system that will fit the module. When the time comes, we shall forget about the level of control and go for the real thing – an effective police system. For now, we have no moral right, expecting to reap the German, American or British police when all we have planted is the Nigeria Police! An acceptable response time presupposes the existence of good network of roads, good communication equipment and a capable work force.

Elsewhere, a policeman is supposed to possess a pleasant and an imposing personality; disciplined and smart looking; he must be able to outrun the fastest criminal; and he must be equipped with the latest investigation techniques.

How does this compare with a system where toys, half–baked and sometimes pregnant men in rags are running around as policemen? We once had a police force.

For now, there is virtually none! Why are we now chasing the shadow and leaving the substance – looking for who controls a police force that does not yet exist?

20—Vanguard, THURSDAY,

C M Y K

SEPTEMBER 06, 2012

Vanguard, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2012 — 21

MAN advocates upward review of tariff on wheat flour

BY FRANKLIN ALLI

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ANUFACTURERS Association of Nigeria, MAN, has called on the Federal Government to review upwards the existing 15 per cent duty on imported wheat flour, ahead of the 2013/2017 Common External Tariff regimes.

This is even as the Director General of the Federal Institute of Industrial Research Oshodi, FIIRO, said consumption of cassava bread can save the economy N318 billion yearly.

Speaking during a Consultative Forum on the review of Common External Tariff 2008-2012 which will expire in December this year, Chief Kola Jamodu, MAN President, said that the introduction of 10 percent composite cassava flour in bread has necessitated the need for upward review of duty imposed on wheat flour.

He said that the Association believes this will accelerate the manufacture of composite flour locally.

“We are aware that duty is a veritable instrument for generating revenue for Government. To this end, we recommend the following tariff rates as worthy of retention/adoption: Industrial machinery zero per cent duty, raw materials not locally available, five percent duty, raw materials that are sufficiently/adequately produced locally 10 per cent duty; intermediate products 10 per cent duty, finished goods locally available in adequate and consistent supply 20 per cent duty + levy; finished goods with excess local capacity 35 percent duty + levy,” said Jamodu.

Gloria Elemo, FIIRO Director General, corroborated that Nigeria can save N318 billion yearly from eating cassava bread.

“This figure is half of the N635 billion (about $3.9 billion) being spent annually to import wheat into Nigeria by the Flour Millers for bread making and other confectioneries.

“Since wheat is not produced in Nigeria it has to be imported.

Furthermore, bread is produced from

166.80

+3.90

2,475.00

+78.00

19.79

+0.21

112.30

-1.29

94.87

-1.28

CURRENCY BUYING CENTRAL SELLING DOLLAR 154.8 POUND 245.7814 EURO 194.6146 FRANC 162.0094 YEN 1.976 CFA 0.277 WAUA 234.6356 RENMINBI 24.4128 RIYAL 41.2756 KRONER 26.1173 SDR 235.6056

155.3 246.5853 195.2432 162.5327 1.9824 0.287 235.3934 24.4921 41.4089 26.2017 236.3666

155.8 247.3792 195.8718 163.056 1.9888 0.297 236.1513 24.5422 41.5422 26.286 237.1276

CBN Exchange rate as at 5/09/2012 C M Y K

From left: Gbenga Abraham, Branch Manager, Unity Bank Plc, Head Office Annex; Ado Yakubu Wanka, Managing Director, Unity Bank Plc receiving the ISO Certificate of Information Security from Adedoyin Odunfa, Managing Director/CEO, Digital Jewels at the certificate presentation ceremony held in Lagos

100 percent wheat flour and as such huge amount of hard earned foreign exchange is used every year for its importation,” she disclosed.

“We are trying to encourage consumption of cassava bread so that the money spent on cassava flour on

our foreign exchange can be diverted to other areas and in the process it will cause a chain reaction back to the producers and it will add value to the economy,” she said.

She noted that in a bid to redress the country’s undue dependence on

100 per cent wheat flour for bread making and other confectionery products, the Federal Government came up with the policy of gradually increasing the substitution of high grade cassava flour from 10 percent to 40 per cent.

N5,000 note, threat to Nigeria’s security — Lawmakers S

OME members of the Lagos State House of Assembly (LAHA), have stated that the proposed introduction of N5,000 currency note by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) will threaten the country’s security.

Mr Mufutau Egberongbe , Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN Apapa I), told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ikeja that the introduction of the currency would render the cashless policy, useless. NAN recalls that the CBN Governor, Sanusi

ECCIMA, RMRDC, stakeholders stage agric show in Enugu

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RESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan is expected to declare open the third National Agricultural Exhibition and Symposium billed for Enugu on Sept. 27 and Sept. 28. A statement, issued by the Enugu Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (ECCIMA), organisers of the event, said that no fewer than 250 stakeholders, including 10 research institutes, were expected to showcase their products at the event.

The statement, signed by the Director-General of ECCIMA, Mr Emeka Okereke, noted that key stakeholders in the public and private sectors

as well as international agencies would attend the occasion, being organised in collaboration with the Raw Materials Research and Development Council.

It listed some of the resource persons to include: Ministers of Agriculture and Rural development, Science and Technology and Water Resources. The theme of the twoday event is “Evolving and Harnessing Practical Strategies Toward the Growth of the Agricultural Sector for Sustainable Development.”

Lamido Sanusi, said recently that all the necessary logistics had been put in place to ensure the successful release of the currency into circulation in early 2013. The lawmaker advised Sanusi against foisting such an unpopular policy on Nigerians.

“It is not necessary with the cashless policy in place. If you have two bundles of 5, 000 notes in your pocket, that is a million naira. The introduction of the currency will encourage fraud, corruption and it will pose a security threat to the citizens; so, it doesn’t make any sense,’’ Egberongbe said. The lawmaker advised that the N40 billion to be used in printing the currency should be diverted to complete some abandoned projects in the education, health and power sectors.

Egberongbe, the Chairman Committee on Physical Planning and Urban Development in the Assembly, described the 5, 000 naira currency as “draconian and diversionary” as there were more demanding issues in the economy. Mr Rotimi Olowo (ACN-Somolu I) said the currency would lead to further devaluation of the naira.

22 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2012

Capital market gains 15%, investors’ confidence improves

By PETER EGWUATU

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HE level of patronage at the Nigerian capital market has grown by 15 per cent, showing an indication of improved investors’ confidence, President, Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers (CIS), Mr. Ariyo Olushekun has said.

He stated that foreign investors are taking advantage of the low price of equities in the stock market because of their sophistication and understanding of market dynamics, even as he called on local retail investors to join the race and make remarkable gains.

“Already some of the local sophisticated retail investors are making money. There are two types of foreign investors, which are foreign portfolio and Foreign Direct Investment (FDI). It is the foreign portfolio investors that are taking advantage of our market because they understand the game” he said.

On the level of market recovery, he said “The market has

already recovered and what operators, regulators and other stakeholders are working on is the sustainability of the gains. The market has gained 14 to 15 per cent at the moment, which is remarkably good when it is compared with other markets in other economies. The market we have now is not for all comers. Investors need to understand the nittygritty of the market and for those who don’t understand the market, they should put their funds in Collective Investment Scheme (CIS) where fund managers will invest in baskets of equities that will generate reasonable returns.”

Managing Director, Goldbanc Management Associates Limited, Mr. Olu Abayomi Sanya, in his comment on the state of the stock market, said, “The market has recovered and is making reasonable returns to investors who are playing the market. But what investors should bear in mind is that the returns cannot be like what it used to be in the

From left: Managing Director, Guinness Nigeria Plc, Mr. Seni Adetu; Executive Governor of Ogun State, His Excellency, Senator Ibikunle Amosun and Corporate Relations Director, Guinness Nigeria Plc, Mr. Sesan Sobowale during a courtesy visit paid by the management of Guinness Nigeria Plc at the Governor’s office in Abeokuta, Ogun State. past four years when there was absolute manipulation of prices. Now there is serious regulation and monitoring of

trading activities, so returns on investment must be reasonable enough.”

In terms of confidence, he

NSE: IT upgrade necessary for full certificate-less market — Chukwu

BY NKIRUKA NNOROM

F

ULL dematrialisation of the Nigerian capital market by first quarter of 2013 will not be possible if the Nigerian Stock Exchange, NSE, and Securities and Exchange Commission, SEC, do not follow through with registrars to ensure they update their IT platform ahead of the take-off date, said Mr. Johnson Chukwu, Chief Executive Officer, Cowry Assets Management Limited.

Chukwu told Vanguard in an interview that with the present sate of some registrars, the objective of achieving certificate-less capital market in less than five months would be far from being met.

In view of this, he said that the Securities and Exchange Commission, SEC, including the Nigerian Stock Exchange, NSE, must also ensure full interface with Central Securities Clearing System, CSCS, IT infrastructure by all registrars.

He noted that it was important for the NSE to embark on serious sensitisation campaign ahead of the deadline to prepare investors, especially retail investors on the concept of certificate-less shareholding, ‘ whereby investors shareholding are no longer evidenced by physical certifi-

C M Y K

cate but CSCS statements.’

Mr. David Adonri, Managing c Director/CEO, Lambert Trust and Investment Limited, said full dematrialisation was possible if compliance would be strictly enforced.

He said, “If SEC gives the order for full dematerialization of share certificates in 2013 and compliance is ruthlessly enforced, the objective will be achieved.

“Henceforth, no company should be allowed to issue share certificates, while through appropriate arrangement, all shares outside the CSCS should be migrated to it by the Registrars.”

A stockbroker, who prefers anonymity, insisted that it was contradictory for the Securities and Exchange Commission to still leave investors with option of having physical certificate if they choose to.

Vanguard recalls that the SEC had ordered full dematrialisation of all share certificates by first quarter of 2013.

In order to hasten realization of the objective, SEC had directed firms seeking to raise funds from the primary market to adopt Electronic Public Offering and stop issuing physical certificates to investors effective from January 1, 2013.

SEC observed that the pol-

icy was aimed at facilitating speedy processing of offers, as well as allow investors simultaneous access to their shares for desired transactions.

According to SEC, all share certificates dematerialised on or before January 1, 2013 shall be at no cost to the shareholder, but certificates dematerialized after the set date shall be at a cost.

It said, “Investors are encouraged to contact their stockbrokers to assist them to acquire Clearing House Number (CHN) at the Central Securities Clearing System, CSCS, while imploring public companies, registrars and stockbrokers to engage the shareholders, investors and other stakeholders to ensure the success of the dematerialization exercise.

said, “The market is now gaining confidence because of the appropriate structure that has been put in place by regulators. Every operator is now playing the rules of the market and the true price of equity is determined accordingly.”

Mr. Albert Okumagba, Group CEO, BGL Plc, said, there is no market without economy and that is why in the forthcoming first national workshop to be organized

by Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers (CIS), we would be engaging regulators in financial sectors, policy makers and influencer to see how to bring positive change in the economy and the capital market in particular.

Firm creates virtual trading platform to heighten investors’ confidence

BY LAZARUS IBEABUCHI

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N a move to boost inves tors’ confidence in the Nigeria capital market, a virtual trading website, easykobo.com has been created to enlighten investors on firsthand knowledge of market activities.

Arjun Markanda, CEO of Easykobo.com Finance website, said that this will go a long way in changing people’s mindsets about investing in the stock market.

He said, “The Easykobo.com stock trials are an excellent way of learning how to invest in Nigeria capital market. We live in times where there is complete apathy towards investing in the stock market.

The stock trials allow doubt-

ful individuals, who want to invest but are not sure where to invest, an opportunity to practically feel the market directions.

“One can use Easykobo.com to get all the information on listed companies and then buy shares of those companies and try out various strategies.

Once a person is confident and wants to go ahead and invest with real money, the person can then contact his stockbrokers or a financial advisor to do the deal. In this way, Easykobo.com is bringing people back into investing in Nigeria capital market. Easykobo.com is leading people to discuss the stock market with their friends over gatherings, in offices and in homes.

“Thousands of our visitors are now learning practical trading on the Nigerian Stock Exchange listed stocks without putting in real money. This will go a long way in changing people’s mindsets about investing in the stock market.

It will only happen if they can see that they can get returns on their investments. This is practiced so that investors can learn to invest with the market trend.

“When a new User registers for the Stock trials, his http:// www.easykobo.com account is credited with N50 million play money. This is to be used to buy and sell listed stocks on the Nigerian Stock Exchange.

The top players will be judged based on their Return on Investment at the end of the palm

Vanguard, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2012—23

B-R-I-E-F-S Naira gains on inflows, reserves

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L-r: Mr. Thomas Chukwuemeka Awagu, IOD President; Otunba Debola Osibogun, Chairman, Board of Practice Licence; Mr Segun Aina, president/chairman of Council CIBN; and Dr. Biodun Adedipe, guest speaker at the public presentation of Practice Licence and Seal by the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria, CIBN, in Lagos. Photo: Diran Oshe

Infractions: FIRS reads riot act to tax practitioners

BY MICHAEL EBOH

T

HE Federal Inland Revenue Service, FIRS, has read the riot act to tax practitioners and professionals in the country, warning that any one of them found wanting in the discharge of their duties shall be sanctioned accordingly.

Mr. David Ogedengbe, Deputy Director and Tax Controller, FIRS, who disclosed this at the investiture of Mr. Kola Babarinde as 13th chairman of the Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria (CITN), Lagos District Society, said that taxation practitioners who engage in shady practices shall be made to face the full wrath of the law.

According to Ogedengde, in his lecture tittled, ‘Self Assesment Regulation in Nigeria,’ any violation of the provision of the FIRS, its regulations and any other applicable tax law in the country will be met with stiff punishment.

He said, “Erring tax practitioners shall have their names delisted, in consultation with the relevant professional body, same for any agent who fails to satisfy the standards referred to in the Regulations.”

Speaking in the same vein, Prince Kunle Quadri, former President of CITN, however, disclosed that CITN is facing a serious constraints with sanctioning its members who belong to other professional C M Y K

bodies.

According to him, so long as the new Self Assessment Regulation recognises other professional bodies along side CITN, practitioners belonging to more than one authorised body may

be difficult to sanction.

He said, “When an agent belongs to professional bodies other than CITN and CITN delists that agent, another professional body may say the agent has done no wrong and the agent will continue to practice under

their umbrella.”

Meanwhile, commenting on his investiture, Babarinde, the new chairman, appealed to taxation practitioners, particularly his predecessor to draw from their experience to improve on the fortunes of the profession during his tenure.

CBN mourns Ola Vincent, lauds contribution to economic growth

BY MICHAEL EBOH

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HE Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, has joined in mourning the demise of Mr. Ola Vincent, former Governor of the apex bank, who passed away on September 3, 2012.

The CBN, in a statement posted on its website, said Ola Vincent, who was the Governor of the CBN between June 1977 and June 27, 1982, served at a time when the nation faced very dire economic challenges, adding that his expertise in handling his role as the Governor helped in providing stability and economic growth.

According to the CBN, prior to his appointment as Governor, Vincent was

Deputy Governor from April 1, 1975 to June 28, 1977, adding that some of his key achievements as Governor include the introduction of the N20 banknote with the portrait of former Head of State, Late General Murtala Ramat Mohammad in 1977.

His other achievements, the CBN said, include, “Introduction of the portraits of eminent Nigerians on the N10, N5 and N1 Banknotes in 1979. Opening of ten (10) Branches between 1978 and 1981 namely: Sokoto, Ilorin, Calabar, Bauchi, Abeokuta, Akure, Owerri, Makurdi, Yola and Minna. This achievement brought the number of CBN Branches to eighteen (18) in 1981.

“C o n c e p t u a l i s a t i o n , launching and setting aside of funds for the Agricultural Credit Guarantee Scheme

(ACGS) and Laying the foundation stone of the Staff training school at the satellite town, Lagos.

“Midwifed the computerization of the Bank’s operations tagged “Central Bank of Nigeria Computerisation Project” in 1978. That was the Computerisation of the pay roll process, customer and general ledger, foreign exchange control, public debt, economic modeling and forecasting, statistical computation and analysis.”

Continuing, the CBN said, “As we mourn the passing away of a great icon, we are comforted by his exemplary and indeed a life well-lived.

“The CBN family will continue to remember him as a great, visionary and worthy leader. May his gentle soul rest in perfect peace. Amen.”

HE naira snapped three days of declines on dollar inflows and on bets the central bank will support the currency as reserves increased.

The naira climbed 0.1 per cent to 158.30 per dollar The naira has climbed 2.6 percent this year, the best performer in Africa, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

The Central Bank of Nigeria sold N142.9 billion ($903 million) of 91-day, 182-day and 364-day treasury bills at an auction, yesterday.

The CBN had also stated that Nigeria’s foreigncurrency reserves have risen 18 per cent this year to $38.9 billion, according to Aug. 31 data compiled by the central bank. The regulator sold $200 million at a foreign currency auction on September 3, compared with $180 million at a sale on August 29.

“The naira is strengthened by foreign investments into treasury bills and the expectation that the central bank will support the currency against the backdrop of rising foreign exchange reserves,” Edgar Ebinum, analyst at Lagos-based Cowry Asset Management Ltd., said in a telephone interview today.

EU prepares for clampdown on Libor-style indexes

T

HE EU executive opened talks with the financial industry on Wednesday on how to impose curbs on financial market benchmarks and indexes, marking the start of a regulatory clampdown following rigging in London’s inter-bank lending market.

The European Commission spelt out its concerns about the indexes that are used to set borrowing rates and other prices in financial and commodity markets. In parallel, the Commission’s antitrust arm is investigating the Libor (London Interbank Offered Rate) and Euribor benchmarks.

“The international investigations underway into the manipulation of Libor have revealed yet another example of unacceptable behavior by banks,” Michel Barnier, the European commissioner in charge of regulation, said in a statement.

“Wider work is required to regulate how indices and benchmarks are compiled, produced and used.”

24—Vanguard, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2012

APPOINTMENT & PROMOTION

ARM appoints Oforiokuma Managing Director

•Oforiokuma

M

ANAGING Director and Chief Executive Officer, CEO of Lekki Concession Company Ltd, LCC, Mr. Opuiyo Oforiokuma, has been appointed Managing Director of Asset & Resource Management Company Ltd,

A R M Infrastructure Fund.

However, his appointment takes effect from 1st October 2012.

A R M Infrastructure is set up to manage the new US$250 Million specialist infrastructure equity fund b e i n g established by ARM, with a focus on developing and managing a broader portfolio of infrastructure a s s e t s throughout Nigeria and West Africa, including power, transport, and water.

ARM, a leading diversified financial services institution with businesses focusing on Traditional Asset Management and Specialised Funds, within which various products and bespoke asset management Services are offered to its diverse clients,

is LCC’s founding shareholder and co-sponsor of the pioneering Lekki Toll Road Concession, currently being implemented by LCC under a 30-year mandate from Lagos State Government.

Speaking on the importance of this step to ARM’s infrastructure strategy, Mr Deji Alli, Group MD/CEO of ARM said: “Developing and managing infrastructure in West Africa, and in Nigeria in particular, has long been an integral part of ARM’s vision and long-term strategic plan.

We have steadily and purposefully pursued our infrastructure strategy from as far back as the year 2000, evidence of which is our successful achievement of financial close of the Lekki Toll Road transaction in 2008.”demonstrating the possibilities in the Nigerian infrastructure space, was the first stage of implementing our vision and strategic plan.

We believe that we have done this over the last 6 years with Opuiyo Oforiokuma at the helm of LCC. The next stages for us now are to develop a broader infrastructure platform, with a focus that goes beyond Toll Roads.

Ajayi, Oshkanlu also head deptartments O

ther changes being implemented at LCC include the appointment of Mr. Benson Ajayi and Mr Jobalo Oshikanlu, currently LCC Head of Finance and LCC Head of Legal, respectively, and both of whom have been members of LCC’s senior management team for the last 6 years, as Acting Executive Directors on the Board of LCC. Reacting to the announcement, Mr Oforiokuma said: “It has been my privilege to have led the multitalented, passionate, and highly committed group of individuals that have made LCC what it is today, and to

•Benson Ajayi have enjoyed tremendous support from our PPP partner, Lagos State Government, our bankers, our shareholders, and various key stakeholder

groups interested in the project, these past 6 years.

While there were challenges at times, and that there are some still to overcome, we are pleased that we have made visible progress to date. Being in a position to now develop a broader range of Infrastructure opportunities through a credible group such as ARM, is a tremendous opportunity and natural next step.

There’s a lot more to do in the infrastructure space in Nigeria and West Africa, and we believe that ARM has a lot to offer.”

Twinpine picked as finalist for Meffys Award

M

OB ILE advertising network, Twinpine, has been nominated for the 2012 Meffys award.

The Meffys award is amongst the most coveted awards in the mobile industry, recognising brands, start-ups and individuals who have helped shape the mobile content and commerce industry.

According to the statement, Twinpine, which recently celebrated the end of its first commercial year, is shortlisted in the ‘Innovation, a Growth

Market’ category.

The network is said to have been recognised for its mobile advertising network offering which helps brands place the right ads with the right audience and publishers build mobile sites that attract a large amount of traffic and realise the potential of online advertising.

The nomination acknowledges the unique mobile ad model developed by Twinpine to ensure the best results possible for its customers.

Chief Executive Officer of the

mobile ad company, Mr. Elo Umeh, in his reaction said Twinpine was set up in August last year, with the goal of improving the way mobile advertising was being managed and executed in Africa.

He said; “The ‘blind’ approach favoured by most mobile ad networks doesn’t lead to great results because the same mobile subscribers are being captured across a variety of mobile sites, rather than the campaign reaching the broadest, yet most relevant audience possible.

vicahiyoung@yahoo.com 08033348923

Right;Mrs. Mercy Chukwuemeka and her daughter Abigail Chukwuemeka receiving her Scholarship Award certificate from the MD, CEO, Mrs. Kehinde Kamson during the recently held Sweet Sensation Staff Awards.

Sweet Sensation rewards long serving employees S WEET Sensation confectioneries limited, has rewarded 146 of its staff for the contribution to the growth of the company in the past 10 years.

In the order of reward, 62 persons received long service awards, 18 Awardees for Go Excellence Awards, 10 for Scholarship Awards for Sweet Sensation Educational Support Scheme, SSES, and 56 Awardees for Outlet staff reward scheme.

Leading the management team to award ceremony was the Chairman of Sweet Sensation, Mr. Olayinka Kamson, the MD/CEO, Mrs. Kehinde Kamson and Executive Director, Mr. Olatunji Kamson.

Addressing the workers at the event, Kamson, praised the employees for their contributions to the growth of the company and encouraged

them to see the award and recognition as impetus to more dedication while serving as worthy example to other staff.

Also speaking, Mrs. Kamson, Managing Director/ CEO, expressed her gratitude to the long serving staff for their commitment over the years.

She reiterated that the company would always seek opportunities to reward committed staff whether in the length of their service or through their exemplary commitment and loyalty, advising other staff to draw inspiration from the awardees.

On his part, the Executive Director, Mr.Olatunji Kamson, noted that the award was timely as it mirrored the company’s commitment to her workforce.

TQC wins Mastercard, GE accounts

T

HE Quadrant Company, TQC, has been appointed by MasterCard Nigeria and General Electric (GE) to manage their PR accounts.

Bolaji Okusaga, Managing Director, said with the appointment of TQC as the brand custodian of the MasterCard PR account, it will manage both the corporate and the consumer PR activities of these companies in the Nigerian market.

He pointed out that the relationships were borne out of the need to manage the perception of the two multinational brands in the light of today’s industry realities.

The company has the added advantage of technical affiliation with Fleishman-Hilliard, a leading global communications consultancy firm, thus its ability to proffer solutions that are problem-specific, results-driven and proactive in nature.

With a complete outlook of perception management and managing stakeholder relationships, The Quadrant

Okusaga Company specializes in Reputation Management, Corporate Communications, Consumer PR, Events Management, Sponsorship Management, Issue Management, Crisis Management, and Digital PR solutions, Media Monitoring, Media Training and Publications.

The agency has worked on the following accounts; Virgin Nigeria, Emirates Airline, Nigerian Breweries Plc, iTouch, Champion Breweries and TSKJ Oil and Gas, among several others.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2012 — 25

WORLD LITERACY DAY:

Is education for all feasible by 2015?

BY AMAKA ABAYOMI & EBELE ORAKPO

E

VER heard the saying that Illiteracy is a disease? Perhaps, that informed the setting aside of September 8 every year as the International Literacy Day by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation, UNESCO; an agency of the United Nations whose purpose is to contribute to peace and security by promoting international collaboration through education, science, and culture.

It is a day set aside by UNESCO to raise global awareness and concern for literacy problems within communities.

So come Saturday, September 8, Nigeria will join the rest of the world to mark the 2012 edition of the International Literacy Day which was first celebrated in 1966 after its proclamation on November 17, 1965.

According to UNESCO, literacy is a human right because it is a tool of personal empowerment and a means of social and human development.

Also, because educational opportunities depend on literacy, literacy is at the heart of basic education for all (EFA) and is essential for eradicating poverty, reducing child mortality, curbing population growth, achieving gender equality and ensuring sustainable development, peace and democracy.

As the world celebrates International Literacy Day 2012, it is pertinent to note that though the international community has pledged to improve adult literacy levels by 50 per cent between 2000 and 2015, about 800 million adults - 64 per cent of whom are women - still lack basic reading and writing skills.

Themed: Literacy and Peace, the 2012 International Literacy Day is aimed at showing how literacy contributes to peace by bringing people closer to attaining individual freedom and better understanding the world, as well as preventing or resolving conflicts. The connection between literacy and peace is that it is harder to establish or sustain a literate environment in unstable democracies or conflict-affected countries.

Activities lined up to celebrate the day include high-level international round table on literacy - Reaching the 2015 Literacy Target: Delivering on the Promise, and the 2012 UNESCO literacy prize winners' ceremony.

There is no denying the fact that quality basic education equips people with literacy skills for life and further learning; literate parents are more likely to send their children to school; literate people are better able to access continuing Continues on page 26

*How realisable is Nigeria's quest to attain education for all in 2015?

NERDC gives new curriculum to primary, junior secondary schools

BY DAYO ADESULU new 9-year basic education curriculum (BEC) which has only ten subject listings instead of the one presently being used at the basic education level which has 20 subject listings, is to be used for teaching and learning throughout the country, beginning from next year. The arduous task of revising the BEC which commenced in December last year, has been concluded by the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC).

The process of reviewing the curriculum was finalized by the nation’s curriculum developer at the editorial workshop which held in Enugu last week where experts in curriculum, subject matters specialists, teachers, education policymakers at various levels, employers of labour and parents met for two days and put finishing touches to the curriculum by correcting all grammatical and typographical errors in the document as well as identifying and eliminating repetitions or content

A

duplication.

According to the Executive Secretary of the parastatal, Prof. Godswill Obioma, the implementation of the revised curriculum will commence next year in Primary 1 and JSS 1 classes nationwide after its ratification by the Joint Consultative Council on Education (JCCE) and the National Council on Education (NCE), adding that the workshop is the final phase of the series of workshops and consultations with critical stakeholders of education for the review of the curriculum.

The Professor of Mathematics Education and Evaluation explains that while the structure of the existing 9-year BEC comprises of 20 subjects, the newly revised structure has ten subjects. This reduction in subject’s listings, according to the NERDC boss, was achieved by grouping related disciplines.

Continues on page 26

RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

HSC, pivotal in sound education — Prof Olagbemiro C M Y K

Wardrobe advice for the fresher

We’ve lost many opportunities to showcase Nigeria technologically — UMAR BINDIR

26 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2012

Is education for all feasible by 2015?

Continues from page 25 educational opportunities; and literate societies are better geared to meet pressing development, according to UNESCO. But despite numerous efforts, global literacy rate looks alarmingly low.

According to UN analysis, one in five adults (800 million) is illiterate; 75 million children don’t attend school and many more attend irregularly or are drop outs. In Nigeria, the literacy rate of males between 15-24 years is 78 per cent, while that of females within the same age bracket is 65 per cent.

Speaking in Abuja at a meeting of Education ministers and senior officials from nine highly populated developing countries (E9 countries) of Bangladesh, Brazil, China, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Nigeria and Pakistan, Nigeria’s Minister of Education, Prof.

Ruqquayatu Rufa’i said E9 countries were still short of their targets years after committing resources to achieve universal literacy by 2015.

“In spite of accelerated impetus to achieve Education for All (EFA) goals by 2015, we still lag behind. One goal is to reduce illiteracy by 50 per cent,” she said.

At least, two in every three illiterate adults or young persons reside in an E9 country, which account for 535 million illiterate people out of the estimated 800 million considered illiterate globally.

EFA’s six goals that countries should target against the 2015 deadline are: expand early childhood care and education; provide free and compulsory education for all; learning and life skills for young people and adults; increase adult literacy by 50 per cent; achieve gender equality in education; and improve quality of education.

With nearly 3.5 billion inhabitants in 2005 - more than half of the world population, E9 countries represent tremendous challenges that weigh heavily on global education trends as most of them are yet to achieve universal primary education and all face major quality deficits.

Of the world’s 800 million adults who lack the basic learning tools to make informed decisions and participate fully in the development of their societies, nearly 70 per cent live in E9 countries.

Tackling the literacy gap is both a moral and development imperative for E9 governments and donor countries. It requires strengthening efforts to expand education and to significantly improve its quality.

This, Rufa’i agrees with, as she pointed out that for E9

countries to achieve the level of literacy required, there is need to reach out further to those living in remote and rural areas and very difficult terrains, women, youth and the marginalised.

Bringing it closer home, she said one of the programmes through which Nigeria can up her literacy rates is being implemented in collaboration with UNESCO through a selfbenefiting Funds-in-Trust valued at over N1bn.

“We are now in a better position to address the challenge of illiteracy with a renewed commitment and a sense of urgency and we expect that the programme will yield remarkable outcomes before 2015,” she enthused.

Though some considerable successes have been recorded since efforts were first made in 1944 to address the issues of illiteracy in the country, but the challenges are quite daunting. Nigeria, presently, has over 50 million illiterate citizens which, to a large extent, has impacted negatively on all facets of national development and has led to civil unrest in some parts of the country.

As it stands, Nigeria might still miss the 2015 target date of reducing its illiteracy rate by 50 per cent under the EFA declaration made in Jomtien, Thailand in March 1990.

NERDC gives new curriculum Continues from page 25 His words; “Related UBE subjects curricula like Home Economics and Agriculture are brought together to create a new UBE subjects curriculum called PreVocational Studies. Similarly, Islamic Studies, Christian Religious Studies, Social Studies, Civic Education and so forth that focus primarily on the inculcation of values (societal, moral, interpersonal) now form a new UBE subject called Religion and National Values.”

He continues; “Key concepts in the former curricula now form integrating threads for organising the contents of the new subjects into a coherent whole. In the process of the review, particular efforts were made to eliminate content repetitions within and across subjects to further reduce the overload and encourage innovative teaching and learning techniques.

In line with the framework for reviewing the curriculum which was adopted at a national stakeholders’ forum on February 9 this year, says Obioma, pupils in primaries 1-3 are to offer a minimum of seven subjects and maximum of eight subjects. Pupils in primaries 4-6 are to take a minimum of eight and maximum of nine subjects while JSS 1- 3 students are to offer a minimum of nine and a maximum of 10 subjects.

He explains the rationale for reducing the subject listings at the basic education level from 20 to 10. Hear him; “Recent feedback on the implementation of BEC suggests that the curriculum is overloaded in terms of the numbers of subjects offered at C M Y K

*From 2nd right front row: Dr. Ola Adeniyi, Director of Research, Book Development Centre; Dr. Ismail Junaidu, Director of Research, Curriculum Development Centre; Dr. (Mrs) Kate Nwufo, mni; Prof. Godswill Obioma, Executive Secretary, NERDC; Mrs. Fatima Jiddum Ahmad, Deputy Director, Sectors/Desk Officer Education Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on MDGs and other delegates to the editorial workshop which held in Enugu. the basic education level. A major outcome of the presidential summit on the state of education in Nigeria which held on 4th and 5th of October, 2010 was the need to reduce the curriculum offerings. For example, pupils in Kenya offer seven subjects; Tanzania, eight subjects; USA, six subjects; Malaysia and Indonesia, nine subjects each. Consequently, NERDC was mandated to revise the 9 – year BEC”.

The subjects listed in the new curriculum for primaries 1 – 3 are English Studies, Mathematics, One Nigerian Language, Basic Science and Technology (under which are Physical and Health Education and Computer Studies/ICT), Pre-vocational Studies (comprising Home Economics, Agriculture and

Entrepreneurship), Religion and Values Education (made up of Social Studies, Civic Education and Security Education), Cultural and Creative Arts and Arabic Language (which is optional).

These same subjects are offered by pupils in primary 4 – 6 with the addition of French Language while Business Studies is added to the subject listings for JS1- 3.

Obioma assures that all local, national and global issues currently influencing the lives of Nigerian children are adequately reflected in the curricula. He said; “The curricula (subjects) are up to date with current demands and practices in the disciplines. This clearly departs from the vicious cycle of theory or mere memorization.

The curricula content activities are presented in practical oriented steps and stages that enable the learners to see, touch, handle, and feel. This will enable the pupils to truly learn, internalize what they learn, and use it for problem solving and for living. The curricula encourage learning by doing and use of self-learning strategies.”

A functional curriculum, according to him, fosters national development and this informed the careful efforts put into the revision exercise.

“The school curriculum by its essential purpose is the mechanism through which the educational system addresses the needs, problems and aspirations of a nation or society," he said.

CAREER GUIDANCE

Want to be an Economist?

A

n economist is a professional in the social sciences discipline of economics. The individual may also study, develop, and apply theories and concepts from economics and write about economic policy. Within this field are many sub-fields, ranging from the b r o a d p h i l o s o p h i c a l theories to the focused study of macroeconomic analysis, microeconomic analysis or financial statement analysis involving analytical methods and tools such as econometrics, statistics, economics computational models, financial economics, mathematical finance and mathematical economics.

Most economist jobs require an advanced degree, but some entrylevel jobs are available with a bachelor ’s d e g r e e . Po s i t i o n s in business, research, or international organisations often require a combination of advanced education and work experience.

Students can pursue an advanced degree in economics with a bachelor ’s degree in a number of fields, but a strong background in math is essential. Candidates with a bachelor ’s degree qualify for some entrylevel economist positions, including jobs with the federal government. An advanced degree is sometimes required for advancement to higher level positions.

Most who complete a bachelor ’s degree in economics find jobs outside the economics profession as research assistants, financial analysts, market analysts, and similar positions in business and finance.

Aspiring economists can gain valuable experience from internships that involve gathering and analyzing data, conducting interviews and surveys and writing reports on their findings.

In addition, related experience such as working in business or finance, can be advantageous.

Important qualities are analytical skills, criticalthinking skills, detail oriented, maths skills, speaking skills and writing skills.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2012 —27

Osifo emerges UNIBEN SUG president

BY NOSAKHARE UWADIAE, BENIN

S

tudents of University of Benin last Thursday defied heavy downpour to elect new leaders into the Students Union Government (SUG) of the institution to run its affairs for the 2012/2013 academic session.

The election, widely described as ‘free and fair ’, produced Comrade Favour Osifo as president, Imafidon Osarodion (AttorneyGeneral), Aliyu Suleman (Secretary-General) and Ogbomon Emmanuel (Director of Information). Also elected were Udebhulu Simon-Peter (Director of Finance) and Adeleye Adegbenga (Director of Socials), while Odia Margaret (Vice-President), Okolie Udochukwuka (Asst.

Secretary-General), Okuoghae Osariemen (Director of Welfare) and Baye Osagie Sylvester (Director of Sports) emerged unopposed respectively.

The new SUG officials were sworn in barely 24 hours after the election under the supervision of the Edo State Chief Judge, Justice Crowell Idahosa, represented by a Benin Chief Magistrate, Nosa Ehigiamusoe.

The oath-taking ceremony was held at the Senate Chambers of the university in

the presence of the ViceChancellor, Prof. Osayuki Oshodin, Deputy Vice Chancellor, Prof. John Okhuoya (Admin), Chief Librarian, Mr. S. O. Ogurombi among other principal officers of the institution.

Addressing the students, the V-C tasked the officials to meet their electioneering promises to the students, saying; “I don’t know your mission and vision, but if you let us know, we will start helping you achieve them by following them one after the other until you are through with them.

“I’m solidly behind you and don’t allow yourself to be used for any reason.

Please don’t allow politicians to use you, don’t allow external forces to use you because it’s you that will get the pains, consequently they ’ll deny you at the appropriate time, and they’ll tell you they have never met you in life. They’ll tell you they don’t know what you are talking about. They ’ll exonerate themselves and then you sink alone.”

In his acceptance speech, the new president, a part three student of Physics, reiterated his readiness to fulfill his electioneering

Frequently Confused Words Exercise 2 Instruction: Choose the appropriate word from the alternatives in the bracket.

1.

I would strongly (advise/advice) against having premarital sex before your wedding day.

2.

I will contact the First Lady to (advice/advise) her husband to heed the (advise/advice) of prominent Nigerians on the state of the nation.

C M Y K

*Comrade Favour Osifo, UNIBEN SUG President campaign promises.

“I look forward to building a well-dogged and viable SUG leadership. I won’t forget the

true owners of this victory; the people to whom the victory belongs. I want to assure you that our emergence marked an

end to the false promises and crude dogmas that have befallen and strangled our union,” he added.

Departmental leaders emerge in AASOC Fadesire Temitope, president, Broadcasting Students Association (BSA), while Comrade Ojulari Muiz emerged president, Public Relations/Advertising Students Association (PRADSA).

Meanwhile, other keenly contested positions saw the following emerge in the three departments. JSA: Clement Mojisola (Vice-President); Aderele Ajayi (GeneralSecretary); Oludare Kayode (Treasurer); Adams Bamidele (Financial Secretary); Adeyeri Jumoke (Welfare Director); Oyelade Job (Sports Director); Nejo Victor (Social Director);

Moses Adeyemi (Assistant Welfare Director) and Raji Titilayo (Assistant General Secretary).

BSA: Jimoh Ola Abdullahi (Vice-President, Ojuelegba); Onipede Oluwadara (VicePresident Ojo); Ikenna Emeli (Gen-Sec); Dayo Tona (Social Director); Bolaji Afeez (PRO); Tolulope Adetayo (Asst. Gen. Sec); Ramilat Raheem (Asst.

PRO) and other.

PRADSA: Olajide Ajigbotoluwas (VicePresident); Aniefiok Suzzy (Gen. Sec.); Chinazom Clezike (Social Director; Daniel Stella (PRO) and Olusola Esther (Fin. Sec.)

3.

The police were called in to (quell/quench) the violence.

4.

Firemen came to (quench/quell) the flames raging through the building.

5.

Drink water to (quell/quench) your thirst.

6.

A (mature/matured) student is an adult student.

7.

Leadership is for (matured/mature) people.

8.

Girls are in some ways more (mature/matured) than boys of their age.

9.

A boy of eighteen years is sexually (matured/mature).

10.

Wale has (mature/matured a great deal in the past one year.

11.

She has (matured/mature) into one of the best poets in the Creative Writing class 12.

The students are (all ready/already) to write the examination.

13.

The players are (already/all ready) to start the game.

14.

I’ve eaten (all ready/already), thank you.

15.

By the time he got home, his children were (already/all ready) in bed.

16.

I’m fifteen minutes late (all ready/already).

(compliment/ complement).

2. (compliments/ complement) of the season!

3.

Communal labour should (compliment/complement) government efforts on road repairs.

4.

Men and women have strengths that (compliment/complement) each other.

5.

The bus was (stationary/stationery) when a car ran into it.

6.

Adun went to a (stationary/stationery) store to buy a note book.

7.

His belt is (loose/ lose).

8.

The upper end of her wrapper is (loose/lose).

9.

Don’t (loose/lose) your head when others are keeping theirs.

10.

You can (loose/lose) your keys if you don’t put

BY FOLUSO SOTOMI & ADEYANJU ESTHER

B

arely one week after the general elections of the Communication Students Association (COSA), Adebola Adegunwa School of Communication, Lagos State University (AASOC-LASU), the three departments making up the school, held elections to elect leaders who will steer their affairs for the 2012/2013 academic session.

The departmental elections had Comrade Timothy Asomba emerge as president of the Journalism Students Association (JSA); Comrade

Instruction: Choose the appropriate word from the alternatives in the bracket.

1.

The cashier did not take the customer’s remark as a zCONTINUES NEXT WEEK. Send requests/problems to Gabriel Osoba, Ph.D, Department of English, Lagos State University, Ojo, through Editor, Teach Yourself English, Vanguard Newspapers, PMB. 1007, Apapa, Lagos, or email: editor@vanguardngr.com & gabosoba002@yahoo.co

28 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2012

r e h s e r f e h t r o f e c i v d a e b Wardro

BY LAJU ARENYEKA

B

y their looks, you shall know them. Newly released packet shirts that remind you of parachutes, flowered blouses on flowered skirts, shoes that scream: “mummy bought me”, eye shadow on the left cheek for want of practice, over-sized trousers that need larger belts, and the ever present registration folder that is the fresher's identity card during the first few weeks of resumption.

But thank God you read Quadlife! You’ve been delivered from the stamp of wardrobe errors that label you as a Jambite. Now your life-saving tips: *Wear confidence: No one can make you feel inferior without your consent. So before stepping out into unfamiliar territories, remember that it’s

how you’re dressed on the inside that matters. *Know the simple basics: If someone in 500 level wears a striped top, on a flowered skirt, it’s hip. But if it’s you, it’s an error. So follow the basic laws of colour and dressing at least till your name dries up on the admission letter. * Poco a poco: Little by little is the way to go. You don’t want all that attention in your first year, and you don’t also want to look boring. So experiment one step at a time, one item at a time, and at most, three colours at a time. *Neatness: Bad news travels fast, whether it’s by smell or by sight. And you have a reputation to uphold…at least, you soon will. So please, stay clean.

Group prepares undergraduates for life ahead

BY OLASUNKANMI AROWOLO

B

ravehearts Initiative, Lagos State University (LASU), Ojo, in collaboration with the university’s students' union held its maiden programme themed: LASU graduate summit 2012.

Bravehearts Initiative is established to provide students with opportunity to affordably acquire relevant practical skills and training in Business, Leadership and Entrepreneurship through innovative partnership with credible resource persons and professional institutions.

Basically, the summit was organised to equip prospective graduates with necessary skills and information they need for life after graduation.

Aruosa Osenwegie, the author of Getting a job is a job, who was the first speaker at the occasion C M Y K

said while delivering his lecture that; “the best day of your life is the one you decide, you own your life.”

Charging the students to step out, Osenwegie said; “Find every opportunity to step out because you don’t know the possibility in every step.” He explained the circumstance under which the popular Facebook emerged. “It started with some students in a school who just wanted to create a site but the step they took resulted in what we all love today.”

However, he warned the students about the second biggest problem in Nigeria which is laziness among youths.

Finally, he stated that only three things matter - What you believe; who/what you trust and what you are willing to do about it.

*Check for labels: It’s only natural that most of your clothes are new. That’s nothing to be embarrassed about. But let the labels go, yes even the ones on the shoes. Except you want something to be embarrassed about. *Is there a dress code?: If your school has a dress code, you had better be compliant. *Get advice from the older ones: When you’re all dressed up and ready to go, ignore your co-fresher-roommate, as well as the mirror, and get advice from people who have been there, and done that. *Comfort: You’re very likely to get lost during your first few weeks on campus.

But it could be with some dignity. So before you leave the hostel, ask yourself: “Is this comfortable enough to get lost in?”

Law student wins maiden NYSC essay contest

By OLAYINKA LATONA

O

NE of the graduating law students of University of Jos, Ntor George, has emerged overall winner of the maiden edition of National Youth Service Corps annual essay writing competition/national symposium organised by the Bible Society of Nigeria, BSN. George, 26, emerged winner among 29 graduating students across the nation that participated in the 2012 edition of the competition tagged; Good governance: Antidote to militancy and other social vices in Nigeria.

Six entries from across the country were selected as the best among others and their writers were invited to Lagos to defend their write-ups and at the end of the exercise, Mr. Ntor George was announced the star winner with a total score of 74.7 per cent.

The examination was conducted and supervised by some members of the BSN Board of Trustees while the Registrar/ CEO of Chartered Institute of Personnel Management, Mr. Sunday Adeyemi, Dr. Godswill Nwankpa, Mr. Yinka Quadri, Mr. Ayo Durodola all monitored and scored the final participants.

28 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2012

r e h s e r f e h t r o f e c i v d a e b Wardro

BY LAJU ARENYEKA

B

y their looks, you shall know them. Newly released packet shirts that remind you of parachutes, flowered blouses on flowered skirts, shoes that scream: “mummy bought me”, eye shadow on the left cheek for want of practice, over-sized trousers that need larger belts, and the ever present registration folder that is the fresher's identity card during the first few weeks of resumption.

But thank God you read Quadlife! You’ve been delivered from the stamp of wardrobe errors that label you as a Jambite. Now your life-saving tips: *Wear confidence: No one can make you feel inferior without your consent. So before stepping out into unfamiliar territories, remember that it’s

how you’re dressed on the inside that matters. *Know the simple basics: If someone in 500 level wears a striped top, on a flowered skirt, it’s hip. But if it’s you, it’s an error. So follow the basic laws of colour and dressing at least till your name dries up on the admission letter. * Poco a poco: Little by little is the way to go. You don’t want all that attention in your first year, and you don’t also want to look boring. So experiment one step at a time, one item at a time, and at most, three colours at a time. *Neatness: Bad news travels fast, whether it’s by smell or by sight. And you have a reputation to uphold…at least, you soon will. So please, stay clean.

Group prepares undergraduates for life ahead

BY OLASUNKANMI AROWOLO

B

ravehearts Initiative, Lagos State University (LASU), Ojo, in collaboration with the university’s students' union held its maiden programme themed: LASU graduate summit 2012.

Bravehearts Initiative is established to provide students with opportunity to affordably acquire relevant practical skills and training in Business, Leadership and Entrepreneurship through innovative partnership with credible resource persons and professional institutions.

Basically, the summit was organised to equip prospective graduates with necessary skills and information they need for life after graduation.

Aruosa Osenwegie, the author of Getting a job is a job, who was the first speaker at the occasion C M Y K

said while delivering his lecture that; “the best day of your life is the one you decide, you own your life.”

Charging the students to step out, Osenwegie said; “Find every opportunity to step out because you don’t know the possibility in every step.” He explained the circumstance under which the popular Facebook emerged. “It started with some students in a school who just wanted to create a site but the step they took resulted in what we all love today.”

However, he warned the students about the second biggest problem in Nigeria which is laziness among youths.

Finally, he stated that only three things matter - What you believe; who/what you trust and what you are willing to do about it.

*Check for labels: It’s only natural that most of your clothes are new. That’s nothing to be embarrassed about. But let the labels go, yes even the ones on the shoes. Except you want something to be embarrassed about. *Is there a dress code?: If your school has a dress code, you had better be compliant. *Get advice from the older ones: When you’re all dressed up and ready to go, ignore your co-fresher-roommate, as well as the mirror, and get advice from people who have been there, and done that. *Comfort: You’re very likely to get lost during your first few weeks on campus.

But it could be with some dignity. So before you leave the hostel, ask yourself: “Is this comfortable enough to get lost in?”

Law student wins maiden NYSC essay contest

By OLAYINKA LATONA

O

NE of the graduating law students of University of Jos, Ntor George, has emerged overall winner of the maiden edition of National Youth Service Corps annual essay writing competition/national symposium organised by the Bible Society of Nigeria, BSN. George, 26, emerged winner among 29 graduating students across the nation that participated in the 2012 edition of the competition tagged; Good governance: Antidote to militancy and other social vices in Nigeria.

Six entries from across the country were selected as the best among others and their writers were invited to Lagos to defend their write-ups and at the end of the exercise, Mr. Ntor George was announced the star winner with a total score of 74.7 per cent.

The examination was conducted and supervised by some members of the BSN Board of Trustees while the Registrar/ CEO of Chartered Institute of Personnel Management, Mr. Sunday Adeyemi, Dr. Godswill Nwankpa, Mr. Yinka Quadri, Mr. Ayo Durodola all monitored and scored the final participants.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2012 — 29

Don tasks govt on research funding for economic growth

B

efore 1958, when oil was discovered in Olobiri, in present-day Bayelsa State, Niger-Delta region, three existing regions, comprising the West, East and North harnessed and utilised to the fullest, the God-given natural resources domiciled in their regions. Then, they unanimously pooled some percentages of the proceeds from these gifts of nature to the centre, (federal government), without the citizenry of these regions languishing in abject poverty, unlike what obtains sway today. The rest is history.

Then, agricultural produce such as cocoa, cotton, groundnut, timber, palm oil, hides and skin and a host of others, were the mainstay of the countr y.

Then, government at regional and federal levels showed keen interest in research results emanating from tertiary institutions and research centres, thereby implementing them as policies for the economic and national growth

BY LAJU ARENYEKA

“

Everyone has the right to education,” says Article 2 6 , section one of the Universal Declaration of Rights.

Everyone - blind, deaf or autistic. Everyone - including the thousands of physically challenged children who roam the streets of Nigeria in search of alms.

According to the 2006 national census, there were 3,253, 169 persons with disability in Nigeria, with nearly 39 per cent of school age. Experts expect the number to increase.

For many, the average Nigerian child born with a disability does not stand a chance; but not in the eyes of Mr. Ikenna Okpala. “His chances are as good as any other child's,” he said. And with good reason too: this lawyer and alumnus of the University of Lagos was born blind.

“Being visually impaired is just the absence of sight. It doesn’t affect the other senses,” he told Vanguard Learning. Mr. Okpala, however, agrees with experts C M Y K

of the country.

Sad as it may seem, by the advent of the so-called oil boom, research institutes given various formal mandates to engage in research works that will improve the economy and better the lives of the people have gone moribund or not actively performing as a result of government’s insensitivity.

Perhaps, we seem not to hear more of research institutes like the Lake Chad Research Institute, Maiduguri; Institute

,

BY IKENNA ASOMBA

*Prof. Senapon Bakre

At inception, the nation’s research centres were vibrant and were fast spinners for economic growth and national development; today, this role leaves much to be desired for Agricultural Research, Zaria; Institute of Agricultural Research and Training, Ibadan; National Cereal Research Institute, Niger State; National Root Crop Research Institute, Abia State;

,

National Horticultural Research Institute, Ibadan and Nigerian Stored Product Research Institute, Kwara State, among others.

At inception, the nation’s research centres were vibrant

and were fast spinners for economic growth and national development. But today, this role leaves much to be desired.

Deeply worried by this abysmal trend, government at all levels have been charged to adequately fund and equip research laboratories in the nation’s tertiary institutions so as to close the gap that exists between the academia and the labour industry.

Prof. Senapon Bakre gave this charge while delivering th the 45 Inaugural Lecture Series of the Lagos State University recently.

ABILITY IN DISABILITY: Educating children with special needs who spoke to Vanguard Learningthat education for children with special needs does have its peculiar challenges. He said; “We live in an underdeveloped country where a large percentage of the population is illiterate.

How do you expect an illiterate man and his illiterate wife who have a blind son to be aware of opportunities to educate him?”

Dr. Kunle Adebiyi, a lecturer at the Department of Special Education, Federal College of Education (Special), Oyo, said; “Because of lack of sensitization, many are not really aware that such people can get good education. We need to sensitize the general public to communicate with such people. Schools, banks and other buildings should be built with them in mind.

Currency identifiers should be

put in place for the blind, and newspapers should also be written in Braille.”

If sensitization concerning learning for the physically disabled child leaves much to be desired, then awareness about unseen disabilities such as autism, are nearly nonexistent. This is the view of Oke Martins, the brain behind Austism Associates, a nongovernmental organisation that helps solve Autism Spectrum Disorder and related developmental disabilities in Nigeria.

According to him; “There are some conditions that are well known and to some extent, have available provisions, but there are some other conditions that aren’t well known and have scant provisions. The big challenge with unseen disabilities such as autism is that they have no

physical features, and as such, millions of Nigerians living with it are undiagnosed, and there is barely provision for them.”

*Ikenna Okpala

Speaking on the relevance of micro organisms and fermentation to man, entitled Unseen Forces: Microbes Fermentation and Mankind, Bakre opined that government’s passivity to funding and sponsoring research by academics, creates a wide gap between the nation’s ivory towers and the labour industry.

This, according to her, impedes the country ’s economic and national growth.

In her one hour interactive lecture, the Professor of Microbiology, of the Faculty of Science, LASU, while dissecting her topic, explained that man should not regard microbes which she termed unforeseen forces, as dangerous to his existence.

According to her, microbes have high level of medical, agricultural and economic benefits to Nigeria, if well harnessed and utilised.

She said; “I think I have been able to show to some extent the importance of microbes meeting the sustenance of mankind and the therapeutic values associated with Lactobacillus (a micro organism) and harnessing it.

These unseen agents are beneficial in curbing malnutrition and infant mortality.”

Proffering solutions to the nation’s research sector, Prof.

Bakre urged government to increase the budget on education and encourage young scientists to improve on our local or traditional foods.

She noted that there should be a meeting piont between academia and the public such that research findings are sponsored for adaptation in small/medium biotechnology centres.

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and autism are both general terms for a group of complex disorders of brain development. These disorders are characterized, in varying degrees, by difficulties in social interaction, verbal and non-verbal communication and repetitive behaviours.

“Autism is now regarded as a global epidemic, reports say rd that it is the 3 most common disability in the world,” Martins said.

“As I am talking to you now, there isn’t a single centre for learning for people with autism that is governmentowned. Even those that are set up by individuals are in cities such as Lagos, Abuja, and Port Harcourt,” he added.

Speaking at a press briefing in Abuja earlier in the year, the Minister of Education, Professor Ruqayyat Rufa'i said that six zonal autism centres will be established for early detection and treatment of autism as part of federal government’s effort to address issues of autism. She also said her ministry has been training the regular classroom teachers

Continues on page 32

30— Vanguard, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2012

HSC pivotal in sound education

— Prof Olagbemiro Professor Timothy Oyebode Olagbemiro is the ViceChancellor of Bowen University and also Chairman, Committee of Vice Chancellors and Registrars of Private Universities. In this interview with DAYO ADESULU, he speaks on the education sector and the need to improve the system. Olagbemiro amongst others, stated that university administrators are to face the core business of producing quality and competent undergraduates rather than distracting university education with part-time programmes.

Excerpts:

W

hat measures do you suggest as the way forward for education in Nigeria?

The truth is that the base of the students is weak and something concrete should be done to improve the quality of undergraduate education. The Higher School Certificate (HSC) programme is one veritable area to achieve this objective and it should be introduced to revamp the education sector. Students offering Medicine should obtain first degree in science to prepare them before they can now get to the medical school and get matured to become good doctors in Nigeria.

A lot still needs to be done in terms of policy for our educational system. There is the need for us to change a lot of things concerning our educational system. Students secure admission into the university without the commensurate experience and maturity. Students should pass through the HSC programme which is very tough, before gaining university admission. The system also needs more teachers even as more universities are required.

University administrators should face the core business of producing quality and competent undergraduates rather than distracting university education with part-time programmes. The HSC programme should be encouraged in the Nigerian system of education because I observed that students' base is weak thereby informing their not being fully prepared for university education. Students are not fully matured to effectively go through the university education unlike the HSC system whereby students undertake the advanced level educational C M Y K

programme in preparation for university education.

Higher institutions like University of Ibadan, Obafemi Awolowo University, University of Nigeria Nsukka and the University of Benin should be focused on training students for post-graduate programmes that should be well funded. This should be the role of the older universities in order to enhance the quality of education in the country.

What is the niche of Bowen University that stands it out from others?

Bowen is a faith-based university, instilling the fear of God in students. It is a beacon of hope to the students and we inculcate Godliness in our curriculum. The focus of the school is to combine academic excellence with godliness and that is the main reason students are trained to be godly and upright. The attitude of leadership is also one key area that Bowen University focuses on to develop sound moral doctrines in the students.

Parents have observed the unquantifiable role of the school in remolding and shaping the lives of the students beyond academic development.

Bowen University recently obtained approval for its College of Medicine, thus becoming the first private university to have a full fledged teaching hospital to support its MBBS programme. The Bowen University Teaching Hospital (BUTH), Ogbomosho has been restructured and developed to provide the necessary support services for the college of medicine programme.

What in your opinion, should be done to enhance

the quality of education in the country?

There should be a way to checkmate the increasing rate of students' population which does not match the facilities on ground. For example, in Bowen, we have decided not to exceed 5,000 to keep Christian values and godly excellence. Students should be able to learn under comfortable and habitable learning environment. When we say the students are leaders of tomorrow, we should be able to provide quality education for them in an atmosphere devoid of distractions and evils. I want to see a situation whereby students have a sense of ease in the academic environment.

This has great impact on their mental state. Students should have well equipped libraries and access to basic facilities.

When all these are done, the quality of the teaching process is enhanced and this will ultimately reflect in the students. Another area that can enhance quality of education is the abolition of part-time programmes which are not necessary. The core business of the university is undergraduates and looking at the university, the system cannot run full-time and parttime degrees together.

Hence, it is more important for the university to face its core business which is the undergraduates. It is important for university administrators to focus on quality education and not quantity. A university should have reached an advanced stage before focusing on awarding diplomas. My university in the US never exceeded 3,000 in terms of population and the university has been in existence for several decades. I am the Chairman of the Committee of Vice-Chancellors and Registrars of Private

Universities and I have made my points known to my colleagues. They all agreed that part-time degrees are not necessary because universities that cannot run full-time programmes are running part-time programmes. We should face what we have to do and that is undergraduate education.

The university just obtained accreditation for its College of Medicine programme.

How did you achieve this?

The accreditation is an indication that the university is worthy of the recognition and it means the university is fully prepared in terms of facility and the manpower. On our own part, we endeavoured to fulfill all the conditions and guidelines set by the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria. The accreditation comes from both the National Universities Commission (NUC) and the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN). They visited the teaching hospital and gave us the exact specifications of facilities and manpower needed to obtain the approval and we complied within five months after the two earlier visits. In all, it took us a year to secure the accreditation which would have taken others longer. The university has embarked on investment through infrastructure development and provision of facilities at Bowen University Teaching Hospital (BUTH), formerly known as Baptist Medical Centre, Ogbomosho.

For us too, we are not resting on our oars to sustain the accreditation through upgrading of facilities and maintaining the hospital to a world class standard.

What are you doing to maintain academic standard in your institution and how can other universities maintain academic standard?

The basic thing is that each university should have a system in place to ensure a continuous monitoring and ensuring adherence to professional and academic standards. It is not only to have policy but there should be continuous monitoring and enforcement. For us at Bowen, we established the Protocol and Courtesy Unit in the university. The group adds value to the university by ensuring that the vision and philosophy of the university are maintained.

The group maintains law and order in the university and ensures proper dressing, comportment and etiquette amongst students and staff.

We also have the monitoring group with members who are doctorate degree holders.

This group sees to examinations and quality of teaching in the university and they are referred to as the Quality Assurance Group.

The quality of teaching and adherence to standards are evaluated in line with the vision of the university.

300 students of Badagry get free GCE forms

BY EBUN SESSOU

N

o fewer than 300 indigent students of Badagry area of Lagos State benefited from free General Certificate of Education,GCE, forms presented by a Lagos State House of Assembly member, Mr. Ibrahim Layode representing Badagry Constituency I. The succuor came because most of the parents have no financial capability to sponsor their children’s education as well as get them all the necessary requirements to attain their goals in life.

Harping on the need for students to be well educated, the lawmaker said most parents do not have what it takes to give their children qualitative education adding that the present situation in the country has also contributed to the problem.

While calling on parents, guardians and teachers to devote more time to giving qualitative education to their students, he said education must be seen beyond the ordinary, rather, it is an emotional aspect of human beings that should not be toyed with.

Nigerian students wrap-up Gambia study tour

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N a bid to prepare younger generation for leadership position in future, Dansol High School, Ikeja, Lagos State, recently sent some of its students to an 11day educational tour to The Gambia.

Speaking to Vanguard Learning shortly after the students returned from the tour, Coordinator/COO, Doytef Education and Consult Limited, Mr Donald Ova Akwara, said the tour was aimed, among other things, at educating the students on African history.

The students visited major areas like the Kachi Kally Crocodile Pool, Juffureh, Kunta Kinteh’s village, The Gambia’s national museum and the Kanilai farms, among other places.

He pointed out that the visit would give the students a better understanding, improve their scope of knowledge, as well as place them at better advantage than those who were merely taught.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2012 — 31

RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

*Kerosene-powered deep freezer...one of his projects in partnership with National Agency for Science and Engineering (NASENI)

We’ve lost many opportunities to showcase Nigeria technologically — UMAR BINDIR *Dr. Umar Buba Bindir Hydraulic ram pump: In his continued quest to make life more meaningful for rural dwellers, Dr. Bindir applied himself to finding solutions using existing local knowledge.

The Hydraulic ram pump is a pump that requires no external power source, designed for hilly areas. He noticed that most settlements were on top of hills while their water source was at the bottom because of history of war. So they must come down to get water.

“I came up with an innovation that would solve this problem using existing knowledge and literature.

How can water be pumped from the bottom to the top in a rural community without electricity? The hydraulic ram pump is a pumping system that requires no electricity, solar or wind. It uses the energy of the flowing water to pump itself.” Although he built a prototype, tested it on a hilly environment and it worked, it was not developed because "in Nigeria, we do not have that system to cope with the gap between research results/development and industrial application. This gap requires time, money and facilities,” he stated.

Groundnut oil extraction device: Having watched his mother extract oil from groundnut cake traditionally while growing up, he felt the need to do something to make the process easier.

He modernised the whole process and came up with the groundnut oil extraction device. “I produced a composite machine for communities in the Pacific.

They have a lot of facilities from the World Bank, UNDP and government. They funded projects and recognised some of our efforts. We trained local artisans on how to make this and they were using it all over the place. I learnt this technology from my mother and just translated the whole C M Y K

T

here is no doubt that technology and innovation are the two ingredients Nigeria needs to drive her development as it is believed that innovation drives technology, technology drives development while development builds the nation. Many Nigerians have proven their mettle in the field of research and innovation but then, as the saying goes, a prophet is not honoured in his own country. As a result, Nigeria has failed to use the abundant talents within to push her development efforts. Rather, outsiders have recognised and tapped into these talents and their works while the nation remains impoverished in the midst of plenty. A real paradox! In this chat with the Director-General, National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion (NOTAP), Dr. Umar Bindir, he spoke on his works in the Pacific, helping in no small way to boost the economies of those islands. He, however, regretted that although we have all these technologies here, we have failed to make use of them to improve the lot of Nigerians. Excerpts:

By EBELE ORAKPO thing technically to become an engineering device. But again, we have failed to actually move it to the next level to become an employer of labour, an opportunity to showcase Nigeria technologically.”

Vegetable/Fruit storage system for rural areas: Nigerian farmers lose a lot of farm produce due to lack of proper storage facilities. To help mitigate this loss, Bindir who rose to the position of Associate professor before leaving the university system, designed a system to help farmers preserve their vegetables and fruits. “Once these vegetables are left in the sun, within two - four hours, they are gone and all the labour for three to six months is gone. But we have the traditional knowledge,” he said. “You would have seen Hausa vegetable sellers with their bottles of water from which they constantly spray water by hand on the vegetables. When you have a thin layer of water on the vegetables and the sun heats the water, it evaporates and evaporation causes cooling.”

Armed with this traditional knowledge and literature, he came up with an evaporative cooling system using ordinary grass or coconut husk or sponges that grow on walls.

He arranged them in a particular way to make a pad.

Above the pad is a water tank with holes to wet it. "The pad is designed in such a way that water and air can pass through. Then there is a chamber with a door and on the other side of the chamber, you need to have a fan sucking air through the pad but the fan will require

electricity but there is no electricity in the village and using batteries will be expensive. So we came up with an invention. We put a big pipe at one end, painted it black so when the sun heats it, the air inside the pipe rises and produces the fan effect.

This system can be placed in the market and vegetable and fruits are placed in it. You find that as air is rising, water is dripping through the pipe, air is moving in and your vegetable will keep for at least a week. I was able to manufacture some of these.

We have this technology in Nigeria but again, we have failed to take it to the next level to ensure that it becomes a player in our economy.”

Water Desalination System: The Pacific islands have a case of water, water everywhere but none to drink because sea water is salty.

Bindir came to their rescue by inventing a water

desalination system. “I invented and designed a very effective system that can harvest water from the sea, leaving the salt behind. It does not need electricity or batteries, it uses the heat of the sun. This made me a star in those islands. We made a number of models, some float on the sea while some sit on the edge of the sea, harvesting three to six litres of water per day and you can have as many as you like,” he stated.

Solar water heater: The experience we got from the water desalination system made me to come up with a solar water heater. In the Pacific, there was need for hot water in hospitals, restaurants, schools etc so the consummate engineer came up with a device that can heat water to temperatures of 70 90 degrees just using the sun.

He said; "I want to come up with systems that will be

compatible with our local hospitals, schools, eateries etc whereby you just sit it on the outside, no wire attached to it and immediately the sun rises, the radiation is absorbed and at temperatures of 20 -25 and sometimes it rises to 30, you can boil water. It is free energy.”

Slaughtering kit for small scale poultry: Dr. Bindir also came up with a system of slaughtering chickens in a much sanitised manner. “I was opportune to work on an island where they needed to use every part of the bird. Example, for chickens, the feathers are used as bedding material, the blood is coated and treated and used as animal feed. The water and the excreta are harvested and used to generate biogas and the remnants are used on the vegetable gardens as fertilisers. They are like most communities in developing countries where the head and intestines are eaten. It was very complicated unlike in western countries. So I designed a small scale slaughter house that can cope with all these. This is one thing that design engineers are very well known for. You go to a system, you study the system without changing their behaviour; you then provide a facility that fits the system."

Till today, it is working.

"Again, the knowledge is available in Nigeria but the money required to empower the inventor to build the prototype and take it to the next level, is not available, therefore it does not enable knowledge workers of my type who are in their millions in Nigeria, sitting with knowledge, to actually move to the next level.“

Foundation donates books to 200 tertiary institutions

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igeria’s education industry is about to experience a new dimension of philanthropic support as one of the veterans of Nigeria’s finance industry, Professor Green Nwankwo, through his foundation, Professor Green Onyekaba Nwankwo Foundation, donates high profile books to 200 tertiary institutions spread across the 36 states of the federation.

Nwankwo was the founding Head of Department of Finance and former Dean of Faculty of Business Administration at the University of Lagos, the pioneer Executive Director, Monetary and Banking Policy at the Central Bank of Nigeria, former President and Chairman of Council, Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria, former Chairman, Union Bank of

Nigeria Plc, and former Chairman, ACB International Bank Plc. Nwankwo said 8,000 books would be given out to the beneficiary institutions on September 13 in Lagos, and this would mark the beginning of a private initiative that would drive the process of equipping tertiary institutions with the much desired academic materials at no cost to the government or the institutions.

32—Vanguard, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2012

Fashola’s aide calls for review of budgetary allocation for bursary awards As Lagos disburses over N1.4 bn bursary awards to tertiary students in four years

By OLASUNAKNMI AKONI

I

n the last four years, a sum of N1,446,282,577.6 has been paid by Lagos State Government as bursary awards to 38,982 indigenes in various tertiary institutions across the country even as a call has gone to Governor Babatunde Fashola on the need to urgently review the state’s budgetary allocation to cater for outstanding payments.

The Deputy Governor, Mrs Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, made the announcement during the presentation of Automated Teller Machine, ATM verve cards to 3,013 of the 2010/2011 bursary award beneficiaries held at the state Scholarship Board premises, Iyana-Ipaja, Lagos.

At the event, the sum of N168,828,718.13 was presented to the successful candidates that took part in the 2010/2011 interviews

conducted in the five administrative divisions of the state and other zones outside Lagos State, among them are Ilorin, Benin, Zaria, Akure, Abuja, Port Harcourt and Yola.

Adefulire, represented by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Establishment and Training, Mrs. Shade Jaji, said that the total amount included the tuition fees of those in Lagos State University, Law School and the School of Maritime

Academy.

She noted that government, in encouraging brilliant academic performance, awards local scholarships to indigenes in tertiary institutions with a 3.5 grade point average and above adding that 2,072 students who benefitted from the awards were paid a total sum of N572,780,035,24.

According to Adfulire: “Before the state government suspended the award of scholarships for studies abroad recently, foreign scholarships awarded in the last four years amounted to N688, 787,405,45.

“Those who are already on foreign scholarship scheme are, however, still receiving their stipends and allowances.

“In our resolve to sustain investments in the health sector and ensure protection and improvement in the wellbeing of the entire population, this administration has taken up the payment of tuition fees of indigenes of the State School of Health Technology. A sum of N8,048,400.00 has been paid to 378 students in the institution.”

Dufil trains public, private schools teachers

BY DAYO ADESULU

I

n recognition of the significant roles of primary school teachers in basic education delivery and child moulding, Dufil Prima Foods Plc, makers of Indomie Instant Noodles has organised a one-day seminar for more than 2,200 teachers in public and private schools in Lagos State.

The 2012 edition which was held at the Main Auditorium of the University of Lagos (UNILAG) recently was part of the main thrust of the company’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative in the area of educational support and development.

On the rationale behind the 4 th edition of the annual seminar, the Public Relations and Event Manager, Mr. Tope Ashiwaju, said it was observed that most of the company ’s activities were centered on children at the expense of the gatekeepers, who have been making things happen.

“We appreciate the fact that

*From left: Director of School, Admin, Ministry of Education, Mrs. Mercy Olaoye; Deputy Director, Ministry of Education, Mrs. Bunmi Ogunlade; Public Relations and Event Manager, Dufil Prima Foods Plc, Ashiwaju Tope; and Dr. Christy Omotuyole, Department of Arts and Social Sciences, Faculty of Education, University of Lagos, during the Indomie Teachers seminar tagged ‘Montessori Theory and Application in Nigerian Classroom' in Lagos.

teachers are one of the most important tools behind the growth of a nation, especially at the primary level when children are beginning to learn and understand our values and culture.”

He said the company believes that one of the ways to show its appreciation to teachers for all their support over the years was by

constantly organising seminars and workshops specifically for them.

“This is also in line with the focus of the company’s CSR which places high priority on educational development of the Nigerian children,” Ashiwaju said.

A facilitator, Dr. Christy Omotuyole of the Department of Arts and Social Sciences

Educating children with special needs Continues from page 29 on “methods and techniques of handling children with autism in an inclusive classroom setting.”

The ministry ’s actions, though long overdue, will hopefully provide a more conducive learning environment for children with special needs. Ikenna Okpala said; “I started at Pacelli School for the Blind, and I learnt how to live and manage as a blind person, and then I proceeded to Federal Government College Ijanikin. There, it was a major challenge because many teachers were oblivious of the fact that there were C M Y K

blind students in the class. A teacher would just enter the class and start copying a note on the board, and clean off as soon as he was done. I had to develop another approach. After classes, I would get people to read their notes out loud to me. I would write them out, and translate to Braille. Many of my teachers didn’t even know they had such a student in their class until it was time for test, and I would bring out my type writer.”

Although new technologies have made it easier, educating children with special

Education at the University of Lagos whose lecture was titled The Montessori Theory and Application in Nigerian Classrooms, stressed that children should be given the opportunity to enjoy themselves and also explore their environment thereby increasing their level of self confidence, self belief and independence.

needs is no walk in the park as per the amount of money involved. The facilities are quite expensive. A Braille machine costs about N150,000. How much more new technologies such as the Jaws and the embosser? It is no wonder that Nigeria is lagging behind in this respect.

According to Adebiyi; “It costs about ten times more to educate a child with special needs than an average child.

Generally, the government is trying, but they aren’t doing enough.”

Awareness, resources, and a social support system; the three-fold answer the Austism Associate boss gave in response to a solution to this dilemma.

N95bn insufficient fund for education — LASU ASUU

BY MOSES IKEBELI

T

he N95 billion disbursed by the Federal Government for educational purposes, has been seen as insufficient to solve all the problems currently facing tertiary institutions. Speaking to Vanguard Learning, the secretary of ASUU at the Lagos State University (LASU), Dr. Jimoh Abayomi stated that the N95 billion will be inadequate to solve the problems currently facing the tertiary institutions.

When asked if the money disbursed by the Federal Government will be enough to solve the problems facing tertiary institutions, Dr. Jimoh Abayomi stated; “That is an obvious no, unless there will be provision of regular funding by the Federal Government.” He believes that there will be a boost in the education sector but only if the government provides regular funding.

He also stated that the money should not be given to the vice-chancellors. His words; “The money should be given to the Budget Monitoring Fund(BMF) as they can easily help to plan and execute projects of given institutions.” Funds have been highly mismanaged, not only in the education sector, but other sectors of the nation. The education sector should be regarded as highly important if any country desires to move forward.

Much has been said about the state of education in our country, but not until recently, when the Federal Government earmarked an estimated N95 billion for intervention in Nigerian universities, polytechnics and colleges of education through the Tertiary Education Trust Fund. Each beneficiary university is expected to receive about N598 million, each polytechnic N339.5 million and college of education N321 million.

According to the Minister of Education, Professor Ruqayyatu Ahmed Rufa’i; “over the last couple of decades, the right priorities in education were not addressed, our institutions continue to grapple with enormous expenditure outside their core mandates.” She further said that “to restore the vibrancy of our institutions and achieve the the desired outcomes, we must get our priorities right and manage our institutions transparently.”

Vanguard, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 06, 2012—33

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34—Vanguard, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2012

How Attorney General, PHCN mgt’s inactions caused workers' pension crisis STORIES BY VICTOR AHIUMA-YOUNG

take the commission to give license?

Did it say that until the commission gives license whatever is being operated is illegal?

So those are some of the issues were trying to tidy up. In all intents and purposes, they have not been driving it well.

What they are battling with is the quantum of naira which they feel they should pay.

There are various organizations; the airports authority, and other agencies that are still operating theirs. The act did not say that the existing should be abolished and even if they are to abolish that of PHCN, the Trust Deed of the superannuation fund, says that the directors must meet to discontinue it. You can’t migrate and have too schemes at the

O

Why the meeting deadlocked Nothing serious came out of the meeting, although we were trying to close in on only one issue throughout that day which we could not conclude.

Government came closer to accepting 25 percent, but said they would calculate it based on three items which according to them is based on the new pension act which, according to them, says you must calculate pension on basic, transport and rent.

But in our condition of service, it is based on rent, basic, transport, meal subsidy, domestic servant allowance and entertainment allowance. What that now portends is that the whole essence and those that articulated the new pension act, was to reduce what workers were getting as pension especially in some sector. So, we are still discussing on that.

H

owever, another revela tion that came out of that negotiation was the fact that Bureau for Public Enterprises, BPE, came up with a report that PHCN management met severally with National Pension Commission, PenCom on the need for them to have a closed pension policy, and that when PHCN management was not complying, PenCom wrote to the Attorney General of Federation to prosecute PHCN. So, as we talk C M Y K

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N Wednesday, August 29, the meeting between the Federal Government led by Chief Anyim Pius Anyim and organized labour to resolve in the pending labour issues ahead of the planned privatization of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria, PHCN, ended in a deadlock. Besides that, no date has been fixed for the resumption of negotiation.

In a chat with Pension and You, the General Secretary of the National Union of Electricity Employees, NUEE, Comrade Joe Ajaero, did not only give insight into why agreement could not be reached, but claimed the Bureau for Public Enterprises, BPE, revealed during the meeting that the National Pension Commission, PenCom, once wrote to the then Attorney General of the Federation to prosecute the PHCN management for not complying with Pension Reform Act, PRA, of 2004..

Comrade Joe Ajaero government owns PHCN, PenCom is a government agency and Attorney General, the highest law officer in the country, none of them took any action assuming they were in the right course.

Now, they are saying it is the workers that will suffer the consequences,whereas the act in all its provisions emphasizes that if there is any punishment, it should go to the employer. What we are seeing today is the inaction of the Attorney General, if it is true that PenCom wrote him and the inaction of PHCN and they are trying to shift it to the workers. We have not seen where the workers went wrong.

We almost shifted position Those of us from the union side, including the labour centres said we would consent to that with gratuity. But when government said that the act has abolished gratuity, we withdrew whatever concession we were about to make.

We were ready to shift from where we were to make concession, to remove three items which would drastically reduce the amount involved. But that issue of gratuity which they said they were not going to pay, is not negotiable to us.

Based on that, we went back to where we were because we cannot be discussing for somebody to tell us that he would

not pay gratuity. It is clear that the new pension act did not address the issue of gratuity, and if it does, what is at stake is that we have not migrated to the new pension scheme as at today which everybody agreed to. If we have not migrated to the new scheme, why then must you retire us based on the new scheme? If people who retired up till June, retired based on the existing scheme, why will you now shift the goal post? It says that the employers that wish to continue are free to continue. But PenCom is now saying that it has not given license. So what does it

whereby we meet every day, and announce to Nigerians deadlock, that we have to consult extensively, and see whether we can reach some level of understanding before we meet for the purpose of signing agreement. To that extent, he has been coming up with some scenario, and we have been talking. But the main problem is this issue of no funds.

If you say no fund, we cannot go far. If there are funds, and people have made concessions in some areas, and we run into billions, we can move forward from there. But if there are no funds, no matter the scenario and government has a ceiling, say N200billion, and the whole amount, pension and gratuity is about N500billion. What do you do about it? You cannot because government says they cannot afford more than N200billion, you now say what is involved is not involved, that has been our argument.

When PHCN management was not complying, PenCom wrote to the Attorney General of Federation to prosecute PHCN

same time. On the other hand, the existing scheme must be abolished by the directors before adopting a new scheme.

As we talk today, the scheme has not been abolished.

Anyim still consulting To be frank with you, Chief Anyim is consulting extensively. He is even consulting some of us on the way of the logjam.

Let me quote him, he said that he does not want a situation

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Let us know what is actually involved. If we want to look at how we can write it off, how to pay, whether people are going to take shares or things like that, we can think extensively.

This is not the first time union and management are meeting for management to plead inability to pay and union meets with them to find out the way out.

But this one government has not agreed that it owes this much, that is the problem.

Union plans a stress free retirement for maritime workers

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ARITIME Workers Union of Nige ria, MWUN, is planning to get an operational license from the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, to float a micro-finance bank, with not less than N40 million take off capital. President-General of MWUN, Comrade Anthony Nted who announced this at the launch of a foundation for the union’s late Vice President General Comrade Issa Saleh, who died recently, and a welfare scheme for workers in the sector, said upon take off, the bank would provide soft loan to members of the union for to enable set up small scale businesses that could survive with after retirement.

According to him, “We are starting and this is the beginning of a bigger picture we are seeing in the future”, explaining that it had become necessary as findings revealed

most of the union’s members upon retirement find it difficult to their daily economic and family obligations. He said the micro-finance bank would help those with business ideas source funds to translate their business ideas and ultimately become employers of labour, noting interactions with shop floor members showed that they were very creative and needed just a little push to realize their potentials. Comrade Nted expressed concern over the abuse of expatriate quota by multinationals operating in the nation’s sea ports, lamenting that immigrants had taken over the jobs offshore of the nation’s maritime industry while qualified Nigerians were left without job.

According to him, “today, everybody is talking about unemployment and the Federal Government is talking about unemployment.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 06, 2012—35

How Presidency plots to break NLC— Omar

BY VICTOR AHIUMAYOUNG

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HERE is this argument that every successive government tries to undermine labour movement. Why is it so?

Successive governments have been characterised by selfish ends. Labour movement has been characterised by struggles.

So, it has become the norm in this country that workers will get nothing on a platter of gold until they rise and struggle.

Luckily, workers have been able to rise up for their rights. Successive governments have always seen labour movement as a threat, so they always fight back to undermine the labour movement.

But the good news is that all these years, they have been unable to break the might of labour movement. I once made a statement in 2007 that I pray labour movement struggle would end some day because there would not be need for it.

But I was misinterpreted. What I meant then was that labour struggle has been characterised by fights against oppression and injustice. The day government will settle down and work for the welfare of the citizens, and where the rights of its citizens are respected, I think that is the only government that will make labour movement go to sleep.

What about alleged government plots to break up NLC,

Comrade Abdulwaheed Omar

how real is it?

It is no longer news that government is not happy with what happened in January over the issue of fuel subsidy. So there is so much concern and their major concern is that the major culprit is NLC. So they intend to weaken NLC. The first move visibly made was when a Senator tried to sponsor a bill called ‘Democratisation of Labour Union.’ The bill is to amend the law that from now on, any union that wants to go on strike must obtain express permission from all the members through the ballot.

Progressive members That means 50 per cent of the entire membership is to vote.

For instance, if NLC has to go on strike, and it has over one million members, over five hundred thousand has to vote ‘yes’ before the strike is embarked upon. We got wind of that and worked with progressive members of the National Assembly to scuttle the bill.

We sensitized Nigerians on the short fallings of the bill. For instance, if they vote ‘yes’ for the strike to begin, then after negotiation have been reached, you need to get them to vote to end the strike again. And if the leadership agrees with negotiations, they still have to go round to make sure members vote in agreement too.

If you make the law, will you also make laws that will com-

pose an independent electoral umpire to oversee that also?

That is a very big question.

How has NLC responded to this threat?

We have progressive members in the National Assembly who kicked against it. We are also lobbying to make sure it does not come to limelight. We are also enlightening the public on the risk of this. However, they are still attempting to break NLC by using some of the aggrieved members who lost during our last election by telling them they can form their own labour centre. I heard they are holding clandestine meetings.

We are also aware that a former

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THERE are fears that the relationship between the Federal Government and Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, may be heading for the rocks over the Minister of Labour and Productivity, Chief Emeka Wogu's alleged anti-labour activities.

Though reports claimed the Minister’s alleged antilabour activities especially public sector unions have been on for some times, but the perceived belligerent attitude towards unions in the power sector appeared to have been the last straw that broke the camel’s back. Lamenting NLC’s grouse against the Minister of Labour, its President, Comrade Abdulwaheed Omar, in a communiqué reached at the end of its National Executive Council, NEC, meeting in Benin City, Edo State, said “NEC condemns the style and manner of intervention in the PHCN imbroglio by the Minister of Labour.

His bye-passing of the unions and attempting to deal directly with workers, which appears to be a regular occurrence, portrays him as a minister always seeking to take the side of employers, instead of the expected role of arbiter. NEC believes the Minister of Labour for effective performance ought to enjoy the confidence of the social partners. NEC warns if the Minister carries on like this, Congress will be compelled to boycott all government activities involving him. Congress also warns that any attempt to disregard the clear provisions of the law by any government functionary, no matter how highly placed, will be massively resisted in the best traditions of trade.” As if the above was not enough, Omar in an interview with Labour Vanguard gave insight into how congress believes the Presidency is plotting to break it. Excerpts.

We have been told that the Minister has been holding meetings with some of these trade unions to form a new trade centre

Registrar of trade unions is commissioned to do the job. We have been told that the Minister has been holding meetings with some of these trade unions to form a new trade centre.

But some of our members that have been approached are saying it is not possible to register a new centre because some of the unions are already affiliated to existing labour union.

They said, they registrar came to them and said he wanted to

NCE rectifies position on technologists, technicians

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NDICATIONS have emerged that National Council on Establishments, NCE, has taken steps to correct its earlier controversial vesting of the authority to regulate Pharmaceutical Technologists and Pharmacy Technicians in the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria, PCN, thereby calming industrial restiveness in the health sector. It will be recalled that Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria, MWUN, had not only protested to the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, but taken

use the trade unions he registered to form a new trade centre. That means every registrar can now come and pick every union they register in their time to form a new labour centre. But our affiliates acted promptly and said no. We got information that the Minister is holding meeting with some people that they have the required members of trade union to register as a new labour centre.

But the professionals in the ministry have told the Minister that it is not possible and they have said no. They made it clear that if you want to come out from a labour centre, it is not a decision of any other organ of that union or some leaders, but a resolution of the delegates at the union’s delegate’s conference.

But maybe be one or two affiliate unions of NLC have expressly shown that they are aggrieved with NLC. Has there been any effort by NLC to reconcile with these aggrieved unions?

We are never aggrieved with them. Initially, they were attending our meetings, but later they stopped attending our meetings. We thought their absence was because they were busy, but we later discovered it was an apparent attempt. Even then, we didn’t think it was so terrible until recently when they made a press statement. We did not intend to take into the public domain any internal rumbling we have in labour movement. The labour movement is too big and sensitive for us to

Pharmacy Council of Nigeria, PCN to a High Court in Lagos.

Its argument that Pharmacy Technicians and Pharmaceutical Technologists are bonafide cadres with their own institutionalized mechanisms and processes for regulation, and practice in general had carried the day, leading to a subsisting court ruling in its favour. This development further highlights the need for the Trade Union Side of the National Joint Public Service Negotiating Council to be part of NCE meetings. Obviously, the only reason why

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begin to carry these things to the public. Government will instantly capitalize on that. We resolved that if that is the case, the labour movement cannot afford this kind of division. We then decided to see a way we can reconcile. NEC then formed an elder’s committee, which is a five man committee. We have made very frantic move to make sure that the unity of labour movement is ensured.

the court ruling was never mentioned and a wrong decision was taken in the first place was because trade unions are not represented in NCE meetings.

In a letter to the Secretary-General of MHWUN dated July 26, 2012, Charles Bonat, Permanent Secretary (ERO) on behalf of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation noted that “there was no mention of a subsisting court ruling on the matter(s) when they were presented and considered at the last National Council on Establishments (NCE) meeting which took the decision(s). Accordingly, steps have been taken to expunge the said items from the communiqué of the last NCE meeting.”

36—Vanguard, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2012

State Police, panacea to our security challenges — Imoke There have been varied opinions on calls in some quarters for the establishment of state police to help curb the security challenges in the country. In an interview with Vanguard, Governor Liyel Imoke of Cross River State said state police would help combat the security problems. He also spoke on other national issues. Excerpts:

BY JOHNBOSCO AGBAKWURU

W

HAT is your opinion on the call for establishment of state police in the country?

I have already made my views known on state police. It is very simple. If we had massive reduction in crime, if we had a society where there is hardly any danger or serious crime and so on, I don’t think anyone who even mentions state police would be listened to. So let us start from that perspective. Why are people clamouring for the state police?

Let us not go to the perspective of abuse by the politicians.

My question is why the clamour for a state police? It is because the current federal police is seen to be inefficient and not capable of dealing with the challenges of crime in a developing society. If that question was answered, would any one ask for state police?

No. so why don’t we take it from that perspective rather than saying let the inefficiency increase, let the crime rate increase, let all of us be closing our work at six or seven o’clock because we are afraid for our lives?

The function of the police is internal security. We started with a very nice efficient police with highway patrol, antirobbery units, etc. Then we started seeing inefficiency and started finding solutions. Civil Defence came, Road Safety C M Y K

came, Peace Corps came. All answers to inefficiency. We even have the police now talking to us about community policing.

Then the worst part now is that the armed forces are incharge of internal security.

Traditionally, the armed forces are in-charge of external security and aggression.

Marine police, their job has now been taken over by the Navy and JTF. What are we talking about? We are talking about Nigerians, not politicians. We are talking about the security of the citizenry. Our arguments have to be focused on the people that we govern. Even if the state police law comes to the constitution, I will be out of office before the constitution is implemented. So of what benefit would it be to me as a former governor that there is state police in Cross River?

Protection of lives and property My argument is the protection of the lives and property of the citizens of Cross River State and we cannot run away from it. When we trivialize it and say politicians would use it against perceived political opponents, I don’t like the generalization. I don’t like stereotyping, saying these politicians. So there are no good people in the society? I don’t think that is the approach.

I think we need to agree on

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*Governor Imoke

solutions to the rising insecurity in the society and one of the possible solutions is the state police. We can call it anything, but the point is that there must be some level of community policing that is recognized. You don’t even need to use them for elections if that is what people are afraid of. Let us fight crime and insecurity in our society before they overtake our society.

There are countries that have many levels of policing everywhere in the world. We have copied the American presidential system, but I don’t know who the Inspector General of Police is in the USA. Yet we have copied a presidential system of government from America.

What is your position on the proposal by the Central Bank of Nigeria to introduce N5,000 note?

Quite frankly I have not understood the arguments for and against the proposal but they seem to be similar to the arguments for and against the N1000 note. If you recall there were exactly the same

would have. But I think those who are responsible must have done an analysis before deciding to introduce that currency. I also understand that it costs far much more money to continuously print N1000 notes than it does to print the N5000. So I think all of these things should be taken into consideration.

How do you see calls for Sovereign National Conference?

I don’t know about the National Conference. The thing I like is the constitutional amendment. My only problem with the amendment is why it should be limited in scope. I think that if maybe we can expand the scope of the review of the constitutional amendment, then all the fears and need for the conference may not be there. The constitutional amendment is fundamental to our sustained national growth, development and unity. I don’t think there is anything wrong with extensive constitutional amendment. I just don’t see how we can have 66 items on

We can call it anything, but the point is that there must be some level of community policing that isrecognized.

You don’t even need to use them for elections if that is what people are afraid of. Let us fight crime and insecurity in our society before they overtake our society

arguments for and against the N1000 note. All of a sudden the N1000 note is almost the lowest denomination. I don’t think anybody did an analysis of the inflation that came as a result of the N10,000 note. But typically, there would always be those arguments. I think the most important thing is the convenience of doing business.

I have always looked at other countries and I wonder if they have these arguments. There is a $1000 bill which is N160, 000. There is $100 bill which is N16, 000. It makes it easier for them in America to carry cash to transact business. So, I don’t know if the impact N5, 000 note

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the exclusive list and less than 20 on the concurrent list. Tthat would tell you that you are not operating a federal constitution. It means that it is just a federal constitution in name not in practise. These are some of the issues that I think we need to address.

2015 is fast approaching, which senatorial zone should take over from you?

Cross River already has three senatorial districts. Two senatorial districts have produced Governors. One has not. Would it be fair for us not to allow the other senatorial district to produce a governor?

This is a just a question of

simple fairness, just like we had president from the North, then, South-West, now from South-South. There is no big deal. It is a natural sequence.

That is why I support it openly.

Some people have been saying Oga keep quiet over this matter.

This is not how to do it. I say I don’t know how to deal with what is honest, sincere, correct and right. This is what I have always stood for in my politics.

My politics has always been about uniting Cross River. That is why I started my politics by taking on the most difficult challenge.

That was when they said no Efik man can ever be governor of Cross River State and I said no. So there is a set of Cross Riverians that cannot be. So I fought that. And then I wasn’t governor, I wasn’t anything, and by the grace of God we managed to win that battle that changed the face of Cross River. That united all of us.

Atomistic society That thing that we used to be called an atomistic society perpetually at war with itself is no more. I challenged it. That I think is one of my greatest achievements, uniting our people. The final seal on that unity would be that the next governor of Cross River comes from the northern senatorial district.

What is the debt profile of the state?

The Special Adviser on Debt Management is on leave. So I don’t have the numbers. So if the SA was here, I would have the numbers but we have been relatively conscientious in our debt obligations.

Debt is something that would exist in any government.

Whether it is federal, state or United States or anybody, debt is a part of government. Let us understand it for what it is and deal with it. The key thing is that there are international standards of borrowing. What they call debt to income ratio.

So the question is, have we exceed that limit and the answer to that is no. So we try to make sure we don’t exceed those limits.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2012—37

STATE POLICE: We can't continue to waste lives — Kaka Alhaji Sefiu Gbenga Kaka, Deputy Governor of Ogun State during the governorship of Chief Segun Osoba (1999-2003), is Vice Chairman, Senate Committee on Agriculture. He was elected on the platform of Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, as Senator for Ogun East in the April 9, 2011 National Assembly elections. In an encounter with Vanguard in Abuja, recently, he bared his mind on his life and the state of the nation. Excerpts:

BY BASHIR ADEFAKA

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OW has it been as a Senator. What are the challenges?

It has very challenging and very interesting. You know when you are in the opposition, you are having an alternative side to all issues. So, the way the executive and the party in power will see it may be different from our own.

Ironically, my party has to be the progressive party and by my upbringing and by what we learnt from Chief Obafemi Awolowo, I am a democratic socialist. I believe in the greatest number of good to the greatest number of people. So whatever the party in power is doing that is good, we give them the maximum support.

We don’t shy away from saying it the way it is; not minding whose ox is gored.

Even to the detriment of any benefit coming to me, I will always say what I consider to be right because the Qur’an even enjoins us that we must say the truth at all times even if it is against our parent.

So, in that regard, I only pray God to continue to give us the guidance and to continue to strengthen us so that in the face of oppression we will be able to fight for the interest of the people because nobody succeeds in oppressing you without your consent.

Consent to oppression I, as a person, without transgressing the limit, will continue to fight for the interest of the people and will continue to refuse to give my consent to oppression wherever it is operated.

That is why my interest has been on health, agriculture, trade, investment and of course development of the rural areas through the states and the local governments which are the committees I serve in and I elected to serve on them by choice.

As an Awoist, how do you see the division in Yorubaland and plans by a section of Yoruba leaders for Southwest integration to restore the lost glory of the Yoruba race?

What we are having is not the issue of Yoruba race. If you realise what Chief Obafemi Awolowo was doing, you would C M Y K

know that his focus was to liberate the entire country and that was why he had on his mind free education that was qualitative at all levels believing that educated people are easy to govern and difficult to enslave. His total liberation was meant for the country not for Yoruba race alone.We were only fortunate that we tasted his handiwork which others denied themselves the benefits of and they are now lamenting more than 25 years after he had left.

He realised that after education, health is wealth and that it is only the healthy ones that can be productive. By that again, Papa had medical care for a category of individuals.

He made sure that primary healthcare delivery hospitals were built here and there and he integrated rural development wanting to keep the people right on the farm producing the raw materials required for industry and growth; producing food for our

self sufficiency given that a nation that cannot feed itself is not fully independent. All these were packed together under what is called democratic socialism and it was meant for the entire country.

So, if we say we want to rebuild the value system, there is nothing bad in it because now, I think we have gone to count zero; anything further, means Nigeria will be extinct.

What is left for us now is to start re-energising so that we can prepare for a better tomorrow. The situation is terrible to the extent that food, water used to be essential, basic needs but now, security, which in Abraham Maslow's hierarchy of needs, takes number three is now at the base that nobody is secured.

And you keep on hearing billions upon billions voted to security, yet, nothing is happening. To worsen the whole situation people are clamouring for state police.

Those who are opposed to

*Senator Kaka

state police say it could be used by the governors to perpetrate political terrorism. What is your take on that?

Under Papa Obafemi Awolowo we had constabulary even at the Local Governments and they are the best to police themselves because, a stranger, cannot police an area better than the indigenes.

We will still continue to emphasise that we must have

Local Government police and a law will be put in place to control whatever they are doing. There is no problem without solution. But running away from it is to keep postponing the evil day. And we have postponed it now to the level where quality lives are being lost everyday.

It is very unfortunate we are where we are but hope is not totally lost for the country.

Arthur Nwankwo: 70 horns for a dogged fighter

BY EUSTACE EJIKEME

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HIEF Arthur Agwuncha Nwankwo, a consummate politician, philanthropist, freedom fighter, democrat, accomplished author, publisher and educationist celebrated his 70th birthday on Sunday, 19th August, 2012. The birthday marked another range of numerous achievements in his life.

Nwankwo has paid his dues in our contextual socio-cultural and political sphere with great and enviable landmarks pervading every decade of his life span. Flaunting a robust ideological bent, especially encapsulating the massive agitation for renewal, and rejuvenating the popular wishes of the people for survival, Nwankwo no doubt clearly draws a parallel between the quasi-leadership destroying the Nigerian state and the cumulative liberation chants of the people.

One of Nwankwo’s highpoints in the public glare is standing on the side of the people, essentially standing for

truth, justice and fairness despite the intrigues and temptations that characterize the nation’s political space.

Nwankwo’s courage and bravery is therefore brought to bear on the countless confrontations he had with the military apparatchik in his quest to emancipate the people from the stifling grips of fascism and retrogression. Apart from the military, he also emerged unscathed from the snares set by tainted civilian megalomaniac, who were more or less military appendages and apologists.

Beacon of light and hope Perhaps, his tenacity and perseverance even in the face of obvious persecution further marks him out as a beacon of light and hope for the Nigerian masses as the march to the land of promise continues.

With a strong network of radical and like minds, Nwankwo remains a fiery activist that cannot be ignored at any gathering. The outcome of the June 12, 1993

presidential elections and its consequent annulment rather set the stage for such radical assemblage to declare war against the military junta of that time, using an effective platform, NADECO where Nwankwo was the ViceChairman.

In the process, General Ibrahim Babangida, the architect of that June 12 national calamity found himself stepping aside to nurse the wounds he sustained in the heat of the agitation. The battle did not abate even when General Sani Abacha dropped dead in the midst of the high profile intrigues that trailed the annulment of the June 12 election until full democratic structures were installed in 1999 thereby sending the military back to the barracks.

Nwankwo’s antecedent is quite known, participating fully in the politics of the Second Republic where he became the standard bearer for the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) in the old Anambra State gubernatorial elections of 1983.

He is also the founder and leader of the Peoples Mandate

Party, (PMP) and had been since 1994, the Chancellor of Eastern Mandate Union (EMU), a virile platform that unequivocally maintained its opposition against draconian rules or any other attendant human right abuses. With his franchise at Fourth Dimension Publishing Company, Nwankwo was able to spread his gospel of socio-economic and political freedom. As a philanthropist, he developed a housing estate consisting of 10 duplexes, which he gave free to Enugu State University of Technology (ESUT) to mention a few.

Nwankwo, no doubt, will look back at his life at 70 with a contented smile, especially in recognition of his landmark achievements in life. He would be glad that his persuasive ideology over the years has also dug a fountain of knowledge and experience especially for those apostles he groomed who have kept the flame aglow over the years.

Happy birthday, Ikeogu! *Dr. Ejikeme is the leader of Igbo Leadership Forum, ILF.

38—Vanguard, THURSDAY,SEPTEMBER 6, 2012 Edited by MCPHILIPS NWACHUKWU 08026350360

Blade of tears for Amadi Ogbonna (1962- 2012) Ugebe oti wala, otiwala o , The mirror has broke, has broken o Ezigbo ugebe otiwala, otiwala o, Beautiful mirror has broken, has broken Otiwala ni ike eee It broke suddenly

By MCPHILIPS NWACHUKWU

O

kanma, the then Group Arts/Assistant Editor. From Amadi, I learnt the thread of entertainment writing by reading through his pages every Saturday and from Nwakanma, the tropes of intellectual art and the beauty of flowery and deep prose.

The two characters loomed large in my imagination in my early days in the Vanguard. They helped to initiate me into the beauty of arts and concerts. Together, we discovered the beauty and hidden secrets of night and women as much as we discovered the beauty associated with loneliness attendant with

NE of the most challenging things to do by anybody is to write death tributes for one’s beloved ones. Unfortunately, I have been saddled to do this ugly job even against my will. But what can one do when confronted with this kind of task? Keep silent in the face of such troubling emotion? It is unthinkable. And that is how I feel now, and how I felt that night, around 11pm last week Wednesday when Japhet Alakam’s phone call woke me up from stream of sleep.

“McPhilips”, he called with fears registered in his voice, “have you heard?” “heard what?” I mumbled having slept earlier as part of the fringe benefits deriving from my annual vacation. "Amadi is dead.” He told me flatly.

Immediately, sleep evaporated from my eyes and night dawned double in my consciousness. I became awake with my eyes closed and my mind opened.

The shock that gripped me over this unsettling news was reinforced by the fact that exactly one week to that very day he passed on, I met him at the Vanguard when I went there to cross check some information in the library. In his usual fervent manner, he gave me his signature butt: “Dede Nne olee otu ihe Late Ogbonna Amadi nnu?” that Ngwa Igbo dialect which translates to “My brother, how are things?” had remained night crawling. our uniting and greet pattern all the In the later years, when Nwakanma time I knew him in the Vanguard. had proceeded to the US to pursue his other love: scholarship, Amadi and I reTraditional mained to carouse the arts and enterblack safari tainment. Arts and entertainment being Siamese twins with interests When I saw him, he was dressed in crossed here and there, we worked totraditional black Safari suit well fitted gether without infringing on each othin his body. I looked at him closely and er ’s beat.

We shared ideas together and debatsmiled as I saw white hairs shot out silently from different parts of his body ed on common issues. We respected and I smiled again at myself, at how all ourselves as well as our age differencof us, who joined Vanguard media as es. He was a beautiful soul and joked young boys are surprisingly, ageing and laughed from his heart.

As an entertainment reporter, Amadi gracefully in this vineyard. But he was not sick. Our brother and friend was not wrote his name in gold and succeeded in making Vanguard a reference paper sick.

Amadi was one of the Vanguard’s staff when it comes to entertainment jourthat I first encountered when I joined nalism in Nigeria. He had brilliant the service of Vanguard Media. First, I ideas and was very innovative. In evwas assigned to work in the political ery sense, he lived an urban life and desk with Tunji Olawuni, Jide Ajani and identified with everybody. We will all John Ighodaro. Then, Amadi was al- miss him, and more so, his electrifying ready the established head of Entertain- presence.

Anyi na acho dede ee, Dede anyi ment desk. We did not work together at the same desk, but when the Publisher onye obioma ee, Olee ebe ka anyi ga of Vanguard instructed me to take over ahu ya, Ndi Uka eburula ya gaa ni ili.

We are searching for our brother the rested Arts and Book Review page Our good natured brother previously handled by late Yeriba Kina, Where can we find him we became closer.

He is being taken to the graveyard As a younger reporter in the arts desk, Good night, Dede Nne. I learnt a lot from Amadi and Obi NwaC M Y K

A scene from the dance drama

Nigeria’s beauty in squalor

By PRISCA SAM-DURU

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their greed and unpatriotic will to keep the country under their control regardless of how the masses fared.

It was an inspiring masterpiece that provided unforgettable entertainment and education to members of audience whose minds were blown off with the colourful theatrical production.

It spotlighted the usually sung beauty in diversity and cultural differences of the people which make individuals like Odia Ofeimun still see something beautiful in the nation that is almost torn apart by corruption and violence.

The playwright in his usual manner, chronicles how the masses revolted several times and how they were brought to their knees by the powers that be.

From the moment the stage was thrown open till when the curtain was drawn, Odia through a well organized and talented performers, as well as creative director that gave an endearing account of himself, recapitulated mostly, the pitfalls of the country which it suffered in

IGERIA the Beautiful, a dance drama written by Odia Ofeimun and directed by Felix Okoro was, last Saturday, performed at the Muson Centre, Lagos as part of the Hornbill Circle of six dance dramas aimed at re-energizing the Nigerian stage. Billed to take place every forthnight in which a unique dance drama sequence by Odia Ofeimun is performed to the delight of Nigerians, the sequence commenced on 29th July, 2012 at same venue, with the command performance of Itoya: A Dance Drama For Africa, which tells the story of Africa from the trans-Saharan slave trade to the African Union.

Nigeria the Beautiful being the second in the series, narrates the country’s transition from Fredirick Lugard, the first colonial Governor General, to president Goodluck Jonathan. Others to come in the series are; A feast of Return, Madam Kofo’s Kichen, The Hawker and the Godfather and UnThe play traces the country’s der African Skies(First of the transition from the time of Lord dance dramas Frederick Lugard, the first colowhich was performed at Sadlers nial governor general, to the Well in London in current occupant of Aso Rock 1990). the hands of unpatriotic leaders that Nigeria the have turned the once giant of Africa, into Beautiful, employs a failed state. very colourful cosThe aesthetically designed stage, tumes that portray richness in the culproper lighting added to the exquisite tural background of the three major tribes of the country in a narrative that dance steps of the artistes and humour traces the country’s transition from the especially during coup, however, put time of Lord Frederick Lugard, the first the audience in the right frame of mind, colonial governor general, to the cur- According to Odia, “the programme was rent occupant of Aso Rock, President as part of a nation-wide campaign to give stage drama the gravity and Goodluck Jonathan.

In line with Odia’s statement during respect due to a cultural form that enthe performance that the dance drama visages bringing people together for “is a deliberate reversal of received opin- self-empowerment and enterprise”. Our ion which is loaded with paradoxes but aim he said “is to spread a message of much truism”, Nigeria the Beautiful un- hope, believing that theartre can be used arguably, offers a distance from com- to promote development and to effect mon view about the nation as home to grand cultural renovations across the a discordance of not only tongues that country”, adding that it is also comes as differ and cultures that are distinct from a strategy to galvanize a theatre-going one another but where nothing works culture that Nigerians can be proud of. or anything goes. It is the height of exposition of Nigeria as a country full of ironies of life.

HE public presentation of a new The production was indeed loaded literary work titled, “African Sewith paradoxes that served as an ex- curity Solution”, is scheduled to pose of Nigeria’s tumultuous journey hold on Saturday, Sept 8, 2012. in the political history with much emAccording to the author, who is phasis on how the country hurriedly got also the publisher of Jubel independence unprepared, and how Magazine, Mr Tunde Eso said, the the first civilian government collapsed event will kick off by 2.00 pm at and also, how the army took over as Jubel Magazine office, Atinuke well as the role of the various leaders, Plaza, Okota, Lagos.

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40—Vanguard, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2012

Delta to employ 5,000 through transport sector

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WAMCO MD FOOTBALL CUP COMPETITION: From left: Mr. Peter Esihikera, MD, Friesland Campina Wamco Nigera Ltd; Mr. Robert Maduekwe, Human Resources Manager and Mr. Akin Adekoya, Chairman, FC WAMCO Culture Club, during the opening ceremony of the 2012 WAMCO MD Football Cup competition held at Cocoa Field, Ogba,Lagos. Photo: Joe Akintola, Photo Editor.

BURIAL: From left: Sam Obieroma, national treasurer, Niger Delta Peoples Network; Mr. Lucky Ayomanor, national chairman, NDPN; Sunday Olorundahunsi, Chief Registrar, Supreme Court of Nigeria, and Rotimi Doherty, national assistant PRO, Niger Delta Peoples Network, during the burial of Olorundahunsi's father, Pa Olorundahunsi, at Ikaram Akoko, Ondo State.

SABA—NO fewer than 5,000 people will be employed through the repositioning of the transport sector in Delta State, the Commissioner for Transport, Mr. Benson Igbaka, told the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, in Asaba yesterday.

Igbaka said those to be employed, in a bid to boost road and river transport, would include tricycle operators, bus and boat drivers, ticket officers and vendors.

He, however, said that while riders for the tricycles were being targeted amongst the commercial motorcycle operators, the other categories would be from the unemployed in the state.

He said that so far 1,250 tricycles, 110 boats and 40 marcopolo buses had been acquired by the state government, leaving a balance of 20 boats and 10 Marcopolo buses.

The commissioner also explained that the 20 boats were already at the port, adding that the project was approved in 2011.

He also said that 120 bus shelters would be constructed across the

Enugu, Kogi battle Anambra over oil

BY TONY EDIKE & BOLUWAJI OBAHOPO

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HE Enugu and Kogi State governments have said that the oil well over which Anambra State was named the 10th oil producing state in the country is actually located in an area owned by the three neighbouring states and not Anambra State alone.

Kogi State Deputy Governor, Mr. Yomi Awoniyi and Enugu State Commissioner for Information, Mr. Chuks Ugwoke, made this known in separate interviews with newsmen in Lokoja and Enugu respectively, weekend.

According to Awoniyi, the oil which Orient Petroleum Resources, OPR, was prospecting, over which President Goodluck Jonathan pronounced Anambra State the 10th oil producing state in the country, was located in Ibaji Local Government Area of the state and not in Anambra State.

He said the oil was discovered in the area by the then Elf Petroleum Nigeria

Limited, EPNL, now Total E&P Nigeria Limited, TEPNG, which prospected oil in the Anambra River Basin long time ago, adding however that Kogi, Enugu and Anambra States were laying claims to the ownership of the areas affected.

Ugwoke had earlier dismissed as totally false, claims by the management of OPR, that the quarrel between it and Anambra State over some oil wells located in Uzo Uwani Local Government Area which has common

boundry with Aguleri and environs where the oil was being prospected for.

Ugwoke said that a substantial part of the oil producing area belonged to Uzo Uwani area of the state.

However, Awoniyi said, "Let me educate you on that... The oil we are talking about was first developed by ELF and when they were to access the oil well years ago as is the standard practice, they had to pay compensation to the villages that were around there as prelude

to the commencement of their work. As I said, Elf capped this oil well years ago and because it was not viable to them, it was abandoned but today with new technology the oil wells are viable. So we need to conduct ourselves as a people to make our community conducive enough for investors to come in. I am aware that the communities that were paid (compensation then) were Kogi-based communities and I am not sure that there have been any re-delineation of the border line since then."

state in phases, noting that the first phase for the construction of 30 had started.

Igbaka said the terrain, with regards to roads, would not be a challenge to effective utilisation of the buses and tricycles, as the government was investing massively in road construction across the state.

He said that between October and March 2013, most roads already approved for construc-

tion and rehabilitation would have been completed.

The commissioner said Delta Government decided to invest massively in the road transport sector because it was discovered that bad vehicles were responsible for accidents across the country.

He, however, said that the challenge before the sector in the state was economic, adding that resources were limited.

Bakassi: Rights group decries FG’s silence

BY NNAMDI OJIEGO

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HUMAN rights group, Youth and Conflict Resolution Initiative, YCRI, has decried Federal Government’s silence over the agitations for the review of International Court of Justice, ICJ, verdict which ceded some parts of Bakassi Local Government Area of Cross River State to the Republic of Cameroon, describing it as unjust and a political miscalculation.

The group in a statement by its President and the International Relations Officer, Pastor Alex Kenerekedi and Comrade Efemena

Agadama, respectively, also condemned the ICJ’s verdict on Bakassi asked Jonathan’s administration to commence review process of the ruling without further delay.

The statement said: “ICJ ruling is a gross violation of the morality that holds the human race. It negates and tramples on the very foundation and charter of the Atlantic Charter of August 14, 1941 which states that countries seek no aggrandisement, territorial or other. And that they desire to see no territorial changes that do not accord with the freely expressed wishes of the peoples concerned."

Youth leader lauds industrialist on job creation

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YOUTH leader in Delta State,Mr. Chris Eriyamremu, has lauded a Benin-based industrialist, Mr. Kingsley Ehi Okunbor, for impacting positively on Nigerian youths through his creation of job opportunities.

Mr. Eriyamremu, who made the commendation

in Warri yesterday, also congratulated Okunbor on his 50th birthday coming up on September 8.

He said that apart from creating employment in the society, Mr. Okunbor's philanthropic gesture has also impacted positively on many lives.

Alegbeleye passes on @ 89 Jigawa pays N900m for 3,232 LDER Jacob several grand children rangements for this intending pilgrims a and great grand-chilyear’s Hajj, just as it had E Alegbeleye, former Deputy Director dren.

BY TINAAKANNAM

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U T S E — J I G AWA State Pilgrims Welfare Board has paid over N900 million to the National Hajj Commission, NAHCON, for the 3,232 intending pilgrims this year.

The Executive Secretary of the Board and Sarkin Dawakin

Tsargida of Gumel emirate, Alhaji Muhammad, who disclosed this in an interview with newsmen, said his office was not owing the National Hajj Commission on this year’s Hajj fares, pointing out, however, that the money was paid instalmentally.

Muhammad further said that the board had nearly completed all ar-

also submitted passports of 600 intending pilgrims to the Saudi Consulate Office in Kano for their Visa’s.

He said the board had also distributed hand luggages and uniforms to all the intending pilgrims,even as it hoped to give all pilgrims their basic materials before they leave for the Holy Land.

in the Federal Ministry of Commerce and Industry, is dead, aged 89.

He was a devout Christian and community leader who retired after 35 years of service.

He has since been buried in his home town, Ugboshi-Ele, Akoko Edo Local Government Area of Edo State. He is survived by many children,

Late Elder Alegbeleye

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dayobenson@yahoo.com I N S I D E

State police, proposed N5,000 note dominate discussions at NBA A GC AGC

Counsel Corner Modernising the NBA: A

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necessar e (2) necessaryy debat debate

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I’m concerned over senior members walking away from NBA— Okey Wali

BY DAYO BENSON

AT the just concluded 52nd annual general conference of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, Mr. Okechukwu Emmanuel Wali, SAN, assumed office as 26th president of the association. In this interview, the new Bar president articulated some of his visions for the association and spoke on some of the challenges ahead. Specifically, he promised to bring back senior lawyers who have lost interest in the Bar activities. Excerpts :

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•Okey Wali, SAN in practice and conference fees. How do you plan to go about this?

I maintain that I would be bound by the decisions of NEC. You know the problem we have sometimes emanates from the level of participation at NEC meetings. The Conference fees were

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OU articulated some of your visions and programmes during your inauguration, beyond this, what should we really expect?

Well, there’s going to be a lot of continuity, because what the former president did all this while had all been the decisions of NEC. There is general impression that the NBA gave the Federal Government six weeks ultimatum on Bakassi issue. Is this the true position of the association on the matter?

What was said was that, we have six weeks before our time expires, so we should make use of this window of opportunity to go back to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on this matter. This is why again, I talk about communication. Sometimes, things are said in a way that they don’t quite represent the views expressed by the NBA. It was not an ultimatum to the federal government.

Rather, it was an advice, saying “you have six weeks to sort out this matter, and we think you should do it as soon as possible.”

Don’t you think it will be more effective for the NBA to officially write to the President, the National Assembly, the Attorney General of the Federation, as well as other relevant authorities on this matter?

As you know, the communique is a summary of the decisions made at the conference, and this issue happens to be one of them. That which affects any organ of government, we would formally communicated to them. The Attorney General of the Federation is one of us. We would put our views across to him formally, stating our position as regards what we think the federal government should be doing.

You did promise to review the hike

Lokoja. But like I said, going forward, we will go back to NEC to decide the fees for the next conference. Whatever is agreed on by NEC, we will be bound by it.

We must however not forget that conferences are very expensive. When I saw the report of the Kaduna Conference I was alarmed at some of the costs I saw in there, but this was before I experienced it first hand as the Alternate Chair of the 2011 AGC in Port Harcourt, the Kaduna Conference turned out far cheaper.

The truth is that we would need money to hold these conferences. As the immediate past president said before handing over; it is an investment. All I think we need to do, is to talk with ourselves more; which is why I have said that NEC will deliberate thoroughly on this issue and whatever decisions they come up with, we would be bound by it.

If decisions that come out of NEC are still disputed by the generality of members, doesn’t it raise the question of inadequate representation at NEC? NEC is made up of every branch Chairman, branch secretary and a branch NEC rep. So, where a branch elects a Chairman, a Secretary and a NEC rep , we would expect that they have sent us people that are in touch with them and can effectively represent them.

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We owe the younger ones a duty to stay back and teach them

actually approved by NEC in Lokoja.

That is the truth.

But a lot of those who attended the meeting did not pay attention to the reasons while they were there, and when they left, they left with the impression that J. B. Daudu hiked conference fees. This was indeed a NEC decision.

Same was the case with the Legal education bill. The position of the NBA in that bill talked about private law schools, and you heard lawyers when we got to National Assembly saying “No, we’re not a part of this.”

These were NEC members who were at the NEC meeting when that document was brought before the house, and approved by NEC. In the same vein, they were all there when the conference fees were decided and approved by NEC. In fact, it was first brought to the NEC meeting in Akure and approved in

When these representatives come to NEC, we expect them to come with the views of their branches; which is the primary reason why they are there.

Every branch is well represented at NEC, so even if we wanted to, we couldn’t impose an idea on anyone- be it conference fees or any other matter.

Therefore, whatever decisions are reached by their representatives, the entire NEC will accept and approve, and the duty lies on them to take this back to their branches. Nobody could have forced conference fees on anyone. Hence, we will go back to NEC with the matter, and representatives should come with the views of their branches to further deliberate on the matter.

In your speech, you also mentioned that NEC will henceforth cease to be a jamboree, as it is the case at present?

From the point that NEC became a

one day business, it became impossible to have NEC the way we used to do.

Don’t forget that we have a ceremonial part of NEC. So these days people come to NEC, and the ceremonials carry on until 1pm; then we deliberate for a couple of hours; break for lunch at 3pm, by the time we get back the day is gone; and we depart the following day.

It is for this reason, that we have decided to go back to the old practice of deliberating for two days.

It appears senior members of the bar are increasingly losing interest in NBA activities. How does this make you feel?

I have been concerned about this issue. We have to appeal to them, because this profession belongs to all of us . We owe the younger ones a duty to stay back and teach them.

Sometimes, I tend to excuse the younger ones who miss it, because they’ve not had the privilege of being properly guided, because the older ones are walking away.

We must take up the responsibility to help bring up the younger ones. So I will keep appealing to them.

I went to a meeting of the body of Senior Advocates and they were complaining about certain issues coming up from the branches, and I asked them: “How many of you here attend branch meetings? When you do not attend meetings, those who do and in this case predominantly the young ones, will make decisions for you.”

So the seniors will have to come back. Which is also the reason why I have fixed the 20th and 21st of September for a summit on the future of the Nigerian bar Association and the elders are being invited to come, so we can tell ourselves some home truths and find a way forward.

EDITORIAL TEAM Dayo Benson (Editor) Innocent Anaba Wahab Abdulah Ikechukwu Nnochiri

44 —VANGUARD, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2012

State police, proposed N5,000 note dominate discussions at NBA AGC

BY INNOCENT ANABA The debate over state police heralded the recent annual conference of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, in Abuja, as immediate past President of the association, Mr Joseph Daudu, SAN, disagreed with President Goodluck Jonathan on the desirability or otherwise of state police.

While President Jonathan had argued that state governors will abuse their respective state police as they have abused their respective state independent electoral body, Daudu argued that the fear was misplaced.

Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State, meanwhile supported the call for state police, while his Edo counterpart, Mr Adam Oshiomhole, said it was not necessary.

The proposed introduction of N5,000 note also elicited strong reactions, with the association calling for a halt in the plan.

The association warned that it may resort to legal action, if the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi insists on going ahead with the plan, which the association noted was ill conceived and aimed and further devaluing the naira.

The association argued that it will “damage the lives of Nigerians,” insisting that it was “a shallow scheme”. ”The looming danger is that using large bills will devalue the naira. It will promote money laundering and massive monetary inducement in the next general election. It’s also against the cash-lite policy of the NBA, and is disparate to what obtains elsewhere. ”If it had to be litigated against, so be it. The CBN should not be allowed to damage the lives of Nigerians through shallow schemes such as this,” NBA said.

It also called on the Federal Government to revisit the Bakassi C M Y K

Peninsula case, following growing agitation by the people of the area, who were displaced from their ancestral homes by the judgment of the International Court of Justice, IJC, which ceded the peninsula to Republic of Cameroon.

Mrs Anden LawanRabana, SAN, had raised concern over the condition of Bakassi people, which she said had worsened.

She argued that people of Bakassi, had been abandoned as their land and sources of livelihood had been taken from them by the judgment, further contending that the judgment should be challenged now before the October 10, which will make it 10 years and renders it statute bar.

The conference was not without an incident, as protesting lawyers, on the fourth day of the event, shut the main entrance of the Abuja International Conference Centre, venue of the conference.

The protest, which lasted over two hours threw the entrance of the conference venue and adjourning areas into confusion.

The grouse of the protesting lawyers was the 500 percent hike in conference fee, as they blocked the entrance of the conference venue, which had been manned by fierce looking security personnel.

Former NBA President, Mr Joseph Daudu, SAN; former Legal Adviser, Mr Victor Nwaugo (standing); former 1st Vice President, Mr Blessing Ukiri and former 2nd Vice President, Mr O. Erhabor.

Lawyers who did not register and who had no conference tags were prevented from gaining access into the conference venue.

But the protesting lawyers, argued that entrance to the AGM venue was upon payment of practicing fee as provided in section 6, sub-section 7 of the NBA constitution and not upon payment of conference fee as erroneously held by the out-going national executive.

At the conference, Chief Judge of Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Court, Justice Lawal Gummi, urged the National Judicial Council, NJC, to “do away” with the requirement mandating judges to make returns on more than one area of adjudication.

He called for specialisation in the legal profession, saying a criminal trial judge, for instance, should be allowed to remain so “for years.”

Gummi noted that if judges were allowed to

specialise, they will be able to write authoritative books in their areas of specialisation.

He spoke at Women Forum with theme The Female Lawyer and Legal Practice: Breaking the Barrier.

Gummi, who chaired the event and was represented by Justice Ishaq Bello, said reading widely to be versatile does not negate the need for a legal practitioner to be a specialist.

He urged senior lawyers to do more to educate the younger ones, saying: “Are the older lawyers willing to teach their juniors?

Mr Rickey Tarfa, SAN, who spoke on Running a Law Practice as a Business – My Practice, My Business, said there is a shift from the traditional practice of law as a vocation to a business enterprise.

Similarly, former Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, Justice Alfa Belgore, noted that the country has been unable to develop, despite its

huge natural resources due to political instability.

He said that Nigeria will rank among the five most prosperous countries of the world, if the democratic process survives for at least 20 years, with its affairs well-managed.

He added that the bilateral agreements with European countries, such as Germany, which would have led to the country’s industrialisation, were aborted by the military regimes, which stunted democracy and had no development ideas.

Meanwhile, at the session of Section on Legal Practice, SLP, Chairman of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Mr Ibrahim Lamorde, noted that drastic measures were needed to check corruption in the country .He said, that corruption has eaten deep into the society’s fabric.

He pointed out that existing laws were adequate to deal with corruption, adding that all that was needed was effective enforcement of law already in existence.

He said: “Everybody agrees that the existing legislation is adequate.

There may be one or two amendments needed. If the existing legislations are effectively enforced, it will be able to address issues of corruption.”

“The successes we have recorded in EFCC so far is because of the collaboration we have had with the NBA. We are in agreement that

corruption has eaten deep into the fabrics of Nigerian nation and there is need for drastic measures to address it.

So, going forward, you are going to see a more efficient prosecution of cases.”

At the Section on Public Interest and Development Law session, lawyers called for the reform of NJC, to make it effective in checking corruption on the bench.

Leading the call was former President of the association, Chief Thompson Okpoko, SAN, who said ”NJC was a well throughout concept but the Nigerian factor destroyed it. The constitution makes it to be at the whims of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, as he appoints 16 members of the 22 member council and you can imagine what that will mean if the CJN is not disposed to pursuing a particular petition.

Also, Mr Lucius Nwosu, SAN, on his part noted “our legal system has been broken down because of poverty, quota system, greed, inadequate salaries and emolument among others. We now have a situation where people no longer have confidence in the judiciary because of the number of years it requires to get judgment. It is even worst that some Nigerians don’t mind litigating their cases abroad, where it is possible”

VANGUARD, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2012 — 45

VANGUARD LAW IN PIX

NBA 2012 annual conference NIGERIAN Bar Association, NBA, last week held its annual general conference in Abuja. The week-long event, saw in attendance, no fewer than 5000 lawyers from across the country. PHOTOS: INNOCENT ANABA

Left Mrs Chemeta Ochoga, Governor Adams Oshiomohole of Edo State, Mr Rickey Tarfa, SAN and Chief John Ochoga.

Left: Mr Willie Nnorom, Director-General, Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, NIALS, Prof Epiphany Azinge, SAN and President of National Industrial Court, Justice Babatunde Adejumo.

Left: Immediate past Secretary General, Mr Olumuyiwa Akinboro and Immediate Past NBA President, Mr Joseph Daudu, SAN.

Left: President Goodluck Jonathan and Justice Ibrahim Auta, Chief Judge of the Federal High Court.

Left: Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Dr Mathew Kukah and Mr Femi Falana, SAN.

Left: Mia Essien, SAN and Chairman, Section on Legal Practice, Chief Emmanuel Ukala, SAN.

Left: Mrs Edith Uduji and Vera Chinwuba, NTA.

Left: Professor Chidi Odinkalu, Chairman, National Human Rights Commission and Mr Victor Nwakasi.

Left: Former NBA President, Chief Thompson Okpoko, SAN and Dr. Oby Ezekwesili, former Education Minister.

Left: Former NBA General Secretary, Mr Rafui Lawal-Rabana, SAN and former NBA President, Mr Olisa Agbakoba, SAN.

Left: President, Commonwealth Lawyers Association, CLA, Mrs Boma Ozobia and Prof. Paul Idornigie

Left: General Secretary, Emeka Obegolu, First Vice-President, O. Justus Erhabor, 2nd Vice-President, Steve Abba, 3rd Vice-President, Francis Ekwere, Treasurer, Joyce Oduah and Legal Adviser, Sule Usman taking their oath of offcice.

Left: Assistant Publicity Secretary, John Austin Unachukwu; 2nd Assistant Secretary, U. F.O. Nnaemeka; 1st Assistant Secretary, Paul Ebiala; Welfare Secretary, Kelvin Ejelonu and Publicity Secretary, Afam Obi taking their oath of office.

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Fuel prices and syndicated corruption shortfall in importation, sordid

corruption, PHCN wahala, negligence and a culture of vulturous leadership and official recklessness at the DPR, NGC, NNPC, and PPMC .

However, the PPMC remains the supreme culprit in this mélange and matrix of petroleum product outage in Nigeria, Because of the demonic intensity of corruption and syndicated glamorisation of graft by PPMC depot staff, tanker drivers, loading bay

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HE Machiavellian attitude that characterises leadership in Nigeria, has further been compounded by the psychotic corruption, cluelessness, planlessness and recklessness as evident in the unfolding developments at the Pipelines and Products Marketing Company Ltd, PPMC. The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC was established by degree 33 of 1977 and the Pipelines and Products Marketing Company Ltd ,PPMC is a subsidiary of the NNPC. It is statutorily obligated to the marketing and distribution of petroleum products (PMS, HHK, AGO, DG, LPFO, HPFO etc.) in Nigeria and to Nigerians. It carries out its mandate with marketers like the major marketers, independent marketers and depot marketers.

PPMC is the fundamental hub and fulcrum on which petroleum marketing and distribution to Nigeria rotates.

But we need no ghost to tell us that there are endemic petroleum outages and shortages because of the multidimensional problems of

The PPMC remains the supreme culprit in this mélange and matrix of petroleum product outage in Nigeria

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officials, major marketer ’s manipulations, independent marketers shenanigans, depot marketers greed, broad daylight extortion by the SIB, PTF, SSS and other such bodies, continues to flourish..

The PPMC depots are completely cocooned, befuddled and bedraggled by horrendously eerie corruption manifesting in grotesque levies and collections. We have IPMAN development levy, IPMAN Programming Committee levies etc. . DPR and PPMC workers own some of the stations and so, product sharing is skewed in their favour. The Petroleum Tanker drivers branch of NUPENG hold sway over products at the PPMC depots while the SSS, SIB and R&I and DPR syndicates constitute active accomplices to these gross “malady” that pervades the totality of PPMC depots.

The consequences are too economically pestilential and dangerous to the Nigerian citizenry at large. We cannot get Petrol, Diesel, Kerosene and Cooking Gas etc for our local and industrial uses.

Chief Bobson Gbinijie Mandate Against Poverty (MAP)Warri, Delta State, Nigeria. cling precariously to life like the faded chicken on a rope.

Anonymous 07036529443

Insecurity and bad leaders

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HY are Nigerian lead ers always on the negative path? What is the outcome on the ongoing panel report on the DANA Air crash? Nobody has been found guilty and punished to serve as lesson to other air contractors who would want to cut corners in the nearest future.

Our government and leaders should learn how to do things the right way. The same happened during the Accident Investigation Bureau’s Report on Bellview and Sosoliso plane crashes. Let's set a standard to avoid these needless human errors, technical defects and cutting of corners to the detriment of human lives. May the soul of the crash victims rest in perfect peace.

Anonymous 08058231669

Tenure elongation and debate

President Jonathan should tackle insecurity, corruption, electricity, poverty and unemployment vigorously if he wants Nigerians to give him

our mandate for his alleged ambition come 2015. Nigerians should support him to complete his transformation agenda, Mr. President has the right to seek for a second mandate but his performance is weak.

Alhaji Usman Hassanu 07057789779

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DANA Air crash and reports

On daily basis, our news stands are awash with reports of bombings, kidnappings, assassinations, armed robberies, arson, militant attacks and related acts of violence perpetuated against the innocent Nigerian citizens and foreigners alike. All these insecurity problems across the nation are offshoots of people’s anger.

This led to the revolt against government’s high level so-

Whether it is OPC, MASSOB, MEND militants or BOKO Haram insurgents , the underlying issues militating against peace and security in Nigeria are common and known to the Nigerian government: joblessness, homelessness, decresing access to education, governments’s abandonment of its social welfare responsibilities

Corruption

Nigeria is one unlucky country where corrupt leaders have mercilessly decimated the lower class and liquidated the entire middle class. They take sadistic delight in seeing the remaining citizens groan and suffer grinding poverty in spite of enormous national wealth. Young and old people

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cial injustice and human rights abuse against the poor masses and failure of government to tackle high level corruption and unemployment confronting our youths, despite Nigeria’s rating as one of the richest oil- rich nations!

How can peace pervade under these prevailing circumstances? These are posers the

Kudos to Delta state ministry of Environment Dear Editor,

I

want to use this medium to commend the Delta State Ministry of Environment for its on-going effort to open up drainage channels in major towns in the state. The truth is, the action of the ministry couldn’t have come at a better time considering the devastating flooding experienced across the state in recent times.

But the fact remains that while the ministry is doing its best to keep the state flood free, the collaborative effort of Deltans is crucial to the success of the exercise if the effort of the ministry must not be an exercise in futility. It is against

northern governors ( 41 man peace wise men) will not refuse not to sweep under the carpet.

Barr Jezie Ekejiuba 08036095750

Boko Harma sect and terrorism

Northerners should not allow anybody to deceive them in the name of religion, tribe or sectional leaning. It is only prayer that can save Nigerians from the menace of Boko Haram. The fight against terrorism is not an easy war. Nigerians must unite and give maximum support and cooperation to the federal government in order to wipe out terrorism completely from our society.

Hajia Farida 08175782081

Boko Haram sect and the panel set up by northern governors

The recent setting up of a 41man panel by the northern

this background that there is urgent need for the State Ministry of Environment to initiate a public awareness campaign geared towards educating Deltans on the need to adopt an environmental friendly attitude.

Deltans must be educated that emptying their refuse in drainage channels obstruct free flow of drains; they must be educated against erecting their houses and structures on drainage paths. With these in measures in place, it is possible to have flood free Delta in the event of heavy down pour.

However, all those who had their structures demolished as a result of the ministry ’s attempt at keeping the state free of flooding should be consoled by the fact that such sacrifices is needed for the state to have a healthy and clean environment.

In all I want to give kudos to the commissioner for Environment, Chief Frank Omare for his courage in walking the path former commissioners of the ministry in the past have dreaded to take. We must make keeping Delta State clean and healthy the priority of all.

Ohwevo Ufuoma Eugen

ohwevwoufuom governors to tackle the Boko Haram insurgency that has turned the northern part of our dear nation into a war zone is a welcome development. The panel’s term of reference, according to newspapers report "is to engender the restoration of the most desired peaceful co- existence, unity and development in the entire region.

Issues bordering on reconciliation, healing , peace and security within the troubled areas across the northern states are open to the panel to handle. Whether it is OPC, MASSOB, MEND militants or Boko Haram insurgents, the underlying issues militating against peace and security in Nigeria are common and known to the Nigerian government: joblessness, homelessness, decresing access to education, governments’s abandonment of its social welfare responsibilities.

Barr Ekejiuba 08036095750

SAYINGS OF OUR ELDERS 1.A sword is useless in the hand of a coward.

2. Music will not be appreciated if the listener is deaf.

Oladele Akinrinmade(08058154895), Abiye Maternity Hospital ,Ganmo, P.O.Box4906,Ilorin, Kwara Delta Send us your Sayings of Our Elders. They must be African sayings or proverbs. Biblical or English proverbs are unacceptable. You will be paid N100.00 for every saying published. Address your sayings to: The Co-ordinator, Sayings of Our Elders,Vanguard Media Ltd., PMB 1007, Apapa,

48—Vanguard , THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2012

3rd Fawehinmi lecture: David-West, Falana slam subsidy scam

BY OLASUNKANMI AKONI & MONSUR OLOWOOPEJO

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DONATION: From left— Nonny Ugboma, Executive Secretary; Wale Goodluck, Director, both of MTN Foundation, MTNF; Governor Danbaba Suntai of Taraba State and Hon. Istifanus Gbana, Speaker, Taraba House of Assemby, at the presentation of Security Patrol Vehicles by MTNF to Taraba State in Jalingo, yesterday.

German hospital bars visitors from Dame Jonathan zDiezani denies being hospitalised

BY CLIFFORD NDUJIHE, SONI DANIEL & UDUMA KALU, with Agency Reports

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BUJA—TO quicken the recovery of the First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, officials of Horst Schmidt Klinik, the German Hospital where she is receiving medication, yesterday, barred visitors and some top Nigerian officials, who went to see her from, doing so.

An official of the hospital said that some top Nigerian officials, including diplomats were barred from seeing Mrs Jonathan to enable her have deserved rest to quicken her recovery.

The official also confirmed that the President’s wife had earlier been treated for food poisoning back home before being brought to Horst Schmidt Klinik early last week after the management of the hospital had been contacted and briefed on her deteriorating health condition.

Confirming that the First Lady was getting better, the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, declared that the hospital management would ensure that she was fully fit before she would be allowed to go back to Nigeria.

This is coming as Petroleum Resources Minister, Mrs. Dieziani AlisonMadueke, denied reports that she had been hospitalised in a London hospital

C M Y K

with “a potentially serious” condition.

Meanwhile, there were indications, yesterday, that the Presidency might be forced to admit the nature of illness afflicting Dame Jonathan.

Findings indicated that the Presidency was under pressure to own up to the fact that the President’s wife was sick and had been admitted for treatment in a German hospital.

A competent source said that the Presidency might be compelled to release the ‘true position’ of Mrs. Jonathan’s health condition to put the records straight and end the deluge of fabricated stories trailing her health condition and whereabouts.

Presidency worried It was learnt that the Presidency was worried over the heat generated by the First Lady’s sickness and the poor handling of the information.

According to a source, the Presidency did not want to be caught in the same web of crisis that enveloped the Villa when late President Umaru Yar’Adua was almost dead but was being portrayed by close aides as being very active and playing golf.

The source said: “We have made it clear to those who want to hide everything that Dame Jonathan has not committed any offence by being sick since she is a human being. That

is why there may be a change of attitude and Dame’s whereabouts and type of sickness made clear by her handlers.

“We do not want a repeat of the Yar’Adua episode this time around.”

Another source close to the first family confirmed that Mrs. Jonathan had a medical condition which necessitated her trip abroad, adding that she had since been operated upon.

Contrary to insinuations that she went for abdominoplasty, a surgical procedure for tightening the abdominal muscles, popularly referred to as tummy tuck, the source hinted that Mrs. Jonathan did not go for such an operation.

The source said that she was not a cosmetic-conscious person and could not have contemplated such a procedure, although he did not disclose the nature of ailment for which she was operated upon.

“Obviously, there is nothing to be worried about her condition.

Disappearance Mrs. Jonathan, a Permanent Secretary in Bayelsa State, disappeared from public scene shortly after hosting the African First Ladies Peace Summit in Abuja, raising concerns in many quarters.

Despite the claims and counter-claims over Mrs. Jonathan’s condition, her

spokesman, Mr. Ayo Osinlu, insisted that Mrs Jonathan travelled out of the country to take a “moment’s rest.”

It was not, however, possible to get confirmation on the woman’s condition from the Presidential Spokesman, Dr. Reuben Abati or his Public Affairs counterpart, Dr. Doyin Okupe, as calls to their phones were not responded to.

Alison-Madueke Relatedly, Petroleum Resources Minister, Mrs. Dieziani Alison-Madueke, yesterday, denied another unconfirmed reports which broke on the internet, that she had been hospitalised in a London hospital with “a potentially serious” condition. Another online source quoted the minister as saying, “Contrary to re-

cently published articles concerning my health, I haven’t been hospitalised in London. Both my family and I are well.”

She did not, however, give her current location.

Anoteh online media, yesterday, quoted an unnamed medical source as saying that “the minister’s diagnosis was for a condition related to abnormal cell development in her body.

“The doctor declined to disclose if the diagnosis was a form of cancer, but said Mrs. Alison-Madueke’s condition “assumed a dire dimension recently.”

The medical source and another source close to the minister ’s family told online media that prior to her recent hospitalisation, Mrs. Alison-Madueke had made monthly medical trips to the UK.”

AGOS—FORMER Petroleum Minister, Professor Tam David-West, yesterday, came hard on the oil marketers indicted over petroleum subsidy scam, saying they should be behind bars and the money recovered from them. This is just as marketers are demanding transparency on fuel subsidy payments.

Meanwhile, President Goodluck Jonathan has assured Nigerians that he would not disappoint them at the end of the day by ensuring improved living conditions and bringing happiness to Nigerians, irrespective of class, religion, ethnicity and gender.

David-West made the submission in his address at the 3rd Gani Fawehinmi Memorial Lecture, organised by the Gani Fawehinmi Memorial Organisation, GAFAMORG, in Lagos.

Other prominent figures at the event include: former Secretary of the National Union of Petroleum, Energy and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, Chief Frank Ovie Kokori; Mr. Femi Falana; Fawehinmi’s daughter, Aminat Fawehenmi; Mr.Ayodele Akele, Chairman, Planning Committee, among other representatives of civil society groups in the country.

Meanwhile, civil society groups have asked President Jonathan to immortalise late Fawehinmi, saying: “Federal Government should name the Ojota Park after him and construct such squares in all the states in Nigeria.”

Ebonyi pledges to encourage youths

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BAKALIKI—Secre tary to the Ebonyi State Government, Chief Fidelis Mbam, yesterday, said the government would continue to implement policies and programmes to encourage the education of its youths.

Mbam who made the pledge while receiving an award of excellence and certificate of induction and recognition from the West African Students Union Parliament, said the government would in recognition of the importance of youths in the society, continue to

educate them to enable them to contribute meaningfully to the growth of the state.

He said: “Ensuring the proper education of youths will guarantee rapid societal development and reduce their daily involvement in criminal activities.

This move is paramount to ensure the security of the society’s future which lies in the hands of the youth.

It is also important to enable the country to surmount the security challenges that confront it presently.”

Mbam noted that the state government in realisation of the objective, invested in education to enhance the wellbeing of the youth, adding:“The government had inaugurated 27 boarding schools, laid the foundation stone of the ultra modern Ebonyi International University, and ensured the placement of youths in elective and appointive positions in the state, among others,” he added. The SSG thanked the union for the award and described it as a ‘morale booster’."

Vanguard, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2012—49

Consume lean beef, protect your heart W HILE the greasy, charcoal-burned, barbeque or ‘suya’ is a bad idea, a nice bit of lean beef, stir-fried or added to stews may actually be healthy for you.

Did I hear you say lean beef? Yes, lean beef is red meat devoid of all fat like the “pkomo and tendon”. Foremost, lean beef is a very good source of protein providing 64.1 per cent of the daily value for protein in just 4 ounces. Contrary to the bad press that red meat has been getting for a while now, did you know that lean meat,beef also contains nutrients that protect your heart and prevent colon cancer?

In addition to being a very good source of protein, lean beef is a good source of vitamin B12. Vitamin B12, along with vitamin B6 and folic acid are nutrients needed by the body to convert the potentially dangerous chemical homocysteine into other, benign molecules. Since high homocysteine levels are associated with an increased risk of heart attack and stroke, getting plenty of these B vitamins in your diet is important. Homocysteine is also associated with osteoporosis. Recent studies has shown that osteoporosis occurred more

eatrightconsult@yahoo.com daily value for vi08091276796 tamin B12 from a

with Funke Oshifuye frequently among women whose vitamin B12 status was deficient or marginal compared with those who had normal B12 status. You can actually get 46 per cent of the

four-ounce serving of beef which is equivalent to about 112g! Lean beef is a good source of zinc, which increases bone mineral density. High bone mineral density helps to prevent hip and spine fracture in post menopausal women and older men. Zinc is also helpful for preventing damage to blood vessel walls that can contrib-

ute to atherosclerosis and is also needed for the proper function of the immune system, making it a good nutrient for guard against recurrent infections. Four ounces of lean beef contains 42.2 per cent of the daily value for zinc. Diets high in vitamin B12, especially if they are low in fat, are also associated with a reduced risk of colon cancer. More so, beef is also a good source of the trace mineral selenium. Selenium helps reduce the risk of colon cancer in the sense that it is needed for the proper function of glutathione peroxidase, an important inter-

nally produced antioxidant that has also been shown to reduce the severity of inflammatory conditions like asthma and rheumatoid arthritis. For this and other reasons, foods rich in selenium are also associated with a reduced risk for colon cancer. Evidence from prospective studies and recent research has suggested a strong inverse correlation between selenium intake and cancer incidence. Selenium has been shown to induce DNA repair and synthesis in damaged cells, to inhibit the proliferation of cancer cells, and to induce their apoptosis, the self-destruct sequence the body uses to eliminate worn out or abnormal cells.

NAFDAC shuts Chinese table water firm, arrests boss

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ATIONAL Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, has shut down Chung Full Nigeria Limited, makers of Osaki range of table water for gross abuse and non-observance of manufacturing practice in production and sale of its products.

Meanwhile, the Agency has also arrested the Managing Director of the company, a Chinese national, Mr. Ksui Kim and four staff of the company.

The officers of the Enforcement Directorate of the Agency in company of the security operatives and journalists had stormed the company's premises on

Adesoye Street in Mende Area of Lagos State following a tip off by a concerned consumer. Unfortunately, the officials were refused entry to carry out their lawful duties by the staff of the company on the orders of the Managing Director.

But the NAFDAC officers forcibly gained entry into the compound but not without resistance and a near mob attack save for the presence of the security men.

Addressing journalists after the exercise, later, the Director of Enforcement of NAFDAC, Mr. Garba Macdonald said the company had become notorious in using intimidation and harassment

to obstruct the Agency each time they had visited them to carry out their duties.

Macdonald said apart from arresting the officials of the company and sealing the factory, its operations would henceforth be put on hold.

He incited reasons for the closure to include; producing in a residential apartment, unhygienic environment and invalid registration certificate, adding that these are clear violations of NAFDAC regulations.

Neimeth embarks on free health care for oregun community

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EIMETH International Pharmaceuticals Plc, as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility will today hold a free health care intervention programme for the Oregun Community area of Lagos State. The programme is aimed at reducing child mortality, improve maternal health,

combat malaria scourge and ensure a sustainable hygiene ethos in the host community.

A number of activities christened “touching every home in the host community” have been slated for the Community. The highlight include free Mass De-worming Programme of children not above 14 years, Malaria

COMMON SEXUAL PROBLEMS AND THEIR NOVELTY BASED SOLUTIONS (ADVERTORIAL)

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NEED advice. I believe my husband is about to cheat on me. He has this look on his face that shows that he has lost interest in our love life. He even said that he doesn’t enjoy sex anymore.

Back when we were just friends, before we even started dating, he used to tell me these funny and vulgar stories about the best sex he ever had with his past girlfriends and now that we are married, I believe he is comparing me with those ex-girlfriends. Maybe he has even started cheating on me already. I don’t know what to do – Linda Dear Linda, some of the biggest sexual worries men and women have in situations like these can be solved with the four words, ‘WHAT DO YOU WANT?’ You will be surprised that a simple question like that will solve your problem. Ask your husband what he wants to do in bed and do it, provided it is not painful or harmful. Sex is supposed to be fun.

It only becomes a problem when men and women get strict about what they do in bed. So ask your husband what he wants to do.

Relationships fail because people don’t try hard enough to make their partners satisfied. What is it about the best sex he ever had that makes it so special? Find out from him and try to compete with those memories of his. Give him a wild time that he will never forget.

Sex is simple. We just need to know what to do. Sometimes the things we do are not what our partners like. But if you find out what he wants, it makes everything so much easier. I believe your problem is a fixable one. Take care – Uche I have been using the Xzen 1200 supplement you recommended and my erections are stronger. Thank you - James You are welcome – Uche Is it true that there is a cure for AIDS? How many years can an AIDS victim live up to? Bola Dear Bola, I have never heard of any cure for AIDS. I know about a new drug that prevents HIV infection called Truvada. If you suspect that you have HIV/AIDS, go to the hospital and do a test. Only a proper test can answer your questions. If you are HIV positive, there are good quality drugs now that will boost your immune system and keep you alive – Uche There are times that I can have sex four or five times before day break and the next week, I can only manage to have just one round.

I want to be ready at any time, 24/7 – Andrew from Kwara state Dear Andrew, you sound okay to me. It is not every time that one will have the energy to indulge in marathon sex. But if this is what you want, drink Libigrow Libido Shots or Mojo Boost one hour before sex. They are both high quality performance enhancing drinks that can keep you having super sex all through the night. They are natural supplements and have no side effects - Uche Sir thank you for your help. I am taking Max Desire now and my libido has improved. Please can you recommend something to enable me have an orgasm as well? I have never had one. I will like a movie too. Thank you – Adaobi You are welcome. To become orgasmic, you will need three things: An orgasm gel (Liquid Sex Orgasm Gel), a rabbit vibrator ( Stormy Delight G-Spot Rabbit) and the education film Guide to Female Ejaculation. For the adult film you asked for, I recommend Jesse Jane’s Babysitters.

These are good quality and affordable novelties that will change your sex life for the better – Uche And that’s it for today. The names of the people featured here have been changed for their privacy. Zee Virtual Media closes for a short break on the 26th of August and reopens on the 3rd of September, 2012.

Men and women interested in our products can order them online at www.zeevirtualmedia.com. Your orders will be processed when we resume work.

Thank you.

Email: custserv@zeevirtualmedia.com - Uche Edochie, MD, Zee Virtual Media.

50—Vanguard, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2012

not spring up overnight. Nor did it drop from the moon. It could have taken years to evolve. It won’t be out of place therefore, to ask some pertinent questions: where were officials of the development control department these past twenty or more years as these illegal shanties mushroomed all over the federal capital territory?

Is it possible for a stranger to simply begin to erect a permanent structure without the support of someone in authority, by whatever name that authority is defined?

That being the case, is it not possible to identify these collaborators not only to assuage the hurt of those swindled but to guard against future occurrence? If we insist on these questions, it is not because we are not aware that some Nigerians can be extremely lawless; it is because as former President Olusegun Obasanjo once said, it is difficult for a stranger to steal from the ceiling of a house if there is no inmate to hold the ladder! Who are those ‘inmates’ holding the ladder in the Mpape illegal land deals?

Traders at a make-shift market in Mpape, Abuja, after demolition of their shops

FCT: Mpape district as metaphor C

ONTROVERSY has con tinued to trail the ruling of an Abuja High Court, over whether the Federal Capital Territory Authority, FCTA, has the right to demolish illegal structures in the Mpape district of Abuja. While the FCT insists that the court upheld its right, the residents claim that the court did not. It will be recalled, that those identified as squatters had gone to court to challenge the decision by the FCTA to demolish the illegal structures. This was sequel to the resolve of the ministry to proceed with the exercise when it became abundantly clear that the squatters were resisting several appeals to quit on their own.

From available evidence, the FCTA, even within the minister’s office, has been jubilating over the court victory. Such a response is predictable given the controversy generated by the ministry’s decision.

Well being of Nigerians To make matters worse for the squatters, opponents of the ruling party and sundry groups had mischievously played up the emotional card through sustained efforts to paint the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Senator Bala Mohammed, as a heartless land-grabber intent on dispossessing innocent Nigerians of their land for self-serving reasons.

So, it is understandable that the FCT leadership is heaving a sigh of relief; at least, for now. But what sort of relief is this?

For at the root of the matter is the well-being of Nigerians. No matter from whatever angle it is considered, this imminent eviction of Nigerians from their abode is a tragedy of monstrous dimensions. With a nation beset by several serious problems of human development, the even bigger tragedy lies in our penchant to play politics with serious matters affecting the welfare of our people. Rather than that, I hold the view that the impending demolition of the illegal structures should call for some sober reflection by all. It is not as if this will be the first demolition exercise in Nigeria. On the contrary, all over

,

By EMMA AGU

Infrastructural projects

families willfully sentence themselves to inevitable homelessness or at best, discomfort?

To understand this puzzle, we need to start from FCT minister, Bala Mohammed the premise that most people have some sense of dig- is a global phenomenon. nity and worth. If that is the case, Given the promise that electricwe can conclude that the recourse ity supply will soon be stable, it is to squatting could only arise from expected that moribund industries extreme poverty. To wit, smart lo- will jerk back to life while new cal chiefs or village heads, sens- ones will emerge to put Nigeriing the desperation of these gull- ans back to work, a prerequisite ible groups-mostly stranger ele- for an efficient mortgage sysments- then proceed to swindle tem. Before we get there, for now, them by allowing them to build the FCDA will most likely proceed on property vested in government with the planned demolition once only to turn away when the long the coast is clear. To imagine that

,

It can, therefore, be argued that if demolishing the shanties will complement the security and aesthetic requirements of a modern capital city, so be it

the country, state governments are wrestling with Nigeria’s version of Europe’s Roma phenomenon: helpless squatters who make any open space their home! In Lagos and Rivers states, controversy trailing demolitions of illegal structures has become a way of life. Even in Abuja, how could we forget, so soon, the unprecedented demolition exercises carried out by the FCT Administration under the indefatigable Nasir elRufai? Paradoxically, much of the success of the el-Rufai administration derived from that exercise!

That being the case, we owe it as a nation to seek to unravel and address the root causes of this unfortunate dilemma: why would

arms of the law descend on the victims. Curiously, most people never learn from history.

It is one of those ironies of life that FCT Minister Bala Mohammed, as someone who had previously been compelled to live in the backwaters of Abuja, should now find himself in the position where he has to administer the bitter pill of demolition to squatters. But the question is: is there no better way of handling the problem? Let’s make no mistake about it; the challenge of meeting the housing needs of Nigerians has continued to nudge at the heart of public policy and consciousness without resolution. It does not give any comfort that this

over 10, 000 houses have been marked for demolition is mindboggling. But that in itself reveals the magnitude of the lawlessness that we have to grapple with.

With over 10, 000 illegal structures, pray, how do we achieve the eco-balance to make for healthy living?

With over 10, 000 illegal houses, how do we strike a balance between social amenities and unplanned growth? With over 10, 000 illegal structures, is it a surprise that the satellite towns have been turned into shanties with population spilling over into the city centre as street hawkers, beggars and sundry miscreants? Is it also surprising that the Mpape and similar shanties have become a haven for criminals thereby aggravating the already serious security situation in the country?

Paradoxically, the Mpape scenario raises serious questions of governance and competence.

Mpape, ditto other shanties, did

Of late, it has become clear that the Goodluck Jonathan Administration is leaving no stone unturned in its determination to bequeath to the country a federal capital that everyone can be proud of. This is evidenced in the spate of infrastructural projects in both the city centre and the satellite towns. On-going projects such as the Abuja Light Rail Network, the Abuja World Trade Centre, the ingenious land swap arrangement which ground breaking is imminent and the provision of engineering infrastructure to the satellite towns are positive indicators of sustained growth. It can therefore be argued that if demolishing the shanties will complement the security and aesthetic requirements of a modern capital city, so be it.

Yet, whatever the legitimacy of the looming demolition, as we are always inclined to say, government should have a human face.

This calls to action Bala Mohammed’s humane disposition, a virtue that has often been misconstrued for weakness but which indeed represents a correct reading of the compassionate disposition of his principal, President Goodluck Jonathan.

In this regard, therefore, how much leeway do the squatters have to make some quick adjustment, even as their lives are being shattered by their own acts of indiscretion? How does government enforce order, uphold legitimacy while simultaneously taking care of the welfare needs of its erring citizens? That is the challenge for all Nigerians including the federal ministry of housing.

That is the enduring metaphor posed by the Mpape district of Abuja.

•Agu writes from Abuja

Vanguard, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2012—51

Igbinedion @ 78: A life of service to God and to humanity TRIBUTE

BY MICHAEL EDO OGIE

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OME Tuesday, September 11, 2012, Sir G. O. Igbinedion, Esama of Benin Kingdom, Commander of the Order of the Niger, (CON), Grand Commander of the Knights of the Order of St. Benedict (GCKB) and Chairman, Okada Group of Companies, will attain 78 years on earth.

The momentous occasion in the life of this great son of Nigeria, nay Africa, provides all his admirers who truly appreciate his contributions to the development of our dear country and to the welfare and happiness of humanity in general, an opportunity to pay this living legend and icon of the business world befitting tributes.

Chief Igbinedion has set a record which, I dare say, no living Nigerian has exceeded in the business world. The socio-economic relevance of his business empire is obvious to all Nigerians. Since launching MidMotors Nigeria Ltd. in 1968 and Mid-Motors Assembly Plant in 1972, he has dominated the nation’s business environment, showing his intimidating presence everywhere as his companies increased by leaps and bounds. As the number of his companies increased, so he provided greater opportunity for employments to Nigerians and

N’ Oba graciously did this year, the great monarch who is highly regarded by all Binis and non-Binis as a reservoir of patience, compassion, tolerance, knowledge and wisdom, has demonstrated that as the father of all Benin people, he may listen to the advice offered by some of his chiefs but he is definitely not bound to accept any such advice. There comes a time when the Oba must feel the imperative of listening to his own mind. Such a time was the day the Omo N’ Oba invited Chief Igbinedion back to his palace. It was his own personal decision, influenced by nobody. Oba ghato okpere, Ise. Charity, they say, begins at home. Chief Igbinedion has single-handedly been financing the development of his hometown of Okada since he started counting his millions in the 60's. According to the ebullient chief, he drew his inspiration for transforming his rural farming community of about 5,000 people into a modern university town of half a million people from the example of the two brothers who founded Birmingham and Coventry in the United Kingdom.

As a philanthropist and generous giver to his fellow man, his giving hands have been noticed in several areas of the socio-economic life of the nation. Some years ago, he generously donated a huge sum of money to the building of the Accident Ward of the University of Benin Teaching Hospital. He also donated handsomely to the completion of the Law Faculty of the University of Benin.

Other institutions which have benefitted from Chief Igbinedion’s generosity are University of Ibadan, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, University of Ilorin, University of Jos, Ambrose Alli University Ekpoma, and Enugu Campus of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka.

Beneficiaries of his generosity

Sir Gabriel Igbinedion foreigners in different sectors of the national and global economies. At the peak of its operations in 1994, Okada Airline which this outstanding business giant established in 1983 had a staff strength of 4,300 on its pay roll. Igbinedion Education Centre, a firstclass international school co-founded in 1990 by the Esama and his amiable wife Lady Cherry Igbinedion and which caters for the education of children of all nations at the nursery, primary and secondary levels, has on its pay roll as at today 436 staff of various categories. Igbinedion University Okada, the first private university in Nigeria which this pathfinder of towering height established in 1999 has a staff strength of 1,200 of diverse ranks and disciplines as at today. These are just few of the examples of Chief Igbinedion’s achievements which portray him as a philanthropist, visionary businessman, industrialist and provider of jobs for thousands of his fellow men and women.

At the relatively young age of 40 in 1974, he was honoured with the prestigious traditional title of Esama of Benin Kingdom by His Royal Majesty, Omo N’ Oba N’ Edo Uku Akpolokpolo Akenzua II, Oba of Benin (of blessed memory). Since then, Chief Igbinedion has passionately projected the cause and image of the Benin kingdom both within and outside the country. In granting Chief Igbinedion pardon as the Omo

On the international arena, institutions such as the Jackson State University, Mississippi, Rust College, Holly Springs, Mississippi and Oral Roberts University, Tulsa Oklahoma, have all benefitted largely from the Esama’s generosity. He established a Trust Fund in Jamaica for research into African Languages in recognition of the historical links between Jamaica and Africa. In November 2011, he pledged the building and donation of a Congregation Hall to the Kwame Nkrumah University of Technology, Kumasi, Ghana where he was honoured with a doctorate degree in Philosophy.

On the national stage, Chief Igbinedion has in the past donated huge sums of money to the Bendel State Development Fund, at the local government and state levels.

Other states who benefitted from the Chief ’s generosity at different periods are Cross River State, Niger State and Plateau State. In 1977, he made the highest individual donation of money to the Bendel State Chapter of the Southern African Relief Fund.

Chief Igbinedion is 78. He will by the grace of God witness many more years on earth but the time to commence honouring and celebrating this great son of Africa, this Leviathan, this exemplar, this peerless pioneer of monumental business enterprises, this icon, this living legend, this phoenix, this institution, this phenomenon, this oracle and indeed this AVATAR, is now.

Here is wishing this peerless global citizen many happy returns of September 11, 2012 •Ogie, is a Benin-based public affairs commentator

clude relocation of council secretariat from Amuzu Ohaneze to Mgboko in compliance with House of Assembly Resolution.

How would you assess the performance of the state governor in your local government area?

You will recall the situation of things in Abia State, in Obingwa in particular. The lawless nature, the era of kidnapping, the era of high profile bank robbery and other violent crimes, God has used this man, our governor, as his vehicle to restore, and provide a peaceful and enabling environment. There is now sanity, there is now peace, and there is now security in Obingwa in particular. Without this security, there can’t be any form of develDr. Onyekachi Nwulu Ogbonna opment, so therefore this is the highest achievement he has made in Abia State and in Obingwa in particular. The DR. Onyekachi Nwulu Ogbonna is an outstandnext achieveing chairman of Obingwa Local Government ment is the Area of Abia State. An estate surveyor and valuer, landmarks he his foray into politics has positively impacted on has left. Presthe people of his area as his developmental ently there is an strides has touched many lives especially in ongoing reconrestoring security to the ever “insecurity flashstruction of point’ of Abia State.

ObikabiaHe spoke recently to journalists on security, Umukalika empowerment and other developmental efforts Road, a vital of the State Governor, Chief T. A. Orji of Abia and strategic State. Excerpts: road linking three other LoBY ERIC UGBOR cal Governments: Aba North, Isiala Ngwa North, Isiala Ngwa South, HAT are your achieve and the Port Harcourt-Enugu Exments in your short tenpressway. As soon as the rains ure and what do you hope to subsides, the road will be completachieve in future? ed the Governor has assured us, In my three months in the ofwe just have to exercise a little pafice before I was suspended I comtience with Government. pleted and connected electricity But the opposition feels that the in Abala Community. In the hisGovernor is not performing tory of politics in Abia State my It is one thing to criticize govposition today as transition chairernment in power, when you are man is the highest position anynot in power and another thing is body has attended from my land, to place a critic in position of auIbeme Ancient Kingdom. The thority. When I was not in power, I electricity project Tagged “Ochensaid a lot of things against govdo Rural electricity, Abala” was ernment but now that I am the started by the last elected chairtransition chairman, I have seen man, Kelechi Nwankpa, he inthings as they are. stalled the HP Poles and cables from Ntigha Uzor to Orie Abala Criticising the Market and because it was abanadministration doned over the years, the high tension poles and cables were Criticism is normal to me bedestroyed by rainstorm. I reincause it helps a leader to know stalled the HP poles and cables where he is not doing well and and change the transformer and other shortcomings. But when one connected the community to the is criticizing the present adminisNational Grid. tration led by Chief I A. Orji, he Another landmark achievement should judge Abia State by the was the reactivation and complerealities of allocation from federal tion of Abala-Nkamiri water government and internally generscheme with standby generator. ated revenue with neighbouring My administration has also sunk states. You cannot compare Delta, a new bore hole at the Nigeria Akwa Ibom or Rivers states with Army Base at Akirika-Obu, a Abia in terms of revenue, whether boundary community with Akwa federal allocation or internal genIbom State to meet the water erated or developmental strides. needs of the soldiers. My adminMy assessment of Abia state govistration has also graded and ernment is that the governor is doopened up more rural roads withing well with revenue available, in the Obingwa Local Governunlike Lagos, which can pay Abia ment Area to promote social-ecofrom internally generated revenue. nomic activities. The Governor Also when you are criticizing govmade funds available to all the 17 ernment in power you should reLocal Government Areas for the alize what is on ground before the road grading. In Obingwa, we administration came to power, completed ours before the rain set what problems Governor T. A. Orji in because Obingwa is the local inherited and what is he doing to government with the largest netsalvage them. Without bias, Govwork of roads. I have applied for ernor T. A. Orji is doing great a special fund for more roads works in Abia State. grading. Other achievements in-

‘Abia gov's done well with available funds'

W

52 — Vanguard , THURSDAY THURSDAY,, SEPTEMBER 6, 2012

Clinton rallies support for Obama F

ORMER US presi dent Bill Clinton testerday threw his weight behind struggling Barak Obama whose approval rating hovers below 50% as his goes for a re-election On Novemeber 6, 2012.

Clinton who enjoys 66 percent approval ratings is popular with workingclass white voters that Obama needs to win their support to over come the challenge from Mitt.

Romney of Republican Party And Democrats felt good that Clinton was a star of their convention which has come under severe weather attack.

Infact, severe weather forecasts put a crimp on U.S. President Barack Obama’s nomination party on , forcing him to move his planned acceptance speech from a 74,000-seat outdoor football stadium to a much smaller indoor arena. The shift to the approximately 20,000-seat Time Warner Cable Arena was a setback for Obama, who

hoped to create a visual spectacle in Charlotte’s Bank of America stadium to rival his 2008 acceptance speech in a football stadium in Denver.

Obama will speak to those supporters on a conference call today and tens of thousands of Obama supporters from around the country who planned to converge on Charlotte to hear the biggest speech in his campaign for the November 6 election against Republican rival Mitt Romney.

Weather forecasters had predicted a chance of thunderstorms today night in Charlotte, which has experienced heavy evening rains for the last few days. “We have been monitoring weather forecasts closely and several reports predict thunderstorms in the area,” convention chief Steve Kerrigan said in a statement.

Bill Clinton will take the spotlight for Democrats on the convention’s second day on Wednesday, aiming to build on the momentum of a firedup first night with a re-

M

•Abdullah al-Senussi Libya. Smiling slightly, a soldier stood behind him, steadying him on the steps.

•Incumbent US president Barak Obama listening to his predecessor, Mr. Bill Clinton. minder to voters of the economic good times he led in the White House.

The appearance by

A

Clinton, perhaps the party’s most popular elder statesmen but a sometimes uneasy ally of

Obama, highlights a night that concludes in the late hours with Obama’s nomination for a second term.

Quebec leader escapes gun attack

S

ECURITY guards abruptly rushed the leader of Quebec’s separatist party from the stage after an armed man shot and injured two people outside the Montreal

Chief of Army staff Yusuf al-Mangoush told reporters that he travelled on Tuesday night to Mauritania to escort Senussi back on Wednesday.

“Abdullah Senussi is in good health and comfortable when we brought him to Libya, “ he said.

His extradition came after a high-level Libyan delegation, including the chief of staff and the justice minister, visited Mauritania on Tuesday and, a Mauritanian government source told Reuters, gave guarantees concerning Senussi.

Another GOP senator in rape controversy NOTHER Republi can U.S. Senate candidate sparked a controversy on Monday with comments on rape, comparing his family member’s decision to have a child outside marriage to a pregnancy caused by rape.Tom Smith, who badly trails Democrat Bob Casey in polls in their U.S. Senate race in Pennsylvania, stepped into political trouble after telling reporters that abortion

Morsi asks Assad to quit

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Maurit ania depor ts Gaddafi’s sp Mauritania deports spyy boss UAMMAR Gadd afi’s former spy chief was taken into Libyan government custody on Wednesday after being extradited by Mauritania to face charges of crimes against humanity, officials said.

Abdullah al-Senussi, one of the most feared members of Gaddafi’s regime before rebels toppled it last year, was captured in the West African state in March, triggering a tug of war between Libya, France and the International Criminal Court for his extradition.

“The Libyan government has received Gaddafi’s right hand man,” Prime Minister Abderrahim al-Keib said.

“I want to take the opportunity to say that Libya will guarantee a fair trial for Senussi that will respect international legal standards,” he said, urging other countries to follow suit and hand over Gaddafi’s associates.

A heavily bearded Senussi, recognizable from his characteristic tightly curled hair, was shown in a press photograph getting out of a helicopter in

BRIEFS

should be banned without exceptions.

Asked how he would feel if his daughter or granddaughter bore a child produced by rape, Smith said he had experienced a similar situation when a member of his family had a baby out of wedlock.

“Put yourself in a father ’s position, yes, I mean it is similar,” he said, according to audio of his comments posted on the Huffington Post.

venue where she was speaking.

Parti Quebecois leader Pauline Marois - whose party had just won a narrow victory in provincial elections - later returned to the stage to say a security incident was to blame. RDI television showed pictures of police arresting a man with a rifle outside the venue where Marois had been speaking. It also showed a large fire at the back of the building.Voters have given French-speaking Quebec its first separatist government in nine years, but denied the new government the ability to push through radical policy plans in a legislature where it will need support from other parties to stay

•Pauline Marois in power.

The left-leaning Parti Quebecois (PQ) won 54 of the 125 seats in the provincial legislature in Tuesday’s election, only four more than the outgoing Liberal government, and far short of the majority it would need to hold a referendum on independence. The turnout was almost 75 percent, unusually high for a provincial election and up from 57 percent in 2008.

Tur key ttags ags Syria tterroris erroris urk erroristt state the international

S

YRIAN President Bashar al-Assad has created a “terrorist state”, Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan said yesterday, accusing the outside world of indifference which was adding to the massacres there. Erdogan for years cultivated good relations with Assad, but after the Syrian uprising began 17 months ago, became one of his harshest critics. The Turkish leader has long called for Assad to step down, but his latest comments were some of his strongest yet.

“The massacres in Syria that gain strength from

community’s indifference are continuing to increase,” Erdogan told a meeting of his ruling AK Party. “The regime in Syria has now become a terrorist state.”

Turkey says it is struggling to cope with an influx of around 80,000 Syrian refugees and is pushing for a foreignprotected safe zone inside Syria. But the proposal has gained little international support and Ankara has become increasingly vocal in its frustration at the U.N. Security Council and its failure to take concerted action.

OHAMMED Mor si, Egypt’s president, has told an Arab League conference that “change” of government is needed in violencewracked Syria and that time should not be wasted “speaking of reform”. ”This time has passed now. Now it is time for change,” Morsi, who was making his first presidential address to the league, said yesterday in the capital Cairo. He said that a quartet of regional states - Saudi Arabia, Iran, Turkey and Egypt - would meet to discuss the Syrian crisis.

Japan powers MDGs radio

M

INISTER of Infor mation, Labaran Maku, will today commission the N1.05 billion medium wave radio broadcasting network in Enugu.The project which was donated by the Government of Japan, will enlarge and amplify the radius of broadcasting coverage up to 230km from two radio stations in Kaduna and Enugu.

This will increase the number of listeners in Enugu from 2.9 million to 40 million and give education a priority in the achievement of the Millenium Development Goals, (MDGs)

F resh miner s miners protest in S/Africa More than 1,000 striking South African miners have demonstrated at Lonmin’s Marikana mine, where police shot dead 34 of their colleagues last month.

Dozens of police arrived at the scene on Wednesday while a helicopter hovered above the protesting rock-drill operators, whose strike to demand a hefty pay hike is now in its fourth week, crippling Lonmin. One man at the front of the column waved a placard reading “We want 12,500 or nothing else”, a reference to the group’s demand for a hike in base pay to $1,500 a month, more than double their current salary.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 06, 2012—53

C M Y K

54 —

Vanguard,THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2012

Super Friday:

Rangers promise players cars, land E

ACH Enugu Rang ers player will get a car and a plot of land if they beat Sharks and are crowned Nigerian champions on Super Friday.

Rangers are third on the NPL table with 61 points but will be crowned champions on the final day of the season on Friday, if leaders Kano Pillars and Lobi Stars both lose their final games away to Sunshine Stars and Kaduna United respectively.

The special adviser to Enugu State Governor, Victor Atuonwu, announced this package to the club management as they prepare to host Sharks in their last match of the 2011/2012 Nigeria Premier League season at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium, Enugu on Friday.

Atuonwu said Governor Sullivan Chime is very much supportive of the team’s quest to lift

the championship and go on to represent the country in next year ’s CAF Champions League.

According to him, government has not reneged on its promises of paying the players 100 per cent sign-on fees for the 2011/2012, which were fully paid by Tuesday, while other entitlements including outstanding match bonuses will be paid before the last match on Friday.

He said state government has vowed not to leave any stone unturned in its quest to assist Rangers win the trophy they last won 28 years ago.

Chairman of the Rangers board Festus Onuh also promised mouthwatering cash rewards when Rangers win the league on Friday.

Onu said all board members will be at the stadium to cheer Rangers to victory and that no gate fees will be paid by the fans.

•Alhaji Gero, Rangers striker

NFF charges Falconets to go for bronze

T

HE Nigeria Football Federation on Wednesday charged the U-20 Women National Team, Falconets, to fight hard and win the bronze medal match of the ongoing FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup against hosts Japan on Saturday as consolation for Nigerians who had supported the team through the qualifying race and tournament proper.

Chairman of the NFF Media and Publicity Committee, High Chief Emeka Inyama urged the ladies not to be dispirited by the semi final loss to United States of America on

ABS, Kwara Utd in last minute battle They would need a maxiagainst relegation mum three points win from

T

WO Ilorin teams — Abubakar Bukola Saraki (ABS) and Kwara United FC — will on Friday engage in a survival battle to avoid relegation from the Nigeria Premier League

Pix 1 From Left to Right, Albert Bikon – Nigeria’s number 10, Abdulmumini Babalola – Nigeria’s number 1, Austin Nwokedi – former Nigeria’s number 3, Sir Emeka Offor – Chairman Chrome Group, Sunday Maku – Nigeria’s number 4, Henry Aiseye – Nigeria’s number 2 and Akin and Pawpaw at 5Th Edition of the Chrome Group Tennis Classic held at Oraifite, Anambra State.

(NPL).

The two teams will come out in a-must-win, Week 38 match of the NPL at home that will determine their fate in the 2012/2013 soccer season.

The ABS currently placed 15th on the league table with 49 points from 37 matches. They would engage the Ocean Boys of Brass, Bayelsa that had failed to honour at least three matches in previously.

The encounter with the Ocean Boys had been fixed to hold at the University of Ilorin pitch because of NPL’s decision to stage all the last matches simultaneously across the country.

The might have been reached by NPL to stem any plans for sell out of the matches.

The Kwara United would on the other hand slug it out with Shooting Stars Sports Club (3SC) of Ibadan at the Kwara Stadium, Ilorin.

The United is currently 14th on the table with 50 points from 37 matches.

the match to await results from other centres to decide their fate.

However, the visiting 3SC undoubtedly would also need an away victory, if they are to finish in the top three to secure a continental ticket in the 2012/2013 African Confederation’s Cup.

Tuesday, as they were not in any way disgraced.

“Of course, the team was not disgraced. The players put up good fighting spirit and gave it their all, but it was not their day. They created more chances than the Americans, had greater ball possession and had more actual playing time than their opponents. “ We want them to go all out for the bronze medal on Saturday in order to console ball fans and the generality of Nigerians who have supported the team ever since. It is something they can do against the Japanese, by being wellorganized and disciplined.”

Inyama revealed that the NFF is oiling its technical machine to discover more players for all the women teams, but noted that the performance of the Falconets in Japan means there is hope they could form the nucleus of the new Super Falcons.

US Ryder Cup team recruit Jordan as a motivator

T

HE United States captain, Davis Love III, has enlisted the help of the basketball legend Michael Jordan as he attempts to win back the Ryder Cup. Love confirmed his four captain’s picks for the meeting with Europe at Medinah, but the level of access he will give the fivetimes winner of the NBA’s most valuable player award was more notable than those wildcard

selections. Little surprise was attached to the naming of Dustin Johnson, Jim Furyk, Brandt Snedeker and Steve Stricker to complete the American party.

Jordan will be at close quarters with Love and his team. The 49-year-old has previously been an assistant captain for Fred Couples – himself part of Love’s backroom team – at the Presidents Cup.

Officials, games masters go to school for Mobil schools sports Officials in Result Lucas Ogunjimi, an IAAF said in Uyo that her

P

LANS have reached an advanced stage for the hosting of a one day track and field seminar for those officials and games masters that will officiate in the forthcoming 12 th NNPC/MPN Athletics Championships for schools and Colleges in Akwa Ibom State.

With “Roles of Technical C M Y K

Oriented Championship” as theme, the clinic is scheduled for the Uyo Stadium on Tuesday September 11.

Organized under the auspices of National Athletics Technical Officials ((NAATO) Akwa Ibom Chapter, over 200 participants are expected to benefit from the course to be addressed by Professor

certified Instructor.

Other resource persons lined up include Professor Ignatius Uduk and Associate Professor Ini Jonah, both of the Univerity of Uyo and Prince David Ekefre the State Director of Secondary Schools Sports Board.

NAATO Chairperson Mrs Utit Ofon Nkantah

association has been challenged by the sponsors on the need for proper timing and documentation and this was to form the basis for the seminar this year. “ You are aware that we do this every year to refresh our members and those games masters that will officiate in the Championship.

•HEROES: Jordan, Woods on the golf course

Vanguard, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2012 — 55

London 2012 Paralympics:

President Jonathan

Anozie completes Nigeria’s gold conquests

Continues from BP proud this weekend in Monrovia,“ the President

BY BEN EFE, London

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RACE Anozie of Nigeria reacts after making a successful lift in the women’s +82.50 kg Powerlifting on Day 7 of the London 2012 Paralympic Games at ExCeL. Nigerian power-lifters rounded off their conquest of the London 2012 Paralympics Games with fanfare as Grace Anozie grabbed Nigeria’s sixth gold medal in the final day of the power-lifting event yesterday.

Anozie who is a veteran of the Paralympics finally got her gold after 12 years of trying, when she lifted 162kg in the +82kg category at the London ExCel Centre. Anozie set a new world record in February.

Her main aim here in London was to surpass her 168kg best performance, but it almost turned out to be a nightmare. She struggled to lift 162kg, which however was good enough to win her first gold.

Her main rival from Egypt, Heba Ahmed gave up the fight, after Anozie finally lifted 162kg in her second attempt. The Egyptian who was defending the gold from Beijing 2008 lifted 140kg in her first try and her second shot at 145kg ended in fiasco and she threw in the towel. She got the silver, while Mexican Peria Barcenas settled for bronze with 135kg.

“I feel good. I’ve been fighting for years to get my hands on that gold medal. In Beijing I was robbed, but here I didn’t want that

GLORIOUS: Nigeria;s Grace Anozie gestures after winning gold at the Paralympics Games. to happen,” said Anozie who won bronze at Athens 2004 and silver at the 2008 Olympics.

She added that the weather played a part in her attempt to surpass her world record. “London is

up”.

Now Ferguson, 70, has hinted he could make the Jamaican’s lifelong ambition come true.

He told Inside United magazine: “Usain’s a character and a big United fan.

“But it’s interesting he says he’d like to play in a charity game. It could be brilliant, and next year when we play Real Madrid’s Legends again, there could be opportunities to bring him up and see how he does.”

Just last month, Bolt told The Sun he would C M Y K

ful on the final day of the event. He was beaten to the forth place in the men’s 100kg category.

“I’m really disappointed that I didn’t win gold.

As team Nigerian captain I wanted to lead by

Nigerian officials place athletes under surveillance

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IGERIAN athletes have become the beautiful brides of the London 2012 Paralympics Games, following their exploits in the power-lifting event. And as a measure, Nigerian officials are closely monitoring the athletes to prevent them from bolting away from camp.

Checks revealed that some of the athletes have plans to stay be-

Bolt Continues from BP

too cold and it didn’t allow my muscles to warm up properly. In training I have lifted more than 168kg.”

Team Nigeria captain Obioma Aligekwe was however, not that success-

happily quit athletics for a spot in the United squad.

Fergie also revealed how he cashed in after backing Bolt to win the 100m and 200m at the London Games.

He said: “I must thank him because that was my biggest bet. Bolt was 4/ 5 to win each of them a week before the Olympics started. It was a brilliant bet.”

Ferguson added: “I watched all the Olympics. For us to get 29 gold medals was terrific. It was probably the most uplifting thing that’s happened in Britain for a long, long time.”

hind in London to seek greener pastures just like other African athletes who refused to return to their countries during the Olympics Games.

“We are keeping a

close watch over our athletes. We know that some of them might want to stay back and change their nationality ahead of the 2016 Games,” said Dapo Akinyele secretary of the power lifting federation of Nigeria.

example.” Nigeria won an overall six gold medals five of them coming from women power-lifters. As at yesterday the medals tally was six gold, five silver and one bronze.

Lawmaker organises unity cup for youths in Ndokwa

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HE elected member, representing Ndokwa East Constituency in the Delta State House of Assembly. Hon. Friday Ossai Osanebi, is organising a football competition in the three local governments in Ndokwa East, which will be held at Uk-

Arsenal for Soccerex Lagos

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OCCEREX is excited to announce another set of speakers for the Soccerex Seminar Lagos, 27-28 September.

General Manager of SuperSport Nigeria Felix Awogu and Partnership and Development Director at Arsenal FC Felicity Croft will be joining Head of Sponsorship,

Group Corporate Affairs at Standard Chartered Bank Simon Mould to speak on ‘The Business of Football’ session.

With the need for football in West Africa to become more selfsustainable and to stop relying on state-funded activities, this session will be essential to get a

10 African nations Continues from BP Sept. 9 Games.

They have so far, 22 gold, 22 silver and 27 bronze medals.

Nigeria is still leading the African medals challenge with five gold, five silver and a bronze medal.

Nigeria is closely followed by Tunisia with four gold, four silver and

two bronze medals.

South Africa has three gold, five silver and seven bronze medals, with Egypt having three gold, three silver and six bronze medals.

Others are: Morocco (3-0-1), Kenya (2-1-1), Algeria (1-1-7), Ethiopia (0-1-0), Namibia (0-1-0) and Angola (0-0-1).

said.

The President, who declared his intention to watch the 2013 AFCON finals in South Africa, told the Eagles that it can only be possible if the Eagles put Liberia aside. ”I want to be in the Nations Cup in South Africa but that cannot happen if you do not beat Liberia to qualify. All what you need to qualify and we will provide for you. So, I charge you to go out and qualify this country for the Nations Cup,” Jonathan added.

Eagles coach Stephen Keshi thanked the President for visiting the team, saying his personal interest will further galvanise the team to win in Monrovia on Saturday.

On Monday, the President called up Keshi demanding that the team beat Liberia this weekend.

The President also announced the constitution of a committee to reposition sports in the country, assuring that the poor state facility at the Abuja National stadium will soon be in the past.

sense of the various revenue streams surrounding Nigerian football including broadcasting and s p o n s o r s h i p .

SuperSport, Arsenal FC and Standard Chartered Bank are three of the biggest brands in Nigeria and will be at the forefront of the development of football in West Africa.

wale Stadium by 4pm, this Saturday. Hon. Osanebi, who is also the Chairman of the House Committee on DESOPADEC in the Delta State Assembly, said he has earmarked attractive prizes for the first, second and third place winners in the football competition.

In a statement, he said that, it is a part of his programmes to encourage and empower the youths in that region, comprising Ndokwa West, East and Ukwuani local government areas of Delta State.

The empowerment which will be in form of cash and other material gifts is to make the beneficiaries self reliant , adding that the gesture is inline with his belief that the future of the area belongs to the youths and women.

FIFA rankings Continues from BP number one national team and 16th in the world Algeria 28th, Ghana 31 st ., Mali 32nd and Libya 36th in the world complete Africa’s top five while Egypt 38th , Tunisia 41 st , Zambia

42nd, Gabon 44th in the world are 6th, 7th, 8th and 9th in Africa The most significant improvement in the global table was Portugal’s rise to the 4th position behind Spain, Germany and England.

VANGUARD, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2012

London 2012 Paralympics:

Anozie crowns Nigeria with another gold — P55

Bolt to play for Man U •Usain lined up for Madrid friendly

O

LYMPIC champ Usain Bolt is being lined up to play for Manchester United against Real Madrid.

The sprint king — who is a huge Red Devils fan — could appear in a glittering friendly next season.

Bolt, 25, was guest of honour at United’s first home game of the season against Fulham, when fans cheekily urged boss Sir Alex Ferguson to “sign him

Continues on page 55

GOLDEN -Grace Anozie of Nigeria reacts after making a successful lift in the women’s +82.50 kg Powerlifting on Day 7 of the London 2012 Paralympic Games at ExCeL.

10 African nations win 71 medals

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EN African countries have so far won a total of 71 medals at the

ongoing 2012 London Paralympic Games.

The medal haul is se-

cured more than half way into the Aug. 29 to Continues on page 55

President Jonathan storms Eagles training •Demands victory against Liberia •RED DEVILS — Usain Bolt

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IGERIAN Presi dent Goodluck Jonathan watched the

country’s team train yesterday and then urged them to win in

Eagles static on FIFA ranking T

HE Super Eagles of Nigeria remain 58th in the world and 10th best national football

TODAY'S

team in Africa. According to FIFA’s latest ranking for the month of August, the Super Eagles

PUZZLE

with 523 points are on the same spot they found themselves in the last rankings.

YESTERDAY'S

ANSWERS

With 912 points, the Elephants of Cote d’Ivoire remain Africa’s

Continues on page 55

ACROSS 1 Forehead (4) 4 Seed (3) 6 Stuff (4) 9 Odd (3) 10 Envy (8) 11 One (4) 14 Insect (3) 16 Category (5) 19 Clinic (8) 21 Lawful (5) 23 Politeness (8) 24 Criminal (5) 27 Golf-peg (3) 31 Go by (4) 33 Friendly (8) 34 Expire (3) 35 Hire (4) 36 Tree (3) 37 Always (4)

Liberia on Saturday.

President Jonathan gave the mandate when he paid an unscheduled visit to the Eagles during their evening session ahead of a 2013 Nations Cup qualifier in Monrovia.

The President who was in the company of Vice president Namadi Sambo and Ministers of

Sports, FCT and Finance including the chairman of governors forum Rotimi Amaechi, who is the governor of Rivers State, expressed confidence in the ability of the Super Eagles. ”From what I have seen from your training, I am confident that you would make Nigerians Continues on page 55

DOWN 2 Shoal (4) 3 Distort (4) 4 Finicky (8) 5 Ode (4) 6 Barbarous (5) 7 Manage (3) 8 Wrong (5) 12 Head (5) 13 Normal (5) 14 Sicken (3) 15 Implicit (5) 17 Shun (5) 19 Corset (5) 20 Peevish (8) 22 Fasten (3) 25 Elude (5) 26 Attack (5) 28 Fete (4) 29 Jest (4) 30 Otherwise (4) 32 Transgression (3)

YESTERDAY'S SOLUTIONS ACROSS: 1, Income 5, Smug 8, Value 9, Far 10, Lain 11, Pail 12, Adept 13, Spigot 16, Whet 18, Spar 20, Pal 22, Ago 23, Err 24, Vale 25, Norm 28, Yellow 30, Shelf 32, Knee 33, East 34, Fly 35, Crust 36. Pity 37, Placid.

How to Play Sudoku

THE VIGILANTE

DOWN: 1, Infest 2, Cardinal 3, Mellow 4, Mandatory 5, Suppose 6, Meat 7, Gulf 8, Via 14, Thankless 15, Bar 17, Ego 19, Prolific 20, Pad 21, Lechery 26, Mental 27, Swayed 29, Skip 30, Sect 31, Fat.

e-mail: rowolove@yahoo.co.uk

Place a number (1-9) in each blank cell. (No line can have two of the same number).

Each row (nine lines from left to right), column, (also nine lines from top to bottom) and 3 X 3 block within a bold block (nine blocks) contains number from 1 through 9. This means that no number can appear twice in any block, column or row.

No mathematics is involved – no adding, subtraction, division or multiplication, just plain logic and your imagination.

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